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Welcome to Chase Blackwood’s author bio, where he’ll try to write something interesting about his life that captures your attention.
Posted in General Information on July 18, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Purchase Links
Welcome to Chase Blackwood’s author bio, where he’ll try to write something interesting about his life that captures your attention.
Posted in 5 Star Books on July 18, 2018| 3 Comments »
The Midsummer Wife by Jacqueline Church Simonds
It’s The Time Foretold, and Ava Cerdwen, the twenty-one-year-old High Priestess of the Sisterhood, knows she must go and assist the heirs of King Arthur and Merlin to return and heal Britain devastated by a nuclear blast that took out London and decimated the country. But the constant panic attacks and agoraphobia she suffers make it an even more daunting task than it seems.
Nothing goes as planned: she falls for the wrong heir, the panic attacks are getting worse, and then the Goddess tells her Morgaine will probably defeat her when she attempts to make come to fruition the Plan set out 1500 years ago.
Somehow, some way, she has to make it happen. Or Britain is finished.
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Praise for The Midsummer Wife
“Sex, magic, and power collide in this [Urban] Fantasy that begins when a devastating terrorist attack on modern London sparks the long-foretold return of King Arthur to heal Britain. Simonds boldly continues the Arthurian saga into the present day, as heirs to Arthur, Merlin, and the woman both men once loved struggle to understand and fulfill their destinies and outwit the sinister agenda of the sorceress Morgaine.” ~ Lisa Jensen, author Alias Hook and Beast: A Love Story
“Imaginative, mesmerizing, and emotionally complex, Simonds’ unique story boldly expands the Arthurian legend into exciting new territory. The fantastical elements—rituals from old Celtic religions, dark magic, forces of fate—are well drawn and skillfully integrated into a contemporary setting. And then there’s the romance… the palpable chemistry between Ava and Ron (the Arthur heir), complicated by their respective destinies, makes their relationship a riveting read.” ~ Mary Fan, author of Starswept, Artificial Absolutes
Author’s Bio
I am an author and publishing consultant living in Reno, Nevada. I love (in no particular order) books, writing, reading, beagles, coffee, good bourbon, publishing, and politics. I have always loved the King Arthur saga and am a big fan of such books as THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING, THE MISTS OF AVALON, and the Mary Stewart Merlin books.
In 2018, my Contemporary Fantasy THE MIDSUMMER WIFE about a woman who assists the heirs of King Arthur and Merlin to save Britain, which has been devastated by a nuclear attack on London, will be published. It is Book 1 of a series, of which I have drafted two further books.
I have a novella series that is a prequel to the forthcoming book: THE BOOK OF ANYA. It is basically a mouse-eye view of the doings of Camelot, King Arthur, Merlin and Morgaine. They novellas are titled, ANYA: THE HEALER OF CAMELOT (Book 1), ANYA: KING ARTHUR’S MISTRESS (Book 2), ANYA: MERLIN’S WOMAN (Book 3), and ANYA: MISTRESS OF DRUNEMETON (Book Four). These titles are available on Amazon and the Apple store.
You can follow more about my writing and what I am reading by visiting http://jcsimonds.com.
My previous novel is CAPTAIN MARY, BUCCANEER, a historical adventure novel loosely based on the real pirate women Ann Bonney and Mary Reade. Because who doesn’t love pirates, especially women pirates?
My day job is as a publishing consultant/book shepherd and editor. I wrote THE SELF PUBLISHER’S FAQ that is available as a paperback or ebook.
My Review
5 stars
A nuclear attack on London has devastated everything but it has also triggered the decedent’s of King Arthur and Merlin to return to fulfill the prophecy. Ava Cerdwin is the high priestess that is in charge of helping find and assist the heirs to reclaim their place in this new world. But Ava has her own issues to fight with. But just as Arthur and Merlin arise, so too does Morgaine. Morgaine is not just going to sit back and let the prophecy run, she is going to do everything to keep the three from succeeding.
I admit that I don’t know much about the Arthurian legend except snippets from television and movies. So I easily got into this story and thought it was a great retelling of what I knew. Of course you have a great modern twist and how can you not like Ava. She is a relatable character and even though she tries her hardest it seems what can go wrong will.
I think this was a great start to the series and I’m really curious to see what it is going from here. I am also curious to read the original telling of King Arthur to see what I am missing. Oh, I do have to say that I am absolutely in love with this cover. So beautiful and eye catching.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
I would like to thank the Author for the opportunity to read and share this book.
Posted in 5 Star Books on July 18, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Portraits of the Dead (DI Gravel – 1) by John Nicholl
Emma didn’t know how long he hid in the large Victorian wardrobe to the side of her single bed. She didn’t know how long he peered between the two heavy oak doors, and watched, as she slowly drifted into fitful sleep. She didn’t know what time he pushed the doors open and crept towards her in the darkness of the night.
Detective Inspector Gravel finds himself faced with a difficult case when a local nineteen-year-old university student is abducted and imprisoned by a sadistic serial killer, who has already tortured and killed at least five young women.
Can Gravel find the girl and stop the murderer?
He will learn that the greater the evil, the deadlier the game…
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Author’s Bio
John Nicholl, an ex-police officer, child protection social worker and lecturer, has written six darkly psychological suspense thrillers, each of which has been an Amazon # 1 bestseller. John is happily married, lives in rural west Wales, and has three adult children and one grandchild, with a second expected in August 2018. He began writing after leaving his job heading up child protection services for Carmarthenshire.
John is represented by Toby Mundy – Literary agent at TMA.
My Review
5 stars
Emma Jones wakes in the night to a strange man in her room. At first she thinks it’s just a dream but she learns quickly that he is quite real. The next time she wakes she is badly beaten in a locked room with a video camera and pictures of other girls that look like her. A voice tells her she is Venus Six and it is clear that she is not his first victim.
DI Gravel is approached by Anne Jones saying that her daughter is missing. At first he doesn’t really think much about it until he realizes that she is not the first disappearance, Emma is the sixth missing girl. This killer has struck and already killed five other woman. It’s up to Grav and DS Clive Rankin to stop the Master before Emma becomes the sixth victim.
I read A Mind to Kill, book two in this series and couldn’t wait to catch up on what I missed. This is a great, dark thriller in which you learn who the killer is but you don’t realize what kind of sicko you are going to be messing with. Grav and Clive are a great pair and work together really well and are on a race against time. But I have to say the story with Emma and the Master caught my attention more. I guess I’m just one of those people.
Of course the ending was a complete shock. Talk about thrown me for a loop, I was NOT expecting that. I’m glad that I have read the second book in this series. But I hope book three will be out soon. I can’t wait to read more on Grav, Clive, and the next serious messed up sicko John Nicholl can come up with.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
I would like to thank Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and share this book.