MJ Porter, author

I’m reviewing Collateral Damage by Sam Cogley #thriller #bookreview #blogtour #CollateralDamage

I’m reviewing Collateral Damage by Sam Cogley #thriller #bookreview #blogtour #CollateralDamage #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources

I’m reviewing Collateral Damage by Sam Cogley #thriller #bookreview #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

Winter came for the pancakes. Hollowvale fed him the dead.

Dane Winter is unemployed and on a lonely road to nowhere. Riding his motorcycle west from New York, he spots a sign on the Interstate: Hollowvale, Pennsylvania. A place he hasn’t visited since his Redwind Security days. Back then, the town was known for its coal mines and the best pancakes he ever tasted.

A chance encounter with a distraught local woman pulls him into investigating her friend’s disappearance. When Jacob Rhodes’ body is found at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft, the local authorities are quick to label it an accident. Winter isn’t convinced…

Between the death of Jacob and the unexplained illnesses spreading through the local population, it’s clear that nothing is as it seems in the town of Hollowvale. Worse still, Winter thinks it might have something to do with his time there two years earlier.

What starts as a quest for answers becomes a fight to expose a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small town.

But Winter is never one to give up, and he’s willing to burn it all down in order to uncover the horrific truth.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/CollateralDamageSocial

My Review

This is the first book in the Dane Winter series that I’ve read, although it’s the second book in the series.

Our tale takes us to a small town, Hollowvale, in the US, with a man and his motorbike, and the next few pages feel very Reacher-esque as Dane eats in the diner and then heads out on the road once more. Only then does everything change, and Dane finds himself thrust into a mystery he wasn’t expecting.

There are small-town politics, some nasty bad-guys, a cover-up of something very dodgy, a distressed woman, all coupled with Dane’s desire to uncover the truth about a company he’s worked for in the past (2 years ago).

The story moves fast, and while it might have taken me a while to get into the new character and situation, I was soon flying through the book as the tension and the stakes built.

This is a fun, if sometimes tense tale, with its fair share of jeopardy and ‘fight’ scenes. It is sure to appeal to fans of Jack Reacher.

Meet the author

Sam Cogley is the author of popular action thrillers, melding suspense-laden espionage plots with the mesmerising world of high-tech innovations. He writes the high-octane Dane Winter thrillers for Boldwood Books.

Sam lives in Victoria, Australia with his wife and children.

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SamCogleyNews

Bookbub profile: @samcogley

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It’s (nearly) happy release day to Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #histficbook #newrelease

Listen to me talk about Storm of Mercia (and other books too because it’s hard to stay on track)

Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.

Wessex, AD836

The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.

King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.

Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?

With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?

Preorder now (releasing on 1st April)

https://amzn.to/4a3G1ed

Check out the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles series page

If you can’t get enough of young Icel, you need to try The Mercian Ninth Century Series

AND releasing on 7th May, The Eagle Will Rise, the first book in The Sundered Kingdom series (for anyone who’s curious, many of the Easter eggs for Storm of Mercia will show up in The Eagle Will Rise).

Sign up to my Boldwood Books newsletter to keep up to date with all things Icel… https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews

Or, you can order a signed paperback copy directly from me. Check out my bookstore.

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The Secret Sauce is now available in audiobook format #histfic #historicalmystery

The Secret Sauce audiobook is now available from Audible, Apple Books and Amazon

Check out the beginning of The Secret Sauce, narrated by the fabulous Matt Coles.

In the UK, follow this referral link

In Australia, follow this referral link

In Canada, follow this referral link

In the US, follow this referral link

(I’d forgotten that Audible offered referral links to authors/producers – if you click on of the links, Audible rewards me and Matt:))

Here’s the blurb

Birmingham, England, November 1944.

Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is summoned to a suspicious death at the BB Sauce factory in Aston on a wet Monday morning in late November 1944.

Greeted by his enthusiastic sergeant, O’Rourke, Sam Mason finds himself plunged into a challenging investigation to discover how Harry Armstrong met his death in a vat containing BB Sauce – a scene that threatens to put him off BB Sauce on his bacon sandwiches for the rest of his life.

