Authors, Book Promo, Book Tour, Carol Wyer, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Detective Kate Young, Novels, Thomas & Mercer

DI Kate Young in A Truth for a Truth by Carol Wyer

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Welcome to Celtic Connexions and one of today’s stops on the blog tour for A Truth for a Truth, featuring DI Kate Young by Carol Wyer, the fourth in this gripping series.

Young

BLURB

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished…

But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Stanka, the sex worker who supplied the evidence against Dickson, leads her to crucial information on another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her dubious involvement with sex traffickers.

As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

 

My review

DI Kate Young

I loved this book!

This is the best one in this series, and the others were cracking excellent reads. Carol has a knack for creating tortured characters you want to love (or hate) and wraps them in a fast-paced plot that keeps you turning the virtual pages.

And the ending? I didn’t see that coming.

About Carol

Young

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer’s crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Australia. The third, A Life For A Life, is due out March 15th, 2022, but is available to preorder.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy who is very, very grumpy.

When not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter @carolewyer

You can also follow Carol at these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolEWyer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolwyer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer
Website: www.carolwyer.co.uk

Amanda Bedzrah, Authors, Becoming Queen Bathsheba, Novels

Becoming Queen Bathsheba by Amanda Bedzrah #BECOMINGQUEENBATHSHEBA

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I’m pleased to be taking part in Reading Between the Lines Blog Tour for Becoming Queen Bathsheba by Amanda Bedzrah.

Queen Bathsheba

Queen Bathsheba

BLURB

She is taken against her will by the most powerful man in Israel. A month later, she discovers she carries the evidence of their dreadful encounter. With her husband at war, this pregnancy could mean her death. When the king finds out that she is with child, he immediately summons her husband home from war, a cunning plan in mind. 

Will the king’s plan work?

Will her life be spared?

Will there be any consequences for the injustice?

Will love grow in the middle of pain and give birth to second chances?

This novel is a fictional retelling of one of the greatest Bible stories of all time. This is a story of injustice, betrayal, deception, heartbreak, forgiveness, love, redemption and second chances. 

It reminds us that there are consequences for our choices, and we serve a God of justice.  He can use the tragedies in our lives and turn them into purpose. 

No pain is ever wasted with God.

Extract for Becoming Queen Bathsheba

PROLOGUE 

c. 990 BCE Jerusalem United Kingdom of Israel

As the sun fades in the sky, I sit rocking gently, gazing out of the vast window of the King’s inner chamber and watching hints of orange icker over golden brown clouds. My son suckles at my breast on this night before his first year on earth. The banquet room is already laid out: one hundred seats at the table, with the nest silver and gold plates, cups and cutlery at each place. The guests will arrive the early next day, travelling from near and far, some for days, honouring the

King’s invitation.

One hundred lambs were slaughtered earlier this day; the night is still thick with the re from the smoke used to roast them in preparation for the morning. A seamstress arrived from Egypt more than a month ago, to sew the woven fabric for every royal in the house.

Though the sun is setting, the King is still on the throne, attending to matters of the nation of Israel. I am alone in his private quarters in the West wing of the palace. I look around me; the room is huge and quiet. How did I get here? I have asked myself this question at least a million times. Each time I try to think about it I am faced with painful memories. I paid a huge price for the crown that rests on my head. The more I think, the more I come to realise the cost, the pain, the sacrifice — the truth. Buried within my soul are words I have dared not speak or imagine; and yet, are dying to break free. Perhaps, someone somewhere may and comfort in my truth, in my journey, in my pain to becoming the woman I am today. It is, for this reason, I allow my mind to run freely today, closing my eyes and thinking back to three years previously, to the day it all began. I must remember, and I must write it down.

I place my son in the large woven basket filled with the softest wool blankets and equally soft cushions: I walk over to the large desk where paper and ink wait for me. I pick up the pen. I dip it in the ink. I apply it to the parchment. It is time to tell my story.

You can buy Becoming Queen Bathsheba at:

Amazon.co.uk

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY 

Queen Bathsheba

Amanda is a wife and a mother to three beautiful children. She is an author, a prayer minister, an inspirational speaker, a restoration catalyst, and a mentor. Amanda is passionate about seeing people restored and living a full life beyond salvation. 

