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
To celebrate the release of Scareground by Angela Kocejevic in the US, I am on another tour for this ‘spooky adventure story set in Victorian England’, which is published by Neem Tree Press.
This time I will spotlighting some of the fantastic reviews already on the world wide web for this ultimately eerie read, ideal for Halloween.
To start pop over and see my review of Scareground by Angela Kecojevic for the blog tour written to celebrate when the book was first released in the UK on September 2023: Blog Tour – Scareground by Angela Kecojevic
Next it is my great honour to present some more reviews of Scareground written by other fellow book bloggers. You simply must take a peek at these blogs:
Skye McKenna’s Hedgewitch middle grade series continues in this bewitching third book Seawitch, published by Hachette Children’s Books and due for release on Thursday 26th September 2024.
Blurb
Cassie Morgan needs to earn her Sapling pin to get one step closer to passing her Witch’s Licence. To do this, she’s set the challenge of training a beginner witch by the Hedgewitch – but the newest member of her coven is not what she expected…
Meanwhile, the wicked Erl King is luring witches up and down the country to his side, with promises of unimaginable power. While those who stand against him are running a deadly risk.
When a letter arrives from Cassie’s cousin, Sebastian, desperate for help to solve an intriguing mystery, she travels to his home of Porthmorven with her friends, both old and new, to help work out what’s going on. But Porthmorven is no ordinary place – it’s a Faerie border town, like Hedgely, and it has its own protector: the elusive Seawitch. But she is nowhere to be found and Cassie is determined to help the people of Porthmorven however she can. Can Cassie use all of her training – along with help from her friends – to solve the secrets of the sea and foil the Erl King’s plans once and for all?
About the Author
Skye McKenna grew up in a mining town in the Australian outback. Surrounded by the red dust of the Pilbara, she developed a healthy respect for wild things and wild places at a young age.
She now lives in Scotland where she enjoys exploring the woods, hills and castles of her new home. She works in heritage, supporting rural communities to tell their own stories about the history of their land.
Her first book, Hedgewitch, was nominated for the YOTO Carnegie Medal for Writing and was a CBCA Notable.
Join me on the blog tour for Spencer Edwards: Emperor of the Galaxy by Alex Prior.
Blurb
In this gripping and spectacular rollercoaster of an adventure, a fourteen-year-old Earth boy is chosen, seemingly at random, to become Emperor of the Galaxy during a time of grave peril.
Spencer, an ordinary teenager, lives with his mum, his stepdad Hassan and his younger brother Mo. He is decidedly average at school, sports and at video gaming, but when he is chosen to become the new Emperor of the Galaxy everything changes.
Spencer must learn how to balance being Emperor of the Galaxy and battle the evil Haxenaar, trying to get his homework in on time, and all the while pursuing the love of his life, Amy Heartly. With the help of his new companions and Bradlii, the smartest and smuggest AI ever created, Spencer must brave an epic journey to save the galaxy and discover the ultimate truth.
My stop takes the form of a book review.
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Title: Spencer Edwards Emperor of the Galaxy
Written by: Alex Prior
Cover Art by: Adi Granov
Published by: Matador
This is a fantastic science fiction quest to save the galaxy in the vein of Ender’s Game, Star Trek and one of my ultimate favourites, Farscape. This fast paced adventure full of twists and turns that ticked all the boxes for me.
Fourteen-year-old spencer is an average teenager who is trying to navigate school, his homework and dating the girl of his dreams, when he is whisked away and told he has been chosen at random to protect the galaxy from falling into an intergalactic war. I was particularly impressed with Haxenaar who is a larger than life antagonist with an insatiable goal of dominating not only our galaxy but also the neighbouring galaxy of Andromeda. He makes Scorpious look like a kitten.
I must say, the final few chapters set the reader up in anticipation for the sequel. Full of breath-taking spacecraft, jaw-dropping battles, vivid aliens and some highly unique planets and planetary systems, this is the ideal book for young sci-fi fans to read over the summer.
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About the Author
Alex Priorgraduated from Manchester University and worked in TV and Film as a cameraman, editor, then director, ending up at Elstree Film Studios. He decided to change his career and became a Headteacher for several challenging schools.
He has always written scripts and copy and his first book The Lost Case Files of Sherlock Holmes was published in 2020 and went to number one in several Amazon categories, selling many thousands of copies worldwide. Spencer Edwards: Emperor of the Galaxyis his second novel.
Following the success of The King’s Coronation and the Kohinoor Diamond, the first in the Underneath the Underground series, sisters Anthea Turner and Wendy Turner have penned the much anticipated second adventure, set among the communities of mice living busily below London’s bustling tube stops.
Their second book is called, Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon.
