Book Tuesday

Dear Readers,

I need your help. From my different sites, I’ve noticed that a few of my lovely readers have left reviews of my books. Now, on Amazon, it is an absolutely barren place for The Iron Pendulum and my children’s books. 

Cue the sorrowful music, tiny violins squeaking in the background attempting to set the moroseful scene…

Due to the low rate of reviews, my books are dropping down the rankings to the bottom of the pit where poor books go to die. 

Now the upbeat tempo kicks in, lifting the somber tone to one of hope…

There’s a way to change this. YOU, yes you, the wonderful readers who took the time to buy my books, or downloaded free copies or just read it from the backseat of the bus as the person on front of you dozed off – I NEED YOU! Please click onto Amazon from wherever you are and leave a review for me: good, bad, ugly – I’m a big girl, I can take it. If you’re not a member of Amazon, then please log onto whatever site you bought my books from, borrowed, stole, illegally downloaded and leave a review. 

I’m counting on all of you and will send you loads of butterfly kisses and well wishes. That might sound like a lousy repayment but my gratitude will be eternal. 

Eloise’s books – click

Book Tuesday

Welcome to Book Tuesday.

Last week, I introduced you to an action thriller called Codename: Camelot  by David Archer. Let’s take a look at the book and what I discovered…

The story started off rather slow with delightful tidbits left as breadcrumbs through the script, filling us in about the main character, Noah Wolf.

After witnessing the horrific murder of his parents as a child, Noah becomes immune to emotions; without a conscience or feelings to guide him, he invested his time in watching others, mimicking their emotions. Gaining the nickname, Pinocchio, from one of his friends, he struggles to react in the appropriate way that a child would behave when various circumstances are thrown in his direction.

An unfortunate chain of events sees Noah getting charged with the murder of his fellow officers; he is put on death row and escapes sentencing when he is recruited by a secret organisation known as E and E. Finding himself in a world that requires people to stuff their consciences away and lock up their emotions, Noah thrives, becoming the deadliest assassin in the world.

I enjoyed the repertoire between characters, a key element which was used successfully whilst focusing on technical details of the assassins’ training and equipment. My only bug bear was the fact that there was a repetitive strain at the beginning, as though re-affirming Noah’s lack of emotional balance whilst trying to prove that he is a good guy without it. The characters were fleshed out nicely, giving a sense of purpose to each person he met, however fleeting. I just wish that the action was a bit swifter. The book made it to over a hundred pages before something really interesting happened. Not that I’m complaining. The story needed to be told and I was taken on a journey with the main character, through the memories of his childhood, the threat to his life and the rigorous training he required to become the best. Once the action did start, it harked back to the old movies, where there was an infusion of detail, great action and the subtle lack of messy sexy scenes which tend to slow the action down.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the sequel, which, in my opinion, will be even better as I now know the character and look forward to finding out what he does next.

If you would like to read Codename: Camelot by David Archer, please click on the pic below to order your copy. Don’t forget to leave a review for the book on the website as this helps the author greatly.

Thanks for joining me.

 

Monday Coffee

Hurricane Doris has left her mark on the land, trawling her nails through our leafy forests and towns, ripping her way through anything left unattended or not battened down.

With that in mind, I thought it might be a good time to return to the bat cave. There’s nothing within grasp between these solid walls and heavy rock door so I think we will be safe! Due to sufficient supplies in the bat cave, I can offer you black coffee with sugar, tequila or water. Take your pick.

With another week under our belts and another letter of decline from the literary agents, I think some Columbian coffee will serve me well. Since we are close to home, a freshly made bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich won’t go amiss either!

Now that we have something good to eat and drink, let’s relax and catch up. Have you sent in your answer to Hugh’s Glimpses competition? The prize is a whopping £100 Amazon Gift voucher. It’s definitely worthwhile reading his book too as the clues are hidden within.

Speaking of books, Marjorie Mallon is compiling a list of authors who do book reviews or have guest authors with reviews. It’s worthwhile stopping by her place and catching up with the latest novels available for review. Here’s a snippet of the post she left on Facebook for any authors or bloggers interested in joining her listing:

Hi. I started off asking for bloggers/authors who would be interested in actively promoting authors by reviewing and/or showcasing authors work. I had eleven replies – all positive. I decided to make it a bit more personal rather than just writing a long list and adding links I decided to start a club for lovers of books who would like to support authors by writing reviews, and/or hosting authors on their blogs.

If authors and book bloggers would be interested in adding their details to my next list, (come join the club,) please do get in touch via my email: marjma2014@gmail.com. Thanks

I’ve just had to update this post with exciting news: the Bloggers Bash is getting a new logo and with time hopping and skipping towards our 2017 meet up, I couldn’t resist adding Sacha’s post about the Bash. If you haven’t booked your ticket to the Blogger’s Bash, now is the time to do it! As much fun as we have here in the bat cave, it would be great to break out and actually see each other in person!

On a personal note, I’ve discovered that my children have a knack at following the line of evidence at a hypothetical crime scene. My hubble gave them the facts of a death and they had to decipher who was the guilty party, or if it was a self-inflicted death. Watching and listening to their reasoning was like watching two detectives sift through the evidence at a crime scene. Even the minute detail of looking for clues on the witnesses’ clothing was not missed.  It was a pretty proud moment for me!

Pushing forward to the week ahead, my two detectives, Perkins and Jones, will be cutting through some evidence of their own and making their way towards the end of the case of the Pink Mask. There are a more details to add to pump the story full of fun details for the avid crime reader and I hope that it will keep my audience on their toes till the end.

Well, I’ve talked and munched through my bacon sarni and my coffee cup is empty, so it’s time to kick you out of the bat cave and get down to some real work. Have a great week and don’t forget to check out Hugh and Marjorie’s pages.

If you would like to find out more about Detectives Perkins and Jones, click on the pic below to order your copy of The Iron Pendulum.  Please leave a review and let me know if you’ve enjoyed the book.  Thanks.