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Interview - Lindsay and janes views and reviews

Tam's Two Cents: Pulse by Author HJ Daly. Release day guest post a...

Tam's Two Cents: Pulse by Author HJ Daly. Release day guest post a...:   Pulse by Author HJ Daly Available February 4th 2013 Synopsis:- Esa is a street girl living in a post apocalyptic world. A...

The Dragons Call

Type: Fantasy

Release date: September 2012    

Story: In a war torn earth, humans no longer fight each other. A greater threat has woken and humans are fighting for their lives but when dragons turn into their human form, the war is lost. Three decades later, humans live in enclaves and everything is governed by the dragons. Cecily lives with her father and brother in one such enclave. Without really knowing anything about life before dragons, she is happy to live within their limitations.

Stifled by life in court, Derek, heir to the dragon’s throne decides to join the high school within one of the enclaves. Here he meets Cecily and they are quickly drawn together, filling both their minds with unanswered questions. What is the queen hiding from Derek and what is special about Cecily?

The book starts with Cecily; we see her friends and her everyday life. She is purposely isolated from most people by her overprotective father and we find out as the story develops why he protects his children so. What he cannot protect her from, are two dragons that out of boredom join her school. Derek is immediately drawn to Cecily, there is something about her that he cannot ignore, something that pulls them both into trouble. Throughout the story we have snippets or recollections of Todd Burns which nicely fills in the information that you need in order to fully appreciate the story. The tone is light and McCabe really hits the voice of the teenagers. She writes a nice story in which she describes the human way of life and how the world around them is beginning to crumble. The interwoven relationships between the dragons and humans keeps you interested and the growing relationship between Cecil and Derek is written really well.

Tideline - Penny Hancock

Type: Psychological Thriller

Release Date: 1st January 2012

Story: One winter's afternoon, voice coach Sonia opens the door of her beautiful riverside home to fifteen-year-old Jez, the nephew of a family friend. He's come to borrow some music. Sonia invites him in and soon decides that she isn't going to let him leave. As Sonia's desire to keep Jez hidden and protected from the outside world becomes all the more overpowering, she is haunted by memories of an intense teenage relationship, which gradually reveal a terrifying truth. The River House, Sonia's home since childhood, holds secrets within its walls. And outside, on the shores of the Thames, new ones are coming in on the tide...

In order to get a whole picture, the story moves between Sonia and Jez’s aunt Helen. Sonia is a complex character and you are drawn into the darkness residing in her mind. The initial meeting between her and Jez quickly deteriorates and it took me by surprise at the speed from chatting to kidnapping and all the time only being able to see how she wants to keep him safe. The lengths she goes to is unsettling to read but it’s hard to hate Sonia when we start to learn about her past and her early relationship.

We get to see what consequences the kidnapping means when we see Helen’s point of view. Jez is staying with her and her family and here we see the police involvement and even Jez’s girlfriend as they try and piece together what happened. When Helen and Sonia meet as friends it brings another layer to this complicated story and the conclusion as the world falls apart is gripping. Tideline is a strange read, seeing it from Sonia’s point of view and then watching it all disintegrate around her. Though you can’t condone anything she does, you still feel for her and it’s well worth a read.

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Pulse - Trailer

Pulse - Book Trailer

Don't panic! Don't Panic

Don't panic, yeah right somehow I think it's a bit late for that. I have been given a release date for my debut novel Pulse and as reality sets in, I can see how much I have to do before hand.

Do you want to hear my rambling, sure you do, you're looking at this post right? There is so much information out there but it seems that the buzz is 'Networking' and of course its right. There may be a lucky few, and I mean a few, that actually has everything fall in place but that's not going to happen. I might delude myself sometimes but my voices want let me keep that up for long. For someone like me that finds self promotion strange to get out there is scary. The best tip I have had, is not to come out and push, push my book but find like minded people and simply talk to them. We will hopefully discuss the same topics and at some point I can mention my book. It seems building a steady, honest fanbase works. Ask anyone, and believe me I have asked a few.

Another stumbling block is money, I can't afford to pay for promotion but that's not necessary. If you can make the right contacts, they will tell their friends, who tell theirs, who ... well you get the picture.

Besides networking, I've set up a spreadsheet, organisation is the key, to anyone who knows me they will be rolling around on the floor about now, to keep track of which site I have asked for reviews or even just noted some kind of interest and given myself time limits to spend networking, writing, editing and having a life. Life ... now how does that go.