My favourite reads of 2016 #amreading #greatreads

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

I’ve read more in 2016 than I have in years thanks to taking up the Goodreads reading challenge and joining Rosie’s Book Review Team.

Here are some of the books that have stayed with me long after I finished reading them.

Favourite Children’s book – Fire Bed and Bone by Henrietta Bradford

My review & My Family Review

I loved this book and shared it with my family. It was an interesting experiment to get the different opinions from a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old and my husband (whose age I’m sure he wouldn’t want me to mention!).

Favourite YA book – The Sapphire Legend by E.L. Tenenbaum

My Review

This fantasy book took me by surprise and I have been longing to read the sequel. I definitely will in 2017.

Favourite Indie and fantasy – The Crown of Stones by C.L. Schneider

My Review

I was drawn to the cover of this book from the start and the book didn’t disappoint. A great fantasy, and another trilogy I hope to finish in 2017.

Favourite Thriller – Distress Signals by Catherin Ryan Howard

My review

This book led to some very late nights! A compelling thriller and I bet you won’t see the twist coming!

Favourite Romance – Late Summer in the Vineyards by Jo Thomas

My Review

I loved this book for the atmosphere and the wonderful feel good factor it had.

Favourite Audio book – Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge

My Review

This was a thriller I just couldn’t stop listening to. It had that all important mystery element, and like the main character I didn’t know who to trust. It reminded me of ‘Before I go to Sleep’. Both truly great reads.

In all I read 33 books during 2016. Now I can’t wait to see what books 2017 has in store.

Have you read any of these books, and if not have I inspired you to add them to your TBR lists?

#Mondayblogs KDP select, updates, reviews & competition news

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, so I thought it was the perfect time for a little update.

Review News

Firstly, Visions of Zarua had two reviews within hours of each other over the weekend! I’m suffering with a cold at the moment and these reviews were the perfect pick me up. See them on the Goodreads book page and Amazon UK.

One reviewer even said Paddren was one of her top five favourite characters of the year. That is amazing to hear and really makes me smile, thank you Karen.O.

Visions of Zarua has received some wonderful feedback over the last year with 17 reviews on amazon UK and 15 on goodreads. These reviews have been my inspiration to keep writing and I never tire of re-reading them.

New Competition

A UK only Goodreads competition will be running over the Christmas period. 22nd Dec to 1st Jan 2017.

I’m also about to set up a Rafflecopter giveaway, something I’ve not done before but we’ll see how that works out.

Next Book News

My first two beta readers reviews are in. The consensus is that The Lost Sentinel is almost ready to publish! There’s still a few tweaks and mistakes to rectify, but it’s pretty much complete. Then it’ll just need a professional edit and book cover.

Book 2 is written but awaiting the insertion of many, many scenes. I hope to start planning book 3 soon with a view to writing the draft during Nano next November. Scary to think of Nov 2017, but it’s good to have a plan.

One of my beta readers is really pushing me to approach agents before I self publish The Lost Sentinel. She thinks it’s a much stronger book than Visions of Zarua and the fact its book 1 of a trilogy might make it a better prospect for agents and publishers to consider. What do you think of switching directions?

I’ll be researching my options over the next few months. It’s exciting, but I’ve enjoyed self-publishing and I’m not sure I want to hand over control to others. There’s also the rejections to face again. Am I ready for that?

Reading challenge

I beat my 25 book target on Goodreads, which I’m really pleased about. There’s still time to get another book or two in and I’m hoping to post a review tomorrow of A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs.

There are plenty of book tags around that I’d like to have a go at, and maybe I’ll try to select my favourite book of 2016. It’s harder this year as I’ve read more books than I’m used too. 2015 my fav book was Ink and Bone’ by Rachel Caine.

KDP Select / Countdown deals & Amazon Ads

Well the exclusive publishing is not going well and Kindle Unlimited KENP has gone down to zero pages for the last two months. At the back end of October this was looking like an exciting new way of reaching readers, now I don’t know. I’m stuck with it until Feb 2017, after that it will be decision time.

The second Countdown deal didn’t go to plan. It worked in the UK and US, but seemed to start at different times. The Amazon Ads I’d scheduled didn’t work properly and the book price didn’t increase on the second day for some reason. This isn’t really an issue, but it just made my blog/tweets about it harder – I didn’t want to mention price in case it suddenly hopped up to 1.99. I made a few sales, but nothing to worry the bestseller lists!

I spent more on Ads with Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads than I made in sales. Still, it’s all exposure for the book.

Call for help

If you have Kindle Unlimited, don’t forget Visions of Zarua is free to read in the UK here and the US here.

I would really appreciate it of someone who has the facility would read a couple of pages and let me know when, just so I can check the pages read are being registered.

