Category Archives: Blog Tour

Blog Tour – Little Lion Girl

I am pleased to announce it is my turn today on the blog tour for Little Lion Girl published by Bloomsbury.

Blurb

The city roared like a jungle.

Leonie roared back at the city.

She shook her mane and swished her tail.

She was a lion girl.

Leonie and her mother are off to the big city!

Inspired by the people, sights and sounds, Leonie can’t wait to discover it all.

Her mother tells her to stay close, but there’s SO much to see.

And surely nothing can scare a brave lion girl, can it?

A wild, spirited tale of imagination and self-belief, beautifully brought to life by Fiona Woodcock.

My stop on the tour takes the form of an author interview with Olivia Hope.

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Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for your picture book Little Lion Girl.

I’m an Irish children’s author who loves writing books about children’s experiences in this world. Little Lion Girl was inspired by trips that I took with my mom up to Dublin when we’d visit the zoo, museums and galleries.

What are the underlying themes of Little Lion Girl?

I suppose the main theme is self-confidence and wonder and awe at the world around you. Also when your confidence is knocked that there is always have someone around you who can help you find your way again.

Do you have a favourite spread in the book?

Most definitely the art gallery spread – myself and Fiona have had lots of chats about the type of lion art that has been created by wonderful artists and it was breath-taking to see them brought to life. Rousseau, Durer, Rembrandt and my favourite artist Rosa Bonheur (Who actually had her own pet lions in her castle in Paris!) are all there and beautifully represented in Fiona’s style.

Talk us through your writing process.

My ideas come very quickly, but writing and rewriting takes much longer to find the heart of the story. I write mainly in pencil, then edit stories in my notebooks that are small enough to fit in any handbag or backpack so I can write anywhere – no batteries required! It’s only when I feel the story has a strong shape that I type it up and then I share my editor.

How many unpublished, and/or unfinished, books do you have?

How long is a piece of string?! I definitely start or partially write about 100 stories a year –  that’s two or three new ideas a week. Of those maybe six or seven get my full attention in a year and of those maybe 2 have get acquired by a publisher. When I was a new writer those stats would have probably bothered me but now I see 100 stories with lots of potential that I can always come back to. It’s like having a story bank that I can dip into.

If you could tell you younger writing-self anything what would it be?

All your life experiences count towards you’re writing experience, that and to play more with those ideas. Go outside your comfort zone into that brave uncertain space, that’s where your writing skills grow and develop.

What was your favourite picture book as a child?

Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas. It was the most loved, most worn book in our local library all year round. A timeless classic.

Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about Little Lion Girl and writing picture books?

Leonie is a character who is amazed at how diverse and colourful and interesting the city is. This book is a letter of love to the multifaceted multi dynamic nature of a city. My previous book Be Wild, Little One was about embracing the great outdoors, and I think Little Lion Girl is the other side of the coin appreciating the urban life. I love living among the mountains and lakes but also love visiting the big city, as depicted in both my books. I guess it just shows that ideas are everywhere to be found and the well-worn phrase rings true – write about what you know.

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You can buy copies of Little Lion Girl by Olivia Hope and Fiona Woodcock from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.

More About the Author Olivia Hope

Olivia Hope is an Irish writer with a special love for fiction about wild children. Before becoming an author, she was a teacher, creative arts facilitator and even an international athlete.

She currently lives in the wilds of Southwest Ireland with her family. Her first picture book was Be Wild, Little One, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus (Bloomsbury 2022).

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviahopewrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviahopewriter

Website: https://oliviahopewriter.com

About the Illustrator Fiona Woodcock

Fiona Woodcock is an illustrator and picture book author. She studied Graphic Communication at Glasgow School of Art and for many years worked in animation. Her debut book Hiding Heidi was nominated for the 2017 Kate Greenaway award.

Look was the winner of the AOI World Illustration Awards 2019, and A Dot In The Snow by Corrinne Averiss was selected as one of ‘The Times Children’s Books of the Year 2016’ and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award 2018. Fiona lives in London.

To read my review of Silver Linings by Fiona Woodcock see here: Book Review: Silver Linings

Instagram: https://instagram.com/fionawoodcock

X: https://x.com/fionawoodcock

Website: https://www.fionawoodcock.com

To follow the other stops on the tour here is the schedule:

I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.

Blog Tour – The Remembering

It is my stop today for The Remembering blog tour.

My stop takes the form of a book review.

