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Today I’m on the tour for Justinians Daughters by Nigel Stewart and I have a spotlight for you, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part 🙂

Pages: 381

Synopsis:

After arriving for a holiday near the tiny city of St David’s, comedian Benjamin Budd is consumed by the beauty and mysticism all around him. A seemingly chance encounter with an unnerving stranger called Erin quickly changes his life and he becomes trapped; embroiled in a fatalistic tale of inheritance and bloodlines. He learns of strong women, seeking retribution through generations, proving historic actions have present day consequences.

A sinister, enigmatic tale of vengeance that leaves the reader wondering where good ends and evil begins…

About The Author: Nigel Stewart joined Provoco in August 2022. He writes lit- erary fiction and has published three novels since 2019. His fourth, Justinian’s Daughters, will be his debut for Provoco and marks a distinct change of style.
Born in Northumberland, Nigel grew up in Hereford where he was a cathedral chorister. He lives in Lancashire, for now, and his children, Alana and Jacob, are presently finishing their degrees at Birkbeck College and Newcastle University.
A full-time dreamer since his teens, Nigel enjoys a beer if of- fered and likes nothing more than not completing things on his to-do list. He’s also a keen musician and songwriter.
He’s recently completed a fifth novel and is working concur- rently on two new projects – some short stories and a sixth novel.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here! It is released on the 30th March and will be available on Kindle Unlimited.

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Today I’m on the tour for Maybe It’s About Time by Neil Boss and I have a spotlight for you, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 552

Synopsis: Two people trapped in their different worlds. One by wealth and one by poverty. Twenty years working for The Firm has given Marcus Barlow everything he wants but has taken his soul in return. Finding a way to leave has become an obsession.

Claire Halford’s life hits rock bottom when she is caught stealing food from Tesco Express. Left alone by her husband with two small children and an STI, her suicide music is starting to play louder in her head.

A chance meeting brings them together. As a mystery virus from China starts to run riot across the country, their world’s collide and they find they have more in common than they knew.

Set in the early months of 2020, Maybe It’s About Timeis a story about the difficulty of changing lives for the better. Starting as a funny and satirical view of the egocentric world of professional services, it gives way to a heart-warming story of an unlikely friendship that rejuvenates Marcus and Claire, giving them both hope for a better future.

About The Author:

Neil Boss retired as a Partner at Deloitte LLP, in November 2019 having spent a successful career as a business consultant in the boardrooms of UK plc. His retirement plan was to write something he could really be proud of, this book. He enjoys travel, cooking and fly fishing, lives in Hertfordshire, UK.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for Dead Mans Heart by Axl Malton and I have a spotlight for you, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 413

Synopsis: Bruce Campbell is a heart surgeon. His only son, Tim, was born with a degenerative heart condition. They knew that one day he would need a new heart, what they didn’t know, was when. Bruce’s world is about to come crashing down on him; despite being one of the leading cardiologists in the country, will Bruce be able to save his son? And to what lengths will he go to do it?

Whilst Bruce is battling to save his son, a psychopathic killer is on the loose, hell-bent on gaining revenge on those that hurt and tortured him as a child, casting him into a life of darkness. With nothing left to lose, Aiden will stop at nothing to kill those that hurt him.

About The Author:

Axl Malton is a horror/thriller writer from Harrogate, North Yorkshire. His favourite authors and biggest inspirations are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Joe Hill.

Axl is an extremely proud father to four children, as well as a husband to his wonderful wife, who is his constant supporter, proofreader, and pillar of strength.

His favourite music genre is classic Rock n’ Roll, which often provides the backdrop to his writing sessions. That and a never-ending spin cycle on the washing machine.

He loves to play the guitar, go to concerts, and watch horror films, but his most treasured pastime is spending time with his family.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for If She Lives by Erik Therme, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Today I have a spotlight for you ☺️

Pages: 189

Synopsis: Tess Parker knows tragedy better than most.

After surviving the death of her daughter and kidnapping of her nephew, Tess is ready to return to normal life. But her troubled past has other plans, and when an old threat reemerges, Tess must seek the help of an unlikely ally to set things right.

No matter what the cost.

About The Author

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harboredrunaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in or can be bought here! But remember it is the third book in a series 🙂

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Today I’m on the tour for Got Trouble by Dave Dobson, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Today I have a spotlight for you where I tell you all about the book and the author ☺️

Pages: 329

Synopsis: Trouble can find you anywhere
When your day starts at 11 pm, it’s a long way to sunrise. Glynnis Cary is stuck working as a night manager at the Gas-O-Mart. Her husband Keith’s idea of romance is buying her grocery store flowers, usually only when he comes home drunk. Her son is in trouble at school, skipping out with his girlfriend, and keeping secrets. Big secrets, ones that may turn out to be both lucrative and felonious. Keith’s bumbling unexpectedly makes Glynnis the target of multiple murderous enemies and a lot of bullets. Way more bullets than is reasonable. On the run with a new friend, one whose life she’s just inadvertently destroyed, Glynnis has to rely on her gut, her grit, and her ability to spin big lies to find a way to survive.

