Book Extract: Nero the Hero By Samantha Mattocks
It is my pleasure to be welcoming Samantha Mattocks to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Nero the Hero.
Prepare to meet your new favourite superhero as Nero the Hero reveals his secret!
Nero is no ordinary dog. This miniature schnauzer has a beard, a bark, and a secret. When danger strikes, he transforms into Nero the Hero, a powerful protector with extraordinary abilities.
Alongside his human, twelve-year-old Jack, Nero dives into fast-paced adventures filled with mystery, heart, and just a touch of fun. But when Jack makes a brave mistake and finds himself in real danger, Nero must face his greatest challenge yet to save his best friend alone.
Perfect for readers aged 8-12, this highly illustrated chapter book blends action-packed fantasy with an engaging, accessible style, making it ideal for reluctant readers and confident young bookworms alike. With short chapters and dynamic illustrations, Nero the Hero is a thrilling start to a children’s fantasy series about friendship, bravery, and daring rescues.
Fans of Claude and The Hounds of Penhallow Hall will love this action-filled adventure starring a heroic dog and the boy who believes in him.
From the author of the popular Magical Mister Mishkins series, Samantha Mattocks introduces a bold new hero first seen in The Magic of Mister Mishkins. Beautifully illustrated by Gerda Smit, this is a story full of adventure, loyalty, and the power of believing in something extraordinary.
Samantha has shared an extract from Nero the Hero with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Welcome to my post celebrating my latest book, Nero the Hero! This is my third highly illustrated younger Middle Grade book, and I cannot wait for you all to read it.
Nero is a spin-off book from my Magical Mister Mishkins series. However, it is a very different story. It follows the adventures of a young boy named Jack who spends the summer with his nan, Jean, and her dog, Nero.
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Book Review: Marry Me in Seahaven Bay By Nicola May
I am pleased to be welcoming Nicola May to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Marry Me in Seahaven Bay.
The emotional and uplifting new novel from the author of the million-copy bestselling Cockleberry Bay series.
Life at the Seahaven Bay Retreat is flourishing, but Rita Jory’s second chance at happiness is about to face its biggest test yet. When Jago’s glamorous French ex-wife appears on the doorstep with a five-year-old daughter in tow, their blossoming relationship hangs by a thread.
Between juggling retreat guests seeking healing, her daughter Sennen’s desperate need for a last-minute wedding venue, and dealing with Elodie’s impossible demands, Rita’s already stretched to breaking point.
Then some very unexpected news forces her to reconsider everything she thought she wanted. But can she trust Jago with her secret, and embrace the new life ahead?
Rita must decide whether to protect her heart or fight for her future.
A joyful, tender and laugh-out-loud tale of family, forgiveness and finding the courage to say yes to life’s beautiful surprises. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.
*****
A warm welcome back to Seahaven Bay! If this is your first novel by Nicola May, then you are in for a reading treat (and a very nice back catalogue to begin with) but, if like me, you’ve been a fan of this author for a while, you’re in for an even bigger treat!
by Book Extract: Then There’s Trust By Susan Gray
I am excited to be welcoming Susan Gray to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Then There’s Trust.
A forbidden love…a relationship in jeopardy…a tested trust
Darcy Dukas is fearless and feisty – but can she be trusted? Left bereft after a personal disappointment, her vulnerable mindset causes her to seize an opportunity to pursue her dream career. When Marcel Duval arrives in Durham to establish his detective agency, she agrees to work with him. But is she prepared for the risks she will encounter? Risks for her safety…risks for her young marriage…and risks affecting her family’s trust?
In 1952 Josh Smallwood, Darcy’s brother, returns home after completing his national service. Trying to sort his future, he begins working on the family farm and befriends Judy, a young nurse. He is baffled to discover any liaison with her is forbidden by her family. This mystery fuels an intense, secret relationship…can they overcome obstacles to be together?
