Wednesday, March 31, 2021

RRR presents... MEMOIRS OF A KARATE FIGHTER by Ralph Robb - GUEST POST + EXCERPT!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we've got Rachel's Random Resources on site as we help shine the book spotlight on an interesting Memoir from author Ralph Robb.  It takes us through a history of martial arts from the eyes of someone who experienced it...stateside, at least.  It talks about his generation and how what some consider the classics of the kung fu films were viewed.  It brings us along as someone who didn't necessarily have all the advantages in life as some, made a name for himself as one of the high echelon of his sport.  Ready or not fair readers, get ready to take the mat as we welcome today's blog tour guest and title in the spotlight...


Memoirs of a Karate Fighter
by
Ralph Robb

About the book...
Novelist and former karate champion Ralph Robb recounts his experiences at one of Europe’s toughest dojos and provides an insight into the philosophy and training methods of a club which produced national, European and world titleholders. In a hard-hitting story, Ralph tells of the fights on and off the mat; his experiences as one of a very few black residents in an area in which racist members of the National Front were very active; and the tragic descent into mental illness and premature death of the training partner who was also his best friend.


AMAZON  UK  |  US


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~~~   GUEST POST   ~~~
‘And everybody was Kung Fu Fighting.’
by author Ralph Robb


Back in the 1970s, young girls mostly adorned their bedroom walls with posters of male pop stars, sport stars or the occasional cat. I should know, having three sisters. I had a sole picture of the 1970 Brazilian Football team that had won the world cup pinned on the door, two knives I’d convinced myself were antiques and a pair of nunchaku flails that I’d once managed to split my own head open with. The walls of my bedroom were reserved for pictures depicting kung fu movies. Ironically, up to that point of my life I had not even seen such a movie as they had an ‘X’ rating and it would be five years before I could go to see one legally.


Marvel comics by the hundreds and a fixation on kung fu movies must have had my mother worried that I was spiraling down a rabbit hole of unhealthy obsessions. To this day, I’m still convinced that was the main reason she burnt all my comics in one massive bonfire and not that she had warned me several times what would happen if I failed to tidy my bedroom.

So, it was no surprise to my family that as soon as I could pass for eighteen that I would be heading for the local cinema on Friday nights. I can still remember my excitement as I walked through the door of the near-derelict Colosseum ‘flea pit’ to watch my first Chinese kung fu film. (The kung fu TV series in which a white actor played a character of Chinese heritage was seen as a poor imitation of the real thing by most black youths and today the casting would probably be deemed as unacceptable.) The usual stands selling sweets and ice creams were absent and in their place were local entrepreneurs toting their wares (pre-rolled spliffs) from black garbage bags. Groups of youths gathered in the entrance; their loud banter almost as entertaining as any movie. Such was the high spirits, the rats that scuttled around the place became just another minor inconvenience, despite my phobia about rodents.

Later in life I often wondered what was the draw for black audiences around the world and the heroes portrayed in these movies. Was it empathy for the Chinese who were relentlessly persecuted by the Japanese, the fights to regain their dignity, or was it baser than that: just the simple love of testosterone-inducing violence choreographed in a way we’d not seen before? 

Recently I came across a documentary on YouTube by RZA of the American 80s rap band ‘Wu-Tang Clan’ that highlighted the influence old kung fu movies had had on their music - even down to the name they had given themselves. This reinforced an idea I had long held: that the allure of kung fu films was an international one among those who thought of themselves as downtrodden or disadvantaged and it would help kick-start the martial arts craze around the world.




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~~~   EXCERPT   ~~~


Outside of real fights, the gang’s free time was occupied with the fantasy fighting of kung fu movies. Errol, Clinton and I spent our Friday and Saturday nights at the Colosseum cinema where the audience would be 99% male and 100% black and boisterous. Kung fu movies were all the craze when we were teenagers and the rat-infested cinema was always packed for its late-night weekend shows. The atmosphere in the Colosseum was always very different to what I would find at the cinemas in the town centre, as there were always plenty of people in the audiences who were willing to supply a running commentary on the action.

Of all the kung fu stars, Wang Yu was the favourite at the Colosseum. But why kung fu movies and why Wang? For black guys of my age the badly scripted, poorly dubbed Cantonese films were a cheap escape from the grind of daily life; their carefully choreographed fight scenes acted as a release for people who were otherwise preoccupied with thoughts of real violence. It was easy to fantasize about thrashing either the cops who hassled us, or the thugs who attacked us, as simply as Wang dispatched his foes. As for Wang Yu himself, his popularity was, in part, due to his name: it had not been corrupted with a ‘Bruce’ or a ‘Jackie’ – from which we surmised that he had not ‘sold out’, which back then was a significant phrase for young black people. But this turned out not to be strictly true and as Wang’s popularity grew his name became ‘Jimmy’ Wang Yu. But this uncomfortable truth was not allowed to get in the way of unalloyed hero-worship. Also, his fighting style was admired as it was more traditional than Lee’s and less clowning than Chan’s. And lastly, in his films there were mostly Chinese people and so we were transported to another world in which the hero wasn’t always a white man and it was the Japanese, rather than black men, who were the stereotypical bad guys. 





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About the author...


Ralph Robb was born and raised in the industrial town of Wolverhampton, England and now lives in Ontario Canada with his wife, cat and dog. A proud father of four, Robb works as an engineering technician and loves rugby, martial arts and a good book. His world is balanced by quality TV, global events, great outdoors and of course his grand-daughter. 


SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER




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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!




Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!






Tuesday, March 30, 2021

RRR presents... THE TICKLEMORE TATTLER by Liz Davies - SPOTLIGHT!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 


Today, we join Rachel's Random Resources for a stop along their current tour featuring the latest from author Liz Davies.  It takes us back to the Ticklemore world and has us wondering, in this case, if the pen will be mightier than the heart.  Ladies and gents, today's title in the spotlight...