Got Trouble is a new novel of suspense, thrills, humor, and one woman’s attempt to just have something go right. For once. For crying out loud.

Content warnings: Coarse language, some gun violence

About The Author:

A native of Ames, Iowa, Dave loves writing, reading, boardgames, computer games, improv comedy, pizza, barbarian movies, and the cheaper end of the Taco Bell menu. Also, his wife and kids.
In addition to his novels, Dave is the author of Snood, Snoodoku, Snood Towers, and other computer games. Dave first published Snood in 1996, and it became one of the most popular shareware games of the early Internet. His most recent project (other than writing) is Doctor Esker’s Notebook, a puzzle card game in the spirit of escape rooms.
Dave taught geology, environmental studies, and computer programming at Guilford College for 24 years, and he does improv comedy every week at the Idiot Box in Greensboro, North Carolina. He’s also played the world’s largest tuba in concert. Not that that is relevant, but it’s still kinda cool.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in it can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for Culture Up by Mareike Mutzberg and Margareta Sailer and I have an extract for you, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 274

Synopsis: 1. Understanding the importance of corporate culture in a startup and how it can impact the success of the business
2. Techniques and strategies for building a strong and cohesive team within a startup
3. Effective internal communication methods to ensure all team members are on the same page and working towards
common goals
4. Leadership skills and practices that are essential for managing and leading a successful startup team
5. Best practices for recruiting and retaining top talent in a competitive startup environment.

About The Authors:

Mareike Mutzberg:

I am…

* a startup culture & internal communication expert with a Scanner (Accumulator-) personality

* co-author of ‘Culture Up’ and author of ‘To Hell with Specialisation’

* 4th employee of aviation unicorn Lilium GmbH, where I set up and implemented the communications and knowledge management strategy from scratch. Further, I implemented their corporate culture as an own business area and provided recruitment and HR related support, in a true start up fashion.

and I bring… 

* B.A. in Communication Science, Organisational Pedagogy, Psychology of Knowledge 

* M.A. cum laude in media culture at the University Maastricht – teaching method of problem based learning (PBL) 

* many years of internationalisation experience in international world-class communication agencies 

and I did…

* build up the initial team and culture of a new Serviceplan subsidiary, Serviceplan Solutions in Munich

* stay abroad in Melbourne, Australia where I was online consultant for intercultural expert pools, academies and think tanks

Margareta Sailer: Margareta is the founder of mondaysquares, a consultancy service for early founders that focusses on all people related matters. In her capacity, she works strategically with founders, ensuring that their businesses thrive and scale effectively.

Her experience comes not least from global tech startups such as Tesla as Senior Recruitment Manager EMEA and Lilium Aviation as Global Recruitment Director. Margareta played a significant part in successfully building and scaling both these companies from less than 40 people to hundreds and thousands within a short period of time.

Now time for the extract….

Extract:

ACultural Statements
Defining your purpose was just the beginning. We bet that now you can picture what your overall company culture should look like, you know what it should feel like and maybe even have some phrases and definitions in your head already. But the question is, how can you translate your idea into something tangible and visual for every team member to know, absorb, live and refer to at any time?
The answer is simple. You pick the culture statements which resonate with your cultural idea, and then formulate and communicate them.

What are cultural statements?

Cultural statements are formulated claims, which depict your culture from various perspectives. They are there to enable your employees to do their jobs and help them understand what they can expect in return. No company is like any other and everyone has different requirements. But there are some basic cultural statements from which you can pick and choose as you see fit for your company.
Here are the most essential ones:

VISION STATEMENT
This is the cornerstone of your company and should have been there before you even founded it, at least as an image or dream you had. The vision statement describes how the world looks if your company is successful. Vision statements are aspirational. They are meant to inspire by painting a picture of a future worth working towards.
A good vision statement is short, simple, specific to your company and leaves nothing open to interpretation.
For example:
‘Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.’ LinkedIn

MISSION STATEMENT
You know best how you want to reach your vision. So, make it a founder matter to formulate the mission statement. This is also a crucial element to have early on for defining and shaping your culture.
A mission statement is a guideline by which you operate. Everything you do as a company should work towards your mission.
For example:
‘To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.’ Google

PURPOSE
Again, your company’s purpose should have been clear to you before you started. You can make it explicit in a written purpose statement, but most companies have included it in their mission statement. This is a ‘nice to have’ in an explicitly communicated way but it might only confuse people. The important thing is that you are clear on the purpose in your head.
For example:
‘To work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path.’ Unicef

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for A Scottish Country Escape by Julie Shackman & I have a spotlight for you, thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 399

Synopsis:

Determined to overcome a family tragedy, Elle Cassidydecides to reopen her late mother’s ailing newsagent as a stationery shop in the quiet Scottish town of Fir Haven.

