#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview The Olive Branch by Jo Thomas #romance

Posted on July 31, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

This is a quick review because I just have to share this book with you all. First as always here’s the blurb from goodreads…

Escape to Italy with THE OLIVE BRANCH. The irresistibly romantic new novel from Jo Thomas, award-winning author of ebook runaway bestseller THE OYSTER CATCHER.

It’s amazing what you can buy online these days:
Memorabilia
Fashion accessories
A crumbling Italian farmhouse…

After a Prosecco-fuelled girls’ night in gets out of hand, Ruthie Collins awakes to discover that she has bid for her dream Italian home online – and won. Recently out of a relationship, a new start is just what Ruthie needs. Anything is better than sleeping on her mum’s settee.

But arriving in Southern Italy, Ruthie doesn’t know the first thing about running an olive farm. And with new neighbours, the tempestuous Marco Bellanouvo and his fiery family to contend with, all Ruthie wants is to go back home.

Life can change with the click of a mouse. But all good things – friendship, romance, and even the olive harvest – take time to grow. Can Ruthie finally put the past to rest and find her own piece of the Dolce Vita along the way? Goodreads

My review

The Olive Branch drew me in from the first page and I couldn’t stop reading or thinking about it. It had me laughing and crying, and wishing for my own adventure in Italy.

This is the second book I’ve read my Jo Thomas and I’m now planning to stock up on the rest of her novels. She picks wonderful locations and transports you to them, immersing you in the place and the culture of its people. Not only that, but you learn something too. In The Olive Tree I learnt about the olive groves and the olive harvest. It really was fascinating to live in Ruthie’s shoes for a few days. I also got to experience a dream of moving and renovating a rundown home, but without any of the hard work!

I really do recommend Jo Thomas’ books and can’t wait to dive into the next adventure. Have to read any of her books? Can you recommend my next read?

Here’s my review of Late Summer in the Vineyard

Oh and in case you were wondering, this is a heart-warming 5 star read!

A quick round up for The Lost Sentinel #Netgalley #fantasy

Posted on July 31, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

The Lost Sentinel has a few things going on at the moment and I thought I’d do a quick round-up for you.

It’s available to request on Netgalley for the next few days only. Please check it out here and request an ARC if it sounds like your kind of fantasy.

Tomorrow begins a new 99p Kindle Countdown Deal. So if you aren’t on Netgalley, you can pick it up for the bargain price of 99p 1st – 8th August. This is to coincide with the start of ‘Self Published Fantasy Blog Off’ as detailed below…

On the 1 year anniversary of publication (16th June) I entered The Lost Sentinel into the very popular SPFBO competition, set up by the great Mark Lawrence. In it’s forth year, the competition for 300 authors was full within 48 hours, so I was lucky to grab the opportunity when I did. The judging rounds open tomorrow, meaning reviewers will start posting their reviews and a winner from each group (30 authors to 1 reviewer/review team) will eventually be chosen and put into the final 10. There have been some huge success stories because of this competition, so it’ll be exciting to find out who wins big this year.

Another really exciting thing for me is that a whole group of authors who are entered into SPFBO will be reducing their books to 99p for 5 days. At last count there were well over 100 authors taking part. I shall post more about this tomorrow along with the links on where to buy etc. If you are a fantasy reader, this could be your chance to pick up some great bargains. I can’t wait to get some discounted books myself and help my fellow indie authors get some sales!

The last piece of news I’ll share is that I’ve requested a Book Bub placement for The Lost Sentinel. It was a last minute decision and I don’t expect to get anywhere this time but the good thing is I know how easy it is to send a request now. Hopefully over the next few months I’ll get some more reviews and one day I might get lucky enough to be accepted on Book Bub. It is a huge cost I can’t really afford, but sometimes you have to invest in yourself if you want to succeed.

Don’t forget to check out the big sale tomorrow.

And here’s the link to my Goodreads book page if you wanted to find out more about The Lost Sentinel and see some reviews. As always a free sample is available on Amazon and it is free to read if you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber.

Double Book Review: Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno🌊 & The Sentinel’s Reign by Suzanne Rogerson🔥 #fantasy

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Posted on July 28, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

via Double Book Review: Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno🌊 & The Sentinel’s Reign by Suzanne Rogerson🔥

Today I’m really excited to share a brilliant 4 star review of The Sentinel’s Reign, book 2 in my Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy. Please take a few minutes to read the review, and the review of Summer of Salt, which also sounds like a great read.

