Spices and Seasons, Simple Sustainable Indian Flavors – Rinku Bhattacharya / #Interview #BlogBlitz @rararesources @Wchestermasala

 

Rinku Bhattacharya combines her two great loves―Indian cooking and sustainable living―to give readers a simple, accessible way to cook seasonally, locally, and flavorfully. Inspired by the bounty of local produce, mostly from her own backyard, Rinku set out to create recipes for busy, time-strapped home cooks who want to blend Indian flavors into nutritious family meals. Arranged in chapters from appetizers through desserts, the cookbook includes everything from small bites, soups, seafood, meat and poultry, and vegetables, to condiments, breads, and sweets. You’ll find recipes for tempting fare like “Mango and Goat Cheese Mini Crisps,” “Roasted Red Pepper Chutney,” “Crisped Okra with Dry Spice Rub,” “Smoky Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Puree,” and “Red Harvest Masala Cornish Hens,” to name a few. As exotic and enticing as these recipes sound, the ingredients are easily found and the instructions are simple. Rinku encourages readers to explore the bounty of their local farms and markets, and embrace the rich flavors of India to cook food that is nutritious, healthy, seasonal and most importantly, delicious.

 

 

Q&A

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1. Who taught you how to cook?

I spent a lot of my early childhood years watching my grandmother cook. I learnt and absorbed a lot of watch she was doing, without really realizing that I was doing that. I later travelled quite far away to the US for university. I began missing home cooked food, the lighter flavors of home and that is when I began to draw on memory to start cooking. All said and done, a lot of my cooking is self- taught but heavily influenced by my mother and grandmother’s cooking.

2. Are there family recipies included?

Absolutely! There are several family recipes from both my and my husband’s family. The chicken tikka kebabs (pg 39), the red lentils (107), Shrimp in a Caramelized Onion and Coconut milk sauce (pg 191) are all from my family. Seasonal Greens with White Cheese (page 129) The traditional red kidney beans are from my husband’s family (115). These are the first ones that come to mind.

3. Which core ingredient do you prefer to cook with?

I like fish and seafood, very fond of seasonal greens and am quite addicted to tomatoes. Overall, we stick to a simple flavour palate working with whatever is in season. Hence the title – Spices and Seasons. You will find similar recipes all in this vein in my blog – Spice Chronicles. www.spicechronicles.com.

4. What is your favourite spice/herb?

Cumin for spice and Cilantro or Coriander Leaves is my favorite herb.

5. If you would have to prepare a 3 course meal consisting of dishes you like best, what would be on the menu?

I would make the Pineapple Citrus Chicken Wings for an Appetizer, Coconut Shrimp Curry as a Main Dish and my Chai Spiced Apple Cake as a Dessert.

6. Do you think traditional dishes should remain that way or can they have a bit of a modern twist and why?

I do not think that there is an either or. I think both traditional dishes have their place and should be enjoyed when appropriate and when feeling like experimenting there should be room for modern flavors. Much like both Classical Music and Hip Hop have a place in our universe, it is just important to know when to work with what.

7. Apart from the indian cuisine, which one do you consider a treat?

I love food! I enjoy Mexican, Thai and French cuisine, but can be persuaded to enjoy pretty much anything.

8. A meal is not complete without dessert. Do you agree? Which one is your guilty pleasure?

Absolutely! Anything with Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter) and Cardamom calls my name.

9. Do you sometimes cook together with family and/or friends or is the kitchen yours only?

Mostly the kitchen is my domain.

10. I have never cooked Indian food. Which dish is perfect for beginners?

Actually, Spices and Seasons is probably a great book for beginners. The recipes are simple and very accessible. There is a lot of descriptive text on the ingredients and the recipes have been simplified. In addition, there are a lot of recipes in a contemporary style to make it accessible. Most importantly, there is a picture for every recipe.

However, to get started, try my Classic Chicken Curry on Page 239.

Thank you, Rinku Bhattacharya and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author

Rinku Bhattacharya (spicechronicles.com) was born in India, and now lives in a house with a vibrant backyard in Hudson Valley, New York with her husband, an avid gardener, and their two children. Rinku’s simple, sustainable approach to Indian cooking is showcased on her blog, Spice Chronicles, and in her Journal News column “Spices and Seasons.”