The Ticklemore Tattler
by
Liz Davies

About the book...
Sometimes you have to write your own future… 

The life of former journalist Juliette Seymour has been quiet and unassuming. Up until now, she’s been concentrating on running the local newspaper and raising her daughter. 

But all that is about to change when Juliette is informed that the Ticklemore Tattler is to fold and that she’ll be out of a job. She begins to wonder whether she can buy the newspaper and try to make a go of it herself. 

Aware that she needs some advice she contacts Oliver Pascoe, little knowing that when her old colleague re-enters her life, his help isn’t the only thing she wants him for! 

As she begins to fall in love, however, what she doesn’t realise is that Oliver has something he’s keeping from her. 



A gorgeously uplifting story, perfect for fans of Holly Hepburn, Heidi Swain, and Isabelle Broom.







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About the author...


Liz Davies writes feel-good, light-hearted stories with a hefty dose of romance, a smattering of humour, and a great deal of love.

She’s married to her best friend, has one grown-up daughter, and when she isn’t scribbling away in the notepad she carries with her everywhere (just in case inspiration strikes), you’ll find her searching for that perfect pair of shoes. She loves to cook but isn’t very good at it, and loves to eat - she’s much better at that! Liz also enjoys walking (preferably on the flat), cycling (also on the flat), and lots of sitting around in the garden on warm, sunny days.

She currently lives with her family in Wales, but would ideally love to buy a camper van and travel the world in it.







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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Monday, March 29, 2021

RRR presents... AFTER THE ONE by Cass Lester - REVIEW!

Hi there! 
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 


Today, we’re setting out sites on a title on tour with Rachel’s Random Resources that seems to be in a particular vein I’m reading at the moment. What I mean is, I’ve run across several titles in a row that explore life, well, not to impinge on the title of today’s book, but “after the one”. Is it a new trend is lit? Is it simply a trend in my own reading? Good question...and one I actually pose to all of you. Have you too noticed this as of late? Anywho, getting back to today’s tour, let’s shine the book spotlight on my latest venture through the epages... 


After the One 
by 
Cass Lester 


About the book... 
April 16th is always one of Charley’s worst days of the year. 
It’s her husband’s birthday, a painful reminder of his death four years ago. 
So naturally, her car breaks down. 
She nearly gets run over trying to catch the bus. 
And then she’s made redundant. 

Her friends see the redundancy as a chance for her to start again and live the life she always wanted, but since being widowed Charley has clung to familiarity and avoided change like the plague. Then, out of the blue, her mother-in-law Pam pitches up in need of a place to stay after walking out on her 40-year marriage. 

Together, Charley and Pam find themselves at a crossroad. It’s not easy to move on after The One, but they can’t stand still forever. 










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You know that common thread I mentioned? I was seriously getting some deja vu when I first started this one because another book started out very similar, minus the passing of the loved one. After getting over that initial double take, I was back on board with Charley’s friends and family trying to coax her back to life. 

It’s hard enough when change happens in your personal life, but when work also turns you for a loop, that lack of routine is enough to get anyone down. Lucky for Charley, she’s not alone...in respect to her aloneness as well as a support system. You see, her mother-in-law is experiencing her own marital changes (the cheating louse!) and is in some serious need of time to regroup. Charley’s fund dilemma provides the perfect excuse for away time as well as a chance to help her help herself to the life that she still had left to live. Between her and Charley’s circle of friends, they help shake the cobwebs off our gal, while navigating their own obstacles, and rediscover all that life and love have to offer. 

I felt for Charley, I really did, because she was surely having a time of it. Change sucks at the best of times, let alone at the worst. I honestly think she was quite the trooper for how she handled all the hands invading her life, and couldn’t feel prouder for when she was able to stand up and say what she really wanted, and though it may not look like to perfect life to anyone else, it was her choice. Second to her finding her voice, but only just, was when she discovered her heart once again. That’s not to say that it wasn’t there, and still beating, but it wasn’t open to opportunities, and once the door was prized from the frame, the flood of feelings, the liberation from herself and all that held her back was immeasurable. Pam was actually an intrinsic part of that forward motion as well. Through helping her find her way, she was able to get an inside look at grief and separation from the inside out...enabling her to find her footing, as well as help this daughter of her heart. 

All in all, a read with so many characters and story lines, it’s like trying to prize out the Brady Bunch siblings from each other, but the bonds they share, the tasks they undertake, and the Prosecco nights they imbibe on, create memorable moments and stories to share from the lessons they learned, and the love they helped grow. It reminds us that loss is a part of life, but it’s the not the end of it...and those that are no longer with us will always be in our hearts. 





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About the author... 


Cass Lester spent many years at CBBC having a fabulous time making award-winning programmes including Jackanory, Big Kids, Kerching! and the Story of Tracy Beaker. She has published a number of children’s books and is now having a fabulous time writing adult fiction. 






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Special thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today. 



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT! 



Sunday, March 28, 2021

What's the BUZZ?: All We Left Behind by Danielle R. Graham - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're spreading a little PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ about a NEW Historical Fiction title COMING SOON via One More Chapter. It's set in the World War II era, and takes us on a journey, both past and present, for one couple that faced the odds to try and stay together. Will they make it or were their struggles for naught? Read on, my friend...read on. Please welcome to the spotlight, today's book of choice...



All We Left Behind
by
Danielle R. Graham
978008412418
One More Chapter

About the book...

Vancouver 1941

As the war rages around the world, Hitler’s fury is yet to be felt on the peaceful shores of Mayne Island. Sweethearts Hayden and Chidori are in love.

But everything changes after Pearl Harbor.

