Book review: Highland Hogmanay by Krystal Brookes

Highland Hogmanay by Krystal Brookes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was very excited to win a copy of this from Ms. Brookes and it didn't disappoint.

The story is very quick to get going with Isla meeting Mark right at the start. Mark is charming, sexy and kind with just the right amount of alpha-male in him. Isla is a woman that many women will be able to identify with - struggling to bring up her young children and carve out a new life for herself. Even if you've never been through it, she's very human and likeable.

Things very quickly heat up between them and the majority of scenes between them are hot, hot hot! Ms. Brookes steers away from clichés and creates a fresh and sexy romance between them. The story has just the right amount of sweet romance to keep it in the erotic romance genre without being saccharine.

The only thing I would have to say is I felt the end was a little rushed. I would have liked the happy ending to be a little more drawn out but perhaps this was because I enjoyed the story so much. If you are looking for a hot, drama-free read which will make you smile, then this is a must-read.

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Author Spotlight: Susan M B Preston

Please welcome Susan who is my author spotlight for the week. Find out about her book below!
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Living in Ephesus in the early 90’s AD was no picnic for Christians – they were hated by the Jews, who saw them as traitors to the faith of Abraham. The pagans persecuted them and periodically there were riots where some were murdered... then there were the Romans. Christians were ‘fair game’ for persecution. Why? Because they weren’t trusted, they were seen as rebels. They had a determination that there was one God and would not participate in the ‘emperor worship' of the time. With Domitian as the emperor that could be dangerous.

Purchase Hold the Faith on Amazon.

Now over to Susan, to tell us about herself:

I was born in Peebles, a town in the Scottish borders, but moved to Australia in 1975. I live in Perth, Western Australia with my husband of twenty-five event filled years. (We lost a teenage son.) 



I have worked as a shop assistant, double loom weaver, trained as a Psychiatric nurse and worked as an After-care Nursing Sister in an outpatient clinic and in the community.

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My last job (before being bitten by the writing bug) was as a certified computer trainer. (Certificate IV in Training and Assessing). The holder of a Microsoft Master qualification in Office 2007, I enjoyed my work in a Registered Training Centre. I also had some private students and wrote manuals for them re-interpreting the jargon filled, missing steps manuals that left beginners wanting to quit. I loved the 'aha' moment when it clicked for a student, especially mature aged learners.



I have recently published Hold the Faith and have book two in the series 'Grow in Faith' ready to edit. Book three is only a draft and book four an idea that hasn't made it to my computer pages yet.



Christian history fascinates me and a Bible Study on the Apostle John inspired me to set this history down.



I am a practising Christian, a Sabbath keeper and member of a very supportive church.
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Thanks for stopping by!

Spotlight: The Dark Cully's Mistress by Shiralyn J. Lee

Welcome to Shiralyn who is sharing an excerpt from her new release, The Dark Cully's Mistress. Set to a backdrop of 1800's London, this sounds like a great read! _______________________________________________________________ 

This is the story of Annie Smith, a prostitute living in the Covent Garden area in the mid 1800’s. The area was rife with prostitution during this era and held no exception to Annie’s plight. Forced by her mother to work in this trade she is determined to find a way out of this life at any cost. When she meets a married man quite by sheer accident she is offered an unusual way to leave this sordid existence behind her.
Annie is extremely grateful for her new found role in life and for a while she accepts this to be the right choice. But soon her life will change again when she meets her Dark Cully’s wife, Mrs. Rose Rotherham, a fine and beautiful woman who happens to be high up in the social circle of London. Annie is besotted with her and has to find a way into her life and when she manages to find that avenue there is literally, hell to pay.