She is a passionate Bible teacher who uses practical examples to teach godly principles. She is a Law Graduate (2:1 LLB Hons) from the University of Wolverhampton, a Prince 2 Practitioner, and she is certified in Business Analysis Practice. 

Amanda is also the founder and CEO of Empower a Woman (www.empowerawoman.org), a UK-based non-profit organisation that is set up to meet the needs of vulnerable women. 

Today she is in a much happier place. She is restored, healed, and delivered and is driven by her own personal mission statement for change:

Just because I can’t do everything

Doesn’t mean I won’t do anything

Even if I can only do something

I REFUSE to do nothing

Follow Amanda at these links:

Website – amandabedzrah.com

Instagram – Amanda_Bedzrah

Facebook – Amanda Bedzrah

Twitter – @Gigidoll2020

Amazon Author Page – Amanda Bedzrah

#amwriting, dual timeline, Novels, occult, supernatural, The Haunting of Kembleford Manor, urban exploration

#snippetsunday ~ The Haunting of Kembleford Manor

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I’ve never taken part in #snippetsunday before, but I thought I would share the first draft of the opening scene in my dual timeline novel, The Haunting of Kembleford Manor.

Here goes. I’d really appreciate some feedback.

Albert Kembleford strode across the office, turned the key in the lock and left it hanging in the door. When he returned to his desk, the letter from the bank that arrived in the mail earlier in the day taunted him. The body of it was bad enough, but did the institution have to humiliate him even more with the word FORECLOSURE stamped in red on the whitespace near the top of the letterhead.

He knew it would come to this. Six months ago, he re-mortgaged the house to pump money into his lumberyard after a deal he’d counted on to bring him back from the brink fell through. Albert never told his wife they were in financial trouble. It wasn’t done. Being the breadwinner and provider for his family fell on his shoulders. He couldn’t bear his family knowing he was a failure.

The time had come. Albert reached into the middle left drawer of his desk, pulled out his Smith and Wesson revolver, and ensured the chamber was fully loaded. He had one chance to do it and wanted nothing left to error.

His crystal decanter of single malt stood on a tray with matching glasses. He’d have one before his time on this earth was up. Dutch courage. One for the road. He poured three fingers into the tumbler — two wouldn’t be enough. A ray of sun coming in the window glinted off the cuts in the glass making it sparkle and illuminating the amber liquid so that it glowed.

He would miss this house and the town of Pike Falls where he chose to settle and make his fortune. Too bad it didn’t turn out that way. He gulped down the whisky and returned the glass to its proper place. Only then did he sit behind his desk. This same place where he completed paperwork for his lumber empire — ha! — many times. 

As much as he wanted to burn the letter, he couldn’t. He needed to leave it for his wife Patience to find so she wouldn’t feel guilty thinking it was something she did to make him do what he was about to. Across the bottom of the letter he scrawled, I’m sorry, dearest Patience. Please forgive me. Love always, Albert.

Then, he cocked the gun, placed the end of the barrel against his temple and pulled the trigger.

So there you have it, my #snippetsunday offering. What did you think?

In due course, I’ll be sharing the cover image for the book, but in the meantime, watch for more #snippetsunday offerings.

 

#amwriting, #review, contemporary romance, It Happened in Gastown, Novels, sweet romance, sweet romance mystery, Writing

Readers’ Favorite 5-star review for It Happened in Gastown!

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I’m very excited this morning to share this wonderful Readers’ Favorite 5-star review for It Happened in Gastown with the world! At least the world who visits my blog. What am I saying? I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops everywhere.

Readers' Favorite

Here’s the review.

In It Happened in Gastown by Melanie Robertson King, the author has taken romance, drama, intrigue, and unpredictability and written a story that catches the reader’s attention from the unusual start to the unexpected ending, one which is most intriguing and leaves the reader pondering and wondering in the best possible way. It Happened in Gastown introduces the main characters of Constables Hilary Dunbar and Luka Stephanopoulos, Xena, her German Shepherd, Taylor Simpson, Doctor Singh, Sun Huang, Robert MacDonald, Eric, and Zack Daniels. These characters make up a story that starts as a drama to be investigated and then leads the reader into a romance that may or not may survive. They then meet inhumane people who sit in judgment without knowing the full circumstances of what Hilary and Eric are going through.