Rinku has been teaching recreational cooking classes for the past nine years, and works extensively with local area farmer’s markets on seasonal demonstrations and discussions. Rinku is also the author of The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles (Hippocrene Books, 2012), winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2013 for Best Indian Cuisine. She writes for the Poughkeepsie Journal, the Journal News, and several online sites, and is a frequent guest on CT Style TV.

 

https://twitter.com/Wchestermasala

https://www.instagram.com/spice_chronicles/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rinkub/?autologin=true

https://www.facebook.com/spicechronicles

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Familiar Strangers – Jackie Walsh / #Review #BlogTour @BOTBSPublicity @JackieWalsh_ie

‘I took you, Becca. You’re not my daughter.’

Since Becca Wall’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, every day Becca loses a little more of the loving, caring mother who would do anything for her only daughter. But when one day Nancy Wall confesses that Becca is not her child, Becca’s world falls apart.

Becca tells herself that the words are just a cruel symptom of Nancy’s illness; after all, she has her birth certificate, and pictures of herself as a newborn along with her Mom, Dad and older brother, Danny. Becca tries to forget, to get on with her life – until the day the police question her about the whereabouts of a missing woman, Katie Collins.

Katie has disappeared without a trace, telling her husband that she is leaving to find Rebecca Wall. But Becca doesn’t know Katie, so it’s a case of mistaken identity – isn’t it? But as Becca discovers why Katie was desperate to find her, the lies that Becca has always believed come crashing down. Soon, it’s clear that someone knows the truth – and that they’ll stop at nothing to keep their secrets…

 

My review

When you read the title of this book, you see that it’s something that does not add up. How can a strangers be familiar I see you thinking (just as I did 😉 ), but afterwards you will realize it is possible and in my opinion a perfect match to the content.

Becca, the main character does not know what is happening in her life and I love the way the author has created this character. She is all over the place which shows the reader cleary how she is feeling. You can describe it of course, but to me by doing it this way it makes it more real and you feel more connected to the story.

Once again I did not suspect the culprit at all. I had somebody totally different in my head. When an author can ‘fool’ me like this, it means she wrote a very good story.

I have to admit when the plot is revealed, the murderer has made a lot of not so clever decisions, Although clever enough to mislead the police. On the other hand those mistakes are,of course,  also the reason they were caught and no innocent people were put in jail.

The author has filled this story with lies, deceit and secrets. 4 stars.

Thank you, Jackie Walsh and Book On The Bright Side Publicity & Promo

About the author 

 

Jackie Walsh lives in Dublin with her husband Paul and dog Layla. After years spent building her own business, she decided to take time out and pursue her interest in writing. With a lot to learn, she spent years attending classes and writing groups, going to festivals and launches, writing and rewriting, until eventually sending her words out into the world.  Now she is thrilled to have landed a publisher. Especially Hera Books, a new company headed by two women who have years of experience and love a good story.

Jackie is a member of the Irish Writers Centre, The Irish Crime writers group and proof that perseverance can work.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @JackieWalsh_ie

Pink Ice Creams – Jo Woolaston / #interview #BlogTour @rararesources @JoWoolaston

 

Intent on fixing her broken marriage and the alcohol-fuelled catastrophe that is her life, Kay Harris arrives at her grim and grey holiday let, ready to lay to rest the tragedy that has governed her entire adulthood – the disappearance of her little brother, Adam.

But the road to recovery is pitted with the pot-holes of her own poor choices, and it isn’t long before Kay is forced to accept that maybe she doesn’t deserve the retribution she seeks. Will the intervention of strangers help her find the answers she needs to move on from her past, or will she always be stuck on the hard shoulder with no clear view ahead and a glove box full of empties?

 

 

Q&A

Enjoy!

***

– When and where do you prefer to write?

My ‘when and where’ used to be sitting on a tree stump by a lake with a bottle of cider but sadly that romantic idyll has been replaced with a dusty computer in the corner of the dining room that gets switched on when the kids have gone to bed, and switched off when the matches in my eyelids have snapped. But I do intend to get back to my tree stump one day…

– Is there a drink or some food that keeps you company while you write?

            Mug of Earl Grey to start, with milk (I know, heathen) with whatever biscuits are available, followed by coffee and toast, or red wine and take away…

– What is your favourite book?

            Of all time? That depends on who’s asking. Mostly I answer – Of Mice and Men or To Kill a Mocking bird. But sometimes Bachelor Boys (The Young Ones book 1984) or Where the Wild Things Are. Occasionally ‘Mr Small’.

– Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?

I am most comfortable writing scripts, which was my main training ground, and I dabble in poetry occasionally but have no authority or expertise in this field so I keep that to myself. The eventual output of an idea much depends on the idea itself and what format/vehicle I feel it would best fit. In terms of genre for my prose work, I know what I’m not (so far) – historical, romance, thriller – and what I will probably never be – sci-fi, fantasy – but I always hope to one day write a really kick-ass, nonsensical but touching, totally irreverent kid’s book. Is that a genre?

– Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?

Absolutely, I think it’s unavoidable. Many of my characters are an amalgam of people I have met and been bewitched by – but their history, opinions, personal circumstances etc will be what I, as a writer, decide to impose upon them for the purpose of the story. Every one of my characters in Pink Ice Creams started off as someone I recognise, but by the time I’ve finished with them they have morphed into the person I want them to be…

– Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?

Buying beautiful notebooks of all shapes and sizes becomes a hobby in itself – and my house is littered with them jam-packed full of scrawled notes that may never see the light of day. I don’t actually tend to read back on them to be honest – when I am in the middle of a project I’m very one-track minded and just hold stuff in my head until I can get back to the computer – so the notebooks are probably full of nothing more than side thoughts and whimsy. (Perhaps I should check?!)

– Which genre do you not like at all?

            Instinct says fantasy or sci-if as it’s not my choice of read, but if it’s beautifully written and character driven then it will draw me in, but I generally prefer my misfits and miscreants to take human form and to be dealing with issues created on planet Earth.

– If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, one would you chose and why?

            India. The sounds, the smells, the vibrant colours, the rain, the heat – I can imagine this is the place where all my senses would come alive at once. I want to read books by people who have lived a place not researched it from afar – so for me it’s important to immerse yourself in your surroundings, and work out how your sense of ‘self’ is altered by it, wherever you are. It’s just as interesting to look to your home town for inspiration if that is where you are. Or forget your surroundings entirely, research your soul and don’t be afraid to purge it.

Thank you, Jo Woolaston and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author

Jo Woolaston lives in Leicestershire, England with her extreme noise-making husband and two lovely sons. She tries to avoid housework and getting a ‘proper job’ by just writing stuff instead – silly verse, screenplays, shopping lists…

This sometimes works in her favour (she did well in her MA in TV Scriptwriting, gaining a Best Student award in Media and Journalism – and has had a few plays produced – that kind of thing) but mostly it just results in chronic insomnia and desperate tears of frustration. Pink Ice Creams is her first novel, she hopes you liked it.

 

Social Media Links 

Writer page  Jo Woolaston – https://m.facebook.com/nevermindthebloggers

Twitter @JoWoolaston

Website: https://www.jowoolaston.com

Good reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19176972.Jo_Woolaston

The Promise Between Us – Barbara Claypole White / #PromoPost #BlogTour @rararesources @bclaypolewhite

 

Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

​But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?

To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

 

 

Promo Post

I hope you like what you see.

***

Thank you, Barbara Claypole White and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White has created her own idiosyncratic niche in mainstream fiction: hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina, where she lives with her family. Her novels include:

The Unfinished Garden, Mira Books, 2012, winner of the Golden Quill for Best First Book 2013; The In-Between Hour, Mira Books, 2014, chosen by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick; The Perfect Son, Lake Union, 2015, Goodreads Choice Awards Semi-finalist for Best Fiction; Echoes of Family, Lake Union, 2016, WFWA 2017 Star Award Finalist; The Promise Between Us, Lake Union, 2018. (View the book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLW9XFo0nlg&t=5s)

Barbara is also an OCD advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity.

To listen to Barbara’s 2018 interview with Frank Stasio on The State of Things, click here: http://www.wunc.org/post/her-family-grapples-ocd-author-tackles-stereotypes-through-writing?fbclid=IwAR08E-DQ73f31jWBP2uKlix-eFsV7OOSQk_pXfS4uX3kqgnuHkbtVeB1Wvc

To watch Barbara’s 2018 interview with Linda Hurtado on Fox 13, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJUPUBZLCf8&t=33s

For more information on Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com

Social Media Links 

https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraClaypoleWhite

https://twitter.com/bclaypolewhite

https://www.instagram.com/bclaypolewhite/?hl=en

Singles, Set and Match – Elaine Spires / #CoverReveal #BlogTour @rararesources @ElaineSWriter

 

The fifth and final book in the Singles’ Series takes us to the Mediterranean island of Ibiza then back to the Caribbean island of Antigua, where it all began.

