“Sci-Fi and psychological thriller fans are in for a treat.” “…action, adventure, romance and cerebral high-jinks…” Rick lives here on Earth now, with Cath. His life is boring, writing adverts for cat food and exotic holidays. When he’s asleep, he dreams vividly. In his dreams, he lives as Dan, spending his time with his wife Vanessa. They live six-hundred years in the future, half a galaxy away. They’re explorers, searching for valuable minerals on Ecias, an alien paradise. Dan has no dreams about Rick’s life, he lives on Ecias, loves his life and Vanessa. When the two worlds overlap, Rick starts to question what is real. Events in his waking and sleeping lives are mirrored, similar people inhabit both and coincidences mount up. Then disaster strikes in each world at the same time. In his dreams, Dan is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Meanwhile, after one coincidence too many, Cath thinks that Rick’s dreams are hiding an affair and leaves him. Is Rick going crazy, or can he be living in two places, in two times, at once? If not, then which one of them is the reality? Will one life carry on when the other is on hold? Richard Dee’s fast-paced, edgy science fiction -cum- psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
My review:
I loved this, so imaginative, exciting and relatable. Awesome writing Richard Dee. My hubby has action-packed, crazy, dreams all the time, so this really appealed to me. Though, I don’t think my hubby’s dreams have taken him off planet as yet, at least, if they have he hasn’t told me!
Poor Rick, he truly does get into trouble with his dreams which take him off galavanting to planet Ecias away from his married life, ( with Cath on earth,) into the arms of Vanessa. In Ecias, he has a name change too and becomes Dan.
Cath begins to think that Rick is having a real affair… And her jealousy leads her and Rick to disastrous measures.
Oh, can’t say I liked Cath much… But she redeemed herself somewhat… Jealousy can bring out the ugly in people.
Which is real? Life on earth, or life in Ecias?
My recommendation: 5 stars. If you want to read something different – in the Sci Fi/Thriller category give this a go. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audio copy.
By early afternoon I knew my hubby would be chaffing at the bit if I didn’t do some chores around the house. Window cleaner, that’s my new job role! It pays no cash but keeping my spouse happy counts towards extra brownie points. Of course, I’d much rather be writing… Eldest daughter, Tasha assisted and she’d much rather be reading. Hubby bought a special gizmo to help with the job. A no streak device – I never trust gizmos.
Well, the gizmo worked for a while until it started flashing red – a re-charge. Apparently, the re-charge takes two hours. What to do now… sit in the garden perhaps.
I know what to do… You guessed it… hide from hubby…
23rd Apri, 2020
We did a yoga video in the morning… it was great.
I had this idea to get mum and dad a treat. A delivery of food so they wouldn’t have to go out and brave the shops. What a joke! I ordered from a company … but there was no mince…
How can you make burgers with no mince?
Later on when Mum started cooking she realised the garlic was missing too… But, she also mentioned it was tasty. Hope mum’s delivery next week has some mince… Hello! Hint Hint…
Jackie is an award winning author, playwright, world citizen and huge movie fan She is also a very generous lady as she kindly sent me two of her books: The Seventh Train and Sleeping Through War, looking forward to reading these.
What Have I Been Up To?
In the morning I joined in author Lizzie Chantree’s writing sprint at 10.30am (to edit my YA romance.) Lizzie’s supportive Facebook group can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/
In the afternoon I braved the supermarket. I had tapas and cocktail ingredients to buy! Lockdown has it’s positives!
25th April, 2020
The highlight of the day came as my hubby David was washing his car with a jet power washer gadget which I’ve never seen before… When did he buy that? An unexpected visitor – what excitement – arrived at our door. It was Gina’s friend Elise who had popped round with a present to thank Gina for the present she’d had for her birthday! How eccentric to give your friend a present when it’s your birthday. Lockdown does that to people. Sweet. The two of them chatted for a while (at a safe distance,) and then Gina came in carrying her present looking much cheerier for having seen her friend for a while. The gift bag contained a lovely goodie bag full of treats. Lucky girl!
Earlier in the day I emailed my mum who’s getting fed up. She is very active for a 78 year old lady. Apparently, she has been doing Spring cleaning and painting but has now had enough of it. I don’t blame her!
I’m a bit worried about the painting… I hope she hasn’t been climbing up ladders!
The other funny thing about today is I forgot what day it is.
I submitted a 300 word piece to be featured in Writers Write – CoVID-19 Reflections on Quarantine on Saturday 25th and I completely forgot all about it.