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Title: The Remembering

Written by: Dione Orrom

Cover Illustration by: Ramona Ring

Published by: Troubador

Blurb

From the darkness… came a call from the trees. Deep in the soul of the world a being is growing, feeding on the destruction of the natural world. The Forgetting is seeping through the Rings of Time, bringing dark rain, poisoned mists, and deep fractures in the earth. The Rings are nearing collapse, the Ancient Tree Council needs help.

Escaping the torment of his neighbours, the twins, Jack runs to the woods and the Ancient Tree Council see their chance, Jack is their hope. They ask him and his scruffy dog Stan to undertake a dangerous journey to help restore balance, to bring about a remembering. To Jacks horror, the trees mistakenly bring Mia, one of the twins and their lives are entwined in a way they could never have anticipated.

The adventure takes them beyond their wildest imaginings, meeting wise elders, facing tempestuous primal worlds, turbulent rivers, and a mighty storm – with near tragic consequences. Discovering strength, friendship, belonging and hope. A thrilling adventure to the heart of the earth.

The main protagonist Jack is bullied by his neighbours, the twins Tom and Mia, because he prefers nature and the great outdoors to being cooped up playing computer games. He is also mourning the loss of his father who inspired his love of nature. One day when he is escaping what he believes to be the twins following him in the woods he decides to hide in a hollow of a tree and is sucked into a parallel world where the trees and animals can talk and they are on the run from The Forgetting.

Jack manages to get home and decides to return the next day when he is followed by Mia. I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Jack and Mia develop, providing them with satisfying story arcs. I did find it rather frustrating random characters kept popping up telling Jack the answers to his questions about the new world, rather than him discovering them for himself through exploration and determination. This created too many characters and I felt most of them could have been absorbed into Aster, Wolf and Taxus the Tree Elder, who were strong well-round characters we could root for.

I liked the way all the set up was there in the first chapter so we could dive straight into the story – introducing the reader to the main character Jack, his grief, his dog Stan, the bullies and the inciting incident where he is transported to the other world. This is all achieved quickly and concisely, which was great so the reader is immediately pulled into the story.

The Remembering has a great premise in how The Forgetting is feeding off the destruction of the natural world. The protect the environment theme is cleverly executed showing how deforestation and pollution has a knock on effect on the animals, eco-system and the climate. Overall though, I felt other aspects of the story could do with a little more of this showing rather than telling. For example rather than Jack saying he is scared show it by his reactions and feelings and rather than simply saying the people were busy around the campfire show us what they were doing.

A fun magical adventure for middle grade with an important environmental message and a percentage of all the profits are donated to three charities: The Tree Sisters, The Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute and Trees for Cities.

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About the Author

Dione Orrom is an Emmy winning and Grammy nominated film and television producer, specialising in arts films and documentaries. Living in harmony and balance with nature is central to Dione’s life, having followed the path of shamanism since her late 20’s.

She is also a trained shamanic energy medicine practitioner. Dione is passionate about tree planting, foraging, growing food, and protecting the natural world – believing that we and nature are one.

I would like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Through My Letterbox for inviting me to take part in this blog tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour check out the schedule:

Blog Tour – Neptune’s Secret Code

Today I am on the blog tour for Neptune’s Secret Code by Genna Rowbotham.

My slot on the tour takes the form of a prize giveaway.

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Giveaway to Win One signed copy of Neptune’s Secret Code and One signed copy of Lottie the Ladybird’s Adventure  (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using this Rafflecopter box.  

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494592/?

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Find out more about Neptune’s Secret Code by Genna Rowbotham below:

Blurb

When Hannah is sucked into a vicious whirlpool in her effort to rescue kitten Leo, she finds herself entering Neptune’s Undersea Kingdom where she reawakens terrifying sea monsters from the depths of the sea.

The trouble is… Hannah is unable to return home until she’s overcome her fear of the water, defeated the sea monsters, and solved the code that she broke upon entering Neptune’s Kingdom.

With the help of her new friend, Marcie the Mermaid, will Hannah succeed?

About the Author

Genna Rowbotham started her career as a secretary and has since founded GR Typing Services, an online secretarial business. Inspired by her children, in 2017, she wrote her first story and is now the author of ten books as well as a short story published in the magazine, Brilliant Brainz. Genna has a passion for writing stories that entertain, educate and inspire young ones so they can escape the seriousness of life and enter a world of magic.