But when the arrogant yet handsome crime writer Dexter Grayling almost runs over Elle in his beast of a sports car, the town is thrown into a tailspin – especially when Dexter claims that local resident Linda Carlucci has put a curse on him and he is no longer able to write.

Can Elle put aside her dislike for the self-absorbed writer and help Dexter uncover what is really going on with the Carlucci family? And in the process will Elle realise that there’s a lot more to her beloved Fir Haven than she first thought…

About the Author:

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags. She is married, has two sons and adopted a Romanian rescue puppy, Cooper. A Scottish Highland Surprise is Julie’s sixth novel.

If you like the sound of this is can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for Shooters by Julia Boggio and I have a spotlight for you, thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 403

Synopsis: Stella is determined to become a successful wedding photographer, even if it means learning from Connor Knight, a wedding shooter with sexy rock star status and an ego to match.

Burned by an affair that ended her last career, Stella should know better than to get entangled with Connor during a residential course in a romantic French chateau. But while his arrogance turns her off, his talent turns her on.

Their clashes lead to a whirlwind of passion, but Stella struggles to frame a future with a man who’s come to distrust “happily ever afters” and hides a softer side behind his image. Can Stella learn from her past mistakes and teach Connor about real love before he disappears from the picture?

About The Author:

Originally from New Jersey, Julia moved to London in her early twenties. She worked as an advertising copywriter until discovering her love of photography on a 6-month trip around South America. She started a wedding photography business which received some great PR when her own Dirty Dancing-themed wedding dance went viral on YouTube. She appeared on Richard & Judy and The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she danced with Patrick Swayze. In 2009 she opened a luxury portrait studio and has photographed everyone from the Queen to Queen, the band. After 15 years as a photographer, she returned to her first love: writing. Julia Boggio books focus on strong female characters with real, complicated lives, delivered with humour and feel-good factor.

If you like the sound of this is can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for The Magical Moonglow Sleepover by Jocelyn Porter, thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising it and inviting me to take part. I have an extract for you today.

Extract:

Chapter Eight

Flying through the Clouds

“Hold on tight! We’re off to find Sophie,”  shouted Dylan.

Dylan’s strong wings beat the  

air and we shot forward like a rocket.  

Everything became a blur as we dived in  and out of the clouds.    

“Dragons should have seat belts,” I  gasped, holding on to Charlie as tightly  
as I could.  

“Don’t worry, I’ve never fallen off,”  

said Charlie. “Dragons have a special  
magnetic force that holds you on. Dylan  told me all about it.” Charlie leant  
forward. “Dylan, loop the loop! Let’s  show Katherine what I mean!”

My heart was in my mouth as  Dylan flew straight up then rolled over.  

For a second, I was hanging upside down at the top of the loop, but I
seemed to be glued to Dylan’s back. Dylan swooped down at breakneck
speed and straightened out, then
continued flying as if nothing had happened.

It had been the most terrifying few  seconds of my life, but I was filled with  

a sense of excitement I’d never know  
before. As shivers ran down my spine, I  found myself thinking, Wow! That was  
fantastic!

“The carousel is behind the next  cloud,” whispered Dylan. “I’ll have to  
get rid of that mischievous moonbeam  before it can cause any more trouble.”

“How?” I mumbled, still trying to  
catch my breath.

“You’ll see!” laughed Dylan as we flew through the cloud and emerged right in front of Sophie.

With an enormous whoosh, smoke  

shot out of Dylan’s nostrils and engulfed  Sophie. When the smoke cleared,  

Sophie was still sitting on the horse, but  the moonbeam had gone.

“Mischievous moonbeams cry  when smoke gets in their eyes,” said  Dylan with a satisfied wiggle. “They  dissolve into moon rain and fall gently  

to the ground, their mischief-making  
days over.”  

Sophie was unusually silent for  

a moment and then a torrent of words  

flew out of her mouth.  “How did I get  

on this carousel? What are you doing  

on that dragon? Why is Charlie Broccoli  here?”

“No time to explain,” I said,
squeezing my earlobe and shouting,

“Snickerdoodles! Sophie, come here!”

And she did. She flew off the  
horse and landed between Charlie  
and me, pushing me backwards in  

the process.  It was a tight squeeze  

and Sophie’s nose ended up buried in  Charlie’s hair.

“Gerroff,” growled Charlie,  
scratching the back of his head.  

A very confused Sophie sat bolt  
upright and snorted. “I can’t believe  

I just sniffed Charlie’s hair!” she said,  
rubbing her nose in disgust.  

