Book reviews

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Friday, 24th April is the Big Day!

Tomorrow, the 24th April, is the big book launch day! Lovers and Lies, Book 5 of my Witches of the New Forest fiction series, comes out.

I am so excited for this book. I think it has probably been my favourite to write, so far. Ryder, the younger Williams sister, is such a fun character, and I am thoroughly enjoying her successes and empathising with her failures as she solves the ghostly smuggling mystery in Burley.

Each and every character in the books is an aspect of myself, and Ryder is most definitely my Younger Self. Impulsive and fearless, she learns by doing, not by watching and waiting. She wears her heart on her sleeve, which means it gets broken often, but that doesn’t stop her from loving and from loving love itself.

Lots of side characters are finding their own feet in Ryder’s story: Mackenzie, the younger Walker brother (everyone knows and loves Dougal, the older sibling), as well as a new understanding of Alexander Hardwick, as you will discover. I love complex characters, and Xander is certainly one of those who is deliciously fun to write.

There is one more book left to write in Ryder’s story, which I am aiming to have released in time for Samhain (Hallowe’en). This book is titled Traitors and Trysts, and that is all that I am going to say about it for now!

Writing fiction has always been my first love, and I am so blessed to be able to do this now. I am also so thankful to all my lovely readers, who are so supportive and, like me, can’t wait to see what happens next!

Unlike my non-fiction, these books aren’t planned out in detail. I have a general idea of where the story is going, as well as some major scenes that pop into my head for the characters. What happens in between, well, that’s up to the muses as I sit down at my computer every day, typing away and just letting the inspiration flow. It has truly been an amazing journey so far, and I thank the muses from the bottom of my heart for being with me during this adventure.

You can pick up your copy of Lovers and Lies (Witches of the New Forest, Book 5) from Amazon and Rakuten Kobo. Only the Kindle and Kobo e-book editions are available for pre-order, but all editions, including paperback and hardcover, will come out on the same date: Friday, 24 April 2026.

I hope you enjoy it!

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Book 4, Smugglers and Secrets, is available for pre-order!

I’m so excited for the release of the next book in my Witches of the New Forest series. So here it is! Smugglers and Secrets, Book 4 is now available for pre-order!

I’ve had so much wonderful feedback from my new foray into the world of fiction writing, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me. Ever since I began writing fiction at the tender age of thirteen, I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life. And now the dream is a reality!

Will there be more non-fiction books in the future? Most likely, but right now I am enjoying writing fiction so much that everything else is kind of taking a backseat.

Book 4 is the beginning of Ryder’s story. The younger sister, she is adventurous and incorrigible. The adventure continues with Ryder’s tale!

Samhain is approaching, and that can only mean one thing: ghostly, paranormal activity is ramping up in the little village of Burley. Join Ryder for her new adventure, alongside the usual cast of characters including Hunter, Jack, Elspeth, Harriet, Dougal, and of course, Finnvarr, in this, the fourth book of the Witches of the New Forest series.

The pub is said to be haunted, and Ryder finds out first-hand that the old tales are true. Her own magickal powers are beginning to surface, and she starts her journey at full throttle (because, really, is there any other way for her to be?). She loves a good mystery, and finds herself smack dab in the middle of a ghostly one, with twists and turns that see her just struggling to keep up, let alone solve. As well, there is still trouble with the Hardwicks in the form of the handsome, yet decidedly unpleasant Xander Hardwick whom she keeps running into in the most unlikeliest of places. Determined to come into her own power, and find out just who she truly is, can she withstand the challenges that lie ahead?

A new mystery, romance, and spellbinding adventure awaits you in the New Forest!

Paperbacks are unfortunately not available for pre-order, but will be released on the same date as the Kindle and Rakuten Kobo editions, which is the 31st October 2025.

I hope you enjoy it!

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Reviews Help Readers AND Authors

There’s in nothing an author likes better than a good review. And even a not-so-good review can still help an author to know where their work might be lacking, or where they may have missed the mark. Reviews are so important!

I always try to leave reviews for books, at least on Amazon, and as many of you know, I also review many other author’s works here on this blog. Although the beast that is Amazon is a bit unruly, it is where authors get the most sales, and so a simple review left there does actually really make a difference. It’s important to support your favourite authors in this way, although if you simply cannot tolerate Amazon, there are other review sites such as Goodreads which will benefit them as well.

I’m still getting feedback from my latest book, The Path of the Hedge Witch. More is always appreciated, of course, so please, leave a review if you haven’t already! What I would really like to know in a review is:

Did this book help you in some way?

Which parts really resonated with you?

Did you enjoy the style and tone of the work?

Was it easy to understand?

Would you recommend it to others?

If time is of the essence, then simply leave a star rating, eg. 4 out of 5 stars. This takes a mere second to click on the star rating you desire, and then you’re done. You don’t even have to write anything, just rate the book. This is yet another simple and effective way to support your favourite authors.

Last year I wrote a post on how to write meaningful book reviews, which you can always take a look at if you are interested. Not all book reviews need to be glowing endorsements of the work, but you can always write a good, critical review while being respectful and honest. This blog post was written from the perspectives of being an author, a book-lover and reviewer!

So, if you haven’t already, I would love to hear from you regarding The Path of the Hedge Witch. Feel free to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, wherever you can, regarding the points mentioned above. This helps me not only to continue as an author, but to improve as an author.

And to everyone who has supported me on this journey of over a decade now, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!