Blog Tour: An Extract from The Songs That Find Us by Andrea Darby
Today I am taking part of the blog tour for The Songs that Find Us by Andrea Darby by sharing an extract from the novel! This one was just released this past Tuesday, September 22nd! **And if you are lucky enough to live in the UK, she has a fabulous giveaway going on!
Book Description:
Lizzie thinks the difficult years are behind her.
She has a happy marriage, a career she loves, and a daughter beginning to find her place in the world. But when her husband Ed receives a devastating diagnosis, long-buried secrets surface – shattering everything Lizzie believes about their life together.
Now Ed is desperate to set things right before his memories slip away.
Meanwhile, their adopted daughter Beck is searching for answers of her own that could change the family forever.
After rediscovering her love of singing, Lizzie brings together a community where friendship, kindness and music forge unexpected connections — and perhaps a way back to one another.
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
A note from Andrea:
This is from an early scene of the novel featuring one of the novel’s three narrators, Beck. The other two narrators are her mum Lizzie and dad Ed — so the reader gets three different perspectives as the story unfolds. Beck has recently moved away from the tensions at home to live in London with best friend Meg and decided to look for her birth mum – though she hasn’t told her adoptive parents. Here, she’s in a café with best friend Meg after a trip to a few local charity shops.
Beck
We’ve barely settled onto a comfy leather sofa with our usual espresso macchiatos in short glasses when Meg pulls the rust-coloured vase from her inside pocket, plonking it down on the wooden table.
‘What the— ? ’ I gaze around the room. ‘Stealing from a charity shop. That’s low, even for you.’
‘Call it borrowing. We’ll take it back when you’re bored with it.’
‘When you put it like that.’ I smile, but I’m uneasy. We’re not students anymore – I thought we’d moved on. Meg’s parents are loaded so she doesn’t need to steal.
A text pings in from Dad:
Will get the costings across shortly.
I read it to Meg. ‘Clearly not meant for me.’
‘Old-gen alert! My mum’s done that a few times. One was actually a sext . . . ewww, cringe.’ Meg shudders.
I laugh, but Dad’s message mess-up troubles me a bit, which must show on my face because Meg asks about him.
‘He’s having a few tests and scans. I think the doctor has pretty much put it down to stress. That’s what Dad said anyway. Of course, Mum’s hyping it up.’
‘I’m sure it’ll be fine. Stress can really wear you down.’ Meg sips her coffee. ‘Bad news about Leo’s twenty-first.’ She looks earnest. ‘Sophie’s going, apparently.’
The thought of facing her again drags in my belly, a swell of dread, and irritation. ‘Hopefully it’s the last time I’ll ever see her.’
‘Why, you gonna bump her off? Getting ideas from all those psycho thrillers you read?’
‘Don’t tempt me. Her family’s moving to France, and she might join them.’ I cross two heavily ringed fingers. ‘Au revoir, bitch.’
‘Just stay away from her jacket at the party.’ Meg splutters a laugh over her drink.
‘What a fuss she made.’ I bite at some loose skin by my fingernail. Maybe what I did was extreme, but Sophie deserved it, for all her games with Jai. ‘Anyway, it couldn’t have been me, I don’t smoke anymore.’
‘Even Sophie’s not that stupid.’
I sip my coffee. ‘Can’t believe Leo’s twenty-one. I don’t think his party will be in the same league as one we’re organising at work for a client’s fiftieth birthday. A champagne fountain and ice sculptures. He’s even hiring a bloody orchestra.’
‘Impressive.’
‘Sadly, as a low-grade admin assistant, I won’t make the guest list.’ I wince as I rest the coffee glass on my thigh, catching the bare skin. ‘God, I need more money. My wage is pathetic.’
‘What about asking your parents?’
‘Why do you think I’m heading home for a couple of days?’ I expect a lecture: ‘You chose to live in London. If you can’t afford it then . . .blah-blah.’ But I’ll probably get money, so will have to suck it up.
