Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – Author Update – #Reviews – Frank Prem, C. S. Boyack, Stevie Turner and Judith Barrow.

Thanks to Sally Cronin at Smorgasbord for my shout-out today.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Welcome to the first of the Cafe and Bookstore Updates this week with more reviews for authors on the shelves.

The first author is Frank Prem whose latest collection Devil in the Wind: Voices from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires is receiving wonderful reviews.

About Devil in the Wind

Devil In The Wind is an account of catastrophic fire and its immediate aftermath.

In this 21st century, the whole world seems to be on fire. America burns. Europe burns. Greece is reeling after its own tragedy of fire.

And Australia burns, as it has always done, but now so much more fiercely.

In February 2009, wildfires burnt through entire communities, taking 173 lives and injuring hundreds, while destroying thousands of houses and other buildings. Up to 400 fires destroyed 450,000 hectares of forest, native fauna and habitat, livestock and farmland.

In the aftermath of the fires, the voices of people…

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A House Without Windows now at $0.99/£0.99

Tags

99 cents, 99 pence, bargain book, promotion, Romance, suspense

Just to let you know that my romance/suspense novel ‘A House Without Windows’ is $0.99 / £0.99 from today until July 26th on AmazonUK and AmazonUS.

Dr Beth Nichols thinks she has been held captive by Edwin Evans for about 8 or 9 years now. Amidst her grief she often looks back and thinks about her fiancée Liam; theirs was the greatest romance of all. She lies awake at night staring at the one light bulb that is never switched off, and prays that he is still out there somewhere searching for her…

Here’s one of the 68 reviews on Amazon.com from D.G Kaye

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5.0 out of 5 starsRiveting Read

ByDGKayeon February 9, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

This book has an unusual storyline with each chapter taking us into the minds and real life thoughts of each character, I could liken this story to the book/movie – Room, but the story isn’t only about ‘the room’ Beth is held captive in, but life after she is freed and the perspectives of every day life after being a victim.

A House Without Windows is the story of Beth Nichols whose compassion as a doctor leads to a scary nightmare in real life when Edwin Evans forms a ploy to kidnap her and keep her locked up all for himself. The story begins as a psychological thriller where Beth’s captivity in a tiny room with no windows becomes her life and the only home she will know for almost ten years,

Turner does a great job of giving us readers a ringside seat into what life is like for Beth, leaving us feeling uncomfortable, anxious, taking us in, almost as though we were that hostage, and wondering how on earth she will ever get out of her hell. Beth is a strong-willed and an intelligent woman, which has much to do with how she manages to stay sane while enduring solitude and the daily abuse, all the while remembering her love for her dear fiancee Liam.

I don’t want to reveal spoilers so it’s better I don’t talk about what happens in the second half of the book. Suffice it to say, I will plant some questions here that came to my mind as I read this captivating book:

Beth: How does one continue on back in the real world when it comes to love and sex and trust?

Beth: How does a mother keep love in her heart for a child who was born from rape?

Amy: How does a child born in captivity adapt to the real world after young childhood years in 4 walls?

Liam: Does true love ever die no matter the circumstance even after moving on and accepting the love of your life is dead?

Joss: Does being born of the spawn of a psychotic maniac carry through the genes?

These are just a few questions that came to mind and will no doubt come to any reader’s mind as they read this book, and as you continue to read those answers will be revealed. Turner has done a fantastic job of fleshing out characters, settings and mood. I would highly recommend this book!

Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – New on the Shelves -#FamilyDrama A Marriage of Convenience by Stevie Turner.

Thanks to Sally Cronin for this promotional opportunity, and to D.G Kaye for the review.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Today’s featured author with a new release is Stevie Turner with A Marriage of Convenience and an early review by D.G. Kaye.

About the book

Gerrie Hermann, aspiring rock star from a rich South African family, has an unusual proposal for Sophie Woods when he meets her for the first time in their university canteen. Strait-laced Sophie has never done anything out of the ordinary in the whole of her 19 years. When she decides to take Gerrie up on his offer she has no idea that her decision is going to affect the rest of her life in ways that she could never have foreseen, even in her wildest dreams.

One of the early reviews on Goodreads

Jun 15, 2018D.G. Kaye rated it Five Stars

Turner has a gift for creating engrossing family drama stories and fleshing out strong characters who draw us into their stories and emotions.

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Review of ‘Mind Games’ via BookGobbler

I thought I’d share a review by Dale E. Lehman which I’ve received for ‘Mind Games’.  It’s a review via the website ‘BookGobbler’, the link to which I’ve added below.  It’s a very good way of getting honest reviews.

Link to review on BookGobbler

BookGobbler has a registered database of potential readers/reviewers and a dedicated team of reviewers made from authors and book bloggers. Reviewers do not get paid for their reviews, and they choose each title they review from the available giveaways according to their own tastes and criteria.

Dale E. Lehman’s review:

Frances and Martin Andrews have a serious problem; he’s addicted to pornography, and she’s addicted to spying on him to secure evidence of his transgressions.  The lack of trust between them has shattered their marriage, and even counseling doesn’t offer much hope.  Martin’s repeated lies render impotent his protestations that he’s changed.  He desperately wants her back, but she desperately wants to be free of him.

