The Walls of Rome by Robert M. Kidd (review + #giveaway)

 

"This was a mongrel army, bound together by two things: a desire for plunder and a sworn hatred of Rome. Hardly lofty sentiments, but when spiced with Carthaginian silver, more than enough to draw contingents from every nation around the Mediterranean for this, their great march on Rome".

The Walls of Rome by Robert M. Kidd is a thrilling historical military adventure set in 218BC.

The novel tracks real historical events, as seen through the eyes of Sphax, a 17-year-old Numidian who escapes slavery and runs to join the Hannibal's army. Sphax was only seven, when he witnesses a brutal murder of his parents. For ten years he's been a slave in the Roman household. 

He's subjected to vicious beatings and mistreatments, and he makes an oath to himself that his time will come. "That sacred oath was burnt into his soul just as painfully as the fugitivus had been branded into the flesh of his forearm after the last time he'd run away. He would have his revenge, and if the rumours of invasion were true, he might have the opportunity to take revenge on the entire stinking cesspit that was Rome".

On a trip to the master's estate, Sphax takes his chance and kills his master, stealing his horses, weapon and money. He knows he will be hunted down as a suspected murderer and has to disappear without leaving a shred of evidence behind him. His plans of escape are rather vague, he dreams of joining Hannibal's army which is marching on Rome. But how can he find it? "Hannibal and the war with Carthage was the talk of Rome... On one eavesdropped occasion, Numidian horsemen were mentioned and his heart suddenly swelled with pride. Rome was rattled and scared".

On the way to find Hannibal's army, Sphax rescues Fionn, a slave girl from beyond Gaul. She wants to go north and find her people. Fionn becomes a resourceful caring companion on a long, arduous journey.

"He felt nothing but rage coursing through him now. These Romans cheated, robbed, murdered and ensalved... For the first time he felt the thrill of going to war. Rome would answer for his slavery and the murder of his parents. He would be avenged. Why wait for Hannibal and his Carthaginians? His own war on Rome was about to begin".

Destiny brings Sphax to Hannibal's army, where he's taken under the wing of general Maharbal. He joins the Numidian cavalry, the finest horsemen in the world.

From the crossing of the great Rhodanus river (Rhone), Sphax travels through the lands of the Gaul to the highest pass in the Alps. The march of the army is truly epic. It was one of the major events of the Second Punic War, and "one of the most celebrated achievements of any military force in ancient warfare. Hannibal managed to lead his Carthaginian army over the Alps and into Italy to take the war directly to the Roman Republic bypassing Roman and allied land garrisons and Roman naval dominance (see Wikipedia)".

The action scenes are panoramic, vivid and compelling. 

I can't say I have quite warmed up to the main protagonist. Sphax is too impulsive and quite immature, depsite all the hardship he has endured. He's well-educated for being a slave, which raises a question, just how much free time he had to be able to be fluent in languages and learn about history from another slave. Sphax's too easily accepted into the Hannibal's army, and would they have really entrusted him with an important diplomatic mission, when he's totally green behind the ears when it comes to warfare?! He's lacking prudence and subtlety. Even Hannibal himself describes him "as unpredicatble as a throw of dice".

The Walls of Rome combines the drama of epic battles with the meticulous research of the historical period. The novel provides a lot of detail related to the life of the army, its strategy and tactics, weapons and combat training, as well as mundane aspects of life, like food and clothes, tents and campfires.

Robert M Kidd has an expansive knowledge and understanding of men at war, battlegrounds and warfare. 

I found it a riveting story. Some of the names were familiar from reading Salammbô by Flaubert many years ago, but this was not a historical period I am well familiar with. I have recently received the second novel in the Sphax series, and if this historical period is of interest for you, keep an eye on my book review by the end of June.

 

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walls-Rome-believe-climbed-Hannibal-ebook/dp/B08MQMRDMM

US - https://www.amazon.com/Walls-Rome-believe-climbed-Hannibal-ebook/dp/B08MQMRDMM

Author Bio – Robert M. Kidd

When Cato the Censor demanded that ‘Carthage must be destroyed,’ Rome did just that. In 146 BC, after a three year siege, Carthage was raised to the ground, its surviving citizens sold into slavery and the fields where this once magnificent city had stood, ploughed by oxen. Carthage was erased from history.

