Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas - Day 4

I can't believe how quick these days are going, only 9 days left till Christmas! So today is day 4 of my Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas feature and my stand out book from April is a trade paper back. 

Day 4 - April Book - The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critically thermonuclear floor-fillers Young Avengers and Phonogram reunite to start a new, ongoing, superhero fantasy with a beautiful, oversized issue. Welcome to The Wicked + The Divine, where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you're immortal, doesn't mean you're going to live forever. Collects The Wicked + The Divine #1-5

My Thoughts

I was sent the first volume of The Wicked + The Divine as part of a banned books swap that I took part in and though I'd heard loads of hype about it, I had no real idea what it was about as it just had never really appealed to me. I'm a typical super hero comics/trades/graphic novels reader so this was out of my comfort zone and I put it off for quite a while before finally reading it. 

From the witty title to the conversations between characters, the writing is absolutely top class. Everything seemed to work smoothly and the pacing was spot on for me. I loved the premise of Gods coming to Earth to become the most famous people in pop culture every 90 years. I loved the characters, especially Luci! Luci is snarky and interesting and dresses immaculately. 

When talking about this book, I have to mention just how stunning the art is throughout. I thought the people were all incredibly stunning and the colour palette really worked. So a huge shout out to Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson and Clayton Cowles. In comics the art is JUST as important as the dialogue and the balance has been struck perfectly in this volume. 

I was so pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed this book, it most definitely took me by surprise. I've been a lot more confident stepping out my comfort zone since reading The Wicked + The Divine so it has affected my reading in a positive way. 

So that's my April stand out book, have you ever read The Wicked + The Divine? What did you think? Are you a fan of comics/graphic novels/trades and if so do you have any recommendations for me?

About The Author

Kieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.

November 2016 Bookish Wrap Up And December Feature Announcement

Flipping heck, where is time going? I completely missed doing an October wrap up (which I will still get round to doing I promise!) and I'm already late putting this together. But here it is!

Life Of A Nerdish Mum continues to get busier and busier and though it can be hectic and stressful, I really enjoy it and the challenge. I also seem to have started to get my reading groove back (but shhh in case I scare it off) so I seem to be getting through books again. In November I read 10 books which were

The Exiled by Kati Hiekkapelto - 5 Stars
Isabella's Adventures In Numberland by Peta Rainford - 5 Stars
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne - 5 Stars
Saving Sophie by Sam Carrington - 5 Stars
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - 4 Stars
All Things I Can Do by Lilly Rowe - 5 Stars
Pee Wee The Christmas Tree by George Wells - 4 Stars
For The Love Of Shakespeare by Beth Miller - 5 Stars
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake - 4 Stars
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson - 5 Stars

As usual I have linked the reviews that are already up and will add the others as they go up too. I participated in some really exciting blog tours and I have plenty more coming up in the future.

My Getting To Know... feature continued and is as popular as ever and I am currently writing the last few questions for the next set of guests. Though I'm horribly behind as real life got in the way due to my white goods all hating me apparently! The guest featured in November were

Kaisha Holloway - The Writing Garnet
Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn - Author of The Broken Road 
Emma Welton - Damp Pebbles
F J Curlew - Author of To Retribution
Rebecca Bradley - Author of Three Weeks Dead
Nicky Clifford - Author of Never Again
Ben Parker - Author of Beetlebrow
Peter Taylor-Gooby - Author of The Baby Auction
Lorraine Rugman - The Book Review Cafe

I still thoroughly enjoy getting these together and it's still so exciting when an author or blogger agrees to take part.

Now onto my December feature announcement! I've been working on this since January so I really hope you enjoy it!

Starting on Tuesday the 13th of December I will be doing my 12 Days and 12 Books of Christmas feature, coming to an end of Christmas Eve. Each day I will share the book that I loved the most from each month this year and do a mini spot light on it. I've really been looking forward to this coming together and I'm really excited to be sharing my choices with everyone!

So that's my November wrap up, what did you read in November? Did you buy any awesome books? Are you looking forward to my 12 Days and 12 Books of Christmas?

