Tilbury Talks To… Kerry Ann Parsons

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Today, Tilbury Talks To… Kerry Ann Parsons. Firstly, thank you for agreeing to take part today Kerry. Would you let everyone know a little about yourself?

Hi Mark and thanks for having me.
I’m 40 years old. I’ve been married to Steve for 16 years, together for 19! We had our babies first and have a son who recently turned 18 and a 16 year old daughter. I also have a step-son who is 22. I have been a full-time Mum and housewife since 2000, but also our church treasurer since July 2014. I have been job hunting for a little while, now the children are less dependent on me. Needless to say my favourite hobby is reading but I also love spending quality time with family and friends, walking, cooking/baking, TV, cinema, theatre and eating out. I blog at chataboutbooks.wordpress.com

 

What went through your head when you first decided to start your book blog?
What on earth am I thinking….. Who is going to want to read my ramblings….. We’ll see how it goes, what’s the worst that can happen!?

What are the best and worst things about being a book blogger?
Apart from all of the wonderful books I might never have come across otherwise, the best thing for me about being a book blogger is all of the awesome people I have been lucky enough to meet, both online and in person.
The worst thing is not having the time to read all of the books all of the time. Continue reading →

Tilbury Talks To… Sean Talbot

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Today, Tilbury Talks To… Sean Talbot. Sean blogs over on Sean’s Book Reviews, and reads lots of genres but his favourites are fantasy, crime and thrillers. Thanks for visiting the blog today Sean.

What went through your head when you first decided to start your book blog?
Partially fear as this was an unknown item for me and I am not really a writer or a tech person. The other part was excitement over being able to share my love of books even if no-one read it but me.

What are the best and worst things about being a book blogger?
Best is the interaction I have had with people who are in the community like the authors and publishers and other book bloggers.
Worst is hard to say but it would probably be the feeling if self-doubt that comes when you create to many deadlines and if you can write the review well enough.

How soon after finishing reading a book do you write a review?
I try as soon as possible as its fresh in my mind so I can write a better review about what I felt about the book.

Have you met any fellow book bloggers in ‘real life’ and what were they like?
No I haven’t met any other book bloggers face to face as most of those I know are from England and I am in Canada.

If you’ve not met any other book bloggers in ‘real life’ yet, who would you like to meet and why?
There are so many as I have nothing but good interactions with other bloggers. But here are a couple I would like to meet.
Noelle Holten. She is always the most inspirational and helpful blogger you could hope to meet.
Anne Cater, as her wealth of experience and the fact that she stands up for what she believes in and backs all of us bloggers up.

Have you met any of your favourite authors? Did the experience meet your expectations?
I have met only a couple of authors and one is a favourite of mine. Helena Katz who writes non-fiction I met and she did meet expectations as she is very fun and is always laughing.

If you could meet any author, alive or dead, and ask them one question, who would it be, and what would you ask them?
Honestly would love to meet Joel Rosenberg her write an amazing fantasy series and I would ask him where he got his unique idea from. He has the most unique fantasy books I have read where people from our world were transferred to one of fantasy where you have wizards and dragons.

Think of the worst antagonist you’ve ‘met’ in a book. If you could dish out your own justice on behalf of their victims, who would it be and what would you do?
Caroline Mitchell had one of the best villains called Bertram who used his powers to manipulate and kill. It had me reeling as I have studied wicca for years and you should never do harm. It made me so upset and I wanted to turn the tables on him and make him feel the pain and anguish of his victims. What would be done is something like a protective empath and force him to relive what he did to his victims but under their point of view. Death would be too good for this evil doer

Which book has had the most emotional impact on you? This can be any emotion – sadness, laughter, fear etc.
There are many but there is a number of them but I will say the series Mel Comley wrote, which was Hero Nelson books. I was intrigued by Hero and how she wrote him and she writes with such passion that you just can’t help but feel something. In one of the books she made me cry when something sad happened to the main character. I felt so invested in this character that it felt like at times what happened to Hero also was happening to me.

If you could transport yourself into one book and be part of the story, which would you choose?
That’s a hard one because there are many amazing books out there. I have even been named in a couple which was amazing to be some small part of a series. However I would say I would love to be transported to Mercedes Lackey and the Valdemar kingdom as part of the latest book about Mags which is The Hills Have Spies. I love the intricacy in the story and the characters and would love to have magic.

In your opinion which book should everyone read at least once, and why?
Shake Hands with the Devil by Lt General Romeo Dallaire. It is all about the genocide in Rwanda and what the Canadian commander was forced to witness. The reason people should read it is because I think it is something that all should know about especially as it isn’t something that many people hear about and how heroic these people were.

Who are your 3 favourite authors and what makes them stand out?
Mel Comley and she has some of the most amazing characters and deals with topics that many shy away from.
Mercedes Lackey she writes many fantasy novels with some of the best writing as well as a differing magic system that deals more with the mind then with arcane powers.
Eric Walters is the third author and even though I only have read one of his books it just struck a chord and though he is a young adult writer he tries to teach tolerance and understanding which is a wonderful trait to teach.

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions Sean, and for your thoughtful answers. Although I’ve not read Mel’s ‘Hero’ series, I agree with you about how she tackles topics in her books that many other authors wouldn’t.

Sean can be followed across social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seansbookreviews/.
Twitter: @seantalbot1977.
Instagram: @zyrell77.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Mark.

Reincarnation and Past Lives. Can we live more than one life?