After making a hard decision two years earlier Eve Mitchell has moved on with the hand that life has dealt her and she finds herself on the White Island working a tennis holiday. While it isn’t a job she would have chosen, in her typical pragmatic way Eve gets on with it, working hard to ensure that her diverse group of singles, with their hopes, expectations character flaws and baggage, have the best time possible. And as she binds together tennis sessions, social gatherings, meals and trips Eve hears some tragic personal news that brings her to another crossroads in her life. Will she and the love of her life Melv finally make a life together and live happily ever after?

Publication Date – 1st July 2019

 

 

Promo Post

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Thank you, Elaine Spires and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author 

Elaine Spires is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and actress. Extensive travelling and a background in education and tourism perfected Elaine’s keen eye for the quirky characteristics of people, captivating the humorous observations she now affectionately shares with the readers of her novels. Elaine has written two books of short stories, two novellas and seven novels, four of which form the Singles Series – Singles’ Holiday, Singles and Spice, Single All The Way and Singles At Sea. Her latest book, Singles, Set and Match is the fifth and final book in the series. Her play Stanley Grimshaw Has Left The Building is being staged at the Bridewell Theatre, London in May 2019. Her short film Only the Lonely, co-written with Veronique Christie and featuring Anna Calder Marshall is currently being in shown in film festivals worldwide and she is currently working on a full length feature film script. Only the Lonely won the Groucho Club Short Film Festival 2019! Elaine recently returned to UK after living in Antigua W.I. She lives in East London.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: Elaine Spires Author

Twitter: @ElaineSWriter

Instagram: elainespiresauthor

The Death Of Jessica Ripley – Andrew Barrett / #CoverReveal #BlogTour @BOTBSPublicity @AndrewBarrettUK

Jessica Ripley didn’t kill her ex-husband. But everyone thinks she did. After serving twelve years for his murder, it’s time to get her own back on those who put her inside.

During those twelve years, Jessy’s son, Michael, has turned against her. Whatever mercy Jessy had for her intended victims, just blew away.

CSI Eddie Collins is having a hard time watching his father enjoying life. He’s also having it tough in the form of two new recruits to his office. One is off his tree on drugs and the other wants his job.

And then the murders begin.

Can Eddie trust the evidence, or is someone twisting it, desperate to get even? And who did kill Jessy’s ex?

Cover reveal

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Thank you, Andrew Barrett and Book On The Bright Side Publicity & Promo

 

About the author

Andrew Barrett has enjoyed variety in his professional life, from engine-builder to farmer, from Oilfield Service Technician in Kuwait, to his current role of Senior CSI in Yorkshire.

He’s been a CSI since 1996, and has worked on all scene types from terrorism to murder, suicide to rape, drugs manufacture to bomb scenes. One way or another, Andrew’s life revolves around crime.

In 1997 he finished his first crime thriller, A Long Time Dead, and it’s still a readers’ favourite today, some 150,000 copies later, topping the Amazon charts several times. Two more books featuring SOCO Roger Conniston completed the trilogy.

Today, Andrew is still producing authentic crime thrillers with a forensic flavour that attract attention from readers worldwide. He’s also attracted attention from the Yorkshire media, having been featured in the Yorkshire Post and interviewed on BBC Radio Leeds.

He’s best known for his lead character, CSI Eddie Collins, and the acerbic way in which he roots out criminals, and administers justice. Eddie’s series is five books and three novellas in length, and there’s still more to come.

Andrew has recently discovered the delights of writing stand-alones, with one under his belt another under way.

Andrew is a proud Yorkshireman and sets all of his novels there, using his home city of Leeds as another major, and complementary, character in each of the stories.

You can find out more about him and his writing at www.andrewbarrett.co.uk

Links:

http://www.andrew-barrett.co.uk

Contact: andrew@andrewbarrett.co.uk

Website: https://www.andrewbarrett.co.uk

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AndrewBarrettUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewBarrett.author

Exclusive Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BarrettERG/

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

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-Barrett/e/B0055888Q0/

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Barrett/e/B0055888Q0/

Bloom where you are planted (Life the Expat way) – Lasairiona E McMaster / #PromoPost #BlogTour @rararesources @QueenofFireLas

 

Are you contemplating a move abroad?

