Book Extract & Review: Dohva: The Land Within by Sophie Haeder
I’m so delighted to be welcoming Sophie Haeder to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her upcoming book, Dohva: The Land Within.
Embark on a journey to the enigmatic realm of Dohva, where elemental magic reigns supreme and ancient secrets lie buried beneath the mountains.
In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod. Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss ofher closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption.
But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever?
“Dohva – The Land Within” is the first book of an epic fantasy meets romantasy trilogy that will captivate readers from beginning to end and leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment in this spellbinding saga.
My review for the book is below as well as details on how you can pre-order the novel. Sophie has also shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
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“What are you thinking, Avala? I can see you’re worried. What is it?” Sineth asked.
“I just think she might be expecting us to come to her.”
“So? Even if she does, she might not see everything we have planned. The most important thing is that Kalira and Kima can do their part. I can handle Venja,” Baldor said, stepping to the door. He opened it and stared in. For a moment, Avala thought he might not see anything, but he waved her inside. “Hold on to me, I’ll guide you. Avala, tell me where to go.”
She took Baldor’s hand, cold to the touch and strangely soft, like a child’s skin. It contrasted with the hand she took from Sineth, the familiar calluses of hard work. Somehow it calmed her nerves to hold hands with these two very different men.
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Book Extract: It Never Rains by Tony Bassett
I’m so pleased to be welcoming Tony Bassett back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, It Never Rains – book six in the Detectives Roy and Roscoe crime fiction series.
It never rains but it pours . . .
When a ruthless gang burgles the home of a Premier League football player, DCI Gavin Roscoe and DS Sunita Roy suddenly have a murder and a kidnap on their hands.
The footballer’s stepson, Marcel, is taken from the palatial property whilst it is being ransacked, and his bodyguard is shot, stone cold dead.
To help them with their task, DI Parkes from the National Crime Agency’s Kidnap Unit joins the investigation but he has very different ideas about how the operation should be run.
While rain lashes the surrounding countryside, tempers rise, as do the flood waters.
Can the police track down this dangerous gang, unmask its malevolent ringleader, and reunite the boy with his family before it’s too late?
Tony has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
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Chapter 16
Three detectives – DCI Gavin Roscoe, DI Joseph Parkes and DS Sunita Roy – are visiting footballer Jean-Jacques Beauvais and his wife Camille at their mansion near Worcester. The couple’s son Marcel has been kidnapped and the family have just received a message and video from the gang holding him.
Roscoe was meanwhile concerned about drafting a proper response to the text message.
‘Shall we sort out a reply now?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ said Jean-Jacques. ‘What do you suggest?’
‘Just keep it simple,’ said Parkes. ‘I suggest you say, “Thank you for your message and for keeping Marcel safe. We await further instructions.”’
‘All right,’ said the footballer. ‘I will send that now.’
Parkes stepped across the room and took the phone from the Frenchman.
by Book Extract: The Wedding Engagement by Zoe Allison
Please join me in welcoming Zoe Allison to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Wedding Engagement.
It’s not supposed to be her love story…
Planning a wedding with the man you’re secretly in love with… what could go wrong?
Liv Holland has a secret: she’s been crushing on Arran Adebayo, her brother’s best friend, for years. They’re ‘just friends’ but she can’t help the butterflies in her stomach whenever she’s around him.
When they’re asked to help plan festivities for Liv’s brother’s wedding, Liv and Arran can no longer deny the sparks between them. But with both having their own chequered romantic history, risking everything for love could mean losing each other forever…
As the wedding bells ring, will Liv and Arran finally find their own happy ever after?
Zoe has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
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Arran has just made an SOS call to Liv to ask if she can collect his son, Jayce, from his street dancing class. Arran’s ex, Jess, was meant to pick up their son but she was waylaid. Unfortunately Arran couldn’t get back home in time for the class finish because he was out of town buying paint supplies for his art studio. Liv collected Jayce and took him for a milkshake and is just driving to Arran’s house to drop Jayce off.
