Saturday, September 21, 2013

Unravelled Review and Giveaway


UNRAVELLED by M.K. Tod
Two wars. Two affairs. One marriage. Set at the intersection of love and war, Unravelled delivers a page-turning mixture of emotion and sacrifice.

Edward Jamieson survived his duty in World War I as a signaller. Returning to life in Canada, eventually he meets and falls in love with Ann Winston. They marry and have two children, life is good until 1935 when they receive an invitation to attend the Vimy war memorial ceremony in France. Edward is uncertain about returning to the memories of the loss of war, and the memories of Helene Noisette, the love who got away. 

What ensues is a series of decisions that put their marriage in peril. Ann and Edward work to put their marriage back together as Hitler sets the stage for the Second World War. WWII sees Edward enlist with a top secret spy training, which once again forces him to keep secrets from Ann. In turn, Ann volunteers as a counselor for grieving women. The stress and agony of war wage once again on Edward and Ann's marriage. 

As the title suggests, stories unravel on the stage of the world wars. M.K. Tod creates a narrative that presents an honest look at marriage after adultery. It is a fantastic mix of fiction supported by research and nonfiction. What drew me to the story was an incredible balance of graphic detail and humanity.

If you would like an opportunity to read Unravelled by M.K. Tod, enter to win below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


M.K. Tod writes historical fiction and blogs about all aspects of the genre at A Writer of History. Her debut novel, UNRAVELLED: Two wars. Two affairs. One marriage. is available in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon (USCanada and elsewhere), NookKoboGoogle Play and iTunes. Mary can be contacted on
Twitter: @MKTodAuthorFacebook, and Goodreads.

A book launch event for UNRAVELLED will be held on October 8, 2013 starting at 7 p.m. at the Duke of York at 39 Prince Arthur Avenue in Toronto, Canada.
Read Chapters One and Two of UNRAVELLED and visit A Writer Of History for more information.  
CONNECT WITH M.K. TOD 
Facebook Page: M.K. Tod Author
Twitter: @MKTodAuthor
GoodReads: M.K. Tod

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Book Review: Forgotten

Another fascinating book from Catherine McKenzie! What would happen if everything in your life was taken away, if you had to start all over again?

Following her mother's funeral, Emma Tupper pursues her mother's dream of visiting Africa. Hardworking, stubborn Emma takes a month long sabbatical from the law firm that she had been dedicating 80 hour weeks in pursuit of a partnership to explore Africa. Only, what was supposed to be a month long sabbatical turns into a six month journey following an earthquake and illness that leaves her stranded in Africa with no way to communicate back home. 

When Emma finally returns to her apartment, she finds all of her things missing and Dominic, a photographer who has just broken up with his fiancee, moving in. Emma tries to call her friends and boyfriend, but can only leave messages. Dominic takes pity on Emma and allows her to stay with him. Slowly the two become friends as they try to piece together Emma's old life, finding that it is not as easy at one might have thought. 

I am a huge fan of Catherine McKenzie's writing and I loved Forgotten as much as I adored Spin and Arranged. Emma is a strong character who has to work her way through some unique, but tough situations upon her return. She is real, she gets frustrated, confused and sometimes upset, however she is never whiny or annoying. Emma's pursuit of finding herself in the rubble of what remains of her life is a great read!

Book Review: The Night Shift

Dr. Brian Goldman has been an emergency room practitioner for decades. That alone, makes him remarkable, however, on top of his dedication to medical emergencies, he also prefers the night shift. In The Night Shift Dr. Goldman shares stories of cases during his twenty years in the Emergency Room at Mount Sinai Hospital in downtown Toronto.

What I loved best about the book is Dr. Goldman's ability as an author to intersperse factoids about the stark realities of the medical field with humane stories while also balancing respect, empathy, humour and truth. As one who reads non fiction rarely, and if I do it is generally around education, I started the book with a little trepidation. I was surprised at how much I truly enjoyed this book.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Book Review: Promise Me by Harlan Coben

Full disclosure, I am in love with Myron, I just adore his character (and yes, I am fully aware that he is fictional). Harlan Coben demonstrates his quick wits through Myron and Winn whose dialogue and banter is one of the many reasons I return to his books over and over again.

In Promise Me, Myron makes a promise to a friend's daughter that puts him in a situation that makes him suspect number 1 in her disappearance. While Myron has been on sabbatical for six years, he has to pull all the stops to clear his name, protect his friend's daughter and find the bad guys.

The worst part about finishing this book was knowing that I am quickly running out of books in this series.

Book Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Darkly Dreaming Dexter is the first book in the Dexter series that has also become a hit TV series.  Jeff Lindsay introduces readers to Dexter Morgan, an average citizen with a job as a forensic technician with the Miami Dade police department, whose specialty is studying and understanding blood splatters. What even his sister does not know, is that he is a serial killer of serial killers.

I have never watched the Dexter TV series , however I have heard plenty about it. While I really liked the concept of the book, I really struggled with being inside the mind of a serial killer. While I understood that Dexter has control over his urges, I really did not enjoy when he was battling moments of weakness. 

Having said that, I will likely read more of this series because I am drawn to this very unusual mind and life style, much like drivers staring at a car accident as they drive by...just can't help myself