Mix & Match 11

I am currently enjoying a really delicious Champagne Cocktail. I know I've made this before but I just had a craving today and it's such a simple one so here you go! Soak a sugar cube with drops of angostura bitters and drop into a glass of champagne. This time I've used a lovely, elegant flute. Once you've sorted your drink, pick one of the amazing books below to fall into.

Vulture - Bex Hogan

After the devastating cliffhanger at the end of book 2, I could not wait to get my hands on the final book of the Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy. It has taken me quite a while to be able to get my thoughts straight after! Bex Hogan is such an amazing writer, this book hooked me right from the start and had me craving more whenever I had to (very reluctantly) stop reading. I am very happy to finally have the conclusion but at the same time kind of sad that it's all over! 

City of Spells - Alexandra Christo

I love that there was a recap of Into the Crooked Place at the start of the book, it was so useful! All books should do the same.

Loads of adventure and excitement, and some twists I really didn't see coming. The descriptions of the places and all the different types of magic were fascinating and I loved being back in this world again. The love/hate relationships between all the main characters was so much fun to read. This was a fantastic end to the duology.

The House with Chicken Legs - Sophie Anderson

I loved this book so much! The writing was so comforting and I didn't want to stop reading at all.

Though Marinka could be a little selfish and annoying at times, her heart was in the right place and she was really just so desperate to be free. How will she be able to reconcile her desire for freedom and friendship with her expected destiny of being the next Yaga? 

The Yaga houses are the best, caring, sweet and so playful, but also capable of getting in a sulk!

A Crown of Talons - Katharine Corr & Elizabeth Corr

Shocking events and betrayals, some expected and most not so much! This was really gripping and so hard to let go of. Aderyn's character is so well formed. Brave and strong, still self-doubting, but despite everything still wanting to be able to trust people. The descriptions of all the places and of the the freedom of flying were really vivid.

A Shiver of Snow and Sky - Lisa Lueddecke

This is set in such a harsh, scary and unforgiving setting, I found it hard to understand why anyone would want to live there. On top of that, there is the double threat of the plague warning and the sudden attacks from the Or, who want a war with Skane. As well as the Or there are so many other monsters that Osa discovers too.

A really gripping story, despite the sheer foreignness and strangeness of the world, I could relate to Osa and her wish to save her village. Her family, on the other hand, were so awful I would have happily thrown them to the giants! 

Shadowghast - Thomas Taylor

A very creepy start sets this book up very nicely. Here Herbie and Violet face the scariest creature yet, the Shadowghast which steals people's shadows and leaves them confused and lost. People are going missing and a new arrival has her sights set on Herbie. Somehow Herbie and his past seem to be caught up in all that is happening, but what could the Shadowghast really have to do with him? Of course they wouldn't get anywhere without Erwin, the mysterious talking cat that is never actually seen to talk. 

The adventure races along and you can't help getting caught up in it and gripped till the very end!

 The Book Snob Book Tag

I am so behind in my blog posts that I now realise I was tagged twice for this! First of all on Lili's Blissful Pages (@lilikmarcus), you can read her excellent answers over on her blog here. And more recently on Shelves of Starlight (@shelvesofstarl1) with more wonderful answers here. Answering these questions has made me realise I probably am quite a book snob! 😉

I tag @theartsyreader1, @mybookishbliss, @Biblio_fi, @amysbookishlife

ADAPTATION SNOB: Do you always read the book before watching the film/TV show?

I haven't actually watched all that many adaptations where I hadn't already read the book before it was made. I would generally prefer to read first if I could.

 

FORMAT SNOB: You can only choose 1 format in which to read books for the rest of your life. Which one do you choose: physical books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

Definitely physical books! I much prefer the feel of them. Being able to see where I am up to and also the ability to easily flick back to check on something I've forgotten or am unsure of.

SHIP SNOB: Would you date or marry a non-reader?

Yes, but what would we talk about???