Don’t panic!

From culture shock to capable, from language barriers to lifelong friends, and from foreign land to the familiar. Being hurled into life in a strange new place can be daunting and overwhelming, but it can also be exciting and enjoyable.

Rich with tips on how to expat like a boss, Lasairiona McMaster’s “Bloom where you are planted”, takes you on a journey from packing up her life in Northern Ireland to jumping in at the deep-end as an expat in two countries.

An experienced expat from a decade of living abroad, her honest and uncensored tales of what to expect when you’re expatriating, are as funny as they are poignant, and as practical as they are heartfelt. If you’ve lived abroad, or you’re considering the move from local to expat. If you’re looking to rediscover yourself, or simply wondering how on earth to help your children develop into adaptable, resilient, and well-rounded people, this book has something for you.

 

 

Promo Post

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Thank you, Lasairiona McMaster and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author 

Lasairiona McMaster grew up dreaming of an exciting life abroad, and, after graduating from Queens University, Belfast, that is exactly what she did – with her then-boyfriend, now husband of almost ten years. Having recently repatriated to Northern Ireland after a decade abroad spanned over two countries (seven and a half years in America and eighteen months in India), she now finds herself ‘home’, with itchy feet and dreams of her next expatriation. With a penchant for both travelling, and writing, she started a blog during her first relocation to Houston, Texas and, since repatriating to Northern Ireland, has decided to do as everyone has been telling her to do for years, and finally pen a book (or two) and get published while she tries to adjust to the people and place she left ten years ago, where nothing looks the same as it did when she left.

 

Social Media Links 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/QueenofFireLas

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/QueenofFireLas

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/queenoffirelas/?hl=en

 

 

 

 

Promo post 

I hope you like what you see

*** 

Thank you, Lasairiona E McMaster and Rachel’s Random Resources.

About the author

Jay-Jay and his Island Adventure – Sue Wickstead / #Interview #BlogTour @rararesources @JayJayBus

 

Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus is not an ordinary bus taking you on a journey. He is a Playbus. Find out what happens when he is invited to an island where the children have never seen a double-decker bus – and certainly not one full of toys!

 

Behind the story:

‘Jay-Jay and his Island Adventure’, was originally written for a Scottish book bus.

‘Play,Talk, Read’ was the project which visited remote areas if Scotland to encourage reading in the very young. It was a great success and the bus even visited the Shetland Islands travelling on a very small ferry.

The children had never seen a double-decker on their island before and certainly not one to play on.

However, the Scottish project was too busy with referendums and with the book ready and edited I changed the name of the bus from Benji, sending Jay-Jay instead.

The island on the cover of the book was based on a piece of mainland Spain which I have visited many times.

Cap D’Or is the promentory near to a little village of Moraira.

The villagers in Moraira invited me to read this book in their library and local schools.

The people in this little village were surprised to find that Jay-Jay was a real bus.

(Jay-Jay may not have got to Spain in reality but in my imagination he did and now all of the books are in the local library in both Teulada and Moraira.)

Memorable moraira – http://bit.ly/2BHCELf

 

 

Q&A

***

Did or do you like to read comic books/graphic novels? Which ones?

Yes. When I was little, I loved reading Comic magazines. One of the things I remember was that at the school fair there were rolled up bundles of comics you could buy (for a penny). The comics were also in the classes for wet play days. I loved reading comics like ‘The Beano’ which my mum wouldn’t let me buy.

My favourites were probably, Bunty and Jackie.

I also loved ‘Peanuts’ or indeed any cartoon comic strip in papers and magazines. I liked the visual humour.

I also read a few comic strip stories including Lord of the Rings.

My daughter is a comic book reader and has a lot of the DC and Marvel comics which I have looked at too.

 

Whom did you inherit your love for books/reading from?

One of my aunts would always bring along a book to read to us as children and I loved listening to stories. I especially loved fairy stories, witches and ghost stories.

Another aunt was a great storyteller as she had lived and taught in Sweden and Africa. So, I suppose my love of reading began by my love of listening to stories.

I loved the illustrations in a book. I think reading begins with looking and the visual clues.

(Something missing in schools sometimes)

 

When you need a murder victim or someone you can diagnose with a serious disease or someone who is involved in a fatal accident do you sometimes picture someone nasty you have met in real life and think ‘got you’ LOL?

This question really made me giggle as … hmm… I could think of a few.

