Hi everyone, please welcome to the blog M J Mallon, a fellow Next Chapter novelist and poet.
M J Mallon is the author of YA sword and sorcery series, Curse of Time, of which book one, Bloodstone, and book two, Golden Healer, have been published. She has also penned several poetry collections. To find out more about M J Mallon and her work, head to her website: https://mjmallon.com
About ten years ago when I started blogging at my eclectic blog home: https://mjmallon.com. At the time, I was living in Cambridge, England, and had close connections to Edinburgh, Scotland.
For my debut novel, Bloodstone, I developed a fascinating idea for a trilogy, which became The Curse of Time series. It was inspired by two sculptural artworks, the Chronophage clocks designed by esteemed inventor, Dr John C Taylor, OBE, and Jupiter Artland’s crystal grotto, designed by Anya Gallaccio – The Light Pours out of Me – exhibited during August 12 to December 2, 2012. (Jupiter Artland is located in Wilkieston, near Edinburgh, Scotland.)
What’s your latest project about?
I’m currently working on the third book in the Curse of Time series. It’s a young adult fantasy sword and sorcery novel, with the original cast of characters plus a few more. The Dragon Chronophage escarpment – the third of the sculptural clock creatures – comes alive in this trilogy, along with strange beings such as Eruterac’s living dead army, the return of the Grasshopper, the Mythological Fly, (sometimes known as the Midsummer fly) and the creepy coffin fairies. The story partially takes place in the Land of Shadows, and the battle scenes occur in Edinburgh. It’s at about 40,000 words now, still in the development stage.
To read the full interview head over to Kathryn’s blog or read on Substack:
Exactly what is the big deal with book reviews?Currently, the reader’s attention is constantly being competed with via a wide range of printed or electronic format works. In this vast context, there may be no way to overstate how powerful, effective, and essential book reviews are – for both the reader and the author. Through these assessments, the readers are given a flavour of the narrative in front of them, additionally serving as gateways to the world of good books. On the other hand, the writers regard reviews as crucial for discoverability, marketing, and boosting their book sales.This little book of personal thoughts is more of a guide than a forensic approach.
My Review
Find Your Next Best Read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2025
The Booklet of First Hand Reads by Dan Costinas.
It’s somewhat unusual reviewing a book of book recommendations but that’s what I’ll try to do!
Dan loves reading. That’s obvious and his favourite reads are eclectic in taste ranging from:
1. The Bard William Shakespeare himself.
2. Poetry
3. Gothic literary masterpieces & Bestsellers
4. Engaging Travel & Expatriate tales
5. Crime & Thrillers, Psychological Fiction, Murder Mystery Puzzle Book
Set during World War II, an unforgettable historical novel about love, war, family, and loyalty told in in the voices of two women, generations apart, who find themselves connected by a mysterious and valuable bottle of wine stolen by the Nazis.
1942. Seven-year-old Martine hides in an armoire when the Nazis come to take her father away. Pinned to her dress is a note with her aunt’s address in Paris, and in her arms, a bottle of wine she has been instructed to look after if something happened to her papa. When they are finally gone, the terrified young girl drops the bottle and runs to a neighbor, who puts her on a train to Paris.
But when Martine arrives in the city, her aunt is nowhere to be found. Without a place to go, the girl wanders the streets and eventually falls asleep on the doorstep of Hotel Drouot, where Sister Ada finds her and takes her to the abbey, and watches over her.
1990. Charlotte, a commercial airline pilot, attends an auction with her boyfriend Henri at Hotel Drouot, now the oldest auction house in Paris. Successfully bidding on a box of wine saved from the German occupation during the Second World War, Henri gives Charlotte a seemingly inferior bottle he finds inside the box. Cleaning the label, Charlotte makes a shocking discovery that sends her on a quest to find the origins of this unusual—and very valuable—bottle of wine, a quest that will take her back fifty years into the past. . . .
A powerful tale of love, war, and family, The French Winemaker’s Daughter is an emotionally resonant tale of two women whose fates are intertwined across time. Loretta Ellsworth’s evocative and poignant page-turner will linger in the heart, and make you think about luck, connection, and the meaning of loyalty.