Together with Sergeant O’Rourke, Mason follows a trail of seemingly unrelated events until something becomes very clear. The death of Harry Armstrong was certainly murder, and might well be connected to the tragedy unfolding at nearby RAF Fauld. While the uncertainty of war continues, Mason and O’Rourke find themselves seeking answers from the War Office and the Admiralty, as they track down the person who murdered their victim in such an unlikely way.

Join Mason and O’Rourke for the third book in the quirky, historical mystery series, as they once more attempt to solve the impossible in 1940s Erdington.

The Secret Sauce is available in ebook, audio, paperback and hardback. Or order a paperback directly from me via my SumUp store.

Check out The Erdington Mysteries series page for more details on The Custard Corpses, The Automobile Assassination, The Secret Sauce and The Barrage Body.

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Introducing The Ultimate Pantsers Writers’ Notebook by yours truly

I’ve done something a little crazy

There are a lot of writing guides out there – with lovely sections for detailed planning, character development, and all the other bits that go into PLANNING a story, (there are also a lot of online resources too), but I’ve yet to find one for a Pantser (the opposite of a planner), and one that will provide a physical, handwritten record of all those pesky bits writers forget, and which can be absolutely invaluable when editing or moving onto the next book in a series.

So I’ve made one. This is a true notebook, not a guide. It has spaces for all the ‘bits’ I need to note down when writing. At the end of it, you should have a lovely book bible that will help you with future projects. I think it sounds fab:) It’s not quite A4 size (as KDP doesn’t offer that size), but it is a decent size with lots of room for recording your word count, your characters’ names, the locations you use – and with a timeline as well (see the images below). I hope my fellow pantsers will find it useful. (This is a physical book, not an ebook – see below for other options).

https://amzn.to/3NWdqPz

I’ve also set this up as a digital download on my Patreon (with slightly different colours that hopefully won’t drain your ink supply). You can find it by clicking here. You can decide how many times to print each page and each section is included.

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I’m reviewing Secrets Taken to Grave, a gothic mystery by Isobel Blackthorn set in Scotland #blogtour #histfic #recommended

I’m reviewing Secrets Taken to Grave, a gothic mystery by Isobel Blackthorn #blogtour #histfic

Here’s the blurb

The Scottish Highlands, 1893. Ingrid Barker arrives back at Strathbairn to attend the funeral of her old employer, Charles McCleod.

Every bone in Ingrid’s body screams for her to leave, and as she walks from the graveside, she can’t shake the suspicion that Charles was murdered. As she hurries to uncover the truth and get away from Strathbairn, another murder takes place – one that traps her in the very place she is desperate to escape from.

Running out of time and clues, can Ingrid evade the truth of that terrible night up at the abbey the last time she was here, and can she solve the mystery of Charles’ death before his ghost does away with her?

An unputdownable gothic mystery laced with dark family secrets, SECRETS TAKEN TO THE GRAVE is the second book in the Strathbrain Trilogy series of historical mystery novels by Isobel Blackthorn.

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/mexV8E

My Review

Secrets Taken to the Grave returns the reader to Straithbairn in the Scottish Highlands just before Christmas. It’s bleak. It’s cold, and Ingrid doesn’t truly wish to be there (or does she?), although her daughter is very happy.

We’re thrust back into the dysfunctional household of the McCleod’s, even though three years have gone by since Ingrid was last there. Almost immediately, Ingrid begins to become aware that all is not quite right. The author does a fabulous job of making the reader share her unease, creating a creepy atmosphere in the household, already riven with disquiet between the siblings.

A thrilling and disquieting return to Straithbairn and a fabulous follow up to the previous book in the series, What Happened At the Abbey.

Meet the author

Isobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of immersive and inspiring fiction. She has penned over twenty-five books including a number of bestsellers.

Among her credits, Isobel’s biographical short story ‘Nothing to Declare’, which forms the first chapter of her biographical novel Emma’s Tapestry, was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019. One of her Canary Islands novels, A Prison in the Sun, was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2020 and the International Book Awards 2021. The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018. And The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.