Now seen as the enemy, Chidori and her family are forced into an internment camp. Powerless to help them, Hayden joins the air force to bring about an end to this devastating war – the thought of Chidori is all that keeps him alive.

Can they both survive long enough to be reunited? Or will the war be the only thing to separate their love?








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This story was both heartbreaking and beautiful. You get to know the characters as they were pre war, filled with hope, determination, and love. You get to see how war and international standings can try to get in the way of something wonderful. You get the chance to experience the hardships faced on the field, and the very real consequences for losing the fight one thought was right at the start. The moments where their hearts soared with the anticipation of something more between them bring a smile to your face, while the times they were apart, unable to know what the other was going through, or even IF they were going through it, tear your heart apart. 

We stand by Hayden's side as he does what he thinks is best to fight back against the atrocities, and fall to our knees as mate after mate is shot from the sky. When his time comes, your heart will be in your mouth wondering how anyone would be able to survive...and even if they do, how they could ever be the same. My heart was in my hand by book's end as I held my breath to see just how it would all come to pass...after all, the way the story transpires, so much of Chidori's life is a mystery past girlhood, and things, nay people change...and ARE changed by things. 

I want to go on, expelling all the intense drama, trauma, and beauty within these pages, but I don't want to spoil any of the shine for you. I'll close with this...if you're looking for book that will tear at your heartstrings, deliver a story with historical as well as present day impact, remind you that while we may all be different, at heart, we are one, and love surely is blind, but in the best ways possible...this is just the book for you.




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About the author...


My name is Danielle. I write both Young Adult and New Adult novels under the author name D.R. Graham. I am a child and family therapist and prior to going into private practice I worked as a social worker with at-risk youth. The novels I write deal with issues relevant to young and new adults in love, transition, or crisis. I am also an award winning columnist for the Richmond News. I currently live in Vancouver, British Columbia with my husband.




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Special thanks to Meredith at HarperCollins 360 for the chance to bring this title to you as well as the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, or the author, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available THIS TUESDAY (03/30/21) via One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, so mark your calendar or click on over to your favorite online retailer to pre order your copy today.


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Saturday, March 27, 2021

I'll tell you a tale of... VAMPIRATES: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're sailing the high seas and braving the dark of night to bring you a tale that you won't soon forget!  It's a Children's Fiction series that some readers may be familiar with in it's previous releases, but it recently got a new life (so to speak!) with UClan Publishing, and let me tell you first hand that the editions are gorgeous not to mention captivating!  But I digress...for readers (such as myself) that have not already partaken of this swashbuckling tale of adventure, loss, danger, and new beginnings, let me introduce you properly.  Ladies and gents, get ready to take a bit out of today's book of choice...



Vampirates series, Book 1
by
Justin Somper
UClan Publishing

About the book...
Following the sudden death of their father, twins Grace and Connor Tempest hastily depart the suffocating small town of Crescent Moon Bay in their dad’s old sailing boat. Caught in a vicious storm, they are shipwrecked and separated in the cold, cruel ocean. 

Connor is saved by Cheng Li, Deputy Captain of The Diablo – the notorious pirate ship, captained by flamboyant rule-breaker and pirate royalty, Molucco Wrathe. Grace, meanwhile, is taken by handsome Midshipman Lorcan Furey, onto a mysterious ship with no name, a blood-red deck and an enigmatic, seemingly absent, Captain. In a world of danger and secrets, will the twins ever be reunited?




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"I'll tell you a tale of Vampirates..."

Such is the beginning to a rather blood thirsty sea shanty sung to the Tempest twins, Grace and Connor, by their recently deceased father.  How it was able to calm them for bedtime versus raise all their red alerts is beyond me. however it might serve as a good reason behind their ability to cope with the events that were just on the horizon.  Losing everything they had on this earth besides each other, they set off to find a new life, only to have it snuffed before they even get started.  The mysterious storm that overtook them out of the blue during their escape from dry land was unusual, but what happens to each of them is even more so.  For one, it's a pirate's life for them, as they gain their sea legs and never stop searching for their other half; for the other, it's as yet to be decided...if they can manage to survive their savage "hero" and a bloodthirsty crew.  Oh yes, my friends...there is MUCH more danger than what lurks in the murky depths below...

I rather fell in LOVE with this story and quite frankly have been slowly scouring my local stores for additional books in the series because I simply MUST know what happens!  Grace and Connor are stars in their own right, and their journeys are far from over...but the author set this series up with an incredible cast of characters that are equally charming (well, some are more monstrous, but beauty IS in the eye of the beholder...just don't let some of them ACTUALLY be HOLD anything of yours!) in their own ways that make you want to learn their stories (Grace has the right idea!), and see just what the sea has in store for them!  The mysterious captain, midshipman Lorcan, Cheng Li, and the one that we shall not name here that was cast out...all of them are quite obviously going to play integral roles in what's to come, and for that matter what happens here, so yes...I say GIVE ME MORE to satisfy my own book thirst!

A high recommendation for Middle Grade readers and beyond!



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About the author...

A person sitting in a chair

Description automatically generated

Justin Somper is the award-winning author of eight novels for young people, all with a focus on high-octane fantasy adventure, driven by strong, complex characters.

Justin’s VAMPIRATES sequence comprises, to date, six main novels and has been previously published in 35 countries and 25 languages. The first title, DEMONS OF THE OCEAN, has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and Ireland alone, whilst the sequence as a whole has sold over a million worldwide. World Book Day title VAMPIRATES: DEAD DEEP debuted in the Top Ten Bestsellers list. The Ultimate Book Guide says, “VAMPIRATES are the perfect adventure stories, rollicking, romantic and utterly page-turningly breathtaking.” 





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Special thanks to Graeme and UClan Publishing for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the series, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  Books 1-3 in the series released in 2020, while books 4-6 just hit bookstore and virtual shelves this month...can we say binge read?