Lockdown does that to you, you forget what day of the week it is.
In the evening, we had the tapas meal which was more tricky than I expected as our bottom oven wasn’t working.
It took forever to make all the little bits and pieces. The predominate ingredient seemed to be CHEESE – cheese balls coated in breadcrumbs, melted cheese Camembert (which my daughter Gina spelt Cannon Bear on the shopping list!) I thought that was kinda cute – she has always struggled with spelling being somewhat dyslexic – and Nachos with cheddar cheese. We also gobbled down home made wedges, sweet peppers filled with rice, chorizo and tomatoes, cold meats, sausages, cucumber strips and olives. All mighty tasty. The only slight disaster was the Camembert which imploded in the oven. It must have been those Cammon Bears getting up to mischief! Still we saved what we could, it wasn’t too bad.
I didn’t care too much for the Aperol cocktail concoction that the girls insisted upon but they loved it. We dressed up and took some photos by a flowering plant in our garden. It was a great evening which seems odd considering all that is going on in the world. It seems our only way to cope is to try to fill our days as best we can.
During lockdown it’s the little things that mean so much. Family time is precious.
Before I go, perhaps I might suggest a little Lockdown reading:
My poetry, prose and photography book – Mr. Sagittarius
I just discovered a new review, thank you Adele <3
Adele Park 5.0 out of 5 stars A poetic journey through life Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2020 Verified Purchase Shaped with poems and beautiful pictures this book is a must-read and keep. This novel is the kind you will go back to again and again to dip into and read your favourites. A fantastic book, the author has delivered with engaging characters and beautiful prose. Well done.
My YA Fantasy – The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone.
I love trees! I swear trees have magic. I live on the edge of a park in Cambridge surrounded by an incredible vista of trees and as a child I was no stranger to the mysterious aspect of the woods which were just a short walk away.
I’m going to share with you various trees which I have photographed some time ago. They have all captured my attention and are special and meaningful to me. I promise a diverse range, and a few giggles along the way.
What better choice to begin with, than this magnificent tree – a deciduous conifer, the Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, native to Lichuan county in Hubei province, China.
Local villagers refer to the original tree from which most others derive as Shui-sa, or “water fir”, which is part of a local shrine. Since its rediscovery in 1944, the dawn redwood has become a popular ornamental.
Strawberry Fields is a landscaped section in New York City’s Central Park dedicated to Beatle John Lennon. At the northern end of the lawns are three dawn redwood trees. The trees drop their needles each fall and regrow them each spring, a symbol of eternal renewal. The trees are expected to reach a height of 36 metres (118 ft), making them visible from great distances. Wikipedia
Even the name itself – Dawn Redwood – conjures up spell-binding magic. I discovered the redwood and many other beautiful trees on my lunchtime walks in the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge.
I think you will agree it is a wondrous tree. I love the warm, inviting orange colour in the bark and the beautiful, ferny foliage which was a delicate coppery shade when I photographed it in the autumn.
There is a distinct feeling of energy about this tree. It calls you to come and touch its bark.
And was interested to see what they had to say about Dawn Redwood.
Just some of the words that were mentioned to describe this tree:
Renewal
Awakening
Joyous
Mother Earth
Primal Wisdom
A living fossil
Dates from prehistoric times
Endangered
No wonder the Dawn Redwood captured my attention! I hope it will fascinate you too!
***
I love to write about nature – My poetry, prose and photography collection Mr. Sagittarius is a light-hearted, magical story about fictional characters, twin brothers Harold and William, their sister Annette and the sibling’s connection to the beautiful botanical gardens in Cambridge.
Moreover, it celebrates many aspects of day-to-day life including: sibling relationships, beauty, nature, the seasons of the year, love and ultimately magic.
I love spending time in nature taking photos – my favourite photos in this collection are the robin, trees and the dragonfly that grace this little book.
Photography is in my genes – Both my uncle and grandfather were photographers. My grandfather A.G. Ingram was originally with the photography company Ingram, Gordon & Co in Haddington up until the mid thirties. Then he ventured on his own to form the Scottish Pictorial Press in Edinburgh supplying photos to the press. When war broke out Scottish Pictorial Press became defunct. After the war he started AG Ingram Ltd, Commercial Photographers, at three successive locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The photographic images in the book are all my own, apart from two images by Alex Marlowe – a talented photographer.
