Anita Loughrey's blog. This is my journal about my experiences and thoughts on writing. As well as news about me and my books, it includes writing tips, book reviews, author interviews and blog tours.
For more information about me and my books see my website: www.anitaloughrey.com. Follow me on Twitter @amloughrey, Facebook @anitaloughrey.author and on Instagram @anitaloughrey
I’m thrilled to welcome Victoria M. Adams to the blog today as part of her blog tour to celebrate the release of her new novel The House at the End of the Sea.
Saffi doesn’t want her new life, living with her dad, little brother and old-fashioned grandparents in their B&B by the sea. She is grieving for her mum and longs for things to go back to normal.
But this new home is anything but normal: the walls change colour, a face appears in the mirror, and the pantry is suddenly filled with fancy food. When a party of extraordinary visitors arrive at midnight, Saffi begins to realise that her family has a dark, magical secret. It will take all her bravery to discover the truth and find a way into another world…
For this tour I am doing an author interview.
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About the Author
Victoria M. Adams spent her childhood bouncing between Cyprus, Canada and the US with her Iranian mother, trying to achieve first place in the ‘Most Visas Acquired Before Age Eighteen’ sweepstakes.
As an adult, she carried on the nomadic family tradition by adding France and New Zealand to the mix, where she worked as an animator, copywriter, tutor and story coach, in no particular order. Somewhere along the way, she acquired a BA in Film and an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck College. She currently teaches Creative Writing at City Lit and shares her London home with two humans and a feckless cat.
You can discover more about Victoria M. Adams and her books on
I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour.
To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the tour schedule below:
Today I am on another blog tour with another author interview. This time for The House at the End of the Sea by Victoria M. Adams
It is with great pleasure I join the blog tour for Kate Foster and her latest book The Bravest Word.
My stop on this amazing tour will be a book review.
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Title: The Bravest Word
Written by: Kate Foster
Cover by: Thy Bui
Published by: Walker Books
Blurb
A rescue story of love and trust between a boy and a dog from the talented author of Paws.
Matt is a football superstar. He can handle anything. Except lately his chest feels empty and his head is screaming. He can’t concentrate in school or enjoy football anymore, and he is so, so tired. When Matt stumbles across an abandoned dog, there’s no doubt in his mind that he has to save him. But maybe the dog isn’t the only one who needs help.
Review
Matt used to love football but now it makes him anxious and he no longer wants to play, he wants to be alone and avoids his friends, homework is a chore and he feels tired and listless all the time. He does not understand why life does not hold any joy for him anymore. Even his favourite computer game has lost its appeal.
The Bravest Word is an intense emotional portrayal of depression written by someone who has experienced it from the overwhelming sadness, fear and guilt to the physical tightness in the chest and aching limbs. The character development is strong and realistic. I found reading this book to be quite emotional on so many different levels. It is excellently written and covers this more prevalent than recognised mental health issue with sensitivity and compassion, which will help young readers to understand and feel empathy. This book is a positive step in building awareness for a condition that is often overlooked.
Matt and his father find a dog tied and abandoned on their walk and decide to bring it home. Matt agrees to car for the dog, which he names Cliff after his grandad. He reads up about the dog’s behaviour online and recognises that Cliff has dog depression. Matt recognises that some of Cliff’s behaviour and reactions mirror his own and he begins to realise all the tiredness, anger and tears are symptoms of depression.
By highlighting these symptoms, The Bravest Word, will help others to recognise similar symptoms in themselves and others and will be in a better position to help, or will hopefully encourage them to ask for help.
A beautiful compassionate book. I hope to see more from Kate Foster in the future.
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About the Author
Kate Foster is an award-winning children’s author of middle grade fiction originally from a small town in the southeast of England and now living on the stunning Gold Coast in Australia with her family and second-hand dogs.
She is passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness via a positive approach and representation in both her books as well as her presentations and talks.
It is with great excitement I join the blog tour for The Time They Saved Tomorrow by Steve Nallon. My stop on the tour is a book review.
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Title: The Time They Saved Tomorrow
Written by: Steve Nallon
Cover Design by: Eilidh Maclennan and Amy Turnbull
Published by: Luath Press
Blurb
He can’t lie, he can’t harm but he can save lives.
After their dramatic escape from the devastating fire at the Old Coach Inn, the Swidger railway tunnel takes William Arthur and Granny on to London for what appears to be a new adventure … or is it?
