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Archives for August 2024
AUTHOR PROMO OPPORTUNITY! Our 17th Anniversary Bash!
August 6, 2024 By 1 Comment
Long and Short Reviews is having a big 17th Anniversary Bash!!
This celebration is for all fiction genres we feature and review (romance, erotic romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children’s Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, SFF and mainstream fiction) as well as non-fiction books (memoirs, self-help, etc.) and poetry, and will run August 19 – 23, 2024. We expect a huge turnout, with thousands of visitors, just like we’ve had every year on our anniversary! It’s a chance for some significant exposure. We’ll also be heavily promoting on all our social media accounts. Additionally, this year we’ve partnered with Goddess Fish Promotions to help promote the event even more through features on their book blog tour host partners and promotion on their social media accounts!
Along with several other prizes, we plan on giving away at least two $100 Amazon/BN GCs, and several smaller Amazon/BN GCs, all of which are sure to be a draw. Final number and dollar amount of prizes will be based on participation. The more authors who participate, the more and bigger prizes we’ll offer and the more eyes on YOUR book! So… share this invitation everywhere
To win one of the $100 GCs, we’ll be posting a blurb, book cover and buy link on a post, and in order to earn entries, our visitors must read the blurb and answer a question on a rafflecopter. The hope is that they’ll be intrigued by what they read and buy your book! Author participation will cost $7 per book, but you will receive a $7 credit toward any ad or service offered by Long and Short Reviews or by Goddess Fish Promotions. So, it’s practically free!
For the other $100 GC, we’ll be offering social media spots for participating authors. Our visitors may enter by visiting you (Facebook page) or following you (all other social media). Each social media link you want to feature will be an additional $1 fee.
It’s easy to participate. Simply complete this form: https://form.jotform.com/41804468836160
If you have any questions, please email us at lasreviews@gmail.com
Thank you,
Marianne and Judy
http://www.longandshortreviews.com
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Neighbourly Mischief by Cristina Mîrzoi
August 6, 2024 By Leave a Comment
Neighbourly Mischief by Cristina Mîrzoi
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by AstilbeIn this peculiar story, we follow the lives of a few distinctive individuals living in an old apartment building, ranging from angsty youth to middle-aged couples and senior citizens. Sorrows, insecurities, longings, frustrations, and, above all, secrets are concealed within each of these characters in an intricate maze of dysfunctional yet humorous relationships.
The intrusion of an outsider on a serene night unexpectedly impacts the building and its inhabitants, forever altering their lives and strangely mending some of their inner wounds.
Aristotle famously stated that humans are social creatures. The daily interactions among people, intentional or not, play a significant role in shaping their lives. As our characters struggle against it, loneliness becomes the driving force behind the central conflict, acting as the true antagonist.
Not everything in life is easy to classify.
The character development in this novella was strong and entertaining. This was a delightful mixture of folks, from grumpy to eccentric to whimsical among many other options, and sometimes wildly different traits would emerge from the same person depending on the day and their mood. I also enjoyed seeing how various neighbors brought out new aspects of each other’s personalities. Some of them were honestly not great matches for each other due to conflicting interests or preferred communication styles, but that was what made this such a charming read. Of course, not everyone will get along with everyone else or draw out the same reactions from one another! The same thing happens in real life all of the time, after all.
There were a few things about the mystery that I wish had been explained better. For example, when exactly was this tale set? It felt like it was no more recent than the 1970s, but even that was a fuzzy guess due to how little the characters talked about things like technology and current events. The reason why this mattered so much to me as a reader had to do with the development of crime scene investigation over the years. It would be nearly impossible to dispose of a body these days without being caught at some point, but a century ago there were no smartphones, DNA tests, fingerprint readers, or security cameras to provide additional clues about what really happened and who may or may not have been involved. With that being said, this a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise quite well done.
Some of the most memorable passages were the ones that asked readers to think about the messiness of being human. That is to say, nobody is perfect or irredeemable. Terrible folks can be generous, and even the sweetest person one has ever met might still be harbouring a dark secret or two. The ambiguity of it all made these characters feel real to me. I never quite knew what to expect next, and I was surprised more than once by revelations about characters I thought I’d already figured out.