Blurb
It’s Wimbledon tennis fortnight and there’s much excitement as King Charles and Queen Camilla receive a special invite from Princess Kate – to watch her and Prince William play a charity match against Sir Andy Murray and Heather Watson on Centre Court. What a treat!
Off go Charles and Camilla to brush up on their own tennis skills with their faithful aide, Jenkins, on hand to whip up some royal tennis whites. Meanwhile, beneath Marble Arch Station, daring mouse Elly Archer also has her sights set on a visit to Wimbledon and is soon hatching a plan to sneak over there with her friends Billy and Bunty Bell to watch the Ladies’ Final – without the grown-ups! What could possibly go wrong?
And Harry the Hero Rat has a secret plan too… he’s heard that juicy red strawberries are eaten there by the tonne, a perfect opportunity to gather up the leftovers and make strawberry jam for all the mice on the London Underground! But things go messily wrong when Kate and William discover Harry’s stash of strawberries… and somehow, Charles and Camilla find themselves serving for the match on Centre Court. Thank heavens they practiced! The question is, will they win…?!
In Book 1, readers were introduced to a host of loveable furry characters who reside Underneath the Underground including Hounslow Mice, Shoba and Lo Mow, Harry the Hero Rat who adores strawberries and Sir Roger Russell, the Mouse Minister for Transport. Fans will be delighted to learn they return in Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon along with some new faces, all set for a brand new adventure set in…you’ve guessed it, Wimbledon.
Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon begins as King Charles and Queen Camilla are full of excitement after receiving a surprise invitation from Princess Kate; to watch her and William take on Sir Andy Murray and Heather Watson at a charity tennis match on Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court. What a treat!
Meanwhile, beneath Marble Arch Station, daring mouse Elly Archer also has her sights set on a visit to Wimbledon and is soon hatching a plan to sneak over there with her friends Billy and Bunty Bell to watch the Ladies’ Final – without the grown-ups!
Readers fell in love with ginger Harry the Hero Rat in Book 1 and will be delighted to discover he’s not lost his passion for juicy strawberries, so much so that he’s devised his very own jam-making business, the strawberry variety of course.
Naturally, as this is an adventure story, nothing goes quite to plan. Discover what happens to Elly, Billy and Bunty as they make their secret journey to Wimbledon, how Princess Kate stumbles upon Harry’s strawberry stash and why King Charles and Queen Camilla end up serving for the match…but will they win?!
“We’re so excited by this story and have loved every minute of reuniting the characters whom we’ve become so fond of,” says Wendy.
Anthea says:
“Wimbledon is such a special sporting occasion and we know young readers will love this hilarious version of what ends up happening on Centre Court. Our mice characters are endearing and full of surprises – I’m sure this adventure will leave fans wanting to know what they will get up to next!”
Bryony Pearce’s debut middle grade novel, Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood, is a crazy romp of an adventure that will keep readers turning the pages. Based on the children of the Greek gods, you may think this story is going to be a predictable demi-god story or a weak version of Percy Jakson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, but you would be wrong.
Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood is a highly original, hilariously funny and entertaining story. Eleven-year-old Hannah Messenger, the granddaughter of Hermes the messenger god and Dylan, the grandson of Demeter the god of harvest, are best friends. Hannah has recently come into her powers and her and Dylan decide to go to the marker stone on the outskirts of Hockwood to practice using them instead of going to school.
Whilst they are there they meet Amy, the granddaughter of Aphrodite and school bully who is also bunking off school as she is upset her school work is not taken seriously by the teachers, as all that is expected of her is to be pretty. They also find school loner, Alistair has missed school too for a me-day. All the characters including the antagonist have been well-developed with their own strengths, weaknesses and well-crafted character arcs.
These four children form the core characters are real heroes fighting to save the human world through all odds. When someone moves the and marker stone, the gods of Olympus and their descendants lose their memories so they believe they are ordinary humans with no powers. Only Hannah, Dylan, Amy and Alistair know who the gods are and they are also losing their powers fast.
They discover the god’s objects of power such as Thor’s lightning bolt and Aphrodite’s apple and Herme’s staff have gone missing so they must overcome their differences and work together to find the thief and stop them using the source of the god’s powers to destroy the world.
A great story with endearing characters and a lot of heart. Encompasses themes of hope, perseverance and combating depression.
You can buy copies of Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood by Bryony Pearce from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
Today, I am shining a spotlight on Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener and DeAnn Wiley, which was published by Barefoot Books on 2nd April 2024.
Blurb
Marley is a little nonbinary kid with big anxieties. Crowds? Pass. Loud noises? No, thanks. When their Zaza is up for an award at Pride, they want to go to the parade for the first time with their beloved grandparent. But can Marley overcome their fears?
Featuring the joyful experiences of a queer Black family finding community through identity at Pride, this story also explores how to cope with social anxiety.
Created by a queer Black author and illustrator team, central to the story is Zaza, a transgender elder who receives an award for their work helping the trans community.