Getting To Know...Joy Wood

Today on Getting To Know...I welcome the absolutely delightful Joy Wood, author of For The Love Of Emily to Life Of A Nerdish Mum and she kindly answers my questions.

Your debut novel, For The Love Of Emily, was released last year, what was the inspiration behind the story?

I wanted to write a story, but was unsure how to. I liked to read romance so tried to think of a story with a heroine that had significant challenges in her life. Rebecca (alias Kate) certainly has a few of those.

For The Love Of Emily covers some darker topics, did a lot of research go into making them as realistic as possible?

I wouldn’t say much research, but I did need to look up sex between two females. (Kate) works as a prostitute for rich female clients and there was a particularly graphic scene which I wanted to get right.

Do you have a favourite author?

Since writing my book, I have got to know so many (online), so I’d hate to name anyone specific. I like a writing style that is quick without loads of description, and I like a good story with surprises along the way.  

When you're writing, do you have a set routine that you follow or somewhere that you like to go and sit?

Definitely no routine. Writing is a hobby for me, so I do it when I fancy it which usually is most days. But it can be early in the morning, or very late at night. I write on a laptop, so today for example, I’ve been sat in the sunshine writing, whereas the night before, I sat in my lounge until 2 am writing!

Have you always known that you wanted to write your own novel?

Yes, I always wanted to write a novel, but never imagined I would. It seemed a pipe dream really. Bringing up children, working shifts, and the demands of family life just got in the way! It was one of those things I often thought about, but never quite got round to.

When you're not writing what would we find you doing?

I travel a lot, and since moving to the seaside, I walk daily. I also like to socialise (too much my husband says when he’s yet again making his own lunch as I’m out for mine!)

In your "real life" you are a nurse, will we see anything that has been drawn from your experiences in hospitals?

When I first published my book, I was lucky locally to get loads of support with features in newspapers/radio/TV. When I did some book signings, people would say, “Are you the nurse?” “Is the book about nursing?” ‘For the love of Emily’ isn’t anything to do with nursing, however, because of the interest, the current book I’m writing has a nursing theme.

What has been your favourite thing about being an author so far?

It has to be the support that I’ve been given locally and online. People genuinely want me to do well. There’s always someone I can ask, or run things by. I’d be lying if I didn’t say the sales also. To see someone has purchased my book, gives me a real high. I also attended a reading group recently and they reviewed my book. That was a lovely experience and I’ve used some of their comments to shape my work in progress.

I know you're currently writing your second novel, can you tell me anything about it?

The new book is about an operating theatre in a small private hospital. We have a happily married woman and a new dynamic Surgeon. I’ve introduced other characters for the story telling, and made sure there are some surprises for the reader. My only problem is, when I look at the reviews ‘For the Love of Emily’ and look at the emails I have received, some love the sex, while others say it was a bit too much. So, it’s hard to decide how much/less sex to write. I know some would argue that you can’t please everyone, but I’d really like to!

If you could talk to your younger self, what advice surrounding your writing experience would you give?

I think twitter is a must. I don’t like it particularly, but I recognise it’s worth. I now have followers, but when I released my book, I didn’t which I should have had.

I also now realise that I should have sent some advanced reader copies of my book to get reviews. I naively thought people will read it, and if they like it, they would write a review. Seemingly, there is a whole industry out there regarding reviews, and as we all know, to sell books, the reviews are paramount.

Thank you so much to Joy for joining me and taking the time to answer my questions! It's been a pleasure having her on my blog.

If you'd like to read more about Joy's journey of writing her debut novel, she wrote a fabulous piece that was originally posted on Being Anne, which you can find here. For now though here is a small snippet...

"...the thing I really wanted to do most of all was to write a book. That was easier said than done though – life got the way. As a busy mother, stepmother and working nurse, there wasn’t much time for writing. Bills needed to be paid, and shifts needed to be worked.