Also, I had this crazy idea that I’d like to hit 20 reviews on Amazon before the end of the year. If you have read Visions, would you consider posting a short review? It really does make my day to read them.

I’m sure I’ll post again soon, but if not before the big day…

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson #fantasy #epicfantasy #darkfantasy

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Here’s the latest review of my novel Visions of Zarua, from Karen who won a copy of the book during my blog tour in July.

My train of thoughts on...

visions_of_zarua

I won this book (mobi format) in the author’s giveaway.

My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Plot
(by Goodreads)

Two wizards, 350 years apart. Together they must save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past.

An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.

Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.

Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.

The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his…

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#Tuesdaybookblog #bookreview The Sorcerer’s Garden @Dwallacepeach #RBRT #Fantasy

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

The Sorcerer’s Garden by D Wallace Peach

Genre – Fantasy

Blurb

Recently fired and residing with her sweetly overbearing mother, Madlyn needs a job—bad. In a moment of desperation, she accepts a part-time position reading at the bedside of adventurer and amateur writer Cody Lofton. A near-drowning accident left the young man in a vegetative state, and his chances of recovery wane with each passing day.

Cody’s older brother, Dustin, and eccentric grandmother aren’t prepared to give up on the youngest son of Portland, Oregon’s royalty.

Dustin’s a personable guy, bordering on naïve, and overwhelmed by familial corporate duties and cutthroat partners. Grandmother Lillian’s a meddler with an eye for the esoteric, dabbling in Dustin’s life and dealing out wisdom like a card shark. One innocent conversation at a time, she sucks Madlyn into the Lofton story, dubbing her the princess and bestowing on her the responsibility of both grandsons’ destinies.

And all Madlyn wanted was a simple reading job.

Uninspired by her self-imposed stack of literary selections, Madlyn opts for Cody’s work-in-progress. Fantasy isn’t her favorite, but with only four chapters completed, reading The Sorcerer’s Garden should be no sweat, right?

Little does she realize, the story will begin writing itself and, by the hand of destiny, become her own.

***

My Review

Wow, this was a breath-taking adventure that barely stood still.

I was intrigued by the title and the blurb really stood out for me, anything to do with writing and writers and I’m sold! As I started reading, possibilities whirled through my mind…

The start of the story felt a little over the top in the action sense. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but then I realised this was the start of Cody’s story – his tale of slaying the dragon with his brother. I thought this was very cleverly done by the author. This larger than life action helped to distinguish between Madlyn’s real world and Cody’s work in progress. However, as the story developed everything becomes more complicated for Madalyn and soon the two worlds are colliding and you have no idea what is real and what is part of the world within Cody’s story. I was as confused as Madlyn, but that wasn’t an issue, it made the reading experience more exciting. The only complaint I have is that the action was so full on and constant, sometimes I just needed a breather.

I liked Madlyn, but I really liked the two brothers, Cody and Dustin, and their mysterious grandmother, Lillian.

I loved the end. Everything came together and not as I was expecting it too. I was very happy with the conclusion, and the fact this was a standalone novel. But there could easily be more to this story and these characters.

My final thought – The author showed great skill weaving this tale. It was a very enjoyable read, if not a little exhausting!

I recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy and loves a story with relentless pace.

4 stars

Check the book for yourself on Goodreads.

Update – 15/12/16 I reviewed this book as part of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.

#Audiobook #bookreview See How They Run by Tom Bale #Tuesdaybookblog #thriller

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

See How They Run (Audio version)

By Tom Bale

Narrated by Kris Dyer

Blurb
In the dead of night, new parents Alice and Harry French are plunged into their worst nightmare when they wake to find masked men in their bedroom. Men ruthless enough to threaten their baby daughter, Evie.

This is no burglary gone wrong.
The intruders know who they’re looking for – a man called Edward Renshaw.
And they are prepared to kill to get to him.

When the men leave empty handed, little do Alice and Harry realise that their nightmare is just beginning. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Who is Renshaw? And what is he hiding?

One thing is clear – they already know too much.

As Alice and Harry are separated in the run for their lives, there is no time to breathe in their fight to be reunited. And with their attackers closing in, there is only one choice:

STAY ALIVE. OR DON’T.

Terrifying, unputdownable and full of twists and turns, this stunning thriller will have you on the edge of your seat right to the very last page.

My Review

I bought this book on a whim having seen the audio book on sale with audible. The premise sounded engaging and I was certainly gripped by the beginning sample. The book starts with a bang, putting you straight into the action as a couple are threatened in their own home along with their 2-month-old baby.

There were quite a few viewpoint characters in the book, which is necessary to drive the story along. It was well narrated with all the different voices depicted with skill.