That’s why I’m a novelist on a mission! I want to set the historical record straight. Our entire history of Hannibal’s wars with Rome is nothing short of propaganda, written by Greeks and Romans for their Roman clients. It intrigues me that Hannibal took two Greek scholars and historians with him on campaign, yet their histories of Rome’s deadliest war have never seen the light of day. 

My hero, Sphax the Numidian, tells a different story!

When I’m not waging war with my pen, I like to indulge my passion for travel and hill walking, and like my hero, I too love horses. I live in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.

 

https://robertmkidd.com/

https://twitter.com/RobertMKidd1

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064169594911

 

This book review is part of the blog tour.

Many thanks to Robert M. Kidd and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book.

If you enjoy military historical fiction, you have a chance of winning a copy of A Hostage of Rome (Book 3).

Giveaway to Win the A Hostage of Rome (Book 3) to be dedicated to the winner, & a signed dedicated copy too (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –

Worldwide entries welcome.  

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. 

If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. 

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception ofthe winners’ information. 

This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Please note that this giveaway is running through a series of blogs taking part in the blog tour.

Chez Maximka is hosting a Rafflecopter gadget for free for the purposes of book promotion, and has no access to the collected data. I'm not responsible for the selection of the winner or dispatch of the prize.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Knot of Sparrows by Cheryl Rees-Price #BlogTour

 

"...he watched a knot of sparrows darting in and out of the hedgerow. They kept together as they foraged for food. They reminded him of the people he had encountered during this investigation. Alone they exuded sadness, yet they were bound together by grief. Could they have drawn strength from each other, found a common purpose and a way to alleviate their pain?"

A Knot of Sparrows by Cheryl Rees-Price is the fourth standalone tottle in the DI Winter Meadows series. This police procedural crime thriller is a gripping page-turner.

We watch a sinister voyeur who follows his victim on the way home late in the evening. He wants to see fear in her eyes, the humiliation. In his eyes, she deserves it. He can't stop thinking about how many people she has hurt, and the anger is bubbling in his chest.

Stacey Evans was an obnoxious teenager, who enjoyed humiliating the others. One of the victims of her bullying has committed suicide. 

When Stacey is found dead in the field, violently murdered, there is a pretty long list of people who would want her dead. But did she deserve to die?

DI Meadows takes on the murder case. One of the possible clues left by the perpetrator is a short message left on Stacey's body - REV17. "The writing looked too neat to have been done when Stacey had been alive and probably struggling, Meadows thought. It now appeared ominous under the harsh lights. Black against pale skin. A coldness crept over him, the killer was making a statement".

Stacey has had a busy love life. Is it possible that this murder is committed out of jealousy? Is it one of her exes or the wronged wife who's found out about her husband?

As every suspect is ruled out from the enquiry, Meadows is forced to reassess the situation. New markings with religious references are appearing, and when another body, of a missing local GP, is found, it's clear the villagers know more than they want to share with the police. The disturbing trace of evil is going about.

"The village suddenly felt claustrophobic in the darkness, as if the inhabitants were in on a secret and conspiring against him".

What are the locals at Gaer Fawr hiding? Will Meadows and his team be able to uncover the truth before another victim is claimed? "We need to move fast. The killer or killers are out for vengeance and could already be planning their next move".

Meadows is a likeable detective, with a great empathy for the victims. "Every single case Meadows worked on had left a mark in some way. He couldn't help the compassion he felt for those who found themselves the victim of a crime. Sometimes that compassion stretched to those who had been driven, fuelled by grief and anger, to commit crime".

"He found it difficult to turn off his emotions; he sometimes wished he'd become desentisied to seeing violent death, but it was emotion and cruelty of life that drove him to find the guilty and to somehow redress the balance".

I was a bit suprised that the investigation team didn't immediately click on the religious origins of the references left on the victims. I thought that would be pretty obvious. Checking the Bible would have been my first idea, but then I've probably read and watched too many thrillers and crime books.

A Knot of Sparrows is a tightly-plotted, twisty psychological thriller, which makes you think. How far would you go to punish a bully? By humiliating your enemy do you not diminish yourself? Does revenge bring you any consolation?

A KNOT OF SPARROWS is the fourth standalone title in a series of murder mysteries by best-selling author Cheryl Rees-Price. It will appeal to fans of David Pearson, L J Ross, John Dean, Joy Ellis, and Pippa McCathie.  

The full list of books is as follows:  

1. THE SILENT QUARRY  

2. FROZEN MINDS  

3. SUFFER THE CHILDREN  

4. A KNOT OF SPARROWS  

Cheryl Rees-Price is also the author of the standalone thriller BLUE HOLLOW.  