Loretta earned a master’s degree in Writing for Children from Hamline University. She’s the author of four young adult novels: THE SHROUDING WOMAN, a Rebecca Caudill nominee; IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD, which won the Midwest Bookseller’s Choice Honor Award, was a Teen’s Top Ten finalist, an IRA Notable, and was named to the New York Library’s List of Books for the Teen Age; IN A HEARTBEAT, which was named a spring Midwest Connection’s Pick and an ALA Notable; and UNFORGETTABLE, which was a Kirkus Pick of the Month. Her debut adult novel STARS OVER CLEAR LAKE, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2017. Her debut picture book, Tangle-Knot, will be published by Page Street Kids in 2023.
A former Spanish teacher, she lives with her family in Minnesota.
I was raised on writing rough drafts and making sense of them later. This was taught to me by Jane Resh-Thomas in small classes in her Minneapolis living room, where she dispensed her wisdom to all of us who eagerly made copious notes. One thing she taught us was the concept of ‘writing behind your own back’. It’s the meat of the story, underneath the plot and characters. During the process of writing, things come to you without you knowing what they mean, or why they’re part of the story. But that’s often the important part. It’s what the story has to do with you, and every story has something to do with you as the writer, even when you don’t see it at first.
And we don’t see it. Not at first. When Kate DiCamillo wrote her book The Tiger Rising, one of the characters has a terrible rash on his legs. She said, “I wrote that book and re-wrote and re-wrote it and Rob’s rash was always present, front and center. And it wasn’t until after the book was done, that I remembered my own eczema, how it bedeviled me as a kid (not that I had forgotten the eczema, only that I hadn’t connected it with Rob’s eczema). I didn’t know what I was writing about, but I was writing about my heart.”
During the revision process, it’s important to ask ourselves why we’re writing a particular story, to recognize what we’re really writing about even when we think it’s something else. When writing The French Winemaker’s Daughter, I concentrated at first on the mystery of a rare and valuable wine bottle, one that spurs pilot Charlotte to search for the owner fifty years later. It wasn’t until after several revisions that I started to see a connection to my own life. My father spent time in Japan during WWII, and amid some of the things he brought back was a small delicate handkerchief decorated with a picture of a red sun and Japanese writing. I found out after his death that it was called a Good Luck Flag, filled with messages of love and support from the family of a soldier going into battle. I wondered what happened to the soldier who’d carried this, the story behind the flag we had owned all these years, and if his family could be located. Although I found out it might be almost impossible to find the family now (he had a common last name), it was suggested that the flag belonged in a museum. It made me wonder what we owe others, especially those who have lost so much during the war? And I realized that my book was searching for a way to bring restitution for my family for owning what we’d assumed was a common handkerchief all those years, but may have been an important piece of someone else’s life.
When examining your story, look for how it’s connected to you, the writer, and don’t be surprised that it’s something you tried to keep secret and buried. But it will reveal itself, and in doing so, will help us as writers to write our truths and reveal the themes of our books.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 12-16: Writing to be Read – Opening day – Interview
Tues. 12-17: Carla Reads – Guest Post
Wed. 12-18: Kyrosmagica – Guest Post
Thurs. 12-19: Book Places – Guest Post
Fri. 12-20: Writing to be Read – Closing day – Book Review
They kept hearing, “When will we celebrate your good news?”
The perfect partner, the perfect job, mostly perfect in-laws.
Bali and Kiran had it all. Except for that baby.
After a few years of marriage, the natural step of starting a family beckoned, but nothing was simple or natural.
Constant whispers, superstitions, and rumours cause havoc in what was a solid relationship, and Kiran struggles to face the possibility that her dream may not come true.
Pregnancies and babies all around her. Why not hers? All she can say is, “It’s in God’s Hands.”
Book Review – In God’s Hands
This is book 3 in the Rishtay series. I’ve read Marriage Unarranged and Straight As A Jalebi and can highly recommend all three books.
I enjoyed reconnecting with the characters again. The third book in the series is an emotional read focusing on childless couples struggling to conceive and to carry a baby to term.
In God’s Hands is written in a moving and knowledgeable way from the author’s own experiences.
With mentions of cultural aspects and the pressure (especially from mother-in-law’s and ‘aunties,’) for married couples to produce a child.
