Thursday 1 August 2019

New Release Spotlight & Review: An Extra Shot by Stephen Anthony Brotherton



An Extra Shot by Stephen Anthony Brotherton

‘An Extra Shot continues to tell the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo. It moves backwards and forwards through time in a series of first-person flashbacks and describes how the couple fell in love as teenagers, why they drifted apart, what happened in their lives away from each other, and what happens when they meet up again over thirty-five years later.
A failed reconciliation in book one, Another Shot, has left Freddie at a railway station thinking about jumping under a train and Jo-Jo in a hotel room consumed with the dark secret she has carried for most of her adult life. Freddie is saved by his best friend, Jack Sparrow, and Jo-Jo is convinced by her daughter, Amy, to meet up with Freddie again. Freddie then persuades Jo-Jo to go away with him for a long weekend in Devon and the couple return home with their love reignited.
However, Jo-Jo can’t let their relationship continue without telling Freddie the truth about her dark secret. Is their love strong enough to get them through?’

Amazon UK      Amazon US 

This novel picks up where Another Shot ended, after Freddie and Jo-Jo's disastrous reunion. Both full of regret, they decide to try again and see where it leads as we continue their story in Another Shot.

The writing style follows the same format as before as a collection of vignette's highlighting events from the past as well as the present. We get to understand more about their perspective lives and how life events shaped them. We also learn the reason, why, Jo-Jo wanted to see Freddie again before starting a new life in New Zealand. It's poignant, with the author dealing with the subject in a thoughtful and respectful manner.

The author manages to inject realism into the protagonists and their feelings for each other. It's easy to feel the shared affections for each other in a way first loves do. It reflects the fact they have forgiven each other for past hurts because the attraction and positive emotions outweigh the negative. Still, despite their love for each other, their relationship remains complicated.

An Extra Shot is the second novel in this intriguing trilogy, full of nostalgic references which will stir up many memories for readers who grew up in the nineteen seventies and eighties. The references certainly add to the overall appeal of the narrative. Yet most importantly, it's Freddie and Jo-Jo I'm rooting for and can't wait to find out how their story plays out in the final instalment.

***arc received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources***


‘I was born in Walsall, grew up in the West Midlands and now live in Telford with my two cats, Boris and Tai. After working in the health and social care sector for over thirty years, I have now taken early retirement to write the trilogy that has been rooted in my head for most of my life.
An Extra Shot is the second book in the Shots trilogy, which is based on a first love relationship I had as a teenager. It tells the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo, who are reunited in a coffee shop three decades after the end of their teenage romance. How they originally met, why they parted, what happens in their lives apart, and what happens when they reunite is all told through a series of first person vignettes. I am currently working on the final book.
Getting these stories down on paper has been a cathartic process. I hope you enjoy them. ‘

 Instagram @freddiejojoreunited


Release Day Spotlight: Birth Of The Mortokai by D.G. Palmer



Birth Of The Mortokai by D.G. Palmer

Daniel Welsh was born different—and to Daniel, to be different means to be alone. But what if he’s wrong?

Born an albino with a photographic memory, Daniel Welsh never expected to fit in. Yet, when he is approached by Trinity—a young girl who definitely isn’t human—she reveals a whole new world where he might just belong. Ariest is a place where his features aren’t a disability or the mark of a freak, but rather a trait of powerful mages born of human-faerie unions. His father is a renowned war hero and swordsman, his mother is a human doctor, and that makes him a powerful mage that’ll tip the scales. Magic is real—and so is the threat it brings.

Trinity and her father, a battle mage, aren’t the only ones to have discovered Daniel and his gifts hidden in the human realm.

The Shade have awakened.

Enemies to the fae realm long thought dead have been lying in wait for their moment to strike. Young mages like Daniel are the perfect morsel for their starving appetites and they start their killing spree without delay with the nearest unsuspecting mage boy. Daniel cannot sit idly by while monsters take innocent lives, so he will embrace a destiny he is only just beginning to understand... even if it means losing a life that’s finally worth living.

Birth of the Mortokai is a young adult coming of age fantasy adventure novel. Trigger warning: this novel contains descriptions of albinism, a real genetic disorder that affects 1/17,000 persons worldwide per year.


Kobo     Amazon UK     Amazon US


Currently residing in London, England, D.G. Palmer writes in the Spec Fiction genre, using his imagination to create vivid worlds and captivating characters.
An avid reader and player of video games, in the past, he was part of table top roleplaying groups where he nurtured his storytelling by penning several story arcs.
Feel free to follow him on Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram. If you wish to receive updates about his latest books, event dates and other exclusive news, sign up to The World of D.G. Palmer and enter his mind. He warns it can be a mess sometimes, so make sure you wipe your feet on the way out – you never know what you might take with you.