Book Extract & Giveaway: The Colletta Cassettes By Bruno Noble
Please join me in welcoming Bruno Noble to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, The Colletta Cassettes.
Liguria, Italy. Summer 1978.
The Kentish family are on holiday in idyllic medieval village of Colletta. Sixteen-year-old Sebastian is smitten with Rosetta, the hotel cleaner and waitress, much to his snobbish mother’s dismay, while his younger brother and their fellow hotel guests are obsessed by the World Cup, hosted by the murderous military junta in Argentina.
The boys’ father, Peter Kentish, has very different motivations for the trip. An investigative journalist, he spends much of his time interviewing a mysterious American, a disillusioned ex-CIA agent.
As Kentish uncovers the shocking extent of Operation Gladio, he delves into some of Italy’s darkest secrets. Darker still is the involvement of the USA. Those complicit will do anything to ensure that the truth is buried. For good.
There’s a chance to win a stack of 5 Inkspot books below but first, Bruno has shared an extract from The Colletta Cassettes. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Sebastian, aged 16, is on holiday in Liguria, Italy with his parents and his brother in 1978. He is intensely attracted by Rosetta, who works at the hotel as a waitress and chambermaid, much to his mother’s disapproval.
*****
Sebastian heard the door open and there stood Rosetta, with a broom and her mop and her basket again. Against the light, she resembled an Amazon, clutching spears and a shield.
‘Hello,’ he said, resisting the impulse to stand, recalling his mother’s instruction that one stands for a lady but not for a servant.
‘I’ve come to clean,’ she said.
She wore cut-off denim shorts and a blue and white striped man’s shirt rolled up at the arms and tied around her waist.
‘You’re holding it upside down,’ said Rosetta, indicating his book with a nod.
Furiously embarrassed, Sebastian turned the book the other way only to find that he’d been holding it the right way up to begin with.
‘Very funny,’ he said righting the book immediately, now just furious.
Rosetta laughed. ‘So,’ she said and ran her tongue across her top lip, ‘your mother is an artist, your father is a writer and you’re a reader.’
‘What do you know about my father?’ asked Sebastian with interest.
Rosetta shrugged. ‘I saw him yesterday. Everyone is by the pool and he’s there with his typewriter. And you’re here with your book.’
That had been said rather contemptuously, Sebastian felt. ‘And what do you do? When you’re not – working?’ He’d intended to say ‘cleaning’ but he’d been afraid he’d sound like his mother.
She shrugged again.
‘Don’t you have any hobbies?’
‘I fight.’ That was said nonchalantly.
‘You fight?’ Sebastian couldn’t keep the note of astonishment from his voice.
by 
NK Chats To… Thomas Roehlk
Hello Thomas. Thank you so much for joining me today. What sets your book, Fire Feud, apart from others in your genre?
I consider my genre as thriller, with the sub-genre of legal thriller. I have much respect for women in the corporate law world, and I believe my work shines a light on this type of character in the crowded world of thrillers.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
My favorite was from a review I received on my first book, Red Deuce. It was “Red Deuce shows the author’s behind-the-scenes understanding of how corporations work, making it seem all too credible. The plot keeps you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you’ve figured it all out, he throws another curveball that leaves you eagerly flipping pages to uncover the truth.”
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
Choosing Chicago as a setting provides an amazing city with amazing history, and therefore amazing opportunities to build stories. My protagonist is a study in contrasts. She finds herself unable to poke the beast until it reveals its web of intrigue and illegality, and the story of intermingled crime and espionage allows the protagonist to push herself into solving the mystery.
Which author(s) most inspired you?
by Book Review: The Locked Room By Holly Hepburn
Please join me in welcoming Holly Hepburn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her lateset book, The Locked Room.
Join Harriet White in 1930’s London for another glorious Sherlock Holmes-inspired mystery, for fans of Nita Prose and Janice Hallett.