Neighbourly Mischief was a genuine exploration of what it means to be a good – or a not-so-good – person.
Movie Review: Savoring Paris
August 6, 2024 By Leave a Comment
Savoring Paris by
Writers: Joie Botkin and Victoria Brownlee
Director Clare Niederpruem
Starring: Bethany Joy Lenz and Stanley Weber
Publisher: Hallmark Channel
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by DicentraDisillusioned with her life, Ella embarks on a soul-searching journey to Paris where she navigates love, self-discovery and cheese amidst the enchanting backdrop of The City of Love.
Hallmark Channel’s Savoring Paris, starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Stanley Weber, is a nice turn away from their previously formulaic movies while still honoring the happily ever after endings the channel is known for. Ella (Bethany Joy Lenz) is disillusioned with her life in the United States and makes the choice to return to Paris in an attempt to recapture the magic from her previous trip (and taste the cheeses she’s never forgotten since). However, she’ll find much more in her interactions with her new friends, her carefree adventures and a “grumpy cheese-monger” named Serge (Stanley Weber).
In the past, with their stereotypical Christmas movies, storylines were very predictable whenever I watched a Hallmark movie. As a result, they came across as less authentic and not like something that could actually happen. I really enjoyed Ella’s journey in this movie, and how the actress delivered her performance in a way that came across as very genuine, funny, and engaging. Her friendships were very relatable, and I appreciated how her mother was overbearing yet gradually backed down on her own (without having to be talked to, like some of the royal parents in other movies).
My only complaint was that the movie was not actually fully filmed in Paris. As part of a set of movies marketed as “Passport to Love”, that was a bit disappointing for me but didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the movie too much. Nevertheless, I think the filmmakers did an excellent job bringing the charm and personality of the city (and its people) to life. The highlight of that was the contrast in the American and French lifestyles – French people work to live and get to enjoy much more of their life. On the other hand, many Americans live to work and forget to take time to savor the moment and enjoy life along the way. Ella did her best to get away from that mindset in this movie, and it was a very fulfilling journey to see.
Overall, this was a very entertaining movie. I’m excited to see the new creative direction Hallmark seems to be going in, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of their new movies as they release. Check out this movie if you like international romances complete with self-discovery and the grumpy x sunshine trope.
The Big Comb Over by J.P. Rieger – Interview and Giveaway
August 6, 2024 By 7 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card – a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
What are your favorite TV shows?
I really enjoyed the series, Severance. A wild and wacky ride in an alternative reality. I love good comedies so Resident Alien is another winner. Of course, as a fan of mysteries, I enjoy the tons of shows available on BritBox. My spouse and I have been binge-watching for months, now. The Brits really know how to do crime and mystery.
What is your favorite meal?
Well, mostly the ones you’re supposed to avoid: pizza, hot dogs and potato chips, cheeseburgers and fries. I enjoy those but try not to overdo. A nicely dressed Cesar Salad with grilled chicken is a favorite that carries less guilt, carbs and fats. (And then I’ll sneak a fry or two from my spouse’s plate.)
If you were to write a series of novels, what would it be about?
I enjoyed writing the characters in my second novel, Clonk! which features Baltimore City Police Detective Kev Dixit and his coterie of old high school friends. My fourth, as yet unpublished novel, Sunscreen Shower, is a standalone that reprises many of the characters from Clonk! including Dixit. But I’ve considered moving that gang forward, and my fifth novel (under construction) may take Dixit and the gang into series mode.
Is there a writer you idolize? If so who?
I’m a big fan of the crime writer, Charles Willeford. He passed away in the late 1980’s but not before gifting us with his four-book series featuring Miami Police Detective Hoke Mosely. Willeford’s darkly existential humor brings the characters to life. He writes in an unsentimental fashion and always includes a sociopath or two in each novel.
How did you come up for the title of this book?
The reader will quickly learn that the character of Roland, a mildly hypochondriacal actor and one of the three uncles, is obsessed with his hair. He’s going bald and is desperately trying anything/everything to enhance his hair. The comb over is one of his “go to” hair compromises, but not one he particularly wants to employ. (Yes, I comb over myself, daily.)
Three nephews and three eccentric uncles.
