The Honest Lies by Elizabeth Lyvers
I had heard a great deal of chatter about The Honest Lies, Elizabeth Lyvers’ debut novel. Naturally, I wanted to read the book to form my own opinion and one thing I can tell you straight off: this does not read like a debut novel. The author tells the story in a most assured way.
The Blurb
Jack Murphy’s past died with his parents. Since then, he’s crafted a lonely but successful life operating the family’s drug wholesale business in a place miles and years away from Detroit. He’s even falling for his next-door neighbor Megan, a young woman grieving the recent death of her husband.
But when twenty million dollars’ worth of drugs disappear from one of Jack’s warehouses, he grapples to connect past mistakes with a new, as yet invisible enemy. Someone remembers. Someone is settling the score.
Megan loved her husband, enough to move a thousand miles before asking questions about his past. With nothing but their memories left to protect, she struggles to reconcile the documents she finds in his closet – evidence tying him to a robbery committed months after his death.
It isn’t until Megan is kidnapped that she grasps how deeply her husband’s sins were intertwined with Jack’s past. Only then can she begin to unravel the complex relationship between truth and love – and lies told with the best of intentions.
The Review
The Honest Lies is a confident, assured novel that weaves between past and present to develop the great characters early in the book. The author makes the characters vivid and well-rounded. She allows the reader to really care for them and what happens to them. This makes the book very hard to put down. The mystery begins at the very beginning of the book when Jack’s mother dies of cancer and he takes over the family’s multi-million dollar pharmaceutical company.
Jack’s neighbour, Megan, recently lost her husband after he was hit by a car. Jack and her husband, Lane, had been at high school together and that connection holds the key to some peculiar things which happen. Then, the author grabs the reader again when an important incident occurs within the plot which creates havoc within Jack’s life and everyone seems to be against him. All the way through the novel I had doubts about who was on Jack’s side, and the half-truths the characters told were confusing, as the author intended!
After this the story picks up even more pace and, having been gripping beforehand, it suddenly becomes even more exciting. Some of the incidents in the book are brutal and bloodthirsty and there are some vile characters. However, the author sprinkles in relief by way of humour in the shape of building manager, Mrs Carp and some scenes between Jack and his friend Pete.
I often get confused with a story that jumps between time frames, but the author dealt with that clearly, so I did not find it overly problematic in this book. I did find the many refences to faith annoying, but again, the author keeps those within the characters lives which made it credible and minimised my irritation. I found the end completely satisfying and highly recommend this thrilling and captivating debut novel. I am sure it would create excellent discussions in book groups.
The Author
Elizabeth Lyvers grew up in West Virginia, part-time in the library and part-time on the basketball court. As insinuated, she read voraciously – at the dinner table, on the bus to basketball games, occasionally in the locker room. At some point between Ivanhoe and The Woman in White she grew to believe that story is the clearest way to understanding Life. She most loves a book that doesn’t shy away from exploring darkness but that can still find its way to beauty and truth.
She currently lives in Texas with her best friend, chief reader, and husband. They have a dog and a brand new baby who enjoys walks, car rides, and staying up past bedtime.
The Honest Lies is her first published novel.
Val Penny
Cultivating a Fuji, Edition 2 by Miriam Drori
I am delighted that bestselling author Miriam Drori has made time to stop by the blog today to tell me about writing a second edition of her novel Cultivating a Fuji. Thank you for your time, Miriam.
The Extract
“But… I can’t believe it. How can they send Martin?” Carol’s voice rose to a squeak and a frown appeared below her fringe.
“I know. But the powers-that-be have pronounced verdict. And we’re supposed to pretend that it’s absolutely normal, so no laughing in front of Martin, okay?”
The grin that had formed on Carol’s face vanished as she bit her lower lip. “Okay. But they’ll murder him in Japan.” She burst into a fit of laughter, displaying a bright red smudge on her upper teeth.