Dark forces that seeks out William Arthur are at play, leading our young hero to doubt his future as a SWIDGER. But then he is given a mysterious red book by an old man with a white beard. William is told to protect it with his life – yet the pages are blank.
A sudden catastrophe changes everything and William and Granny must somehow find a way to put the world back to what it was. Could the blank pages of the mystery red book somehow be the key?
Only time will tell
Blurb for The Time They Saved Tomorrow
Review
The Time They Saved Tomorrow is the second book in The Swidgers series and contains themes of courage, determination and hope. The concept of this series is ingenious in that time can be manipulated by the Swidgers who possess the power prevent disasters and save people from certain peril. But there are those who want to use their power for more devious schemes.
Book Two is set in London with a backdrop of the underground and features many iconic locations to ground the action as well as a mysterious ghost train. William Arthur is given a mysterious red book but the pages are blank. He embarks on a quest to unlock the pages to discover more about the secrets of Time and his own skills, whilst being pursued by The Man in the Macintosh Coat.
Different Swidgers have different skills but all are connected by Time.
‘Aloysois… The Swidger of Time Stopped… You, Alicia… The Swidger of Time Past… And Echo, who hears the world as it is lived… The Swidger of Time Present. But someone’s missing… The Swidger of Time Future… You said, we must look to the past to see what lies ahead. But who is it from my past that will show me my future tonight?’
Quote from The Time They Saved Tomorrow by Steve Nallon
In places it does get a little confusing in that time is not linear and so much is going on but I enjoyed this. My favourite scenes are when we see William using his skills, such as when he unwittingly splits time into alternate time paths and has to endeavour to fix it and when Granny is possessed and turned into a snake.
I loved the way this book encompasses a multitude of scientific theories from Einstein’s relativity, multiple realities and Godel’s Spacetime. Steve Nallon’s expertise at accents and intonation really shines through in the dialogue and William’s voice.
Seeped in science fiction The Time They Saved Tomorrow is a fun and entertaining read.
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About the author
STEVE NALLON has been a writer and performer in the world of comedy for over forty years. Steve began his performing life with his own comedy act on the Northern Working Men’s Club Circuit in Yorkshire back in the 1970s.
After gaining a degree in Drama and English at the University of Birmingham, Steve became a founding member of the cult satirical comedy series Spitting Image, where for over a decade he voiced many of the programme’s most iconic characters, including Margaret Thatcher, Roy Hattersley, Alan Bennett and The Queen Mum.
Steve’s acting work now ranges from theatre, film and television, to video games, puppetry and audiobooks. As a playwright and comedy writer, Steve has a considerable body of credits to his name, including plays and series for BBC radio, three one-man theatre shows and the satirical book I, Margaret, which he co-wrote with the novelist Tom Holt. Over the years, Steve has contributed to numerous periodicals such as The New Statesman and Musical Stages, and is a much sought after speaker on the lecture circuit for his insightful and amusing talks.
You can follow on X @SteveNallon and on Instagram @stevenallon
To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule:
I would like to thank Kelly at Love Book Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour. Thank you.
I am so pleased to welcome Radhika Sanghani to the blog today as part of her The Girl who Couldn’t Lie blog tour.
The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie is a middle grade an hilariously funny comedy farce, released by Usborne on the 9th May 2024.
Blurb
A fresh, funny story about white lies, brutal honesty and a bangle with special powers, from award-winning journalist and author Radhika Sanghani.
Priya Shah lies. A lot. She pretends everything in her life is perfect, so she doesn’t disappoint anyone.
But when she puts on a bangle left to her by her Ba – the one person she was always honest with – she finds herself unable to tell a lie.
Priya is mortified. She tells her dad she hates his cooking, she tells Dan Zhang about her huge crush on him, she shares her best friends’ secrets at school. She can’t get the bangle off, and she can’t stop the truths pouring out of her.
As more things go wrong, and Priya’s truth-telling spirals out of control, can Priya learn to be honest without hurting the people she loves?
My stop takes the form of an author interview.
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Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie.
Hello! I’m a writer and The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie is my first children’s book. The inspiration came from me thinking about what kind of book I would have liked to read when I was younger. That’s when the character of Priya Shah came to me – I would have REALLY related to her when I was 12! – and the idea came from there.
Why did you decide to write a book about white lies for children?
