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WHO IS MALCOLM WELLS?

2/15/2015

I'll let him tell you ...
I was born in the seaside town of Bournemouth on the south coast of England. From the age of about ten, I became an avid reader of horror stories, which quite disturbed my parents. I soon became interested in sci-fi and fantasy as well. At the age of 22, I met an Australian who had gone to England on a holiday. Within 9 months, we were married and moving to Australia.

About this time, I began writing as a hobby, mostly short stories and poetry. Over the years, I had some of the stories published in magazines and some poetry published in anthologies. I was on the verge of having a novella published once, but the publisher wanted the ending changed. I refused and the story never made it to print. I learnt a valuable lesson from that, listen to people who know what they are talking about.

In 2006, my wife was employed by CQU in Rockhampton which meant moving to Rocky from our home in Windsor, NSW. This meant we were constantly traveling between the two homes to be together for short periods and writing took a back seat. I was also running my own business and my writing was confined to quotes, reports and environmental surveys. I began writing my memoirs about 2010 as a means of relaxation. Apart from that, I would not begin writing seriously again until I retired and had moved to Central Queensland to be with my wife permanently.

I discovered the ABC Open website, a national site that offered writers and photographers an outlet for their work. I also joined the Capricorn Writers Group and met like-minded people. In December of 2014 I became the first person to publish over 1,000 contributions on the site, including about 70 stories, blogs and articles. In 2014, I was also asked to contribute a weekly column to the Morning Bulletin, the local newspaper.
Having published my first novel I am now working on a second novel, about an alien who crash lands in a Dorset village in a rural area of southern England. I will also be looking to get my memoirs published in the near future. If the first novel is well received, I also have a draft for a sequel.

The Spires of Kurrong
Synopsis
For many generations the people of the spires believed they were the only living human race left on their planet. They had been told that Daemons had inhabited the planet surface and driven their ancestors into the domed cities. When Markus and Filona fall in love, they break the strict laws of the domes. Markus is son of the Prefect of Alpha Dome, Filona an innkeepers daughter and their union is forbidden.

The couple flee to the planet surface, despite thoughts of the dangers they might face. What they find there will astound them. The decisions they make for their future will have a dramatic effect on the whole planet.

TITLE: The Spires of Kurrong
AUTHOR: Malcolm Wells
ISBN: 978-0-9942463-1-8
FORMATS: Paperback and eBook
EXTENT: 244 pages
AU RRP: eBook: $4.99
                 Paperback: $20.00
PUBLISHER: Morris Publishing Australia
http://morrispublishingaustralia.com
CATEGORY: Sci Fi/fantasy
AUDIENCE: Young Adult
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ORDERS:
Morris Publishing Australia -
http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com
Paperback and eBook available on Morris Publishing’s website, Amazon and
many online stores.

To read the first chapter of The Spires of Kurrong go to http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/the-spires-of-kurrong.html
To learn more information about the book and Malcolm follow the blog tour:

Feb 14th http://promotemeplease.blogspot.com

15th http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au

16th http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/news-update-blog

17th http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au

18th http://aussiereviews.com

19th http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com

20th http://elaineoustonauthor.com

21st http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com

28th http://losangzopa.wordpress.com

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This YA book is getting great reviews

1/21/2015

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I want to share with you an extract from a review by popular author, Di Bates of My Unforgettable Year by Adem Besim.

Di says:
It wasn’t until I started reading this YA novel that I realised how little contemporary fiction there is about male teenage protagonists and their lives. In fact, all I could recall was Maureen Johnson’s Boofheads, which was published quite a few years ago.

Besim has a unique insight into what makes a teenage boy click. Mostly his dialogue is true and the emotional depth of his characters is also true. I thought that sex would have been a driving force in a book about a seventeen-year-old – lots of talk among boys about girls -- but that doesn’t happen. Yes, there is one sexual episode in the book, but it is glossed over.

