Blog Tour and Giveaway: Showstoppers, by Helen Smith

Showstoppers, by Helen Smith

“Helen Smith is a master story-teller." Socrates Book Reviews

When twenty-six-year-old Londoner Emily Castles helps out at a local stage school, she’s soon mixed up in murder. She teams up with eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel to solve the case.

This 75-page comic mystery novella will appeal to fans of M C Beaton and Alexander McCall Smith.

Print Length: 48 pages
Publisher: Tyger Books (December 5, 2011)







 
Praise for the Emily Castles Mystery Series
Fast-paced, funny, and mysterious... Helen Smith is a master story-teller.
~Socrates Book Reviews

It grips you from the very beginning.
~Babs Books Bistro

Bright, colorful and full of surprises.
~Amazon Vine Reviewer

Fast-paced and unusual, I highly recommend this one.
~Eva’s Sanctuary


Praise for Helen Smith
Smith is gin-and-tonic funny.
~The Booklist

My Review:
This is the second Emily Castles mystery book.  Three Sisters was the first.

First off, I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I did the first one.  I think the reason for that is because the mystery starts right from the beginning in this story, where as it took a while for it to get going in the first book.  I also liked the characters a little more, too.  Victoria is funny, self-absorbed, and a little flaky.  She makes me laugh.  

I enjoyed the overlap of some of the characters.  Dr. Muriel returns as a very helpful and amusing sidekick for Emily.  The mention of characters and places from the first book was fun, too.  

I liked the mystery in this book.  It took me a lot longer to guess who the culprit is than in the first book.  I still managed to guess correctly long before the guilty party revealed themselves, but it was fun to have suspicions and doubts about their identity.

There were some typos and spelling mistakes, and those always drive me a bit crazy, but the content was clean, humorous, and fun.  This would definitely be classified as a "light" mystery.  I would read the first book before reading this one, just so you have the background about all the characters.  They aren't very long, so it makes for a nice afternoon read.

Amazon | Goodreads | Shelfari | LibraryThing

About the Author:

Helen Smith is a member of the Writers Guild of Great Britain and English PEN. She travelled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both - from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant - before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel which was published by Gollancz (part of the Hachette Group).

She writes novels, poetry, plays and screenplays and is the recipient of an Arts Council of England Award. She's a long-term supporter of the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture and mentors members of an exiled writers group to help them tell their stories. She likes knitting but she doesn't like driving. She likes dancing. 


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Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

February 7th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Interview
FUONLYKNEW - Review
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Cabin Goddess - Review
UK Quality Reads - Review

February 8th
Wall-to-Wall Books - Review
Pieces of Whimsy - Interview
Read Your Writes - Interview
Deborah's Books - Review & Interview
Yellow Hat Writer - Tens List

February 9th
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Books, Books the Magical Fruit - Interview
Crafty Zoo - Guest Post
UK Quality Reads - Review
Martha's Bookshelf - Review

February 10th
Turner's Antics - Review
Bookhounds - Interview
Book Worm Brandy - Review
Deborah's Books - Review
Impressions of a Princess - Interview

February 11th
Getting Your Read On - Review
Booklady's Booknotes - Review
Kelly's Lucky You - Review
Oh, for the Hook of a Book! - Review & Interview
Something to Offer - Review

February 12th
Literarily Speaking - Interview
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
Thoughts n' Such - Review & Interview
Fantasy Books - Review & Interview
Between the Pages - Tens List

February 13th
Must Read Faster - Review
Every Free Chance Book Reviews - Review
Blooding Book Reviews - Interview
Cover2CoverBlog - Review

February 14th
Lori's Reading Corner - Tens List
Musings by Maureen - Review
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review

February 15th
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review & Guest Post

February 16th
Cuzinlogic - Review & Interview
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review
Indie Author How-to - Tens List

February 17th
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Insane About Books - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review

February 18th
Karey White - Tens List
Bookworm Lisa - Review

February 19th
Reviewing Shelf - Review & Tens List
Thoughts n' Such - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Laurie Here - Review & Guest Post

February 20th
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review & Tens List

February 21st
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Mochas, Mysteries and More - Review
The Polliwog Blog - Review

February 22nd
Why Not? Because I Said So? - Review & Tens List
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review
Laurie Here - Review
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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Three Sisters, by Helen Smith

Three Sisters, by Helen Smith

Twenty-six-year-old Londoner Emily Castles has been invited to a party in the big house at the end of her street. How could she know, as she left her house that evening, that she was making an appointment with death?

