VIB Award

The lovely Nicky Wells has passed this award to me, thank you, thank you Nicky.

I would also like to thank Marilyn Chapman for passing this award to me.

To accept this awards I must
1) Link back to the wonderful person who nominated me (done)
2) offer seven random facts about me and
3) pass the award on to seven fabulous bloggers.
Here goes

7 random facts........

1. I love marmite. Marmite on toast, Marmite sarnies, Marmite crisps, Marmite on crackers.
2. I hate nuts. All nuts.
3. I wish I had straight hair.
4. I have always wanted to be able to play the drums.  Being able to keep time would be an obstacle.
5. I cannot swim.  I scrimped to pay for swimming lessons for my older children.  Youngest is just starting to go in the water.
6. I used to love Genealogy and researched my family tree back to the 1600's.  It is quite time consuming and now quite expensive, so my research is now collecting dust on top of the wardrobe.
7. I have had  a variety of jobs including, working in sweet shop, Insurance clerk, various office jobs and shop jobs,homehelp for the elderly but my favourite was teaching assistant.

Most of the blogs I follow inspire me.  If you follow me regularly, please do take this award and 

put it on your own blog.  Blogs are a labour of love and all deserve credit.

DizzyC

Review: The Quintessential Gemini - Linn B Halton

• Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing LLC (16 May 2012)
• ISBN-13: 978-1938404092
• Also available for Kindle
• 
  

The blurb

For twenty-one years, the focus of Katherine Dale's life has been her work. Love interests and hobbies came and went, but what has always been there for her was her nine to five habit. Until she's replaced. With her confidence dented, Katherine is angry at life and at herself. 

She's ignored hints of "changes to come" in her horoscope forecasts, written by the wonderful and renowned astrologer, Mark Ainsley-Thomas. 

Mark is now an "A" list celebrity in the UK and his new Agent is determined to raise his profile in America, so he has to take on the new, but talented, astrologer James Kingman to help him run his web-site. 

Katherine lives her life according to her daily horoscope. When Katherine finds James has been writing her daily horoscopes rather than Mark, Katherine's life explodes in confusion and, unexpectedly, love as the three lives become inextricably tangled. 

Now Katherine has to learn that the stars might be telling her that love is going to feature in her life, but when Katherine finds herself implicated in the headlines 'Mystic Love Triangle Surprise' she's just as surprised as everyone else! None of the men in her life are love interests - so what exactly does fate have in store?

Katherine Dale finds herself unemployed at the age of 42.  Not unusual but Kat has put all her adult life into her work forsaking friends and relationships. Work is all she knows.

That and her daily horoscopes, which she lives her life by. She decides to try to write her own novel.  The locals in the Camsworth Writers Circle run away with this knowledge and promote Kat to be their resident writer.

Mark is an astrologer and the main adviser in Katherine's life along with many other fans.  He is very successful. So successful his workload is too much.  An assistant is taken on by his agent to write the daily horoscopes allowing Mark to attend his many appearances and work on the monthly readings. His personal life is just that.

James, the new assistant hired to write the daily horoscopes is also going through major changes in his life. His wife has left him and their business has collapsed.  

James has an elderly neighbour Jake, who also features as a main character in the novel and he has an interesting story to be told.

No4 is the only male in Katherine's life and he has his opinions on whom Katherine should bring home.

Are you sitting comfortably, then I shall begin.....this was how the style and narrative of this novel made me feel right from the beginning.   The three main characters narrate their own short and titled chapters. I felt as if I was their confident being told their inner most thoughts as they would talk to their closet friend. 

The author's interest in Astrology shines in this novel.  I admire her flowing writing and especially the horoscope readings for Katherine.  It must have taken some research to write those readings. I also enjoyed the insight into the writing process. 

A wonderful love story with Astrology as the main theme where the characters not only have to interpret their star charts but also their personal relationships.

10 out of 10!  I loved it!

Thank you to the author who gave me a review copy for my honest opinion.  This did not influence my review in any way.

