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Horror Book Review

THE SUM OF YOUR FLESH by the epic Beverley Lee.

Buy now in eBook and Paperback from AMAZON

Here we follow Haven Ford, a man who arrives in a small insular village on a quest to help his friend’s brother. Rafferty Henderson is a boy persecuted for a fate laid by his ancestor. Meredith Evans is returning to her roots to unearth a childhood terror. Their lives entwine, twist, and drown in a chilling tale of secrets and bloodlines.

As ever, Beverley Lee has done it again. There is no doubt of my fandom, but this one was a surprise, even to me. Perhaps this was because I thought I knew what I would find within its page. But with each page turn, each new chapter grew a tale far darker, deeper, and more glorious than I had hoped. The characters are fleshy, complicated and authentic in a setting that feels its own personality, dark, ominous and full of hidden secrets, fear and persecution. I do not easily squirm, but I have to say there were moments of sheer terror here, so brilliantly done but utterly horrifying, with an ending that was both raw and emotional.

Beverley Lee is a master of quiet horror. It is not gratuitous but subtle and sublime. Her words slither under your skin, settle into your bones and inhabit your mind. She finds your inner nightmares and carves them into the story as if it is created just for you.

This will be a book reread; no doubt there will be those sublime lines of prose I missed the first time, and probably my favourite of the author’s standalone novels.

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Audiobook Review

RELEASED by Julie Embleton, Turning Moon, book 2. Narrated by Elyse Osherhaug.

Buy on AMAZON and AUDIBLE

Follow Julie Embleton on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Website.

Following BOUND, book 1, the story continues with Michael Vincent, a minor character at the start, who has spent the last year on the run, convinced he deserves to be alone and tormented by his guilt. His unwitting but devastating actions in book 1 continue to haunt him as he tries to build a new life deep in the Rochfort Mountains, away from his pack. Fate has different plans when he meets his mate, giving Michael a small glimmer of hope for redemption. But as the nightmare and evil of his former life threatens to destroy all hope, can he overcome his guilt, make peace with his pack and rid the evil for good this time?

As with the first in the series, Released is not just wolf fiction, a trope that I don’t usually enjoy. Friendship, love and loyalty feature strongly here, all woven into a suspense thriller that feels far more real than an urban fantasy. The author has a natural gift of pulling you into the story, convincing you that wolves live amongst us in our everyday lives.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Elyse Osterhaug, who I am delighted to say has recorded the whole series. Elyse has a beautiful, easy tone that keeps you listening, bringing compelling depth to her storytelling… wonderful.

The Turning Moon series is a must-read and listen for all lovers of urban fantasy, thrilling suspense, and of course, a fabulous wolf romance. If you are new to audiobooks, these are great places to start. Now on to book 3!

FULL REVIEW on Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon and Audible.

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Kindle Book Sale

Monday 30th December – Thursday 2nd January, all my novels in their Kindle form are only 99p/99c available from Amazon.

Pocket change; for mere pennies you can indulge in a Gothic horror, paranormal investigation or a timeslip ghost story, all woven with historical hauntings.
So, how do you like your ghosts? 🕸🦇👻

⭐ What was the true inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula? The answer sits upon the East Cliff of Whitby in the shadow of the Abbey. Listen with Bram as Lucy’s desperate tale unravels. – ‘Mr Stoker & I’ 🦇

⭐ A tale in two halves. The Witchfinder General leaves devastation in his wake, but he has a secret. A modern paranormal investigation team stumble on the truth. But somethings are long planned. – ‘Daughters of the Oak’ 🍂

⭐ Lost ghosts wandering, searching for answers. A gentle Gothic tale of love, loss, betrayal and grief, spanning a century in the history of one family. Set against a rural Suffolk backdrop. – ‘Remember to Love Me’ ❄

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Book Review – Avalon Hall by Ruth Miranda

Congratulations to Ruth Miranda on the release of her new fantasy novel, Avalon Hall. I was lucky to have had an ARC edition. Avalon Hall is available to purchase Kindle or Paperback at Amazon.

Avalon Hall by Ruth Miranda – this is Ruth doing what she does best. A story of vampires, witches, fantasy and magic. This is a book of two halves, both as important as the other, coming together just enough at the end, but most certainly leaving you craving more.

Modern-day Scotland. We are introduced to a cast of contemporary characters, all well-crafted and intriguing with their own backstories. Set against the magnificent architecture of Avalon Hall, a modern-day school for adult preternatural, a place to nurture their new magical talents that manifest in their late teens or early twenties. This is no Hogwarts; there is more lurking the rooms and halls than just magic; and beyond the Hall, the vast grounds hold their own secrets. There is one student with her own damaged past that has the talent to step beyond the ‘now’ into the ‘then’. She has a vital role to play, unravelling the past mysteries and miseries of Avalon Hall’s hidden resident.

Just as your heartbeat starts racing, the author halts, whipping you off to the past. A place home to myth and Arthurian legend. But don’t think for one second you are about to receive a run of the mill story of King Arthur. Avalon Hall offers so much more. Instead of the general, the author gives us her own interpretations and thoughts, taking you across the lake at Avalon, delving into the history, the ancestry of who we know to be King Arthur, weaving us a tale that is so in-depth you feel kin to it. This second part of the book is so painstakingly meticulous, a richly woven tapestry of characters, each playing their role in carving the future of who will be known as King Arthur.

I’m now eagerly, and not so patiently, waiting for the second book in this series. Avalon Hall offers so much for those who adore fantasy, those stories abundant with witches and magic, but also those like me, who adore the mysteries that surround Arthurian legend.

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Book Review – Chaining Daisy by Julia Blake

Congratulations to my dear friend and fellow author Julia Blake on the release of her new novel, Chaining Daisy, that was released yesterday. It’s available now worldwide on Kindle, Paperback or free to read on Kindle Unlimited. Just remember to add a box of tissues to the order.

You buy the book now at Amazon.

Chaining Daisy, the second book in The Perennials picks up where the first book Becoming Lili ends, pulling you straight into the story. In the first, we are introduced to the main cast of characters, a gang of friends whose lives are based in the late 90s. With Chaining Daisy, the years have moved on a little to the early 2000s, concentrating this time on Daisy who’s struggling with her not-so-perfect marriage, despite appearances, and Kevin, one of Lili’s oldest friends.

Julia Blake as always delivers a riveting story with eloquence and style. Her cast—and I’d always call her characters a cast as they’re so visual, so full and multidimensional, they live and breathe from the page—all have their supporting roles in this, all bringing something to the story. With scene-setting locations going from rural Suffolk to London to Cornwall, she manages to bring so much colour and atmosphere too.

I hate giving the plot away, I think the book blurb gives you enough. But what I will say is this is one hell of a ride. Although the book itself is a huge (well worth its money) read of over 400 pages, the author’s writing talent takes you by the hand, enticing you in; before you know it, you’re halfway through and you’ve not been up for air. It certainly takes your breath away, dealing with difficult topics and situations, and although the author has dealt with these so realistically, so true to life, she has been careful to handle them with a sense of integrity—graphic descriptions where needed and others left to the imagination.

This is one book that stays with you. I read it in a few sittings, needing to close the pages and recover once in a while, reaching for the box of tissues, yet the characters stayed with me, calling me until I picked it up again.

Though I urge every reader to have tissues to hand, this is in no way a mushy love story, though love and life in all its wonder and horror feature strongly, Chaining Daisy is hard-hitting, gripping, incredibly heart wrenching read with soft, tender, beautiful moments. A well-earned 5 stars!