“None of that. I mean it.” Sue’s lips twitched unintentionally.
Yes, Martin is being sent to represent the company in Japan, and Carol, Sue and the rest of the staff think it’s a big joke. Apart, that is, from Ian and John. They’re sad about Martin’s imminent failure, because they know it will shut down the company.
The above excerpt comes near the beginning of this story of transformation, a tale that is poignant, humorous and ultimately uplifting.
Why is there now a second edition of this novel? There are two reasons.
The first is out of necessity. The book left my publisher, Crooked Cat, who is now publishing only dark novels (crime, horror, thrillers, etc.) under its imprint, Darkstroke. That led to the second reason.
I had long wanted to make minor modifications to the text. The changes are dotted around the novel, but focus on the beginning and the ending. The opening words didn’t appeal to me as much as they did when I wrote them, and opening words, as we all know, are vitally important to a novel. So, I changed them. I like the beginning now. I hope that lasts!
The new ending is the one I really wanted for the first edition, before I allowed myself to be persuaded by a suggestion from an author I admire. Instead of explaining why my ending worked better, or simply ignoring the suggestion, I told myself that she knew better.
So, for me, this novel has been a lesson in trusting myself as an author. It’s important to listen to what readers have to say, but ultimately the decision must remain with the author.
Fortunately, this novel has been enjoyed by many and I hope it continues to satisfy readers and cause them to reflect.
Cultivating a Fuji is available on Amazon.
Miriam Drori can be found on Facebook, Twitter, her website and elsewhere.
The Author
Miriam Drori took up creative writing following careers in computer programming and technical writing. Her books span several genres: romance, historical fiction, uplit, crime and non-fiction. Her short stories and poems have appeared in anthologies. She is passionate about raising awareness of the widespread but little-known disorder called social anxiety.
Born and raised in London, Miriam now lives in Jerusalem with her husband and one of three grown-up children.
The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter
This is the ninth book in Karin Slaughter’s riveting Will Trent series, although it does work as a stand alone. I treated myself to The Last Widow during lockdown for Covid-19 when reading and writing were my escapes from the real world.
The Blurb
A mysterious kidnapping
On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.
A devastating explosion
One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhood’s has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.
A diabolical enemy
Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.
The Review
This is the ninth book in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series but it works perfectly well as a stand alone novel too. I enjoyed this book because it developed Will’s character further and I felt I got to know him better. He becomes involved in the case almost by accident when he and his girlfriend, Sara, are at her aunt’s house for lunch. Will has been working in the garden when Sara goes to tell him lunch is ready but an explosion goes off at the nearby hospital.
They go to try to help but Sara is abducted by the perpetrators. Her mother blames Will for letting her get taken and this colours their relationship. Although Will is injured during the abduction but insists on going undercover to try to rescue Sara and secure her release. Sara discovers that she is not the only woman they have abducted, Michelle, a scientist who specialises in dangerous viruses is also captive.
Sara and Michelle are being held by a white supremacist group that lives independently in a hidden hamlet. The group lives a simple life following their leader Dash and his wife Gwen. Gwen’s father established the group but is now held prisoner.
This is a gripping story and I really enjoyed the twists and turns through which the author led her readers. Unfortunately, I felt there were parts of the story that were too verbose and could have been shortened or even deleted. There are only so many times I needed to know about Sara exercising to relieve her boredom. Also I knew Dash and Gwen were strange, wicked people without repeatedly being told about their odd gatherings for family lunches.
Nevertheless, The Last Widow is a gripping tale and I highly recommend it.
The Author
Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her nineteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. Her most recent book, THE LAST WIDOW, features Sara Linton and Will Trent. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her standalone novels PIECES OF HER, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and COP TOWN are in development for film and television.
Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter
Website: http://www.karinslaughter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinslaugh…
Val Penny
Chasing Petalouthes by Effie Kammenou
It is lovely to be involved in the tour for the third part of this delightful trilogy. Chasing Petalouthes by Effie Kammenou works well as a stand alone novel, but why would you want to deny yourself the full intensity of this wonderful story. The tour is run by Love Book Group.
