Reviewing Fiction One Happy Ever After at a Time
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
| 1. | George L Thomas | 3. | Stephen @Reading Freely | |
| 2. | Lydia Schoch | 4. | Judy Thomas |
Intersections by Karen F. Uhlmann
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by ChollaStyle-guru Charlotte Oakes sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover’s baby. Stunned after witnessing a hit-and-run in Chicago that leaves a child dead, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, is the only one who could have been driving.
His partner and best friend killed in a drug bust, police officer Ed Kelly learns that forensics has found that the fatal bullet came from Ed’s gun. Under internal investigation, Ed copes by filming cars at the site of the recent hit-and-run, hoping to catch the child’s killer. There, he notices Charlotte’s pilgrimages to the makeshift memorial, and over the weeks, the two become unlikely friends sharing intimate stories. But Charlotte won’t trust him with her most vulnerable secret of all: her suspicions about her daughter’s involvement in the accident.
When Ed finally learns the truth about, he struggles with his beliefs and duties. If he keeps quiet, he has breached his commitment to the law. But if he does the right thing as an officer, he may send Libby to jail—and lose Charlotte.
A tragic twist of fate brought them together. Friendship binds them together. But one person’s secrets might just tear them apart. Will these two unlikely strangers turned friends be able to navigate the chaos and lies and find their way through it all?
To have a child die so early in a book really shook me, especially since I wasn’t reading one of my usual police procedurals. However, the hit and run aspect drew me in, made me want to know the truth – was it Charlotte’s Prius or was it just a similar car? These are things I had to know and fast.
Charlotte Oakes is an interesting character in that she’s not a great person, but you root for her anyway. She loves her daughter, fights to give her the chances she deserves, but she’s also cheating on her husband. Despite that, she shows over and over how loyal and dedicated she is to her daughter, Libby, and later to her new friend, Ed.
I hate to admit it, but for the majority of the book, I did not like Libby at all. This makes me cringe because the poor girl had issues, things that were actually compounded by her father’s actions – or lack thereof. But I still had a hard time whenever she was in Chicago with Charlotte. However, she does get some major character growth, which made me happy.
Ed Kelly I liked immediately. He reminded me of the police officers you’d find in older TV shows – a bit chubby, genial, and focused on just doing the best job he could do, given any set of circumstances. He’s also struggling since his partner was killed. He and Charlotte make an odd pair, but they definitely work. They both bring something unique to the situation to help the other.
Intersections is more a story about families and friends than it is about discovering who was driving the car. While I hadn’t been expecting that, it still worked and made for an engaging and enjoyable novel. I did feel like the conclusion to the hit and run was a bit anti-climactic, but the end results were reasonable and understandable. Overall, this was a well-written story with complex and likable characters. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys domestic fiction or stories about complicated families and how they interact.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lauren Wagner will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
1. I want to climb Machu Picchu someday. Because what’s more fun than hiking up an ancient mountain and pretending you’re in enough athletic shape to actually pull it off? But seriously- it was the inspiration for my first book: Awaken.
2. Sleeping is basically my secret superpower. I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Meetings, planes, after five cups of coffee — boom, out like a light.
3. I’m all about that pitch-black, silent bedtime vibe. But my husband? He needs the TV on, like it’s his personal sleep podcast. I let him win because, well, love means suffering through reruns of bad television.
4. I wasn’t much of a reader until after college. Before that, everything I read was always for a school assignment, and I never picked up anything unless it was required reading. Back then, I read things at the surface level and never thought about what the words actually meant. Once turned into an “actual reader,” I felt so guilty about it that I went back and reread everything from my high school and middle school reading lists. I had missed out on so much, and I promised myself that I would never again take a book for granted.
5. I wish I could sing.
6. I hate the smell of ketchup.
7. If I could choose another career, I’d be an archaeologist. Digging up history and wearing a hat? Sign me up. History is where I find most of my inspiration. The world is covered by so much forgotten knowledge, buried beneath layers of earth and time. Every artifact is like a puzzle piece, waiting to reveal the stories of those who came before us. I love the idea of uncovering secrets that have been hidden for centuries—reconstructing lives from the fragments they left behind. It’s like being part detective, part historian, and part adventurer.
