Tag Archives: Science Fiction

My Review of Bethulia by Thorne Moore #TuesdayBookBlog #DiamondPress

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I have read all of Thorne Moore’s books, so far, and I can honestly say this is one author who can turn her hand to any genre.

From her days when she was published with Honno and her domestic noir stories such as: Motherlove, to being published by Lume and the enthralling Llys y Garn books that hold a blend of gothic mystery and family drama, for example: Shadows, to her ventures into Indie Publishing and her powerful Sci Fi novels, beginning with: Inside Out, and now as an author of Diamond Press (her first book with them being Fatal Collision) this author has a talent for compelling plots and characters (to quote a well-known cliche) that leap off the page and live with the reader well after the story is finished.

And so it is with Bethulia.

Book Description:

Alison, Danny, Jude. Three girls bound closer than sisters. Nothing can divide them.

Until Alison falls for Simon Delaney. Handsome, successful and ambitious, what woman wouldn’t want him? He’s surely her perfect husband. So why does she commit suicide?

If it is suicide. The police say yes, except for the driven DC Rosanna Quillan. She says no, but she can only watch as Jude and Danny fight for the prize – the widower. How far would either of them go to have him?

My Review:

This is a story that grips from the start; the death of one of three women who have been friends from childhood. Initially drawn together by grief as young girls, and now, two of them again, Danny, Jude, as young women, with the apparent suicide of the other, Alison.

I say, ‘apparently’, because, thrown into the mix we have an unreliable narrator, the protagonist, Judith Granger. Brought back to England, from her work abroad by the dreadful news, her part of the story is told in first person point of view. And, to be honest, I was completely taken in by her actions. As always, I won’t give any spoilers in my review, but this is so difficult with Bethulia, because there are two plots here, but the same scenarios: one ambiguous, one explicit. And it takes the reader quite a while to get to that, “oh!” moment; that realisation of what is going on.

Because there is also an omniscient narrator, who follows the other characters, and relates their actions in a third person perspective.

And then there is Simon Delaney, the antagonist, who tells his story from his viewpoint, – a man it is easy to dislike, distrust, yet still wonder about….

And each point of view brings conflicting emotions in the reader. And that’s about all I can say about the storyline. Suffice it to say, it’s riveting.

And, as always in Thorne Moore’s novels, every character, even the minor ones, have distinctive characteristics and dialogue that bring an instant image of them. The major players are multi-layered, well rounded, their personalities evolving; being revealed, as the book progresses. Those you learn to love, those who from the beginning reveal themselves to be … shall we say… dubious ( or worse!) Besides the three main characters, Alison, Danny, Jude, I particularly like DC Rosanna Quillan. There is a small but dramatic twist at the end of Bethulia, which makes me wonder if we will hear more of her.

A short word about the settings in Bethulia. Whether it’s the interior of police stations, churches, or the description of houses such as Jude’s memory of Alison’s childhood home, Summervale, “a forbiddingly brown house”, or the secluded converted boathouse, Bethulia, which was to become a haven for Danny, or the snow-filled streets of Oxford, and the ethereal Teifi estuary in Wales,the portrayals give an evocative sense of place.

This is a well written story told in the usual confident and erudite writing style of this author, weaving themes and plot twists effortlessly throughout. As you may have guessed, I really enjoyed this book, and I would thoroughly recommend Bethulia to any reader who enjoys psychological and action thrillers with a strong plot and and memorable characters. You won’t be disappointed.

About Thorne Moore:

Thorne was born in Luton and graduated from Aberystwyth University (history) and from the Open University (Law). She set up a restaurant with her sister and made miniature furniture for collectors. She lives in Pembrokeshire, which forms a background for much of her writing, as does Luton.

She writes psychological mysteries, or “domestic noir,” exploring the reason for crimes and their consequences, rather than the details of the crimes themselves. and her first novel, “A Time For Silence,” was published by Honno in 2012, with its prequel, “The Covenant,” published in 2020. “Motherlove” and “The Unravelling” were also published by Honno. “Shadows,” published by Lume, is set in an old mansion in Pembrokeshire and is paired with “Long Shadows,” also published by Lume, which explains the history and mysteries of the same old house. She’s a member of Crime Cymru. Her latest crime novel, “Fatal Collision is published by Diamond Crime (2022)

She also writes Science Fiction, including “Inside Out” (2021) and “Making Waves” (2022)

Links:

Website: https://thornemoore.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorne.moore.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThorneMoore

My Review of Making Waves, the sequel to Inside Out by Thorne Moore

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As with Inside Out, I was given an ARC copy of Making Waves by the author, in return for an honest review.

I gave Making Waves 5* out of 5*

After reading this book I was happy to give the following endorsement: “Thorne Moore’s writing has three great qualities: the variety of genres, an exceptional sense of place, and characters that come alive on the page.”