This 70-page comic mystery novella will appeal to fans of M C Beaton and Alexander McCall Smith.

Print Length: 44 pages
Publisher: Tyger Books (February 5, 2011)










Praise for the Emily Castles Mystery Series
Fast-paced, funny, and mysterious... Helen Smith is a master story-teller.
~Socrates Book Reviews

It grips you from the very beginning.
~Babs Books Bistro

Bright, colorful and full of surprises.
~Amazon Vine Reviewer

Fast-paced and unusual, I highly recommend this one.
~Eva’s Sanctuary


Praise for Helen Smith
Smith is gin-and-tonic funny.
~The Booklist

My Review:

While murder mysteries have never been my favorite genre, I did enjoy this short novella.  It was pretty slow in the beginning, but things picked up quickly about half way through.  

I felt like the mystery was a little bit rushed, and a little too obvious (I knew who dunnit right from the start), but I still found it very entertaining.  I appreciated Emily's heartbreak over her dog's passing and laughed at how many times she had to mention it to everyone she met.  The different acts going on at the party were fun and a little comical.  I look forward to reading more of Helen Smith's work.

Amazon | Goodreads | Shelfari | LibraryThing

About the Author:

Helen Smith is a member of the Writers Guild of Great Britain and English PEN. She travelled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both - from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant - before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel which was published by Gollancz (part of the Hachette Group).

She writes novels, poetry, plays and screenplays and is the recipient of an Arts Council of England Award. She's a long-term supporter of the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture and mentors members of an exiled writers group to help them tell their stories. She likes knitting but she doesn't like driving. She likes dancing. 

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Interview With Helen Smith:

1. What inspired you to write murder mysteries?

I love reading mysteries and so I decided to write a murder mystery series set in present-day London, where I live. I’m really enjoying writing the stories and the characters, and I hope the sense of fun comes through in the book.

2. Where do you get your ideas from?

I often find inspiration in everyday things around me, or in news stories. A lot of ideas start with “what if?”

3. Do you have plans for more Emily mysteries?

Yes. The first full-length Emily Castles mystery, Invitation to Die, will be published by Thomas & Mercer later this year.

4. What are your current projects?

Invitation to Die will be followed by more full-length mysteries in the Emily Castles series, so I’m working on them at the moment. I’m really enjoying writing the books and hope readers will enjoy reading them.

5. Is there anything that you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I don’t really like plotting.

6. How do you respond to a bad review?

I have never had a bad review from a critic but a few people have left nasty reviews on my books on Amazon. I never respond. I try not to look at the 1* and 2* reviews but it’s hard to ignore them if I look at the book’s description page to check the book’s rank or to look at a nice review if someone has left one. I’m always really delighted when a reader leaves a good review for one of my books on Amazon, so I try to concentrate on the positives and think about all the nice people who have told me they have enjoyed my books, and get on with writing the next one.

7. Which authors and writers from history do you admire most?

Charles Dickens, Graham Greene, Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh, Muriel Spark.

8. Which contemporary authors do you admire most?

Peter Carey, Haruki Murakami, David Mitchell, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood.

9. When did you first become interesting in writing?

I loved reading as a child and used to write poetry and stories. I didn’t start writing in earnest as an adult until I was in my late twenties. I won a prize for a short play that was broadcast on the radio. I had sent it off to the playwriting contest somewhat on a whim, the night before the deadline, so I was surprised when they contacted me to tell me I was one of the winners. By then I had started writing my first novel, and I kept on with that until I finished it and got it published.