That all changed in 2013, when in-between jobs, my husband and I moved to Cleethorpes so that we could enjoy the seaside. We’d previously lived in a village and travelled everywhere by car, so it was wonderful to be able to walk along the seafront each day and enjoy the seasons. Our neighbours thought we were so healthy, when in fact we were stopping off for bacon sandwiches and afternoon teas! Alas, the expanding waistline called a halt to all of that I’m afraid, although we do still enjoy a walk each day, but just stick to coffee if we stop!

During the walks, I formulated a story in my head and told my husband I was finally going to write it. I had some workmen at the house laying in a new drive and as I was busy making them tea and snacks (can’t workmen eat and drink tea – not once did they ever say, no thank you when I offered them a drink!), so while the work was going on outside, I busied myself inside the house on my laptop.

I began my story which I initially called An Iron Fist in a Velvet glove. I would walk along Cleethorpes seafront each morning and think of the characters and the plot, and then return to the house to type my thoughts. My husband told the builders I was writing a sexy novel and they asked if they could be in it! I told them that if they were thirty years younger and wearing lycra that fitted like a glove, then I’d consider it, but sadly…!"

To connect with Joy Wood on social media

Joy's Twitter @joywoodauthor

To buy a copy of For The Love Of Emily click here!

For The Love Of Emily synopsis

Rebecca Price Jones is a young woman with a deadly secret. 
Emily, her precious twin sister is hidden away where nobody can find her. To pay for Emily’s keep, Rebecca creates beautiful dresses by day and works as ‘Kate’, a high-class prostitute for female clients at night. 
Darlene Milner, a rich gay middle-aged socialite becomes besotted and plans to keep Rebecca all to herself, until Ezzio Marin, a wealthy businessman with a ruthless attitude in the boardroom and the bedroom decides that he wants the same. 
When the two cross paths, Rebecca’s past unravels and her secret comes out with dire consequences. 
From the lavish lifestyle of the rich and powerful, to the drama of a British courtroom, For the Love of Emily is a story of murder, blackmail and passion

Getting To Know...Susan Moody

Today on Getting To Know... I'm very excited to be asking questions of Susan Moody, creator of Penny Wanawake the first black female protagonist in a crime novel!

You created Penny Wanawake, the first black female protagonist in crime fiction, what was your inspiration behind creating this character?

A strong sense of injustice! I lived in East Tennessee in the 1960s and witnessed the most blatant racial segregation I'd ever seen or even thought of. Coming from the much more liberal UK, I was shocked and appalled at the way black people were treated. We joined the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) and became heavily involved in the civil rights movement, despite threats which went as far as having a cross burned on our lawn. When I returned to England, I wanted to create a black girl who was not intimidated by white folks, who saw herself as equal to any white person.

Most of your published works are crime related, what is it in particular that draws you to this genre?

I grew up in Oxford, among a lot of dons. At the time, they all read – or wrote – crime novels, so I seemed to spend most of my time lying on the floor behind a sofa devouring one green-back Penguin after another, while they argued about such esoteric subjects as how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, or whether Shakespeare really wrote Shakespeare. Crime seemed to be my natural home when I finally began to produce fiction.

How did it come about that your wrote Love Over Gold and why did you choose to use a pseudonym for this particular work?

I was approached by my then agents and asked if I would like to earn £20,000 for six weeks' work.   Naturally my first question was: Who do I have to sleep with? That might come later, Susan, they said, but for now the Nescafe Gold Blend people want 90,000 words about the Gold Blend Couple, who appeared in a series of catchy ads on TV. We think you're the best person for the job. And by the way, you've got six weeks to do it in. So on the grounds that I would regret it for six weeks if I agreed to do it, and regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't, I took it on.    

As for the name-change, I felt at the time that with a fairly lightweight work like Love Over Gold, it would be better to hide behind a pseudonym, since I intended to produce more 'serious' work.  

You have taught writing around the world, is there one bit of advice that you have given to all aspiring authors?