———
It’s 2050 and Robbie Elders has all but forgotten about his oddball, religious fanatic uncle, tim tim. He’s taken up the latest fad, genealogical research based solely on DNA. But Robbie’s “inconclusive” DNA results are unsettling. He crashes back to his childhood, back to his world of comic books and tim tim.“I opt for posh and London” declares Lady Florence Stour. It’s 2019 and time for a Royal Wedding. Robbie’s uncle, Stef, is engaged to Lady Florence, a distant member of the British royal family. Stef’s Baltimore clan have been invited, but Robbie’s mom and dad can’t attend. They’ve entrusted Robbie and big brother, Doyle, to their mom’s two eccentric brothers, uncles Roy and Roland. Roy, a weathered waterman with a severe Baltimore accent, lives for Maryland blue crabs. Roland, a mildly hypochondriacal actor, lives to survive the Karens he unavoidably encounters. And then there’s Desales, Roy’s smart aleck, teenage son. He lives to prank. They’ve descended upon London. What could possibly go wrong?
Meanwhile, tim tim has been coaching Robbie on “the mission.” A silly religious fantasy according to Robbie’s atheist parents and the therapists. Or perhaps not? Things are not always as they appear in The Big Comb Over.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Roland looked at the bottle in awe. “Fletcher’s Dry Shampoo – Hint of Almond.” He looked over the directions and ingredients on the back. “Wow! It’s gluten-free and approved by PETA, too!” He handed back the bottle, gingerly, as though it were an egg.
“Yes! So, I’ll get things started, today, but when you use it, remember to follow the instructions carefully. You have to shake the thing like a bastard.”
He pulled off the top cap and shook the bottle frantically.
“Okay, shield your eyes with your hands, Roland.”
Morris began carefully spraying the bald spot. The bottle produced several quick spurts—the initial “targeting” move. He then pulled the can back several inches and sprayed in a wider arc, slowly filling in the surrounding areas. Excess brown powder fell gently onto the cape; iron filings mixed with cinnamon.
“Yes, there we go! Success! Let me give it a brush-through and a good zhuzh!”
Morris began to carefully run the boar’s hairbrush through the mixture of hair and powdered shampoo. There was that one tricky area, so he gave it another quick blast with the aerosol can. He completed brushing and found the most optimal place for the all-important part. Something natural. Avoiding the comb-over effect was difficult. Balance . . . balance . . .
He then gave Roland’s hair a quick blast with the hair dryer. Not too much, as there was not much to dry. The shampoo had absorbed most of the hemp oil treatment. He put the dryer aside and gave Roland’s hair a two-handed, final zhuzh. He spun the chair around, dramatically, and placed a hand mirror in front of Roland’s face so that he could check out the back.
“Looky loo, Sir Roland! Nary a hint of . . . deficiency!”
Roland looked with disbelief. He no longer had that bald spot! It was gone!
“Oh dear Lord, Morris! You are a genius! Look at this! Michelangelo!” He handed back the mirror, stunned.
“Thank you, thank you!” Morris took a quick bow and rapidly turned the chair back around, causing Roland some dizziness. “Now, let me hit you with a finishing spray to hold everything in place!”
He dramatically removed the top of the hairspray aerosol and shook the can furiously. He sprayed the mist in a near random fashion near the scalp and then away from the scalp and then back toward and quickly away again—a symphony conductor of a twelve-tone sound poem.
He spun Roland around again and thrust the mirror before his face. “What do you think?!”
“Yes, yes, Morris, this is perfect! This is what I’ve been waiting for . . . dreaming about!”
About the Author: J. Paul (J.P.) Rieger is a born and bred Baltimorean and mostly retired Maryland attorney. As such, he’s well acquainted with the quirkiness and charm of Baltimore’s unique citizens. He’s author of Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University-Baltimore). He’s also author of The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a mystery novel featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero. The Big Comb Over, a slipstream comedy of manners featuring three nephews and their three eccentric uncles, is Paul’s third novel. Paul is married and lives in Towson, Maryland.
Buy the book at Amazon.
The Scale Of Time: From the Beginning by Joseph Lanzara
August 5, 2024 By Leave a Comment
The Scale Of Time: From the Beginning by Joseph Lanzara
Publisher: New Arts Library
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by AstilbeYou have not seen one like this before. . .