8. Hiking is my happy place. Give me dirt trails, fresh air, and a good view — I’m in heaven.
9. Music is my muse. When a song gets stuck in my head, it’s usually a sneaky little story begging to be written.
10. Outer space terrifies me. All that empty blackness? No thanks. I prefer to keep my feet firmly on the ground and avoid thinking about floating alone in the void.
Following a catastrophic nuclear war, Sara lives in a town where the government controls every drop of water. Strict rationing tightly regulates residents’ lives, and to fall sick is to be executed. Sara’s life becomes more dangerous and complicated when she first hides and cares for a small boy who has fallen sick, then takes him in when his parents are taken by the authorities.
Determined to care for the helpless child while struggling to keep alive the memory of her long-dead best friend, Sara leans on her friend’s older brother, Josh, an employee of the domineering water company that controls the water rationing. But Josh is under suspicion, and the city’s enforcement unit begins to observe their daily activities. Despite knowing that she’d be executed if her actions were known, Sara finds herself deeply and distressingly attracted to the lead investigator, navigating a complicated romance and finding a glimmer of hope in a world long dominated by fear and control.
Enjoy an Excerpt
United Region Water Laws: Established May 2167
Water restoration and conservation laws formed with the intent to restore and maintain the physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters are our nation’s highest priority. Any ill citizens will be removed from government-proclaimed safety zones for the public’s well-being.
Black SUVs line the street, their dark tinted windows and their sparkling silver rims reflecting impending doom. But the windows cannot keep out the screams. Not the cries, nor the banging from inside the vehicles. It’s random health inspection day, and dozens of citizens have already failed, by the count of SUVs.
Josh stands to greet me with a kiss on the cheek, his silence speaking louder than words. I smile back and try to ignore the ominous SUV’s and to ignore what is happening.
“Sit down. Don’t draw any more attention to yourself than necessary,” Josh says.
My pulse is pounding, and my chest rises and falls quicker than I can control. Sweat drips from my brow. My stomach is tied in knots. I assess my body for early signs of illness. No sore throat. No muscle aches. No nausea. All I can do is wait in silence. Our words would be lost anyway, so I sit down at the table.
About the Author: 
Lauren Wagner’s love for reading started as a young adult after discovering her town’s public library. After carrying out piles of books at a time, and re-reading them over and over again, she discovered her love for writing. She writes fantasy and science fiction as well as post-it notes about her future stories.
She grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago where she presently resides with her husband and two children. She currently teaches upper elementary students to love and obsess over written works of art.
Buy the book at Amazon.
Snow Angel of Revenge (Kosten Enkeli)
Director: Keke Soikkeli
Producers: Marko Hartama and Keke Soikkeli
Starring: Vivi Wahlström, Karoliina Tuominen, Hannele Lauri, Konsta Hietanen
Publisher: Nordic Films
Genre: Horror, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars (8 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by AstilbeSeeking solace and a break from her haunting past, Niina escapes to a remote, rural villa with her close friend Suvi. Their retreat, however, takes a sinister turn when they find themselves unwelcome, and through a series of unfortunate events, get entangled in the dark rituals of a mysterious ancient cult.
One fateful night, a ragged batch of locals, who worship an old pagan god, storm the villa demanding retribution for what the women have unknowingly done. Trapped in a nightmare of blood and brutality, only Niina survives the horrifying ordeal. Shattered but unbroken, she begins to rebuild her strength. With vengeance burning in her heart, Niina sets her sights on one and only one goal—revenge.
Not every god is easy to satisfy.
The plot twists were exciting and filled with moments that made me gasp and sometimes glance away from the scariest moments. Without sharing spoilers, some of my favorite ones involved Niina’s transformation from a terrified vacationer to someone who was determined to seek revenge for what had just happened to her and her friends. This is the kind of storytelling I love to find, and I only liked her more as I saw how she behaved as a result of every twist and turn that came her way.
I would have liked to have more information about the relationship between a character who was introduced early on in the storyline and the locals who worshipped an old god. This was something that intrigued me from the beginning, and I would have happily gone with a perfect rating if their connection was developed better. There was plenty of space there for explaining why that minor character offered a free vacation to Niina and how he knew about it in the first place, and the plot would have been stronger if that had occurred.