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


RRR presents... PLUTO'S IN URANUS by Patrick Haylock - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!

HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're shining the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a new title that's making the rounds with Rachel's Random Resources.  It's a book that puts a rather unlikely lead in a very unusual situation and begs us to reconsider taking chances (for better or worse!)...all from an author who clearly doesn't take themselves too seriously, in the best way possible.  Sound good?  GREAT...because while Pluto may be you-know-where, we're about to dive between the pages of today's title the spotlight for a closer look.  SO, intro first, then onward to reading....


Pluto's in Uranus
by
Patrick Haylock

About the book...
This Christmas Jupiter and Saturn will become closer to each other than they have been for almost 800 years. It is an event that has set the world astrological community abuzz with the possible consequences of such an alignment and its potential impact on global leaders and world events.

 But what happens when an even rarer conjunction between Pluto and Uranus occurs and what affect does it hold in store for the lives of everyday ‘ordinary folk’?

 Well, it’s something that Dave from the post room is about to find out. Pluto is in Uranus and for him this indicates that everything is about to come up smelling of roses or so he thinks!

 Dave suffers from OCF, Obsessive Compulsive Fatalism, and his Achilles heel is his daily horoscope, which is about to become dramatically affected by the historic planetary alignment.

 The lucky omens predicted will compel him to take uncharacteristic chances, cross paths with a hotchpotch of larger than life characters who get him embroiled in situations with hilarious outcomes that are way beyond his control and  out of his comfort zone


Pluto’s In Uranus is written by globally unrecognised no award-winning Essex author Patrick Haylock.
Discounting his definitive guide to publishing invisible books Pluto’s in Uranus is Patrick’s debut novel, and it is now available in Bookstores on Amazon and other online outlets.


AMAZON  US  |  UK



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~~~   EXCERPT   ~~~


After years of hoping, events predicted in Dave’s daily online horoscope were finally starting to pan out, and he was having a brilliantly auspicious start to the day.
Fortuitous omens have been presenting themselves to him all morning and with the inclusion of a horse called ‘Black Kitty’ into a race that he was about to bet on, this was unmistakeably the foretold time to be bold and to let impulse take the lead.
 ‘Black Kitty‘ is so ominous that it overshadows his workmates preselected wagers, and he stakes the syndicates entire wad onto the late entry.
He then sits back to watch her romp home and collect the winnings.
As the race unfurled, Dave’s eyeballs grew larger, and he stared insanely at the bank of monitors relaying the race.
He watched with some trepidation as Black Kitty after being some lengths ahead began to lose ground to the pursuing group of thoroughbred speedsters.
Led by Fourth Dimension (the syndicate’s original selection), they all quickly, very quickly, began to reel Black Kitty in, and as in all bad dreams, her legs became totally inoperable, making her incapable of staving off the determined chasers.
With unwavering ease ALL the other horses caught and roared past her.
Dave watched haplessly as Black Kitty transformed from Pegasus to pantomime horse.
Fourth Dimension, the horse he should have backed, raced ahead, and won by a comfortable two and three-quarter lengths.
What followed conspired to make matters worse – much worse – as race by race and one by one each of the syndicate’s other selections romped home in first place.
Had he followed team orders; Dave would have now been holding onto slips of paper worth ten grand. Instead, he was left clutching hold of a ‘stately’ or the deeds to Bugger Hall, names coined by bookmakers to indicate the non-value of a heavy loss betting slip.
Dave’s gamble had also confirmed that a betting SLIP was very appropriately named!
After a ponderous amount of time, Dave managed to summon the energy to extrude himself from his seat and the bet-ting shop. 
Blinking into the bright light of reality, he stuffed his hand into his jacket pocket and fumbled out a handful of loose coins, which by his reckoning amounted to about a tenner.
He retrieved the black envelope and slid the cash down his hand and into it; he took a disdainful look at the word KITTY and then tucked it into his lapel pocket.
By following the sage advice of his online oracle, it was a mere £9990 short of what the winnings would have been.
No wonder it’s called a bleeding horoscope, he thought. Guilt and panic racked his body and the only way to relieve the burden was to go to the Wobblers and ’fess up.
After all, what’s the…God, there were far, far, too many permutations for him to even contemplate finishing that sentence!
So, he didn’t!
As he set off towards the pub, his legs were working on a par with Black Kitty’s, and he didn’t seem to be covering very much ground.
Fortunately, his mind was operating at a much brisker pace and after a short distance a brilliant ‘get out of jail’ thought entered his head.
Perhaps he could lie and say that he was mugged on the way back to the pub and that the winnings had been stolen.
Not bad, he thought, but to make it truly believable he would need to report it to the police, and if he could produce a witness then case closed!
With hawk like observation, he scanned the horizon and noticed an old lady waiting at a bus stop.
Not only was she stood alone but she was holding a white stick. Bonus, a short-
sighted elderly witness, the gods were smiling again.
I wonder if her name’s Kitty, he mused. He also noted that just prior to the bus stop there was a passageway in which there were some large industrial dustbins: perfect.
His master plan was about to be instigated and it was a good one.... or was it?




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About the author...


Patrick Haylock is a globally unrecognised writer who if you discount a school sweet pea growing competition, has won no awards whatsoever!

He was born in Enfield at a very dark time in the world. It was 1:45 am, to be precise, and it wasn’t too long before it dawned on him.

To make something of himself he was going to need two things the ability to tell the difference between a green onion and a scallion, and a good education.

Wormley Primary and Baas Hill Comprehensive schools did their best to fulfil both requirements, and after giving them 12 years of his life, they gave him seven printed sheets of paper, and the knowledge that there was no difference between a green onion and a scallion.

