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To celebrate the upcoming releases of “Out of Body”, the third Magical Misfits Mystery AND “Spirits of Gascony”, my Paranormal Romcom, I’ll be doing an author takeover in the Cozy Mystery Party group on Facebook. Make sure to join the group for YOUR chance to win a free copy!

Happy New Year everyone, even if it’s already a couple of weeks old. We went to my favorite country – France – and enjoyed some warm-ish days on the Med in Marseille. I got quite a bit of writing and editing done, which was necessary given my ambitious plans for this year (one Romance and one Mystery to release with the publishers, plus my Da Vinci Mystery series I finally want to self-pub). “Spirits of Gascony” is still on track for a March release, so…Continue Reading “This is the time to write – or read”

First of all, sorry for going MIA in the second half of the year, but life got a bit wild. 2024 is now set to get a lot better, since we have some GREAT news: My Pararnormal Romance “Spirit of Gascony” will be published in Spring with the Champagne Book Group. The third Magical Misfit Mystery “Out of Body” is due to be published in Summer with Literary Wanderlust. And I have three Da Vinci Cozy Mysteries, starting with “Spelled in Ink” I will self-publish…Continue Reading “Happy Xmas to you too!”

First off the block was fellow author, blogger, and reviewer Lilyana Shadowlyn. Read her fantastically well-written review here: And if you’d like to know more about my main protagonist, Myrtle Coldron, how about a day in the life of a rookie witch. Read more in Dru’s Book Musings:

“Down the Hatch”, the sequel to my award-winning debut novel was reviewed by Literary Titan and gained praise! Read here what’s it all about: Down the Hatch: A Magical Misfits Mystery by Lina Hansen is about Myrtle Coldron, a witch who is not in complete control of her magic, and as she struggles, others want to take charge of the coven. Myrtle finds herself taking on a lot of responsibilities, including running her family’s bed and breakfast business, while other events unravel around her. When she…Continue Reading “Praise for “Down the Hatch””

No April fool – the waiting is over and the sequel to “In My Attic”, published by Literary Wanderlust, will soon be available from on Amazon! Make sure to place your preorder now (please note – since the book is on pre-order, the links won’t work yet. I’m afraid, you’ll have to search for the novel directly on Amazon). Apologies for the inconvenience!!! However, if you are interested in receiving an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review, please get in touch…Continue Reading “Second Magical Misfits novel “Down The Hatch” launches on 1 April 2023″

It’s that time of the year – again. With Christmas just around the corner, here’s a special little gift for you. A 5$ bonus to unlock my stories on YONDER, the next-generation reading app from the creators of WEBTOON and Wattpad. The offer is only valid until 31 December, so make sure not to miss this opportunity! Promo Code: ORANGE Get your bonus here: https://yonder.onelink.me/6vpb/ea5d8fd9 *YONDER is currently not yet available in China, Cuba, European Union, Georgia, Japan, Macao, North & South Korea, and Sudan.

Schoolteacher Fiona is on a mission for grandpa – find a missing Zimbabwean artefact, the precious soapstone “Bird of the Gods”. Conrad – dodgy archaeologist contracted to the stunning influencer Amanda aka #mandalove – has the same job. When Fiona and Conrad’s paths cross, what was supposed to be a straightforward quest turns into a crazy race around the world. With antagonists popping up at every corner – from mountain tops to underground settings like Serbian caves, frozen Canadian crypts, and the silver mines of…Continue Reading “Bird Of The Gods – FREE on Wattpad”

The reason I’m asking -I’m on vacation in Lagos, Algarve. The place is a dream – golden beaches, a glittery teal sea, tangerine cliffs, white houses covered in the famous indigo tiles – and then there was a Portuguese water dog walking in the street. All black, all curly, and cute white paws. A whiff of barbequed sardines in my nose, I was thinking “What if?” What do you think? Let me know, if this sort of thing is worth writing about. Photo by Tim…Continue Reading “Would you read a paranormal romance featuring a Selkie and a Were-Portuguese Water Dog??”