One can’t help but root for Kiran and Bali!
In this human interest and family centred novel relationships between husband and wife, friends, family, and the wider community are explored.
I was a little surprised at the emotional distance between Kiran and her mother. I didn’t find her character was mentioned much. Instead, Kiran’s relationship with her father-in-law, Daddy-Ji, is the one that shone throughout. He is level-headed, sensible and kind. I really liked his character! Such a sweet man. Her mother-in-law, Mummy-Ji, is intolerable at the beginning and then suppressed revelations are shared which make a difference.
A lovely cultural personal and touching read. ❤️
My rating 4 stars
Abouttheauthor
Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.
From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is credited to her mother. The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her writing, from fiction to poetry. Winning little writing competitions at school and locally encouraged her to continue writing.
As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a sideline to her writing!
Ritu also writes a blog, http://www.butismileanyway.com, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, and Best Book Blog in 2019.
Ritu is happily married and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the fur baby Sonu Singh.
Congratulations to author D. L. Finn on her latest release, Sounds In The Silence. I really enjoyed!
Book Overview
A dual timeline where murder has consequences forty years later for the living—and the deceased.Maria and Logan Davis stumbled upon the perfect old house by a secluded lake—a prime candidate for their dream inn. They knew a renovation was involved but didn’t expect a persistent ghost that pleaded to be found. Determined, Maria delved into the mystery, only to uncover a haunting love story and murder from the Roaring Twenties. Yet, the young couple’s curiosity shifts to fear when they realize someone is taking a dangerous interest in their barn. With time ticking away, they must unravel the secrets of their home’s past before it’s too late.
My Review
This is such a heart warming mysterious story with romantic, and ghostly elements.
A trapped ghost Helen is unable to get her message about her husband Charles across to the new owners of the inn, Logan and Maria. Terrible past events happened. She fears for Logan and Maria’s safety and wants justice to prevail so she can find happiness in the afterlife.
I really enjoyed this tale. The premise for the story is fantastic. It is told in a dual time style between the 1920’s, (mention of bible bashing and condemnation of drinking during prohibition,) and the 1960’s. The characters both human and furry… (there are two dogs and two cats too,) are well drawn out and the good guys are ones you can root for and sympathise with.
The initial ghost discovery wasn’t as eerie as I expected but the ghost is a friendly one.
It is quite exciting in parts with grim discoveries, a mysterious letter and gun shots firing!
Highly recommended for readers of mysteries, ghost tales with a romantic element running throughout the narrative.
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
FANTASTICNEWS! It is release day for Richard Dee’s Where’s Lizzie….
Blurb
𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.A missing child, a family full of secrets. Douglas was only gone for an hour. He left his wife and baby daughter in their broken-down car while he went for help. After all, they were safely parked in a layby. When he returned, his car had vanished. He found it, crashed into a tree, further down the road. wife was now in the passenger seat. She’d hit her head in the accident and lost her memory. Worse than that, his daughter was missing from the back seat. Who has her? Why do they want her? Will he ever see her again? Someone knows the truth, but is anyone ready for the truth to come out? 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧… 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬.
Book review
Fabulous new book from Richard Dee! He really is such a prolific and versatile author who is able to deliver imaginative and engaging stories in many genres including scifi, fantasy and now thriller.
A well plotted and intriguing story about a father’s quest to find his missing one year old daughter, Lizzie, and his hopes to rekindle the love of his wife after her memory is lost following on from a mysterious road accident. Absolutely loved the ending and the little alternating chapters which filled in the details about the love and family life of the two main characters, Douglas and Rom. And the twin sister dynamic of Rom and Bec and details of their overbearing, dominant father Archie and his charity work added extra mystery and unexpected twists and turns to this story.
I really enjoyed reading.
Highly recommended for thriller, mystery readers with a well devised human interest aspect and plot.
My rating 5 stars.
Release date 1st June, 2024.
About the author
I’m Richard Dee and I’m from Brixham in Devon.
I write all kinds of speculative fiction, from Science Fiction and Steampunk to sci-fi crime and psychological thrillers.
Forty years at sea gave me the ideas, I just changed the names and set them in the future or in an alternative now.