Here is a book written by a young man in his early twenties who clearly remembers the angst of the teen years. Narrated by seventeen-year-old Nathan Thompson, My Unforgettable Year tells of the teenager’s trials and tribulations as he negotiates his final school year. On the surface, Nathan seems to have it all. He's the goal-kicking footy superstar from the small town of Kyabram. And he’s managed to snag the attention of beautiful, rich Katie who is new to town. However, his life and future at times seems doomed, especially as his over-bearing father, Mark, desperately wants Nathan to be the next national AFL player to make his town proud. Instead, Nathan plays footy for fun and dreams of university and a career in architecture.

When problems arise in his life, Nathan is often explosive and erratic, for instance when he resorts to physical violence against a footy team-mate. He is constantly on a hormonal roller-coast ride. Sometimes he seems mature and wise, other times he acts like an emotional juvenile. His emotions range from feelings of betrayal to disrespect to satisfaction to love. Often, like any teenager, he struggles with peer relationships, at times querying the motives of Katie and his best friend Matty. Nathan’s relationship with his ambitious father, whom he mostly detests, is tempered by his warm relationship with his mother and brother, Josh. Luckily, he has two positive male role-models, his Coach Garry and teacher, Mr Hazelman. What works best in the book is how Besim manages to capture the tension and action of an ongoing football match from a player’s perspective. The role of his coach is beautifully captured.

For the most part, though, this is a book about things that matter to teen boys – footy, mateship, partying, studying, examinations, thoughts of the future, and relationships with parents, siblings and peers. The book deals, too, with the big issues of bullying, death, and falling in love. Overall it’s an ambitious novel as the reader follows Nathan’s difficult, but ultimately successful coming of age. It is, as the book says, an unforgettable year.

My Unforgettable Year is available from all library suppliers, Dennis Jones and Associates or wholesale from Morris Publishing Australia’s website http://morrispublishingaustralia.com. It is also produced and available as an eBook and on Amazon, Smashwords, Apple and Kobo.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Adem Besim was born in and lives in Kyabram, Victoria. He is presently studying for a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at Bendigo TAFE. Adem started his writing journey at 14 years of age.

He says, "I started writing because I'd always had a passion for it from when I was a child and went into bookshops with my father, and sat in on author visits at school. I have always felt at my most happiest and inspired when writing. That's how I knew that this was what I was born to do; there was nothing else I felt more certain about."

This is his first published novel, but I know it won’t be his last.

I'm sure your young teen readers will love this book and learn some valuable life lessons.

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NEW BOOKS FOR HORSE-LOVING KIDS

12/3/2014

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Sunshine Coast author, Jennifer Crane, has released the second children’s fiction novel in the Opal Dreaming series titled Opal Dreaming The Marble Horses. The story is set in Ancient Athens and follows on from The Bronze Horses, which is set on the Eurasian Steppes. The Opal Dreaming series traces the evolution of horses and riding from the Bronze Age to the modern Olympics, through the dreams of the thirteen-year-old Australian girl, Erin.

Jennifer is an experienced horse rider and competitor and explains, ‘Horses and horse riding have played a pivotal role in our own cultural advancement. Many horse management and riding methods used centuries ago are still used today. So my stories aim to meld the historical and modern to provide an understanding of equestrian knowledge in an entertaining format that children can relate to, and if they are riders themselves, use.’

Jennifer’s first published work was ‘Spillover: A Memoir’ about the death of her horse to Hendra Virus in 2006. She has also had a number of her children’s short stories published and received minor awards for her writing. Jennifer is currently studying a Master of Letters in Creative Writing and Literature through Central Queensland University.

Jennifer’s daughter, Jaclyn Crane, who is studying graphic design at Sunshine Coast University, has designed the cover artwork for both The Bronze Horses and The Marble Horses. Jaclyn recently won a highly competitive national student design award for an imaginary issue of the esteemed design industry publication, DG Magazine.

SYNOPSIS: The Marble Horses

Thirteen year old Erin loves horses and riding. After dreaming of the Bronze Age horses, she is starting to like history. Now curious about Ancient Greek horses, Erin again drifts into an opal dream.

Agis, a teenage boy, travels alone from Sparta to Athens where Diodorus gives him work at the stables. Agis earns the trust of a vicious black stallion, but is targeted by the jealous, Tellus. When the stallion escapes, Agis is suspected and threatened with punishment of death or slavery. Will Agis keep his freedom and survive to fulfil his dream of riding a horse?

