What a lovely surprise to discover a display in the library, showing me and my book, to promote WAM Fest happening next week.
WAM Fest is a celebration of Women in Arts and Music. I’ll be attending on Saturday. I will have a stall and be on the lunchtime jam panel with other authors.
You do need a ticket to attend this event. These can be bought from the WAM Fest website.
Posted to YouTube on 7th September 2024.
Here is a Bookshop.org list I created of the books of some authors from this YA Lit Fest, arranged as part of the Foreword Book Festival, at the Stowmarket Library. These are affiliate links and support local high street bookshops.
Published on YouTube on 23rd December 2024
Published on YouTube on 23 Jul 2023.
If you know me, you’ll know I’m very naughty when it comes to returning books. In addition, I lose books! And, my youngest destroys books. Library fines are common.
But, during the pandemic my fines got to a point where they barred my account! ?
I was a bit scared & embarrassed to go into the library to pay my fines. But, as always, the local librarians were lovely. We sorted it out and I can borrow books again.
When I released Ocean Heart last year, I approached my local library to recommend they stock a copy. And, they did!
It felt too good to be true. So, I searched using Suffolk County Libraries app to check it was really there. It was, but out on loan, with another Suffolk library!
A few weeks later, I checked to see if it was back. It had returned to Felixstowe but was on the Reserved Shelf.
When I paid my fines, I asked what the Reserved Shelf meant. It meant someone had requested it! My book is in demand! And, it had already been collected! ?
I must say I’m relieved. I love my library and would hate them to waste money on an unwanted book. As a new author building my audience, I worried I might be too unknown. I feared nobody would be interested in Ocean Heart. It makes me so happy to see it’s always checked out.
If you want to borrow the paperback, you’ll need to reserve it. It is in their collection, but there’s a queue. ?
For students of Felixstowe Academy, there are a few copies available from their school library.
Overdrive is an eBook app used by libraries. You can search for Ocean Heart and request a copy to read. I don’t think they’ve ordered the eBook yet but all you have to do is ask.
If you love reading eBooks, supporting your library, and supporting authors, get this app and start enjoying a vast range of eBooks for FREE using your library card.
It’s easy to find my book searching by title or my name, but to be certain you found the right copy, use the ISBN.
There you have it, Ocean Heart is available for you to read for free using your library card. If it’s not currently stocked by your local library, just ask them to order it in.
Below are some affiliate links for buying Ocean Heart. You can learn more about these on my Affilate Disclosure Page.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1092737?ref=Redfae
[kofi]
November has been a busy month leading up to my launch. It started with a Book Blitz with almost 100 participants. And, ended with a virtual book tour. Today, I’m on the radio and hosting a live launch party tomorrow evening.
Ocean Heart In the News!
I feel so fortunate that I reached out to two newspapers to see if they’d be interested in doing a press release on Ocean Heart. Both agreed, and have shared their articles so I’ve appeared in four publications (that I know of).
On The Radio
Today, at 2pm (GMT) I will be on my local radio station. We were going to do the interview live in the studio but due to Covid Lockdown, we had to change our plans.
Instead, I met Pete down the seafront for a socially distanced recording. It was a fitting setting for an interview about Ocean Heart, as its where the book is set. During the live show, he’ll play clips from the recording along with some song recommendations.
You can listen online by tuning in at Felixstowe Radio.
Going Live
Tomorrow evening is my Live Launch Party to celebrate the release of Ocean Heart. I would love for you to join me, on 1 December at 8pm (GMT).
Click the Going Live button to get my blog post with all the links to the Live Author Chats and the link to watch the live Launch Party.
About Ocean Heart
How to get a signed copy!
I’ve agreed to sign all preorders for my local bookshop, Stillwater Books. They also have five extra signed copies, so if you are local to Felixstowe and want to order a signed copy, contact Will (the Shopkeeper), and place an order.