The global information war is raging, and it’s getting really hard to separate truth from lie. However, with a few basic tricks, there is a way through the web of deceit. Foremost, it’s important to take every piece of information with a pinch of salt. Facts can be interpreted in different ways. That is legitimate. Facts can be faked. That’s not legitimate, but unfortunately very common. The key approach to steering clear of info traps is 1 – Never rely on one source for your…Continue Reading “How fake to do you take your news?”

Since this is probably the busiest period in the year, I’ll be very brief. I wish everybody happy celebrations – and don’t forget to secure your reading matter for the holidays!! To ensure you can buy more books, Literary Wanderlust has come up with a great Christmas Sale, and that also includes my debut novel “In My Attic”. Here’s a link to their bookstore Books | Literary Wanderlust. But, of course, my novel is also available here: https://www.amazon.com/Attic-Magical-Misfits-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B085KPYKPT. Enjoy your break, wishing you a very…Continue Reading “Merry Christmas”

Book 2 in the Kea Wright Mysteries, this one works quite well as a standalone. I’m the living proof; I never read the first. It’s called “Cold Flood” and features a volcano erupting under an ice cap together a sneaky killer causing accidents on icy mountain slopes. As Mysteries go, that’s certainly an original idea, and I get the impression the author’s USP is knowledge about intriguing biological, geographical, and other scientific wonders he aptly presents to the readers. For me, that works. Minor gripe…Continue Reading “Fiction Review – The Meerkat Murders by R.J. Corgan”

Compiling on Scrivener for me has always been a bit of a nightmare. The new Version 3 promised a much improved experience, so I upgraded. What can I say? The nightmare got worse? Hey, that describes the experience more or less accurately. The help function didn’t help much since it kept telling me how easy everything now was. Duh. For IT savvy peeps, perhaps. But all I want to do is WRITE, EDIT and PUBLISH. I already have to maintain a website, conduct marketing campaigns…Continue Reading “How to compile with Scrivener 3”

My debut novel, “In My Attic”, first in the Magical Misfits series, has achieved a first place in the “Mystery and Mayhem Category” of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA).Every year, CIB looks for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, not-so-cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor. The novels in first place have advanced to the Premier Level of Achievement in the 2020 CIBAs. Find…Continue Reading “In My Attic wins first place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards!”

Get ready for the Blissfield Literary Festival and the “March is Reading Month” – and especially 2 March. March 2: Lina Hansen Lina Hansen, a Germany-based author of paranormal cozy mysteries set in the UK and published with Denver-based indie press, Literary Wanderlust, talks about the challenges of cross-continental writing and publishing. She’ll explain her motivations for writing witch cozies and take you on a tour to the amazing village of Avebury, Wiltshire, UK, the setting for her Magical Misfits series. Hansen will also read…Continue Reading “Author Event – March is Reading Month”

Start the new year with some great witch cozy mysteries! “In My Attic – A Magical Misfits Cozy Mystery” is just one of a full set of great stories to help you slip into 2021. More great news to come – this year, the sequel to “In My Attic” will come out. Aaand – I’m working on another series. But one witch at a time. Let’s start with those we already have. Just click on the link to get more information https://books.bookfunnel.com/cozynewyear/6e2gcq35w6

Get into the season mood and grab your FREE X-mas e-book copy of “In My Attic”, first in the Magical Misfits series of cozy mysteries Sometimes all it takes is murder to discover who you truly are. Grammar school teacher Myrtle Coldron has no patience to spare for Aunt Eve’s Wiccan shenanigans. Myrtle ignores auntie’s frantic plea for help—only to learn she has crashed from the attic to her death. The circumstances are suspicious; murder is on the cards. Riddled with guilt, Myrtle returns to…Continue Reading “Christmas Goodreads Giveaway of “In My Attic”