All of these books are FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback from Amazon.  

Purchase Links   

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08XQS6219/  

US -  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XQS6219/  

Author Bio  

Cheryl Rees-Price was born in Cardiff and moved as a young child to a small ex-mining village on the edge of the Black Mountain range, South Wales, where she still lives with her husband, daughters and cats. After leaving school she worked as a legal clerk for several years before leaving to raise her two daughters.
Cheryl returned to education, studying philosophy, sociology, and accountancy whilst working as a part time book keeper. She now works as a finance director for a company that delivers project management and accounting services.
In her spare time Cheryl indulges in her passion for writing, the success of writing plays for local performances gave her the confidence to write her first novel. Her other hobbies include walking and gardening which free her mind to develop plots and create colourful characters.  

Social Media Links –   

The Book Folks | Facebook  

Cheryl Rees-Price | Facebook  

https://twitter.com/CherylreesPrice  

This book review is part of the blog tour. Many thanks to Cheryl Rees-Price, The Book Folks and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

UK vs International Degustabox

With current restrictions being gradually lifted, are you planning a trip abroad? I donn't think I'll be buying my tickets yet. Instead I travel to the faraway lands via books and food.

 UK vs International is the theme of the latest Degustabox.

Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise (for example, I am now on the 3rd tub of Barley Cup, which I discovered a couple of months ago. It's my latest addiction. I drink a cup in the evening every day).

Each time the monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order.

What did we get in UK vs International Degustabox?

Brioche Pasquier Pancakes are a tasty addition to the Brioche Pasquier range. They are light and fluffy, and not too sweet. Free from preservatives, they are packaged in twos for extra freshness. Great for lunchboxes and elevenses. Really lovely snack.

Nutritional information: 9.8g of sugar and 124kcal per pancake. 

Available at Co-Op.

My sons loved them, and I will definitely buy a pack or two when I can find them in a supermarket (our local Co-Op doesn't have them yet).

Aero Dark & Milk (£1) is a darker chocolate bar, bubbling with smooth milk and dark intensity. It has a higher percentage of cocoa solids than a standard Aero, while still preserving the lightness and bubbles of the classic chocolate bar.

Rainforest Alliance certified. Nutritional information: 78kcal and 6g of sugar per portion (4 pieces/1 strip).

Available in all major supermarkets.

Dorset Cereals Nutty Granola (£4.15) is made with creamy cashews, sweet-tasting hazelnuts and crunchy almonds, as well as jumbo oats, sunflower seeds and golden syrup. This granola is high in fibre, contains wholegrains and is suitable for vegetarians (possibly vegans too, as I haven't seen anything that is not vegan-friendly in the list of ingredients, but do check the list yourselves to be sure).

Dorset Cereals is one of the brands we enjoy on a regular basis, though I tend to buy different flavours. It was great to have a chance to try something I haven't bought before. 

Nutritional information: 223kcal and 5.4g of sugar per 45g portion.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Gunna Drinks Ginger Rebel - Ginger Lemonade (£1.50) is a flavourful fizzy drink which comes in a stylish tin. It contains less suagr than regular drinks, and offers a healthier alternative with fewer calories and no artificial colours or preservatives. If you love ginger, you will be happy, it's very gingery.

Available on Amazon, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, Co-Op and many independent retailers.

Very Lazy Chipotle Paste (£2) gives your dishes a spicy kick with a deep smoky flavour. Great for fajitas and BBQs. Add half a teaspoon to the soured cream for a lovely dip for Doritos.

I used it to cook a comforting mushroom soup, but the possibilities are limitless, in all sorts of meals.

Available in Tesco.

Bull's-Eye Kentucky Habanero hot sauce (£1.99) is a fruity Habanero chilli sauce with a dash of whiskey. This condiemnt is for people who are known in our family as fire-eaters. This bottle was passed onto a friend who enjoys their meals hot. One of the suggestions in the information leaflet was to try marinating a pork belly in this sauce, to serve with roasted apple. I think a little bit at a time could be used with tomato juice or Bloody Mary.

Avaiable at Tesco, Ocado and Morrisons, online at Amazon.

Tilda Limited Edition Japanese Teriyaki rice (£1.59) is the latest limited edition rice from Tilda. We have tried most of their tasty range, and have our own regulars. Teriyaki flavour is a real winner, it has a mild sweetness and a gentle jasmine scent, with spring onions and water chestnuts. It is gluten-free.

