Re-run of Book Tuesday

Hello.  For today’s post, I’ve decided to share some of the reviews, shares and promos for my new crime thriller, The Iron Pendulum.

My ten year old daughter decided to spend her morning creating an IMovie promo to promote the book after I gave her ideas of what was trapped between the crisp pages. With the aid of some photos, she came up with this gem…

I was very impressed with her efforts and she has now moved on to my children’s book, A Tale of Knots!

Hugh, Colleen, Olga, Wally and many other bloggers, writers and friends have been sharing the link to TIP (The Iron Pendulum).

Here’s what they had to say…

“I was a beta reader for this book. It was a brilliant read, so go buy/download it right now. You’ll be thanking me. 😀” Hugh

“With little evidence to go on the detectives are thrown head first into one of the most bizarre missing person cases I have ever read. Author, Eloise De Sousa adeptly strings the reader along revealing more grisly discoveries along the way. There is an extraordinary family history intertwined within the story that propels you forward to the shocking conclusion.

If you love a good murder mystery and don’t get squeamish reading about blood and murder, then this book is for you. I did get pretty creeped out, I won’t deny that. There is quite the shock factor when you reach the end… Remember, I warned you!” Colleen

I have to admit, this story has a lot of grit to it, but I can assure all my readers, it’s not enough to put you off finding out who did it in the end.

One of my Hot Shots subscribers gave her review of TIP.

“This story takes you down a twisting road, pairing childhood memories of horror, to the present search for the couple. As these detectives seem to be getting no closer to solving the case, it begins to become more personal to them.”

If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, click on the pic below for the Amazon page.

a href=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1326689983/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8″> Click on the pic to order your copy[

A big thank you if you have read TIP.  Please don’t forget to leave a review, good or bad, on your purchase site or my book page.  It’s always good to get feedback from you.

Join me next week when I shall be featuring something a little different!

Thanks for reading.

Smorgasbord Blogger Daily – Monday 30th July 2018 – Margot Kinberg, Hugh Roberts and #Reviewer Linda Hill Book Bag | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Welcome to the first of this week’s blogger daily and a small selection of posts that I have enjoyed. The first post is from crime and mystery writer Margot Kinberg on the subject of Happy Endings and how those who read crime (murder stories) still have an expectation of sorts, despite the circumstances. Certainly I…
— Read on smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/smorgasbord-blogger-daily-monday-30th-july-2018-margot-kinberg-hugh-roberts-and-reviewer-linda-hill-book-bag/

There’s Something About Harry

Harry is a bit of a conundrum. She’s the kind of woman you want to sympathize with but end up hating because of her frailty and ability to call every man in close proximity to her assistance. Her life has been hell and though she seems to think there might be a light at the end of the rainbow – it’s the light of an oncoming train!

Kennings At Monday Coffee

Have you ever heard of a Kennings poem?

Wine o’ clock

I love long lines of traffic, moody children complaining in the back and the scowling sky threatening to cry out to the world below. Love the stress of trying to balance a workday with after school clubs and meetings for four different children preparing for their new year in a new class (two at new schools!). Love the plucky looks of parents eyeing out my dog hanging out the back window as I park because he’s decided to make himself sick and nearly die, and me spending sleepless nights watching over him then going to work.

Yup. It has been fun. 

Suffice it to say, I am declaring it wine o’ clock and all my worries be damned! As I pour my glass of Shiraz and slip into my oversized pjs that don’t match but are the most comfortable clothes I possess, I feel bubbles of excitement fill my body. The thought of a night of relaxation with XXX on Sky (yes, of course I love Vin Diesel but not in the way you would think – I want to be him, not be with him!!) and my secret stash of Turkish Delights just waiting for me, I plan on forgetting the pending appointments for the week ahead, the deadlines on books I still haven’t finished writing and my start with the Open University where I will be studying a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. 

Yes folks, the future may be bright and filled with opportunities, but just for tonight, I’m taking a break. 

Please, be kind and leave reviews for my books. I will try to keep posts flowing on my blog but they will be intermittent (as they have been for the past few weeks). Apologies if I miss your posts. I will try to keep up but a few will fall through the cracks. 

If you need me, send me an email or contact me through my social media sites. I’m still around, just focusing on not drowning under children, work, studies and pets! 

Hugs to you all. 