Buy Paperback/eBook
I published wide which means you can purchase a copy of Ocean Heart from all the best retailers.
Borrow from the library
How exciting! I got confirmation that Felixstowe library have ordered a copy of Ocean Heart for Suffolk County Libraries. This is great news if you are a borrower.
If Ocean Heart isn’t at your local library, you can order a copy. All you need is the author name, title, and ISBN.
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I took my son to the library to exchange his books (or renewal and get more books). Whilst he was struggling with the dilemma of choosing his new books and returning books he loves, my husband pointed this book out to me. I have always wanted to write a novel about faeries so this was to be a fun read and research into how someone else has done it.
The MC is a boy called Ethan Chase. I don’t read many books with a male protagonist so this was a refreshing change and it was done well. Skip to my final thoughts it you don’t want any spoilers.
Ethan is aware fae exist and has a troubled past with them. In the opening chapters he shares how they are dangerous and the result of their interference in his life has lead to him being expelled from schools and blamed for a fire he didn’t cause.
Ethan is starting another new school. On his first day, he stands up for a boy being bullied, Todd. Nobody else can see that Todd has long furry ears but it is because he is a half-fae. Ethan doesn’t want to be friends with Todd as he distances himself from all fae. He also doesn’t like Todd’s wee fairy companion.
Ethan also attracts the attention of Mackenzie, who wants to interview him for the school paper. He tries to push Mackenzie away as anybody that gets close to him always gets hurt but she is persistent.
A deadly new type of fairy are consuming fae and half-fae. Todd asks for Ethan’s help. At first Ethan doesn’t want to get involved but he takes pity and agrees. Unfortunately, Todd is taken and now the creatures are coming after Ethan. Ethan is at a martial arts tournament where Mackenzie is trying to get his story but during the tournament the deadly fae come for him. Nobody else can see them. Ethan runs. Mackenzie follows.
Ethan needs to keep Mackenzie safe. He makes a choice to use a special object his sister gave him to transport into the fae world. They are greeted by a cat, Grimalkin, who knows the way to the Iron Kingdom where his sister, Meghan, is queen. The journey is dangerous but when they arrive his sister wants to keep him safe. They are sent to a room to ‘rest’ but feels more like prison. When Ethan and Mackenzie get the opportunity to escape with the help of Keirran.
On their mission to rescue Todd, there are a lot of truths uncovered which I won’t go into. Their are fights. There were some very interesting characters along the way. I liked Kierran’s love interest and the exiled queen and the cheeky little gremlin.
They travel to the earth and are attacked again. They manage to escape to the in-between and learn how serious the problem is. They visit Hyde Park to follow a lead but things get worse for the gang when the nephew is taken prisoner.
Something I really enjoyed was the slow burning romance between the Ethan and Mackenzie. There is plenty of conflict between them and good reasons why they hold back. I couldn’t wait for them to get together.
The build up to a battle where Ethan has to save his friends (and nephew) was worth it. There were also some reveals that I hadn’t seen coming and I liked that the supporting characters were well developed too.
There were a few times Ethan annoyed me. He blames himself for Todd being kidnapped but I didn’t really see why it was his fault, after all, Todd was a fairy and hung around with the fae. Ethan made it clear that doing that meant trouble was inevitable. I got that he felt responsible for what happened to Mackenzie but she wouldn’t leave him alone. She did bring it on herself too.
What I loved was how all the characters were well developed. You could easily tell who was speaking and they all had rich backstories. There were plenty of magical creatures and I loved the world building especially the ‘in-between’ world.
I hadn’t realised the book was part of a series (it’s book 5 in the Iron Fey series). I was really pleased when I discovered that as I wanted to read more. I wonder if some of the things that didn’t click with me is because I need to read the other books. For example, I want to know more about Meghan and why she is the Iron Queen and why Ethan holds so much resentment for the Iron Fey.
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Book Review: Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst
Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Book Review: Blind Tiger by Rachel Vincent