I am a big believer in radical honesty. I no longer lie in my personal life – not even white lies – and it has drastically improved my life. I wanted to write a book that encourages children to think about honesty, and to realise that speaking their truth can strengthen their relationships and lead to a happier, more honest life.
How did you make the transition from journalism to writing for children? Explain how you broke into the market.
I’ve been a journalist for 12 years, but I’ve also published four novels for adults in that time. So I was already an author, and when I had my idea for a children’s book, it wasn’t such a challenge to move into this market. I was lucky in that my agent Madeleine Milburn also had an amazing children’s agent working for her – Chloe Seager – and she’s helped me make it all happen!
In your opinion, what makes a great children’s book?
For me, a great children’s book is full of honesty, relatability, humour and definitely a sense of mystery/the unknown!
Which part of The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie was the most fun to write?
I loved writing the comedy parts about when things start to go wrong for Priya when the magic bangle forces her to stop lying. But I also had a lot of fun writing the scenes with her best friends Sami and Mei because they’re both really funny characters.
What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to be a children’s book writer?
I would say to keep on writing – the more you write, the more you have to put out in the world, to see what lands! And also to have fun with it. My favourite thing about children’s novels is that you don’t have to be so serious – I love that my books can be a little bit magical and humorous.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie?
Just that I think anyone of any age could enjoy it – especially if you relate to Priya’s people-pleasing tendencies, and this sense of lying to make other people feel better!
I’d love to hear what you think of TGWCL if you read it!
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About the Author
Radhika Sanghaniis an award-winning features journalist, acclaimed author, screenwriter, influential body positivity campaigner and a 2020 BBC Writers Room graduate.
Radhika writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Elle, The Guardian, Grazia, Glamour and Cosmopolitan; was recently featured in Italian Vogue as well BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour and is a regular guest on Sky News and Good Morning Britain. She is also a TedX speaker on body positivity, a yoga teacher and runs a charity initiative with AgeUK fighting loneliness in older women.
I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour.
To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the tour schedule below:
You can buy copies ofThe Girl who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
I am delighted to welcome you to my stop on the Into the Lion’s Mouth blog tour, to celebrate the success of the ninth place finalist for the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award, Nancy McConnell.
The BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.
Into the Lion’s Mouth is a superb historical fiction novel aimed at the middle grade age range and was published on September 7th 2021.
Here is the blurb:
Blurb
Venice is sinking, so they say.
And so are Nico’s chances to prosper in the most glorious city in the world. Nurse Francesca is threatening to send him to a farm to pick olives, he has failed at two apprenticeships, and one of the most powerful men in Venice would like to sink Nico’s lifeless body into the darkest canal. Orphans have very few options and Nico might be forced to choose the one he most wishes to avoid, leaving Venice behind forever.
My stop on the tour consists of an author interview .
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Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for Into the Lion’s Mouth.
I’m a teacher, writer and photographer. I think being creative is the very best thing for my soul. I always wanted to be an author and publishing Into the Lion’s Mouth fulfilled a lifelong dream for me.
About ten years ago I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Venice. I knew absolutely nothing about it before I went but was completely captivated by the magic of this unique city. While touring the Doge’s Palace, which features heavily in the book, I was overwhelmed by the idea that there must be so many stories to tell about things that happened there. When I got home, I started reading everything I could about Venice. I just knew I had to find a story to write about it. The idea of Nico, an orphan, trying to make his way in the city grew from a tradition the Venetians had of heading into the streets during the election of a new doge and bringing a street urchin into the palace to participate in the election. That seemed like a good start to a story, I began to imagine how something like that could change the life of the child who was chosen.
What does being a Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award finalist mean to you?
It means a lot. When I first entered the contest, I was most excited by the idea that more people would read my book! That’s why writers write. I never expected to make it so far in the competition. It’s hard for indie authors to reach new audiences and the contest has helped others find the book. But also, it feels wonderful to know that people appreciate my work, and that it can stand up to some stiff competition.
Into the Lion’s Mouth is an intriguing historical novel set in late fifteenth century Venice, during the Renaissance. Did you have to do a lot of research into this period? What was the most unusual research you had to do? I did TONS of research. I knew nothing about the time period or the area. I read a lot and was fortunate enough to connect with the author of a comprehensive book on the history of Venice who gave me some great advice. Also I found a copy of a book about the orphan’s hospital and was inspired to create the character of Lisabetta based on a letter I read in the book. My editor also wanted to expand the prison escape scene so I read Casanova’s own account of how he escaped from the Leads, and used that as the basis for Nico’s escape.