Fiction Addiction presents Sheryl Browne - Cover Reveal

Cover reveal blog tour stop via

28th January Reading a Little Bit of Everything

29th  DizzyC’s Little Book Blog

30th January Me, My Books and I

31st January The Little Reader Library

1st February Cosmochicklitan

2nd February Brook Cottage Books

A Little Bit of Madness - Sheryl Browne

Where is the most romantic place in the world?

Sheryl’s answer:

The Far East, definitely, Bali in particular.  I love the culture, the tradition, the people, the climate!

          

What all the best-dressed girls in the Far East are wearing:

But, you know, if we stop to look, we do have some of the most romantic countryside closer to home.

What all the best-dressed girls in the UK are wearing:

Carol's answer:

I have yet to find the most romantic place in the world.  I am afraid I have not travelled very far.  

The furthest I have been so far, is Fuerteventura.  I would have to say that is the most romantic place to date, as it was my first holiday abroad with my gorgeous husband and the children.  

It was the first time the children and I had flown.  I actually cried when we landed in Fuerteventura.

My husband and I relaxing in Fuerteventura

My son M and me at the top of a mountain.(hence the hairstyle)
That is fear on my face as we are parked up to the edge!
  We had a chauffeur to take us on a 2 hour trike tour to a restaurant on the top of
a mountain.  It was one hairy ride as I have a fear of heights at the best of times
let alone when I am on the back of a trike!

That model looks familiar!

A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS -White Knight in Blue rescues the Harbour Rest Home - releases Valentine’s Day 2013.

About the Author:

Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design.

A partner in her own business, a mother and a foster parent to disabled dogs, Sheryl has also been writing for many years, the road along the way often bumpy.  She was therefore thrilled beyond words when Safkhet Publishing loved her writing style and commissioned her to write her debut novel. 

The Author, Sheryl Browne is running a giveaway with the chance to win a paperback or e-copy of A little Bit of Madness. Please leave a  pick me comment below. Sheryl will choose the winner a week after the tour finishes from the 5 tour stops featured in this tour.  The more tour stops you visit and comment on, the greater chance of winning.

RECIPES FOR DISASTER - combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews and was shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Festival of Romance Award.  Sheryl has since been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint.

 SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single father’s search for love and his autistic little boy, launched July 1. 

WARRANT FOR LOVE, Blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment - three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly - released August 1.

Sheryl Browne can be found at......

Sheryl’s Website

Safkhet Publishing

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Author Facebook     

Romantic Novelists’ Association

Sheryl is a loveahappyending featured Author and Editor.

Twitter: @sherylbrowne

I shall also be taking part in the book tour later in the month

Pens at the ready....

National Express have teamed up with Publisher Little, Brown and Author Jenny Colgan  to launch a short story competition today!

‘Take us on a Journey’ Short Story Competition begins today 28th January 2013, offering people the chance to fulfil a lifetime ambition, enjoy an incredible CV-boost, or even just the inspiration to pick up a pen.

Short stories can be up to 2,000 words and must be unpublished and original. The central theme of the stories must be ‘journeys’, and these can either be literal or metaphorical.

The winning entry will be published in the e-book edition of Jenny’s best-selling novel ‘The Good, The Bad and The Dumped’, which is out in summer 2013.

Details for this competition can be found www.nationalexpress.com

.

Jenny Colgan is the bestselling author of twelve novels including Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams and Meet Me at the Cupcake Café.  Her next novel, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris is published 14^thMarch 2013

Jenny can be found at 

Facebook - Jenny Colgan Books

Website for Jenny Colgan

twitter @jennycolgan 

The New Hunger, by Isaac Marion

Author: Isaac Marion
Publisher: Zora Books
Release Date: January 28, 2013
Format: eBook; 140 pages
Series: Warm Bodies (Book 0.5)
Genre: YA, Horror, Paranormal, Zombies
Avg. Rating: ★★★★✩ (4.50)

Goodreads

New York is a bayou. New Orleans is a reef. The entire country has been devastated by natural disasters and governmental collapse, and on top of everything else there is the annoying problem of zombies trying to devour you at every turn. But sixteen-year-old Nora and her younger brother Addis are about to discover the most frightening thing yet: being abandoned in this horrific world by their own parents.