The Blurb
The Gift Saga concludes with the next generation coming into the forefront of the story during their tumultuous years between adolescence and adulthood.
*Read as a standalone or as part of the trilogy
Evvie has lived through more tragedy than a young girl should ever endure, having lost both her father and a most beloved grandmother at a young age. Her rebellious ways are her only defense to mask the ever-present pain in her heart. Closing herself off emotionally, Evvie vows to never let anyone into her heart. But will her determination to keep everyone out see her lose the only person who could heal her broken soul?
Over-achieving, focused, talented, determined to succeed. Those are the traits Stella envies in her siblings and cousins. Her insecurities and lack of confidence stunts her ability to realize her own worth. When an older, handsome young man claims her as his own, Stella believes she has finally found who she has been looking for—someone to love her enough to mold her into the best version of herself. But has she fallen in love too quickly for a man she barely knows anything about?
Chasing Petalouthes (Chasing Butterflies) is the coming of age story of two flawed, young women who push their way out from the confines of the cocoons they’d built around themselves and discover how to soar.
Chasing Petalouthes can be read as a standalone novel. To understand the full emotional impact of these characters histories and lives read Evanthia’s Gift & Waiting for Aegina.
The Excerpt
Evvie
August 2005
“Quality! Precision!” Madame Rousseau commanded, pacing about the practice room scrutinizing each student’s technique one by one. “Mademoiselle Evanthia, this is not the United States. More is not better here.”
Evvie stared at the stern woman blankly, her lips tightly pressed together. She’d been singled out more than the others for her mistakes and, as a consequence, the other dancers steered clear of her.
“For now, two perfected pirouettes with a higher leg in passé are sufficient and more impressive than three poorly executed ones. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes, Madame.” Evvie said, making an effort to sound contrite.
“Class is dismissed.” Madame Rousseau tapped a finger on Evvie’s shoulder. “Not you. I’d like a word.”
As they waited for the other students to file out of the room, Evvie wondered why she’d let her mother talk her into this. The schedule was grueling. Every morning she woke at the crack of dawn, greeted by a full day of warm-ups and classes, with only a short break for lunch. There was time for little else, and by the end of the night when she finally arrived back at her tiny, rented flat, exhausted, she collapsed onto her bed and fell sound asleep.
“You need to adjust your attitude.”
Evvie’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? Have I been disrespectful somehow?”
“By adjust I mean soften. Blend. Stop trying to outdo.” Madame Rousseau arched an immaculate eyebrow. “This isn’t a competition or an audition. It’s a workshop for you to master your craft.” She pursed her ruby-painted lips. “Naturally, that can’t be done in a couple of weeks. Normally, our students train year-round and have been with us from a very young age.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Evanthia, you’re a talented girl. Quite talented, actually. That is why I bother to correct you so fiercely. But I don’t see a hunger in you that tells me dance is your life—your one and only priority.”
The Author
Effie Kammenou is a believer that it is never too late to chase your dreams, follow your heart or change your career. She is proof of that. At one time, long ago, she’d thought that, by her age, she would have had an Oscar in her hand after a successful career as an actor. Instead, she worked in the optical field for 40 years and is the proud mother of two accomplished young women.
Her debut novel, Evanthia’s Gift, is a women’s fiction multigenerational love story and family saga, influenced by her Greek heritage, and the many real life accounts that have been passed down. She continues to pick her father’s brain for stories of his family’s life in Lesvos, Greece, and their journey to America. Her interview with him was published in a nationally circulated magazine.
Evanthia’s Gift: Book One in The Gift Saga was a 2016 award finalist in the Readers Favorite Awards in the Women’s Fiction category. Waiting for Aegina: Book Two in The Gift Saga is Kammenou’s latest release.