Do you have a particular place you like to write?
My favourite place to write is on my back patio. I love the sound of nature; it just makes my heart happy and puts me in the right creative space. Unfortunately, I can only do that in the summer so in the winter, it’s with my laptop on my lap on my couch with a fire in the grate. I think I just need cosy to write.
Is there an aspect of writing and publishing you wish someone had told you when you started out?
Um, everything. I was super green (and probably still am) when I was lucky enough to find my publisher. I wish someone had told me that I was a legit writer even before my book hit bookshelves. I didn’t realize the scope of how much marketing is required to make a book successful and I could have started that much sooner than I did.
Would you like to share anything else about Into the Lion’s Mouth?
I wrote three other novels before I wrote this, but I knew it would be the one from the very beginning of the writing process. Even so, it took me six years from when it was finished to be able to hold my book in my hand.
One more practical thing about the book that I tell everyone is to read the author’s note last.
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Author Bio
Nancy McConnell grew up in a little family, in a small town on the outskirts of a bigger city. Besides her family, the two things she loved most in the world were: reading and playing pretend. When she grew up, reading was allowed but playing pretend was sometimes frowned upon.
Since that was the case, she decided to write books so that the stories running around in her head would still live. In between writing stories, marrying her college sweetheart, and moving to a new country, she had her own little family and settled in another small town on the way outskirts of a much bigger city. Some things never change. When not writing, Nancy can be found puttering in her garden, taking photos or baking.
You can purchase a copy of Into the Lion’s Mouth anywhere you buy books. But Nancy would like to encourage people to buy from their local independent book shop. If they don’t have it on the shelf, you can order it and that supports the most people, or you can order online from sites like uk.bookshop.org a website which supports local, independent bookshops.
You can read reviews of Into the Lion’s Mouth by Nancy McConnell here:
From the author of When I See Red comes a powerful and gorgeously illustrated exploration of bravery and its constant companion, fear.
In When I See Red much-loved author and illustrator Britta Teckentrup expertly gave voice to a girl’s feelings of rage. Now, with this same wisdom and sensitivity, the author looks at what it means to be brave.
Filled with evocative collage illustrations and dynamically positioned type, When I Feel Brave tells the story of a child wandering through a forest and being startled by a bear. At first the bear is terrifying—it is huge and unknown. But as the girl moves through the forest she becomes the bear’s companion and, by the time they reach the end of the forest, its friend.
Offering important insights into the nature of fear, this book helps young readers understand why things are scary, and discover the satisfaction of making friends with the very things that make them feel afraid.
Praise for Britta Teckentrup’s When I See Red: “A potent, powerful storm of a book.“ – Books for Keeps
“At a time when we are learning to listen to our emotions rather than suppress them, this book is a helpful reminder of the benefits.“ – Juno Magazine
“Stunning full-page paintings compliment a flowing, rhyming verse in the first person, from the point of view of an angry girl … this is a beautiful book to have on your shelf.“ – Teach Primary
Britta Teckentrup has written and illustrated more than one hundred and twenty children‘s books, which have been published in more than twenty countries. Her books include The Seedling That Didn‘t Want to Grow, When I See Red and The Swing. Born in Hamburg, Germany, she currently lives with her family in Berlin.
Today it is my stop on the Love Books Tour for Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery by Coline Monsarrat. I have reviewed the book for my stop on the tour.
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Title: Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery
Written by: Coline Monsarrat
Illustrated by: Drafts.com
Published by: Apicem Publishing
Blurb
Meet Aria and Liam, two average 13-year-olds with a not-so-average problem!
Hey, fellow adventurers! I, Aria, opened a portal to the past, which catapulted us into a 3,000-year-old kingdom! Since then, my BFF Liam and I have taken part in numerous adventures in history, facing exciting (and perilous!) missions. But don’t worry; we’re up for the challenge and learning how to become true adventurers! From ancient civilizations to historical events, we’re on a mission to save the day and find our way back home. So come along for the ride as we explore the past and make history… literally!
Get swept away into the foggy streets of London, where a baffling and cryptic adventure awaits Aria & Liam!
