Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Alex Kosmitoras was born blind; he was now almost sixteen years old and has never known any different. He lives in the small town of Grandon with his parents. Alex’s mother runs a florist shop and his father is currently looking for employment. Alex attends the local high school where he feels to be an out cast and he is a loner until he makes friends with new girls Simmi and Shapri.

Shapri’s mother opens a psychic shop next door to Alex mum’s florist shop. When Alex pays a visit to the psychic shop Shapri’s mother  the eccentric Miss Teak tells Alex that he has got psychic abilities and that he should open up to his gift. Alex finds the experience weird and Shapri does not believe in her mother’s gift and claims to hate everything psychic.

Then when Alex starts to have strange visions that Simmi is killed by a mysterious man name Dax, Alex knows he must learn how to control his gift so he can sort out the clues and try to figure out how to protect Simmi before his visions of the future come true.

Is it a coincidence that Simmi, Shapri and Miss Teak have come into Alex life at the same time these strange visions have occurred?

Can he save Simmi from the awful fate that awaits her?

This is one of the best paranormal novels I have ever read. It is a thrilling and enjoyable read from beginning to end. I just could not stop reading. What is different about this book is the clever way the author Emlyn Chand involves the reader more by including at the start of every chapter, Runes and we the reader are invited to try out our own psychic powers by trying to predict what each chapter will hold based on the Runes and the clue provided. With me being the daughter of a medium I had to give it a go. I have to say I was surprised just how much I was able to tune in and it was nice to pause for thought between chapters. I just want to read more and more and really hope to see in the Runes a prediction of more adventures from Alex, Simmi, Shapri and the fabulously named psychic Miss Teak.

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, when she is not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity.

For more information on books by Emlyn Chand visit their website http://www.emlynchand.com/

The Love Academy by Belinda Jones

Journalist Kirsty Bailey is sent on an assignment to Venice by her magazine on an undercover mission to “The Love Academy” to find out if “The Love Academy” is all it claims to be a school for singles, teaching lessons on how to find romance and true love or if it is what her editor suspects it to be just another well dressed up escort agency.

Back home Kirsty love life and relationship with her boyfriend Joe is a big disappointment to her due to the lack of romance that Joe brings into her life. Kirsty feels that Joe takes her for granted. Kirsty dreams of more love and romance in their relationship but excepts now that is never to be.

But how will Kirsty feel once she attends “The Love Academy”? When she is surrounded by the love and romance she is craving in her own life. Will she give into the temptation and embrace the romance and send Joe packing when she returns home?

Belinda Jones writes fantastic chick lit that is warm and friendly, keeping the reader entertained along the journey in a fun packed read that sails you away in a gondola of love and romance in the delights of Venice.

The Sex Club by L.J. Sellers

Kera Kollmorgan works at the Planned Parenting Clinic; she is a trained nurse who is working as a health care worker giving confidential advice to women about contraception and sexual health issues. Some of her clients are young teenage girls. Abortions are carried out at the clinic and this has led to protesters standing regularly outside the building. So security is a top priority at the clinic.

However one quiet Tuesday morning a pipe bomb explodes in the clinic. Causing damage and badly injuring one person. Nothing like this as happened before in the peaceful town of Eugene, Oregon. Detective Wade Jackson has been a police officer for half his life and has the most experienced detective he is put in charge of the investigation to find the person responsible for planting the bomb.

Who would do such a horrible thing and what were they thinking?

Then when a young teenage girl who attended the clinic and was one of Kera’s clients, is found dead in a dumpster not long after sending Kera an unfinished email. Kera discovers that the girl Jessie Davenport belongs to a group called Teen Talk a group of Christian teenagers that meet up for a Bible study group. Kera discovers that the teenagers may have been using their free time to do something far more exciting than Bible study. Have they been rebelling against the strict religious upbringing their parents have forced on them and what lengths are they prepared to go to keep their club secret?

Another brilliant crime mystery story by L.J. Sellers packed with suspense and the unexpected.  A really well thought out storyline with a strong cast of characters that make this a not to be missed read.

For more information on books by L.J. Sellers visit their website http://ljsellers.com/

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris.

