Some #SmallPressBigStories TBR

I was planning to write a small blog post about A Good Year by Polis Loizou to celebrate #SmallPressBigStories (created and celebrated by Runalong The Shelves), but the story didn't hit me in a way that I felt like I could blog about it (it was ok, but it wasn't for me). 

Oh, #SmallPressBigStories is a way to celebrates stories and authors published by smaller, independent publishers (aka not the big 5/6 publishers - Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Bonnier, Hachette Book Group and PanMacmillan). So, in theory, I can include Walker Books, Head of Zeus, Oneworld Publication, Bloomsbury, etc. Plus, if you look hard enough, there are small indie press everywhere - Firefly Press, Nosy Crow, The O'Brien Press, Hera, Black and White Publishing, 404 Press, Knights Of, and so many more that I can't remember at time of writing. 

But what I thought would be fun is to show some that are on my radar and explain why they're on my radar. Am not going to show you all, as am a bit of a magpie reader (though I do read fantasy and crime reader of all age ranges) and I want to give these books some love as I haven't heard much about these titles, but I think you should.

Quickie Interview with Mel Gough

You thought I was going to take today off, weren't you? Well, nope. Not today, for I am welcoming author Mel Gough onto the Pewter Wolf for a tiny Q&A (Four questions. Yes, that's how quick it is!)

Mel Gough is the author of several romances (which usually have a dead body in, for good measure). Her latest, A Leap of Faith, is published by Red Dog Press and is a little different from what I normally talk about or read on here. 

Set in South Africa in the early 1950s, Father Daniel Blakemore is happy with his missionary secondment in small, rural hospital on the Eastern Coast. Being away from England makes it easier to hide this homosexuality - a secret that would destroy everything if it ever comes out. 

So when Doctor Eddie Raleigh starts working the same hospital, the two men are instantly drawn to each other and their liaison represents both Daniel's deepest desire and his worst nightmare. If this ever comes to light, it could ruin everything. 

And with the emergences of the apartheid in South Africa and the criminal nature of homosexuality in the UK, how are the two men going to survive: in love, fear or duty?

I am thrilled that, when I did a twitter query about "Should I randomly email some MM romance authors to see if they want to be on the blog?" that both Mel herself and Red Dog Press jumped at me and went "Yes!" and, after a mini chat, Mel had kindly offered to be involved in a small Q&A. So, to Mel, thank you for spending time writing this post out. I know you must be busy, and thank you to whoever is in charge of Red Dog Press's Twitter (@RedDogTweets) for pushing us together. 

Oh, before I hand you over to Mel, let me point you into her social media home. If you want to check out her website, you can visit at melgough.com, or if you want to tweet her and say hi, you can at @melgough_writer. She can, also, be found on Facebook and Instagram. 

Now, ONTO THE QUESTIONS!

First Mini-Reviews of 2021

I know I’ve done mini-reviews already this year for my Christmas and New Year reading. And with everything happening and With lockdown and reading/blogging fatigue, I need to get back in the rhythm of blogging again. And, while I do plan to post at least two review/write-ups a month (and take more breaks and use Goodreads more - this is when I should turn round to you and go “BEFRIEND ME ON GOODREADS at goodreads.com/pewterwolf!” Or ask you guys for what other bookish social media do you use as I am tempted to try something new?), I felt like I could do that with these two titles, my first in 2021.

And they are curveballs. I think you might like them both...

I'm Crazy For You

The Pewter Wolf's going all green with this stop on the Crazy for You tour! yes, T.S. Hunter and Red Dog are back and they want to let you know about the fourth book in the Soho Noir series, Crazy for You. 

Now, the plan was for me to read the first and second instalments - Tainted Love and Who's That Girl - before this stop actually happened. I read the third - Careless Whisper - a few months back. August, I believe. And I had such a fun weekend reading it (link to that reaction post is here). But real life and near reading slumps threw me through the ringer this month so bear with me as I try and tempted you with this. 

London's Soho in 1987 is in the grip of another hot summer, and while temping at his local pub, The Red Lion, Joe somehow finds himself agreeing to find the missing girlfriend of Tony "The Lizard" Lagorio. It's Tony's daughter, Antonia, who comes to Joe, fearing that daddy's girlfriend has been kidnapped by a rival gangster. 

But it looks like the girlfriend's very rich father is already asking Joe and business partner, Russell, to find his daughter via his client (and Russell's maybe boyfriend), Freddie Gillespie. It looks like everyone wants to keep this out of the public eye. 

But as Joe and Russell try and the find the missing girlfriend and stop a gang turf war from happening, a face from Freddie's past has appeared and could easily make Freddie lose his job and his relationship with Russell... 

Everyone needs to watch their step. It's a very thin line between love and war... 

I am thrilled that Red Dog asked if I could show an extract of Crazy for You. As you can guess, I am trying to go into this series blind and I heard rumours that there might be a physical bind-up of the whole series out in time for Christmas as I am thinking of treating self to this beast! 

Now, before I hand you over to the extract, I want to thank Dylan at Red Dog for asking if I wanted to be involved (hell yeah!). If you want to know more about TS, you can pop over to his Twitter - @TSHunter5 - or bark at Red Dog Press at @reddogtweets. If you want to know more about Crazy for You or the rest of the Soho Noir novellas, pop over to Red Dog's website. 

Now, over to TS!

Time Can Never Mend Careless Whispers

BLOG TOUR ALERT! And yes, it's a bit of a side-step and yet, so completely on brand for me that, when I heard this blog tour might be in the works, I did a lot of twitter begging to be involved! 

So, let me get all the info out of the way and talk to y'all about Soho murder! 

• Title And Author: Careless Whisper by T.S. Hunter
• Publisher: Red Dog Press
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by the publisher in exchange for an honest review/reaction
• Length: 106 Pages

The third instalment in the Soho Noir series (I have the first and second on my kindle and hoping to read them over the summer or as part of my Murder Month this coming September... keep your eyes peeled for that) takes readers to 1986 Soho, London where lead singer of the popular boy band, Loose Lips, is struggling to stay in the closet while the band is going through a messy breakup. 

TV Runner, Joe Stone, is assigned to Adam during a behind-the-scene, warts and all expose of the group recording their final album.

But when the band's manager, Jack Eddy is found dead in Adam's hotel room, the Police instantly think it was a sex game gone wrong and Adam is the primary suspect. But Joe doesn't think so, and turns to his former policeman and flatmate, Russell to help clear Adam's name. 

As the two investigate what could have happened, Russell is waiting. Waiting for some test results, which could change his life...