Annie’s Story

Chapter One

  
  My name is Amelia Haversham, or at least it is now. I was born Annie Smith, an only daughter to Margaret and Frederick Smith. We lived in the slums, an area just by Covent Garden. It was a dirty and disgusting area where only the rats would find a good feast to chew on, and the unpleasant smell of dank buildings would fill your nostrils. And a beggar would be huddled in a corner somewhere trying to spend another night without croaking it from the cold. The sky would be filled with streams of grey smoke billowing out from the chimney tops, and never was there a day where I didn’t blow my nose without black soot appearing on my sleeve. When the lamplighter did his nightly walk and lit the gaslights around the gardens, prostitutes would flock to the area and stand beneath the bright lights wearing their skirts and petticoats tucked up into their waistbands in order to show a little leg. This was a known ritual, a selling proposition so there would be no mistakes as to what to expect from her.
The area was useful for its purposes, it was a haven for prostitutes to hang around and make a few shillings on the quiet. There were plenty of good spots to catch the eye of a sailor, or a needy gentleman who happened to seek a good seeing to after a night out down the local boozer. A girl could give him the service that he’d paid for, maybe use the old quail pipe on his lobcock and in return he’d give a bit of dab on her downy spring moss without being caught by the local blue bottles and spending the evening locked away in a cell, courtesy of her majesty Queen Victoria.
I used to be one of those girls, the type caught up in, ‘The Great Evil.’ That’s what many who sympathised with our needs would call it anyway. But my situation is different now. I was lucky enough to find myself a Dark Cully. He was a kind enough man when I first met him, the sort to keep me on the straight and narrow anyway. He turned my head and I never looked back after that. But if anyone was to ask me if I loved him, my Mr. Rotherham, I would have one of two options to answer their question with. I could tell a lie and say that I loved the bones off the back of his body until the day I died. Or I could tell the truth and say I don’t love him. I never have and I never will. There is one thing though, I am grateful for his kindness and I do adore the way that he avoids being seen out in the daylight hours when he comes to visit me, but then again isn’t that what a Dark cully is?
But he’s my Dark cully, a married man with a family, a wife and a home that he will never leave, he’s hammered for life that one. A dark cully will never be seen out and about with his mistress he’d have to be off his blooming rocker to take his ladybird out. That’s what I used to be, a ladybird, a dollymop. At least I was the pretty one and I made more push than any of the other whores put together. They were so jealous of me. I actually thought that I was going to get nobbled by one of em too just for having the pretty looks that I did.
Lissie one of the street girls I knew, she had really bad teeth, black and rotten and half of em missing, she would tell me that if she looked half like me then she’d make twice as much gilt as she did now. Poor girl, she was practically a beggar herself, a bunter, that’s what she was. Gawd knows the types of blokes she managed to latch on to, must have sought out the lushington’s when they’d been kicked out of the pub after last time had been called.
So if I had to describe myself, well I would say that I have long straight dark brown hair but I could be wrong there on accordance that it had never been washed in years. It could be blonde I don’t really remember, maybe the dirt turned it to the colour it is now. But at least I have my teeth, made sure no bugger knocked them out when he had a bit of the old fancy and got heavy handed with me. No I learned how to take care of myself I did, any funny business and I’d give em a right good hiding I would.
Lissie says that my eyes are brown but I say they’re brown with bits of green in em. We had a barny over it once and neither one of us would admit we was wrong but I know I’m right.
Ere I’m good at cracking my jaw, it’s my trick when I’m down at the Lamb and Flag. Kizzie Noggs, she sometimes has a drink with me. Well she can’t stand it when I do it. She says it sounds like my face is gonna fall off. I do it all the more just to annoy her.
My so called mother had me out on the streets as soon as I was old enough to prig from the more fortunate. I stole many fob watches and gold rings from the likes of the rich. Well maybe they weren’t that rich but if they had decent clothes and a few shillings in their pockets that made em rich to the likes of me. Half of em didn’t even have a bleedin’ clue that they’d just been robbed. I used my beautiful looks and my charming ways to lighten the load from their pockets I did. They were too busy getting their jollies off with me to notice me rifling through their personal belongings. It was a dangerous game that I played, one that might have seen me never wake up the next morning if one of em had decided to open his eyes and check to see what my free hand was doing. But I was as quick as a fly I was.
Persuasion from a mollisher had its advantages too. My boyfriend, a villain who many of the locals were scared of, would be lurking somewhere nearby. He’d never let me out of his sight for too long, not if he knew what was best for him. But he’s long gone now. Croaked it from Cholera three years back he did. Some say that he deserved it too, that it was a blessing in disguise when his lights went out. He was a bit of a bad apple, if you got on the wrong side of him he’d send the punishers round to give you a good beating. He often told me to shut my head if I knew what was good for me. I kept my head shut good and tight for him, I made sure of that.
After his number was up I had to walk the streets on my own. No ponce would come near me cos my reputation for being his mollisher had scared them all. And that’s how I met my Mr. Rotherham, when I was walking down the street in the pouring rain one night on my own. I was down on my luck, hardly made a penny that night. No gentleman in his right mind would be out rogering a bit of tail in that weather. No when it rained up a storm like that the best thing any gal could do was go and have a drink or two down at the Lamb and Flag. That’s where I was heading to when I slipped and fell on the wet cobblestones and landed right on to my arse. He came walking around the corner, his head was bowed low and he was holding on tightly to the brim of his hat to keep his face from being whipped by the wind and the icy cold rain. He saw me do it, saw me land and curse my blooming head off. I wasn’t very lady like when I was down on the ground but he didn’t mind that, Mr. Rotherham I mean. He held out his hand for me to take. His black cloak was soaked through but he didn’t care about that, he just wanted to pick me up from the cold wet ground and take me somewhere that I could dry myself off. Preferably the Lamb and Flag would do as I was heading down there anyway.
It didn’t matter that he was a stranger to me; most gals would be flattered by a man of his standing offering to help her out like that. No he looked as though he had a coin or two in his pockets and who better to spend em on but me.

About Shiralyn

I have many books published, all written under the lesbian genre. I love to write in different time era’s, from early 1800’s through to modern day stories and I also induce factual events such as, The Great Frost of 1709 and Jack the Ripper. I have also made each story line unique with their plotlines by using occasions from my own personal experiences.
Some of my work is romantic and erotic with light sensual sex scenes, whereas others are featured with stronger explicit sex scenes and even strong language to intensify the drama. I prefer to give my readers a wider selection of choice; we are all different in what we like to read.