Blackthorn is the author of the world’s only biography of Theosophist and mother of the New Age movement Alice Bailey – Alice A. Bailey: Life & Legacy. Isobel’s writing has appeared in journals and websites around the world, including Esoteric Quarterly, New Dawn Magazine, Paranoia, Mused Literary Review, Trip Fiction, Backhand Stories, Fictive Dream and On Line Opinion. Isobel was a judge for the Australasian Shadow Awards 2020 long fiction category. Her book reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books.

Isobel’s interests are many and varied. She has a long-standing association with the Canary Islands, having lived in Lanzarote in the late 1980s. A humanitarian and campaigner for social justice, in 1999 Isobel founded the internationally acclaimed Ghana Link, uniting two high schools, one a relatively privileged state school located in the heart of England, the other a materially impoverished school in a remote part of the Upper Volta region of Ghana, West Africa. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel has performed her literary works at events in a range of settings and given workshops in creative writing.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, UK. She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands. She now lives and writes in Spain. She is currently at work on two novels composed in Spanish.

Connect with the author

https://isobelblackthorn.com/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/isobel-blackthorn

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Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Viking Conqueror by JC Duncan #blogtour #historicalfiction #HaraldHardrada

Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Viking Conqueror by JC Duncan #blogtour #historicalfiction #HaraldHardrada

Here’s the blurb

Born to be king. Destined to die for glory.

1066 AD, Norway

Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, the Thunderbolt of the North, reigns supreme; undefeated on the battlefield and unchallenged at home. His banner, Land-Waster, flies triumphant everywhere he marches. Everything that was stolen from his brother, King Olaf, has been regained.

But power does not satiate. Glory does not fill the empty void in an ambitious heart. Victory is an elixir that runs dry no matter how freely it flows. No matter the height on which the triumphant stand, there, in the corner of his eye, is the glitter of another conquest.

Harald has achieved more than any man of his time, but fate is not done with him. His destiny lies on the banks of a quiet river in England’s green and pleasant land – Stamford Bridge.

To finish his great story, to forge the empire he always desired, all the last Viking conqueror must do is defeat a worthy opponent; King Harold of England, and seize his country and his crown.

His life changed nations.
His death will change the world.

The thrilling conclusion in the extraordinary tale of Harald Hardrada ‘The Last Viking‘. A formidable warrior king known for his military prowess, ambition, and ruthlessness.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/VikingConqueror

My Review

So here we are. This is the last book in the saga of Harald Hardrada, a man we’ve always known is destined to die at Stamford Bridge in the tumultuous events of 1066.

JC Duncan has spun us a fabulous tale of Hardrada’s life, never stinting to show us what Hardrada was before that fateful day, and this final instalment remains as triumphant as earlier books in the series, even if, Harald as king of Norway isn’t perhaps as filled with such fabulous stories of his brave daring do and his astonishing life as the earlier books. But then, he must earn his title of Hardrada – or hard ruler.

We move inexorably towards the events of Stamford Bridge with the ever loyal Eric returning to Harald’s side. It all seems so easy to accomplish close to Jorvik. So easy, and yet…it is not. Harald, at long last, finds a worthy opponent, one worthy of matching him in battle.

Not only does Harald’s story near its conclusion, but our narrator and his reasons for telling his tale are finally revealed as well.

I’ve loved this series by JC Duncan following the life of Harald Hardrada. It’s been fascinating to learn about his time away from Norway and all about that fateful day in 1066, which is recounted poignantly, and does indeed show Harald as the battle commander he was – ruthless, ambitious. Honourable (mostly). If you’ve not yet started the series, go pick up Warrior Prince now. You will not be disappointed.