When Erin wakes from her dream, she realises she can use what she has learnt about horses from the Ancient Greeks.

The Opal Dreaming series books are available from Books of Buderim and Rosetta Books Maleny, Australian Writers Rock Eumundi Markets, direct from Jennifer and from Morris Publishing Australia at www.morrispublishingaustralia.com

For more information or for an interview, please contact Jennifer on 07 54949 24/ mobile 0434726703 or email jencc@bigpond.com.au or Elaine Ouston Morris Publishing Australia on 54 981 332 or at info@morrispublishingaustralia.com.

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Unique male coming-of-age story that will be loved by male and female readers.

11/15/2014

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Publisher’s Notes:
There are not too many books written by a male about male coming-of-age experiences. This is a unique book and will be loved by male and female readers.  The themes are many: bullying, friendships, dealing with death, and falling in love.

We struggled with the editing of this book. Because it is written in the first person voice of a 17 year-old, we didn’t want to edit so heavily that we took away his authentic voice. In the end, we approached it as if it was a diary and left an awful lot of things we would have changed. Some people won’t agree with this decision, but I hope readers and reviewers will look at the story for what it is, a deeply emotive narrative by a teenage boy.
Its author, Adem Besim, is a driven writer and will go far in his chosen profession. His answers to the following question will give you some insight into his journey and some tips for writers who are still waiting for that magic acceptance letter.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Adem Besim was born, raised and still lives in Kyabram, Victoria. He is presently studying for a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at Bendigo TAFE. He started his writing journey at 14 years of age.

He says, 'I started writing because I'd always had a passion for it from when I was a small child. Visits to bookshops with my father and author visits at school inspired me. I always felt at my happiest listening to authors speaking about their books. Writing gives me that same feeling. That's how I knew that this was what I was born to do; there was nothing else I felt more certain about.”

Author Interview:
Q. Who is your favourite author and why?
A. I think my favourite author is John Marsden, as he is a renowned and well-respected author of Australian Young Adult literature. His novels have a depth and realism about them that I’ve found inspiring. I also like to read Archimede Fusillo, Scot Gardner, Tom Perrotta and JK Rowling.

Q. What are the greatest obstacles you've experienced on your writing journey?
A. The greatest obstacles I’ve overcome have been the doubt in my own head. There have been times when it seemed there was no point and no way I could ever be published, or I didn’t feel smart enough. But knowing it was my true passion, I continued with it anyway.

Q. What do you love most about writing books?
A. I love the idea of accomplishment and having achieved a life-long dream. This experience is a dream-come-true. Having a published book means that I can leave my mark on the world and encourage others to follow their goals.

Q. What advice would you have for anyone wanting to write a book in your genre?
A. The advice I’d give YA writers is to look back and recall your own experiences. Your work will be better for it and your readers will be able to relate to your novel. The best writing comes from experience.
Q. Did you have your manuscript professionally edited before it was sent to publishers?
A. Yes, I had my manuscript professionally edited by a woman I met through my Professional Writing & Editing course. She has a certificate in structural editing and copy-editing. I knew from very early on that she was trustworthy and the right person for the job. She picked up certain things in the manuscript (in terms of novel development and skill) that really surprised me. The Morris Publishing team picked up much more.

Q. Did you submit your manuscript to many publishers before you had an offer to publish?
A. Before I submitted to Morris Publishing Australia, I’d submitted it seven times to other publishing houses. I was very surprised (and happy) by Morris Publishing Australia’s response.

SYNOPSIS: This is a coming-of-age story about triumph and tragedy, love and loss, acceptance and letting go.

Life's looking pretty awesome for 17-year-old, Nathan Thompson. He's the goal-kicking superstar from the small town of Kyabram. Nathan's in his final year of school and has big plans set for the future; like winning the Thirds’ premiership cup, acing his Year Twelve exams, and finally graduating. One problem – his tough and over-bearing father, Mark, has other plans for him. He desperately wants Nathan to be the next AFL player to come out of Kyabram.

He seems set to stop Nathan from following his dreams of studying architecture at university. But a thirty-year-old secret of Mark's that resurfaces on Nathan's 18th birthday changes everything. Will it force Nathan and his father further apart or help them reconcile their fragile relationship?