He also learned that the difference between onions and bagpipes was that no one ever
cries when you chop up bagpipes.

The certificated wisdom secured a national newspaper messenger’s job, which led to an editorial trainee position, followed by a production editor’s post, and progression
into freelance journalism.

‘Knowing his onions’ helped him to successfully establish his own publishing company, design studio, online retro webstore and high street art gallery.

Patrick lives with his wife in a converted Old Essex Brewery, where he claims the 6% ABV air quality inspires him to craft his nutty tales.

Although a ‘new voice’, in the literary world, those ‘in the know’ will willingly testify that his gift for imaginative storytelling is engaging, and, amusingly unique!


GOODREADS  |  TWITTER  |  SITE



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Pluto's in Uranus - Kushti Bok Big Giveaway!


Your chance to win a cluster of star prizes!
(Open Internationally)

Prize includes...
A kushti Bok Mug
A signed copy of Pluto's in Uranus
A pack of 50 Lord Elpus Melon's wealth creation cards
A black cat bookmarker
An engraved pen
A lucky silver Manx cat coin


*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.






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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Thursday, March 25, 2021

RRR presents... NOTHING MAN by R.J. Gould - SPOTLIGHT!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're joining Rachel's Random Resources to shine the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a book that features a man so down on his luck, he's looking up...or at least his prospects are, but then again, it IS all in how you look at a situation.  Ladies and gents, take a gander at today's title in the spotlight...


Nothing Man
by
R.J. Gould

About the book....
One man in need of an overhaul. Two women determined to drag him there. 

Neville Watkin’s life is so rubbish surely things can’t get any worse.  Yes they can, because his wife leaves him, he loses his job, has a car crash and ends up in hospital.

Feisty Laura, the other party in the car crash, befriends him and sets out to turn his life upside down. For reasons he struggles to understand, Caroline, her equally feisty mother, seems to like him. Rather a lot. 

All in all things are looking up, but is Neville courageous enough to seize these new opportunities?



AMAZON  US  |  UK



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About the author...


Richard writes under the pseudonym R J Gould and is a (rare male) member of the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA). His first novel was shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award following his participation on the RNA New Writers' Scheme. Having been published by Headline Access and Lume Books, he now self-publishes. 

He writes contemporary literary fiction about relationships, loosely though not prescriptively within the Romance genre, using both humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic journeys of his protagonists in search of love. Nothing Man is his sixth novel, following A Street CafƩ Named Desire, The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies and The bench by Cromer beach.

Ahead of writing full time, Richard led a national educational charity. He has been published in a wide range of educational journals, national newspapers and magazines and is the co-author of a major work on educating able young people. He lives in Cambridge, England.




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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!




Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



Wednesday, March 24, 2021

RRR presents... SUMMER SIN by K.S. Marsden - COVER REVEAL!

HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're sharing a special COVER REVEAL spreading through the blogosphere with Rachel's Random Resources.  It features the fourth book in a supernatural series that sounds like a lead character is about to be caught up in something MUCH bigger than they could've imagined.  Ready or not, get set to set your peepers on today's cover (and title!) in the spotlight...












Summer Sin
Northern Witch series, Book 4
by
K.S. Marsden
RELEASE DATE:  May 1st, 2021

About the book....
As an eventful school year draws to a close, Mark has to face his greatest challenge yet.

Witches, demons and spells have quickly become the norm for Mark, but he will find that magic can't solve all of his problems.

With everyone relying on him, will Mark be able to save the day?

Or will the price of being a hero be too high?



Available at special pre-order deal 99p (normal price £3.50/$3.99)


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About the author...


Kelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life - books and horses.
Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a Nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

She writes Fantasy stories part-time. Her first book, The Shadow Rises (Witch-Hunter #1), was published in January 2013, and she now has several successful series under her belt.



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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!





Tuesday, March 23, 2021

TCBR AWARENESS TOUR: A Most Clever Girl by Jasmine A. Stirling - REVIEW + GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we welcome The Children's Book Review as we play host to a stop along their current awareness tour that will speak to wee readers and Austenites alike.  It's a NEW Children's Storybook filled to the brim with beautiful artwork that also shares the story of how one rather famous authoress found her voice.  Ready or not, fair readers, let us set our sites on today's ebook of choice...



A Most Clever Girl:
How Jane Austen Found Her Voice
by
Jasmine A. Stirling
Illustrated by
Vesper Stamper
9781547601103
Bloomsbury Children's Books

About the book...
Witty and mischievous Jane Austen grew up in a house overflowing with words. As a young girl, she delighted in making her family laugh with tales that poked fun at the popular novels of her time, stories that featured fragile ladies and ridiculous plots. Before long, Jane was writing her own stories-uproariously funny ones, using all the details of her life in a country village as inspiration.

In times of joy, Jane’s words burst from her pen. But after facing sorrow and loss, she wondered if she’d ever write again. Jane realized her writing would not be truly her own until she found her unique voice. She didn’t know it then, but that voice would go on to capture readers’ hearts and minds for generations to come.






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Little Jane's world was filled with words and inspiration.  She delighted in doing nothing more than spinning tales for her family's enjoyment, and could wile away an afternoon with merely her pen, paper, and curious mind.  She was well on her way to becoming the authoress we know and love...until one day, her voice was all but stolen.  Tragedy struck tilting her world with seemingly no end, and young Jane was at a loss.  Never before was her mind, her imagination silenced, but hardships, and heartache have been known to do that and more.  The seasons turned and over time, once life began its uphill climb ever so slowly to happier times, she began to dabble once again...rediscovering her inner muse, and ultimately solidifying her well known voice that would echo for generations to come.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting an inside glimpse at the life of this illustrious author, and the beautifully illustrated pages throughout let your imagination take flight.  You are there with young Jane entertaining your friends and family.  You see the dinner party at which she understands through observation the differences between those around her, and how best to fit those types of personalities to her characters.  You are inspired when she finds inspiration.  You are downhearted when her pen rests.  You want to reach out with reassurances that a better tomorrow looms on the horizon, and cheer for joy when it comes to pass.  Through the written words and the wonderful images, you are taken on a journey that young and old can truly appreciate, learn from, and be inspired by.  