Available in all major supermarkets.

Noodl Plus Instant Noodls (£2.50) is a range of high-quality plant-based noodles. All products in the range are high in protein and fibre. Noodls are coloured with natural extracts to make them look pretty, so you have a colourful dish. 

We got Charcoal Noodles with Epic Mushrooms, which are dark in colour, and remind me of squid ink pasta. Mushroom sauce includes dried spring onions, mushroom slices and cauliflower florets. 

Suitable for vegans. Only 282 kcal per pot.

Available on Amazon and Ocado.

KIND Dark Chocolate Orange Almond bar (£1.30) is a lovely treat. An iconic UK flavour - dark chocolate and zesty orange peel, with lots of crunchy sweet almonds. It is gluten-free, and contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Available at Tecso, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

Get More Vits Multivitamin Chewing Gum (£1.50) is an innovative way to freshen breath while adding vitamins to your diet. Available in Peppermint and Spearmint, each sugar-free piece of gum contains a 25% daily dose of 10 essential vitamins.

I found the taste too harsh. That peppermint will surely take your breath away. But if you like strong-tasting gum, this might be just right for you.

Get them online at getmorevits.com and Amazon.

Another product from the same brand:

Get More Vits Vitamin D Mango & Passionfruit Drink (£1.50) is a convenient way to increase your Vitamin D levels. Made with spring water, natural flavours and daily dose of Vitamin D per bottle, it is also low calorie and sugar free.

Available in most major supermarkets or online at getmorevits.com and Amazon.

And finally, McVitie's Chocolate Hobnobs in Chocolate Brownie or Sticky Toffee Pudding flavour (£1.59). This lovely treat has been selected by Degustabox team as the product of the month.

It's inspired by nation's favourite iconic desserts. Sticky Toffee Pudding hobnobs are crunchy and chewy biscuits, covered in milk chocolate.

Nutritional information: 92kcal and 6.1g of sugar per biscuit.

Available in all major supermarkets.

Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra #BlogTour

 “I was seven years old. I couldn’t remember a time without war, but it had meant little to me before then. My existence had revolved around the sheltered confines of family and home. Despite our poverty, my life was serene. But the brutality of war fought not on battlefields, but in the streets of my little village, had been condensed into three days of horror where my world had been shattered”.

Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra is a deeply moving, engrossing tale set in Italy during WWII and immediately afterwards.

Graziella Ponti, a seven-year-old child, lives with her parents in a tiny village Pieve Santa Clara in rural Lombardy. Her parents adore her, and it's a household filled with love. 

Her father is in constant pain after the accident at work left him disabled, and he can hardly move around. 

The church offers him a job out of charity. His payment is three times less than that of an average labourer but the family is happy he's got a job. "He was a broken-bodied man with little hope of any paid work... 100 lire [per hour] was indeed better than nothing at all".

The scene when two priests visit the family to offer the job to the father is heart-breaking. Signor Ponti is downplaying the physical agony to have this rare opportunity, and the priests take a full advantage of the tragic situation. 

The mother bakes a small cake to offer their guests, and little Graziella is waiting patiently to be given a tiny piece. She is left disappointed and hungry, as the priests take the cake with them, supposedly to share with children in the village.

The family is quite poor, but they are not starving. They grow their own fruit and vegetables, and manage to barter for other things with the neighbours. Life might be challenging, but they are content in their own loving bubble.

The arrival of the Nazi soldiers in the village results in a horrible tragedy for the village, which will also affect the Ponti family.

To escape the unthinkable repercussions, many villagers send their children away into hiding. Graziella is going to the Convent of the Blessed Virgin near Lodano in the province of Pistoia. This is a precaution, and the parting is harrowing. "The prospect of being entrusted to the care of strangers for an indeterminate time froze fear deep into my bones".

The nuns are caring and gentle, but the living conditions in the nunnery set in the distant mountains are harsh. The children are always cold and hungry.

When she is finally able to return home, the country is still dealing with the aftermath of the war. The post-war Italy might be free from dictatorship, but the power of the Church is still dominant. 

The local school, which little Graziella attends, is ruled by a cruel, sadistic teacher, who could give Miss Turnbull a good run for her money. Children are too scared and intimidated to complain.

Graziella is an intelligent and shy child. Paradiso is the story of her childhood, with its tragedies and triumphs. 