With that being said, the world building was otherwise well done and deliciously scary. I appreciated the way it played with the audience’s expectations as well as with common stereotypes about people who spend their lives in rural, isolated places. It can be difficult for many folks to understand why not everyone prefers their way of life, including the decision of where to live or which customs to follow. Horror can shine a light on the assumptions we make about each other and what that may say about us as human beings. This is one of the many reasons why I like that genre so much.
Snow Angel of Revenge made me shudder.
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
| 1. | George L Thomas | 5. | Cheryl @ The Book Connection | |
| 2. | Lydia Schoch | 6. | M | RAIN CITY READS | |
| 3. | Michael Mock | 7. | Priscilla King | |
| 4. | Aymee |
We are excited to introduce THE BAKER OF LOST MEMORIES, now available as an !! Check out this pick by Amazon for only $1.99!!
As with all my writing, aspects of my own experiences are evident. Like Lena, I am a child of Holocaust survivors who was born in Brooklyn. However, while Lena’s parents find it difficult to speak of their trauma, my parents often freely discussed their closeknit families in Poland and their devastating losses.
My mother and two brothers were the only survivors in a family of eight, while my father was the only survivor, his mother, two sisters and a brother having died in the fires of Auschwitz. He was a runner in the black market in the Lodz ghetto, just like Josef in THE BAKER OF LOST MEMORIES. In researching the book, consequently, I was satisfying my own curiosity about his experience.
I came upon the idea of a bakery because I thought it was a good setting to span the past with the present; but I also recall that my mother told me of an aunt, Tante Rachel, who owned a bakery in Poland and how she often assisted her there. As a child, I was obsessed with learning all I could about my grandparents, the aunts, uncles and cousins I never knew. I have only a few photos of them, none of my grandparents. As my younger brother and I were born after World War II, I couldn’t imagine how I would feel if I had
had a sibling who was murdered by the Nazis. Although it was emotionally difficult for me to write, I wanted to explore this idea with Lena and how such a loss might have affected her life so many years later.
Other aspects of the novel also stem from my life. The bungalow colony which appears in the introduction is drawn from my memories of visiting my aunt and uncle in the Catskills and babysitting my younger cousins there. Some Brooklyn scenes including Lena’s visit to Doc’s, a real place from my childhood where we would order egg creams and Rock and Root root beer sodas in frozen glasses; walking to the library, going to the Loews Theater, and taking early morning classes at Brooklyn College are all fond memories. One interesting note is Lena’s meeting with Luke on the bus. I did have the
same meeting with a charismatic student who was not my usual type. However, unlike Lena, I did not give him my real telephone number. I have often wondered what would have happened if I had. With Lena, I was able to find out.
Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness—and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
About the Author: 
Shirley Russak Wachtel is the author of A CASTLE in BROOKLYN, the moving story of a Holocaust survivor whose dream of building his own home and raising a family in Brooklyn is threatened when unexpected tragedy occurs. This highly touted debut novel reflects the aspirations of anyone who dreams of a better life. Other of her books include THREE for a DOLLAR, an anthology of her short stories, THE STORY of BLIMA, the journey of the author’s mother in the Holocaust, IN THE MELLOW LIGHT, a book of poetry, and several books for children. Her short stories and poems have appeared in various literary journals. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Wachtel is now a college professor in New Jersey where she lives with her husband, Arthur. She has earned a Doctor of Letters Degree from Drew University, and in 2017 she received the Middlesex County College Scholar of the Year Award. But her proudest achievement are her three sons and two granddaughters, Zoey and Emmy.
Buy the book at Amazon.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Robert Bruce Adolph will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
My book is the true story of my experiences on humanitarian and peacekeeping missions for the United Nations. I dealt with child-soldiers, blood diamonds, a double hostage-taking, an invasion by brutal guerrillas, an emergency aerial evacuation, a desperate hostage recover mission, tribal gunfights, refugee camp violence, suicide bombings, and institutional corruption. My UN career brought me face to face with the best and worst of human nature and I share it all in my book.
You will find my story lives up to its promise of “violence, corruption, betrayal and redemption” during my years as a senior United Nations security chief in the most difficult and demanding security region on the planet. As a former Green Beret and retired lieutenant colonel I explain the distinctions between soldiering, peacekeeping, and working for UN humanitarian and development agencies as I discuss my career which took me to Liberia, Yemen, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and more. Beyond corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies, I encountered many life-and-death challenges. The most devastating was the jihadist bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad in 2003.