I reviewed Inside Out here: https://bit.ly/3tNqwyI. Although both books are brilliant stand alone stories, I recommend reading Inside Out first.

Book Description:

Two hundred years in the future, with the Solar System in the hands of mega-corporations…
Tod Fox, commander of the Heloise, has delivered six rash volunteers to Triton, control centre of Ragnox Inc. But then he took one away again.
Now volunteers and crew face a new chapter in their lives, as human resources at the mercy of Ragnox Director, Jordan Pascal, or as allies of Pan, under Benedict Darke, the relentless enemy of the Triton regime.
Where will their allegiance lie? There is no middle ground in Arkadia. It is war. No mercy. Victory at any price.

Volume II of Salvage. Sequel to Inside Out

My Review:

I need to start by saying that Making Waves is only the second Science Fiction book I have read (and, yes, the first was Thorne Moore’s book, Inside Out). So I have little knowledge of this genre. But my interest in this author’s work is – and has long been – the psychological underpinning of the stories: I am always instantly gripped from the very first lines and by the way she presents the characters with all their foibles, their strengths, their weaknesses. And, juxtaposed with that aspect, are the settings they are living in. Backgrounds that inevitable affect their actions.

Even so, I was taken by surprise in Volume ll of Sequel: some of the characters act… well… out of character. Or, should I say, not with the personalities I expected after reading Volume l. The author gives them a new dimension. The travellers who journeyed to Triton on the ISF Heloise and the original crew of ISF Heloise, are instantly recognisable by their spoken and internal dialogue and by the subtle inclusion of details from their back stories. But they have extra facets to their characters, greater depths in their portrayals by their reactions to what is happening in the plot. Once engaged with that I applauded the courage, the innovative adaptation to the lives they are forced to endure, and I despaired of the evil of those connected with Ragnox on Triton and the desperate conditions there. And I was fascinated by the varied and complex new characters associated with Pan; Benedict Darke, that add even more interest to the story.

Trying hard to resist giving away spoilers here.

And, yet again, as in all her books, and although it’s an alien world. it’s the author’s inherent ability for writing descriptions (sometimes in only a few words) of the settings that evoke a sense of place. That gives credence to this excellent plot.

A plot that is intricate in the way it moves along, twisting and turning, yet with an ease that brings together the expected and unexpected, as in ‘real’ life.

This is a cracking book that kept me riveted and immersed. And, as I said in my review of Inside Out, Making Waves is a novel I would recommend to any readers who enjoys character-led stories – whatever the genre.

The author:

Thorne was born in Luton and graduated from Aberystwyth University (history) and from the Open University (Law). She set up a restaurant with her sister and made miniature furniture for collectors. She lives in Pembrokeshire, which forms a background for much of her writing, as does Luton.
She writes psychological mysteries, or “domestic noir,” exploring the reason for crimes and their consequences, rather than the details of the crimes themselves. and her first novel, “A Time For Silence,” was published by Honno in 2012, with its prequel, “The Covenant,” published in 2020. “Motherlove” and “The Unravelling” were also published by Honno. “Shadows,” published by Lume, is set in an old mansion in Pembrokeshire and is paired with “Long Shadows,” also published by Lume, which explains the history and mysteries of the same old house. She’s a member of Crime Cymru.

Find Thorne at

Website:https://thornemoore.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThorneMoore

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorne.moore.7

Buy Making Waves from:

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/3sZufKR

My Series of Author & Poet Interviews at Narberth Book Fair #MondayBlogs. Today with Colin R Parsons.

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Over the next few weeks I ’ll be posting interviews with the authors who will be taking part in our Book Fair:  http://www.narberthbookfair.co.uk/.

There are forty authors, so, obviously, there are many genres for both adults and children. There will be talks an writing and books, creative writing workshops for adults  workshops & talks and fun workshops for children, activities for the children  Children’s Page and a fun book trail through Narberth, the gorgeous little market town in Pembrokeshire.  Location.

All free!!

And, of course, there will be the chance to chat with all the authors and to pick their brains on all aspects of writing. Even to buy their books and have them personally signed.

And, as usual, there will also be the writing competition: this year is a poetry competition:  competition . Submit a poem, in any form, of 20 lines or less, on the subject of : –

BOOKS AND READING.

Having outgrown our previous venue we have been lucky to hire the Queens Hall: https://www.thequeenshall.org.uk/ who have been very generous in their support of the event.

Although, five years ago,  I started organising the book fairs on my own I was soon joined by Alex Martin: http://amzn.to/2hZCgt2  and Thorne Moore: http://bit.ly/2rc5qyA. Unfortunately Alex has moved on to pastures new  (although is still a great supporter), so Thorne and I have been joined by Elizabeth Sleight. Elizabeth is involved in the charity we are supporting through our raffle; The Harriet Davis Seaside Holiday Trust For Disabled Children: http://bit.ly/2sNyeKQ . 