That’s the set-up.  What follows in this fast-paced and relatively short novel spans a few emotionally-charged years in which husband and wife must face their own flaws as well as each other’s.  It’s a compelling read about a life-destroying indulgence that has ensnared all too many people, particularly in the Internet age.  Turner does a creditable job of portraying the addiction and its effects, although I suspect she’s captured the wife’s trauma better than the husband’s.  Frances grows considerably through the story, while Martin’s journey through hell ultimately seems fruitless.  I’ll grant that’s one plausible outcome, but I found it disheartening.  Maybe that’s the point?  I at least would have liked a bit deeper glimpse into Martin’s psyche at the end to understand better how he ends up where he does.

The writing is good enough, although I thought phrases containing the word “porn’ occurred a bit too often, and some of the dialogue, particularly with the counselor, seemed a bit stilted (however, I’ve never been in a counseling session, so maybe that’s how it really is).  I also think the author missed some opportunities to delve deeper into the characters through the action.  This is a complex situation that could easily support another 50 pages of development without feeling stretched.

A word of caution: Although this work is neither romance nor erotica, there are a few explicit passages, not excessively graphic but very direct.

The strengths and weaknesses of “Mind Games” had me hemming and hawing over a rating.  I’ve settled on 4.5 stars for the story and a bit better than 3.5 for the writing, yielding 4 stars overall.

 

Der Roman “Ein Haus ohne Fenster” Kostet vom 1. bis 08. März 2018 nur 0,99 $

Der Roman “Ein Haus ohne Fenster” kostet vom 1. bis 08. März 2018 nur 0,99 $ und wird danach auf allen Amazon-Seiten zum ermäßigten Preis angeboten.  “Ein Haus ohne Fenster” ist ein preisgekrönter Roman der britischen Autorin Stevie Turner, der von Jutta Schmitt-Teiwes ins Deutsche übersetzt wurde.  Er erzählt die Geschichte von Dr. Beth Nichols, die, am Anfang ihrer Schwangerschaft und verlobt mit Dr. Liam Darrah, entführt wird und gegen ihren Willen von ihrem verwirrten Ex-Patienten Edwin Evans gefangen gehalten wird.  In der Gefangenschaft bringt sie ihre Tochter zur Welt, Amy, die 10 Jahre später ein intelligentes, neugieriges Kind ist, das nie die Außenwelt kennen gelernt hat.

Liam sucht nach Beth, der Liebe seines Lebens und kommt schließlich zur Schlussfolgerung, dass seine Verlobte tot ist.  Nach zehn Jahren gibt er auf und gründet ein Zuhause mit Patti, die ihm einen Sohn schenkt, Toby. Kann Beth aus dem Haus ohne Fenster entkommen? Werden Liam und Beth wieder vereint? Dieser Roman wird aus verschiedenen Perspektiven erzählt: zunächst von Beth, die in Gefangenschaft erwacht und von Amy, die kein anderes Leben außerhalb des Haus ohne Fenster kennt.  Die Geschichte wird auch aus Liams Sicht geschildert und nicht zuletzt auch von Edwins Standpunkt aus.  Sechzehn Jahre später wird die Geschichte von Joss, Beth und Edwins Sohn erzählt. Auf Amazon.com gibt es 60 Rezensionen.

Nachfolgend eine der 5-Sterne-Rezensionen: “Verheerend, gruselig und tief berührend, Stevie Turners “Haus ohne Fenster” ist vieles: unter anderem eine verwirrende Liebesgeschichte, die Erzählung einer Entführung, Gefangenschaft und Bedrohung, die Erzählung einer Frau, die sich im Angesicht von blanker Verzweiflung an die Hoffnung klammert sowie die Schilderung der klaustrophobischen Welt eines traumatisierten kindlichen Opfers und der gequälten Erwachsenen, zu der sie wird.  Die vielschichtigen und wechselnden Erzählebenen schildern die verwirrende Verrücktheit des Edwin Evans und seiner psychotischen Handlungen, die jeden, der zum Opfer seiner Geisteskrankheit wird, verschlingen. Das Buch ist ganz sicher nicht für Kinder geeignet, jedoch wirklich sehr empfehlenswert.”

News Update on ‘A House Without Windows’

Back in December I received an email from a very pleasant lady in the Development department of an award winning New York film company.  She had discovered my book  ‘A House Without Windows’  when using keywords to research for criminals who had fathered children – generational crimes.  She asked me for the manuscript, and I received this email when she had read it:

‘I finished A House Without Windows and enjoyed it immensely. I broke it down for our director and recommended it be explored for film consideration. The final decision is not mine, but I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed the book and found it riveting and worthy of further review.’

A month later and I received another email:

Hi,

It is an incredible story and I believe it will make a fantastic film, but it didn’t fit the parameters of our slate.  I would like to congratulate you on a wonderful book that literally had me feeling as though I was locked in that basement.  It kept me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to reading more of your work.