After that suicide bombing, I was deeply angry and hurt. There were twenty-two dead and over one-hundred fifty wounded, including my wife. The people that were to blame never faced accountability for their lack of action. I had to set the record straight by telling the truth, no matter the personal cost. I felt the call to action because nobody else would. I had never felt so alone and utterly vulnerable in my life.
What may make my book a page-turner is that every word is real. Every emotion is raw. Every mistake has consequences. Contrary to popular belief, death seldom has meaning. Violence is often proven stupid. And, finally, justice is not always served. Reality, when reading it, cannot be denied, and is recognized by readers. The lessons learned are invaluable.
This is the astonishing true story of a US Army Special Forces soldier who became a warrior for peace. In his humanitarian and peacekeeping missions for the United Nations he dealt with child-soldiers, blood diamonds, a double hostage-taking, an invasion by brutal guerrillas, an emergency aerial evacuation, a desperate hostage recovery mission, tribal gunfights, refugee camp violence, suicide bombings, and institutional corruption. His UN career brought him face to face with the best and worst of human nature and he shares it all here.
Enjoy an Excerpt
The unarmed variety of peacekeeping is a different sort of military mission. UN member states provide officers to serve as military observers. The most common term is UNMO, short for UN Military Observer. The general mission statement is to “observe and report.” UNMOs observe the status of the peace and write reports for the gratification of the UN Security Council that establishes the mandate under which the mission operates. Essentially, unarmed UNMOs are placed on the ground between former belligerents. Their lives are then held hostage to the peace process. Although little-reported, it is not uncommon for military observers to die in the performance of their duties. I found this type of peacekeeping service, in the abstract, to be an honorable endeavor. The reality, though, was sometimes something else entirely. As a matter of historical import, approximately three thousand eight hundred peacekeepers have died in the performance of their duties around the globe.
Another type of peacekeeping involves the use of armed battalions. I had seen this permutation in 1990 while serving with UN Observer Group-Lebanon in the form of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon, and two years later with the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia. My future mission would combine elements of both UNMOs and armed battalions.
The key assumption on the part of the UN Security Council when establishing a peacekeeping mission is that there is a genuine peace to keep. That assumption proved false in several countries.
About the Author: 
Robert Bruce Adolph is a retired UN Chief Security Advisor & US Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel. He holds master’s degrees in both International Affairs (Middle East Studies) from American University’s School of International Service and National Security Studies and Strategy from the US Army’s Command and General Staff College.
Adolph served nearly 26-years in multiple Special Forces, Counterterrorism, Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, Foreign Area Officer, and Military Intelligence command and staff assignments in the US and overseas. He also volunteered to serve on UN peacekeeping missions in Egypt, Israel, Cambodia, Iraq and Kuwait.
After he retired from active military service in 1997, he began a second career as a senior UN Security Advisor. Among his positions he served as the Chief of the Middle East and North Africa in the UN Department of Safety and Security.
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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Marilyn Levinson will be awarding a paperback copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner.
Fifth grader Rufus is unhappy when he has to attend a Samhain celebration with his mother, Grandma, and Aunt Ruth instead of going Trick or Treat with his friends. He’s thrilled when, later that night, his Uncle Hector shows up outside his window and offers to take him for a ride in the sky. Rufus’s family have told him that his uncle is evil and he should have nothing to do with Hector, but Rufus is enthralled by his uncle’s fabulous realm that includes a small zoo and a stable of horses. He’s less interested in learning about his uncle’s businesses that he, as his uncle’s heir apparent, will inherit one day. Then Uncle Hector tells Rufus he has to do something for him, something Rufus finds impossible to do. Uncle Hector wields his magical powers to force Rufus’s hand, but Rufus’s little sister finds out and encourages him to ask for help. It’s Grandma who decides what they must do, and it’s not something Uncle Hector ever thought would happen.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Mrs. Brewster poked her head in the room to say it was time to come outside and watch the fireworks. We traipsed through the kitchen and out onto the Brewsters’ patio that faced their enormous backyard. Many adults were already in their seats, but Mr. Brewster, who wasn’t a witch, led us to the very first row. Then he went to talk to the men who would be setting off the fireworks.