As well as dealing with that problem, Nathan’s year gets worse as he deals with death, bullying and first love.

Follow the blog tour and find out what the reviewers thought of this novel and learn more about Adem.
Blog Tour schedule:
Nov-19 http://www.kids-bookreview.com    Interview

Nov-20   http://elaineoustonauthor.com        Interview

Nov-23 http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com   review

Nov 27   http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com review

Dec-01   http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com review by Di Bates

Dec-04 www.sherfordbear.co.uk Review

http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/blog-tour-my-unforgettable-year.html

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ORDERS:
Morris Publishing Australia - http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com
Dennis Jones and Associates: www.dennisjones.com.au
James Bennett library suppliers: www.bennett.com.au
The Nile Bookshop: www.thenile.com.au
Paperback and eBook available on Amazon and many online stores.

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DELVE INTO THE MIND OF A DEBUT AUTHOR

11/11/2014

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Join his blog tour and learn more about this exciting book, My Unforgettable Year, and its young author.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Adem Besim was born, raised and still lives in Kyabram, Victoria. He is presently studying for a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at Bendigo TAFE.

BOOK INFORMATION:

This is a deeply emotive story told in the first person voice of a seventeen-year-old boy. The themes are many: bullying, friendships, dealing with death, and falling in love. This book will be loved by male and female.

SYNOPSIS:

This is a coming-of-age story about triumph and tragedy, love and loss, acceptance and letting go.

Life's looking pretty awesome for 17-year-old, Nathan Thompson. He's the goal-kicking superstar from the small town of Kyabram. Nathan's in his final year of school and has big plans set for the future; like winning the Thirds’ premiership cup, acing his Year Twelve exams, and finally graduating. One problem – his tough and over-bearing father, Mark, has other plans for him. He desperately wants Nathan to be the next AFL player to come out of Kyabram.

He seems set to stop Nathan from following his dreams of studying architecture at university. But a thirty-year-old secret of Mark's that resurfaces on Nathan's 18th birthday changes everything. Will it force Nathan and his father further apart or help them reconcile their fragile relationship?

On top of that problem, Nathan’s year gets worse as he deals with death, bullying and first love.

Blog Tour schedule:

DATE                     BLOG                                               TYPE

Nov-14 http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au         Interview

Nov-15 http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com         Interview

Nov-16 http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/news-update-blog                                                Profile / publisher's notes

Nov-19 http://www.kids-bookreview.com                Interview

Nov-20 http://elaineoustonauthor.com                    Interview

Nov-23 http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com          Review

Nov 27 http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com    Review

Dec-01 http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com         Review

Dec-04 www.sherfordbear.co.uk                             Review

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A busy author is a well-known author

10/22/2014

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A busy author is a well-known author and busy well-known authors sell their books.

One of our busiest authors is Dimity Powell.

Here are some of the places you will find her in the next few months.

14th December 2014

Author meet and greet and signing at Big B Books, Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast.

15th December 2014 Connecting with your Characters School Holiday Children's Writing Workshop at Helensvale Library, Gold Coast, 10 - 11.30 am

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This book presents an editor’s dilemma.

10/16/2014

2 Comments

My Unforgettable Year by debut author, Adem Besim is a powerfully written, highly emotive story told in the first person, present tense voice of a seventeen-year-old boy. How much editing can you do without taking away the authentic voice of the teen?

We were very careful not to get too carried away with grammar, as we know most people don’t speak correctly most of the time. Have a look at the extract from the first chapter on this page and tell me what you think. Have we gone too far or not far enough? http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/my-unforgettable-year.html

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There are many triggers for story ideas, but real life is a popular one

9/19/2014

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On the second anniversary of the publishing of Destiny Road, Melissa Wray was asked this question by Uncommon YA.

What sparked the idea to write Destiny Road?

Here is her very personal response.

We moved to North Queensland when I was 14. After a year or so Mum could see that something about Townsville and I did not mix. Strangely enough it was her suggestion to ring my dad and ask if I could move back south.

So I did. Then I packed my bags and moved 3,000km away to live with him. This decision is what sparked the idea for Destiny Road.