Speaking of which...the author was kind enough to lend her voice to what I think is a FABULOUS topic, so let's find out her thoughts on what makes this writer such a great role model....



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Why Jane Austen is an Awesome Role Model for Girls
~~~   GUEST POST with Author Jasmine A. Stirling   ~~~



As we celebrate Women’s History Month this year, I propose that we all pour ourselves and the girls in our lives a cup of hot tea, cut everyone a large slice of cake, and sit down to talk about Jane Austen: her life, her legacy, and her novels. While we’re at it, let’s have a movie party and watch Clueless and the 1995 Pride and Prejudice, then read and discuss my new picture book biography, A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice.

Why Jane Austen? What could a witty woman who lived more than 200 years ago and wrote books for adults about finding love have to offer today’s young women and girls? 

The answer is, plenty. So many things, in fact, that narrowing them down for this article was a daunting task. Read on to learn why Jane Austen is an awesome role model for girls!


1/  Jane Austen was a rebel with a dark sense of humor

Jane Austen was far from being the prim, prudish, “dear Aunt Jane” depicted by her brother Henry and her nephew Edward in their biographies of the author after her death. In fact, from age 11 or earlier, Austen was an unabashed rebel on paper (and sometimes in real life, too). Although her father was a clergyman, and educated girls in the Regency era were expected to be demure and submissive, Jane entertained herself and her family by gleefully writing (and reading aloud) a torrent of downright shocking, even amoral stories featuring adultery, drunkeness, suicide, and murder. Her chosen art form at this age was comedic parody—the darker, the better.

After she grew up, Jane’s rebellious streak and sense of humor persisted. When the librarian to the future king of England, James Stanier Clarke, suggested that she write a serious historical romance, Austen flatly declined. She responded that although writing such a work might be profitable or popular, she “could not sit seriously down to write a serious Romance under any other motive than to save my Life.”

After she grew up, this rebellious bent found its way into Jane’s characters as well. In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy Bennet tells her aristocratic antagonist Lady Catherine de Bourgh, “I am only resolved to act in that manner which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.”

Looking for examples of rebel girls and women who felt empowered to think, do and say exactly what they wanted to? Look no further than Jane Austen! Your girls just might find her wild adolescent writings and bold quips as a grown-up to be exactly what they didn’t expect.


2/  Jane Austen bucked traditional gender roles, focusing more on what made her happy than on fitting in

In Jane Austen’s day, girls from educated families were groomed to become nothing more than fashionable wives. If a respectable lady had an interest in books and learning, she hid it. Girls were expected to be quiet and dainty and demure.

Jane Austen bucked these conventions. One of her favorite pastimes was rolling down the hill near her house with her brothers. Although she had little formal education (because she was a girl), she devoured as many books as she could get her hands on in her father’s library. Jane was also mischievous; she loved to play practical jokes on her brothers, and even her clergyman father. She went as far as creating two farcical entries in her father’s official record of local marriages, both claiming that she had gotten married (to different men). 

Then at age 26, although she knew it would likely be her last chance to marry and secure her financial future, Jane Austen accepted, and then promptly rejected, a marriage proposal from a wealthy family friend, because she didn’t love the man, and found him ill-mannered and quick-tempered. Instead, Jane chose to be a spinster and a writer—the most unpopular and unfashionable choices she could have made in the eyes of the society in which she lived.

Jane’s refusal of this proposal meant that she would remain dependent on the charity of her brothers for the rest of her life. But Jane didn’t take this fate lying down. Instead, she wrote several novels that she hoped would (and most certainly did) help make her more financially independent. She also fought to gain back the rights to a novel that one publisher had purchased, but never published. All of these moves were considered shockingly unladylike in the eyes of the culture in which Jane Austen lived. Indeed, by taking up the pen at all, Jane Austen was venturing into a male-dominated realm. Men held the pen, and—with a few exceptions—only men published. 

All of us should be so wise. Jane’s example teaches every girl to tune into her deepest self and make choices that will make her happy. If that means challenging gender norms, choosing an unpopular and unprofitable career, or saying no to a partner despite social pressure to marry, so be it.

As a teen, I was painfully concerned with what my peer group thought of me. I wish I had known what Jane knew at that age. Take it from Jane, girls—focus more on what makes you happy than on fitting in.


3/  Jane Austen’s heroines challenged the prevailing notion of the ideal woman as decorative, passive, emotional, and morally perfect.

When introducing Austen’s novels to young women, it is helpful to point out that the ideal Regency lady was about as different from Lizzie Bennett as you can imagine. As one author wrote of the Regency ideal:

“The feminine ideal . . . may best be deļ¬ned as an interesting compound of moral perfection and intellectual deficiency . . . She was required to be before all things a “womanly woman” meek, timid, trustful, clinging, yielding, unselfish, helpless and dependent, robust in neither body nor mind, but rather “fine by defect and amiably weak.””

In addition to being morally perfect and intellectually deficient, the ideal Regency bride was very young, and came with a large fortune—which her husband would take possession of immediately after the wedding.

Seen in this light, Lizzy Bennet is not only an incredibly charming, lovable leading lady filled with quirks and flaws; she is downright subversive. In fact, in one way or another, all of Austen’s heroines challenge gender norms or fall far short of the Regency ideal. Yet are all rewarded handsomely at the end—with love and riches. Lizzy is cheeky and opinionated, Emma is insensitive and meddlesome. Elinor and Marianne are frightfully poor, while Fanny is both poor and low-born. Catherine is obsessed with novels, and Anne Eliot is old and no longer pretty. Most of Austen’s heroines (Emma being an exception) are intellectual and well-read.