I give two absolutely fundamental pieces of advice to aspiring writers. One is, Read, read, read.   The more you read, the more you learn about the process of writing. The second is: Persevere. Never give up. Just because you have one rejection doesn't mean that the next place you send your work won't love it. Or if not them, then the one after that. Same thing with short stories, if one magazine doesn't like something you offer them, then alter it to suit the requirements of another and send it in again. Always remember J K Rowling was rejected by twelve publishers – and look at her now!

The Penny Wanawake series has recently been re-issued, will we see any more books being added to the series in the future?

My dynamic new publishers, Williams & Whiting, are also about to issue my second series, which features Cassandra Swann, a professional bridge player who worries about her weight and never steps on the scales without plucking her eyebrows and trimming her toe-nails in the hope that might make a bit of difference!    

Do you have a favourite character that you have written so far?

I guess I would have to nominate Penny Wanawake. She's very much based on me – not that I'm tall, black, rich or beautiful.  But she and I are sisters under the skin.  

When you're not writing what would we find you doing?

We spend half the year in France, where we have a big garden. So when I'm not writing, I read, or cook (French ingredients seem to taste better than English ones). I pull weeds and clip hedges, or sit on the terrasse, admiring the green garden and the view of trees and fields and hills, doing a spot of wine-tasting while the sun goes down.  

In England, we have no garden but I like to walk or look out at the sea over the ramparts of a 16th century castle which is literally across the road. And, of course, read.  

Can you write anywhere or do you have a writing nook that you have all your writing equipment?   

In France, I have a tastefully converted pig-sty, known as Chez Suzanne, which is where I work, surrounded by necessities such as dictionaries, reference books and tea-making equipment – not forgetting a biscuit barrel full of Rich Tea Biscuits and an extremely comfortable leather chair with matching footstool (left behind by the previous owners) in which it's extremely hard not to doze off.  

In England, I have a corner of our fairly large bedroom. But from time to time, I work in different rooms: I find the move from one place to another can sometimes be stimulating. The best place is my bed, especially in winter when it's cold and grey outside. My own fictional world seems all the brighter and more accessible then.

You have lived in a variety of countries over the years, do you have a favourite place that you have lived?  

I've lived in Paris, Tennessee, Tasmania, Sweden, California, Denmark. About seven years ago, one of my dreams came true when I bought an old house in France (as mentioned above). I've enjoyed all the other places, of course, but France remains my favourite.   

What can we look forward to from you in the future?  

I've just begun a new series about a feisty ex-police officer called Alexandra Quick.  Quick and the Dead has already been published.  Quick Off the Mark comes out on September 30th 2016, and I'm currently working on Quick On The Draw, due to appear early in 2017.

Thank you so much to Susan for joining me on my blog and answering my questions.

Penny Black synopsis

Meet PENNY WANAWAKE, philanthropist, free-thinker, part-time sleuth. Very tall, very classy, very black, a beautiful tigress in tigress's clothing. And her lover and friend, BARNABY, cool, witty, high-class thief, dedicated low-life. Stand by as Penny meets KIMBELL, black American detective, and blows his mind. Thrill as between them they track down the brutal killer of Penny's wacky friend MARFA, and exact poetic justice among banks of orchids

Getting To Know...Denise Erguler

Today on Getting To Know... I have the pleasure of asking Denise Erguler, author of The Adventures Of Shifting Jack (which I was lucky enough to review back in July), questions.

Your first book was an adult read, but The Adventures of Shifting Jack you've gone for a children's book. What inspired you to make the transition from adult to children's fiction?

When I was writing The Essence, my adult novel, my son asked what I was writing about. I read him some excerpts from it, his eyes lit up when I started talking about the Shapeshifters and it occurred to me that this could be a subject for a children’s book, so I started Shifting Jack.

Jack and Lily in Shifting Jack have a really strong sibling bond. Were you lucky enough to have this kind of relationship if you have siblings and is it something you'd really like for your children?

I have three older brothers and I have great memories of us all playing and messing about together, even though they are four, six and eight years older than me. And we are all still close. It’s not quite the same story with my own children, now seven and ten, they fight like cat and dog. I was hoping the protectiveness Jack shows to his sister might rub off on my son. He does seem to have picked up on it a little bit!