GENRE SNOB: You have to ditch one genre – never to be read again for the rest of your life. Which one do you ditch?

Romance, I just find it boring to read and usually skip those bits in books.

UBER GENRE SNOB: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life. Which genre do you choose?

This is a very easy one for me. It has to be Fantasy, I need all that magic in my life!

COMMUNITY SNOB: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

Probably romance, though everyone seems to say they love it. I don't think there is anything easy about it, it's probably one of the hardest things to write realistically!

 May Day - Josie Jaffrey
Spotlight Tour

I am highlighting another of the wonderful books in round 2 of BBNYA 2021. If you still have not heard of this competition, scroll down to the end of this post to learn more.

Book Summary

If the murderer you’re tracking is a vampire, then you want a vampire detective. Just maybe not this one. It’s not that Jack Valentine is bad at her job. The youngest member of Oxford’s Seekers has an impressive track record, but she also has an impressive grudge against the local baron, Killian Drake.

When a human turns up dead on May Morning, she’s determined to pin the murder on Drake. The problem is that none of the evidence points to him. Instead, it leads Jack into a web of conspiracy involving the most powerful people in the country, people to whom Jack has no access. But she knows someone who does.

To get to the truth, Jack will have to partner up with her worst enemy. As long as she can keep her cool, Drake will point her to the ringleaders, she’ll find the murderer and no one else will have to die.

Body bags on standby. May Day is the first book in Josie Jaffrey’s Seekers series, an urban fantasy series set in Oxford, England.

Author Bio

Josie is the author of multiple novels and short stories. Most of those are set in the Silverse, a pre- and post-apocalyptic world filled with vampires and zombies.

She is currently working on a range of fantasy and historical fiction projects (both adult and YA). Ultimately, she hopes to be a hybrid author, both traditionally- and self-published.

After finishing her degree in Literae Humaniores (Classics) at the University of Oxford, Josie wasn't sure what to do with her life.

She slogged through a brief stint working for an investment bank in London during the 2008 credit crunch, then converted to law and qualified as a solicitor specialising in intellectual property. She worked at a law firm for five years before moving to a UK-based international publisher in 2016. Whilst she loved law, in the end she didn't love it quite as much as writing, which she now does almost full time.

Josie lives in Oxford with her husband and two cats (Sparky and Gussie), who graciously permit human cohabitation in return for regular feeding and cuddles. The resulting cat fluff makes it difficult for Josie to wear black, which is largely why she gave up being a goth. Although the cats are definitely worth it, she still misses her old wardrobe.

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 65 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 Secret Legacy - Carissa Andrews
Spotlight Tour

Today I get to highlight another of the great books from BBNYA 2021 round 2. If you haven’t yet heard about this competition, scroll down to the end of this post for more details.

Book Summary

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES meets LOCKE & KEY in this completed new adult series! 

I always wanted supernatural powers. 

The day I got my acceptance letter from the Windhaven Academy, I knew my life was about to change - BIG TIME. I expected to find out I could phase through walls or control people with my mind. But what I became was far more complicated than I ever imagined. 

You see, I come from a long line of witches with incredible power that spans centuries. 

I just didn’t know it. 

But unleashing my powers is just the beginning. There are forces bigger than anything I ever imagined… and they’re coming for me. 

Sure, Windhaven Academy is a school for supernaturals. 

But what I am will provoke an ancient curse that will pit me against fate. 

And now, no one is safe.

Author Bio

"An author emerges from the depths of Minnesotan waters. Sci-fi/Fantasy is my pen of choice." 

Carissa Andrews is an internationally bestselling author from central Minnesota who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, supernatural thriller, and dystopia. Her plans for 2021 include the continuation of the Diana Hawthorne Psychic Thrillers. 

She keeps sane by chilling with her husband and five kids, playing with art in its various forms, seeking out mysteries, and being an occasional meditation and reiki badass. 