Check out my review for book 1, 2 and 3, Warrior Prince, Raven Lord and

Meet the author

JC Duncan is a well-reviewed historical fiction author, with a passion for Vikings. When he isn’t writing or doing his full-time engineering job, James is happiest being an amateur bladesmith

Connect with JC Duncan

https://bit.ly/JCDuncanNews

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-c-duncan

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I’m delighted to welcome Kathleen McGurl and her new release The Vanished Girl to the blog #blogtour #newrelease #BookBlast

I’m delighted to welcome Kathleen McGurl and her new release The Vanished Girl to the blog #blogtour #newrelease #BookBlast

Here’s the blurb

The memories of that summer won’t stay buried forever…

1976. It’s a long, hot summer, and all Jo Salway wants is to bask in the freedom of the holidays with her life-long friends. But when little Pippa Jenkins suddenly vanishes without a trace, the friends must close ranks to protect themselves. And in doing so, change the course of their futures forever …

2024. Haunted by the events of fifty years ago, Jo has never returned to her childhood home of Hareton Wick. But in the aftermath of trauma and with her only respite found at the bottom of a bottle, Jo knows that the only way to start afresh is to unravel the secrets of her past. But when the tangled web of Pippa’s disappearance starts to lead closer to home, who will Jo be able to trust, and who will she betray …

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/4bxektQ

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I’m welcoming The Teacher’s Noble Heart by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance #bookreview

I’m welcoming The Teacher’s Noble Heart by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

In Regency Cornwall, governess Miss Wilkins has always survived by being sensible, capable, and self-reliant. When she dares to take a bold step toward independence, she has no intention of complicating her life—or her heart.

Her encounters with James Pentarrant, the steadfast captain of the Delabole slate quarry, are marked less by romance than by spirited disagreement. Self-contained and disciplined, James challenges her views at every turn, even as he respects her resolve. What begins as wary sparring and mutual resistance gradually deepens into an understanding neither expected nor sought.

Alongside their unfolding story, a young heiress newly returned to Cornwall hides a calling that defies convention. When a moment of danger on the moor—and the inevitable gossip that follows—forces her into an unintended engagement, assumptions harden and emotions become dangerously entangled. Her growing affection for her own sparring partner, a gentle country doctor with the manners of a true gentleman and a secret of his own, only further unsettles what society is determined to set in place.

Set against the rugged beauty of Cornwall’s coast, quarries, and windswept moors, The Teacher’s Noble Heart is a tender Regency romance of intertwined lives, mistaken conclusions, and love discovered in spite of every sensible intention.

Purchase Link

My Review

The Teacher’s Noble Heart is the fourth of Susanne Dunlap’s Regency romances I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed all of them (see my reviews below for the previous books). Every book offers something a little different, while still delivering on what we all expect from a Regency romance.

In this story, we are transported to Cornwall, where society is a little different to that of London and yet mostly governed by the same conventions, even if some elements are a little less refined. The addition of our working nobleman and the mystery of the new local doctor adds a delightful element to the story of our two heroines,as does our less-than-typical professions of the two women.

A charming Regency Romance, offering something a little different to stories of London and the Ton and sure to delight fans of the genre.

Check out my review for The Dressmaker’s Secret Earl and The Soprano’s Daring Duke

Meet the author

Susanne Dunlap started out a historian, became an award-winning historical novelist with fourteen published novels for adults and teens, and is now the author of the Regency romance series, Double-Dilemma Romance. She lives and writes in a converted textile mill in Biddeford, Maine.

Connect with the author

https://susanne-dunlap.com

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I’m sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley, the third book featuring Dorothy and Gina #blogtour #newrelease #comedy

I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley #blogtour #newrelease #comedy

I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley

Here’s the blurb

Two old friends. One sun-soaked adventure.

Dorothy and Gina may be separated by twenty years, but their friendship is timeless. At seventy-one and nearly ninety, life’s too short not to have a little fun – especially in Corfu.

When Dorothy is invited to visit an old friend at his villa, she insists Gina comes along. They’re looking forward to sunshine, sea breezes, and perhaps a dash of ouzo. But their plans are upended by an unexpected guest: glamorous actress Florence Quinn, who’s taken up residence in the pool house.

Florence may sparkle on the surface, but she’s hiding something – and someone – from her past. Determined to help, Dorothy and Gina embark on a quest across the island, only to find that Corfu holds more secrets, scandals, and surprises than they ever imagined.