The Adventures of Shifting Jack centres around shape shifters. What draws you to shape shifters and why birds instead of the usual cat or wolf?

I love the idea of shape-shifters. I would love to be able to shape-shift, who wouldn’t! Shape-shifters are loyal, honest, good people, all the characteristics I admire. Physically they are tall, muscular and good looking. They also have the advantage of regeneration, they live longer and heal quickly, all qualities which I’m sure appeal to us all.  My husband is quite heavily involved in the protection of birds here in Cyprus, so it seemed appropriate to have Jack shifting into a bird. Future books will feature other types of shifter, the one I’m working on now involves wolves.

When you're writing, do you have a set routine that you have to follow?

No real routine, but usually I wait for when the kids are in bed, then I put on some classical music and start writing.

When you're not writing, what would we find you doing?

Working in my family’s shop in North Cyprus. We sell furniture and material and offer a reupholstering service. When I’m not doing that, I’m being a mum… a chauffeur, cook, helping with homework…

What is your favourite part about being an author?

I get to live in the world I’ve created and the joy of seeing other people reading and enjoying something I have written.

Did you always know that you wanted to be an author or was there something else you wanted to do growing up?

As a kid, I wanted to be a wacky inventor.

Do you have a favourite author?

I have quite a few favourite authors, S E Smith, Eva Langlais, Lauren Dohner, M K Eidem, Jennifer Estep and Maria V Snyder.

If you could give your younger self any advice about your writing career, what would it be?

Make more notes, character notes, I didn’t for Shifting Jack and now I need to go back and make them!

What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future and when can we expect the sequel to The Adventures of Shifting Jack?

I am now working on a sequel for Shifting Jack, not sure yet when it will be ready to publish and I’m also looking to bring the first book out in hard copy as I’ve had lots of requests for a physical copy.

Thank you so much to Denise for joining me on my blog and answering my questions!

To connect with Denise

Twitter @Denise_Jack16

Denise's Facebook author page

To pick up a copy of The Adventures Of Shifting Jack click here

If you want to also check out my review of Shifting Jack, you'll find it here. 

The Adventures Of Shifting Jack synopsis

Jack has always known that he and his little sister, Lily, are different to other children, but he doesn’t know why – until the family moves to North Cyprus. 
Jack thinks he’s going to like it here; school is okay, he makes new friends, and Lily is happy too. Then one afternoon, Jack and Lily are involved in an earthquake and their world is turned upside down. Jack not only finds out his dad isn’t exactly his dad, but that none of his family is exactly human either… 
The whole family is thrown into danger, and Jack knows it’s his job to protect Lily, whatever that takes. In pursuit of illegal animal hunters, a strange school teacher, and the truth, Jack does his best – but he is only nine years old, will his best be good enough? 

Getting To Know...Claire Morley

Today on Getting To Know... I have Claire Morley, author of Tindog Tacloban and owner of My ePublish Book. 

You've recently launched your business www.myepublishbook.com which helps authors get their work epublished and marketed. What inspired you to set this up?

Last year I wrote my own novel, Tindog Tacloban and of course like most authors, I hoped to find an agent and a publisher for it. Despite my attempts, it didn’t happen, so I turned to self-publishing. I took courses, did masses of research and learned all I could about the process before taking the leap into the self-publishing world. Having gone through the whole procedure for myself and having gained so much knowledge, I thought I could help others who don’t have the time or inclination to do it themselves and My ePublish Book was the result.

You wrote your book, Tindog Tacloban, following your experiences while helping people in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, can you tell me more about what happened and why you decided to write a book?

My initial idea when I volunteered in the Philippines was to write articles about my experiences there and how the typhoon had affected the lives of the people who lived through it. I was very fortunate to be able to interview survivors, volunteers and aid workers while I was there and amassed a huge amount of information. When I returned to Cyprus, my partner suggested I write a fictional novel as it would reach more people. So I did. I wanted people to understand that the effects of a natural disaster like this are far-reaching and long-lasting, not just for the few days it features in the news. And I also wanted to highlight how human traffickers will take advantage of situations like this to recruit vulnerable people and children.