Melanie Robertson King is an author I have not heard of before but I will be looking out for more of her books. King has written a story that would encourage any young adult venturing into the world of reading romances combined with intrigue and adventure. This would allow the young reader to advance to other books as well. This story can be enjoyed by all young adults, no matter their gender. It Happened in Gastown is hard to put down until the very last page is read. I really enjoyed reading this book and will be reading more of King’s writing. Thank you to the author for a delightful and enjoyable story.

See why I’m so happy?

You can purchase It Happened in Gastown here and see what made it so special that this reviewer at Readers’ Favorite gave it 5-stars.

 

#amwriting, #sweetromance, Great Dane, It Happened at Lake Louise, It Happened Series, novella, sweet romance, sweet romance with mature themes

Happy Publication Day! It Happened at Lake Louise is now available! #kindle #kobo #books2read

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It’s been a long time coming, longer than I originally planned, but publication day is finally here!

publication day

I love this cover, but then I am biased. What can I say?

Here’s what the book is about…

Only the Brave meets Fallen Angel…

 A new name. A new look. A new identity. But is it enough?

Lori Brownlee, a victim of childhood sex abuse, has relocated to Calgary to try to put the sordid past and its unpleasant memories behind her. Although it’s been years, specific triggers bring the past roaring back.

Christopher Scott has also suffered a painful past. He currently works in the Oil Sands and, when he’s at work, entrusts the care of his Great Dane to his neighbour.

While Christopher is at work, the nightmare of the distant wildfires becomes a reality. During the mandatory evacuation on May 3, 2016, the dog runs away. With no time to spare searching for the animal, the family flees for their own safety.

Lori, an animal lover, spots the Great Dane on the news. She drops everything and rushes to Fort McMurray to rescue him.

She connects with Christopher Scott through social media, and they agree to meet near the Chateau Lake Louise so she can reunite him with his pet.

Can Christopher move beyond his pain and form a meaningful relationship with Lori? Will Lori’s past come back to haunt her?

Buy Link

You can buy the ebook edition of It Happened at Lake Louise for $2.99/£2.99 through books2read, which will allow you to choose your favourite ebook retailer. Unfortunately, it’s not live at Barnes & Noble yet for the nook, but once it shows live, I’ll add it to the books2read link.

Paperback copies will soon be available online.

I hope you’ll celebrate publication day with me, and I hope you find Christopher’s and Lori’s story heartwarming. The events in this book are darker than in the three previous It Happened stories.

 

 

 

#cover, cover reveal, Louise Jensen, Novels, thriller

The Fall by Louise Jensen #coverreveal

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Are you ready for the cover reveal for the next thriller, The Fall, by Louise Jensen? It’s a cracker.

Louise Jensen

Blurb

She promised she wouldn’t tell. They made sure she couldn’t…

At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school. Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall. Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.

Because some secrets are worth killing for…

Pre-order link for The Fall by Louise Jensen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fall-unmissable-psychological-thriller-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0BGMPBLV8/

The book will be released in April 2023.

Louise Jensen

#cover, #reveal, It Happened at Lake Louise, It Happened Series, Novels, sweet romance, sweet romance with mature themes

Cover Reveal Day has arrived!

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I’m thrilled to be able to reveal the cover for my upcoming novel; It Happened at Lake Louise. But before you see the unveiled version of the image …

*building suspense*

reveal

BLURB

Only the Brave meets Fallen Angel

A new name. A new look. A new identity. But is it enough?
Lori Brownlee, a victim of childhood sex abuse, has relocated to Calgary to try to put the sordid past and its unpleasant memories behind her. Although it’s been years, specific triggers bring the past roaring back.

Christopher Scott has also suffered a painful past. He currently works in the Oil Sands and, when he’s at work, entrusts the care of his Great Dane to his neighbour.

While Christopher is at work, the nightmare of the distant wildfires becomes a reality. During the mandatory evacuation on May 3, 2016, the dog runs away. With no time to spare searching for the animal, the family flees for their own safety.

Lori, an animal lover, spots the Great Dane on the news. She drops everything and rushes to Fort McMurray to rescue him.