Guest Post: Standalone VS. Trilogy, a Writer’s Viewpoint by Suzanne Rogerson

Posted on July 21, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

Please head over to read my guest post on Rebecca’s blog – For the love of fiction.

My summer reading plan #amreading #fantasy #thriller #romance

Posted on July 19, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

My reading has really been slow these last few months, what with publishing my own book and all that goes with it. I’m hoping to step up the reading through the rest of the summer and what better way to achieve this than to tell the world my plan!

I’m using the format of WWW Wednesday, as I didn’t get this post finished in time to share it yesterday.

What I’m currently reading.

Jo Thomas The Olive Branch.

I only picked this book up quickly last night to get a taste of the story. 50 pages later, I know I’m going to enjoy it. I’ve read one of Jo Thomas’s books before and loved it. Here’s the review of Late Summer in the Vineyard.

What I’m currently listening to

My Husband’s Wife

It’s ok. Seems a bit slow, but there are intriguing titbits to keep me interested so far.

What I recently finished reading

Senlin Ascends Josiah Bancroft

I’m not sure what to say about this book. I didn’t love it and felt it was slow in places. I found the tower concept very hard to picture and it was hard to really connect with Senlin. However, towards the end I did find myself not wanting to stop reading, so I’ll be interested to see what happens in book 2. I’ve heard the pace picks up, fingers crossed.

What I plan to read next

Anthony Ryan’s Collected Non-fiction

I think this is a newsletter subscriber offer and I can’t wait to read his non-fiction articles.

David Gemmell – Rhyming Rings

I have been saving this book since my birthday last year as it’s one of the only books I haven’t read by my all time favourite author.

Poison Study

This is my book group choice for August and a book I have been interested in reading for a while.

Knowing from experience how hard it is to get reviews, I want to read a couple of Indie books and support my fellow authors. So I intend to read;

The Exercise of Vital Powers – Ian Gregoire

Not Like Anyone Else – Jennifer Leigh

I still have a couple of trilogies I want to finish by the end of this year

Queen of Fire – Anthony Ryan

Magic Borne – Crown of Stones – C. L Schneider

There are 350+ on my goodreads TBR shelf so I have plenty of other great books to choose from. Plus my kids are always recommending books and I know I should get stuck into Robin Hobb’s latest trilogy. If I do, I won’t be doing anything else for a while!

I hope to do another post in Autumn, I wonder how many books I’ll have read by then and how many of the above will be finished!

Do you have any reading plans for the summer?

#Mondayblogs Why Createspace is still king! My paperback experience #Indieauthor #indie

Posted on July 16, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

I couple of months ago I asked for some advice on whether to publish the paperback of my newest book via Createspace or try out Amazon KDP. I got some great advice and many people were happy to have changed over to KDP. Here’s the link to my original post.

I deliberated for some time, but decided to stick with Createspace as I knew the process and it was getting close to the book release date. I didn’t want any last minute problems messing everything up.

Using Createspace was as simple as ever and I had soon uploaded the doc and cover files, checked on screen for errors and ordered my proof copy. The only gripe I have is the shipping costs. As usual, I left myself no time to mess about before the release date on 29th June 2018, so I had to use their priorty shipping. Over $20 later, I had my proof and read it through for typos and formatting errors. Once I was happy with it, it was just a matter of agreeing the proof and then it went live in a few hours! I quickly ordered a UK copy (free shipping as I’m a prime member) and double checked those last minute changes were ok before making the big announcement to the world that it was for sale.

At the same time I did a test print with Lulu. It was cheaper as the postage was a lot less, but I felt the cover colours were inferior to Createspace and they did not support the font used for my chapter headers (reverting it automatically to times new roman). The overall quality of the book was better than I’d seen in the past. The quality of the paper was good and it felt more sturdy than the test copy I received from them last year for The Lost Sentinel. I weighed it all up and ordered 3 books from Lulu to keep as stock or give as gifts. Great, or so I thought until the books arrived a week later. There were 3 different books from 3 different authors in the package! I assumed somehow Lulu had sent me someone else’s order until I looked inside the book cover. It was The Sentinel’s Reign!

I got straight onto Lulu who replied 2 days later (standard response time) they wanted photos to prove what had happened. I sent them over and they agreed to redo the order free of charge with express shipping. A week later and I’m still waiting for the order to be fulfilled, let alone delivered to me. All in all, I’m not too impressed with Lulu.