Left with only a bag of clothes and a first-aid kit, Nora and Addis begin a harrowing journey to connect with anyone who isn't looking to rob them or eat them. A wounded man wrecks a meal of green beans and French fries at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. An attempt to get a good night’s sleep in a fortified motel is ruined by an undead face staring at them through the window. And they just can’t seem to shake someone – something – that’s been following them everywhere they go….

Meanwhile, a girl named Julie is traveling toward the city in an SUV with her parents. She is only twelve, but has already seen friends die and her school burn. She has watched her father become nearly as cold and remorseless as the Dead. All she wants is someplace to call home, even if it never really will be.

And somewhere nearby, a tall man awakens in the woods, unsure of exactly where he is, or even who he is. As he struggles to remember details of his life, a single consonant comes to him: R. He is…a name that begins with R…

Since The New Hunger is actually a novella, I guess we would call this a mini-review as I don't plan on speaking much about it for the risk of spoilers.  

All I really want to say is that if you like Warm Bodies, The New Hunger is an absolute must for you. It is a great read from Isaac Marion that gives you a glimpse of the characters and their lives before we meet them in Warm Bodies. 

I definitely enjoyed reading the part of the story about R. You get to experience his first days as a zombie and how he somehow manages to control the hunger from within. I fell in love with R in Warm Bodies, so this back story was definitely a treat.

Even though R is my favorite character, I have to admit that Nora and Addis' story really won me over. Seeing their will to live really stands out as some of the best parts of the story. 

Just like with Warm Bodies, Isaac Marion has managed to use his incredible writing skills to ensnare you back into the world of zombies. This was a great, quick read that everyone should pick up - as soon as it's out, of course.

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Publisher

Isaac Marion was born near Seattle in 1981 and has lived in and around that city ever since. He began writing in high school and self-published three novels before finally breaking through with Warm Bodies. He currently splits his time between writing more novels, playing obscure instruments in obscure bands, and exploring the country in his 1977 GMC motorhome.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Saturday Snapshot - Snow Day

I am joining Alyce at At Home with Books for Saturday Snapshot
A lovely weekly hop where we share our photos.

AJ, C, Daddy and Mummy playing in the snow
M is missing as he was still in bed (teens!)

We had a snow day here on Monday.  The UK still doesnt have the right tools for snow so we close schools, panic buy in the supermarkets and generally talk of nothing else for days.

Here is a collage of our Snow Day on Monday.

DizzyC

A Shade Of Vampire, by Bella Forrest

Author: Bella Forrest
Publisher: Forrest Books
Release Date: December 14, 2012
Format: Paperback; 147 pages
Series: A Shade Of Vampire (Book One)
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires 
Avg. Rating: ★★★★✩

Goodreads | Book Depository

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. 

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine. An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains. 

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. 

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Alright, I'll just come out with it: I love this book. I have read many books this year and many, many books over the past couple of years - and I can honestly say that it has been a long while since I have enjoyed a book THIS much.

First off, it's hard to believe that this book is actually a debut novel - although I guess it makes perfect sense with the author's background. But usually, even with a history like Bella Forrest has, you don't typically see such great writing until a few books down the line. Seeing as how I'm a stickler for writing most of the time, this was one of the things that made me happy.

All of the characters in this story defined themselves well through their actions throughout the story. Sofia was an instant hit for me. I liked that she was a strong character, but definitely had a little vulnerability to her that made her so human and easy to relate to. Derek was also a character that I loved from the very beginning. His actions stayed true to his character, and I love the way his attraction for Sophia shined through.The other characters were just as great. My heart bled a little when Ben showed back up in the story and you found out a little as to what he was going through when Sophia disappeared. Lucas was another character that popped off of the pages for me, but not in the best of ways. 