Paradiso is the name of her home. When she lies still in a cold bed at the nunnery, she takes herself on an imaginary walk around her home. This brings her comfort. "Finally I would turn towards the house, its pale walls shimmering against the sky. Beside the front door there was a small engraved plaque bearing its name, Paradiso. I liked to run my hands over the walls, feeling the heat absorbed from the sun and watching the little lizards darting in and out of the cracks".

Paradiso is inspired by true stories told to Francesca Scanacapra by her Italian family and set in locations where she spent much of her childhood.

I was immediately drawn to this book, thanks to the historical setting and personal connections. The main protagonist of the book made me think of my mother-in-law who was a young child during the war in Italy. 

Some scenes reminded me of the stories told by my husband's family. My husband's grandfather told him how excited they were when the first pizza appeared in town (in the North of Italy), as it was a great novelty in their city. The scene with building the pizza oven and Salvatore cooking pizzas which were unknown in Pieve Santa Clara reminded me of that story.

Paradiso is a highly accomplished novel, poignant, moving and heart-warming.

This is historical fiction at its best. So evocative you can practically smell the scent of tomatoes from Zia Mina's garden.

This post is part of the blog tour for the book.

Many thanks to Francesca Scanacapra, Silvertail Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book! I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paradiso-Utterly-gripping-emotional-historical-ebook/dp/B08X1B15P8/ 

US - https://www.amazon.com/Paradiso-Utterly-gripping-emotional-historical-ebook/dp/B08X1B15P8/ 

Author Bio – 

Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic and she has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths, including working as a technical translator between Italian, English, Spanish and French, a gym owner in Spain, an estate agent in France, a property developer in France and Senegal, and a teacher. Francesca lives in Dorset and currently works as a builder with her husband. She has two children. 

A Ration Book Daughter by Jean Fullerton #BlogTour (review + giveaway)

 

"As your dad always says, if it wasn't for the Brogans, the neighbours wouldn't have anything to talk about".

A Ration Book Daughter by Jean Fullerton is the latest instalment in the East End Ration Book series, a captivating feel-good family saga set in London during the WWII. It reads as a standalone, but it would help if you know the Brogan family and its complicated dynamics already.

I have read and reviewed two previous books in the series - A Ration Book Childhood and A Ration Book Wedding.

November 1942:

Cathy Wheeler, nee Brogan, helps at St Breda and St Brendan's ARP Rest Centre as a member of Women's Voluntary Service.  Her mother and she joined the WVS together a couple of years before to help with the war effort.

Three years earlier when Britain went to war with Germany, Cathy was a happy blushing bride, full of hopes. But her dreams were crushed by her abusive husband Stanley. "...that had been Cathy's dream when she'd walked down the aisle on her father's arm just three short years before: a happy family with a handful of children and a loving husband... It was her fault, of course, that it had all ended up as dust under her feet. She'd seen only the dream of the family she yearned for but had been blind to the man she'd foolishly chosen to build it with". It's obviously not Cathy's fault that her husband has turned out to be a violent bully. It never is a woman's fault. But that's how she feels about her sad life. 

Divorce is not an option. Cathy puts on a brave face for the sake of her little boy Peter.

Stanley's involvement with the fascist black-shirts sees him conscripted to fight abroad. An envelope arrives at the Wheelers, saying that Stanley is missing in action. If he doesn't turn up or appear on a POW list in the next six months, Cathy will be pronounced a widow. And she counts every single day until her freedom.

One day Cathy's son Peter runs away from her, and is caught by a passing stranger with a winning smile and the eyes the colour of cornflakes. Archie McIntosh is a sergeant at the Royal Engineers' Bomb Disposal Squad. There is a tragedy in his life as well. His wife was killed in an accident five years earlier, and his little daughter is looked after by his mother in Scotland.

There is an immediate attraction between Cathy and Archie. When she advertisers for a lodger to be able to pay the increasing rent for her house, it's Archie who responds to her ad.

Archie is intelligent, thoughtful, kind and caring. And he's also an aspiring artist, who takes evening classes when he has a break from his dangerous job.

Can Cathy finally allow herself to hope for love?

I've enjoyed the books in the series and will keep reading it when/if new book(s) will be published. Cathy's story is one of the best in the series. And you can't help but fall in love with Archie, he is such a wonderful character.

I've been debating with myself whether to mention it or not, but I can't help noticing the imbalance of characterisation between the "good/positive" and "bad/negative" parts in the books.