Book Tuesday with Teagan

Hello and welcome to Book Tuesday. I have the pleasure of introducing a good blogging buddy of mine this week: Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene. She has been visiting many bloggers’pages over the past few days, spreading the exciting news about her new book. If you’ve been lucky enough to follow her blog, you’ll know that she is the queen of pantser writing. Her unique 1920’s based stories take her readers to a forgotten era, serving a delicious mix of home made recipes to tantalise readers as they delve into her stories. 

Without further ado, I’ll let her do the talking!

Announcing the Launch of
Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I

Introducing the second “three things” serial, in novel form — Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I.

Yes, that’s the cover. (I love making covers!) I kept it similar to the one for the first serial, The Three Things Serial Story, but with different 1920s photos.

For those of you who are not familiar with my blog serials…

Ages ago I developed a writing exercise. I asked friends to give me three completely random things. Then I would write until I had mentioned all the things. I brought that exercise to my blog (Teagan’s Books), but I had the readers send me their things. I let the random things drive every detail of a serial story, setting, plot, and characters. That resulted in The Three Things Serial Story, which gave birth to this culinary mystery. However, this time the “things” are food related — or ingredients.

About the Book

As with the first serial, Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I is a spontaneously written, pantser story. I wrote by the seat of my pants and let the “ingredients” readers sent each week drive a new serial story. This is the “bookized” version of that serial.

This time the Jazz Age setting is Savannah, Georgia where our flapper, Pip, is “sentenced” to live with her grandmother and learn to cook. Pip gets caught up in a layered mystery that includes bootleggers, G-men, and the varied challenges of being a young woman in changing times. She meets new friends, including some animal characters.

If you have not read The Three Things Serial Story, be warned. This adventure contains a bit of a spoiler, but does not go into detail about it.

Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I is available through and Amazon and Create Space. If you don’t have a Kindle, Amazon also offers a free app that will let you read Kindle books on your computer or other device. The purchase links are below. But first, here’s a snippet.

In my imagination, a young Lucille Ball would play Pip.

Excerpt

Rutabaga Limbo

Either I woke up feeling horribly nauseated, or the queasiness woke me. I’m not sure which. I opened my eyes to complete darkness. There was no light, no sound. The way my stomach tossed reminded me of a small boat on the ocean. It was as if I sailed in a lightless limbo.

Oh… that was a bad train of thought to have with an unsettled belly.

Think of something else! Anything else, I told myself.

I stood unsteadily. The sound of a cricket came to me. Good. The utter silence had been very disturbing. I became aware of the cool moist earth beneath my palms.

Where the Sam Hill was I?

I sat back on my heels, focusing all my senses. My eyes might as well have been closed — it was that dark. Bare ground was beneath me. The air had a musty odor. A sickly sweet scent clung to my bobbed hair.

The cricket’s chirping was the only sound. Still sitting, I turned. My eyes widened and strained, trying to see in that heavy darkness. When I looked up I was rewarded with the sight of a thin line of pink light.

The faint glow allowed me to see vague outlines a few feet away. I stumbled over something and stooped down to let my hands figure out what it was. I felt a burlap bag and round lumps. Rutabagas? I felt around and found another bag. That one felt like potatoes. I moved closer to the wall and a tall shape. Yes, a ladder, my questing hands confirmed for my still foggy brain.

Gazing up at the line of pinkish light I realized I was in a root cellar.

But how did I get there?

***

Purchase Links

Amazon USA

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Bijou-Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/dp/1974544273/ref=la_B00HHDXHVM_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502806322&sr=1-4

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Bijou-Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene-ebook/dp/B074S5ZK7L/ref=la_B00HHDXHVM_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502806322&sr=1-3

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Bijou-Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene-ebook/dp/B074S5ZK7L/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502806519&sr=1-1&keywords=murder+at+the+bijou

And https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Bijou-Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/dp/1974544273/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502806519&sr=1-2&keywords=murder+at+the+bijou

Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/Murder-Bijou-Three-Ingredients-English-ebook/dp/B074S5ZK7L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502806623&sr=8-1&keywords=teagan+geneviene

Author Bio

Image by Chris Graham

Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene, a southerner by birth, was “enchanted” by the desert southwest of the USA when she moved there. Now a resident of a major east coast city, she longs to return to those enchanting lands.

Teagan had always devoured fantasy novels of every type. Then one day there was no new book readily at hand for reading — so she decided to write one. And she hasn’t stopped writing since.

Her work is colored by her experiences in both the southern states and the southwest. Teagan most often writes in the fantasy genre, but she also writes 1920s stories and Steampunk. Her blog “Teagan’s Books” contains serial stories written according to “things” from viewers.