The display was spectacular. We oohed and ahed as multi-colored bursts of light exploded in every conceivable shape. Ten minutes into the show, a band of yellow light more dazzling than any we’d seen so far spanned the sky. It arced over the Brewsters’ backyard and turned into a rainbow so brilliant I found myself blinking.
Silence fell. The fireworks died away. No one moved. All eyes were glued on the figure gliding through the air who came to stand atop the rainbow.
There could be no doubt he was a witch. He was dressed in black like us, except for his voluminous cape, which was bright red, the color of blood. He spread the cape wide, holding an end in each outstretched hand and bowed. A communal gasp—half-shock, half-disapproval—rose from the adults behind me. We stared, transfixed, as a young male witch fluttered about before coming to stand beside him.
“Greetings, my fellow sorcerers,” the older witch intoned. “We have come to wish you Good Samhain.”
His keen gaze sliced through the crowd seeking something, someone. A current coursed through me when his eyes met mine. He nodded, and I found myself nodding back.
Suddenly his right leg buckled and he stumbled. The young witch reached out to support him. Angry, the older witch brushed him away. His young companion vanished as awkwardly as he’d arrived.
Alone now, the older witch gave us a mocking smile as he and the rainbow faded from sight.
I was left thrilled, mystified, and frightened. Who was this powerful witch, and what did he want with me?
About the Author: A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, novels of suspense, and books for kids. Marilyn’s middle grade novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council “Children’s Choice.” A new edition, the first book in a series of four, came out in 2023. Rufus and the Witch’s Drudge, the second book in the Rufus series, was released in 2024. Her YA horror, The Devil’s Pawn, came out in a new edition in January, 2024. Soon to be published are new editions of And Don’t Bring Jeremy, which received six state nominees, and Getting Back to Normal.
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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michael Olukayode will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Nigeria is dealing with a level of disorderliness that is neither compatible with functionality nor with long life. Our problems did not start today; they have been with us for as long as we have existed as a country. But just like a disorder left untreated, our problem has incapacitated us, and the rate of deterioration is currently becoming alarming.
The long-term survival of our country is no longer as assured as it used to be. We are on a slippery slope with nothing to hold on to.
This book attempts to answer the ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘who’, and ‘what is next’ of our problems. As is always the case when truths are discussed, be ready to be offended.
But if you are open-minded enough to be offended and not switch off and open-minded enough to be offended and keep reading – you might learn one or two things at the end of this book.
Read an Excerpt
Nigeria as a country has been on a downward trend for decades, and anyone in touch with reality can see this. Of course, some will cloak wishful thinking with the shawl of patriotism or deny by faith the level of suffering going on in the country today, but it only takes an honest reflection for even the most positive ‘patriot’ to accept that things are not going well for our nation and that the probability of a better tomorrow is non-existent . . . if we continue down the same path.
Like most Nigerians, discussing the problems of Nigeria and praying for its peace, progress, and prosperity have been parts of my life since I have been old enough to think and pray.
But despite all the prayers, Nigeria has maintained its downward journey. Being burdened with an inquisitive mind and the ability to think about thoughts, I have contemplated the Nigeria question from an early age. I have always asked: Why are Nigeria’s better days always in the past?
Why does Nigeria keep going backward despite all the fasting and prayers?
I eventually outgrew fasting and praying for Nigeria to work—because I knew prayer without work is a waste of time and energy—but despite stopping the prayers and the fasting, I could not stop thinking about the ‘whys’ of our problems.
About the Author:
Michael, a self-described realist with a touch of cynicism, is a UK-based, Nigerian-trained psychiatrist and the author of The Atrocities of Hope: An Analysis of the ‘Nigeria Problem.’
Michael’s lived experience in Nigeria, his inquisitive mind, and his ability to pull back and observe despite being involved combine well with his skills as a mental health expert to create this work.
Michael is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians, the Faculty of Psychiatry, and is an affiliate member of the Royal College of Psychiatry. He plies his trade as a psychiatrist in the Northwest of England. He describes himself as a member of a speciality that helps you in the fight against your worst enemy: yourself.
Michael is a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a neighbour, a member of the public, a lover of music, and a lover of movies and books.
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/drkay18
Twitter: http://www.instagram.com/drkay18
Theads: https://www.threads.com/@drkay18
Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779626762
Better World Books: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/9781779626769
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781779626769
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. William Campbell Powell 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.
