#BookReview: Verity by Colleen Hoover

 I am determined to keep up with my local book club this year, and today I share my review for Verity by Colleen Hoover.

 

My Review

This was my first Colleen Hoover novel and I read it for my local book club. Yes, I enjoyed it! The book deals with the dark side of the human mind and the nature of obsession and love, but you never quite know what is "real" and what is not. It kept me hooked but I didn't get too emotionally involved. Perhaps as a writer I managed to stay detached, knowing that the protagonists were also writers (apart from Jeremy, and I still can't decide what to think about him). Still, it was an entertaining read, and it gave me something new to think about.

About the Book

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Buy the book: Amazon; Waterstones; WH Smith.

 Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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International Women’s Day #IWD2023

Happy International Women’s Day! Let’s celebrate the work of female authors, especially those like me who work alone, from home, with very little outside support for our business.

I am still doggedly pursuing my dream of literary fame and fortune, and still it evades me. But I am comforted in the knowledge that every day my work gets a little bit better, every day I learn something new that I can put into my craft, and every day I might be one step closer to truly fulfilling my childhood dream of being a famous author. When I was a child I never thought I could possibly write a novel, let alone publish one, and now I have several published novels that are widely available around the world. That is an achievement!

 

 

What are the inspirational female authors that influence your life in some way? Maybe they wrote something that struck a chord with your life experience. Perhaps they helped you to feel part of a community or eased your loneliness. Or maybe they gave you a good story to read that took you away from the stress of life, that made you laugh, that made you smile, and that made you feel better.

 

 

My writing is influenced by Laurell K Hamilton, Anne Rice, L.J. Smith and lots of female authors whose work I have enjoyed throughout my life. Now I strive to become another strong female writer that can help inspire a new generation of readers. My daughters are desperate to read my books, but they are not old enough yet and I’m not sure I want them to. They would never look at me in the same way again! Who are your favourite female writers?

 

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

✨Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Do you enjoy a good fairy tale? I do! I was inspired to write a contemporary short story about a werewolf and a fairy. Tell me what you think of it!

 🖤The Wolf and the Fairy - English Gothic horror story

 She is a werewolf hunter, descended from ancient fairies, destined to fulfill her role in the family business. He is a lone wolf, his family brutally torn away, revenge his motivation for existence.

 The fairy and the wolf come together in a violent union as this modern, adult fairy tale gives us an alternative account of life in ancient Britain, and how it has evolved in the present day.

 Get the book now.

 

Excerpt

“Where is you lair?” she demanded, pointing her sword at the wolf.

            The woman stared up at her with a face streaked with tears and blood. She shook her head.

            “I will not give up my pack to you,” she spat, “Kill me if you want. It makes no difference now.”

            Tania nodded, and shoved the sword through the woman’s body, from her back straight through her chest. She screamed, cried, and slumped down across her mate’s body. Tania sank onto her knees on the wet grass. It was still raining. She was soaked, but she barely felt the water seeping through  her jeans. She felt numb, empty.  Killing werewolves was such a normal activity for her, that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be guilty or remorseful.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

#BookTalk: Abstract Narrative Poetry Books by Jazalyn

With millions of impressions, half million engagements and 30,000 followers in social media, Jazalyn is among the most-promising newcomers of authors-poets. Here are some of her recent poetry books for you to explore.

 
Hollow: A Love Like a Life by Jazalyn
 
A ghost spirit of dark's universe falls in love with a ghost spirit of light's universe, and while They cannot meet, for They wander around separate realms and spacetimes, They live Their love through a secret and sacred interaction.
 
They are light years APART.
But there is INVISIBLE possession.
A precious NEED bridges the range.
A SECRET LANGUAGE.
A SACRED ENERGY.
A distant BOND is created.
An EVOLUTION of the SOULS.
Will they ever MEET for REAL?
And in what FORM?
 
A supernatural paranormal romance poetic novel of mystical and spiritual time travel, epitome of confessional metaphysical and existential love that is seen in space opera.
 
Buy the book here.
 
vViIrRuUsS: I Never Forget by Jazalyn
 
Three robotic viruses are released from unknown forces and compete with each other exposing crimes, with humanity’s scale of existence oscillating between total destruction and reinventing recovery.
 
A REVELATION of the THOUGHTS.
An AWAKENING for the HIDDEN reality.
A MADNESS pandemic.
A WAR of ESPIONAGE.
Whose VIRUS is which?
Is it too late for reinstating?
The PANIC button pushed.
An attempt to erase the MEMORIES.
Can an EVIL virus SAVE the world?
 