You can also visit me at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/e/B00HHDXHVM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teagangeneviene
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeagansBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/teagangeneviene/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoM-z7_iH5t2_7aNpy3vG-Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teagangeneviene

Thanks for joining me and please remember, reviews help authors! Have a great Tuesday. 

Book Tuesday: Vashti Quiroz-Vega

Welcome to Book Tuesday.

Today, I have the honour of introducing a lady who has featured with her thrilling book, The Basement and is back to introduce her latest book, The Fall of Lilith. Her name is Vashti Quiroz-Vega.  I am excited to share Vashti’s new book with my readers and let you all get a chance to get to know her and her book.

Hello everyone! I’m so happy to be here at Thoughts by Mello-Elo. Thanks for inviting me, Eloise! My name is Vashti Quiroz-Vega and I’m a writer of Fantasy, Horror and Thriller. If you enjoy reading short stories in those genres and poetry you can do so on my blog, The Writer Next Door | Vashti Q. I’m here today to tell you a little about myself and to introduce my new novel, The Fall of Lilith.

I began reading, writing and storytelling early. In elementary school I drew pictures and wrote stories in comic book form and sold them for a quarter a piece. I grew up in a religious home, attended a religious private school and went to church regularly with my parents. I read many religious books. I also enjoyed fairy tales and mythology and devoured many of these types of books. I’ve always been curious about angels and other supernatural creatures. The combination of all of the above was the inspiration for The Fall of Lilith.

With this in mind, could you tell us a bit more about the book?

The Fall of Lilith is an adult (18+) epic fantasy with dark elements about angels. It is the first installment of my Fantasy Angels Series. The characters in this story are angels depicted in a very unique way. It is a story of many twists, surprises and a bit of controversy. The Fall of Lilith is available in paperback and eBook on Amazon.

 

 “The Fall of Lilith is a compelling narrative that provides background on several well-known, supernatural figures. Though obviously religious in nature, Quiroz-Vega’s book strays far from traditional biblical text. Sea monsters, mermaids, and vampires share the stage with angels and demons. And illicit (and explicit) affairs, violent battles, and graphic injuries abound. Quiroz-Vega’s prose is incredibly descriptive. 

A well-written, descriptive, and dark creation story.”–– Kirkus reviews

If you are a reader of fantasy and adventure Vashti’s writing transcends the norm and transports you into a world that is both believable and enjoyable.  

“I merely assisted you in doing what you desired all along.”
So says Lilith, the most exquisite of the angels. The two most important pledges an angel makes to God are those of obedience and celibacy, and dire consequences await any who break their oaths.At first, the angels are happy in their celestial home, learning and exploring together. As they grow older, though, Lilith begins to question these pledges, which now seem arbitrary and stifling. Her challenge of the status quo leads to disagreement, jealousy, and strife among her peers. As the arguing and acrimony grow, lines are drawn and sides are chosen. Is war inevitable?
Filled with robust characters, incredible landscapes, and exciting action, The Fall of Lilith is an epic tale of seduction, betrayal, and revenge.
Free Will involves asking difficult questions and making hard choices, choices that require strength and sacrifice. These decisions can tear apart friendships and cause rifts between allies.
They can even threaten the foundations of Heaven.

Please find the links to purchase Vashti Quiroz-Vega’s The Fall of Lilith below. Authors survive on reviews, so please remember to leave your review for her so that other readers can benefit from your opinions. As always, thank you for support.

Click on the pic below to purchase your copy.

EU Customers

 

US Customers

Blog: http://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1g0da7d

Twitter: http://twitter.com/VashtiQV

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+VashtiQVega

Tumblr: http://vashtiq.tumblr.com

Lit World Interviews – Review of Deception

I am sharing a review of my book, Deception, from LitWorld Interviews.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Deception, please click on the pic. Thank you. 

A big thank you to Lit World Interviews for their review of Deception. Here is a copy of the review…

Title: Deception

Author: Eloise De Sousa

ISBN-10: 1291547955
ISBN-13: 978-1291547955
https://eloisedesousa.wordpress.com/

Pages: 234

Genre: Adult Crime-Romance

What’s it about?

Deception is a story about facing your past and learning to trust.

Amanda Glenson has a nice life working in a law firm in London while raising her 5 year old son Zachary. Unfortunately for her, a past that sent her fleeing from her home, her country on another continent, has finally caught up with her. There is no way around facing it; she must return home to Zimbabwe.