Find out more about Shiralyn on her blog.

You can purchase Dark Cully's Mistress on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Cover Reveal! Borderland Bride

I have my cover through for Borderland Bride which is scheduled for release on the 21st March. Needless to say, I love it!
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In the wilderness of 14th century Northumbria, Lady Isabel discovers just how dangerous the Borderlands can be. With the loss of her voice and her hearing, there is little hope left for her. But when a brooding knight rescues her, she vows never to become a victim again and buries the secrets of her past in the hope that those hunting her will never find her in the Borderlands.

Jake is astonished to come across the beautiful Isabel, near to death, on his brother’s lands. Bringing her back to his brother’s home, he finds himself longing for something more from the courageous woman, something that he thought he would never want again. Isabel works her way into his scarred heart and opens Jake up to loving once more. But will Isabel’s secrets destroy their bond? And with his charismatic brother, Dominic, charming her, does he even stand a chance?

Author Interview: Georgina Hannan

Welcome to Georgina,YA author and fellow Brit. She shares with us a bit about the writing process and what drew her to the YA genre. 

1.      When did you first start writing?

I started writing when I was about fourteen. I started a romance story in a collection of notebooks and my friend joined in with me for a bit. Unfortunately a lot of that story was lost so I have been re-writing it and updating it ever since.

2.      Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

No, I used to want to be a teacher!

3.      What drew you to writing young adult stories? 

Well as I started when I was fourteen it was my age group and still is just. I like writing about the way younger people see and feel about relationships and situations as it’s a lot different to an adult.

4.      Where does your inspiration for these stories come from?

Good question! I’m not really sure, sometimes it’s just a random idea or its adapted from a dream or an advert or something in my life.

5.      What has your experience been like publishing with Fast-Print.net? 

They have been very good and very helpful. There have been a few teething issues but mostly they have been very accommodating and I would recommend them.

6.      What was your favourite chapter to write and why?

My favourite chapter would probably have to be Chapter 8 as I enjoyed writing it from different views. I won’t say any more than that.

7.      Where is your favourite place to write?

My favourite place is my bedroom at my desk, which I just recently set-up.

8.      Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? i.e. You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

My only routine is I sit at my desk and I have to listen to music otherwise I become distracted by the TV programmes.

9.      Do you use a computer/laptop for your first draft or are you a pen and paper writer? 

I used to use pen and paper as I knew I’d always have it with me, however I hated typing it all up so I use my laptop now.

10.   How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

The characters are usually a mixture of names I like and surnames of random people or first names of people I know with different surnames.

11.   Did you learn anything from writing your book?  What was it?

I learnt more about the Dartmoor area and the places available to visit there. I also learnt that editing is very hard but very rewarding.

12.   How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

Not that long a few months or so really. It’s the editing that takes the longest for me.

13.   Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?

I was ecstatic! I was so very excited and I kept touching it and showing it to everyone.

14.   Who are some of your favourite authors? 

Lauren Kate, Karen Mahoney, JK Rowling, and many more.

15.   Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?

Yes I have, not sure there are many writers out there who can say they haven’t! I tend to do a few things; mess around on Facebook for a bit, text a few of my friends and family, make a nice hot chocolate and re-read what I have written. If that still doesn’t work then I put a film on and go back it after it. There has only been one occasion where I had to give up trying for the day as it just wasn’t happening.

16.   What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

Keep at it. Try editing your own work before giving it to a professional as it makes you so much closer to your own work and teaches you a skill.

17.   Would you share a deep dark secret about you with us?

A deep dark secret, gosh I’m not sure I can think of one! Let’s see... I once tried writing a raunchy scene but I made myself feel embarrassed so deleted it!

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A young adult story about a group of four friends who embark on a holiday together to the gorgeous countryside of Dartmoor, Devon. Each of them hoping for an adventure, something they will always remember. However it isn’t long before they get want they want.

The group are plagued by noises after hearing the myths and legends of the area. Is it just their overactive imaginations or is there a visitor in the spare room who is trying to get their attention?

Join the group on a spectacular journey as they discover what Dartmoor has to offer.

You can purchase Cursed on Amazon and follow Georgina on Facebook.

March Competition!

This month I'm giving away this spectacular medieval inspired necklace! It's easy to enter to win, just follow the Rafflecopter instructions. Make sure you stop by my Facebook page too and share the pic for another entry! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Pleasures and Pastimes in Medieval England by Compton Reeves

Pleas & Past Med Eng Spec Edit by Albert Compton Reeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While not the most up to date or comprehensive guide, the images are an absolute delight. The image references are perfect and useful and certain sections were fascinating. Winter sports in particular were of interest to me as little can be found on that subject in wider literature. The discussion of dancing, although brief, was also useful as, again, this is something I've found is very rarely covered. Certain subjects will certainly need more in depth research but this is a great starting point and a thoroughly interesting read. It felt less like research, and more like reading for enjoyment.

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