She lives with her husband and lively, imaginative daughters in Derbyshire in a house full of books, magazines and all sorts of artwork from her children (empty cereal boxes are often taken from the recycle bin to reinvent something wonderful like a spy camera or a telescope).

When Genna’s not writing, she loves reading, star gazing, movie nights, and exploring the great outdoors with her family. You can find out more about Genna’s books on her website at www.gennarowbotham.co.uk

Genna Rowbotham’s Social Media Links –

You can purchase a copy of Neptune’s Secret Code by Genna Rowbotham on her website: www.gennarowbotham.co.uk or here: https://mybook.to/gYTo

To follow the rest of the blog tour take a look at the schedule:

I would like to thank Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.

Blog Tour – Chasing the Shy Town

It is my honour to be part of the Chasing the Shy Town blog tour. Chasing the Shy Town was released this month June 2024 and is written by Erika McGann, beautifully illustrated by Toni Galmés and published by Little Island Books.

Blurb

Senan uses his binoculars to spy out the Shy Town, a sweet little place on a hill, with winding streets and red and yellow roofs. Senan calls it the Shy Town because it often hides and is hard to find. He tells his next-door friend Joshua about the Shy Town, and they set off, with Senan’s grandmother in a ramshackle wheelchair, to find this elusive place. Along the way they make friends with Paperboy. Who is, as you’d expect, a boy made of paper.

With the help of a kruckle (a sort of Shy Town creature) that they meet on their journey, they find the Shy Town, only its real name is Perfection, because it is absolutely perfect. But all is not well in Perfection: the inhabitants are constantly worrying about making it more and more perfect. But since more perfect than perfect is an impossibility, they are constantly exhausted.

What can Senan and friends do to save the kruckles from their obsession with perfection?

My stop on the tour takes the form of a special post from author Erika McGann about exploring difficult emotions in the safety of a story.

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Exploring Difficult Emotions in the Safety of a Story

By Erika McGann

When I was a kid my parents gave me a huge hardback notebook to write in. They also paid me 10p a day to write in it. (In our house, artistic endeavours were bribe-worthy). I still don’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing for my parents to pay me to write, but it certainly worked as an incentive. I wrote a lot, and most of my stories were filled with monsters and demons and things that go bump in the night. I had fun writing them, but I know now I was also exorcising my own demons. I was very fearful as a kid. When the bedroom light went off at night, furniture and discarded clothes became unnerving shapes in the dark; I heard the creaking of floorboards that couldn’t possibly be caused by human feet; and I could spend half the night staring at a wardrobe door standing ajar, wondering if I had unwittingly left it open or if something else had opened it after I’d climbed into bed. I think of those stories in that big hardback now as little inoculations – I was practising being scared; filling my mind with frightening things that I knew for sure weren’t real because I’d made them up.

Not every kid writes, but a lot of kids read, and books offer that opportunity to explore difficult emotions in a safe place. My latest book, Chasing the Shy Town, is about a young boy named Senan who has no desire for adventure. But when he spots the Shy Town – a mysterious hilltop town that vanishes and reappears along the horizon – his fearless best friend, Joshua, and his no-nonsense grandmother are keen to give chase. ‘Senan is afraid to look afraid’ and gets dragged along for the ride.

The book examines Senan’s fear of the unknown and his worry about losing his best friend when a newcomer joins the crew, but it also explores the pressure to be perfect. When the group finally track down the Shy Town they find the residents riddled with anxiety, desperately striving for something they can never achieve. Being able to delve into that issue with young readers is much easier in the context of fantasy. Using somewhat outlandish but likeable characters to whom the children can relate, the fantastical setting allows me to take a gentle approach to a subject that might otherwise be very troubling for the reader – the pressure to be more than you are – and the hope is that this little inoculation of worry will make the issue more manageable in real life.

As a writer, it feels good to be able to offer children these moments of ‘practice’ that may serve them well into the future. It also feels wonderful to know that they can indulge in the characters’ positive feelings too – the excitement and sense of freedom in setting off on an epic adventure, with wild storms, bizarre creatures and magnificent secrets – all from the safety of a comfy chair at home.

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About the Author

Erika McGann is an award-winning children’s author based in Dublin.

She has written a wide range of children’s books, including Where Are You Puffling? (with illustrator Gerry Daly) and Tabitha Plimtock and the Edge of the World (with illustrations by Phillip Cullen), which was awarded a White Raven by the International Youth Library.