Books about bands – is that even a thing? I mean, isn’t it all about music, and how can you even do music in a book?
So let’s hit that first point. Yes, it’s definitely a thing, and it goes back quite a way. Importantly, it’s still happening now. Here’s a short list:
• The Commitments (Roddy Doyle, 1987)
• Espedair Street (Iain Banks, 1987)
• Knife Edge (Malorie Blackman, 2004)
• The Haters (Jesse Andrews, 2016)
• Daisy Jones & The Six (Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2019)
• The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton, 2021)
Two of those have been turned into films / TV series (The Commitments, Daisy Jones) and Espedair Street was adapted for radio.
So those three, at least, have had music written, whether at the time of publication or subsequently. The other three, I’ve not been able to find their songs on the web.
Before I continue, let me say I’ve been in bands, playing a variety of instruments, and writing songs since I was 15. So I think I’ve acquired some relevant skills (else I wouldn’t be writing this post).
So, why do we write about bands?
First of all, because music, singing and playing together, is an integral part of being human. It’s probable that song is older than human speech. Song is transcendent – it touches our soul in ways that few other human activities approach.
Secondly, because bands have become a global phenomenon, reaching across cultures. The emergence of ‘pop’ music in the 1950s, supported by radio and the new medium of TV – and the availability of affordable mass-produced instruments, brought music creation back into the reach of ordinary people.
Since then musical talent has emerged from everywhere, from the street corners of Detroit, to a chance meeting at a fete in the suburbs of Liverpool.
We love stories of journeys from humble origins to stardom (and the reverse).
From the writer’s perspective, bands are almost purpose-made for conflict.
• Bands are pressure cookers, hothouses. The band members are forced into proximity, whether they’re in a studio, recording, on stage, performing, or in a vehicle, touring. They can’t escape from each other. Even the smallest irritations are magnified.
• So we get conflicts over ego, over fame, over money, over sex. (And drugs, and rock’n’roll)
• We see jealousy, infidelity, rivalry, addiction, overdoses. Age and infirmity. Death.
Journalists, too, love bands for all the above reasons – they sell.
So bands give writers the ingredients for great stories. The only problem is, how do you convey music in a book? There’s no audio. It’s a book.
The obvious solution is to use songs everyone knows. The drawback is that most popular songs are under copyright, and fair use doesn’t apply in many legal jurisdictions.
When I wrote my first novel – Expiration Day – I went through the process of enquiring about using song lyrics (and poetry). Generally the copyright agent asks you how many copies you think you might print. They then think up an eyewatering number. You try to bargain, but the agent holds all the cards.
So authors end up writing their own.
Unfortunately, it’s a different skill from writing prose. (It’s also a different skill from writing poetry.) It can take years to acquire. Which is why, I guess, there aren’t that many books with songs.
Why and where do you insert a song?
So let’s turn to my new book, Teardown, and look at some of the songs, in context.
‘The Hall of Fallen Angels’ was written as a proxy for ‘Dark End of the Street’, which is a song about adultery: two lovers, meeting in secret, deceiving their spouses. In Teardown, Dom proposes it to get Kai duetting with her. She’s playing with Kai, raising Eros, to see if Kai reacts. Then she does the same with Neale, but it’s still Kai she wants to react. And it’s in the hothouse of rehearsal, and performance. Kai can’t escape.
‘Cross/Don’t Cross’ is similar – but part of Dom’s performance to the audience, and again it seeks a reaction from the audience. It is deliberately provocative and seductive, and Kai knows exactly what is at the heart of it – Dom manoeuvred Kai into co-writing it.
‘I Come From the Blues’ justifies its place on very different grounds. It’s there as a clue to the whole mystery of Dom. How does such a powerful, sexy singer come to choose Kai’s very ordinary blues band? I won’t say more (spoilers!).
‘Drinking Song’ is there to help break down barriers between the band and the audience at the pivotal gig of the tour. It’s the so that, when the next day the guests decide to go off together for something a little more social, it’s more natural that the band gets invited along too.
‘I’ve Got the Blues, I Ain’t Worried’ – I have to admit is just there for colour. It doesn’t really advance the plot or develop the characters. So there goes my thesis. But it’s just two verses.