While the main protagonists and overall positive characters are allowed their big mistakes and petty foibles (for example, Brogan senior has fathered a child with his wife's best friend, the Brogan matriarch has been involved in illegal betting in the previous books), the negative characters are rather one-dimensional. 

In the 4th book, Stella was one such villain, who was conveniently dispatched out of the picture so that her husband could find happiness. Cathy's mother-in-law, Violet Wheeler, is another of the horrid creatures without a single redeeming feature (apart from love for her equally horrid son). And now there is Mrs Paget, the vicar's wife, who's also a nasty piece of work of epic proportions. And don't even start me on the obnoxious lieutenant Monkman.

A Ration Book Daughter is a moving war story, which blends history and fiction perfectly. This is my favourite book in the series yet, with a female lead, who finds strength in what appears the most miserable circumstances to begin with. 

Cathy is blossoming in front of our eyes, from a victim of domestic abuse and violence to a mature person who realises her own worth. 

The war times made a great change in women's lives, as they had to adapt to the new social standing and find their way in the world ruled by men. Despite the horrors of the war, women were discovering new freedoms, getting jobs and leaving the domestic drudgery to help the war effort.

A Ration Book Daughter is a must-read for fans of books set during the WWII. Fullerton's novel is a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the people in the times of the Blitz.

I also would like to mention the wonderful nostalgic book covers in the series. The vintage photos used in the design make me wonder who these people are, and how their lives went in the war and afterwards.

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3ijT3HO 

Author Bio – 

Born and bred in East London Jean is a District Nurse by trade and has worked as a NHS manager and as a senior lecture in Health and Nursing Studies. She left her day job to become a full-time writer in 2015 and has never looked back. 

In 2006 she won the Harry Bowling Prize and now has seventeen sagas published over three series with both Orion and Atlantic all of which are set in East London. 

She is an experienced public speaker with hundreds of WI and women’s club talks under her belt, plus for the past fifteen years she has sailed all over the world as an enrichment speaker and writing workshop leader on cruise ships. 

Social Media Links – 

Website: http://jeanfullerton.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jean-Fullerton-202631736433230/?ref=bookmarks 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanFullerton_ 

This post is part of the blog tour for A Ration Book Daughter.

Many thanks to Jean Fullerton, Corvus and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

If you like the sound of this book, here is your chance to win one of 6 A Ration Book Daughter paperbacks.

Giveaway to Win 6 x A Ration Book Daughter Paperbacks (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –

UK entries welcome.  

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. 

If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. 

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. 

This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Please note that this giveaway is running through many blogs taking part in the blog tour.

Chez Maximka is only hosting a Rafflecopter gadget for the purposes of promotion of the book (for free), and is not involved into a selection of the winner or dispatch of the prize.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Banana Devil Cake by Susan A. King #BlogTour

 

"I do call to mind as a child having a great penchant for my grandmother's banana devil cake. It was her own recipe, of course, you won't find it in any recipe book, not even Delia Smith's. As an aside, it was actually I who first foretold Delia's rise to fame... Quite simple really, it had bananas in it and was, as my grandmother used to say, a devil to make".

Years ago, when I came as a young student to the UK, one of my Mum's acquaintances has accosted her in the street, saying why would she let her child live in England, as according to her, there were murders happening all around. All her knowledge of the British crime came from watching Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple and Poirot, as well as Jonathan Creek (utterly ridiculous, of course, as the mafia wars in Russia in the 1990s were rampant). 

Reading Banana Devil Cake by Susan A. King reminded me of that bizarre conversation, as surely this cosy mystery would have only contributed to that lady's belief that the English villages are the most perilous places in the world, with an incredibly high body count.

The village of Elmsbury has just about recovered from the murder of last year's fête judge. The local WI ladies share cake and gossip with an equal passion. Everything seems to be returning back to normal, until the arrival of a newcomer to the village unsettles the social equilibrium. 

The newcomer happens to be a retired TV celebrity, who is invited to become a judge for the forthcoming Great Bake Challenge at the village fête. "Nobody wanted to risk a repeat of last year's disappointing outcome and they were looking forward to receiving their leader's valuable feedback in order to elevate their recipes to prize-worthy status". Thus the war of the cakes commences.

Beattie Bramshaw, a formidable local busybody, is getting ready for her long-awaited engagement party. On top of all the worries about the buffet and helium party balloons, she sets her heart on saving the elm tree in the middle of the Green, which gives the village its name. Nobody seems to be much interested in the fate of the tree, but that does not deter Beattie. She is a strong-willed woman on a mission, and won't be defeated.