As Aria and Liam team up with the daughter of the famous writer, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, they must race against time to save him from a mysterious and sinister plot. But when Doyle announces the return of Sherlock Holmes, he suddenly vanishes, plunging them into a world of hidden clues and shadowy figures. Could the mastermind behind it all be a rival author, a member of a secret society, or someone from London’s high society? With each chapter bringing a new surprise, Aria and Liam must use their smarts and bravery to crack the case and save Doyle before it’s too late.
Will they prove themselves as sharp as the legendary detective, or will they fall victim to the same fate
Ideal for fearless adventurers aged 9 to 12 who love humour, excitement, and a dash of fantasy.
Aria & Liam is a series of standalone middle-grade books allowing young readers to enjoy each adventure in any order they wish.
A sudden catastrophe changes everything and William and Granny must somehow find a way to put the world back to what it was. Could the blank pages of the mystery red book somehow be the key?
Only time will tell
Review
Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery is the eighth book in this time travelling series published by Apicem Publishing. The series follow Aria and Liam on their adventures through time to different historical eras and geographical locations such as Ancient Egypt and the Incas as well as Rome and the mythical lands of Atlantis and Camelot. This series amalgamates history and mythology into fun and exciting adventures for children.
The Baker Street Mystery opens with introductions from the main characters, Aria and Liam, introducing each other and gives a brief overview of some of their other escapades covered in the previous books. There is also a lovely addition of vignettes of portraits of the main characters. In places there are discrepancies between the text and illustrations such as Mrs Thompson glaring at them through rectangular glasses and in the picture the glasses are circle.
This action adventure stand out for me as it is quite unusual as it is written in third person present tense. Sometimes the speech patterns reminded me of Lady Whistledown’s narration in Bridgerton, with its old-fashioned English and calling each other ‘My dear, Liam’ or ‘My dear, Aria’ and Arthur Conan Doyle starting his letter at the end of the book, ‘My dear reader’. I found all the character’s voices to be very similar to each other which made it difficult to know who was talking in longer passages of dialogue. I also found it a little worrying the children were able to lie so easily without negative consequences to the point several scenes were devoted to how to get their story straight.
It must be noted the premise of this story is entirely fictional as there is no records of Arthur Conan Doyle going missing, which the author acknowledges in a letter written as though it were from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the end of the book. Unlike Agatha Christie who did go missing and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle reportedly investigated her disappearance. I felt The Baker Street Mystery was not particularly historically accurate but rather touched on life and the way people lived in Britain during the early 1900’s.
The Baker Street Mystery was an entertaining read, suitable for children aged seven to twelve years old, who enjoy traditional-style mysteries.
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Author Bio:
Coline Monsarrat is a fervent enthusiast of history, driven by a feverish passion for the captivating and unforgettable stories that unfold within its pages. Whenever she finds herself in the history section, she becomes engrossed in the rich narratives that have shaped our world. With an insatiable curiosity, she often ponders the “what ifs” of history—contemplating the alternative outcomes of pivotal events and the possibility of a different course for humanity.
Fuelled by her desire to share this passion with children, Coline crafted the enchanting historical and adventure fiction series Aria & Liam, where history and its legends seamlessly blend with adventure, humour, and the enduring power of friendship. Each book in the series captures the spirit of thrilling adventures packed with action, humour, and fascinating journeys through history.
You can find our more information about Coline on her author’s website: www.ariaandliam.com or follow her on X (Twitter) @ColineMonsarrat and Instagram @ariaandliam @ColineMonsarrat
To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below:
I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book tours for inviting me to take part in this book tour.
It is my honour to be spotlighting Time Marked Warlock by Shami Stowall.
Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. I have previously spotlighted her book Academy Arcanist. You can read my interview with Shami about this book here: Blog Tour – Academy Arcanist by Shami Stovall.
Before writing full-time, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second.
When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.
Time Marked Warlock is am urban fantasy of 402 pages and is released in June 2024. Here is the blurb:
Blurb
Adair Finch is the most powerful warlock in the world, and one of the best private investigators for hire. He has dealt with corporate vampires, murderous werewolves, and even fae royalty. Everything was perfect until he lost one case—the case where he also lost his brother.
So Finch retired. From magic. From PI work. From everything.
Bree Blackstone, a twelve-year-old witch, doesn’t know or care about any of that except Finch’s reputation. In the middle of the night, she bangs on Finch’s door. Her mother has been murdered, and now the assassin is after Bree as well.