Effie Kammenou is a first generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, or posting recipes on her food blog, cheffieskitchen.wordpress.com, you can find her cooking for her family and friends.
As an avid cook and baker, a skill she learned from watching her Athenian mother, she incorporated traditional Greek family recipes throughout the books.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from Hofstra University.
For updates on promotions and the release of Book Three in The Gift Saga
Follow Effie on Twitter @EffieKammenou
http://www.facebook.com/EffieKammenou
Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton
I received a copy of Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton from my daughter at Christmas. I had never read any of the books by this author before, but they had been highly recommended to me.
The Blurb
A seemingly simple missing persons case leads two PI’s into the criminal secrets of California’s rich and powerful in this West Coast mystery thriller.
When a pair of sisters step off the bus from Minnesota and promptly go missing, it seems like a simple case for private investigators Madeline Dawkins and Mike Delaney. But when the trail leads them to a strange heiress who has never touched her eight-figure fortune, Madeline and Mike give up hope for a quick and easy solution.
The case will take Mike deep into his troubled past, and Madeline into a cold case that could expose the dirty deeds that have made people wealthy beyond imagination, at a deadly cost for others to pay. Ruthless criminals will go to any length to protect what they have built, and it will take all of Madeline’s intelligence and grit to tear down the whole rotten mess without getting crushed.
The Review
Girl Trap is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins Series by Cynthia Hamilton, although it can be read as a stand-alone. It is a fast paced detective series with exciting storylines and interesting characters.
In Girl Trap, the main characters, Madeline and Mike, are working on different missing women cases so the reader gets two stories at the same time. Madeline is looking for Hannah, who has been missing for ten years because her mother is dying and wants to reconcile with her estranged daughter before she dies. Of course, what unfolds is a completely different story that has a very unexpected ending that I did not see coming.
Mike, however, is looking for his cousin Jesse’s missing girlfriend and her sister and this storyline leads you into the dark and murky world of woman trafficking and I could not put this book down.
Cynthia Hamilton knows how to write a well thought out thriller that gets the readers invested in the plot and the characters. I highly recommend Girl Trap. It is an exciting, engaging story.
The Author
I started my writing adventure in 2000, when a collection of bizarre symptoms forced me to find a creative outlet I could pursue from bed. Since then, I’ve written several novels and two memoirs. I love creating characters and setting them down in situations to see how they react. My latest effort—The Patience of Karma—is the fifth book in the Madeline Dawkins Mystery Series, a concept that came to me out of the blue one day, and has been a gift that keeps giving. I’m proud of the way Madeline has gone from being the victim to being the champion of others.
I didn’t start reading for pleasure until I was nineteen. But once I discovered the joy of stepping inside someone else’s imagination, I was forever hooked. Because of the magic I experienced when I read, I believed writing was something I would never be capable of doing. It was only when I forgot that I couldn’t write that I discovered that I actually could. I still read a lot – I always have multiple books going at once – and I’m still getting a thrill out of testing my characters’ strengths. Both pursuits help me to better understand my fellow human beings and the complexities of life.
I’m deep into the sixth installment of the Madeline Dawkins series, cooking up more trouble for the MDPI team. The series is now in the capable hands of Severn River Publishing, with an eye on at least 8 Madeline adventures and a new series set in New Orleans. And I’m thrilled to announce an audio version of Madeline’s debut novel “Spouse Trap” will be released in Sept. 2020.
When time permits, I share behind the scenes looks at books written by me or some of my author friends on my Goodreads blog, “The Story Behind the Story.”
You can also find me at http://cynthiahamiltonbooks.com and Twitter (@AuthorCynthiaH) and Facebook: http://bit.ly/2IDnLcF
Please feel free to contact me. I love to discuss reading and writing!
Val Penny
Belial’s Teachings by Vlad Tudosie
I am delighted to be part of the tour for Belial’s Teachings by Vlad Tudosie run by Love Book Tours. You have the chance to follow the tour this week.