Furthermore, it is taken absolutely for granted by Austen that each of her heroines is, or can become, able to make her own life decisions—without any reference to men, her parents, or her social betters. This alone is a radical assumption, coming from a culture in which gender, family honor, and class dictated nearly everything a woman was permitted to say, do, and think.

But Austen didn’t stop there. She also used humor to challenge notions of ideal femininity. In Mansfield Park, Lady Bertram is so passive that she is unable to rise from the sofa, let alone form her own thoughts. Entertaining, frivolous characters like Lydia Bennet and Mary Crawford are viciously satirized. Traditional Georgian accomplishments such as “netting a purse” are ridiculed. Furthermore, Austen’s most desirable male suitors have no interest in the ideal Regency woman. Mr. Darcy, for example, requires that his mate possess “the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”

In fact, I am hard pressed to point to heroines in today’s novels, films and TV shows that shine quite as brightly or depict women quite as realistically as Jane Austen’s did more than 200 years ago. 

By raising up complicated, unique, bright, obstinate, and flawed women, then showing us their struggles and journeys of transformation, and finally rewarding them with love and happiness, Jane Austen obliterated unrealistic (and frankly, disturbing) notions of perfect, monolithic femininity, forever upending the way the world viewed women.

I distinctly remember my first experiences reading Austen as a young woman. It was the first time I had felt such a deep kinship with any heroine in any book—and I was an avid bookworm. Austen’s leading ladies felt like me and the young women I knew. If that’s not something worth sharing with today’s girls, I don’t know what is!


4/ Jane Austen’s heroines helped readers experience first-hand the shockingly precarious and brutally inhumane status of women in Regency England.

During the Regency period, marriage required a woman to give up everything to her husband—her money, her freedom, her body, and her legal existence. Husbands were legally permitted to beat their wives, rape them, imprison them, and take their children away without their consent. 

Divorce in the Regency era could only be achieved by a private act of Parliament, and was exceedingly rare. Lower classes could sell their wives in the marketplace, which functioned as a form of divorce. The woman was led to market with a halter tied around her neck and sold to the highest bidder.

The laws of primogeniture and entailed property dictated that, upon his death, the bulk of a man’s inheritance typically be handed down to his eldest son or closest living male relative. If a woman inherited anything after her husband died, it was arranged at the time of the marriage and based on the assets she brought to the union. Often she got little or nothing at all.

Opting out of marriage was not a viable option for most women. Because most people believed that females were vastly intellectually inferior to males, there were no universities for women, and nearly all professions were reserved exclusively for men. A spinster often faced a life of poverty, ridicule, and dependence on the charity of her male relatives.  

As a result, for Austen, “a story about love and marriage wasn’t ever a light and frothy confection.” Hidden in all that effervescent prose are subtle but seething critiques of Regency society, laws, and gender norms. Austen used romantic comedy to expose the incredibly high stakes of the marriage game for women who had no other options. She helped readers see the precariousness, anxiety and vulnerability of real women—showing the brutality of their situation more poignantly, entertainingly, and intimately than any political treatise could have achieved.

In Sense and Sensibility, we feel the injustice of inheritance laws when Henry Dashwood dies and his wife and children are forced to leave their home and live at the mercy of the heir, Mrs. Dashwood’s stepson, John. John chooses to give them little help, and overnight, Mrs. Dashwood goes from living in splendor to barely scraping by.

In Pride and Prejudice, the key context for the story is that the Bennet family home, Longborne, is entailed to the insufferable Mr. Collins. If his daughters do not marry before their father dies, they will be left to depend on the charity of their male relatives (a situation Austen knew well, as it was hers after her father died).

Although Austen’s heroines find both love and riches, unhappy and loveless marriages far outnumber happy ones in her novels. Wickham is bribed into marrying Lydia; she will have to endure a lifetime of his womanizing ways. Willoughby rejects Marianne, opting for Miss Grey’s £50,000. Charlotte Lucas, twenty-seven years old and superior in character, temperament, and intellect, to the pompous and revolting Mr. Collins, accepts his offer of marriage because "it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune,” thereby relieving her brothers of the burden of providing for her as an old maid. In fact, Charlotte “felt all the good luck of it.”

In these and many other examples, the reality of women’s narrow options, their shocking lack of personal freedom, and their extreme financial vulnerability ring loud and clear. For the first time in history, Austen’s novels humanized and personalized women’s issues in a revolutionary way, adding fuel to the fire for radical new ideas that were just beginning to circulate about women’s rights, education, and opportunities. 

When I speak to girls about Jane Austen, they are often shocked to learn how limited the lives of  women were in Regency England, which opens up rich conversations about gender roles and discrimination today. That Austen’s novels exposed these realities in intimate and personal ways makes her all the more compelling as a role model for girls.


5/  Jane Austen championed the radical notion of the ideal marriage as a match between two rational and emotional equals.

While the bleak fates of some of Austen’s female characters illustrate the limited options facing women in the Regency era, happy endings await her heroines. These happy endings also challenged traditional notions of marriage, which typically looked very unlike that of Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy.  

A middle or upper class Regency marriage was often a male-dominated exchange, dictated by two families coming together to consolidate their fortunes. When she married, a woman passed from the control of her father to that of her husband. She might have the opportunity to reject a suitor, or choose from a number of suitors; or she might be a passive participant in this exchange, depending on her circumstances and family culture. In either case, her submissiveness after the wedding was considered crucial to its success. Austen rejected this model of marriage as ideal in her novels and in her life, writing to her niece that “nothing can be compared to the misery of being bound without Love.” 

Ideas about marriage were changing rapidly in Austen’s era, inspired primarily by the Romantics—poets, authors and philosophers who believed that marriage should be fueled exclusively by romantic love—but Austen also rejected this ideal.