You can learn more about Carissa and her upcoming books by visiting her website: www.carissaandrews.com

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 65 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 Danny Weston Author Interview
A Hunter's Moon

For the last day of the blog tour, I have been lucky enough to get an interview with the author of A Hunter's Moon, Danny Weston, and he had some very interesting answers! But first, here are some details about the book! It was released just over a week ago so once I've piqued your interest I'm sure you'll want to go out there and get your own copy!

Book summary

The forest belongs to the walkers … Enter at your peril.

A fearsome beast lurks deep in the Forest of Tay. Under cover of darkness it emerges to feed on the local farmer’s sheep—and sometimes the farmers themselves.

Fraser McCloud believes it’s a wolf but some whisper that it’s the Cù Sìth, a creature summoned by the mysterious ‘Walkers in the Woods.’

Callum is Fraser’s young apprentice. He’s understandably apprehensive when Fraser insists that he must help hunt down and kill the beast.

In the local village, Callum meets Mhairi, the innkeeper’s daughter, who knows more about the Walkers than she really should.

As time passes, the killings become ever more audacious - and Callum realises he has every reason to be afraid.

Interview

The cover of A Hunter's Moon is very cool and menacing. As an author, do you get a chance to be involved much in the cover designs for your books?

I have quite a bit of say, which is good. I trained as a graphic designer back in the day, so I like to think I have ‘a good eye.’ 

Usually, the artist prepares a series of rough sketches and I indicate which idea I like the most. The artist takes that idea and works up several versions of the same theme. This time I took against the colour the Cu Sith was originally rendered in and it was changed for the final image, which I think looks splendid. 

People always say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but of course, we all do. So, getting the right look is very important.

My heart broke for Callum at the start of the book, how did you come up with this character? Is there any of yourself in him?

Authors like to say that there’s a bit of them in every character they write, which sounds suspiciously like multiple personality disorder! 

Callum is typical of my young heroes. He’s been treated badly in life and he blows through the various creepy encounters in this book like a hapless leaf on the wind… so perhaps he is like me! I think creating empathy in characters is so important. If readers about the the characters they’ll want to see if things work out them in the end.

How did you get interested in mythology? Have you always liked horror and scary books?

I've been interested in mythology since I first started reading. While still at school I loved reading all those brilliant Greek myths - and around the same time, at the cinema, I watched those exciting Ray Harryhausen movies featuring Jason and Sinbad and so forth. 

Thrilling stuff! 

Then, a little later on, I discovered the ghost stories of Saki (H H Munro) and M R James - and I read countless volumes of the Pan Books of Horror Stories. I noticed the books were edited by somebody called Herbert Van Thal, so I stuck one of my early stories into an envelope, addressed it to HERBERT VAN THAL, LONDON and confidently posted it off. Strangely, I didn't hear back from him...

Since moving to Edinburgh a few years ago, I've discovered that Scotland has its own collection of folktales and mythologies and I've been exploring them with glee. What I particularly liked about the Cu Sith is that it's a relatively little-known creature and I spotted an opportunity to reintroduce it to a whole new readership. 

I was also struck by the creepiness of The Washer at the Ford and as soon as I read about her, I wanted to put her in the story too!

What made you decide to make the move into writing for younger readers? Which do you find more challenging, adult or children's?

I wrote my first children’s book for my daughter. She was ten and wanted to read something I’d written but nothing was appropriate! So I wrote Sebastian Darke - Prince of Fools for her. It went on to become a series of books that sold all over the world. So I thought I’d better write a few more books for the same audience...

And in answer to your question, I see little difference in writing for adults and for younger readers. There are just some subjects you steer clear of when writing for the latter. 

Otherwise, all the rules are pretty much the same.

Finally (and most importantly) what is your favourite cocktail?

My favourite cocktail is The Amber Symphony. 

1. Take one good quality lager.

2. Pour it into a pint glass. 

3. Drink. 

(I’m not really a cocktail sort of guy, but, if pushed, I guess I’d settle for a really cold margarita!)