All my work is fuelled by black coffee and homemade digestive biscuits.
You can keep up with me at https://richarddeescifi.co.uk/ where you’ll find free short stories, regular features on writing, book reviews and guest appearances from other great authors.
I can also be contacted at richarddeescifi@gmail.com
If Martina Cole is the Queen of crime, Donna must be a Princess…
Do you believe in Karma? Peter Markham should have. The past has come tapping him on his shoulder with an appointment for a reckoning. There will be no tomorrow. The killer did everything to cover their tracks, but is that possible? Who is this mystery person to bear such a grudge, but more importantly, why? Is it possible to forgive the past?
DI Cora Snitton is new to the station and wants to make an impression. The pressure is on her to find Peter Markham and put the world back together again, at least for his wife. If Peter has a history, so have others. Secrets breed secrets while tragedy is only around the corner. It’s up to Cora and the officers on her team like rookie DC’s Darcey and Luke to solve the crime and deliver justice.
REVIEW
What a page turner! Secrets, secrets, secrets! The mounting tension towards the end culminated in an ending which wasn’t quite what I expected. But, given the underlying sense of the destruction, (and revenge killing,) it seemed in keeping with the tale to end the book in this way.
I believe this is a series, so there will be more to come. So much to say about this book. It would make a great film, or detective drama! The beginning made me ugh, wince a lot! It’s hard hitting. Though, the violence that occurs isn’t gratuitous, it has meaning in this book (there is a valid reason it is there and the author does a great job in building up the character of the murderer.) And this is also true regarding the characterisation of the coppers in the story, particularly Cora and Darcy. I liked how Donna Morfatt showed the other side to Cora, revealing her comedic interest which gave the story a rounded, lighter touch. I thoroughly enjoyed the sections about foster kids and the way this was so well plotted within the context of the murder story. Harrison, you must read about him, so sad.
Overall, this is a fabulous debut. 👌 Really impressed with Donna’s storytelling abilities. Highly recommended for those who like a well plotted, crime/detective series procedural but readers should be aware that there are triggers: violence, torture, rape.
My rating: 5 stars
Bio
Born and raised in a small Town in Bedfordshire.
Has loved reading as long as she was able to understand the words written on the page, and the love has remained. Now a way to help cope with mental health.
As with many people across the world, the pandemic left us with lots of time, and twiddling thumbs. As well as trying to complete a degree in Forensic Science at the time, Donna thought she’d try and write a book.
That book, although story wise is ok, needs a lot of work, and is yet to see the light of day. She likes the story and hopes to go back to it one day.
Donna then took part in NaNoWriMo, in November 2021, and wrote her first full length novel. Then there is Cassie, which came joint second in a recent short story competition. When entered, they were given covers and proper editing, so Donna thought, why not release it, and raise some money for charity. So thats how Cassie came to be.
Debut novel The Disappearance of Peter Markham is being released by Rampart books on May 23rd 2024.
If you’d like to get in touch or follow me on social media, then please do so here
Welcome to Sandy Coves Holiday Centre, where nothing is quite what it seems, and almost nobody can be trusted. When Julia takes a job as a waitress to forget her cheating ex-boyfriend and cure her broken heart, she soon discovers she’s jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
Juan, the camp’s Spanish gigolo, is determined to entice her into his bachelor lair, but Francis, the shy sous chef, is resolute Julia will be his.
Worst of all, a thief is stealing from the kitchen, and Julia becomes linked to the crime.
The poor waitress can’t even find solace in her lodgings. She shares with Heaven, the potty chalet maid; a true ‘peace and light’ hippy who dabbles in white witchcraft. Julia soon finds herself dancing under the full moon and joining Heaven’s low-key coven. (The other members call them ‘girly nights’, where candles, wine, nibbles and forming strong friendships are the main priorities.)
Can Julia clear her name by teaming up with Francis to find the thief? Or will she lose her job?
This comical cosy mystery series isn’t just focused on the crimes. We learn about the characters, their lives, their hopes and dreams, failures and disappointments. Is everyone hiding a dark secret, while they plaster on a smile so the holidaymakers will have an unforgettable vacation?
Come to Sandy Coves Holiday Centre and see for yourself.