Whilst waiting for the Lulu mess to be sorted last week, I ordered 10 books from Createspace as I really wanted to have some stock for the people who prefer to buy direct from me rather than online. I paid for the expedited shipping method, which they estimated would be about 2 weeks. They arrived within 5 days! And they are all perfect, though this picture doesn’t do them justice.

I still want to trial the KDP paperback, but I’ve had such good service from Createspace and the covers are so tactile and beautiful I think I’ll stick with them for a bit longer.

One last note on why I’m sticking with Createspace – the US paperback copies feel so much nicer than the UK paperbacks. I like that silicone feel they have, while I know others prefer the matt feel of the UK version. It is a small detail, but enough to convince me to stay where I am and pay that little bit extra for postage.

What are your thoughts or experiences with Createspace, KDP and Lulu?

Latest book news #TheLostSentinel is available via #NetGalley #fantasy #ARC http://netgal.ly/oOfaE8

Posted on July 10, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

I am trying something for the very first time this month. I have submitted The Lost Sentinel to Netgalley! It is available to request for review for 1 month. I’m hoping to drive some extra interest in the trilogy having just released book 2 (The Sentinel’s Reign) on 29th June 2018.

If you have been wanting to try an exciting new fantasy series, why not take a look on NetGalley here.

A reminder of The Lost Sentinel’s blurb…

The magical island of Kalaya is dying, along with its Sentinel.
The Assembly controls Kalaya. Originally set up to govern, they now persecute those with magic and exile them to the Turrak Mountains.
Tei, a tailor’s daughter, has always hidden her magic. When her father’s old friend visits and warns them to flee to the mountains she must leave her old life behind.
On the journey, an attack leaves her father mortally wounded. He entrusts her into the care of two exiles, Rike and Garrick, and on his deathbed makes a shocking confession.
Struggling with self-doubt, Tei joins the exiles in the search for their lost Sentinel. But mysterious Masked Riders want the Sentinel too, and time, as well as hope, is running out.
How can Tei help the Kalayan people reunite and save the magic when their ignorance threatens to destroy them all?

Follow Tei’s journey through the magical land of Kalaya and the Astral Plane.

If you love character-based fantasy, then you’ll love The Lost Sentinel – Book 1 in the Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy.

You can check some reviews on the Goodreads book page

I would like to thank Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours for organising the Netgalley listing.

FYI – I will do a follow up post in the late summer to let you know how the listing went.

Last day to get The Sentinel’s Reign for 99p #newrelease #fantasy #ya

Posted on July 8, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

Happy Sunday everyone!

The Sentinel’s Reign has been out just over a week and a few reviews are in already. More are to follow, but I thought I’d just share a couple of comments now…

Angela – Pooled Ink – The Sentinel’s Reign breathes life into an island of magic as well as enemies thirsting for its power. Adventurous and unique this fantasy only gets more captivating with every turn.

Jennifer – A line from a book – Yummy is the word that comes to mind when I think about this book… I loved revisiting Kalaya and as in previous books the descriptions of the world and of the magic it contains are beautiful… Even if you don’t like fantasy books usually you will like this series, so don’t delay, get your copy today!

Madam Mim – Mim Inkling – The characters are one of the most brilliant parts of this story. Every character is subtly and realistically developed throughout the course of the story, they make mistakes and have flaws and strengths, relationships, loss, responsibilities, and preferences, and as a result they feel very three-dimensional… I loved every second of The Sentinel’s Reign. It was hard to put down, and lived up to my every expectation after the first book. I would highly recommend this series for classic fantasy fans.

You can also see these reviews on Goodreads. and add it to your book shelf.

The price goes up tomorrow, so if you want it at the bargain price of 99p / 99c, please head over to Amazon.

Here’s a last look at the blurb…

The new Sentinel’s reign is doomed to failure unless Tei can prevent the Kalayan people from plunging into war.

With the new Sentinel initiated and the magic restored on Kalaya, life is flourishing for Tei and the exiles. But Rathnor’s plans for war soon escalate and thwart any chance of peace.

Brogan’s position on the Assembly is uncertain as rumours circulate that he is an exile spy.

After an attempt on his life, Farrell is more determined than ever to build a home for his people on Stone Haven. But the council have their sights set on Kalaya and Farrell struggles to steer them from war.

As trouble brews within and outside forces gather against them, can the exiles keep their hold on the magic, or will this spell the end of Kalaya and its people?

The Sentinel’s Reign is a heroic fantasy. If you like character-driven adventures then you will love The Sentinel’s Reign.