The Blurb
Living alone and forgotten by almost all those he loved, life does not seem to have much in store for a depressed writer. That until one day, when a mysterious apparition from outside the physical world decides to show him new ways of thinking through intelligent and sometimes humorous observations that challenge the status quo, which will bring change to his life forever. A change that, as he will soon learn, comes first and foremost from within himself.
The Excerpt
I used to sit all day on a wooden chair that wasn’t even mine, at a desk that wasn’t mine, working on a notebook that I had gotten from work, so one might say that that also wasn’t mine. The only things that were mine were my ideas. I used to earn my bread by writing philosophical bullshit for a local newspaper. I had them send me my paycheck through the mailman, which I didn’t even sign for on my own. I ended up without the money a few times, but violently complaining about my situation with no real intent to reaching for a solution was well worth avoiding the whole ordeal of calling in the police and having to deal with another round of people having no real interest in my well-being and putting up a whole show to make me believe they actually cared. The only human interaction I had left was one sweet old lady in her 90’s who also happened to be my neighbor, possessing excellent abilities in terms of copying one’s signature and with a deep concern for a ‘poor, sick youngster’ like me. Missis Kowalski, who seemingly had both better physical and mental conditions than I did, would bring me all the groceries that I needed twice a month and helped me with paying the rent, utilities and other stuff of that sort. Must have been the Polish genes keeping her so strong and lively at an age by which most people would have already died for five times in a row, minimum. Even if I had asked her to buy me the cheapest products she could find at the store, at the end of the month, I would be left with just enough money to afford a new pair of socks. That was pretty much all the worth of my ideas. Survival and a pair of socks. I could decide to take the drinks out of the equation, but they perfectly fit the definition of ‘survival’ for me. Then, there was this particular cheap drug I had her get from my high-school ‘buddy’, just another person that had betrayed my trust in a way I would have never imagined, accusing me of being the school’s dealer in front of the principal. Funny how the tables turned and I had to resort to him for the same drug with which he had gotten me in trouble. Still, it was cheap and effective. I had no idea what it was, and I liked the way it could make darkness appear colored, looking like rainbows shot out of nowhere. A great percentage of it must have been dust, because I could never seem to overdose on it and die a heroic death, but I had begun coughing and sneezing quite often since using it. I knew my lungs weren’t in the best of shape because of it, but I thought I could compensate through the lack of smoking in my life. It was my belief, which I lived by, that men weren’t made for putting long things into their mouths. And, frankly, I could never grasp the concept of drawing something different from air into my lungs without then coughing up to the point where I would literally feel my guts working their way up into my esophagus.
The Author
Vlad Tudosie’s first story was influenced by a chain of events in my life which led to me trying to form my own perspective of life, as a means of coping with what was and what will be. He writes a little bit daily, to keep my mind engaged. I can just return to that certain page or paragraph later and make changes with a fresh perspective.
Just a pharmacy graduate who spent one year of his studies being dedicated to his writing project. Could be because pharmaceutical chemistry just wasn’t interesting enough, but it’s more likely a result of finding a very special way of expressing thoughts and feelings in making a book, and wanting to share them with others.
An Unkindness of Ravens by S.E.Smith
it is a privilege to be involved again in the tour for another in the series of Young Adult novels by S.E.Smith run by Love Books Group. You can read a fascinating extract below.
The Blurb
When Symington, Earl Byrd is called in to investigate the murder of Robert Langley, he’s confused. Why shoot a man when you’ve already poisoned him?
Much to the prime minister’s disgust, a trip to Wales complicates matters further. But the prime minister is the least of Byrd’s worries. Rumour has it, Jack the Ripper’s back – tying up loose ends.
But when did Jack start using poison?
The Excerpt
From the Casebook of Symington, Earl Byrd.
Mayfair, London, Monday 25th February.