About the Illustrator

Toni Galmés has always liked to tell stories through his drawings. Toni was born in Mallorca, a sunny Mediterranean island. Later he moved to Barcelona to study Fine Arts. There he learned, read, and worked as a storyboard artist for film and advertising.

He fell in love with a bookseller and, from that love, his work as an illustrator of children’s books and graphic novels was born. Toni’s work includes picture books, novels and graphic novels published in Spain and France, with publishers such as Penguin Random House, La Galera, Bindi Books and the prestigious Franco- Belgian comic publishers, Dupuis and Delcourt.

I would like to thank Erika McGann for her time in writing about her experiences in the fear of the unknown and pressure to be perfect and how she developed these fears into her latest novel, Chasing the Shy Town. I would also like to thank Antonia Wilkinson for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below:

I would like to thank Antonia Wilkinson for inviting me on this tour. Thank you,

Blog Tour – The Secret of the Blood Red Key

I am pleased to announce I am on the blog tour for The Secret of the Blood Red Key by David Farr. This is the second book in the Stolen Dreams Adventure series and is published by Usborne Publishing. The lovely illustrations are by German children’s book illustrator, Kristina Kister.

My stop on the tour takes the form of a prize giveaway. If you would like a copy please leave me a message below.

To read an extract of The Secret of the Blood Red Key take a look at: The Secret of the Blood Red Key by David Farr.

David Farr is a playwright, screenwriter, stage director, and film and TV director whose plays have been performed all over the world.

Kristina Kister is an illustrator and character designer based in Essen, Germany. After graduating in Communication Design she worked as a junior art director at an ad agency before becoming a full time children’s book illustrator. Her biggest passion is telling stories, creating interesting and authentic characters and bringing joy and entertainment to people.

Here is a spotlight of reviews from myself and other bloggers who have read and loved this book.

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To read my review of The Secret of the Blood Red Key visit my blof post on Much To Do About Writing here: Book Review: The Secret of the Blood Red Key.

Other reviews of this sensational book include:

You can also read reviews of The Secret of the Blood Red Key on Amazon and Goodreads.

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To follow the rest of the tour and discover more reviews check out the schedule below.

I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.

Blog Tour – Ghosts of Mars by Stuart White

It is with great pleasure I join the blog tour for Stuart White who is 7th place finalist in the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2023 (BBNYA) with his middle grade novel, Ghosts of Mars.

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.

Ghosts of Mars is a fantasy, science fiction novel aimed at the 9+ age range and set twenty years in the future.

Blurb

Mars. 2045. 13-year-old Eva is the first Martian.

And world famous on two planets!

Fame, Type 1 diabetes and a sarcastic AI companion haunt her, but when her dad goes missing on the red planet, she must overcome the ‘Ghosts of Mars’ to save him.

The Martian for middle-grade, full of science, friendship and adventure, with elements of The Sword in the Stone.

With a Type 1 Diabetic main character, Ghosts of Mars explores how life beyond Earth, and the fame and scrutiny that come with it, affects the young people involved, who didn’t sign up for life on Mars. Ten percent of author profits go to Diabetes UK.

My stop on The Write Reads tour takes the form of an author interview.

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Tell us a little about yourself, the inspiration for Ghosts of Mars and Eva’s use of artificial intelligence.

Hello, I’m Stuart, a biology teacher, writer and Star Wars nerd (just generally a nerd on lots of nerdy things tbh!). I have a couple of kids and even more book babies, up here in ‘Sunny’ Glasgow.

I love space, and Mars specifically appeals to me as a place to go, and with all the chat of inhabiting it within the next 20 years I thought it would be fun to write about it. Then I thought of the least equipped human to live there – someone born on Mars with Type 1 diabetes has got to be up there! – and started throwing rocks at her. I suppose that’s the basis of most good stories. With it being in the near-future I wanted to integrate an element that I suspect will be mainstream by that time (or at least highly developed) and give her an AI companion who inverts the stereotype of evil AI, and is actually her closest companion and friend.

What are the underlying themes of Ghosts of Mars?

The biggest one is never giving up on the things you believe in. Eva has to overcome so many obstacles that would make most give up, but she loves her Dad more than anything in this Solar System and so will go to the ends of Mars for him. And that defiance to go after what she believes in is both a fault and a strength! I also wanted to explore the feeling of not being where you want to be – which is what almost every kid feels at some point – and yearning for a new future in a new place doing ANYTHING but what you are right now, and to bring her back round to thinking ‘there’s no place like home’ which is a lovely theme, I think!