When Harper Connolly is struck on the head by lightning, she discovers that she has the ability to find dead people. This becomes her job she gets paid to help people find the bodies of the missing.

Harper is an honest, decent and loyal person and she has to face the fact that most people do not believe in what she does and think that she is taking advantage of the bereaved.

Harper travels with her stepbrother to the Ozarks, to find a local missing teenager who is believed to be dead. They are made to feel unwelcome by most of the locals. Her stepbrother Tolliver ends up unfairly arrested and thrown in jail for no good reason and Harpers own life is put under threat.

Who would go to such lengths to want Harper and Tolliver out of the way to stop the truth from being revealed?

This is a great paranormal mystery. It only touches lightly on the paranormal so is not a scary or creepy story. The books main focus is on the main character Harper Connolly who comes across as a person who has come to terms with her unique ability, but has to deal with people who doubt it. It’s an interesting and original storyline that comes to a satisfying conclusion.

ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?

8,000 Misguided Miles Around Britain in a Vauxhall Astra by Ben Hatch.

This is the true story of Ben Hatch and his wife Dinah and their two children Phoebe aged four and Charlie aged 9 months. It is a challenge to take two children under five out for the day, let alone taking them on the usual two weeks family holiday. Imagine that holiday is going to last for five months, which is exactly what Ben and Dinah did with their two small children, when they were approached to write a guide book about family travel around Britain. So they packed up their car with a carefully planned itinerary and everything except the kitchen sink, oh and their coats too!  

In this book we share their journey and experiences as they go from place to place visiting four to five different attractions in a day and sleeping in a different hotel every night, hoping that they will be child friendly. They visit some interesting places on their travels, from searching for Wallace and Gromit at the Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre, to the circus at Blackpool Tower and much, much more. This is not the actual guidebook this is more their own personal account of what happened when they hit the open road.

I have not stopped smiling since I read this book. It is written with really great humour and is laugh out loud funny at times in parts and deeply moving in others. We share the highs and the lows of travelling with two small children.

This book has got personality and charisma that make it a fantastic read.

Ben Hatch lives in Hove, East Sussex. His first comic novel The Lawnmower Celebrity was one of Radio 4’s books of the year in 2000. His second, The International Gooseberry was published in 2001 and described as ‘hysterical and surprisingly sad’ by the Daily Express. Ben was on the long-list of Granta’s 2003 list of the most promising twenty young authors in the UK. With his wife Dinah he has also written three guidebooks – Frommer’s: Scotland with your family, Frommer’s: England with your family and Frommer’s: Britain for free.

ARE WE THERE YET? Is published by Summersdale and is available through internet book sellers (Amazon: http://goo.gl/uzqYw) and all good book shops (or direct from Summersdale)

For more information on books by Ben Hatch visit this website: http://goo.gl/X0qC1

A Salt Splashed Cradle by Chris Longmuir

The story is set in the 1830s.

Belle is married to Jimmie a fisherman from a family of fishermen. They live in the fishing community in the village of Craigden. Belle is not from a fishing family and her mother in law Annie can not accept her into the family and treats her like an outsider. Belle knows that Annie only tolerates her to please her son. Belle is an attractive girl that catches the eye of most men. After the birth of their first child Belle becomes jealous of the love and affection Jimmie shows to their child. When she catches the eye of the Lairds son Lachlan deep down she knows that nothing romantic could happen between the son of the Laird and a fishermen’s wife can it?

Lachlan knows his father the laird has more time for his horses than he has for him. He knows that nothing he will ever do would please his father. A marriage has been arranged by Lachlan’s parents, he is to marry a girl called Clarinda who he is not attracted to and does not love. Lachlan much prefers girls who are not from his class and wishes he could have been the son of a farmer or fisherman. So he is drawn to Belle.

Jimmie loves his wife Belle and all he wants to do is to save enough money to buy his own boat. Jimmie is even prepared to risk going out further to sea into dangerous waters, whaling instead of fishing. Unaware that while he is away at sea for many months he is creating a big risk at home leaving his wife alone when she is attracted to another man.

Set back in the times of a class divided society that is neither fair to the rich or the poor  having to do what is expected of them and not what they would choose to do.

This is a fascinating story, with an incredible cast of characters. This is another spellbinding novel from Chris Longmuir. 