‘A chance to tell them about searching for your birth mother perhaps?’
I stay silent, watching a family pile into the café, two children hidden under green umbrellas with huge frog eyes. ‘I’m following this great blog by someone looking for her biological family.’ I tap on my mobile. ‘Here, have a read.’ I hand it over.
‘Hang on, this isn’t it . . .’ Meg looks puzzled ‘. . . FreeToAGoodHome . . . sounds like furniture recycling or something.’
‘That’s what she calls the blog.’ I’ll have to spell it out for Meg, as usual. ‘She’s referring to herself, as a baby, when she was put up for adoption.’
‘Aww, that’s so sad,’ Meg says, pouting a bit.
Yes, it is sad.
Really sad.
About the Author:
Andrea Darby writes commercial women’s fiction with book club appeal, exploring emotionally engaging stories about family, relationships, resilience – and hope. Her stories are for readers who enjoy thought-provoking, uplifting novels with plenty to discuss. Andrea is a prize-winning journalist with more than 20 years’ experience as a writer and sub-editor on newspapers and magazines. Her articles have been published in regional and national titles, including Prima, Best, Take a Break, Prima Baby, Woman and Dogs Today. She plays several brass instruments, sings in a choir and teaches piano from her home in Gloucestershire – where she’s lucky to have very understanding neighbours. Ideas for writing often come while listening to music or walking Betty the cockapoo through muddy fields.
Contact Andrea:
Website
Twitter @ADarbyAuthor
Instagram @andreadarbyauthor
**UK GIVEAWAY**
Win signed copy of The Songs That Find Us, luxury tea, luxury chocolate and William Morris pen
Enter to win here!
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the link above. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
See the entire blog tour here:
Blog Tour: An Extract from Contagion Of Lies by K.J. McGillick
Today I am helping to end the blog tour for Contagion Of Lies by K.J. McGillick. It’s a legal thriller that you can read now!
Book Description:
Former prosecutor Jordan Monroe thought estate law was safe. Then her mentor dies, leaving her to defend Dr. Mallory James in a double-murder case that could resurrect her career—or destroy what’s left of it.
Dr. Ian Stratton, a respected Harbor Point surgeon, and his pharmaceutical-rep mistress are dead from lethal injections. The evidence points straight to Mallory: a volatile affair, public threats, and a mountain of motive. But as Jordan builds her defense, she uncovers something bigger—a hospital drowning in secrets, cover-ups, and dangerous enemies.
Inside Harbor Medical, three shadowy suspects emerge:
- Dr. Blake Rowe — Stratton’s betrayed best friend with deadly drug knowledge
- Evelyn Grant — a disgraced tech stalking Jordan’s niece
- Sarah Rowe — Blake’s wife, lying about her access to the victim
When Grant’s obsession turns violent and surveillance evidence leaks, Jordan must protect her family while fighting manipulated witnesses, missing evidence, and a system built to bury the truth. The deeper she digs, the more she questions Mallory’s innocence—and her own role in defending her.
In a world where everyone lies, Jordan must decide how far she’ll go to win. Because the most dangerous predator… is the one you never see coming.
Perfect for fans of John Grisham, Lisa Gardner, and Melinda Leigh, Contagion of Lies delivers a relentless legal thriller where courtroom drama collides with psychological suspense—and every decision carries a cost.
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Vega turned as the door opened. “That’ll be the ME.”
Paxton stepped aside as Dr. Elizabeth Brown crossed the threshold, her equipment case swinging lightly from one hand, her camera bag slung over her shoulder. She moved like always—economical, steady, professional. Twenty years of dealing with the dead had given her that deliberate stillness.
“Morning, Nick.” Her gaze swept the entryway, then the vaulted ceiling above. “Nice place.”
“Too nice,” Vega said quietly. The words came out rougher than he’d intended. “Upstairs.”
Brown nodded once, more business than conversation. “Let’s see him.”
She followed Vega up the stairs, Paxton trailing behind them. Their footsteps felt louder in the clean silence, too sharp against the manufactured perfection.