Enter Alex Edwards a lawyer brought in specifically to handle a situation in Zimbabwe for the law firm Amanda works for. Sparks fly between the two, only for Alex to discover he will be taken along for the ride into Amanda’s past, a coincidence that fate brings about. Two people with tainted pasts join together in a quest to find truth.

Highlights of the Book

236 pages of every kind of emotion keeps you reading. The suspense makes you want to read it in one sitting. Who did what? How are Amanda and Alex connected? What is the Deception? And how does little Zachary play a role in the story?

De Sousa brings a realistic feel to the story and her imagery is perfect. She writes what she knows–London and Africa. Authentic in her knowledge of her environment, she carries you along on a tour of her image memories. This in part is what makes it a good, easy flowing read.

The deception title is all through the book in so many ways you have to keep guessing what is the deception. You won’t guess but you can try.

Romance, desire, heat, and all done well with taste and great imagery that gives you just enough to let you become part of the story, but not so much to drive you away from it. Very well done, classy.

Challenges of the Book

There are several interesting characters that could have greater depths in personality and add to the story. There were some opportunities for the male protagonist, Alex, to have done more on several levels. That being said some of the emotional aspects of the character were perfect.

What do you get from it?

Trust is a hard thing to do.

What would I change if anything?

I would have used Alex a little more and turned up either a bit more of the action or perhaps liked to have seen a little more intense dialogue exchanges to increase the tension that made the insides twist wanting more.

Who would I recommend this book to?

The book is classified as a Adult Crime Romance, but to me, it could also be classified as Suspense Drama. There are Romance elements in the book but are not driving points of the story. When Romance is part of the story, it is done very well.

Ratings:

Realistic Characterization: 5/5

Made Me Think: 3/5

Overall enjoyment: 3/5

Readability: 4/5

Recommended: 4/5

Ovearall Rating: 3.8

Buy it at:

Amazon

Format & Pricing:

Paperback: 8.41 USD

Kindle: .99 USD

Alternate Purchsing:

Amazon U.K., Lulu.com

eloisedesousa.wordpress.com

@mello_elo

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by litworldinterviews.wordpress.com

Click to order your copy.

Readers Favourite Review of Scat the Black Cat

I am sharing this book review with you from a few years ago.  It’s a great review of Scat the Black Cat.

A big thank you to Michelle Robertson for her review of Scat the a black Cat. Scat is available to download or purchase in paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and lulu.com/spotlight/eloisedesousa or click on the link below.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scat-Black-Cat-Eloise-Sousa-ebook/dp/B00KMU347O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417638639&sr=8-1&keywords=Scat+the+black+cat

Book Review
Reviewed by Michelle Robertson for Readers’ Favorite

Scat is a cat who is black in color. He lives outside in a cozy kennel. Sean, one of his human family members, gives him hot delicious food outside the kitchen door every morning. Scat is appreciative of his food, but does not always get to eat it. A big cat from the neighbor’s at 62 Busby Lane is a bully and keeps eating his breakfast! Scat grew tired of never being able to eat the hot food his owners provided for him, and decided to teach the big old bully, Bruiser, a lesson. Little did he know his plan for a lesson Bruiser would never forget would turn out to be a lesson he would, in fact, never forget. Come find out what Scat the black cat learned about Bruiser the bully cat.

Scat the Black Cat written by Eloise De Sousa is a delightful children’s storybook filled with pleasant and colorful illustrations enhancing the charming plot. Young readers can expect to learn a valuable life lesson upon reading about the main character, Scat, who is the black cat. The expression “never judge a book by its cover” and “you never know what goes on behind closed doors” can be applied to this story. Scat believes his neighbor cat is being a bully by eating his breakfast each day, but in fact this is not the case at all, as he finds out towards the end of the story. The author has created a wonderful book for children and adults alike to read, enjoy, and discuss the life lesson described within the story.

I absolutely loved your book. It was such a delightful, light-hearted story filled with compassion, good nature, and a very important life lesson. Thank you for writing this book. I enjoyed it very much.

To purchase your copy of Scat the Black Cat, click on the pic below. Thank you.

 

Book Tuesday

Hello and welcome to Book Tuesday. I’m writing this note from my car as I am in the middle of Mum’s Taxi run! Tuesday nights are Girl Guide nights and my two daughters belong to the Guides and Senior Section. On nights like this one, we have to get them to two different locations for meetings or activities within fifteen minutes of each other. Now picture all the other parents attempting to do the same thing for their sprogs who attend Guides, Brownies, Cubs and Scouts. Traffic is a nightmare!

Back to Book Tuesday.