After a very close call on the Norfolk Fens, Harriet White is about ready to hang up her deerstalker and settle back into her normal life, working in a bank on Baker Street. Until she discovers a letter in The Times newspaper challenging Sherlock Holmes to prove his status as the world’s greatest detective, by solving an impossible mystery. The letter, signed Professor James Moriarty, advises Holmes that the crime will be committed within the following seven days. There will be no further clues – Holmes himself must deduce which crime is the correct one to investigate.
Dismissing the letter as a prank, Harry goes about her business until news breaks of the theft of valuable jewel collection from a safe in an apparently locked room in a Mayfair townhouse.
Intrigued in spite of her misgivings, Harry dons a disguise and investigates. But as she begins to unpick the puzzle, a body is found. And now, a stranger, and far more deadly mystery begins to unfold around her…
*****
Harry White takes her job as Secretary to Sherlock Holmes seriously. However, when a seemingly real challenge set by Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty is laid down, it’s not long before Harry is pulled into a potentially dangerous game.
Having read the premise for this book, I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour. I couldn’t wait to get started.
by Book Review: Celebrations at the Beach Hotel By Francesca Capaldi
Please join me in welcoming Francesca Capaldi back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Celebrations at the Beach Hotel.
Sisters Alice and Annie have always been close but will a man come between them?
Annie and Alice love their life working at the Beach Hotel together and each is thrilled to have finally found a sweetheart. Yet the path of true love never did run smooth, and they soon find themselves facing conflict and strife. Could love come between them and the bond they share?
Meanwhile, as men start to come home from the war, the women have to work out how to keep their jobs, although they are delighted to be back with their beaus. Soon, wedding bells ring out in Littlehampton.
Will everything be made right in time for Christmas?
*****
It’s a pleasure to be taking part in the blog tour for the latest novel in Francesca Capaldi’s Beach Hotel series.
Even though we’ve featured this series before, it’s my first review. I am not sure how that’s happened. This is book six in the series. Although I felt that reading previous novels would enrich my experience of this book, I didn’t feel that I had missed any important information so it can be read as a standalone.
by Book Extract: The Viking She Shouldn’t Crave By Sarah Rodi
Please join me in welcoming Sarah Rodi to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Viking She Shouldn’t Crave.
A spicy, forbidden love Viking romance
Their forbidden tryst…
Is treason!
Helena’s spent her life preparing to be the Byzantine Prince’s bride. But when his cruel disinterest turns her position perilous, she finds salvation in fierce warrior Viggo. As the Prince’s personal guard, he knows her betrothed like no other. Could Viggo help her win his affections?
Only, Helena swiftly discovers the man she craves is not her husband-to-be…but thrillingly rugged Viggo! To act on their desires would be committing treason. Getting caught could be fatal. And yet, resisting their illicit connection feels like a fate worse than death…
Sarah has kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
The Viking She Shouldn’t Crave is set in 10th century Constantinople, where skilled Viking warriors fought for emperors in return for great riches, and the royal princes picked their wives at bride shows.
The story begins when the bishop’s daughter, Helena, is chosen at the bride show. Prince Marianos must marry to sire an heir, and Helena must wed to save her family from financial ruin, but during their first moments alone, the prince’s charming façade drops, and Helena’s ideas of a romantic union are shattered.
She is surprised when his Varangian commander, Viggo, is kind to her, despite his belief that she is marrying the prince for wealth and status.
In this scene, Helena has snuck out of the palace and gone to Viggo’s home to ask for his help to win over the prince’s affections. But she soon discovers it is not the prince’s heart, but that of his right-hand man she cares about, but any attraction between them is forbidden, and Viggo must resist temptation – he needs the wedding to take place to receive his coin and help his pregnant sister…
*****
‘I wanted to talk to you about the Prince,’ she said, wringing her hands. ‘You’ve seen what it’s like. He has chosen to distance himself from me and there’s just days to go until the wedding.’ She paced away, towards a large ornate mirror. She was distracted by her reflection. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes bright and her hair had come loose from her braids after wearing that helmet, tendrils framing her face. ‘Zoe has told me I need to rectify the situation, yet Marianos won’t let me near him to see or speak to him.’
‘I’m sure he will come round,’ he said. But then he frowned. ‘Unless… Are you saying you want to break off the engagement?’
by Book Club