A post-apocalyptic techno thriller poetic novel that emulates psychological reactions of a serious medical and technological global emergency and provides philosophical insights on the world's best direction.
 
Buy the book here.
 
Rose: Future Heart by Jazalyn
A socially underprivileged rose witnesses unpleasant events and behaviors that threaten Her inner peace and is determined to set life and love aside in order to find Her true, pure and moral parts of character.
 
30 petals of MOOD and STATUS.
A society full of INJUSTICES and UNFAIRNESS.
A ROLE She doesn't want to play.
A RAGE. A RAVE.
A PAST that leads to HATE.
A RARE SOUL.
A wishful CHANGE of HEART.
She AROSE and She ROSE.
From IGNORANCE to STRENGTH.
A FUTURE that should lead to LOVE.
But can there be LOVE?
 
A dark fantasy magical realism poetic novel that endures urban social issues and inequality, and challenges self-esteem, self-help, self-improvement, self-development, healing.
 
Buy the book here.

 
 

About the Author
 
Jazalyn attracts all cultures and traditions with an audience from all walks and stages of life as a consequence of the universal atmosphere that encircles her themes.
 
Her innovative and versatile writing style stemming from abstraction and absurdness captivates mystery and suspense with words swimming in surrealism and magical realism.
Her imaginative and inventive narration unites the philosophical with the psychological and the scientific elements of both fantasy and fiction that create and solve riddles and puzzles.
In what results as a contemporary genre of cinematic (epic) poetry in slice of life-vignette expression which provokes thinking and eyes new horizons.
 
Jazalyn's art is purposely colorful, geometrical and fashionable in its totality to match the aesthetics of a qualitative artfulness which expands the consciousness of an enlightenment painted in a kind of mysticism and spirituality that knows no boundaries.
 
Follow Jazalyn on Goodreads; Twitter; Instagram.  

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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International Book Giving Day

Happy International Book Giving Day! If you are looking for free books, they are available from lots of places. Read on for a list of places to get free books, including both digital and physical books.

 

1. Borrow books for free from your local library. Our libraries struggle along in the 21^st century but they offer so much knowledge, entertainment, and a place to go for safety when you need it. Visit your local library today.

2. Get free books to download on Amazon. Explore millions of books, thousands of audiobooks and selected magazine subscriptions on any device. Click here for details.

3. Discover new authors online. Check out free book giveaways from independent authors (including me) at Prolific Works. You can find all genres, new stories, retelling of old stories and lots more.  

4. Get free books for Valentine’s Day. Check out Finding Gina by Lizzie Chantree (an author I personally recommend).

5. Check out another personal recommendation and get your free book from Louise Murchie. She writes fantastic second-chance romance novels and I absolutely love her Tango Down Duology set in Scotland. I am excited to read her new novel Time After Time.

 

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

Imbolc Blessings!

Imbolc Blessings, my pagan kin!

Those wolves are stirring in Redcliffe ready for the full moon. They are excited for the change of season as the weather grows warmer, the days grow longer, and they can hunt in the forest.

Jessica has learned a lot about living with werewolves and vampires since she embraced her witchcraft. She seems to be enjoying it! You can read about her story and her adventures in the Redcliffe Novels series, beginning with Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) Book 1. There are 5 published so far and book 6 is in the editing phase.

You can read some slightly more erotic paranormal adventures in My Vampire Boyfriend (The Redcliffe Novels), an anthology of short stories inspired by the creatures in my fictional Cornish town.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

Happy New Year from Paranormal Author Catherine Green

Happy New Year my bookish friends! How is 2023 looking so far?

My return to writing was slow last year, mainly due to unexpected health challenges. Then there was the usual phase where I wallowed in self-pity and decided I was going to give it all up because nobody cared about my books. We writers are a sensitive bunch, even if you don’t see it from the outside. 

Somehow I returned to an old online course via a webinar. There is a lot of new content on the website, with updated training for indie marketing and business building. I suppose this is a sign that I shouldn’t give up yet. My published novels are brilliant, I know that. I just need to persuade the rest of the world to recognise my genius. It’s a hard task, but I am still not giving up. I am nothing if not stubborn, as my husband will attest to.

I am currently writing a new vampire hunter novel that I’ve been working on for several years and only recently decided to rewrite from a different perspective, so the first draft is still in progress. I am struggling to connect with the story and yet I feel I must persevere. I have the sequel to Vampire of Blackpool in progress, and the sequel to my as-yet unpublished novel Hunting the Hunted. I have submitted the manuscript for Hunting the Hunted to various publishers and agents without success, but I refuse to give up.

And so, this year for me will be about writing. I need to go back to basics and do what makes me happy. What will you do this year?

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here.