She connects with Christopher Scott through social media, and they agree to meet near the Chateau Lake Louise so she can reunite him with his pet.

Can Christopher move beyond his pain and form a meaningful relationship with Lori? Will Lori’s past come back to haunt her?

Sound interesting?

Are you ready to see the cover? Oh, all right then …

Drum roll, please. And now for the reveal.

reveal

reveal

Buy links to follow soon.

You can read about the previous books in the It Happened series here.

Halloween, haunted houses, Novels, The Secret of Hillcrest House, Trick or Treat

Spooktober has arrived! #NNLBH

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Now that the month of Spooktober is officially upon us (and has been for the four previous days as well), it’s time to get #spooky.

Spooktober

I’m participating in N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Trick or Treat Book Bonanza.

An entire month of trick or treating, plus a huge giveaway!

Spooktober

My novel, The Secret of Hillcrest House, is one of the featured books this month. Of course, a haunted house story always goes down well during this month.

Here’s what the book is about.

Sometimes there’s more to a house than bricks and mortar.

Hillcrest House is one such place. Perched on a cliff in the picturesque town of Angel Falls, there is more to this Victorian mansion than meets the eye. When referring to the house, the locals use the word haunted on a regular basis. Strange visions appear in the windows, especially the second-floor ones over the side porch. Even stranger events take place within its four walls.

Rumour has it, the original owners, Asher and Maggie Hargrave, never left their beloved home. They claim the couple and their family are responsible for driving people away. Over the years, Hillcrest House has changed hands numerous times. No one stays long. Renovations begin then stop and the house is once more abandoned. The latest in this long line of owners is Jessica Maitland.

Will Jessica be the next one to succumb or will she unravel The Secret of Hillcrest House?

This Spooktober, why not get your spook on and see what this book is all about?

You can buy The Secret of Hillcrest House from your favourite online retailer at this link.

Or you can watch the trailer here.

Giveaway Information –

One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US) gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

#cover, Carol Wyer, cover reveal, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Novels, Thomas & Mercer

A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH #cover #reveal

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Are you ready for the spectacular cover for DI Kate Young Book 5 – A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH? It’s a cracker, I can tell you. So without any further ado, let’s show this baby to the world!

TRUTH

Blurb

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.
DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished…
But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Stanka, the sex worker who supplied the evidence against Dickson, leads her to crucial information on another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her dubious involvement with sex traffickers.
As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

PRE-ORDER LINKS

 
A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH will be released on April 4th, 2023 but is available to pre-order now:
#amwriting, #review, A Shadow in the Past, Novels, romance, Scotland, time-slip romance, time-travel

5-star review for A Shadow in the Past!

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I’m so excited! My novel, A Shadow in the Past, has received another 5-star review!

5-star review

But before I share the review, let me tell you what the book is about.

Blurb

When a contemporary teen is transported back in time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past…

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself in Victorian Era Aberdeenshire, Scotland and has no idea how she got there. Her last memory is of being at the stone circle on the family farm in the year 2010.

Despite having difficulty coming to terms with her situation, Sarah quickly learns she must keep her true identity a secret. Still, she feels stifled by the Victorians’ confining social practices, including arranged marriages between wealthy and influential families, and confronts them head only to suffer the consequences.

When Sarah realizes she has fallen in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, she faces an agonizing decision. Does she try to find her way back to 2010 or remain in the past with the man she loves?

Review – this one comes from amazon.co.uk

For lovers of Time Slip Novels set in Scotland

I was very much reminded of OUTLANDER as I read Ms King’s novel. (No bad thing, by the way). I’m a sucker for time-slip novels and wasn’t disappointed as I followed Sarah through the stone circle on her family farm to Victorian Era Aberdeenshire, Scotland where she quickly learns to keep her true identity a secret. As someone who visits Scotland frequently, I was impressed by the extensive research the author had undertaken and found everything about the novel totally accurate and convincing. Sarah soon falls in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill and we are left wondering how she is going to solve the dilemma of staying in the past with the man she loves or returning to the present and her family. I won’t write a spoiler. All I will say is that I am glad there’s a sequel –

Isn’t it fantastic???

You can buy A Shadow in the Past from these fine retailers.

 

My Scottish roots and writing by Melanie Robertson-King