A Moment With… Mary Wood

Published June 2, 2026 | By Laura

I am pleased to be welcoming Mary Wood to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, To Find My Mother.

A HARROWING AND YET UPLIFTING STORY OF SURVIVAL AND LOVE

Best friends Jana and Eva are carefree eight-year-olds in Prague-until Nazi occupation tears their lives apart.

As their mothers are taken away and the girls face the horrors of war, survival becomes all that matters

In Theresienstadt, two desperate women make unimaginable sacrifices to one day find their children.

But will love and hope be enough to help them reunite?

To chat about her writing and experience in both the self and traditional publishing world, it’s over to you, Mary.

Coming Full Circle.

Hello, everyone, it’s great to be here on this lovely blog.

I am the author of THIRTY-SIX published books: My latest being: ‘TO FIND MY MOTHER’ a story set in the holocaust.

After twenty years of trying, my career began with Amazon offering a lifeline to wannabee authors to self-publish, and sell, their books.

I was nervous at first. Self-publishing had previously been known as vanity publishing, and it was said publishers wouldn’t consider your book if you had indulged in this practice.

But I took the plunge when a fellow wannabee author and friend, published on Amazon. One day she contacted and told me I must join; that it was wonderful to be published, and she had just earned £400 for a month’s sales! Wow, did my ears prick up! We were rock-bottom and this was a fortune.

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Book Extract: Bad Moon Rising By Berni Stevens

Published May 31, 2026 | By Laura

A big massive hello to Berni Stevens. She’s here with the blog tour for her book, Bad Moon Rising.

Rock and roll relationships are complicated. They’re even worse when one of you is a werewolf.
Stevie Vane, nightclub manager of Dusk, prefers London’s nightlife to life in the pack — fewer claws, fewer challengers, far less bloodshed.

But when tragedy strikes, Stevie is forced back into a world where dominance of the pack is won by strength… and every weakness is punished. Some new members begin a brutal contest for control, and they soon discover his greatest weakness is Kat Matthews.

Kat’s band has just landed the best gig of their career at Dusk. And the instant chemistry between her and the charismatic manager is undeniable — but so are the secrets he’s keeping. Secrets that come with sharp teeth.

As the rival wolves close in and old grudges resurface, Stevie realises it isn’t just his pack at risk. It’s the woman he loves.

Witty, romantic, and gripping, Bad Moon Rising is the third book in The Immortals of London series– where feelings run wild and loyalty can cost you everything.

Berni has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it.

*****beginning of extract*****

Stevie drops Kat home after their first date …

I released the seat belt and turned to face him. ‘It’s been great. Thanks, Stevie,’ I said.

He leaned forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. ‘It’s been more than a pleasure.’ He gently tilted my chin upwards and kissed me softly on the lips. My stomach did a strange kind of flip at his kiss and I looked into his eyes as he drew back.

‘When are you free again?’

‘Not until Monday. Are you working?’

He nodded. ‘Want to come and sit at my bar?’

‘Sure.’

‘I’ll pick you up at seven and we’ll grab something to eat on the way.’

‘See, there you go again – feeding me. I’ll never be able to resist you now.’

‘That’s the plan.’ He leaned in and kissed me again. Another gentle kiss, but a kiss with an underlying promise of passion. He cradled my face with his hand and dropped one more feathery kiss on my forehead. ‘Go inside, little rock chick, before I change my mind and kidnap you.’

‘I’m going, but only because I might let you.’

He gave his now-familiar throaty chuckle and leaned across me to open my door.

Sliding out of the car, I leaned back in the open doorway. ‘Goodnight, Mr Bartender. See you Monday.’

‘Count on it. I hope the gigs go well.’

I closed the door and he drove off. The tail lights of his car held my attention until they turned the corner at the bottom of the road. I hadn’t felt like a besotted teenager since … well … since Josh, actually.

‘And look how that turned out,’ I muttered to myself.

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Book Review: Nomit and Pickle Go Shopping by C.E. Cameron

Published December 12, 2020 | By Laura

Nomit and Pickle Go Shopping is an illustrated adventure where the two featured characters go to the shops.

Nomit and Pickle’s story is something children can relate to. It’s an endearing story of working as a team and the art of compromising to find a good outcome.

It’s aimed at 5-7 year olds. There are a few words they may struggle with but overall, it’s fine. I am certainly not the target age for this book but even as an adult, I found it charming and I feel it portrays a lovely message.

The illustrations are lovely, adorable, bright and engaging.

With Christmas coming up, this would make a wonderful stocking filler.

Nomit and Pickle Go Shopping is published by Clink Street Publishing. Click to view Amazon UK.

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Book Review: Olga’s Egg by Sophie Law

Published December 9, 2020 | By Laura

When Fabergé specialist Assia Wynfield learns of the discovery of a long-lost Fabergé egg made for the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, daughter of the last Tsar of Russia, she appears to be the only person with misgivings.

On travelling to St. Petersburg to see the egg, Assia moves among Russia’s new rich but finds herself pulled back into a family past she would rather forget.

With news that a friend is missing, Assia starts to dig deeper. But does she really want the answers to the questions she is asking?

Set in today’s glamorous world of Russian art with glimpses into the lives of the last Romanovs as their empire crumbled in the wake of the Russian Revolution.

It’s the second stop for me on the 12 Days of Clink Street Publishing blog tour and today, I am reviewing Olga’s Egg by Sophie Law.

The story of the Romanovs has always fascinated me so I was already intrigued by this novel before I even began to read. From page one, it immediately drew me in and I very quickly got to the point where I couldn’t put it down.

I felt such an empathy for Assia. She starts as such a vulnerable and tragic character. I really wanted to reach in to the book and give her a hug and tell her that it was alright. There are many ways in which she is a relatable character.

There is a big mystery that drives this novel forward as Assia tries to figure out what has happened to a family friend. Like her, I wanted to solve this puzzle. There is certainly more going on in this book than first appears that’s for sure.

I felt that, as the reader, I was getting pulled further into the world created and the mysterious circumstances Sophie Law has created.

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Book Review: One? by Jennifer L Cahill

Published December 6, 2018 | By Laura

It’s London in the mid-noughties before Facebook, iPhones and ubiquitous wifi.
Zara has just moved to London for her first real job and struggles to find her feet in a big city with no instruction manual.

Penelope works night and day in an investment bank with little or no time for love. At twenty-eight she is positively ancient as far as her mother is concerned and the pressure is on for her to settle down as the big 3-0 is looming.

Charlie spends night and day with his band who are constantly teetering on the verge of greatness. Richard has relocated to London from his castle in Scotland in search of the one, and Alyx is barely in one place long enough to hold down a relationship let alone think about the future.

One? follows the highs and lows of a group of twenty-somethings living in leafy SW4.

First thing I want to mention is the amazing cover on this novel. At first glance, it seems simple and beautiful but there are so many layers to it. Look at it long enough and you’ll see what I mean.

One? primarily follows Penelope and Zara as they navigate themselves through 90’s London joined by a few people along the way.

The characters have unique voices. All have their own personal goals, triumphs and struggles. They are all developed well as is the plot. I was desperate to know what would become of them all.

I could identify so much with these two ladies especially. I found myself moving to London in my early twenties having never been away from home before so Zara’s feeling seemed partially familiar. The overwhelming feeling of being alone in a big city.

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