Being only 147 pages, this book reads very quickly. I think the winning factor to this book, for me, is the fact that this book gets straight to the action and the facts - there's not a ton of fluff that you have to weed through to get to the good stuff. The constant action made me flip feverishly through page after page until the very end. The only downside to that is knowing that I am completely finished with the novel and have to wait for the next book in the series to come out.. which I hope is very, very soon!

Essentially, this book is a vampire romance with a whole lot of action in it. So, if you like any of those themes, then I'm sure you will absolutely LOVE this book. It's definitely one to add to your bookshelf and covet. 

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Author


ABOUT BELLA:

I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.

As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre, but more specifically vampires.

I had my first idea for a novel when I was sixteen, and haven't really stopped since.

My debut novel, A Shade of Vampire, was released on December 14, 2012.
The book quickly became a Number 1 Christmas Bestseller in Vampire Romance, Paranormal and Fantasy on Amazon.

If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com ,
you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

I'd also love to meet you on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashadeofvampire
Or Twitter: www.twitter.com/AShadeOfVampire

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE is available on Amazon:

USA, paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Shade-Of-Vampire-Bella-Forrest/dp/1481280767

USA, eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Shade-Of-Vampire-ebook/dp/B00AOHDMFE

UK, paperback:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shade-Of-Vampire-Bella-Forrest/dp/1481280767

UK, eBook:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Shade-Of-Vampire-ebook/dp/B00AOHDMFE

Review: You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

• Publisher: Avon (6 Dec 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 000748805X
• ISBN-13: 978-0007488056

Also on Kindle

The blurb

Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel.

It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart. It's been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben on rainy day, the years melt away.

They'd been partners in crime and the best of friends.  But it's clear that life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is not.

Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she's never been able to mend.

Oh my, this is one busy read.  

The main character Rachel has such a wonderful narrative in this story, in which she goes off on a tangent at the drop of a hat. It took my full attention to keep up with her daydreaming.

Rachel is just about to walk out on her long term relationship with no real idea why and which direction she will take next. She just knows it is not working.  To add to her confusion, which doesn't take much, Ben comes back into her life.

Rachel has a good network of friends around her and with their help she makes the transition from 'engaged to be married' to singledom.  Along the way she is introduced to Simon by Ben's matchmaking wife.

It is rather a long story and I do feel it could have been wrapped up a little sooner, but  it as it worth the rollercoaster ride.

Mhairi McFarlane has written a very funny and sharp novel with some great observations about complex relationships.

I look forward to seeing more from this author.

9 out of 10 for me! I loved it!

Thank you to Avon for a review copy.  This did not influence my review in any way.

Review: India Black and The Rajah's Ruby by Carol K Carr

• Photo to follow
• 
  
• Kindle edition
• Print Length: 62 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (31 Dec 2012)
• ASIN: B007P7HX4M

The blurb (from Amazon)

India Black uses her wit and wiles as both a madam and a spy, proving she’s the best there is when it comes to undercover work…

Drawn into intrigue by her lover Philip Barrett, India finds herself being used as a pawn to help him steal a valuable jewel. Turning the tables, she proves that India Black answers to no man, no matter how attractive he may be…

This is another tale from the infamous India Black, Madam and spy for the Victorian Government.

I am not usually interested in crime, spy or action base historical fiction but India Black is one character I always have time for.  She is a feisty and well clued up Madam who never fails to entertain me with her stories.  

I have said this before, I love her narrative.  

In this prequel novella, India shares the secret of how she came by her fortune which enabled her to open her own house. It is short and sweet and I do wonder if maybe the author could have actually made a full length prequel.  I am intrigued to now about India's background and how she ended up as Madam.  I believe there is a lot more about India to be shared.

Includes a preview of India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy, which is due out Feb 2013.

9 out of 10 for me!

This was a net galley ecopy for review.

Guest Author - Anna-Lou Weatherley

Today I am delighted to have Anna-Lou Weatherley as guest author. Here she tells us about her crazy year and gives us a snippet of her next novel which is due to hit the bookshelves in July.

I read and reviewed Chelsea Wives last Friday.