Like most things, my involvement in the case of the Southwark body came as the result of a visit from my cousin, CC. A chief inspector in His Majesty’s constabulary, he came a knocking – usually at the behest of the prime minister – when something gruesome, or scandalous, threatened the empire. Not that scandal brewed. Since Christmas, all was quiet. Nothing to indicate I could possibly be needed in any other capacity than a friend to the new King. And as for that … I was the wrong gender for the kind of companionship His Majesty required. So, unusually, I sat at home, grateful for the company.
Naively, I expected a convivial evening. Two like-minded men, seeking refuge from their womenfolk.
Stupidity should be the middle name of the Byrds.
Yet, to give CC his due, he lulled me into a gorgeous sense of false security. Dinner excellent; our conversation ranging. He didn’t mention Violet. I didn’t mention Serena. Neither of us mentioned ‘her’. Sampson, always efficient, ensured wine flowed like water and port flowed like wine … until an innocuous little question. Slipping under my defences. Blindsiding me.
“Tell me what you can about Sir William Gull?”
I stopped mid-sip and gave the question careful consideration. “Late Queen’s physician,” I said flippantly. At sight of CC’s baleful glare, I altered tack. “Who wants to know?”
“Me.”
I downed my port, sighed, and carried on. “Solid. Reliable. Died in 1890. Buried somewhere in Essex. Why’d ya ask?”
CC chose his words carefully. “His name came up recently, and I wondered what you heard about him.”
“The king wants to know?”
He shook his head and the penny dropped. The prime minister asked.
Given the plethora of scorpions that rushed from the darkest recesses of my mind to sound their warning, I gave in with good grace. “Not much. For all his excellent medical work – especially with anorexia – undeserved scandal followed him around; especially in his later years.” I poured another port.
“Really? Where’d you get the idea Gull was scandal-prone?” CC retorted. “Are you sure you’re not thinking of Gully? Similar name; similar connections.”
I stared at him. CC stared at me. Until the dam of tension broke and …
The Author
S.E. Smith, known as Sarah to her friends, and ‘Miss’ to her students, was born into a naval family and now lives on a 65 foot broadbeam boat with her husband, Steve, and her two rescue dogs – Ben and Eva.
Crediting her Nana May for instilling in her a love of history, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the East End of London at the turn of the 20th Century, Sarah took on board the adage ‘write about what you know’ and created Symington Byrd: a gentleman detective whose foray into the East End leads him into all kinds of danger.
A great fan of the West Wing, Pokemon Go, and Doctor Who, Sarah’s biggest claim to fame is the day spent with the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, chasing Daleks down The Strand.
Marketing Matters by Wendy H. Jones
I enjoy the fiction books Wendy H. Jones has written. Her crime novels are amongst my favourite books and my granddaughter loves her children’s character Bertie the Buffalo, so I was amazed when this busy, talented author had time to produce a non-fiction book, Marketing Matters, designed to help other authors sell more books.
The Blurb
Right now is the time to start marketing your book and getting it into readers’ hands. Whether you’re a first time author, or a publishing veteran looking to revitalise your sales, this book is here to help. It is jam packed full of simple strategies, hints and tips which will take you through every step of the marketing process. From running a buzzing book launch, and building your mailing list, through to effective social media marketing, you will explore how to get your books noticed and bought by readers. Each of these techniques has been used successfully by the author to build a growing platform designed to revolutionise your book sales. Learn from her what works and what doesn’t and use this book to build a marketing plan which will see your book sales soaring.
The Review
Marketing Matters is a brilliant, helpful book and so easy to read. it is designed with sound advice and exercises at the end of each chapter. It is well worth taking the time to do the exercises as the author touches on so many points and gives helpful examples.
Marketing is a minefield and the author shares her experience using different sites and methods of marketing. The book gives the reader a great insight what to expect. The writing is clear so that all levels of writers, even those new to writing can understand it and find helpful hints. I bought the paperback and find it easy to refer to and find relevant chapters. I unreservedly recommend Marketing Matters to authors. I am sure that they will all find it helpful.