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Just keep at it. You’ll get there. Good luck!

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

February 7th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Interview
FUONLYKNEW - Review
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Cabin Goddess - Review
UK Quality Reads - Review

February 8th
Wall-to-Wall Books - Review
Pieces of Whimsy - Interview
Read Your Writes - Interview
Deborah's Books - Review & Interview
Yellow Hat Writer - Tens List

February 9th
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Books, Books the Magical Fruit - Interview
Crafty Zoo - Guest Post
UK Quality Reads - Review
Martha's Bookshelf - Review

February 10th
Turner's Antics - Review
Bookhounds - Interview
Book Worm Brandy - Review
Deborah's Books - Review
Impressions of a Princess - Interview

February 11th
Getting Your Read On - Review
Booklady's Booknotes - Review
Kelly's Lucky You - Review
Oh, for the Hook of a Book! - Review & Interview
Something to Offer - Review

February 12th
Literarily Speaking - Interview
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
Thoughts n' Such - Review & Interview
Fantasy Books - Review & Interview
Between the Pages - Tens List

February 13th
Must Read Faster - Review
Every Free Chance Book Reviews - Review
Blooding Book Reviews - Interview
Cover2CoverBlog - Review

February 14th
Lori's Reading Corner - Tens List
Musings by Maureen - Review
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review

February 15th
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review & Guest Post

February 16th
Cuzinlogic - Review & Interview
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review
Indie Author How-to - Tens List

February 17th
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Insane About Books - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review

February 18th
Karey White - Tens List
Bookworm Lisa - Review

February 19th
Reviewing Shelf - Review & Tens List
Thoughts n' Such - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Laurie Here - Review & Guest Post

February 20th
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review & Tens List

February 21st
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Mochas, Mysteries and More - Review
The Polliwog Blog - Review

February 22nd
Why Not? Because I Said So? - Review & Tens List
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review
Laurie Here - Review

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Book Review: Bah Humbug, by Heather Horrocks

Bah Humbug, by Heather Horrocks
Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller. For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer’s block--until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes it’s the perfect solution to his plot problem. He digs in and discovers two things: one, his villain’s weapon will fit inside a snowman's body, and two, this particular snowman was supposed to be the backdrop for Lexi’s next show. From this improbable beginning comes friendship, but can there be a happy ending for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood? Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.

Print Length: 96 pages
Publisher: Word Garden Press (September 9, 2011)


My Review:
This book is described as PG rated fun, and I would have to agree.  It was a very short, quick read about an up and coming TV star changing her neighbor's outlook on Christmas... and love.  Her neighbor also happens to be a famous author whose books she loves reading with her kids.  

I laughed out loud when Kyle mutilated Lexi's snowman for the sake of "research" for his book.  It is totally something that I would do.  I always get so caught up in whatever I am working on that I forget that someone might not appreciate me beheading their snowman to see if a gun could fit inside.  
This short story was super cute and perfect for the holidays.  Plus it was free, so who can complain about that?  There were a few typos and other little things that made me give it four stars instead of five.

The Cover: I love illustrated covers for contemporary books.  I love the feel of this illustration and the promise of romance that it gives off.    




By the way, it is still FREE on Amazon, so hurry and snatch up this fun little story!

Amazon| Goodreads

About the Author:

I’m an author who had a somewhat unorthodox upbringing. I was raised in South America and the Middle East, and wrote my first stories as a teenager in Kuwait, where my sister and I proved it really is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. I wrote my first novel in three months on a typewriter when I was 21, I used every romance cliché possible (including amnesia — need I say more?), and never rewrote anything, which is why it’s so much fun to pull it out occasionally when I need a good laugh. I wrote sporadically until my youngest child (who is now 18) was two, when I decided it was time to either actually start writing, or to stop saying I was a writer. So I took a class and started doing the scary things that writing requires. Now I’ve written about twelve novels and several children’s books.




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