• Publisher: Avon (21 Jun 2012)
• ISBN-13: 978-1847563309
• Also available for Kindle

Photos courtesy of the author

I cannot even begin to explain how crazy (in a good way) the past twelve months of my life has been. I launched my debut novel, CHELSEA WIVES, threw a lavish launch party and got married (not in the same day I might add, though believe me, it felt like it!). To finally see my novel on the shelves was a life-changing moment for me and up there with giving birth (minus the gas and air). I will never forget the moment I walked into WH Smith in Victoria station and saw the cover staring back at me. I promptly bought a copy and announced to the startled cashier that I’d written it (I couldn’t help myself!). It was a moment I will cherish forever.

Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to write novels and I am very humbled that my dreams have come true. I love to create realistic, three-dimensional characters that are sometimes a little larger than life and often complex (like all of us!). I particularly enjoy writing strong female protagonists and I adore a flawed character, they are infinitely more fun to write! Although I give my books a very glamorous jet-set backdrop (I am a little obsessed with exotic locations and all things designer – a girl can dream, no?), I am interested in exploring the darker side of life and human nature too; glamour mixed with grime excites me. I’m not your standard chick-lit writer in that sense, or at least I hope I’m not. I was thrilled when CHELSEA WIVES was bought by Italian publishers Newton Compton (they translated the title to ‘La rivincitadelle Mogli’ – the Revenge of the Wives!). I went to Rome on the weekend of the launch and was astounded to see the cover on billboards all over the airport! I wish I could’ve bottled that feeling!

My new title WICKED WIVES is predominantly set in London and Las Vegas, (though we also see Antigua, Santorini, Capri, Paris…) and is ostensibly the story of three women who are all inextricably linked by one delectable but dangerous man! Here’s a sneak preview at the synopsis below!

Wicked Wives

Sometimes it just feels so good being bad….

When the ‘Blue Angel’ yacht is found abandoned of the coast of Antigua and

Playboy and Casino owner, Tom Black, who was on board is pronounced missing, foul-play is suspected. After all, the serial gambler and womaniser has made plenty of enemies.

As events come to light however, the finger of suspicion points to three women in particular – and the men they’re married to.

Ellie Scott, the beautiful socialite with a dubious past whose husband is the billionaire property developer Vincent Scott; Loretta Fiorentino, the fame-seeking Italian gold-digger whose infamous plastic surgeon husband has transformed her looks at his ultimate cost and Victoria Mayfield, the glamorous successful author whose inability to conceive a child rocks her perfect marriage to core…

Nineteen years ago, on the eve of her marriage to Vincent Scott, childhood step-brother and sister turned sweethearts Ellie and Tom say one final and passionate goodbye, and unbeknown to him a child is conceived. Deeply in love with his beautiful young wife, Vincent Scott agrees to turn a blind eye on the condition Tom Black’s name is never mentioned again - ever. However, when Tom makes an unexpected reappearance in London twenty years on as the owner of a glamorous new casino, it’s obvious the past hasn’t completely been laid to rest and Ellie is forced to take the ultimate gamble of all…

Loretta Fiorentino should’ve married Tom Black when she had the chance. Having lured him away from the love of his life with promises of fame and fortune, she is left devastated and vengeful when he eventually discards her just like the others. When her second husband, Doctor Ramsey Hassan, infamous plastic surgeon to the stars, dies suddenly of a heart attack under a dark cloud of suspicion as to his professional ethics, Loretta gets what she’s always wanted: his money.And in a brillianttwist of fateshe finds herself in the driving seat once more when she runs into Tom in Las Vegas, only this time it’s on her terms….

Victoria Mayfield’s perfect life is shattered by the cot death of her adored baby girl and her pain is prolonged further by her husband’s secondary infertility.  She loves her husband, but she loves the idea of motherhood more and as her obsession grows, so does her desire to have a child – at any cost… Prepared to sacrifice her moral beliefs for motherhood, Victoria embarks upon a search for a surrogate only with far-reaching repercussions…

The young and beautiful Tess Scott, daughter of Ellie and Vincent Scott, is desperate to get her parents off her back and make her own way in life, but when a trip to the party Island of Ibiza goes abhorrently wrong, Tess finds herself embroiled in a dangerous situation of blackmail and extortion. As her perfect rich-girl London life begins to unravel, she is forced to get a job at Black Jack’s casino and befriends her enigmatic boss, Tom Black, who goes all out to help the troubled girl he finds a strange affinity with. But is their relationship all that it seems?