Colin Parsons

Our author today is Colin R Parson who writes Children’s and Young Adult fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Hi Colin, Please tell us first, why you write?

Because it makes me happy, and that is precious.

What do you love most about the writing process?

That moment… the part of writing, that lights you up like a firework. Nothing else quite compares. It’s when you’re in a writing frenzy, and nothing else matters.

What is the ultimate goal you hope to achieve with your writing?

To be recognised and appreciated for what I do. Everyone wants to be famous – and… so do I, but, I want to make a mark too. I don’t know if I am supposed to do this, but I enjoy it and want to get as high, as I possibly can in this field.

What book that you have read has most influenced your life?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. And, because it got me reading when I was a kid. I think it was ingenious of someone to write about a piece of furniture that became a time portal. Also, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Just because of chapter 5 Danse Macabre: where humans and ghosts danced together in the town square – that… blew me away.

Who is your favourite author?

Kenneth Oppel, a Canadian children’s author, but hold on Neil Gaiman, oops, Derek Landy, sorry, there are so many.

Are your characters based on real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

A bit of both I think. Recently, from people I know, but in the past my imagination.

Have you thought about joining with another author to write a book?

I almost did once, but it never came to fruition. There are obvious artistic problems that can pop up, so not sure if I’d actually do it.

If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?

I think JRR Tolkien. He eventually took the world by storm with his amazing series. No one was doing it, and he took the bull by the horns, and never looked back.

If you could write about anyone fiction/nonfiction who would you write about?

I don’t know who he is, but the guy who invented the fridge. That appliance changed the world. As a guy, he must have been really cool!

Do you have any writing rituals?

Yes, I have to have a writing pad in my bag, and a gel pen. Batteries die, but paper and pen don’t, and they don’t glitch out either. Also, when starting a novel – I will set up twenty or thirty word files, with a title, and then fill them up, with a 1000 words each. I also never know where I’m going in a plot.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

It varies. I run a lot of school visits, and can only write, when and where I am on that particular day. When I’m not doing schools, I’ll walk to my local library and spend the morning writing there. Or, pop into my study and try and keep off Facebook, and just write.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I don’t think so. I’ve always written stuff as a kid, but didn’t get into being an author until my early thirties.

What do you think makes a good story?

I think something that grabs your attention, right from the start. Plenty of fast-paced action, with a large dollop of danger, and situations that are almost impossible to escape, but you just manage to get out of.

  How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

Eleven books to date. None are my favourites, as each one was as exciting to write as the next.

Killian Spooks and the Ghosted Children

 

 

 

 

 

Wizards' KingdomProduct Details

 

Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?

D.I.S.C. Direct Interface Shadow Control is about Joseph Lanes. He’s bright, funny and scared. He leaves school at the end of each day, only to be bullied by the Mackenzie Brothers. They beat him up, and throw him in the mud. Lying in the mud one sunny day, he discovers a disk. This changes him forever. It takes him to Ether World where he meets other emotionally and physically bullied kids. They have to save the earth, and he has to confront the bullies in the end. This book has everything you need to enjoy a good adventure.

D.I.S.C.: Direct-Interface-Shadow-Control

 

In three words, can you describe your latest book?

Warriors, robots and friendships.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reins of the story?

The characters define the story. They take over me. I write the story around them. I could have an idea for a character, but the protagonist will reveal how he or she will behave.

 If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Zade – from House of Darke. He’s really cool, but also vulnerable. I think we’d explore deep in the depths of somewhere, battling wild creatures and menacing robots.

House of Darke

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I get emails sometimes, and messages from excited readers. They tell me how much my work, makes them happy, and inspires them to write themselves. I get tons of feedback after a workshop in a school. They are enthused.

 Do you have any hidden or uncommon talents?

I can make myself invisible when its time to do the garden.

 Hahahaha!! I bet! What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I always use my Fisher Space Pen (manufactured by NASA) to sign books.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love walking. I love watching movies, and go to the cinema whenever I can. Also, tennis and rugby and formula one are my favourite sports.

What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you? Not particularly to do with your writing

I went up the mountain and built a house out of ferns, when I was a kid. Not actually realising that when it started to pour down with rain, that my friends and I would get wet (we thought the ferns were water proof). We all ran down the mountain, laughing out heads off, until mam saw us soaking wet, and made us have a bath, while she washed our clothes.

Give us a random fact about yourself.

I don’t like the furry outside of peaches. It goes through me when I eat them, so I don’t.

 Links to Colin:

Website
Facebook