Thank you for entering my worlds. I hope they bring you a touch of magic. And thank you to all the kind people who read and review my work. I appreciate you.
Please do comment, I’d love to hear about your favourite magical trees and your favourite books!
The Enhanced league is a collection of short stories and anthems centered around a year in a fictional baseball league. It has a slight science fiction background. This league has a lot more pomp than you might be used to, and nobody seems to care if the players use performance enhancing drugs.
Stories involve existing heroes, up and comers, and falling stars. While there are the obvious stories that take place on the field of play, there are also human interest stories that take place around the baseball gyrations. These stories involve scouting, trades, ruthless business decisions, and even relationships.
I enjoyed researching and bringing you The Enhanced League, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
My review
An enjoyable read, and a different one for me. I can’t say that I am a baseball fan but reading The Enhanced League by C.S. Boyack does make you feel as if you are immersed in the world of Baseball. C. S. Boyack achieves this by writing engaging characters, adding a touch of humour and superb descriptions of the intricacies of the game itself, and the characters who live, breathe baseball, plus the use of devices, or drugs to create ‘enhanced’ players.
An interesting concept for a story.
My rating: 4 stars
I recommend this particularly for baseball and sport fans and to those who enjoy well crafted human interest storytelling.
I look forward to reading more from C.S. Boyack. This is the first book I have read from him and I am pleased to say it was an engaging read. I believe to date he has written 17 books.
Meet Andorra Pett; with her trusty sidekick, she’s taken over a derelict cafe. On a mining station. It just happens to be orbiting Saturn! She’s hoping for a fresh start, away from all the drama of her old life. It’s a chance to relax and start again in a place where nobody knows anything about her or her past. But the cafe holds a secret, and secrets have a habit of coming out; whether you want them to or not. And being accident prone doesn’t help. The more you try to pretend that you know what’s going on, the worse it gets. Andorra’s plans for peace and quiet get lost amid the revelations and skulduggery and she soon realises that the fate of the whole station lies in her hapless hands. In space, you can still trip over your feet; the question is, will you land upright?
My review:
This is about as different as it gets in terms of sci/fi murder mystery sleuthing. For a start it is set on Saturn in a café frequented by miners, with lots of gossip and dodgy goings on and a body hidden in a freezer. It is imaginative and I like imaginative!The author himself has described it as an ‘Agatha Raisin in space.’
Who killed the previous owner of the ‘Ucky Strike Cafe’ which has lost its L?
It seems that Andorra might be the one to find out. There is a light-hearted feel to this novel and plenty of moments that made me laugh right from the start:
Also there are some interesting, (exclamation, exclamation,) revelations LOL… that I didn’t see coming at all and who would have guessed the culprit? Not me…
Andorra comes across as a likeable character who is looking for love and (sometimes tries too hard to find it .) Can she find love now she has escaped the hurts of her past? The supporting characters are believable and the story is well-written and engaging.
Even though it is Sc-fi it is a cozy Sci-fi, so don’t let that put you off if that might.
Do check out Richard’s website. He has written an enviable collection of books and is a fantastic supporter of independent authors with his Indie Showcases.
My recommendation: Read it! 5 stars. Enjoyable read.
A big, gigantic, humungous thank you to Colleen Chesebro for creating this wonderful graphic header of our amazing Facebook club – Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club which is gathering such incredible support. We now have 173 members!!!!
I’d like to thank, hug, bear hug, the lovely Vashti Vega for producing these amazing graphics of members books and sharing them on twitter:
I created the graphic below for the latest #ABRSC read and review – Brigid Gallacher’s 5 star review of Robbie Cheadle’s– Sir Chocolate and The Strawberry Cream Berries Story and Cookbook.
I’ve just started reading an ARC of Lizzie Chantree’s Ninja School Mum for the read and review..
By the way I’ve just discovered that Lizzie is offering a wonderful prize on her blog at the moment – A £10 Amazon voucher and a week of tweet support for your book/business/Twitter account from @Lizzie_Chantree with over 51.5K genuine followers. Here’s how – All you have to do to enter is to watch my book trailer in full and leave a comment on the YouTube video. You will then be entered into a prize draw. The winner will be notified a few days later. Click the ad above or this link to be taken to the YouTube video.https://lizziechantree.com/2017/12/17/prize-day/
NEWSFLASH – ARC’s of members books are now included in the read and review!!! I’m really enjoying Ninja Book Mum and will be reviewing on my blog soon. I’m so looking forward to hosting Lizzie on my blog in February 2018.