As they reached the hall, Vega spoke without looking back. “Forty-seven-year-old surgeon. Housekeeper found him this morning. No signs of forced entry. Rigor’s well-established—six to eight hours, per the paramedics.”
“Body position?”
“You’ll see.”
Brown didn’t ask more. At the bedroom door, she paused briefly, reading the space like Vega had earlier. Her stillness was different from his restlessness—professional calm instead of barely contained energy.
“Pristine,” she muttered, more to herself.
Vega gestured inside. “Position looks peaceful. But the scene feels… wrong. Too controlled.”
“Controlled how?”
“Not staged exactly. Just… stripped down.” He couldn’t explain the wrongness that had been eating at him since he’d walked through the front door. “Like someone sanitized it.”
Brown set down her equipment beside the door, pulling on gloves with smooth, automatic precision. “That’s surgeons for you.”
Vega said nothing, but his jaw tightened. This felt different.
She stepped forward and began her work, professional and detached. But Vega watched her carefully, knowing that even Brown sometimes flinched when the dead told a story she didn’t expect.
“Preliminary assessment suggests natural causes,” Brown said, adjusting her position to examine Stratton’s torso. “I’ll transport for full autopsy, but—”
She stopped mid-sentence.
“What?”
Brown leaned closer, frowning. She reached for her magnifying glass, focused on Stratton’s left upper arm, then touched her glasses—a nervous habit Vega recognized from harder cases.
The air in the room seemed to thicken. Vega’s pulse kicked up a notch.
“Nick…”
Something in her tone made him step closer. The wrongness in his gut crystallized into cold certainty.
Brown’s voice stayed measured at first. “Could be a skin blemish. Or an old mark.”
She adjusted the magnifier. Paused. Her silence stretched longer than usual, and Vega found himself holding his breath again.
“Except it’s too clean. No scabbing. Edges are fresh.” A hesitation. “Missed it on initial pass. Positioning hid it.”
She straightened slightly, her voice shifting now—more certain, but uneasy. “It’s an injection site. Someone else did this.”
The confidence was back, but not the detachment. Twenty years of death scenes, and she still got rattled when they shifted from natural to unnatural.
The bedroom changed around them, walls seeming to close in. Not a place where someone had died peacefully, but where death had been delivered with surgical precision.
“Self-administered?”
“Wrong angle. Wrong location.” Brown indicated with her pen, not touching. “Someone else did this. See the bruising pattern? Either the victim was resisting, or the person wasn’t experienced with injections.”
The air felt electric now, charged with the energy of a case that had just turned deadly serious. Vega’s restlessness crystallized into focus.
Vega’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed level. He stared at the mark for a moment longer. That close, the killer hadn’t needed force—just trust. Or enough skill to bypass it. Someone Stratton knew, or someone good enough to seem invisible.
About the Author:
From the bustling courtrooms of Atlanta to the vibrant tapestry of 16th-century England, Kathleen McGillick’s life and career have been a captivating blend of legal expertise, artistic passion, and a thirst for adventure.
Fueled by an undergraduate and graduate degree in nursing, Kathleen built a foundation of compassion and care. This dedication to service later led her to pursue a Juris Doctorate, allowing her to navigate the intricacies of the legal system for nearly three decades. Her courtroom experience now breathes life into the intricate details of her legal thrillers, ensuring every courtroom scene crackles with authenticity.
But Kathleen’s story does not end there. A deep fascination with art history led her to delve into the world of renowned artists and captivating eras. Her particular passion for 16th-century British history allows her to transport readers to richly detailed historical settings, immersing them in the culture, politics, and societal nuances of the time.
Driven by an unwavering dedication to her craft, Kathleen has independently published twelve thrillers since 2018. Her commitment extends beyond solo creation, as she actively engages with the writing community, honing her skills through workshops and courses led by renowned authors.