If you and your family were chosen to join Elon Musk’s project to colonise Mars would you go and why?

Absolutely! I’m not sure my wife would agree though, but my kids are quite adventurous so it might just be the 3 of us! I’ve always been obsessed with exploration, first on Earth, but more latterly on moving beyond our planet and inhabiting other planets (for when we inevitably destroy this one!) and how that might work. To be a pioneer of the human race as one of the first people to step foot on another planet would be quite something, right?

In Ghosts of Mars, Eva is dealing with the death of her mother and the guilt over her father’s accident, creating some very emotional scenes. What is the first book that made you cry and how has this influenced your own writing?

I cried reading LOTR (not sure if that was my first or not!) after the scene (SPOILERS!) when Sam thinks Frodo is dead after Shelob attacks. It was very emotional for teenage me and I always think back to that scene when I think about the book (which I’ve re-read at least half a dozen times since!) 

What does being a Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) finalist mean to you?

It means a lot – being a writer often means existing in a state of doubt and insecurity about the quality of your work. When you self-publish, I think that’s amplified, and so to get that validation from those who read the most (ie bloggers!) is something special and I’m very honoured to have been a finalist this year.

What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to be a children’s book writer?

Write. Read a lot. Write some more. You can do courses etc but they just help refine craft – the hard yards are done in the writing and reading phases and without those two things the other stuff is just icing on raw flour and eggs.

Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about Ghosts of Mars?

Just that there’s sequel(s) coming (and a prequel already written!) – I love writing in this universe and hope to keep the adventures of Eva Knight going!

What are your social media links where can people find out about you and your books?

All my links are here: https://linktr.ee/stuartwhitewm 

Where is the best place for people to buy Ghosts of Mars?

You can buy my books from wherever you usually do, including book stores and my own website (for signed copies!) – all on the linktree above!

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Author Bio

Stuart is an award-winning author and secondary school teacher. He has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing and founded, and now runs, WriteMentor. In 2020 and 2022 he was placed on the SCWBI Undiscovered Voices longlist and named as an Hononary Mention for his novels Ghosts of Mars and Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time. In 2023, he won the WriteBlend award for his middle grade debut, Ghosts of Mars.

Stuart was included in The Bookseller’s 2021 list of Rising Stars in the publishing industry.

Praise for Ghosts of Mars

“A thrilling, edge-of-the-seat ride for all space loving adventurers!” Vashti Hardy, Author of Brightstorm

“I loved this book – not only as a type 1 diabetic – but as a fan of brilliant middle-grade stories. Perfectly paced, hugely imaginative and wildly exciting, I predict readers will adore Eva and this stunning space adventure.” AF Steadman, Author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

You can read reviews of Ghosts of Mars here:

Amazon Links:

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63274577-ghosts-of-mars

The StoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/2b3c86c8-ef1b-4708-ad90-d982d93d3ed1

I would like to thank The Write Reads for inviting me to take part in this BBNYA finalist tour. Thank you.

Blog Tour – Ice Cream Boy by Lindsay Littleson

I am happy to announce today is my stop on the Ice Cream Boy blog tour.

My stop on the tour is a book review.

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Title: Ice Cream Boy

Written by: Lindsay Littleson

Published by: Floris Books

Blurb

Twelve-year-old Luca Verani has his future all mapped out: who needs school when he’s going to take over his family’s ice cream cafe? But then his aunt announces she’s selling the struggling business and Luca realises that his nonna’s memory is disappearing. Plus, he’s starting high school and one of his best friends Sitara is being targeted by racist bullies. As Luca’s worries pile up, will his dreams melt away?

Ice Cream Boy is a heart-warming novel from Lindsay Littleson, author of Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns. Full of authentic dialogue, gentle humour and true-to-life characters, this engaging middle-grade novel explores the thoughts and feelings of children affected by dementia.

Review

This is a a great book that sensitively deals with dementia in a way young children are able to understand and empathise with. Our main protagonist, Luca considers himself the class clown and sometimes his behaviour in class is questionable. His character arc is excellent and we certainly see Luca mature over the course of the book not only with his attitude to school and his father, but also with his future career prospects, realising he has so many options he can consider.