Beattie is totally batty. Her idea to save the elm tree is to chain herself to the tree and invite the local newpapers and TV crews. While her ideas might be honourable, the way she goes about her, ordering her minions to bring her meals, provide her with a tent and a portaloo, is a bit bolshy. The WI ladies are more interested in winning the favour of the judge of the Great Bake Challenge, than in saving the elm.

Doug, her husband-to-be is often on the receiving end of her irritation. "If ever a woman had a strong mind it was Beattie and, although he adored every fibre of her being and had suspected his own opinions might well take a back seat, this latest venture had seen her become bullish to the point of stubborn".

There is a dissent in the ranks of the WI ladies, and when two members of the honourable institution are found dead in strange circumsatnces, Beattie sets her mind on solving the mystery before any of her friends becomes another victim. "Two deaths in as many days wasn't only extraordinary, it exceeded the realms of possibility. How could two women who led ordinary, quiet lives, and both members of the Elmsbury WI, have died within hours of each other?"

The police come with the most preposterous ideas about how the death might have happened, so it's up to Beattie to find the murderer. "I think it's safe to say Elmsbury has turned into a veritable Murder She Wrote", says Beattie. And just like Jessica Fletcher, she is one determined lady.

Apart from Beattie, there is a whole lot of supporting characters, of different importance to the plot. They all bring an additional humorous dimension to the development of the story. You will love the inane impromptu sermon given by the vicar, where he finds inspiration in the Suffragettes and Winnie the Pooh. The preliminary cake testing session is utterly hilarious.

I was reading this book in bed, trying to keep my chuckles quiet so as not to disturb anyone. 

Banana Devil Cake would appeal to the fans of the Agatha Raisin series. It is a light, amusing cosy mystery, with an entertaining cast of characters and a delightful setting. This book will make you laugh and cheer. Jessica Fletcher would definitely approve!

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08SWDG367

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SWDG367

Author Bio –

Susan A. King lives with her husband in a quiet suburb in Hampshire. Between them they have four grown-up sons.

The inspiration for her Beattie Bramshaw novels comes from her long experience and observation of competitors at the local Romsey Show, where she regularly aspires to win Best in Show with her floral arrangements.

Social Media Links – Twitter @SusanKing63 Insta @susan.king63

This post is part of the blog tour for Banana Devil Cake.

Many thanks to Susan A. King, Eye/Lightning Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

Wayward Voyage by Anna M. Holmes #BlogTour

 

"I'll do it. I'll raise it!" Anne raced to midships. Hand over hand she hoisted Jack's pennant higher and higher up the mainmast till it reached the pinnacle where his signature flag, crossed white cutlasses, a skull above, against a black background, spread and fluttered in the wind. She had dreamt of this moment: being part of Jack's gang...

She was no longer an innocent child clining to the ratlines of the William and Mary. She was a woman prepared to fight, to kill if necessary, in defiance of the law".

Wayward Voyage by Anna M. Holmes is a spellbinding historical odyssey, set in the 18C. It opens a fresh window into the familiar and well-recognised historical period.

The title of the book is very apt. Anne Bonny, the main protagonist of the novel, is the very epitome of the word wayward - she is rebellious, strong-willed and wild. 

If you're famiiar with the 18C history and the pirates of the Caribbean, you most likely know about Anne Bonny, Calico Jack and Mary Read. As Elizabeth Jones writes in her article, Anne "would earn her place in history by becoming known as one of the fiercest female pirates ever to sail the seas" (Well-behaved women seldom make history - Anne Bonny profile). 

All three notorious pirates appear in Wayward Voyage, but it is mainly Anne's story.

We meet little Anne Cormac on board the William and Mary, travelling from Ireland to Charles Town. Caroline is not what they've expected. Anne's father buys a plantation from a German settler, and works hard to establish it. In the first years he works in the fields together with his slaves. 

Anne grows up as a wild child. Her parents cannot control her, she always seems to insist on doing things her own way. She enjoys roaming the woods dressed up as boy, and fighting with her neighbours' son. She loves her horse Shotek and rides him bareback. Even as a child, she "witnessed death often enough, and before her own time came she resolved to live life fully. She would drive herself forward just as now she drove Shotek and take life at a gallop".

Rather than conform to the society's expectations, she doesn't want to marry her childhood friend. "She was certain she could not make Richard happy, as year on year her discontent would surely grow. She craved something else; something less predictable. Something bigger than the life around her. Something that would not tie her to land, husband, children".