Now I never set out to write this story, let alone have it published. It just kind of happened. It came about because one night I was lying in bed and couldn’t sleep. There was an unspoken conversation going on in my mind. It was a conversation that I regret not having and has played on my mind over the years. This particular night it got the better of me so I got up and began to write. It wasn’t until after I read through those mad ramblings a couple of weeks later that I thought hmmm … I could create a story from this. So I began writing. I passed my 10,000 word milestone. Then 20 then 30 then before I knew it 50,000 words had been typed.

You see I think about that one phone call I made all those years ago sometimes. I have often thought about how that decision, that one pivotal moment that is talked about in Destiny Road, really did change the course of my life. I’m sure as you're reading this you can look back over your life, and pinpoint one moment that has shaped it in a big way. I truly believe that Dad saying yes when I asked was a determining factor in how things have turned out for me.

One afternoon I was sitting with him. He got to talking about his philosophy on life and death. Dad had been fighting a battle against cancer for a while at this point and I was kneeling next to him as he sat on his reclining chair. He was holding my hand as he shared these ideas on life and death. He said to me "It’s cool. Whatever happens, it’s cool." My dad used cool a lot when he spoke. He was pretty cool. He was also a big believer in God. So that afternoon he said "It’s cool if I die because I get to meet my maker." ‘Then he said "But it’s cool if I live because I get to be with the ones I love." This was his philosophy. Either way was cool with him.

I remember kneeling there, holding his hand and wishing I could say thankyou to him. Thanks for saying yes all those years ago. Thanks for that pivotal moment in my life. I wanted him to know how much that meant. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t get those words out.

That night he passed away.

I never did get to tell him and have regretted that for the past 10 years. So you see once the spark to write Destiny Road was lit, it had to finished. It was my tribute, my thankyou and I am beyond thrilled it was published.

Now I’m not going to bore you with my views on life and death but I can’t help but wonder something, because anyone who knew my dad, Rod Morris, and anyone who knew his sense of humour ... well I can’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a helping hand when Morris Publishing (no relation) chose to publish Destiny Road. I like to think so.

It's hard to believe two years has passed since the launch of Destiny Road. To celebrate there is a chance to win 2 x $20 Gift Cards, ENTER NOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To connect with Melissa;

FACEBOOK

BLOG

Read the 1st chapter of Destiny Road FREE.

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This author brings the world of his novels into his 'real' world

9/17/2014

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I think every writer is pictured as, and feels a little 'different'. After all, we live in two worlds (at least), (the real world and the world in our novels) at the same time when we are writing our stories, but most of us don't bring the world of our novels into our real world. Not so this quirky author, Royce Bond. I asked him to give us a brief glimpse into his life story. The fascinating result is below:

'I was born in Rockhampton, but I have spent a lot of time in the bush. I come from a farm labouring background. I began working on market gardens as a hand-picker at aged 7. I spent many years on farms and doing other labouring jobs.

I eventually became a teacher and spent many happy years doing that. A few years ago, I retired. I am currently a househusband. I look after the home while my wife works.

I started my journey as a writer in the car park of the Baptist Theologiccal College of Queensland. It was a very cold night. I had just watched an episode of The A Team and was putting the rubbish out before I went to bed. I stood outside and looked up at the stars. Inspired by the program I had just watched, I dreamed of writing a wacky story about some bumbling space pirates. Many decades later that became my first published YA fantasy novel, The Princess and The Pirate.

The desire to write became so strong that I couldn’t resist. Many stories were written, and tucked away, or used to entertain my students. That desire to write has never left me. It is still with me every day.

During my teaching career, I realised that there was a need for chapter books that explained science to students in a fun way. After I won the National B.H.P. /C.S.I.R.O. Science Teacher's Award, my first book in the science field, Kitchen Science, followed and was published by Ashton Scholastic. This book was used in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, and in some schools in South America. Twelve books in the science field followed.

I took a break for some time, and when I returned to writing I went back to my original ideas, and young adult fantasy novels were the result. Morris Publishing Australia published The Princess and The Pirate, the first in the series The Knights of Katesch, in 2013. The Summoning of The One is the second in the series and there are many more to follow.