It was an absorbing listen. I enjoyed the mounting tension as the story rattled along at a pace, dragging the main characters, Alice and Harry, into ever increasing danger.

I loved that some of the action happened in Glocestershire, Ross-on-Wye and Symmons Yat, favourite holiday spots for our family.

In all this was a gripping thriller, however after the main action had taken place the end did drag on a bit.

A recommended read or listen for thriller and mystery fans.

My rating 4 stars

#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview Getting Book Reviews by @RayneHall #indieauthors

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Getting Book Reviews by Rayne Hall

Part of the Writer’s Craft Series

Blurb

Reviews help sell books.
When browsing online for their next read, most readers are drawn to the books with many reviews. More and more readers glance at what other readers have to say about a book before they hit the ‘buy now’ button. The more people have read and liked the book, the more they want to experience it for themselves. This is a known psychological factor called ‘social evidence’, and it plays a big role in purchasing decisions.
The more reviews your book has, the better, especially if they are genuine, personal, thoughtful and positive. Reviews can multiply your sales and catapult your book to the top of bestseller lists – but how do you get them?
Perhaps you’re a new author and can’t get those crucial early reviews to start the train rolling. Maybe you’re a seasoned author and your books have garnered reviews, but not as many as you need to break out. Or perhaps you’ve gone the corporate publishing route, and find that your publisher’s publicist isn’t getting your book the attention it needs.
This book shows you many proven strategies to get the reviews your book deserves. Instead of urging you to labour through tedious, spirit-draining procedures, I’ll reveal quick, fun, empowering tricks.
All my suggestions are legitimate and ethical. In this book you won’t find methods for manipulating, faking and cheating. Strengthen your readers’ bond with you, don’t sabotage it.
Most of the methods I suggest are free, although some incur expenses. You will definitely need to spend time. You can apply them all these techniques, or cherry-pick the ones you like now and keep the rest for another time or a different book.
At the end of most chapters, I’m sharing mistakes I made and learnt from. They all seemed a good idea at the time.
Rayne

My Review

First thoughts

Since I self-published for the first time in 2015, I’ve been trying to increase my book’s profile on Amazon by getting more reviews. This book sounded perfect to help me do that.

Summary

Each chapter in the book covers your options when trying to gain reviews. They state the method, along with pros and cons for each and lessons learnt by the author. There were chapters on things like beta readers, approaching amazon reviewers, review circles and general product review agencies.

Writing Style

The book has a friendly, easy to read style just as the previous book of Rayne Hall’s I read and reviewed recently. Why does my book not sell? 20 Simple Fixes

Issues

My only real issue was that I’d already learnt alot of this by myself the long and hard way! It would’ve been great to have a manual like this to work through, to save time and effort.

Final thoughts

I have stumbled my way throughout the process of self-publishing and the same can be said for the way I’ve tried to get reviews. I have made connections with some brilliant book bloggers and gained some wonderful reviews, but I wish I’d known about this book long before I hit publish; things like putting a personal letter at the back of the book would have been easier if addressed beforehand.

This is a quick read, and one you can go back to again and again for sound advice.

Recommend to

I think this book is most helpful to authors who are soon to publish. Of course if you have already self-published, there are still plenty of helpful tips in here for you.

Rating 4 stars

A brilliant #bookreview of my #fantasy novel Visions of Zarua by @mummyworgan

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Happy weekend everyone, at least it has been for me. I’m still on a high from my book signing event last night, and then I woke up to read this excellent review this morning.

Review extract…

Visions of Zarua is set in the magical world of Paltria, where there are Wizards, mythical creatures and enemies around every corner. This is a dark fantasy novel, that I loved from the very first page. It has to be said that fantasy novels are not my usual genre, but I was surprised by just how much this book spoke to me. Even though it is set in the mythical world of Paltria, and the ancient and abandoned city of Zarua, the book echoed the emotions of everyday, normal life. This is why I connected so much with this book and the characters within it…

Click to continue reading on Jo’s blog Brew and Books Review. It’s a great review – I’m not biased, honest!

I’ll post a bit more about the book signing and any tips I’ve gained from the experience in another post.

Bye for now.

#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview Late Summer in the Vineyard by Jo Thomas #Romance

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

As promised on my Fridaybookshare post, here’s my review of Late Summer in the Vineyard by Jo Thomas.

Genre – Romance

Blurb

Emmy Bridges has always looked out for others. Now it’s time to put down roots of her own.

Working for a wine-maker in France is the opportunity of a lifetime for Emmy. Even if she doesn’t know a thing about wine – beyond what’s on offer at the local supermarket.