Review
Undoubtedly Michelle E. Northwood is a talented and interesting author who can turn her hand to any genre.
Michelle E. Northwood’s latest offering is Summer Season at Sandy Coves book 1.
This is book 1 in a lighthearted, fun story, a study of the vagaries of people in the working environment of a holiday camp. There’s never a dull moment from affairs between staff and holidaymakers, a serial philanderer, a thief, a peeping tom like character, lazy, immature, twin girls, and confusing relationship miscommunications. The characters are well drawn and entertaining. I really couldn’t stand Juan, who everyone seems to fall in lust with! And Julia’s room mate Heaven is a funny subsidiary character with her hippy tendencies and coven.
Julia’s back and forwarding was at times a little frustrating… I wanted to shake her shoulders and convince her to pick the right guy. But that is the charm of the story and life is a little like that. We often are unsure… and are prone to making bad choices.
What Julia decides and what happens… plus revelations, well, read the book to find out! It will have you giggling goggle eyed, I promise!
My recommendation – a comical cosy mystery summer read, or for anytime when you need an engaging fun story to lift your mood.
My rating 5 stars
About the author
Michele has a First Class Honours Degree in Modern languages, (English and Spanish) and also studied for a Master’s in Highschool Education. She currently lives in Spain, where she runs an English Teaching Academy. Michele shares her home with her Spanish husband, her dog, two cats and two terrapins. (Yes, she’s slowly building an ark!)
In her past life …. (okay, when she was a young woman,) she worked as a professional dancer, magician and fire-eater who toured the world for over twenty years in theatre, musicals and circus. During that time, she was in the Guinness Book of Records for being part of the world´s largest Human mobile, and worked as a contortionist with the Circus of Horrors as their first “Girl inside a bottle”. She has rubbed shoulders with Sting, Chris de Burg, David Copperfield, Claudia Schiffer and Maurice Gibb from the Bee Gees. She has also worked as a knife throwers assistant, assisted a midget in his balancing act, and took part in the finale of a Scorpions concert.
The author’s debut novel, ‘Fishnets in the Far East: A Dancer’s Diary in Korea’ has won two literary competitions. The sequel: “Fishnets and Fire-eating” has just been released, and the third book in the Fishnet series is due out soon.
Michele is concerned about climate change, the abundance of plastic pollution, and hates the way man-unkind treats the other species that inhabit this beautiful planet we are slowly destroying. Michele loves living in the countryside with views of the sea and likes nothing better than to sit on the terrace at the end of the day, look up at the stars and contemplate.
If you would like to contact Michele, she can be found at:
Twitter: @northwood_e
Facebook: Michele E. Northwood Author
And if you would like to be informed of future releases, giveaways, competitions and free books send her an email to antologiadeaguilas@gmail.com
Welcome to my blog, Shelley. This is such an enticing read. I love the title and the cover is gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Marje. I’m thrilled to be here and able to share Edith’s story with you. The cover is a firm favourite of mine too!
I’d love to find out more about The Last Princess, so let’s chat…
Tell us a little about your background, your life today and how you came to writing.
Like many of my fellow author pals, I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a pencil. As a youngster, I used to write and illustrate a story and then bind it into a book using old wallpaper scraps and string. I think my future was mapped out back then!
I first saw my name in print at 13 when my letter was published in Jackie magazine. Seeing my name in print was an incredible feeling and I think that was the moment I knew I wanted to be an author. However, it would take until I was in my forties for me to get my act together.
In 2014 I self-published my debut book which was a non-fiction title (I worked in the mind, body, spirit industry at the time) called How I Changed My Life in a Year. Thanks to the fabulous support and reviews of the book blogging community it shot up the Amazon charts to number one in self-help and women’s biographies. That book really has changed my life!
I’m an avid networker in my local area and an associate for a women’s business network. As I used each event to introduce myself and my books I began getting asked how I got started writing my books and how I published them. Through the network, I was asked repeatedly to run workshops and speak at events. Over time this grew into my writing mentor business where I help women in business write their own non-fiction books and blogs to boost their brand.
My dream of writing for a living became a reality as I fill my days writing my own novels and helping my clients with their word counts.
What do you think are the most important qualities of a female heroine?