When Vincent Scott has his wife followed, his discoveries leave him devastated and he vows to rid their lives of Tom Black once and for all. But has someone else got there before he can? And can Ellie stand by and watch the destruction of a man she loves deep down but knows she cannot trust…?

WICKED WIVES is a pacey, passionate and sizzling romp with a larger than life cast of characters and few unexpected twists! Set against a jet-set backdrop of exotic locations, boutique hotels and designer attire, it’ll leave you breathless for more!

I would be absolutely thrilled to hear from you, whether you’re a reader or a budding writer. Your feedback is very important to me.

Anna-Lou Weatherley was born in Hampshire but grew up in London where she still lives with her husband and two young children. An award-winning journalist and women’s lifestyle writer for over fifteen years, she is the former editor and acting editor of J-17 and Smash Hits respectively and has written for all the major glossies including Grazia, Company and Marie Claire among others and is currently More magazine’s resident no-nonsense advice columnist.

She is the author of two teen titles, Ibiza Summer and The Wrong Boy (Piccadilly Press) and her debut adult novel CHELSEA WIVES (Avon, Harper Collins) came out to acclaim in June of last year with Grazia magazine calling it, ‘A fun romp of a read, the perfect poolside companion.’

You can follow Anna-Lou on Twitter @annaloulondon or become a fan on Facebook/ChelseaWives.

WICKED WIVES is Out July 2013 on Avon (Harper Collins). CHELSEA WIVES is available in bookshops, from Amazon and to download. 

Life After Death, by Damien Echols

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Author: Damien Echols
Publisher: Blue Rider Press
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Format: Hardcover; 399 pages
Series: N/A
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, True Crime
Avg. Rating: ★★★★✩

Goodreads | Book Depository

In 1993, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.—who have come to be known as the West Memphis Three—were arrested for the murders of three eight-year-old boys in Arkansas. The ensuing trial was marked by tampered evidence, false testimony, and public hysteria. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison; while eighteen-year-old Echols, deemed the “ringleader,” was sentenced to death. Over the next two decades, the WM3 became known worldwide as a symbol of wrongful conviction and imprisonment, with thousands of supporters and many notable celebrities who called for a new trial. In a shocking turn of events, all three men were released in August 2011.

Now Echols shares his story in full—from abuse by prison guards and wardens, to portraits of fellow inmates and deplorable living conditions, to the incredible reserves of patience, spirituality, and perseverance that kept him alive and sane while incarcerated for nearly two decades.

When the whole ordeal with the West Memphis Three happened, I didn't pay it much attention. I was nine years old, so it didn't interest me much. Obviously, even at that age, it made me sad that children my age died.. and I got the "don't trust strangers" talk from my parents about a dozen times - but that was about the extent of my concern. But my father kept up with the case. A couple of years later, I found myself more caught up in the case. I liked mysteries. These murders were mysteries to me. And, for whatever reason, I never believed that the three guys who were found guilty of killing the three boys were actually the murderers. Ever since I was thirteen, I have kept up with the West Memphis Three. When they were released (albeit with a crap bargain), I was happy. When I saw that Damien's memoir was out, I was even happier. Now, I have a first-hand account into the history of the West Memphis Three all through the mind of the alleged "master mind" of the group. 

I think I should say that it's pretty hard to actually review a memoir, as it is a story of someone's life. I am not trying to review Echols' life - rather, the format this book was written. As far as the story, I loved this book. Yet, at the same time, it was truly heart-wrenching. I couldn't imagine being in Echols' shoes, having to spend eighteen years in prison for a crime you didn't commit.. especially a crime so heinous as the murders of three little boys. Echols has an amazing talent at writing, and you can practically feel the emotion he put into his writing oozing out of the pages. 