He is dealing with a lot at home as his grandma is gradually becoming more forgetful and confused. His mother is away working a lot and his estranged dad lives in Italy. The issues of racism are well portrayed and I particularly liked the emphasise on how the children do not have to act like their parents and can make their own choices.

In fact, there is so much to love about Ice Cream Boy and the way family relationships are explored making this book a highly relatable and compelling read.

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About the Author

Lindsay Littleson is an award-winning middle-grade author from Glasgow, Scotland. Her books include Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns, The Secrets of the Last Merfolk and Kelpies Prize-winning The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean, which was also longlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Books Prize.

Inspired by many happy years as a primary teacher, Lindsay’s books have been praised for their believable characters and authentic dialogue. She currently lives in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

You can find out more about Lindsay and her books on her website: www.lindsaylittleson.co.uk/ and follow her on X: @ljlittleson and on Instagram: @lindsaylittleson .

To follow the rest of the tour please check out the schedule below:

I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.

Blog Tour – The House at the End of the Sea by Victoria M. Adams

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.

The beautiful cover art is by Sharon King-Chai.

Blurb

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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Tell us your inspiration for The House at the End of the Sea.

There are two origin stories for The House at the End of the Sea. One is a lifelong love of all things legend and fairy tale. Bits and bobs of existing medieval ballads found their way into this book, from Tam Lin to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I also took inspiration from children’s stories like The Dark is Rising or Tom’s Midnight Garden. But the immediate genesis was the gift given me by a friend, part of her grandmother’s Victorian ornament collection, a small silver bowl with a Persian Qajar-era coin mounted in the base. I thought to myself, ‘How did a coin from nineteenth century Persia find its way into an ornament collection of a woman living in Wales?’ No one knew. So this story began.

What are the underlying themes of The House at the End of the Sea?

If I had to sum it up: ‘Stay uncomfortable.’ The book looks at grief and loss on a personal level, but also colonial histories. The main character, Saffi, has a mixed heritage, Iranian on her mother’s side and British on her father’s. Her British side includes the added complexity of shady family dealings. She has to confront this truth, which other members of the family would rather avoid through denial or shrugging off responsibility. The story asks: ‘Would you rather live with your eyes shut or face the truth, however difficult?’

What is your schedule like when you are writing a book?

I fit writing around a few other activities – teaching, translation work, script work. So really there’s no set schedule – I write when I can. Sometimes a couple of months will go by before I have time to go back to the novel. I always miss it by then!

How did you develop your characters and hone their voices so children can identify with them?

Usually, I’ll think of real people to serve as a template for a character. Sometimes I make an amalgam of people, or put in bits of my own experience. For the main characters in this book, I used some of my own experience for Saffi and based her brother Milo on a little boy I used to know. Birdy is also a mix of two people, though getting his ‘voice’ in dialogue required separate research into accents and speech patterns in East Yorkshire. It’s a particular regional accent, soft compared to some accents in Leeds or Sheffield. I love it.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pants all the way. It’s absolute mayhem. If I have to write an outline it quickly falls apart.

The House at the End of the Sea pulls at your heart strings. What is the first book that made you cry?

Thank you for saying so! I grew up on the books of Paul Gallico, who managed to traumatise me with books like Jennie, about the world’s most excellent cat (spoiler, it ends sadly), and Love of seven Dolls. DO NOT GIVE THESE BOOKS TO YOUR IMPRESSIONABLE EIGHT YEAR OLD. The scars, ye gods. Oh, and Watership Down. RABBITS DIE.

Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about The House at the End of the Sea?

While the story is self-contained, there is space for a sequel and more explorations of the fairy realms. I really do hope I may visit again.

What are your social media links where can people find out about you and your books?

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriamadams1/

On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/victoriamadams.bsky.social

Where is the best place for people to buy your book?

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-house-at-the-end-of-the-sea/victoria-m-adams/9781839134234

Blackwells also does free shipping: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-House-at-the-End-of-the-Sea-by-Victoria-M-Adams/9781839134234

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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 her instagram @victoriamadams1

I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the tour schedule below:

Blog Tour: The Bravest Word by Kate Foster

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.

You can find out more about Kate Foster and her books on her website: ww.kfosterbooks.com and follow her on X @kfosterauthor and Instagram @kfosterauthor.

I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book tours for inviting me to take part in this book tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below:

Blog Tour: The Time They Saved Tomorrow by Steve Nallon

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.