To escape the constraints of the society and the respectable future, Anne flees on ship bound for the West Indies. To do that, she has to marry in haste a sailor on board the ship. Trying to break free from one bondage she jumps into another. James Bonny is not enthusastic about the marriage, but Anne can be very persuasive. She doesn't care about other people's feelings or aspirations, everyone is just a step on the ladder to a life of a greater adventure for her.

Anne and James settle in New Providence in the Bahamas. Nassau is not a place for a woman. Drunken sailors, despicable pirates, exploited prostitutes... The governor is too weak to do anything to make the settlement prosperous, and is easily outmaneuvered by the pirates. The Bahamas become a nest for pirates plaguing the West Indies.

Then a new governor arrives. Woodes Rogers is as tough as old boots. He offers pardons to the pirates who wish to mend their ways, and displays an uncompromising approach to the pirates.

James sails the seas, trying to make some kind of living for his family, but Anne is dissatisfied. She even encourages her husband to join the pirates. "She totally understood how someone could live for the moment, but she didn't admire those not smart enough to succeed". She tells her husband, "This isn't what I want. There's got to be something more... something bigger... I can't stand this life!"

When she meets Calico Jack, she believes her future lays with him. He is reformed, but doesn't need much encouragement to go back into piracy. Jack and Anne are both reckless, fearless and adventurous. Jack takes up pirating again, and this time Anne refuses to be left waiting on shore.

"Anne knew she had turned away from any kind of conventional life a woman might reasonably seek. She desperately wanted her new course to spiral outwards into a life of greater adveture, craved this, and only in rare moments of self-doubt pushed away uncomfortable thoughts that her life might be spinning out of control".

Anne is not exactly a likeable character, she is cruel, brash, unpredictable and egocentric. While you might have some sympathy towards her, her selfishness is beyond limits. She doesn't care who she hurts. Yet you cannot but have a grudging admiration for her stamina, tenacity and rejection to conform to the conventions of the society.

Wayward Voyage is a beautifully written story, with a strong and intricate plot which gradually builds to its dramatic crescendo. The weaving of the history and fiction is simply remarkable. Strongly recommended!

This post is part of the blog tour for Wayward Voyage.

Many thanks to Anna M. Holmes, The Book Guild Ltd and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

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Purchase Links 

• Amazon – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wayward-Voyage-Anna-M-Holmes/dp/1913551725/

• Waterstones – https://www.waterstones.com/book/wayward-voyage/anna-m-holmes/9781913551728 

• WHSmith – https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/wayward-voyage/anna-m-holmes/paperback/9781913551728.html

• Blackwell’s – https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781913551728 

• Foyles – https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/wayward-voyage,anna-m-holmes-9781913551728?term=9781913551728

• Browns BFS – https://www.brownsbfs.co.uk/Product/Holmes-Anna-M/Wayward-Voyage/9781913551728 

• Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping) – https://www.bookdepository.com/Wayward-Voyage-Anna-M-Holmes/9781913551728?ref=grid-view&qid=1607937748433&sr=1-1 

 

Author Bio – 

Anna is originally from New Zealand and lives in the U.K. with her Dutch partner.

WAYWARD VOYAGE is Anna’s first novel. She has been fascinated by the lives of women pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, for a long time. Some years ago, she visualised this story as a screenplay before exploring and building their world more deeply as a novel. WAYWARD VOYAGE made a longlist of 11 for the Virginia Prize in Women’s Fiction 2020.

BLIND EYE an eco-thriller, will be published by The Book Guild in September, so this year, 2021, Anna will have two novels coming out. Her screenplay, BLIND EYE, is joint winner of the 2020 Green Stories screenplay competition.  

A documentary about pioneers of flamenco in the UK that Anna produced and directed was screened in Marbella International Film Festival and in London. This passion project ensures a slice of cultural history has been captured. It is available on YouTube and via a portal on her website.

She holds a Humanities B.A, a post-graduate diploma in Journalism and an M.A. in Dance Studies. Initially she worked as a radio journalist before a career in arts management working with U.K. Arts Councils and as an independent producer, dance history lecturer and she has run a dance development agency. 

Anna is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and enjoys practising flamenco. Writing, dance, and yoga shape her life.

 

Social Media Links – 

Website:     ​https://www.annamholmes.com

Facebook ​https://www.facebook.com/AnnaMHolmesWriter  

    

Twitter​​@AnnaMHolmes_