NEWSFLASH – The Curse of Time is on offer from now to Christmas…
Happy reading!
Bye for now,
My social media links:
Check out this amazing graphic that Colleen made for our group –
This runs from 12am on Saturday, October 17th and runs through to 11.59pm on Sunday, November 1st, so fingers slapped I’m a bit behind, it’s already October 18th and I’m just starting! Still my excuse is I’m still participating in the #redeyereadalong and I wanted to devote some time to reading something slightly different for the Trees of Reverie read-a-thon…..
So I will be reading Creeping Shadow by Caroline Peckham.
The title Creeping Shadow sounds in keeping with my theme of creepy, stuff and nonsense leading up to Halloween.
A mother vanishes, her disappearance concealed by the police.
A girl collapses, black magic invading her blood.
And a boy linked to them all must fight to save his family.
Earth is just one of seven worlds. Gateways divide the realms and those who pass through must earn keys, participating in challenges that will separate the fearful from the brave, the weak from the strong, and the witless from the cunning.
Sixteen year old Oliver Knight knows nothing of the other worlds or his family’s dark past. But when his adopted sister succumbs to a deadly curse the truth is revealed and he is plunged into an unknown land in a desperate bid to save her. However, a sinister enemy is on the rise and the danger they face at every turn throws those around them under suspicion. In order to survive, Oliver must figure out who to trust, who to believe and, ultimately, who to fear…
Creeping Shadow will be released 10th December 2015 on Amazon Kindle.
As well as this I have the following in mind to read next on my TBR’S, a Fantasy contemporary by fellow blogger, author pal Helen Jones : Oak And Mist (The Ambeth Chronicles #1)
Alma Bevan didn’t mean to go on a quest. But when she disappears between two trees at her local park and reappears in Ambeth, she finds they’ve been expecting her.
And now she has to find a lost sword or the consequences for humanity will be dire. With no idea where to look, despite help from her new friend Caleb, things become even more complicated when a handsome prince of the Dark expresses an interest in her.
All this plus homework too?
Travelling between worlds is hard enough without having to manage a suspicious best friend, complicated love interests and concerned parents. Add in some time-twisting, a mysterious bracelet and a group of immortal beings all vying for control of a lost sword, and it’s enough to make any fifteen year old girl want to give up. But then she wouldn’t see Caleb any more. Or Deryck…
Oak and Mist is book one of The Ambeth Chronicles. Book two, No Quarter, is coming soon.
And if my eyes go a bit squiffy reading off readers I have one of these in mind as a diversion, my kitty is guarding them and it’s a secret at the moment which one I might chose!
Hope you like the sound of my TBR’s for the Tree of Reverie Read-a-thon.
I’m on a bit of a holiday so just a little note to let my followers know that I won’t be posting as much for a while, though I might be tempted to join in the writing #BlogBattle and I will be replying to comments so do feel free to chat. The good news is my mum is doing wonderfully well after her operation, she’s some lady, in her seventies and as feisty as ever! We’re getting our orders, tee hee, she’s a laugh. I think she even had the nurses at her beck and call, sounds like they treated her like royalty!
My journey started off terribly badly I did a crazy thing I turned up at the wrong station! In my defence I’ve never done this before, this was a first. I went to Waterbeach (our nearest station) instead of Cambridge. A few days prior to travel I had picked up my tickets from the ticket machine at Waterbeach, and somehow had it in my head that I was travelling from Waterbeach. So my husband had to try to beat the train! A racing challenge, just up his street! He drove me to the next station on the route, it was a hair-raising drive. I really thought there was no way he could do it but amazingly he did and with a few minutes to spare! Luckily the train was running two minutes late and we’d left the house in good time. Phew!!!!
The train journey was lively to say the least we had the cast of one of the shows on our carriage and they were a boisterous lot, you could tell they were actors, they liked to be noticed. I’ve never heard a bunch of people laugh so much. At one point we arrived at a place called Northallerton in North Yorkshire and they queried whether this fairy tale sounding town existed, I reckon they thought it was some sort of Narnialand.
On arrival I decided to walk through Princess Street gardens to get a feeling for Festival Fever, boy it was busy, luckily I just have one small piece of luggage with me. I arrived at my bus stop, and guess what, wonder of wonders my mother in law was standing there apparently waiting for a bus! What are the odds of that? Amazing. Anyway we had a brief chat and then she had to dash off to find her bus, she was at the wrong stop, apparently all the buses are a bit confusing at the moment with the Festival being on.