Open this book and a crazy ruler unfolds to measure the entire history of the universe, in the scale of 1”=25 million years. You couldn’t display something like this on any computer monitor, smart TV, or even IMAX. But here it is in one thin book. From the Big Bang to the death of the Sun, every hour is measured with slide-rule precision, and no short cuts. Informal text and stark graphics guide you from the origin of galaxies through the geologic periods of Earth, in Real Time. Another impossible chart accurately contrasts the Solar System’s dimensions with the distance of a Light Year. Rotate the book clockwise and delve into a million years of human evolution. This unique publication should please any seeker, student, hobbyist, or anyone who is curious about our place in this wondrous universe.
Whether you already love science or wish you could understand it better, keep reading.
The birth and early existence of Earth is one of those topics I find slightly difficult to wrap my mind around but endlessly fun to ponder. Looking at the illustrations and reading the captions were a great way to help me understand just how long it took for our planet to do everything from cool down long enough for land to form to how crucial oceans were for the formation and protection of the earliest microbial life forms. I appreciated how much effort was put into demonstrating just how much time passed from one notable event to the next, especially in the beginning.
By far my favorite portion of this book was the one that discussed the most recent discoveries about what Neanderthal society was like and how they reacted to the introduction of Homo Sapiens to their territory. This is one of those topics I love reading about, and the author had some incredibly interesting things to say about what might have happened between these two groups of humans tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago that I have not seen repeated too often in other contemporary books I’ve read on the subject.
This was such an educational read. I was especially intrigued by the descriptions of Rodinia, the oldest known supercontinent. Previously, I had only been aware of Pangaea, so it was cool to discover just how much geologists have been able to surmise about where the continents were probably arranged on Earth much earlier than that. I never would have guessed that continental drift could be tracked so precisely at such a distant point in the past. Mr. Lanzara did a fantastic job of explaining this and so many other scientific discoveries in a manner that was easy to understand for readers who don’t have a strong grasp of or maybe who even don’t know anything at all about the subject at hand already. That is a valuable skill that makes me eager to read more from him soon.
The existence of aliens was another thought-provoking section as well. It was not something I was expecting to find here, but the author did an excellent job of broaching the topic while still remaining firmly rooted in current scientific understanding of what – or who – might be out there. I will allow other readers the joy of discovering for themselves the rest of the details about this subject as it requires a certain amount of audience participation that makes reviewing it here less exciting than experiencing it for oneself.
The Scale Of Time: From the Beginning is one of the best books I’ve ever reviewed for Long and Short Reviews during the many years I’ve been part of this organization. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Secrets of My Favorite Genre and Hero Writing by Sandy Lender – Guest Blog and Giveaway
August 5, 2024 By 9 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I’ve learned not to pause when people ask what genre I write in. Although I have over 20 titles out there in a few genres, the main one is fantasy. Epic, to be exact.
I love reading and writing big, sweeping stories of good versus evil with a complex dragon who could switch sides if you don’t treat him (or her) right. Readers who know me know I write strong female characters but a secret to keeping this genre exciting for myself is in the dragons and the heroes. I’m a sucker for a hero who, like the dragon, could switch sides if you betray him. Or if you harm his dragon companion.
Another secret to my genre fiction is the type of hero I write. Considering I’m talking this week about my latest release, “100 Things Duran Duran Fans Should Know & Do During This Life,” it’s probably time to come clean and admit most of my heroes bear a striking resemblance to DD’s bass guitarist. There’s a reason for that.
John Taylor is hot like the rising sun. He has aged like a fine wine you want to sip while listening to all the slow, moody-and-grey Duran Duran songs through high-quality headphones.
Why wouldn’t I model the look of the hero you’re supposed to fall for after my lifelong crush? Now, don’t let this fool you into thinking my heroes are “based on” Mr. John Taylor. That would be creepy. (And probably worthy of a cease-and-desist.)
While John Taylor definitely inspires the heroes in the CHOICES series, the DRAGONS IN SPACE series, the FAERIE HOLIDAYS series, and a few other stories I’ve penned, these heroes are their own fabulous hotties with their own back stories and blends of mannerisms and traits from interesting people I’ve met or observed over my lifetime. It takes more than a handsome face to create a hero, no matter what genre you’re working in.