B.T Polcari Against my Better Judgment This is a lighthearted young adult mystery starring Sara Donovan, a slightly disorganised—nah, let’s be fair about it: super-dysfunctional college freshman with a mortal fear of germs who encounters a bunch of antiquities smugglers – just in time for finals. Mauzzy to the rescue. Mauzzy is not the local sheriff, just in case you wondered. Nor is he a significant other of any form. That’s the privilege of the nicely-butted neighbour. No, Mauzzy’s a dachshund with extraordinary bladder control….Continue Reading “Review of B.T. Polcari “Against my Better Judgment””

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. What a great story premise. Set in the seedier side of Victorian London, the novel introduces Detective Nathanial Brannick. His wife having died from consumption, he’s given the case of a young Irishwoman who suffered from the same wasting disease that is now ravaging Brannick himself.  To ease the pain, he’s consuming opium – the archetypal flawed detective. There’s more to it. Like a bloody birthmark on his wrist and an eerie…Continue Reading ““Consumed” by Justin Alcala”

If you could spend time with a character from your book, which character would it be? And what would you do during that day? That would be either Myrtle—I would try to reassure her that everything will turn out all right—or Petty, the primula. She is so optimistic and cheerful, something I really am not and a good dose of that will go a long way. Tell us about the conflict in this book. What is at stake for your characters? The conflict centers on…Continue Reading “In My Attic is published – interview with the author – Part 2”

Can you describe what your book is about in one sentence? After the suspicious death of her aunt, Myrtle Coldron searches for a murderer and finds a magical misfit—herself. What is the theme of In My Attic? Finding a place, a purpose in life, even if it is not what one expected. How do you develop your plots and characters? First, I come up with a story idea—there’s a lot of inner Netflixing going on all the time. I always start with the characters, who…Continue Reading “In My Attic is published – interview with the author – Part 1”

Nicole Sallak Anderson’s Song of the King’s Heart, Book One in her “Origin” series. is a highly original novel. Not only does she expertly paint a picture of a long-gone era, she also brings back a period in Egypt’s history that is a lot less well known to readers. The author then layers on another unique experience, ultimately creating a novel abuzz with mysticism fed by sexual energy, a concept I haven’t come across anywhere else. The plot is rife with intrigue, warfare and complex…Continue Reading “Review of Nicole Sallak Anderson’s “Song of a King’s Heart””

I love reading intelligent humour. I love unique voices and, even more so, a pretty damn cool premise. Anybody surprised that I loved reading this novel? Richard has been parked in a nursing home, abandoned like a crusty old tomcat. Nobody expects him to do anything but grumble through his day—and die. Nobody – apart from another inmate, the super-dapper, mega-chipper Stanley Kapcheck. Oh, and he’s British, which makes things even worse. Of course, he’s the one who will shake Richard out of his misery,…Continue Reading “Review of E.A Comiskey’s “Some Monsters Never Die””

THE BAT is part of a string of stories told by the patrons of The Red Grouse Inn. I can see them there, sitting by the fire, a pint in their hands, spinning their yarns. I liked THE BAT, a coming-of-age story since it demonstrates that adult fiction does not have to pivot on adult protagonists. Instead, the friends enjoy Thomas’s tale, and the reader gets to listen in.Actually, while this set-up frames the narrative, it also creates a bit of a distance. We know…Continue Reading “Review of Leslie Garland’s “The Bat””

Original and unique, both the story premise and the setting of Margaret Holton’s TRILLIUM triggered my interest. TRILLIUM tells the story of Canada’s Niagara Peninsula from the advent of the first European settlers in 1750 up to the beginning of this millennium, a story that becomes an epic journey not only through time but also a very specific location. A story? No: an epic saga of three families spanning generations. Three young settlers, Tom, Franco, and Paddy sow the seeds of the novel, that grows…Continue Reading “Review of “Trillium” By Margaret L. Holton”