Reluctantly, Finch agrees to help, only to discover something sinister has been brewing in town while he ignored the world… He’ll need to dust off all his old skills and magic before it’s too late.
My stop on the blog tour will take the form of another author interview, this time about Time Marked Warlock.
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Tell us a little about Time Marked Warlock and your inspiration to write this book.
First off, I’d like to gush. Time-Marked Warlock is getting a full-cast audiobook production! Soundbooth Theatre is putting together an amazing team to bring life to the whole book, and it’s one of the greatest things ever.
But to more accurately answer your question, Time-Marked Warlock started because I love the trope “grumpy one, sunshine one” which is basically when a grumpy character is forced to work with someone who is blazingly optimistic and happy.
Adair Finch, the warlock, is jaded and sarcastic, but Bree, the young witch, loves life. They’re also joined by Kull, the mischief spirit, which is a more comical character.
So, this might be one of the first instances of “grumpy one, and TWO sunshine ones,” which is a lot of fun.
Why are book awards important to you?
It’s always so humbling and amazing whenever someone enjoys my work. I’m so very lucky to have this opportunity, and it really makes everything seem bright and wonderful to know there are readers out there enjoying my stories.
I think I was born to be a storyteller. Ever since my time as a DM in Dungeon and Dragons, I’ve derived a lot of pleasure from crafting stories and building engaging characters. The fact that other people think I’m good at it just fills me with joy.
How do you manage to be so prolific with your writing?
I love writing. It isn’t a chore. It isn’t something I “just have to get through.” I do it every day because it’s a delight and fills my soul with nourishment, just the same as a hamburger chases away gnawing hunger.
What risks have you taken with your writing that have paid off?
I quit my job to write full time. I also started a business (Capital Station Books) and both have paid off for me in spades. I knew they were risks, but if you don’t bet on yourself, who will?
What is your favourite childhood book and why?
My favourite childhood book is Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. It’s about a young woman who is deserted on an island. She had her brother, but after he’s killed by wolves, she’s all alone.
It was the first book that really blew my mind. I had never thought about living on an island alone, and I devoured the book multiple times just thinking about all the crazy things that could happen.
My favourite part is when the main character kills the wolf that killed her brother, but then later goes on to adopt its pups.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about Time Marked Warlock and the Adair Finch series?
The book involves people healing from trauma. Adair Finch lost his brother, and he basically gave up on life, but when Bree enters the picture, he learns to get back on the horse, so to speak.
I love stories about healing. And not only does Finch heal, but Bree does, too. Her mother was killed, and Finch helps he move past that terrible moment in her life.
Also, please look out for the crazy release of the full-cast audiobook, and the brand-new cover done by Chris McGarth (the man who does the Dresden Files covers).
This hysterically funny story for early readers is the sixth book in the Rabbit and Bear series. The format of Rabbit and Bear: The Lake is Fake with its hard back cover and its unusual size gave the book an old-fashioned classic feel. I had not come across the Rabbit and Bear series before and plan to search pout the other books.
Rabbit and Bear wake up after a long winter and are surprised to find their cave full of poo. It is early spring and the snow is beginning to melt so they venture outside only to find more frozen poo around the edge of the lake. Rabbit does not want to clean up the mess as claims the poo does not all belong to them, the other animals were responsible for the mess too. So Rabbit decides that they will look for the perfect place to live somewhere else.
Rabbit and Bear search for their perfect vision with hilarious consequences.
The limited palette of red, black and white for the illustrations is put to good use. I liked the way that when things were at their worse the pages were black and rabbit was feeling more positive, having dreams of a better world, the pages were different shades of red depending on how positive rabbit was feeling.
Eventually they decide to go back home to find all the poo has been cleared up and an abundance of flowers around the lake. Then Rabbit has another vision that is more realistic than the first. The animals work together to make their vision a reality.
I like the way the story went full circle before rabbit discovers his nearly perfect world. It is great Julian Gough does not say everything is completely perfect as we are all aware everyone has their problems but it is as close to perfect as possible. This provides young readers with a realistic view of the world, which is an excellent point for discussion.
Rabbit and Bear: The Lake is Fake, is ideal for children making the transition from picture books to early readers. It is a great book for stimulating discussion on caring for our environment and what would make their world a better place to live.
Much To Do About Writing 