Additional endnotes include the history of Pride and its origins, a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms and a list of resources.
Praise for Marley’s Pride
“This sensitive work will be a valuable teaching tool to support children with questions concerning themselves or their friends” – School Library Journal
“From its bright and colourful cover, Marley’s Pride is a whirlwind of cheer and a celebration of being trans, Black and neurodivergent” – Inis magazine
About the Author
Spelman College graduate Joëlle Retener (they/them) is a Kreyol American children’s author with a passion for sharing stories that celebrate Black pride and Queer joy.
Joelle lives in Baltimore, USA.
About the illustrator
DeAnn Wiley (she/her) is a self-taught illustrator with a Master’s degree in counselling psychology. She illustrated Sarah Rising, the Sunday Adventures series, and her author-illustrator debut, Homegrown.
She advocates for social justice from the intersection of multiple identities – Black, Woman, Queer, and disabled. DeAnn lives in Detroit, USA.
About the Publisher
Barefoot Books is an award-winning, independent, women-owned and run, children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. Founded by two mothers in England in 1992, we are committed to creating visually captivating books that celebrate global awareness and diversity, spark curiosity and capture imaginations.
Today, our unwavering commitment to opening children’s hearts, minds and worlds feels more important than ever. Barefoot Books has been shortlisted for the Alison Morrison Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2024’s IPG Awards.
I am thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for an exciting new middle grade mystery adventure, The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan, which was released for publication on the 4th July 2024 by Aladdin / Simon & Schuster.
The Legendary Mo Seto is a story about a 12-year-old female martial artist who auditions for a movie role opposite her favourite martial arts movie hero, only to find out she’s too small for the role.
Blurb
A fast-paced, high-kicking debut that’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams – and her father.
Twelve-year-old Modesty ‘Mo’ Seto dreams of being a taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he’s been lately.
When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears – and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.
The book contains information on Xiaoxi Fu, a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these secret moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.
My stop takes the form of a book review.
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Title:The Legendary Mo Seto
Written by: A. Y. Chan
Cover illustrated by: Amber Ren
Published by: Aladdin / Simon & Schuster
The Legendary Mo Seto, is a well-paced adventure with plenty of dynamic action scenes that kept me turning the pages. One of my favourite scenes was when Mo loses focus during the tournament at the beginning of the book as her dad left in the middle of her fight. This scene was a great example of showing rather than telling the protagonist’s character.
The character arc has been artfully crafted in the way she learns to accept and even ‘love’ her short stature. It is believable and I would personally like to see Xiaoxi Fu in action. I hope it is as cool to watch as Martha’s dance fighting in the Jamanji (2017).
Written in first-person we are able to immediately identify with Mo from her love of Taekwondo to her hang-ups about her height. She is a fully-rounded character with a whole list of flaws, some of which I wish she’d learnt the hard-way that dishonesty does not pay. I enjoyed the friendship between Nacho and Mo but after it was pointed out to her how handsome he was, it made me cringe slightly that she started developing feelings for him. I would rather she felt jealousy about others showing an interest in her friends than start liking him more than a friend. Even so, the reader is able to empathise with Mo and appreciate her courage and loyalty. She most definitely has a stubborn determination to admire.
I also enjoyed the movie scenes with the vivid descriptions that immediately conjured up a realistic image of life on a movie set. It was good that the book highlighted the stress and drama behind the scenes as well as the gloss and glamour captured by the camera. The mystery around her father and what had happened to him was intriguing.
A great, excellently written middle-grade mystery with themes of identity and finding the best in yourself. Would be suitable for Key Stage Two and Three readers.
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About the Author
A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favourite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.
She explained her reasons for writing The Legendary Mo Seto:
“I started training in taekwondo when I was six and, growing up, I longed to read books about kick-butt girls doing kick-butt things, but there really weren’t as many as I had hoped for. The idea for this book has been percolating in my head ever since. I wish to inspire kids not only to be brave and never give up, but also to be proud of who they are.
My inspiration for my story came from a real city-wide competition, where, like Mo, my protagonist, I faced off against a bigger, stronger boy during the final match. At that time, pairings were determined by belt-level and age, not by weight class. I ended up losing. I remember feeling so crushed by my second-place finish, and I kept replaying the fight in my head, wondering what I could have done differently.
I was also inspired by martial arts movies—especially the stunt actors and body doubles, and the thugs in the background serving as punching bags for the protagonist. As an introvert, I never wanted to be the main character…but to get beat up by the main character? That seemed awesome. After achieving my black belt in Taekwondo, I explored other types of martial arts and came away with an appreciation for the similarities and differences in the different forms, and how each has a unique philosophy linking the physical to the mental (and spiritual). Martial arts is about discipline and practice, but it’s also about respect (for oneself and for others) and integrity. And, of course, indomitable spirit, the all-encompassing light within us all that shines with determination and hope and an unshakable optimism for a brighter tomorrow.” (A.Y. Chan)
Please join me on the blog tour for The Rock by Ann Bryant and illustrated by Josephine Birch, published by Graffeg Publishing on the 23rd February 2024.
