Fairytale Nerd

Sunwise by Helen Steadman I was so very excited and thrilled when I was invited to review and join the blog tour for the new book by Helen Steadman, Sunwise, which is a follow up to her earlier work Widdershins which I adored and you can read my review of that here   As well as loving her writing style, Helen hails from the North East of England where I am from and as her books are based around true historical local events, the Newcastle witch trials, they have a special appeal for me. The covers are pretty stunning too so these books have it all. My Review of Sunwise Sunwise is the sequel to the wonderful Widdershins and if you haven’t read that yet, it’s a must-read for your wishlist. Both these amazing books are based on true events, the Newcastle witch trials of the mid 17th century.  I find it utterly terrifying to think about the women who were hounded by men and executed for trumped-up accusations of witchcraft and how Helen has managed to steel herself to do the r...

The Oceans Between Us Blog Tour and my Review Today it's my absolute privilege to be part of the Blog Tour for the lovely new historical fiction title The Oceans Between us by Gill Thompson. My thanks go to Random things Tours and the publisher Headline books for inviting me along. My Review As soon as I received my copy to review I dived in and couldn't put it down. This book has that absorbing quality which lets you immerse yourself into the story quickly and deeply. The Oceans Between us is a heartbreaking drama based on the true and shocking events of the children sent to Australia in the aftermath of world war 2. This book begins at the height of the London Blitz as bombs fall all around, families head for air raid shelters and lives are ripped apart. It tells the story of young Jack who is separated from his beloved mother during the blitz in London and finds himself in an orphanage waiting and hoping for his Ma to come and claim him. But he is offered the “opportunity” ...

Today I am part of the #BlogTour for Remember Tomorrow by Amanda Saint. This is a new dystopian novel from Retreat West Books. The Blurb England, 2073. The UK has been cut off from the rest of the world and ravaged by environmental disasters. Small pockets of survivors live in isolated communities with no electricity, communications or transportation, eating only what they can hunt and grow. Evie is a herbalist, living in a future that’s more like the past, and she’s fighting for her life. The young people of this post-apocalyptic world have cobbled together a new religion, based on medieval superstitions, and they are convinced she’s a witch. Their leader? Evie’s own grandson. Weaving between Evie’s futurist world and her activist past, her tumultuous relationships and the terrifying events that led to the demise of civilised life, Remember Tomorrow is a beautifully written, disturbing and deeply moving portrait of an all-too-possible dystopian world, with a chilling warning at it...

The Conviction of Cora Burns - Carolyn Kirby - Blog Tour and my Review. Hello readers, have I a treat in store for historical fiction and mystery enthusiasts. I'm chuffed to be part of the Blog Tour for the brand new novel by Carolyn Kirby, The Conviction of Cora Burns, which I hope you'll enjoy as much as I have. Review: No Exit Press has dished up an absolute corker of a book with the Conviction of Cora Burns. It drew me in right from the beginning and was as unputdownable as any reader could hope to find. A mix of history,  mystery,  psychological twists, and emotion there is something in Cora's story for everyone. Cora herself is an extremely complex and unpredictable character, yet I grew to like her and be rooting for her despite the knowledge almost from the start, that she was involved in a heinous and inexplicable crime one could not possibly condone. She has already led a pretty grim life, abandoned at birth by her convict mother, brought up in a series of...

Please join me today on the Blog Tour for an enchanting Dual-Timeline story set in Ireland which I have been fortunate to receive an advance copy of and am thrilled to share my thoughts here in my review. The Forgotten Secret - Katherine McGurl - My Review The Forgotten Secret is a captivating dual time-line story which follows the fascinating lives of two women living a century apart, each battling for independence, which mesmerised and thrilled me throughout. In the present we have middle aged Clare, a somewhat downtrodden wife and mother, who seizes the chance of escape from her humdrum life which has suddenly been provided by a surprize inheritance, a rather dilapidated farmhouse in Meath Ireland. She is married to an utter stinker of a husband and personally, I find it virtually impossible to believe anyone would have stayed with him the length of time she has! Having brought up 2 delightful sons, now both adults has been one of her greatest achievements and one result of the ...

Blog Tour An Abiding Fire by M.J.Logue Today I welcome author M.J.Logue to BeadyjansBooks with news of her exciting new historical novel An Abiding Fire. The Cover is absolutely stunning with the Flames hovering over London and sets the scene beautifully for this murder mystery set in 17th century London. About the boo k: Murder and mystery in Restoration England! Perfect for fans of C. S. Quinn, S. G. MacLean and Alison Weir.  How do you solve a murder when you are one of the suspects…  1664, London  Life should be good for Major Thankful Russell and his new bride, Thomazine. Russell, middle-aged and battle-scarred, isn’t everyone’s idea of the perfect husband for an eligible young woman but the moment Thomazine set eyes on her childhood hero, she knew they were destined for one another.  But Russell, a former Roundhead, now working for the King’s intelligence service, was never going to have a simple life in Restoration London.  Unable to shake suspicions of ...

Blog Tour The Horsemans Song Ben Pastor  Please help me welcome Author Ben Pastor to Beadyjansbooks today as part of the Blog tour for his brand new book The Horsemans Song. The Horseman's Song is the 6th and final Installment in the Authors Martin Bora collection, however it is a prequel to the entire series so if you haven't yet read the others you could quite easily begin with this title as an introduction to this dramatic alternative viewpont of WW2. The Blurb Spain, summer 1937. The tragic prelude to World War II is played out in the civil war between Spanish nationalists and republicans. On the bloody sierras of Aragon, among Generalissimo Franco’s volunteers is Martin Bora, the twenty-something German officer and detective whose future adventures will be told in Lumen, Liar Moon and Kaputt Mundi. Presently a lieutenant in the Spanish Foreign Legion, Bora lives the tragedy around him as an intoxicating epic, between idealism and youthful recklessness. The first doubts, h...