And when she’s not crafting captivating narratives, Kathleen embarks on international journeys, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences that further enrich her writing. This global perspective adds another layer of depth and realism to her stories, allowing readers to connect with characters and settings that transcend geographical boundaries.
Contact Kathleen:
Website
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Blog Tour: An Extract from Abracadabra by Evanne Hardin Gray
In the spirit of spooky season, today I am taking part in the blog tour for Abracadabra by Evanne Hardin Gray by sharing an extract. In the spirit of Practical Magic and First Frost, a modern-day magic folk tale weaves a fantasy of love, secrets, spellbooks, and family bonds into evocative prose …. And it’s available now!
Book Description:
It’s common knowledge in Duran Hill that some women in the Kinley family have certain gifts … and certain curses … running through their bloodlines. But for three sisters in all but name — Rachel, Juliette, and their cousin Sylvia — the ties that bind them close as ivy throughout their childhood are pulled apart in adolescence when both the gift and curse of that power is revealed between them.
Since that fateful incident, sensible Juliette has tailored a perfect and perfectly-ordinary life which unravels after she marries — and loses — the love of her life. Sylvia, drawn to the dark side, sets up a shop that caters to all the mystical powers the latter generations of the Kinley family shunned. And Rachel, the wild child, in whom its magic seems to create a charmed life, is a carefree wanderer who finds herself suddenly drawn home again.
Her arrival will stir old rivalries and test forgotten bonds in the brief span of a few weeks. But when an old friend in desperate trouble seeks her out, she will impulsively unleash the dangerous secret behind their power: one which has lain forgotten in the Kinley house for two generations.
From the Siren’s song of a dead man’s violin to a jar full of harmless-looking buttons, nothing under the shadow of the family’s roof is what it seems — nothing in their bloodline is safe from the dangerous past.
For Juliette, it brings a test of whether love that has withered can bloom again. For Sylvia, a question of whether a dangerous mistake can only be endured until it destroys you. And for Rachel, the choice is the price between the future of the souls she loves most in life and a powerful force that both makes her the enigma she is — and makes to destroy her like embers caught in a firewind.
Against the backdrop of Southern charm, Scottish superstitions, and bewitching romance, ABRACADABRA casts a spell which cannot be undone, from the ache of lost love to the familial links between souls which go as deep as blood and bone.
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon
Kobo
Apple Books
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Note from the author: Thanks so much for this chance to share an extract of my novel Abracadabra with the readers at Jessica’s Reading Room! It’s a fast-paced, atmospheric read with elements of romance and magical realism. The following short scene hints at more trouble on the horizon for sisters Rachel and Juliette after Rachel attempted a spell with unfortunate consequences.
Tuesday morning, a fine mist rises from the Kinley house lawn, shrouding the grass and shrubs, lingering spookily under the trees. A stranger on the sidewalk has paused to study the place with interest, the big grey and white house emerging from the fog.
Rachel is late for work this morning. Her alarm has refused to go off, mostly because she forgot to change it. She scrabbles around, buttoning her uniform and slipping on her sensible shoes. Ed will be annoyed when she comes through the door.
Downstairs, Juliette is clattering around with the coffee percolator and the dishes. Rachel can hear Antoine whistling through the open bathroom door down the hall as he works. Swish, scrape, swish scrape. The sound of trowel on tile.
She checks her appearance in the mirror and remembers her name tag is still missing. Ed will say something if she turns up without it again. She has a spare, of course — downstairs. She left it in the pantry.
She takes the steps two at a time. “Pour me a cup, please, Julie,” she calls. The dining room window is cracked open, the summer curtains billowing in the breeze. Rachel closes it, seeing the man outside the fence. She waves to him. He doesn’t wave back.
About the Author:
Evanne Hardin Gray has spent most of her adulthood (and part of her childhood) writing novels, short stories, and screenplays. She has family roots in both New England and the South, which is where she currently writes (sometimes as a ‘ghost’), gardens, and collects books and ideas for them.
Contact Evanne:
Twitter/X: @Abracadabrabook
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