There’s plenty to get to grips with in the rustic town of Petit Frère. Emmy’s new work friends need more than a little winning over. Then there’s her infuriatingly brash tutor, Isaac, and the enigmatic Madame Beaumont, tucked away in her vineyard of secrets.

But Emmy will soon realise that in life – just as in wine-making – the best things happen when you let go and trust your instincts. Particularly when there’s romance in the air…

My Review

First thoughts

This is the first (and only) book I’ve won in a Goodreads competition. I was sent a Marketing Proof by the publishers. Although sadly it doesn’t have this cover, I was still really pleased to be a winner.

Summary

This is a perfect story for escapism. I’m sure in the middle of November, we’re all dreaming of heading off to hot and sunny France. I’d love to visit the vineyards, it all sounds so idyllic.

Main character

I really like Emmy. She’s a genuinely nice person who wants to help everyone and puts their best interests above her own. This has meant she’s put her entire life on hold to look after her dad and younger sister. Her need to look out for others gets her into some very sticky situations.

I did find Emmy’s self doubt a little over the top, but it was completely believable. At times I could have shaken some sense into her and by the end it was gratifying to see her development.

Writing style

It’s mainly told in first person, present tense from Emmy’s perspective. This style really helps to connect with Emmy and understand her thought processes. The situations she gets herself in become more plausible as well.

Issues

I found a part of the prologue annoying and improbable. If someone is telling you to get out their house or they’ll call the police, you don’t suggest a cup of tea (not when your a stranger and a debt collector at that!). It is a sort of comic moment, but it just stopped me believing in the story – thank goodness I carried on reading!

My only other issue would be the amount of simple errors that were present in this copy. As I received a marketing copy, I assume these have been spotted by a proof reader.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book much, much more than I was expecting! I now have a new appreciation for wine, and desperately want to go and visit France. This book created a special feeling about the vineyards and the host of characters Emmy meets. I especially liked Madame Beaumont and her old horse, Henri. It’s a story that stays will you and I will miss reading it. I will definitely read more of Jo Thomas’ books when I want that feel good factor.

Rating 4.5 Stars

Recommend to: Romance readers who like to discover something a little different and want to be transported into another country.

#Audio #bookreview The Teacher by Katerina Diamond #thriller #tuedaybookblog

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

The Teacher

Katerina Diamond

Narrator Stevie Lacey

Blurb

You think you know who to trust? You think you know the difference between good and evil? You’re wrong…

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.

This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.

WARNING: Most definitely not for the faint-hearted!

My review

I found this book slow to start. There were quite a few characters introduced in the first few chapters and I was a little underwhelmed and lost.

But several chapters in, I really started to get taken in by the unfolding story. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the slow revealing of each characters’ story. It’s unusual for a detective story to have so many other characters VP’s rather than just the detective and the murderer. I found this refreshing and it helped keep my interest through the book.

The horrific murders really made me cringe, but I wouldn’t say it wasn’t for the faint-hearted as the blurb suggests.

In all, it was a good listen and an enjoyable story. I recommend to those who enjoy thrillers and detective stories.

Rating – 3.5 stars

#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview #DistressSignals Catherine Ryan Howard #Thriller

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Distress Signals

Catherine Ryan Howard

Thriller, mystery

Blurb

Did she leave, or was she taken?

The day Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads ‘I’m sorry – S’ sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate – and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground…

First thoughts

From the very first line, I was drawn in. It was a breath-taking start, literally. I felt myself struggling to breathe as I read it.

Writing style

The book had the unconventional style of having no chapter numbers. Each section/ chapter was from a particular viewpoint character’s perspective and either from their past or present. There was never any confusion of where I was in the story, and this style made for a page-turning thriller.

Issues

It’s hard to find faults with this book. Some of the scenes were quite an uncomfortable read, I sort of knew where they were going but was dreading the outcome. That is in no way a criticism, but a compliment to the writer’s skill.

Final thoughts

I read this book in a matter of days, unable to think of anything else. There were shocks and twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. I loved how the breath-taking beginning formed part of the climactic scenes towards the end. This book has everything I want from a thriller, and more.

It is a definite candidate for that book hangover feeling. I haven’t managed to pick up another fiction book since finishing it.

Recommend to

I recommend to thriller lovers and those who love a mystery to unravel.

My rating

A very worthy 5 stars.

***

I’ve been wanting to read Distress Signals ever since Catherine agreed to do a guest post on my blog during the book’s release. Check out her post here on why she chose traditional publishing over self-publishing.

Distress Signals has been shortlisted for Crime Novel of the Year in the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards! Vote for your favourite reads of 2016 here.

It’s currently only 98p on Amazon UK. Well worth reading.