For me, it’s fun to write in the fantasy genre. It’s fun to bring a gorgeous hero onto the page to assist the strong young women I’m writing about. And to add in some epic dragons.
Best-selling, award-winning author and life-long Duranie, Sandy Lender, offers a delightful guidebook to the fun and sometimes wacky events that bring a fandom together. 100 THINGS DURAN DURAN FANS SHOULD KNOW & DO DURING THIS LIFE is a unique, positive, optimistic, totally new take on exploring nostalgia alongside your BFFs with the supergroup that continues to provide the dance track for so many people’s lives.
This non-fiction foray into Duran Duran history is unlike any biography you’ve read before. Instead of dry stats and facts, it’s a reminder of the joy and positivity that comes from obsessing over a shared musical interest. Herein you’ll find a series of random acts “to do” and trivia you might have forgotten to celebrate. To-do: Dive in and celebrate again!
Enjoy an Excerpt
Introduction
Let me admit, up front, you’re about to read a frivolous romp through a Duranie’s brain. We’re about to dance together down Memory Lane, inspired by a Star Wars book title I saw about four months ago. To prevent myself from stealing the author’s intellectual property, I didn’t open the unauthorized 100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.
Instead, I’ve put together a Duran-o-rama of my own making. It’s arranged exactly as the title suggests: first an item of what a Duran Duran fan should know, followed by an item a fan can do. This order proceeds from one to one hundred in a conversational tone.
The prompts of nostalgia might be numbered, but they’re not in chronological order. Most of the to-do items are geared toward sharing your insanity with others.
Basically, you’re holding amusing reminders of carefree times when a ticket to a concert cost all of eighteen dollars, when you listened to the local radio station at midnight because they were playing the entire new DD release, or when you could grab a crew of giggling girls to plop down on the couch with a six-pack of Pepsi—because that’s what John preferred over the sponsor of the Arena tour—to watch and sing along to Arena: An Absurd Notion, complete with parental advisory.
Now, let me lift the needle off the record for a second.
About the Author 
Sandy Lender is an international best-selling poet and award-winning author of fantasy, literary fiction, poetry, and short story work. She’s a construction magazine editor by day and author of #GirlPower fantasy novels by night, living in Florida to help with sea turtle conservation and parrot rescue. You can follow her author page on Amazon, check her website at SandyLenderInk.com, or subscribe to her newsletter at https://bit.ly/SSReNews.
With a four-year degree in English and thirty-year career in publishing, Sandy’s successes include traditionally and self-published novels, hundreds of magazine articles, multiple short stories in competitive anthologies, a handful of technical writing awards, a handful of creative writing awards, and the 2023 Michael Knost Wings award. Sandy’s been writing stories since she was knee-high to a grasshopper when her great-grandmother shared her odd little tales of squeaky ghost-spiders around an apartment complex in Southern Illinois. The stories have developed to include strong young ladies working with dragons to save worlds from terrible fates, but those pesky spiders still show up from time to time.
There’s always something brewing at Sandy Lender Ink headquarters where some days, you just want the dragon to win.
Buy the book at Amazon.
Operation North Sea by William Meikle
August 2, 2024 By Leave a Comment
Operation North Sea by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by FernThe chill grey waters of the North Sea off the Scottish coast are treacherous at the best of times and become even more so when something attacks an offshore oil rig.
An old friend calls for S-Squad’s expertise but what they find is a bigger enemy by far than any they have previously encountered.
This time they’re going to need bigger guns.
The lads from S-Squad are sent just a short jump away onto an oil rig on the chilly waters of the North Sea off the Scottish coastline. While they’re sent away with an old friend what they hadn’t anticipated was the monster they find lurking beneath the dark water is far, far bigger than even they could have imagined.
I really love this series and thoroughly enjoyed this addition. Short and very fast paced, this time more guns and fire power weren’t helpful against the biggest beastie the boys have faced yet. I thought this quick story was exceptionally well thought out by the author and I was very happy with the progress of some of the characters – Wiggins in particular. His character is certainly growing and learning, and I found that a joy to read. A few of the small interactions between Wiggins and Captain Banks in particular really had me feeling there was room for more to come in the next few books.