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I have always had an interest in the supernatural and the possibility of reincarnation. It’s a theme that runs through my three latest books. Writing them allowed me to explore topics such as past lives, possession and reincarnation within the thriller genre. My fourth novel, The Liar’s Promise, explores the apparent reincarnation of a murdered teenage girl. She is four years old in this life, and seems to know what happened in the lead up to the murder and how she died.

 

 

Reincarnation is a topic that has been studied in the academic world. Dr. Ian Stevenson (October 31, 1918 – February 8, 2007), a psychiatrist at the University of Virginia, was a pioneer in the field. He spent the last 40 years of his life researching reincarnation claims. He documented 3,000+ cases of people who remembered past lives. He was able to verify the facts and claims in approximately one third of these cases.

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Tilbury Talks To… Lorna (LJ) Cassidy

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Today, Tilbury talks to… Lorna (LJ) Cassidy. Thanks for taking part Lorna. Please would you introduce yourself?

 

Thank you for having me, Mark. My name is Lorna or I sometimes go by LJ. I’m a mum from Liverpool and I have been running my blog On The Shelf Reviews for just over a year now. I read mostly crime fiction but I have been known to step outside my comfort zone occasionally. I hope to one day become a published author, I just have to write a decent book first lol!

 

 

What went through your head when you first decided to start your book blog?
It was actually going to be a blog about writing, tips, short stories etc but I didn’t have the confidence so I kind of left it. Then I saw an article about book bloggers and reviewers, I thought ‘do you know what, I love books and sharing book love, why not do that!’ And the rest is history.

What are the best and worst things about being a book blogger?
I’m going to start with the nice stuff, the best thing about book blogging is the community and the support you get from your fellow bloggers is just the best. Also it’s nice when you write a review and the author contacts you and says thank you, it’s just the best feeling! The worst bit is the negativity, people who say you post too many good reviews and you’re lying or if you post one too many bad reviews you’re a troll. It’s my blog and I decide what I want to share!

How soon after finishing reading a book do you write a review?
I take notes so I usually leave it for a day so it’s fresh in my mind but not too fresh, so I can figure out how I really feel about a book.

If you’ve not met any other book bloggers in ‘real life’ yet, who would you like to meet and why?
All of them! I follow such a diverse lot of people it would be interesting to have a chat.

If you could meet any author, alive or dead, and ask them one question, who would it be, and what would you ask them?
Hmm, this is a hard one. I’d love to meet Terry Pratchett, I adore his Discworld novels and I was so sad when he passed away (far too soon!).  I’d ask him if he hadn’t have died what would have the next Discworld novel been about?

Which book has had the most emotional impact on you? This can be any emotion – sadness, laughter, fear etc.
I have to be honest most books don’t impact me emotionally but the one that do are usually the scary ones. I started reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King last year but had to stop because I kept having a nightmare that an evil cat was stalking me. I don’t know why it freaked me out so much but I am determined to try and finish that book!

If you could transport yourself into one book and be part of the story, which would you choose?
I’d go back to the Sherlock Holmes era, Victorian London has always held a fascination for me.

In your opinion which book should everyone read at least once, and why?
The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. I read it something like eighty years after it was published and is still of the best mystery books I’ve ever read.

Who are your 3 favourite authors and what makes them stand out?
Only three????
I’ll try.
First, has to be JK Rowling. I hadn’t read for a good few years when I picked up the first Harry Potter and I haven’t stopped reading since.

Then I have to say Terry Pratchett. His Discworld novels are amazing, the levels of imagination and the fact he is one of the few authors that have made me laugh out loud.

Lastly, the Queen of crime herself, Agatha Christie. Need I say more?

 

Thanks for some great answers Lorna. I used to read a lot of Agatha Christie as a teenager, but I haven’t read The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, so I’ll have to get myself a copy.

Lorna can be found across social media:
Blog: On The Shelf Reviews.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ljcassidy85.
Twitter: @ljwrites85.
Instagram: ljwrites85.

 

Thank you for your support,

Best wishes.

Mark.

BLOG TOUR – Orchestrating Murder by Heather Osborne

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I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the brilliant crime thriller, Orchestrating Murder, by Heather Osborne. Let’s find out more about the book.

 

Book Description:
By day, he wears a mask, concealing his true nature from the world. By night, he conducts his plans, carefully composing death for those deemed less worthy in his eyes of existence.

When bodies of convicted felons start turning up, Detective Gregory Shaw is called upon to investigate. His suspicions fall on a well-known attorney, but can he prove his hunch holds merit?

 

 

 

And, here’s the book trailer:

 

 

 

My review:
After enjoying Osborne’s Rae Hatting series, I was very pleased to see that she’d published this stand-alone thriller.

The book kicks off with a very tense opening.  After the prologue, you’ll want to keep reading the whole book in one go!

Parts of the book are written from the antagonist’s point of view. Getting an in-depth insight into their thoughts and actions was chilling and disturbing. Occasional glimpses into the victims pain and uncertainty can, at times, be an uncomfortable reading experience, which is testament to the quality of the writing.

As in the Rae Hatting series, Osborne combines a complicated criminal investigation with a little romance. The elements work well, without the romance taking over the story. If there had been more romance than there was, it may have put me off the story, but Osborne gets the mixture just right.

I’d highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the crime/suspense/thriller genres. It’s an excellent read that will keep you guessing and wondering where the story will take you next.

 

You can find and follow Heather across social media:
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heather-Osborne/e/B00HM2AKHM/.
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/HAOsborne/.
Twitter: @hosborneauthor.

As always, thank you for your support.

Best wishes,

Mark.