But no. I haven’t had any murder in my children’s stories yet published.

I did write a pirate story (not published) in which some horrible people were named as the baddies. (This did make me feel better!)

But, maybe, it would be too good, to put those who I would love nasty things to happen to, appear in my stories.

I left a school due to bullying by my head and although others who were also bullied hate her with a vengeance, I pity her.

My hope is, ‘What goes around, comes around’ but in all honesty I don’t think this is in fact real. It would be nice to think so.

In fact, my head-teacher was very vision-ed and focussed but did not empathise with the staff. For her education was a business to organise. The sad state of education, I think. She did not have a family as such and had a few problems in her life and maybe this is her comeuppance?

Either way I haven’t the time to put her in a book. But hey, if one day a bus does run someone over, I guess it could be her?

 

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

The naming of the bus was initially difficult (as it is an inanimate object personified) but the name came from its number plate JJK (hence Jay-Jay).

Daisy was down to the daisies painted on the outside.

Human characters are from names and people I may know.

The buses are real buses. It might be harder trying to name some of the bus books to follow.

 

Do write other things beside books (and shoppinglists 😉 )?

Poetry. When I was at college and many years ago, I used to write poetry.

Planning in school used to be a day book recalling and planning next steps. Also writing about the children which helped me to be able to write about them in their reports.

Diary I always wrote down a diary or recount of events, it helped get things out of my system and to recall.

I recounted the events and things happening in school;

I wrote a daily diary of the troublesome time involved when I moved house. (it was a nightmare!)

I would also write a diary when on holiday, usually a boring account but it has certainly turned into a tradition. (I have several holiday diaries)

Teacher Diary. More recently I began to write a diary of my school visits, because as I am a supply teacher, I visit a lot of different schools every year. Spooky coincidences and events were occurring and I began writing them in a blog for my web site and now recall each day’s events, school and children in the book this is great as I have been able to refer back and remind myself of the school.

Game. I wrote and created a board game called ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Who killed the OFSTED Inspector?’ (Spot a theme here?) I had each teacher with their secret weapon, mine was a rain-stick, we were able to play in school as a staff team one staff meeting, it was very cathartic!

If your movie or series would be made from your books, would you be happy with the ‘based on’ version or would you rather like they showed it exactly the way you created it?

I suppose the bus stories might end up like ‘Thomas the Tank engine’ with googly eyes, which is what I did not want and why I went the self-publishing route. I then had ownership and direction for the illustrations.

I would be pleased if someone felt there was a story they could adapt.

Children’s books?

Who would you like/have liked to interview?

Hard one! I would love to be interviewed by…? (anyone!)

Do you have certain people you contact while doing research to pick their brains? What are they specialized in?

I was part of ‘National Playbus Association’, which was the mobile charity which supported bus projects. I gathered a lot of photographs and information but at the moment my stories are quite simple and from experience and knowledge.

Is there someone you sometimes discuss a dilemma with?

The only dilemma at the moment is getting the funds to produce and pay for the books as well as the marketing and selling.

I have lots of ideas and stories in various stages of development but like my bus, the journey is slow and bumpy.

I would like to write a longer story one day but the buses are all lined up and waiting. (LOL)

What is more important to you: a rating in stars with no comments or a reviewer who explains what the comments they give are based on (without spoilers of course)

I love the stars of course especially the 5 stars but, in all honesty, I prefer to read the comments and opinions. I have been lucky in that most people love my stories and their opinions and comments have been great.

Not really had any negative comments but perhaps these are harder to take as you take them personally and perhaps remember them the most.

Everyone loves and comments on the illustrations in my books but one lady did not and it is her comment I remember even though everyone else comments on how much they like the illustrations.

There are ways of being able to criticise and comment without being destructive but you also have to take on board criticism. Hopefully I have implemented criticism before I have the finished piece.

 My children criticise me writing not because they don’t like it but because they know selling books is not a money spinner (well not children’s) and they think I should not be worrying about books but retired and enjoying life.

No!

I would be bored.

(But I love what I do, just have a few doubts sometimes… don’t we all?)

Thank you, Sue Wickstead and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author 

I am a teacher and an author and have currently written six children’s picture books with a bus theme.

For over 20 years, alongside my teaching career, I worked with a Children’s Charity, The Bewbush Playbus Association, which led me to write a photographic history book about it.