A warm, witty, and adventurous tale of friendship, mischief, and unexpected discoveries.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/OldGirlsIslandGetaway

My Review

We’re back with the joyful ‘Old Girls,’ Gina and Dorothy as they jet off for yet another holiday, in the company of Dorothy’s granddaughter. This time, there’s a film star in their midst, threatening to disturb what Dorothy had hoped would be a reunion with a friend at the end of his life. But there are two minor mysteries for our ‘Old Girls’ and Dorothy’s granddaughter to solve – did Rupert play a part in stealing the priceless diamond decades ago – and why is Florence so determined on finding her holiday romance from thirty years ago?

These two mysteries provide the intrigue for the story as Gina is prevailed upon to drive a car around the twisty roads of Corfu and even hops onto a scooter, all in order to aid Florence. Juliet, Dorothy’s granddaughter, provides a welcome boost of humour with her cutting, if mostly true, comments.

As with the previous two books in the series, The Old Girls’ Island Getaway is a charming read, with some funny moments thrown in to remind us all that life doesn’t stop just because the birthdays start to rack up.

Check out my reviews for the previous two books featuring Dorothy and Gina Old Girls Behaving Badly and The Old Girls’ Chateau Escape.

Meet the author

Kate Galley is the author of uplifting golden years fiction, including The Second Chance Holiday Club. She lives with her family in Buckinghamshire and works part time as a mobile hairdresser

Connect with the author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/KateGalleyNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-galley

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I’m spotlighting Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence #BothSidesOfThePond #HistoricalFiction #WorldWar2History #MyFamilysWar #maineauthor #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m spotlighting Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence #BothSidesOfThePond #HistoricalFiction #WorldWar2History #MyFamilysWar #maineauthor #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m spotlighting Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence

Here’s the blurb

In January of 1939 when Barbara Greene, a beautiful young British actress, met Joe Kennedy, Jr., son of the American Ambassador, she could not have expected that their relationship would lead to her emigrating to the United States and learning to pilot a plane. Neither could her brother, Kent, have foreseen his bitter retreat from Dunkirk when he left England in January 1940 to fight in France, or his subsequent service on the frontlines in Cornwall, North Africa, Sicily, and Burma.

In this intensively researched war story of the author’s family, we also hear the stories of other ordinary people who survived extraordinary circumstances. Richly illustrated with photographs and documents, “Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933 – 1946” is a captivating book.

Praise for Both Sides of the Pond:

“Author Barbara Kent Lawrence weaves a rich tapestry of the lives of her British mother and uncle from 1933 to 1946, before, during, and just after World War II. …
War stories are very personal. This is such a story, and it offers insight into how two young people navigated difficult years that altered the trajectories of the lives they thought they would live. It is a worthy read, written beautifully. Don’t miss it.“
~ Patricia Walkow, Military Writers Society of America

“I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. History and the complexity of human relationships unfold with uncommon grace.“
~ Barbara Lazear Ascher, winner, most recently, of Pushcart’s Editors Book Award for Ghosting: A Widow’s Voyage Out.

Purchase Link

Amazon UK Paperback Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Both-Sides-Pond-Familys-1933-1946/dp/B0FMF2NTQZ/

Amazon US Paperback Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Both-Sides-Pond-Familys-1933-1946/dp/B0FMF2NTQZ/

Meet the author

Dr. Lawrence is the author of many articles and nine books, including an award-winning dissertation about the influence of culture on aspirations in Maine. Her new book, Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933 – 1945, is available in book stores and on amazon.com.

A former professor, she has taught courses in anthropology and sociology, research, and writing non-fiction and memoir. Lawrence grew up in New York City and Washington D.C., then earned a BA in anthropology from Bennington College, an MA in sociology from New York University, and an Ed.D. in Administration, Policy and Planning from Boston University.

In addition to teaching, Lawrence has worked for the Department of Social Services and the Housing Development Administration in New York, directed a small museum in Maine, co-run a brokerage and construction company, consulted for the Rural School and Community Trust and KnowledgeWorks, and started four non-profit organizations supporting the environment and students.

When not working she loves to garden, knit, and go for walks, pastimes she learned from her British mother. She lives in Maine and is working on the third novel in her Islands series.

https://linktr.ee/barbarakentlawrenceauthor

https://barbaralawrence.com/