Will we see more books written by you in the future?

I do have some ideas, but so far haven’t committed anything to paper. I have quite a lot of other projects going on at the moment and I think the knowledge of how much time and effort is involved in writing a novel means the next novel will have a wait for now.

Do you have a favourite author?

That’s a difficult one. I really enjoyed the Steig Larsson books, Patricia Cornwall and Katie Atkinson have always been favourites, and I’ve read a lot of Robert Ludlum, Dean Koontz and Jack Higgins, hard to choose just one!

You're originally from the UK but you relocated to Cyprus a good few years ago, what made you decide to move and what was the experience like?

I visited North Cyprus on holiday for Christmas 2001 and just loved it, there’s something magical which you can’t explain to people, but when they visit, they get it. I felt it was somewhere I could live, so moved here initially for three months to see what it was like. I remember thinking halfway through that I wouldn’t be going back to the UK after the three months. Fourteen years later, I’m still here!

You have worked as a journalist, is there a completely different way to go about writing a novel compared to an article?

There is a huge difference between the two styles. I remember writing the first few pages of Tindog and giving it to my partner to read. Afterwards he said: ‘Well it’s okay, but it needs more detail, it’s more like an article.’ Those few pages turned into about three chapters. In journalism, you’re presenting the facts short and sharp, a novel you need the reader to see, feel, touch, smell, even taste what you are showing them.

Did you always know that you wanted to work with books or become an author?

I have always loved reading, as a teenager I would read a book a day, often with a torch under the duvet and I love words. Looking up a word in a dictionary can lead to an hour being lost as I find new words! But I had never really thought of writing a book until the experience in Tacloban.

When you're not reading or writing what would we find you doing?

I love sport, these days it’s mainly golf and swimming, when it gets a bit cooler I might start playing tennis again. I love to cook and hold dinner parties and I am usually involved with some form of voluntary work. I was a marketing and event manager in my previous life, so often get asked to help organise events for charities. I also organise weddings for people in the UK wanting to get married in Cyprus.

Do you own a lot of books yourself? If you do, how do you organise your bookshelves?

Sadly, a lot of the books I brought with me from the UK got ruined by a freak rain storm while in storage a few years ago, so I don’t have so many now. I don’t have access to much in the way of hard copy books here, so I rely heavily on my Kindle these days, so not much to organise on my bookshelves, but what I do have is fiction all lumped together in no specific order and then travel books, a lot of travel related books, I love to travel!

What can we look forward to from My ePublish Book in the future?

I am now looking at how to offer hard copy publishing through Amazon, I’m using Tindog as a test project so I can then advise others on how to get their books physically printed.

I would like to thank Helen very much for this opportunity to talk about my new business My ePublish Book, which helps authors to self-publish and promote their books and to introduce one of my clients, whose children’s/YA book has just become available on Amazon.

Thank you so much to Claire for joining me and answering my questions. It's been an absolute pleasure and I look forward to more coming through My ePublish Book!

To connect with Claire

Twittter @clairemorley15
Facebook author page
My Epublish Book Facebook page

To check out Tindog Tacloban it is available for download here

Visit www.myepublishbook.com for more information on the services Claire provides

Tindog Tacloban synopsis

In the aftermath of the fiercest typhoon on record to hit land, banners bearing the words Tindog Tacloban started to appear all over the city. Meaning Rise Up Tacloban, they were a testament to the determination and resilience of the Filipino people as they tried to rebuild their shattered lives. 
For many, things would never be the same: 
Izel Sombilon watched in horror as two of his children were ripped from his arms and swept away by the huge storm waves 
Eleven year old Lika Faye was plunged into the sordid underworld of Webcam Child Sex Tourism. 
For Helen Gable volunteering in the typhoon ravaged area was a chance for her to come to terms with her own personal tragedy.