This is the second book in the Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy and follows on from The Lost Sentinel.

Belated mid-year review #amwriting #amreading

Posted on July 4, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

My big news is of course that The Sentinel’s Reign – Silent Sea Chronicles Book 2 is now published.

It’s available here in ebook (99p for a few more days only), paperback and free to read on kindle unlimited.

That’s the sales bit out the way.

In other news, The Lost Sentinel (Book 1) is entered into SPFBO 2018 competition and has been given to Lynn’s Books to judge, which is funny as I had planned to contact her to review the book this year. There is also a cover competition going on right now. Of course I love my cover, but there are lots of great covers in the running from my group of 30 so it will be interesting to see which ones get put through to the next stage.

2018 has seen some major steps forward for me – landing a publishing contract with a Czech publisher for Visions of Zarua and having a full manuscript request from a UK agent for the same book. These are milestones I’ve been dreaming of, but we’ll have to see where they lead. I’m learning that everything takes time in the publishing world and you need to have a lot of patience!

My 2018 goals in review.

At the beginning of the year I set myself some goals (post here). Today I am revisiting them to see how I’ve done.

Writing

Publish book 2 The Sentinel’s Reign = Achieved.

Finish first draft of book 3 The Sentinel’s Alliance = Nope, but I have planned 2/3’s in a rough draft.

Look at WIP to see if I want to send to agents = Still to do. I have a draft almost finished that I would love to edit and polish and send to agents. I am also thinking on an idea I would like to try out on Wattpad. I have no idea how to go about this so I need to research it more.

Writing in general

Attend more writing events = I’ve attended 1 this year.

Contact book reviewers = I have done very well with this so far and have a new batch of reviewers to contact very soon. If you are a blogger interested in reviewing my books please use this contact form.

Learn more about marketing and get my books in front of more readers = I entered SPFBO (self published fantasy blog off) along with 299 other entrants, which will hopefully give The Lost Sentinel some much needed exposure. If you have read The Lost Sentinel, please consider leaving a review on Amazon / Goodreads, it helps with the ranking of the book though won’t have any affect on how far the book gets in the competition, that’s down to the judge of each group. I’ve run a mildly successful kindle countdown deal for The Lost Sentinel and it will go on Netgalley for a month starting 9th July.

Blogging

Tidy up blog, create banner and landing page = The blog is better but could still do with a tidy up, and I have a cool new banner. The landing page is something I still need to look into.

Blog more and focus on books about writing = I have reviewed a few writing books.

Feature more guest posts and get involved in more blog tours = I have featured Susan Leigh Noble and Ari Mehlen, but there is always room for more.

Lifestyle

Healthier diet and walk more = I lost almost 2 stone with Slimming World in 4 months, so that was a great success at the start of the year and I have been maintaining my target weight. I bought a treadmill and used that through winter but now it’s gathering dust.

Get more sleep = No chance! The hot weather and the book release don’t add up to a good night’s sleep. Maybe one day I’ll catch up on my beauty sleep.

Be more positive = I’m trying to be positive and take things as they come. For me being proactive helps, but when nothing comes of all the hard work I’ve invested it’s difficult to keep upbeat.

Reading

Read more fantasy = Yes.

Post more book reviews = Nope, I am way behind and have given up keeping my book review page up to date.

Read at least 35 books in 2018 = I’m trying but I’m behind schedule, total to date is 16.

My reading has been very slow. Editing and promotion has taken all my spare time and I’ve even struggled to find any audio books that hold my attention. My tbr pile grows almost daily and I am not making a dent in it.

I am still reading my book group choice Senlin Ascends (a previous SPFBO contestant, now traditionally published) even though I missed the group meeting last week due to a mix up with the day on my calendar! I believe it was enjoyed by all.

I did have a list of books I wanted to read and a couple of trilogies I wanted to finish, but for now I’m just going to wait and see what books take my fancy.

***

What’s to come…

I hope to feature on a few blogs over the coming weeks and see some more reviews go up for The Lost Sentinel and The Sentinel’s Reign. Then I plan to throw myself into writing and make lots of progress. Fingers crossed anyway.

Because of this I will probably take the summer holidays off from blogging to focus on writing book 3 – The Sentinel’s Alliance. It worked well last year, though hopefully I can keep my hand in with a book review or two.

How’s your year shaping up?

Last plug for The Sentinel’s Reign – don’t forget to pick it up for 99p as I will be putting the price up at the end of the week. And add it to your Goodreads shelf.