Having said that, I did see some minor things that could have been worked on. First off, it felt like the first half of this book was Almost Home (Echols' book he wrote while incarcerated) written all over again. I don't know, there could have been a reason for this. For someone who has read Almost Home (me), this seems like it could have been skipped. But, if you haven't read it, then you practically get two books for the price of one. There were also some other parts of the story that were repeated that could have been skipped, but it doesn't really distract from the story. What does distract me is the constant use of the word magick/magickal (yes, he spells it with the "k" every single time). The usage was a little excessive - however, again, not a true distraction to the point of this book.

Like I said, I really did enjoy this book. If you know about the WM3 and haven't read this book, then you're missing out. For those of us that do believe that sometimes innocent people are accused of horrible crimes, this is not a book to be ignored - it's a real eye-opener to what sometimes happens to those innocents. 

Rating: ★★★★✩
Source: Netgalley

Damien Wayne Echols, along with Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, is one of the three men, known as the West Memphis Three, who were convicted in the killing of three eight-year-old boys Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore at Robin Hood Hills, West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 5, 1993.

Damien Echols was convicted of murder by a jury and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He was on death row under 23 hours per day lockdown at the Varner Supermax. On August 19, 2011, Echols, along with the two others collectively known at the West Memphis Three, were released from prison after their attorneys and the judge handling the upcoming retrial agreed to a deal. Under the terms of the Alford guilty plea, Echols and his co-defendents pleaded guilty to three counts of first degree murder while maintaining their innocence. DNA evidence failed to connect Echols or his co-defendents to the crime.

Review: Women and Children First by Gill Paul

• Publisher: Avon (29 Mar 2012)
• ISBN-13: 978-1847563255
• Kindle ASIN: B006I1CDKK
• Women and Children First by Gill Paul

The blurb

The Titanic was the most magnificent ship ever built, offering every possible luxury to her passengers – yet on the night on the 14th of April, 1912, she sank in the North Atlantic, leaving the lucky ones floating in wooden rowing boats, and the rest struggling for their lives in the icy water.

This novel follows the fortunes of Reg, a handsome young steward who works in the first-class dining room; Annie, a gifted Irishwoman who is travelling to America with her four children; Juliette, a titled English lady who is pregnant and unmarried; an American millionaire and his wife who are trapped in a poisoned marriage; and a mystery passenger who never shows her face in public.

The sinking of the Titanic not only steals lives but blows apart the futures of those who survive. Coming to terms with the shocking events, survivors form new attachments, make decisions with tragic consequences, and watch all their old certainties crumble. How can life ever be the same again when you have heard 1,500 people dying in the water around you?

This novel follows the story of 3 survivors who were unfortunate enough to be sailing on the maiden voyage of the fateful Titanic on 14th April 1912.  

Reg is a 21 year old first-class steward, with a fiance back home and an ambition to earn enough money to settle down and start a family.  His work record is blotted by an incident on a previous cruise when he was accused of stealing.  He looks up to his friend John.

Annie and her brood of four children are sailing on the Titanic to join her husband in America to begin a new and better life for the family.  They are travelling in 3rd class but Annie feels this is luxury travelling.

Juliette is a Lady who has found herself pregnant out of wedlock, to her married lover.  Her mother believes that no Englishman will want to marry her now and, as time is pressing on, the only solution is to find an American husband and fast. 

The author begins by introducing us to these 3 central characters and other characters around them on the voyage.  It follows the fateful night of the sinking and then Part 2 follows the three characters as they are rescued and begin to rebuild their lives in New York.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, how the came to be rescued and following their stories after the rescue. There are some fascinating descriptions of the Titanic and the type of passengers it would have been carrying. The class divide on the floating community is explored in the story.  I liked the fact that the story did not end when these passengers were rescued. 

My only niggle was that I just didn't feel the fear and panic of these passengers quite as much as I expected to. I didn't feel like I was there with them.

This one will appeal to those who enjoy historical romance, historical fiction and social history.

7 out of 10 for me!  I enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Avon for sending me a review copy.  This did not influence my review in any way.