Great question! The answer may differ for each of us as we all have unique core values that drive us. For me, it’s authenticity, vulnerability, and loyalty. These qualities are important to me in my real life and so I like to see the same in a heroine.
As it is a historical tale what sort of research did you do for this particular novel?
As soon as I knew I was going to write this book I began reading anything I could get my hands on about Vikings. I’ve always been fascinated by this period so it wasn’t a hardship to immerse myself in the sagas and legends.
The Last Princess is based in Bamburgh, Northumberland, and also Hedeby (once a vital Danish trading settlement at the southeastern base of the Jutland Peninsula, and now in Germany). I couldn’t visit Germany thanks to a certain pandemic, but I did drive up to Bamburgh a couple of times to visit the area. It certainly brings a story to life if you can stand in the exact spot your character stands in.
I also took a trip to the Jorvik centre in York which is a great day out if you’re ever in the area.
I’m curious, what attracts you to writing YA Fiction?
In 2004 I left a violent marriage and started to rebuild my life. My reading had taken a back seat for so long that I didn’t know what I enjoyed anymore. I couldn’t read romance or crime as these genres were too raw for me at that time, so what could I turn to?
Wandering through Waterstones I came across the teen fiction section. I’ve always loved fantasy, supernatural, myths, and legends (The Folk of the Faraway Tree and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe are firm favourites), so when I picked up Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and read the blurb about werewolves I was hooked. I’m not sure if I enjoy the fast pace, the honesty (no subject is taboo), or the coming of age aspect which allows me to turn back time, but I know I found a genre I adored.
The more I read, the more story ideas began to bubble up. Having three children who were then rapidly approaching their teens also helped me secure my place in writing YA.
What were the hardest, most challenging parts to write? And why?
As you know, I’m a fantasy fan so I love making stuff up. When I decided to use real places, refer to real people, and other historical references I knew I had to get it right. I also needed to find the balance between history and fiction.
Writing The Last Princess was a passion project as I researched timelines and decided how to fit Edith’s story into real-life events. I didn’t want to recite facts and figures, but I did want the reader to feel like they were part of the action. The challenge was how much reality to include. In the end, I only referred to historical figures such as Ivar the Boneless and Alfred rather than integrating them into the thick of the story.
I hope it worked, eek!
I believe you also write non-fiction too. Would you recommend it? And why?
Non-fiction was my big break into writing so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m a fully qualified holistic therapist, Reiki Master Teacher, crystal healer, and meditation tutor, and writing about these topics was my way of reaching and helping more people.
I used non-fiction self-help and personal development books to help me piece my life back together and I see the power in books of this genre all the time.
My writing mentor clients tend to write books based on their business coaching programmes, leadership, business development, and wellbeing. There are so many topics you can write about that will help your audience, and position you as an authority.
If you’ve got a non-fiction book idea then it’s definitely worth exploring.
Why Vikings? And which actor/s would you cast to write the main/various male part/s? Or female parts!
Why Vikings? Aside from my fascination with the Viking age I also discovered a tenuous link between Vikings and my ancestors. A few years ago I did the Ancestry DNA test where you spit in a tube and send it off for analysis. The data that comes back is incredible. According to my DNA, I’m 38% Scandinavian! So, obviously, I’m descended from shield maidens! 😉
It was this DNA result that inspired the entire book as I let my mind wander to the possibilities of who my ancestors could have been. Genealogy is a wonderful tool for writing inspiration.
At a talk I gave recently one of the questions from the audience was ‘do you cast actors when thinking up your characters?’ This is something I do with all my books as I find it helps bring the story to life for me, although I tend to choose images of actors when they were younger so they probably couldn’t play a seventeen-year-old if Netflix came knocking!!
In The Last Princess, I cast Lyndsy Fonseca as Edith and Greyston Holt as Leif, with Laura Donnelly as Solveig, Rune Temte as Jarl Aaric, and Rossif Sutherland as Aelle.
I believe you have a camper van. Where do you like to go? What adventures have you had whilst out travelling?
Buying Snoopy (yes, it’s the law to name your camper) was the best decision I’ve ever made. It took me twenty years to manifest him but I got there in the end. Since picking him up in August 2020 I’ve been to Staffordshire, the Lake District, Norfolk, Edinburgh, Wales, Somerset, Warwickshire, and Northumberland. Snoopy accompanied me on my research trips for The Last Princess.