So I’m up in Edinburgh, sans enfants and sans husband, I intend on catching up with old friends, maybe visiting the cat café in Stockbridge, going to the Book Festival, and the dance and drama events at the International Festival, and the Art galleries if I get a chance. I shall be going out with my dad for Chinese lunch, visiting my mother-in-law, catching up with my brother and generally eating too much. Yum….
I’ll be helping out with mum, cooking, and generally doing my Florence Nightingale bit. You can see why blogging has to take a back seat. Hope my mum will be able to join us out and about towards the end of next week. Unfortunately it is dreadfully busy in Edinburgh at the moment, with all the excitement of the Festivals, the town is packed so it is not very easy to manoeuvre around if you’ve just had an operation. So we will have a duty to try to keep her in, to ensure she rests, no easy task for a lady who is always so full of energy. Let the battle commence…..
I’ve packed a couple of books to catch up on, a bit of holiday reading. My current read is The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, which is a rich descriptive read inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, I’m really enjoying this. As well as this I intend to read The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan. “A dramatic tale of love, loss and betrayal in Provincial China, told with directness and deep feeling.” Mail on Sunday.
If I finish these two there are a wealth of detective novels in my mum and dad’s house so I don’t think I will be short of reading material, and of course I’m sure I’ll pick up some new novels at the Book Festival. How exciting!!! I love Edinburgh, me home from home, only slight gripe it’s so cold here, I don’t think I’ll be needing that sun hat and shades, a woolly hat would be more useful.
Anyway Happy Holidays, hope if you are going anywhere nice you have a wonderful time.
So I thought I’d do something different and have a go at The Friday 56 Meme for my Friday post this week. I chose The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller as it is definitely a book that I intend to read soon.
It is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice, click on the link to her blog, and the rules are pretty simple:
Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that’s OK.)
Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it).
Post it.
Add the url to your post on Freda’s Voice.
“And I? I was shy and silent with all but Achilles; I could scarcely speak to the other boys, let alone a girl. As a comrade of the prince, I suppose I would not have had to speak; a gesture or a look would have been enough. But such a thing did not occur to me. The feelings that stirred in me at night seemed strangely distant from those serving girls with their lowered eyes and obedience. I watched a boy fumbling at a girl’s dress, the dull look on her face as she poured his wine. I did not wish for such a thing. “
Now doesn’t that short quote just make you want to read the book? It certainly sets my curiosity into hyper drive!
Here’s the Goodreads synopsis :
A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly re-imagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, Miller’s debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights. Fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.
Have a Happy Friday and a great weekend.
Happy Reading, Writing, and Creating. Enjoy yourselves, let me know what you’re reading, or intending to read. I’m currently about half way through Lisa Williamson’s debut novel The Art of Being Normal, more to come on that soon!
What else am I up to? Working on my second novel, and deciding what to read next. There are so many books that I’ve won, been given as a gift, or been asked to review. So where to begin. My eldest daughter gave me a huge, humungous, book for my birthday. I think she’s trying to blind me, and I’m already half way there. Can you guess which book she chose? Yes, it’s The Bone Clocks from David Mitchell, which she kindly selected for me from my TBR list on Goodreads. Lovely lass.… So that has to be no. 1 on my list of priority. I still want to finish The Old Kingdom trilogy from Garth Nix, Abhorsen, is waiting for me patiently. Well, Disreputable dog is barking a bit but that’s dogs for you! Mogget’s purring demurely trying to pretend she doesn’t really give a damn but I reckon it’s all an act.Then, there are my recent wins: The Sharp Hook of Love, by Sherry Jones and Romancing my Love by Melissa Foster. Quite excited about engaging in a bit of romance before Christmas. If I get my skates on who knows what may happen! Also I have a NetGalley to review. Jasper and the Magpie by Dan Mayfield. This is a special interest book which caught my eye. According to the NetGalley blurb, “The story will resonate particularly with children on the autism spectrum and their friends and family. For ages 6 and upwards.”
To cap it all Bette Crosby my new friend on Goodreads has asked me to review her USA Today Bestseller, 5 time literary award winner, Spare Change! Well, that will keep me out of mischief! So much to do, so little time.
So I like to read widely, and often! I believe reading and writing should always go hand in hand, the perfect pairing.
What are you reading or hoping to read, or writing? Do let me know. I’d love to hear all about it.
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