As always – this series is a rollicking good time. Fine literature and twisty turning complex plots is not the aim of the game here. Rather this is a loud, brash and joyous good time with plenty of drinking, swearing, monsters and bravery. I adore these squaddies and this series and while it’s certainly not needed to have read any of the previous books you’re missing out if you haven’t.
With monsters, brave soldiers and a whole bunch of collateral damage this is a fun and frivolous read that is sure to brighten anyone’s day. I love this series and found this to be a wonderfully good time. Recommended.
Research by Jeanette Watts – Guest Blog and Giveaway
August 2, 2024 By 4 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a Jane Austen Coloring Book (US only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I think one of the reasons I am usually writing historical fiction is because I*love* research!
I’ve heard other authors talk about falling down a rabbit hole while researching as if it were a bad thing…but it’s those very side trips that make someone a better writer. If I were writing fantasy novels instead of historical fiction, it’s called “world building.” If the year is 1882, and it’s Pittsburgh, and I want to know about the hospital that my character is in, so I’m reading newspapers at the Heinz History Center, and I just found out there was record rain that year, or record snow, or there was a new craze for roller skating, that’s all useful information. It helps build texture. The reason people read historical fiction is because they are curious about what it was like to live in the past. Telling them what it smelled like, what it sounded like, and what it tasted like is what I’m here for. To educate as well as entertain.
Even my two modern novels, A Woman’s Persuasion and Jane Austen Lied to Me, required research. AWP is set in 2007 – my readers have lived through it. So they remember it. Don’t screw up. Because as soon as you forget that iPhones first come out on June 29 of that year, and either assume that either no one has them, or everyone already has them, you’ve just lost all the tech enthusiasts among your readers. JAL2M, the book currently coming out right now as an audiobook, is set on a modern college campus. (Well, modern to 2017, when it was first published.) I haven’t been a college student for a long time, and being an adjunct professor only takes you so far. What’s the registration process like nowadays? I bet students don’t run around campus with a registration form like when *I* was in school…I asked my students a LOT of questions.
That’s all that research is. Asking questions. I want to know the answer because either my readers want to know, or my readers already know, and I will look like an idiot if I demonstrate to them that I don’t know.
The thing that people forget is that research is more than just reading. That’s why the best crime novels are written by former members of the justice system, and the best cookbooks are written by chefs (or moms that cook every day). Experience is a form of research. That’s why they say “write about what you know.” In order to write about something, you have to go do it. Unless you write murder mysteries. Then I suggest you job shadow the mortician, not the murderer…
I am a dance teacher, and there’s a dance scene in every book I’ve written. Because I know what different social dances in different eras feel like. (I had a dance student from one of my dance groups read one of my novels and correctly identify the name of a set dance from 1878 by my description! That was satisfying.)
I am also a costume enthusiast, and there is no understanding corsets, and hoopskirts, and bustle dresses, until you put one on and wear it all day. For every actress in Hollywood whining about how uncomfortable they are, there are three re-enactors or living history presenters rolling their eyes at this stupid fuss about underwear that women wore while dancing the polka, and building log cabins, and lifting heavy iron pots. I can talk about what it feels like to waltz in a bustle dress, when your skirts arrive a few seconds after the rest of you had finished turning, because I’ve done it.
Research is about getting out and doing, as well as reading. I confess I do absolutely *love* the growing digitized newspapers available online. The University of Illinois has a fabulous collection, and it’s all searchable by keyword. But in order to really understand what I’m reading, I had to have gone out and done it. I teach historical dance, and all the descriptions of “the mazy waltz” would make no sense if I haven’t been on a crowded dance floor, where my partner and I have to navigate a dance floor filled with other spinning couples.
And sometimes, while writing a modern story about a college girl who loves Jane Austen, that research means sharing personal stories about working at the library or being really bad at math.
What college girl doesn’t dream of meeting Mr. Darcy? Lizzy was certainly no exception. But when Darcy Fitzwilliam comes into her life, he turns out to be every bit as aggravating as Elizabeth Bennett’s Fitzwilliam Darcy. So what’s a modern girl to think, except….