Blurb
The first in a series about twins Zane and Finola’s adventure to reunite their family.
After being forced to flee from their home planet, twins Zane and Finola find themselves on Earth. Dad is lost and Mum is no longer able to teleport, meaning that it is up to the twins to reunite their family. With such a large prize on offer for whoever is able to find the ‘aliens’, Zane and Finola can’t trust anyone and must make sure that they never break cover on their tour of planet Earth.
My stop on the tour takes the form of a book review.
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Title: The Rock
Written by: Ann Bryant
Illustrated by: Josephine Birch
Published by: Graffeg Publishing
Perfect for independent readers between the ages of 7-11, The Rock is a highly original middle grade adventure. I rarely see children’s books featuring aliens that are stranded on Earth from the alien’s point of view. I enjoyed learning about the differences between the two planets and wish there was a bit more comparing of the differences between the two worlds. The key themes are diversity and cultural awareness, empathy, family, green travel and teamwork.
The reflection on human nature was believable and realistic. There was only one thing that niggled me we know the mother and children are there to find their dad but we are not told why the dad came to Earth in the first place.
I liked the fact they could communicate telepathically and also teleport themselves by thinking of an image of a place. The teleporting symbol added each time they did this throughout the book was a nice touch. The way they tried to solve the picture image clues that had been transferred into their minds by their dad added mystery and suspense that kept me turning the pages. Although, the story did not end and left a lot of unanswered questions to be continued in the sequel.
On the whole, an exciting middle grade adventure with a unique mystery that will intrigue science fiction fans.
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About the Author
Ann Bryant trained at the Royal College of Music and began her writing career when her daughters were little. She has published around 125 books, roughly 75% children’s fiction including many series, the rest, music resources for primary school teachers. Ann narrated her latest picture book Peter and the Timber Wolf at 48 concerts in 2019 whilst Kidenza orchestra played the famous Peter and the Wolf music.
Reading from her book Code Breaker at the Gibraltar literary festival in November 2022, a year 6 class was inspired to take it on as their class reader. Ann regularly gives author presentations in international schools as well as the UK, and also leads music workshops for teachers.
She says:
“I’m often asked what you need to be an author – well, I think it boils down to imagination and discipline, or put another way, a telescope and a microscope, OR a heart and a head.”
You can purchase a copy of The Rock by Ann Bryant from Amazon.
To follow the rest of the tour please take a look at the schedule below:
I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book Tours for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.
It is with great pleasure I join The Write Reads blog tour for another fabulous middle grade adventure published by Neem Tree Press.
Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell, is an exciting new dystopian series released on Thursday July 4th 2024 .
My stop on the tour takes the form of a spotlight of the book.
About the Book:
Blurb
Book 1 in an action-packed dystopian adventure series set in the near-future post-melt Arctic.
The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force—Terra Electrica—has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.
In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.
Can Mani piece everything together and harness her newfound powers in time to save humanity?
You can read reviews of Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North here:
Antonia Maxwell is a writer and editor based in North Essex and Cambridge, UK.
With a degree in Modern Languages and a long-standing career as a book editor, she has a lifelong curiosity for language and words, and a growing fascination in the power of story – the way it shapes our lives and frames our experience.
I would like to thank The Write Reads for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
To follow the rest of the tour please see the schedule below:
I am taking part today in the blog tour for Felix’s Favourite Day by Fiona Lowry and illustrated by Johanna Bruyer.
My stop on this tour is a book review.
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Title: Felix’s Favourite Day
Written by: Fiona Lowry
Illustrated by: Johanna Bruyer
Published by: Three Geese & A Gander
A cute self-published picture book that was awarded the Golden Wizard Book Prize in 2022.
It is about a young boy called Felix who dreams of owning a pet but the pets he asks for do not physically exist. His parents finally agree to get him a pet and his final choice suits him perfectly. It is written in free verse with no set meter or rhythm but has a loose rhyme.
Felix’s Favourite Day is a very short with an underlying message of using your imagination and believing in your dreams.
I felt the plot could have been developed further giving the picture book more depth and a more satisfying conclusion.
Suitable to read to children from birth.
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Fiona Lowry is a Scottish children’s author based in Perthshire, where she lives with her family. Having grown up in the idyllic, peaceful, and secluded countryside, her childhood was full of freedom and adventure.
Pic credit Steve MacDougall / DC Thomson & Co Ltd
Fiona shares her power of positive thinking through children’s stories of encouragement, self-growth, and belief.
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