There is a sixth song – a significantly modified version of ‘Whiskey in the Jar’, for duet singing. It does play a minor part in the plot, acting as a trigger for Kai to go and write ‘Drinking Song’. But the original tune and words go back to an old folk song, well out of copyright. Those songs are fine (and free).
So there we have it. Most times the band plays blues standards, referenced simply by their titles. But when you need something more substantial, it’s time to dig deep and write original material.
But, you say, I can’t hear them. It’s just poetry.
But you can hear them. Because I’ve recorded the five songs, to a reasonable demo standard and I’ve put them on my website at https://bit.ly/TeardownMusic. You don’t need any subscription to listen to them – though they are copyright. If you’re in a band, or a solo singer, there are chords, and you can pick out the melody from the mp3.
Have a listen. Have a sing.
Growing up in a dead-end, Thames Valley town like Marden Combe, Kai knows there’s no escape without a lot of talent, hard work—and luck.
Two weeks before the Clayton Paul Blues Band plans to set out on tour to Germany, their singer quits, and drummer Kai takes matters in hand. With bandmates Jake and Jamie, they recruit a talented new singer—the enigmatic Dominique—as the new face of the band and set out on the road to Berlin in a rickety white van.
Dogged by mishaps and under-rehearsed, the band stumbles through their first shows, zig-zagging between chaos and brilliance. But as the first gig in Berlin draws near, the band begins to gel. They’re clicking with their audience, and even the stone-hearted Kai starts to crumble under the spell, first of Dom and then…of Lars.
As the end of the tour approaches, Kai must make hard choices. Dom? But she’s keeping a dark secret. Lars? Not after the acrimony of their last parting. The band? Or will that dream crumble too?
Enjoy an Excerpt
The bus stank of commuters. It wasn’t like a night bus, granted, but the mix of sweat and cheap scent—and the pungency of diesel—was another reminder of how much I hated Marden Combe.
A Thames Valley town like every other Thames Valley town, Marden Combe had a posh, blingy bit, where the bankers, footballers, and celebrity chefs lived. The rest ran the spectrum from dilapidated through demolished to barely affordable modern rabbit hutches. The old town centre was closing down, and the new shopping centre was gridlock hell.
The bus lurched and swung left, past a school named for a long-dead parliamentarian. Or possibly a royalist. I ought to know; it had been my old school till I’d turned sixteen. But it had all seemed irrelevant to the more immediate problem of not getting picked on for being different. There were a dozen ways and more to be different, whether it was for being too ugly, too geeky, too slow on the uptake, too shy, too dark, not dark enough, having a funny accent, or a fundy religion, or being neurodivergent, being too posh, being too poor, liking the wrong music, or football team, or playing oddball sports, or using last year’s tech; not liking girls, not liking boys, not liking either, liking both. Plus others, plus combinations. By more than one marker, I was weird, and I hadn’t always kept my head down. But there’d definitely been no bullying at Sir Long-Dead-Parliamentarian School. Or Royalist, as the case may be. Oh no.
That didn’t come close to summing up the suffocating, hope-crushing, soul-sucking, shit-brown hole that is Marden Combe. I needed to escape.
If I had a plan, it was that music would save me…
About the Author: 
William lives in a small Buckinghamshire village in England. By night he writes speculative, historical, crime and other fiction. His debut novel, EXPIRATION DAY, was published by Tor Teen in 2014 and won the 2015 Hal Clement Award for better than half-decent science in a YA novel—the citation actually says “Excellence in Children’s Science Fiction Literature”.
William’s latest novel – TEARDOWN – was published 10th December 2024, by NineStar Press in the US; it is an LGBT+ romance/road-trip.
His short fiction has appeared in DreamForge, Metastellar, Abyss & Apex and other outlets.
By day he writes software for a living and in the twilight he sings tenor, plays guitar and writes songs.
Buy the book here. The book will be on sale for $0.99
My comps for the book:
The novel combines elements of LGBTQIA+ romance with Road Trip fiction, and – with its focus on music – might sit alongside Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ (2016) or Dawnie Walton’s ‘The Final Revival of Opal & Nev’ (2022), or – with its focus on (Kai’s) gender-ambiguity and relationships – near Camille Perry’s ‘When Katie Met Cassidy’ (2018) or Beth O’Leary’s ‘The Road Trip’ (2022).