I soon found that many children had never been on a bus before, let alone a ‘Playbus’ and they wanted to know more. I decided to write a fictional tale about the bus, his number plate JJK261 gave him his name.

‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus,’ came out in print in 2014. It is the story behind the original bus and is his journey from a scrap-yard to being changed into a playbus for children to play in. From Fact to fiction the bus journey continued.

This story has now been followed by five more picture books.

I also undertake events and author bookings and love to share the story. There are also a few more stories in the writing process, with links to real events and buses.

The story has been read in many schools in the south-East of England, where I teach as a cover teacher, it is always well received and certainly different.

 

Social Media Links 

https://www.suewickstead.co.uk/

Facebook: – Author Page http://bit.ly/2kEEhPq

http://bit.ly/2kXfjdj – Bewbush Playbus

http://bit.ly/2BZiews – Teacher in the cupboard

Twitter https://twitter.com/JayJayBus

 

The Blackthorn Series – Lindsay J Pryor / #PromoPost @bookouture @lindsayjpryor

Combining sizzling passion and sinfully seductive vampire heroes, Blackthorn is the perfect series for anyone who loves urban fantasy, paranormal romance, or dystopian fiction. Packed with suspense and intrigue, thrillingly sensual romance, and characters you can’t help but root for, Blackthorn has seen thousands of fans fall head over heels for this stunningly intricate world.

Each book takes readers on a dark, twisted journey deeper into the world of Blackthorn. Following four couples through intense passion, betrayals, and threats to the very fabric of their world, the series begins when Caitlin Parish, a Vampire Control Unit agent, is on a mission to hunt down Kane Malloy – a master vampire. Her mission is complicated when an unexpected but deep passion builds between them…

Intense, addictive and action-packed, Blackthorn will leave you breathless. Discover the series today!

Books 1,2 and 3 are available in a box set for just £3.99/$6.99

Promo Post

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Thank you, and Bookouture

About the author

Lindsay J. Pryor is a speculative fiction author published by Hachette U.K. Her dark, gritty and complex dystopian BLACKTHORN series has achieved numerous Gothic and PNR Amazon number ones both in the UK and the US. Her spin-off LOWTOWN standalone novels are underway as well as her upcoming romantic Gothic horror.

Quickly deciding that fantasy was more interesting than reality, Lindsay has been creating stories since she was nine years old. She holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology and Communication and is a qualified Psychology lecturer and English teacher. She taught for eighteen years before becoming a full-time author.

Lindsay was born and grew up in Wales and now lives in South West England with her husband and a plethora of wild woodland creatures.

To find out more about Lindsay and her books, please visit her website: lindsayjpryor.com

Crikey a Bodyguard – Kathryn Freeman / #Review #BlogTour @rararesources @ChocLituk @KathrynFreeman1

 

She’s got the brains, he’s got the muscle … 
When Kelly Bridge’s parents insist on employing a bodyguard for her protection, she’s not happy. Okay, so maybe not every woman is on the cusp of developing a vaccine against a potential biological terrorist attack – but crikey, it’s not like she’s a celebrity!

Ben Jacobs flunked spectacularly out of school, so he knows his new client Dr Kelly Bridge spells trouble for him. But on a conference trip to Rome he finds things are worse than he thought. Not only is he falling for the brilliant scientist, he’s also become horribly aware she’s in grave danger. As they go on the run, dodging bullets and kidnappers, can he resist his feelings and keep her safe?

 

 

My review

I like romantic stories. I like thrilling stories. I like funny stories. You can imagine my happiness when I found out those three things were mixed together resulting in this very enjoyable book.

The background was an original one and even though science is not exactly my cup of tea, it was interesting to read about Kelly’s work and I learned something today.

Learing and pleasure do mix together, so it seems :).

The writing style was fluent, the funny bits made me smile and my heart broke on occasions as well.

The author makes you realizes you might think you know someone, but some people show you they would totally feel at home on a stage. 4 stars.

Thank you, Kathryn Freeman, Choc Lit and Rachel’s Random Resources.

 

About the author

I was born in Wallingford, England and have spent most of my life living in a village outside Windsor. A former pharmacist, former pharmaceutical industry employee I’m now a self-employed medical writer who also loves to write romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero…

I’ve two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to bother buying a card again this year (yes, he does) so the romance in my life is all in my head. Then again, my husband’s unstinting support of my career change goes to prove that love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes can come in many disguises

Social Media Links 

Website:  http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1