My books reflect my interest in the medieval. I am a medieval re-enactor and love fighting with metal swords as well as shooting arrows at armoured knights as they rush towards me. It wasn’t hard to move from this make-believe activity to writing about medieval style fantasy. As a child, I used to love make believing that I had some sort of super powers, so it wasn’t hard to include this in my writing as well.

Down stairs, I have created a medieval room, a space that looks like it comes from the 13th Century, as my writing room. When I have a lamp over my desk and some music on, I’m not in 2014 anymore; I’m in my fantasy world.

Many of the weapons I need, for medieval re-enacting, I make. I recently made a 50 kilogram draw-weight bow from a single piece of timber. I can only fire it once and then my shoulder gives out.

I have made and used trebuchets (a type of catapult) in duels with my son. We fired water balloons at one another.

I have always been an inventor and made my 8 inch reflector telescope when I was 18 years old. I ground the mirror by hand and it still works today almost 40 years later. Whatever I needed I had a go at making. For instance, I wanted to do some fishing from a boat, so I made two corrugated iron canoes, lashed them together, and put a tarp up as a sail. I then sailed out onto lagoons to do my fishing.

I love doing wacky science experiments at home, sometimes turning my kitchen into a science lab.

My current project is to make and learn to play my own bamboo flutes.'

Sometimes this passion for making new things interferes with my writing, but most of the time it enhances it.

Visit the sites below to find out more about this exciting book and its unique author.

Sept. 14th http://helenrosswrites.com

Sept. 15th http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au

Sept. 16th http://writingclassesforkids.com

Sept. 17th http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com

Sept. 18th http://morrispublishingaustralia.com

Sept. 19th http://www.robynopie.com

Sept. 20th http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au

Sept. 21st http://www.kids-bookreview.com

Sept. 22nd http://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/school-magazine

Sept. 23rd http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au

Sept. 24th http://elaineoustonauthor.com

Sept. 25th http://roycebondauthor.com

Sept. 26th http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com

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Change of category for a powerful story

8/24/2014

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THE GIRL IN THE BASEMENT by Dianne Bates has been doing the rounds of schools, writing competitions and reviewers since it was published last year as a YA thriller. The feedback I am getting from all of those sources and even the American agents I have sent it to, confirms my first instinct when I first read this book – it is too confronting for a teen audience. I originally said I would publish it as an adult novel because I believed that a psychological thriller such as this would scare the teens so much they would never leave home again. I allowed myself to be persuaded to publish it as a YA.

I have now bowed to the pressure from the sources I quoted above and re-classified it as an adult novel. I think the review below tells you the reason for my change of heart, better than I can.

The Girl in the Basement by Dianne Bates (Morris Publishing Australia)
PB RRP $19.95
Ebook $4.99
ISBN 9780987543417
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Dianne Bates’ new thriller The Girl in the Basement is a page turner that once started you will not be able to put down. Sixteen-year-old Libby is snatched off the streets by a man and spends the next few months swinging between terror and calculating her escape. Extra dimensions are added when Psycho Man, as Libby thinks of him, kidnaps a young boy to complete his family.

Bates pulls off a major writing coup: she successfully flits between the heads of Libby and her kidnapper giving us insights into the motivations and emotions of both. A lesser writer would have failed in this but it is testament to Bates’ skill that the head hopping enhances the story. I identified strongly with Libby’s ordeal. Memories of her own loving family strikingly contrast with Psycho Man’s warped version.

The mind of a psychopath is an unnerving thing to delve into. The accommodation of his distorted sense of reality into his life view is chilling, and fatal to others. Since I always hate to know the ending of a book, I won’t tell you whether Libby survives or not but if you are after a light read then this is not the book for you. There is violence, brutal at times, and more than one death (but no sex). The violence is always in context and never gratuitous.

This is definitely a book for older readers or adults and one that is particularly timely given the recent release of three women kept captive in Cleveland. While the events in this book are fictional, it is a disturbing reminder of the depths humans can plunge to. Fortunately, it is also a reminder of the strength of character and tenacity we can summon in the face of the most cruel circumstances.

If you haven’t read it yet and you love books that keep you reading because you feel like you are there with the main character and want to know what will happen to them next, do yourself a favour and read this book.

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