How could my hero be so wrong?
Enjoy an Excerpt
Well! That was interesting. My roommate invited me along to this frat party she was going to. She went through something called rush week, and she is now pledged to a sorority. She said the frats are less formal than the sororities, and even though I wasn’t a pledge I could go with her. I figured, why not, it should be fun, right?
I got to meet the guy she’s chasing. I couldn’t blame her for being interested. He’s cute, and sweet, and considerate, and a total people-pleaser. One of his parents must be the demanding sort who is never happy.
He introduced us to his friend… whose name is Darcy Fitzwilliam! I wasn’t sure at first that the guy wasn’t just pulling our legs.
“Your mother obviously loves Jane Austen,” I laughed.
“Obviously,” he answered. Not much to go by.
“I love Pride and Prejudice,” I continued.
“I hate Pride and Prejudice,” I can only describe the look he was giving me as hostile.
“I think you will find yourself very much in a minority,” I answered, returning his look with one of my own.
We didn’t talk any more that night. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot!
About the Author: 
Jeanette Watts has written three Jane Austen-inspired novels and two short stories for Jane Austen Fan Fiction anthologies, two other works of historical fiction, stage melodramas, television commercials, and historical dance manuals. She is a regular contributor to MOMCC Magazine.
When she is not writing, she is either dancing, sewing, or making videos for her YouTube channel and TikTok accounts, “History is My Playground.”
Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes
August 1, 2024 By Leave a Comment
Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by FernDI Ben Kitto needs a second chance. After ten years working for the murder squad in London, a traumatic event has left him grief-stricken. He’s tried to resign from his job, but his boss has persuaded him to take three months to reconsider.
Ben plans to work in his uncle Ray’s boatyard, on the tiny Scilly island of Bryher where he was born, hoping to mend his shattered nerves. His plans go awry when the body of sixteen year old Laura Trescothick is found on the beach at Hell Bay. Her attacker must still be on the island because no ferries have sailed during a two-day storm.
Everyone on the island is under suspicion. Dark secrets are about to resurface. And the murderer could strike again at any time.
For ten years DI Ben Kitto has worked in London with the Murder Squad, but after a tragic event he worries his nerves are shot. Refusing to allow him to quit, Ben’s boss instead convinces him to take three months off and not make a hasty decision. So, Ben returns to his uncle’s boatyard on the tiny Scilly Island of Bryher where Ben passed more than a few happy holidays as a child. But that peace is shattered when the body of a sixteen-year-old local girl washes up on the beach at Hell Bay – and due to a two-day storm, no ferries have sailed since she was last seen, so the killer must be a local resident. Does Ben have the strength to search for a killer in the place that was meant to be his refuge?
This is the first book in a new-to-me author and series. Set on the small islands off the Cornwell coastline this British police procedural is based around a small island with only a few hundred residents on it. Readers looking for an action-orientated novel or a fast pace to the plot probably won’t find what they’re after here. I really enjoyed the slower pace to the plot, helping to really set the scene and let me ease into the new character of Ben and the residents of the island who are so familiar to our protagonist.
It felt clear to me that the slower start to this novel really was just to set the landscape for the reader. The opening scene is the murder of the teenage girl and while it takes a few chapters for her body to be found, I was pleased this time was given for me to get so attached to both Ben’s character and the small coastal town he had returned home to in order to recover. I had no doubt the murder would be discovered and so I didn’t feel any rush and the fact the author clearly had a similar idea really sat well with me. I do find these smaller town, police procedural style of novels are equally as much about the characters as with the murder and mystery aspects so having them each given plenty of time had me eagerly turning the pages.
Once the murder is discovered and Ben is – somewhat reluctantly – drawn in to the whole situation I did feel the pace quickened a little. Readers who like the slow and steady progress of many British police procedural style of novels should absolutely find this fits the bill for them. I really enjoyed the cast of characters and I’m always astonished how quickly I can get drawn into another small and sleepy village setting of any novel. This book was no exception, and I hadn’t even finished this book before I had purchased the next on in the series.
With well drawn characters, and interesting plotline and a “locked door” stye of murder mystery this was a great book and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Recommended.