Dylan said a few words in
Moongook to the carousel, and the carousel acknowledged him by playing a tune on the organ.

“Meet Carrie,” said Dylan. “She’s
a very loving carousel. She knows her horses don’t like storms and she’s glad we warned her. Carrie’s going to fly
to Oak Tree Hollow and wait for us
there. She always goes to the full-moon carnivals.

We watched as Carrie floated  

away, spinning slowly as she went, and  then Dylan set off back towards the  train.

In no time at all he was floating next to the carriage window. Dylan
curled one of his claws round the window frame, and we climbed safely back on board.

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Today I’m on the tour for The Scapegoat by Michael V Solomon, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

I have an extract for you today, but first let me tell you a little about the book.

Synopsis: Publius Ovidius Naso (43BC – 17/18AD), known as Ovid, was known as much for his disgrace as for his poetry. By pleasing his contemporaries, befriending patricians and subtly mocking the emperor Augustus, he was transformed from a provincial outsider to Rome’s darling – and, for some, its corrupter. Banished without trial to a remote port on the Black Sea, he continued to write. It is fortunate that most of his work has not been lost. The transformation stories of his masterpiece – The Metamorphoses – inspired not just Shakespeare, Chaucer and Milton, but have been a major influence on European culture. His handbooks of erotic love taught men and women the art of dealing with the opposite sex. They brought him instant literary glory and notable adversaries. His works were banned by the emperor Augustus, by Savonarola, by the Bishop’s Ban, by the Vatican and eventually by the US Custom Office; this latter only lifted in 1930. To discover who was Ovid the man, Michael Solomon travelled in his footsteps, seeking the same landscapes today that Ovid found two thousand years ago.

About the Author: Michael V. Solomon is a Romanian and German writer living in London. He started to write – mainly plays and poetry – during his teenage years in Bucharest, Romania. Later he became an engineer, designing and building bridges throughout Europe, America and the Middle East. During the pandemic, with new insights, he rewrote his debut novel The Scapegoat: Ovid’s Journey Out Of Exile for an anglophone audience who, following years of lockdowns and isolation, understand freedom and exile perhaps more than ever before.

Extract: Prologue

The Palatine Hill, Rome, September, AD 8 

Ovid’s attention, as he climbed the Palatine Hill towards Augustus’ palace, latched on to the pigeons taking flight around him. It was a bad sign, and if he believed in auguries he should heed it, flee Rome and make for Sulmo without a moment’s delay. His friends had warned him the moment they had heard of the Emperor’s summons. This meeting, they had said, will end in disaster. 

The pigeons descended earthward once more, coming to settle on the palace’s fence, where they watched Ovid approach and pass though the Imperial Gateway. Two lictors stared at him with surly disregard as he neared. Either they did not recognise him or they did not care who he was. 

‘Publius Ovidius Naso. Here by order of Emperor Augustus.’ 

One of the lictors looked at Ovid with mounting contempt and then gestured for him to follow them inside the palace and through a sequence of labyrinthine corridors. They came to a stop in a large hall. 

‘Wait here’, they said in unison – as if Ovid had a choice – before leaving him alone. 

Ovid looked about him. The hall was filled with statues of old men, all now dead. Some of them he had met, and only two he had liked. One of the latter was Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, a staunch republican, his late patron and a good friend of the Emperor. Since his death last year, without his protection everything had changed for the worse for Ovid – his Ars Amatoria had been banned straight away, while the publishing of the Metamorphoses had been restricted. And now this meeting. 

A soft-footed servant appeared. ‘Caesar Augustus is waiting in the study’, he said. 

Ovid’s blood froze. The study. It was well known amongst the Roman elite that should the Emperor greet you there only trouble awaited. Few had ever seen it, and for those who had, not a single one would dare speak about it afterwards – with the exception of Corinna, the muse of his Amores, the woman whom he loved and abandoned to sex-obsessed Augustus to save his career. And who was now Ibis’ wife. 

Ovid followed the servant out of the hall and through a door into the dreaded space. There, in the middle of the room, a laurel tree – full grown and enormous – rose up from the floor and out through the opened ceiling, where its branches reached freely towards the sky. Ovid’s breath quickened. 

The Emperor’s low voice sounded from behind the laurel tree. ‘No greetings, Naso? Good. Spare them.’ 

Unsure how to reply, Ovid kept his mouth shut. Such was always the safest course of action around Augustus, who could misconstrue a single word with fatal consequences. 

‘Do you like my tree?’ 

Ovid took a few steps to his left, so he could see the Emperor reclining on a couch pressed up against a back wall. The most powerful man in Rome did not seem to be in a hurry. 

‘It’s Apollo’s love tree’, Augustus continued. ‘Like my patron god, I enjoy love very much. Yet I have banned your books 

If this is something you think you’ll enjoy the book can be bought here!

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