The Author
International Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring DI Shona McKenzie are set. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years.
Killer’s Countdown was her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Killer’s Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2017. The seventh book in the series. Killer’s Curse will be released early august 2020. The Dagger’s Curse, the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries, was a finalist in the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year.
Turning to humorous crime the Cass Claymore Investigates series was born. She is also a highly successful marketer and is currently in the process of rereleasing her completely updated marketing book Marketing Matters. This will be part of the Writing Matters Series following the release of Motivation Matters.
She is also the author of the Bertie the Buffalo picture book and associated soft toy and colouring book. Wendy is delighted to be one of the authors in two anthologies aimed at empowering women – The Power of Why, and Women Win Against All Odds. She is proud to be the President of the Scottish Association of Writers and is the host of The Writing and Marketing Show podcast, a writing and marketing coach. and CEO of Writing Matters online writing school, Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy.
Val Penny
Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou
I am thrilled to be involved in the blog tour for Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou run by Love Book Tours. You can follow the tour this week.
The Blurb
In 1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the ‘Honey Hill Girls,’ named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers they shared one another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches. Now, more than thirty years later, they remain devoted and loyal, supporting each other through triumphs and sorrows.
Evanthia’s Gift follows the life of Sophia Giannakos. In Waiting for Aegina the saga continues from the perspectives of Sophia and her friends as the story drifts back and forth in time, filling in the gaps as the women grow to adulthood.
Naive teenage ideals are later challenged by harsh realities, as each of their lives takes unexpected turns. Now nearing their fiftieth year, Sophia, Demi, Amy, Mindy and Donna stand together through life-altering obstacles while they try to regain the lighthearted optimism of their youth.
The Excerpt
Sophia
January 1999
Barely a hint of light escaped the outer edges of the Roman shade covering the large window in Sophia and Dean’s bedroom. It had snowed the day before, continuing far into the night, the ominous black clouds advertising there would be no relief for some time to come.
Dean was asleep; his body spooned into his wife with one hand splayed over her belly as if possessively protecting the child within her. Sophia looked at the time on the clock and began to slip out of the bed, but Dean, roused awake from the feel of her body parting from his, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back toward him.
“Not yet,” he mumbled drowsily. Sliding his hands under her nightshirt, he found her breasts—a little fuller now that she was in her fifth month.
Turning to face him, Sophia kissed him good morning, a sensual purr innately rumbling from her throat as she ran her hands through his silky, brown hair. He wore it longer these days, and not in the conservative style he’d worn for years as an executive at a Manhattan-based hedge fund—his ex-father-in-law’s hedge fund. To Sophia, Dean’s hair was like a symbol signifying that her true Dino had returned to her—her Dino—the teenager with the long, silky mane, sparkling eyes, a smile that made her weak in the knees, and the spirit of a rebel.
“It’s cold. You need to keep me warm,” Dean said, pulling her on top of him.
“I need to? Is that an order?” Sophia asked playfully. “Maybe you should keep me warm.”
“I intend to. For the entire morning.”
And how could she resist? Why would she want to? The children were at Demi and Michael’s home for a sleepover. There was nothing keeping them from making love all day if they chose to.
The children—Sophia loved them more than life itself, but a tiny break from them, even just one day, would restore her strength. The last two years had been trying. The loss of their father left each of her children scarred differently: Nicky more private in his thoughts than before, and seemingly armored in anxiety, and Evvie was mad at the world. Well, maybe not the world—just me, Sophia admitted to herself. It was as though Evvie looked for reasons to blame her mother for anything that didn’t go the way she wanted it to—her yiayiá’s death, Sophia’s marriage to Dean, and now a new baby on the way.