For more information on books by Chris Longmuir visit their website: http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/

Sun on the Water: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of my Daughter Kirsty MacColl By Jean MacColl

Jean MacColl tells the life story of her daughter Kirsty MacColl from her childhood through to the fame and success she has in the music business and celebrates her brilliant career. It also mourns her tragic death. Kirsty was killed by a speedboat in Mexican waters while she was on a diving trip with her two young sons in December 2000. Jean tells the heartfelt truth, the shocking story of the elaborate cover-up and gross miscarriage of justice that followed and the on going appeals and campaigning for justice to be done in her name.

Kirsty is best known for her hit records in the 1980’s such as ‘There’s A Guy Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis/ ‘A New England’/ ‘Days’/ and the fantastic Christmas smash hit ‘Fairytale of New York’ with The Pogues.

This is a moving story that will touch your heart. The book is beautifully put together written with a mothers love for her daughter and the pain of losing her in such tragic circumstances.

‘I never ceased to be amazed at the love Kirsty generated during her lifetime, and at how strongly it has continued until the present day’ Jean MacColl.

For more information on the Justice For Kirsty Campaign visit their website: http://www.justiceforkirsty.org

Curse of the Wolf Girl by Martin Millar

Scottish teenage werewolf Kalix MacRinnalch is in London trying to settle down and live a normal life. Her new friends support her as she goes to college to learn to read and write, she is struggling with college and staying alive due to her old enemies that won’t leave her alone. Many powerful werewolves want Kalix dead, and the Guild of Werewolves Hunters is still dedicated to wiping out the entire MacRinnalch clan.

Life might be easier if Kalix’s family was able to help, but her sister, the Enchantress needs all her powers to locate the perfect pair of high heels, her brother Markus is busy in Scotland organising an Opera, and her cousin Dominil is engaged in her own merciless vendetta. Kalix must carry on alone, but she’s finding it difficult enough to pay the rent without having to deal with werewolf hunters and exams at the same time.

This fantasy novel which is a lot different from the usual books about werewolves that is out there.  It did take me a while to get into this book and I think I may have benefited more if I had perhaps read the first novel Lonely Werewolf Girl to get more background information to the story. So if you are expecting this to be like Twilight you will be disappointed. This is an interesting idea and a unique werewolf novel.

Martin Millar was born in Scotland and now lives in London. He is the author of such novels as Lonely Werewolf Girl and The good Fairies of New York. Under the pseudonym of Martin Scott the first book in his Thraxas series won the World Fantasy Award in 2000. As Martin Millar and as Martin Scott he has been widely translated.

For more information on books by Martin Millar visit their website:  http://www.martinmillar.com/

Night Watcher by Chris Longmuir

The Night Watcher is a killer he has killed before and he will kill again. He hears voices in his head and he believes he is on a mission to seek out and find a new chosen one to punish. He is now in the city of Dundee and the voices have guided him to Nicole Ralston.

Nicole is married to Scott. He is overbearing, opinionated and he often makes Nicole feel worthless and like a child again. She should be happy with Scott but there is a void an ache that constantly needs to be filled and she does this through casual affairs with other men that are often married men, to boost her self confidence.

When one of her married lovers David Chalmers is found dead hanging from a stairway and is suspected of committing suicide, his estranged wife Julie thinks that if it had not been for Nicole, her husband would still be alive, she plans to get revenge on Nicole. Nicole was not going to get away with stealing someone else’s husband and driving him to his death. Julie is going to make sure she pays and she comes up with a plan to exact her vengeance.

With both The Night Watcher and Julie stalking Nicole which one will reach their prey first? Will this be far more dangerous than Julie could ever imagine and is she putting her own life in danger?

If you like crime/ thriller novels that are packed with suspense and a fantastically gripping storyline, with an interesting cast of characters that keep you entertained all the way through the book. Then this is the book for you.  I really liked reading this book and I could not wait to find out what would happen next. I would really recommend this book it is an excellent read. I will look forward to reading more of Chris Longmuir’s work.

Chris Longmuir was born in Wiltshire and now lives in Angus. She writes short stories, articles and crime novels. Her first book Deadwood won the International book prize.

For more information on books by Chris Longmuir visit their website: http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/