A shroud of guilt clings to Chantal Martin – will she ever be free from its taint? As an unmarried mother, her once tenacious trait seems to have deserted her. Striving towards the final hurdle, an unexpected decision and an untimely event threaten to blight her resilience…can her trust be rewarded?
Then There’s Trust is a gripping, emotional story of love, fidelity and trust set in 1950’s northeast England.
Susan has shared an extract from Then There’s Trust with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Tom and Rachel Smallwood and their extended family are hosting a Frenchman, Marcel Duval for lunch. He is a friend of Tom’s nephew, Jonty, who lives in Lyon. Marcel is relocating from France to Durham to open a Detective Agency. The family, including Darcy, their married daughter, are keen to learn more – Darcy longs to be an investigative journalist.
Northeast England 1952.
How is Jonty?” asked Josh, immediately warming to the French visitor.
“He is well and sends his love. He’s hoping to visit next summer. He has praised you all. He talks frequently about his English family. I am excited to get to know each of you.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t found himself a bride yet.” Josh smirked, knowing his cousin possessed a ‘roving eye’.
“No, he is still a free man and dare I say it ‘enjoying himself’!” Marcel grinned.
by Book Spotlight: The Time Of My Life By Samantha Tonge
I’m pleased to be welcoming Samantha Tonge back to Novel Kicks and we shine a light on her latest book, The Time of My Life.
How far would you go to change your life?
When Eliza Woods sees an advertisement for someone’s whole life for sale – their house, car, all their belongings, even their clothes and cat – not to mention a trial-run in their job and an introduction to their friends… she decides it’s fate.
Grabbing a different life with both hands is exactly what she needs. Even if 26-year-old Carrie’s wildly-social life and job in a bar couldn’t be more different from Eliza’s quieter existence.
As for Carrie, she’s heading off to Greece, desperate to run away from everything she’s familiar with in England. The two women message each other after the deal has gone through, with Eliza excited to go for cocktails with Carrie’s friends before her first shift at her new job.
What Carrie doesn’t tell her is why she put her life up for sale. And what Eliza doesn’t tell Carrie is that she’s about to turn 75. And that isn’t her only secret…
Don’t miss this absolutely brilliant, escapist read. Available now!
The Time of My Life was released by Boldwood Books on 10th March 2026. Click to buy on Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.
The Time of My Life Is currently available for only 99p!*
by A Moment With… Paul Gitsham
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Paul Gitsham and the blog tour for his book, Deadly Truths.
How do you solve a murder when you’re shut out of the investigation?
Young detectives, Robinson Ellington Foxe and Amy Kennard, don’t want to work at Coventry’s Moat Lane police station. Neither do their colleagues want them there. But it’s the last chance for two officers for whom doing the right thing has cost them their futures.
Despite a murder on their patch, they are lumbered with investigating a series of high-profile burglaries. But when a thief is killed in the house of an influential businessman, Foxe and Kennard are convinced it is linked to their cases and want in.
The official investigation is a whitewash, but Robbie and Amy keep investigating anyway. As they uncover a web of deceit and corruption, reaching to the very top of the force, their own difficult histories are weaponised against them, and they find themselves fighting for their careers and their lives.
To talk about starting a new series, it’s over to you, Paul.
The pleasures of a new sandbox to play in.
In 2023, I decided to put my long-running DCI Warren Jones detective series on hiatus (I say hiatus – I haven’t finished him off!). But when one door closes, another opens. Enter Foxe and Kennard in Deadly Truths, the first in a brand-new series.
It’s not that I’ve run out ideas for Warren, far from it, but as many writers will tell you, it’s not the lack of ideas it’s the lack of time to write them. Furthermore, some of those ideas just won’t work within an established series.
Therefore, I decided it was time for a reinvention. Rather than more of the same with different characters, I saw this as an opportunity to rewrite the rules and restart from scratch.
The thing about an established series is that its strengths can also be weaknesses. Building a world that will become familiar to readers and author alike is a wonderful experience. So many successful writers have beloved characters that hook the readers as much as the intricate plots and thrilling action scenes. Warren certainly has his fans.
by Book Club