I was curious enough to find out what ‘it didn’t fit the parameters of our slate’ meant, as I had no idea.  She was kind enough to send this email:

 Hi,

The director was concerned about the violence against women in it, especially with the climate right now in filmmaking, etc. I thought the character was amazing, especially the fact that she was a doctor I believe put her so far ahead of anyone else in that predicament. I also loved how she never associated her son with the monster, she saw him as the person that saved them. It was so well done.

I thanked her for the interest she had shown in ‘A House Without Windows’, and asked her whether she would be interested in reading any more of my books.  She sent this reply:

Hi,

We are looking for suspense so thank you for the opportunity to look at other projects. I found myself very drawn to your writing.

So all is not lost -it would have been rude not to send her something!  I emailed her the novel and screenplay of  ‘For the Sake of a Child’, also ‘The Noise Effect’ short story, and my novel ‘Repent at Leisure’.  Let’s see what happens this time!  So authors… be mindful that film companies are now very wary of making films where there is violence against women.

Now I have another 4 – 6 week wait probably … so watch this space!

Aurorawatcherak’s review of my novel ‘Mind Games’.

Thanks to Aurorawatcherak for this lovely 4 star review of my latest novel ‘Mind Games’, which focuses on the effect of an addiction to pornography on a marriage.  As Aurora says, in case you think the book is a ‘real downer’,  I did add in some humorous bits in order to lighten the overall mood:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2C6FP6R834AMR/

I received this book free in an exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when trust has been destroyed in a marriage? Frances and Martin have had a happy marriage, except that his pornography addiction and her obsession with catching him out have rendered them unable to trust one another. He still loves her, but she’s completely disgusted by him. Is there anyway to find common ground?

I won’t give away the ending, but I thought it was interesting how Stevie Turner resolved the main conflict of the novel.

Well-written, insightful. Turner doesn’t give in to the usual conventions of romance make-up literature. She writes real people undergoing a believable crisis. Although I haven’t known any couples struggling with porn addictions, I have heard similar stories in other 12-Step groups. After a partner has deeply damaged the relationship, that partner stepping onto a better path doesn’t erase the hurt their spouse feels. You can only try to find a compromise where love remains.

Lest you think this story is a real downer, it’s not. There are some truly hilarious lines in this book. You definitely get the sense that Martin loves Frances and, if she weren’t so mad at him for repeating the same unfaithfulness over and over, she’d love him too.

I would definitely read more of Turner’s books.

Thanks Aurora!  You can find Aurorawatcherak’s blog by clicking on the link below:

https://aurorawatcherak.wordpress.com/

Waiting in the Wings

Thanks to The Review Author for this review of my memoir ‘Waiting in the Wings’.

Surabhi Sharma

Author – Stevie Turner

Rating – 4/5 stars

Number of Pages – 170

Publisher – CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

‘Waiting in the Wings’ is a memoir of Stevie Turner with her mom, Dot, who has completed 92 summers of her life and health deteriorates more towards the final chapters of her life. Stevie takes the role of a carer and the mother-daughter duo spends much of their time together remembering the old bitter-sweet moments which also brings some revelation and confessions.

Suddenly at the age of 92, Dot starts telling her that she loves her which she never mentioned in her entire course of life. They argued bitterly and cannot see eye-to-eye and this sudden revelation getting to know them each other better.

I think every mother is like Dot. Over protective and caring and never see her child has grown up already and thinks they are still small and innocent…

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The Daughter-in-law Syndrome – a review

Thanks to Susan Toy for featuring my book, and of course to Frank Parker for the review of ‘The Daughter-in-law Syndrome’.

reading recommendations reviewed

The Daughter-in-law Syndrome
by Stevie Turner
Purchase copies

I can still remember my mother’s reaction when, aged 20, I announced that I was engaged to be married. It was my finacée’s 17th birthday and I had made the proposal some six months previously. My mother believed I was throwing my life away, that the young woman she referred to as a ‘floosy’ was certainly not good enough for me. That was 54 years ago and ‘the floosy’ and I are still happily married. It took a long time for the pair of them to become reconciled to the fact of our love for each other.

I mention this to illustrate how easily I can relate to the problems faced by Stevie Turner’s female protagonist, Arla and her controlling mother-in-law Edna. After 30 years of marriage, Arla still feels ostracised by her mother-in-law and her husband’s two sisters. She…

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Explain!

I was pleased to receive an email letting me know that my short story ‘Checking Out’ had made the shortlist of the Creative Writing Institute’s competition earlier this year, and would be featured in its new book ‘Explain!’ The book is a compilation of 30 short stories written in different genres using the same theme sentence, ‘Explain how that happened.’

‘Explain!’ was published on December 1st.

http://bookShow.me/B01NAEKTBA

Priced at only £1.59 for the Kindle version, proceeds from sales of the ebook and print book will benefit the Creative Writing Institute, a non-profit charity that sponsors cancer patients in writing courses. The school also provides a variety of writing courses for all levels from beginner to advanced.