There’s something special about packing up your laptop and writing on the road!
Thank you so much for letting me share my writing journey and The Last Princess with your lovely blog readers, Marje.
My pleasure Shelley.
If anyone wants to connect with me then here are my links:
The Last Princess, is out on 24th May 2022, published by BHC Press Books.
The Last Princess Blurb
Northumbria, 866 AD
Edith still has much to learn about the art of ruling a kingdom, but when her family is murdered, she’s faced with the challenge of staying alive.
As a young woman in Anglo-Saxon England, Edith finds it hard to be heard above the Eldermen who are ripping the kingdom to pieces, but nothing can prepare her for the arrival of the pirates and the Vikings. Torn from her homeland and sold into slavery, she’s determined to survive at any cost.
Finding allies in the unexpected and enemies closer to home, Edith clings to her dream of returning home one day to reclaim her throne and to exact revenge on those who harmed her family.
Well, after reading the blurb and seeing the beautiful cover I had a feeling I would love this story. And I was right.
This is such a compelling tale of bravery, love, friendship, family, disloyalty, greed, slaves and vikings! Everyone loves a good viking story… who could not? There is passion, war, fight scenes, sword wielding and shield maidens! Yes, women are fierce too. And, I liked the finer touches of this story too… the details of viking marriage ceremonies. It is obvious that Shelley Wilson has researched with care and this is evident in her descriptive passages, and the finer details.
In my opinion, the story really comes into its own as it progresses. I’d say the beginning had me wondering a little… My initial uncertainty was perhaps not quite enough emotion at the beginning given the terrors of what happened to the heroine Edith. But, in the midst of such terror perhaps there is not much time to pause and reflect. This is a time period when such experiences, death is all to common I suppose. So, this slight hiccup, which pulled me momentarily out of the story is soon swept away by the brilliance of the storytelling. Everything thereafter is captivating A real page turner, I loved this.
My rating… 4. 5 stars from me.
About the Author
Shelley is an English multi-genre author. She has written nine young adult/middle-grade supernatural, fantasy, and historical novels, a children’s meditation book, and six motivational self-help titles for adults.
She is a proud mum of three and lives in the West Midlands, UK. Shelley loves travelling in her VW camper called Snoopy in search of stories. She also enjoys paddle boarding, Tudor and Viking history, supporting Leeds United, and obsessing over to-do lists!
Wife. Mother. Daughter. What happens when it all becomes too much?
Jackie loves her family. Sure, her teenage children can be stroppy. Her husband a little lazy. And providing round-the-clock care for her Alzheimer’s-ridden mother is exhausting. She’s sacrificed a lot to provide this safe and loving home, in their cramped but cosy semi with a view of the sea.
All Jackie wants is for her children to have a brighter future than she did. So long as Martha, the eldest, gets into university and follows her dreams, all her sacrifice will be worth something… won’t it?
With a title like that I was bound to be drawn in! I’m a daughter, and have two daughters of my own.
This is an immersive story about Jacks and her family, her husband Pete, her mum Ida and her daughter Martha. It’s also a story about regrets, the choices we make, the fears that we could have taken a different path and perhaps had a more exciting life. Perfect Daughter doesn’t shy away from life’s difficulties and real struggles: looking after an aging parent with Alzheimer and keeping the family on an even keel especially when life has a way of veering off course bringing more grief in its wake.
Perfect Daughter doesn’t hide away from these issues, at times it’s quite difficult reading and at other times it is heart warming and uplifting. It is a generational story focusing on three female family members: Jack’s mother Ida, Jacks and Jack’s daughter situation too.
There is a sense of history repeating itself. Can Jacks discover what really matters beyond material wealth and the freedoms it brings?
Perfect Daughter whizzes back and forward giving us a taste of life when Jacks was younger to the present day difficulties. Should she stay with dependable Pete, (who was there for her through thick and thin,) or should she risk throwing it all away for a promise of rekindled love with someone who could give supposedly give her everything?
Thank you to the author for kindly gifting a hardback copy. My review is freely given and without bias.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 