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‘And then what happened?’ Liv asked, maintaining a serious expression as Jayce carried on with his tall tale.
‘And then I rescued everyone from the dragon and saved the day,’ he said from the back seat, a proud look on his face when she glanced in the rear-view mirror.
She returned her eyes to the road as she navigated the last turn onto Arran’s driveway. ‘Wow. And this was definitely real, not a dream?’
by Book Extract: Coincidentally in Venice by Kate Zarrelli
I’m happy to be welcoming Kate Zarrelli to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Coincidentally in Venice.
Best friends Ashley and Juliet, who’ve been made redundant from their marketing jobs during Covid, at last get to go to Venice. The long days of lockdown were made a little easier by looking at webcams of the deserted city. One day, Ash spied a man walking his dog in Campo Santa Maria Formosa. What would happen if she were to meet him for real?
Though Jules hits it off with a handsome waiter, and both girls take the opportunity to think through big career changes, things otherwise don’t go quite according to plan. And why is it that boring Joe from Accounts keeps turning up where he’s not supposed to be? Only, whoever falls in love with Venice won’t stay boring for long, and Joe unwittingly finds himself at the centre of a trade in faked artworks.
Coincidentally in Venice is a joyous celebration of love, friendship, vintage clothes to die for, Prosecco and spaghetti alle vongole. Oh, and not to mention a stolen gondola, a dog called Killer, ten thousand fictitious virgins and an old Grateful Dead t-shirt.
Kate has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
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It’s April 2022 and best friends Ashley and Juliet are at last able to take their postponed holiday to Venice. In the silent days of lockdown, both girls had feasted their eyes on webcams of the deserted city. In a lonely square, Ashley had spotted a solitary man exercising his dog. Never one to miss an opportunity, Juliet urged her friend to go to that square to get a look at him close up…
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Close up the waiter really was worth looking at, even with his nose and mouth covered by the regulation mask. He was slender. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing golden skin and silky dark hairs Ash wanted to reach up and stroke. A little badge bore the name Davide. Ash remembered that in Italian every syllable was pronounced. She rehearsed saying it in her head: Dah-vi-deh.
‘Il nome è Ashworth,’ pronounced Juliet carefully.
‘Oh yes. You booked,’ he said, in nearly unaccented English. ‘Your table is here. You’ll find the menu with this Q-R code,’ he added, indicating a laminated little square. ‘Or I could just tell you…’
‘Oh yes, just tell us. It’s so good to deal with a real human. What does vongole veraci mean?’
by Book Extract: The Next Step by B R Maycock
I’m so pleased to be welcoming B R Maycock to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for The Next Step, book three in the Abbeyglen series.
Christmas has been all but forgotten as a negative pregnancy test makes Rachel reconsider her future with Todd. The realisation sends her to the small town of Abbeyglen where the opening of Caulfield’s Café is all anyone’s talking about. But it also has her beginning to see returning colleague at Blackwater Financial Services, the loud, hilarious Owen Larrson in a new light.
Natalie has decided she needs a change. In the midst of Christmas craziness, with the grand opening of the café and the excitement of her two children’s Christmas concert, Natalie can only hope the people of Blackwater Financial Services can help her find the job that will change her life. But as ex-boyfriend Darren returns, she realises luck might not be on her side for a bright Christmas after all
Join two women who are trying to figure out what the rest of their lives hold, in the midst of the mayhem of the most wonderful time of the year in the most wonderful place to be!
B R Maycock has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
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Hi! So this is a little excerpt/ extract from The Next Step and it’s the lovely Natalie Martin, who works in The Abbeyglen Arms, who has just had a day job hunting. Hope you enjoy!!
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‘You’re late, Mammy,’ Katie said, as she walked out of the babysitter’s, gripping her mother’s hand. ‘Today was supposed to be the day you didn’t work.’
by Book Club