The Author
Effie Kammenou is a believer that it is never too late to chase your dreams, follow your heart or change your career. She is proof of that. At one time, long ago, she’d thought that, by her age, she would have had an Oscar in her hand after a successful career as an actor. Instead, she worked in the optical field for 40 years and is the proud mother of two accomplished young women.
Her debut novel, Evanthia’s Gift, is a women’s fiction multigenerational love story and family saga, influenced by her Greek heritage, and the many real life accounts that have been passed down. She continues to pick her father’s brain for stories of his family’s life in Lesvos, Greece, and their journey to America. Her interview with him was published in a nationally circulated magazine.
Evanthia’s Gift: Book One in The Gift Saga was a 2016 award finalist in the Readers Favorite Awards in the Women’s Fiction category. Waiting for Aegina: Book Two in The Gift Saga is Kammenou’s latest release.
Effie Kammenou is a first generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, or posting recipes on her food blog, cheffieskitchen.wordpress.com, you can find her cooking for her family and friends.
As an avid cook and baker, a skill she learned from watching her Athenian mother, she incorporated traditional Greek family recipes throughout the books.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from Hofstra University.
For updates on promotions and the release of Book Three in The Gift Saga
Follow Effie on Twitter @EffieKammenou
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In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin
It had been a long time since I had read a novel by Ian Rankin. Several of his books in the recent past had not grabbed me as much as his earlier books, but during lockdown I bought several novels by my favourite authors and In a House of Lies was one of those books.
The Blurb
Private investigator Stuart Bloom was missing, presumed dead.
Until now.
His body is discovered in an abandoned car – in an area that had already been searched…
Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke combs through the mistakes of the original investigation. After a decade without answers, it’s time for the truth.
But it seems everyone involved with the case is hiding something.
None more so than Siobhan’s own mentor: former detective John Rebus. The only man who knows where the trail may lead – and that it could be the end of him.
EVERYONE HAS SECRETS
NOBODY IS INNOCENT
IN A HOUSE OF LIES
The Review
There is no doubt that Ian Rankin is one of Britain’s finest crime fiction writers. However, he has a problem of his own making and it is an issue the author himself acknowledges: he allowed John Rebus to age in real time therefore his main character is well past 60 and therefore at a point he can no longer serve in the police force. So the choice Rankin has made is to use John Rebus as a non-serving source of information and assistance to Police Scotland. Siobhan Clarke, is used by the author as the link between Police Scotland and Rebus and in In a House of Lies she has his aid whether she wants it or not.
When skeletal remains turn up in the boot of a car, found in a deep gulley close to the Edinburgh. Rebus is sure he knows the name of the deceased. It is the body of a man who disappeared over a decade ago. Rebus was involved in the original and much criticised missing person operation.
For much of the first half of the book Rebus is side-lined as Clarke and the rest of team kick-off the murder investigation. Another of Rankin’s creations, Malcolm Fox, is parachuted in to join the team. Now I find Fox a dull and humourless character so, about half way through this book, I was getting restless. Then, Clarke asked Rebus to look into a separate matter, involving a young man who had confessed to the murder of his girlfriend and the story improved.
The pages contained Rebus’s dry one-liners and the energy of the whole thing seemed to increase exponentially. There is no doubt that the pages light up when Rebus is about. However in this book the author seemed unable to decide which was to be the main character: Rebus, Clarke or Fox. There are a number of potential murderers, loads of cops and too many faces from the past as organised crime bigwigs Big Ger Cafferty and Darryl Christie both make an appearance, but neither seems to add much.
I remain a huge fan of this series, now in it’s 22nd instalment, and of Ian Rankin. I do wonder where Rankin takes things next time around. Whatever he does, I hope he manages to write another gripping novel. Despite the faults of In a House of Lies, it is a great read and I must recommend it, if you enjoy crime mysteries.
The Author
Ian James Rankin, OBE, DL, FRSE was born in Fife, Scotland on 28 April 1960. He is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. He
graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year’s best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2’s Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin’s Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
Val Penny
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