While the Romantics insisted that choosing a partner should be about unleashing one’s most passionate feelings, Austen championed the classical, Aristotelian philosophy of balance between emotion and reason when choosing a partner for life. The successful coming of age of an Austen heroine hinges on her learning to discern the true nature of a suitor, not simply the appearance he projects. It also often requires that she look beyond her emotional impulses and fall in love with a man’s character and temperament—as in the case of Marianne Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet, who are initially attracted to handsome, romantic rakes.

Indeed, flashy romantic suitors like Mr. Wickham and John Willoughby often prove to be wicked, scheming, and insincere. By contrast, more subdued men like Colonel Brandon and Captain Wentworth attempt to restrain their emotions in order to preserve the honor of the women they admire, and wait to betray their feelings until they are certain they are ready to propose. 

Furthermore, Austen’s heroines, although driven by love, do not neglect to consider the practical implications of marrying well. After all, it is only after seeing Pemberley with her own eyes that Lizzie finally relents and accepts Mr. Darcy’s proposal, famously thinking as she looks across the valley at his vast estate: “To be mistress of Pemberley might be something!”

In all of these respects, Austen was, and still is, a fresh voice on the topic of marriage. Our own era is still firmly in the grip of the Romantic frenzy—emotional love songs, extravagant courtships and proposals, an emphasis on being swept away in one’s feelings, and fairy tales with happy endings dominate popular culture. 

For Austen, a classical reverence for balance—equal parts reason and emotion—reigned supreme, especially on the part of the woman, who had far more to lose in marriage than her male counterpart. Too much reason, and you have Elinor Dashwood, a woman who is initially a little too selfless and withdrawn. Too much emotion, and you have her sister Marianne, a woman who follows her feelings straight into the arms of a charlatan. To grow, each sister must learn a little bit from the other.

As a mother of two girls, I actively seek out alternatives to what I consider an excess of focus on romance in popular culture. If my daughters choose to marry, I want them to love their future spouses with both their hearts and heads; to go into marriage clear-eyed and with reasonable expectations, and to understand that love is more than a feeling—it is also a choice and a process—and should be shared thoughtfully and carefully, with someone who is worthy of receiving it.

In this way, Austen again provides a countercultural view of love, romance and marriage; one that today’s girls and young women can take much away from.


6/ Jane Austen is a genius without peer, male or female. 

The final reason that I love sharing Jane Austen with girls is that, unlike some female role models who are distinguished for being the first to do what a man did before them, Jane Austen is a genius without peer. Austen’s work, legacy, and impact on our culture are incomparable. Every day of the week, Austen fans congregate online in vast numbers, sharing their love of the author in mind-bogglingly creative and witty ways. In addition to the dozens of film, stage, and television adaptations of her novels, Jane has spurred a cottage industry of writers and makers who have dedicated their lives to celebrating her work. Austen’s face graces Britain's £10 note, she has two museums dedicated to her legacy, and the Oxford English Dictionary includes more than 1,7000 Austen citations. Jane Austen societies flourish in even the farthest reaches of the globe, putting on a dizzying number of Austen-inspired conferences, balls, parties, academic talks, book clubs, and tours each year. 

To love Jane Austen is to join a sisterhood of smart, snarky, idealistic women (and men!) who embrace the joy of reveling in one of the human race’s crowning glories. In the universe of authors in the English language, only William Shakespeare—a dramatist, not a novelist—rivals Jane Austen’s astounding impact and legacy. 

I’ve gleaned great happiness, inspiration, and strength from loving Jane Austen and forming friendships with Janeites around the world. I’ve introduced my own girls to Austen in the hopes that maybe someday, they will do the same. 

I hope you do, too!



       




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About the author...


Jasmine A. Stirling is the debut author of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice, a picture book biography of Jane Austen about persistence and creative mastery. Jasmine lives on a cheerful street in San Francisco with her husband, two daughters, and their dog. From a young age, she loved to write poems and stories and worked her way through nearly every children’s book (and quite a few for grownups, too) in her local library. When she’s not writing, Jasmine can be found hiking in the fog, singing songs from old musicals, and fiddling with her camera.


Jasmine first fell in love with Jane Austen as a student at Oxford, where she read her favorite of Jane’s six masterful novels, Persuasion. A Most Clever Girl is her dream project, done with her dream team—award-winning illustrator Vesper Stamper and Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing. Jasmine also has a YA/New Adult history of the women's suffrage movement out soon, titled We Demand An Equal Voice.


Visit www.jasmineastirling.com to get a free Jane Austen paper doll kit with the purchase of A Most Clever Girl. While you're there, enter to win a Regency tea party gift basket!

Follow Jasmine on Instagram and Facebook @jasmine.a.stirling.author where she posts about kidlit and life with two young girls.



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Enter for a chance to win a glorious Jane Austen-themed picnic basket, including a hardcover copy of A Most Clever Girl autographed by Jasmine A. Stirling!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

  • A picnic basket filled with:

    • A copy of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice, signed by author Jasmine A. Stirling

    • A vintage teacup

    • 1 oz of tea From Adagio Teas

    • Truffles from Moonstruck Chocolates

    • Gardenia hand cream

    • A set of Jane Austen playing cards

    • A $15 gift certificate to Jasmine A. Stirling’s Austenite Etsy Shop, Box Hill Goods

Two (2) winners receive:

  • A copy of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice, signed by author Jasmine A. Stirling

The giveaway begins March 16, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT, and ends April 16, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.







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Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun...



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!