Book Review: So Shall Ye Reap: Book #2 of the Revenge Series by Terry Tyler

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Call it karma, call it poetic justice - two novellas that explore the cunning way life can exact its own revenge, in a way that no amount of foresight can ever fully predict.

Like the first in Terry Tyler’s 'Revenge' Series, the second book, So Shall Ye Reap leans into the  unsettling satisfaction that revenge can bring when the law proves inadequate. True to its title, the story is deliberate, patient, and chilling, an exploration of why ordinary people might come to justify extraordinary acts.

I particularly like Terry Tyler’s skill at adding authentic layers to relationships as the plots develop.  The characters are shaped by trauma, frustration, and a simmering sense of injustice. 

Moments of inevitable violence are not overplayed; instead, they arrive with a cold inevitability that lingers long after the page is turned. The pacing reflects this approach, building tension to accumulate steadily.

The two stories of So Shall Ye Reap are intelligent and unsettling, standing out in a crowded genre. For those who appreciate dark psychological depth, moral complexity, and a narrative that trusts the reader to engage critically, Terry Tyler delivers stories that are thought-provoking and disturbing.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Terry Tyler lives in the North East of England with her husband, where she goes for long walks with camera in hand, feeds birds and tries to grow stuff, as well as ploughing through her TBR list and writing books.  She loves history, particularly Saxon, Plantagenet and Tudor, and is still waiting for the zombie apocalypse. You cna find Terry on Twitter @TerryTyler4, Instagram @terry__tyler  and Bluesky @terrytyler.bsky.social

Special Guest Interview with Liisa Kovala, Aurhor of Like Water for Weary Souls

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

In Nolin Creek, the water runs deep and the secrets run deeper. In the harsh landscape of a Depression-era Northern Ontario mining town, Finnish immigrant sisters Hanna and Essi Kivi scrape together a living as domestic workers, sharing a room in a disreputable boarding house owned by a protective madame.

I'm pleased to welcome author Liisa Kovala to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book?

Like Water for Weary Souls is a historical mystery set in the 1930s Depression in a Northern Ontario mining town. Two Finnish domestic workers move from their farming community to the Sudbury. When Hanna’s body is found in Nolin Creek after a spring snowstorm, the police claim it was an accident due to unstable ice. But Essi knows it was no accident and is determined to find out what really happened to her sister. She soon learns that she didn’t know Hanna as well as she though she did as secrets are uncovered and suspects accumulate. Essi is driven by a sense of loyalty, sisterhood, and justice to find out what really happened.

I was particularly interested in how well we really know one another. That question led me to consider all the characters in the novel and the dreams they have for themselves. What are they willing to do to achieve them? 

What is your preferred writing routine?

I don’t have a writing routine. I’ve always been a writer who needed to fit writing into my life as a mother, teacher, and coach. Now, I’m a full-time creative, working with book coaching clients and writing my own books, along with all the administrative work, social media,  and marketing that involves. Despite my more flexible schedule, I still don’t write at a particular time of day, and I don’t write every day. And yet the words come and the books get written.

A strategy that works well for me and many of my clients is mirroring. We gather together either in person or on Zoom and write together for 30-minute sprints with short breaks in-between. There is something motivating by being around other folks who are writing. It gives us permission to spend time on our writing without being disrupted by the other tasks that pull us away. 

 

What advice do you have for new writers? 

I have two pieces of advice for new writers. The first is one they’ve probably heard before, but it is essential. Read. Read great novels. Read mediocre stories. Read terrible books. Read in your genre. Read outside your genre. Read Classics. Read contemporary authors. And read like a writer. Study craft. 

The second piece of advice is to start before you are ready. We’re all guilty of finding ways to distract ourselves from the work itself by doing writing adjacent activities. Of course, we do need to research, take classes, attend webinars, read craft books, but we also need to start writing. Not when we feel ready. Now. Just start.

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books? 

Marketing and promotion are topics that make many authors cringe. It took me a long time to understand that I wasn’t bothering people by posting about my latest release. They would just scroll by if they weren’t interested. Now, I think differently about sharing my work. I really love connecting with readers and talking about books. When I approach promoting my books with a genuine intention, it creates relationships instead of feeling “icky.” Unfortunately, there is no one way to or right way. There is only your way. 

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.

While researching for Like Water for Weary Souls, I came across a book Varpu Lindstrom, a researcher who wrote Defiant Sisters: A Social History of Finnish Immigrant Women in Canada. I was surprised to find a chapter written about Sudbury in the 1930s, focussed on the kinds of activities women were engaged in at the time. 

I learned that many women ran boarding houses, some were bootleggers, and others ran brothels. I decided to have my young women find lodgings in a boarding house that turns out to be a brothel run by a Finnish madame who was also a bootlegger. 

What was the hardest scene you remember writing? 

One of the hardest scenes to write was the death of the youngest sister Martta. It’s an unexpected and tragic moment that affects all the characters, including her older sisters Essi and Hanna, and their parents. It’s the reason Essi knows Hanna would never have crossed the frozen creek. She understood what water can do.

What are you planning to write next? 

I always have several projects on the go. I have a historical novel about a Finnish war child ready for the editing stages and another about set in the socialist utopian society of Sointula in British Columbia in the drafting stages. I also have four books coming out in 2026 in the Hygge House Cozy Mystery series. Book 1, Hygge and Homicide, will be released on March 3 and Book 2, Midsummer, Marriage, and Murder will be released in April. I write the cozy mysteries under my pen name, A. L. Jensen. 

Liisa Kovala

About the Author

Liisa Kovala is an award-winning Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster. She is the author of Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu, 2025), Sisu's Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022), and Surviving Stutthof: My Father's Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017). She also writes the Hygge House Nordic Cozy Mystery series under the pen name A. L. Jensen. Liisa is inspired by her Finnish heritage and the northern landscape she calls home. Learn more about Liisa at liisakovalabookcoach.com and subscribe toliisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com to download a free copy of the workbook The Sisu Writing Method: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Writers.

Blog Tour: Bright One, By Lisajoy Sachs

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

When desperate choices mean the difference between life and death.

Inspired by true events, Bright One tells the story of Jetti Finkelthal, Lisajoy Sachs’ great-grandmother. In Czernowitz, Romania, this young Jewish mother is forced to face impossible choices as the world begins to collapse around her. As antisemitism tightens its grip and war edges ever closer, Jetti holds fast to her daughter, Berta, with the fragile belief that love and courage might still carve a way through the darkness.

Heartened by her grandmother Berta's letters, photographs, and family oral histories, Sachs revives a story both intimate and universal—stitched with the fabric of daily life, the pull of memory, and the quiet heroism of women who refused to yield to despair. Told with vivid, sensory detail, the novel unfolds as if you are walking beside the characters, witnessing what they see and sharing in what they feel.

Through Jetti’s resilience and sacrifices, Bright One reveals the enduring strength of family ties and the shadow of trauma that lingers across generations. It is a story of survival, of loss, and of the unbreakable connection between mother and child.

For readers captivated by historical fiction that lingers long after the final page, Bright One offers a profoundly human portrait of love tested by history’s darkest hours.

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Ab out the Author

Lisajoy Sachs is a dedicated writer and advocate for the preservation of history and culture through storytelling. Born and raised on Long Island and in the Catskills Mountain region of New York, Lisajoy's early years were shaped by the picturesque landscapes of mountains and the sea. Growing up, she embraced her family’s deep connection to community and tradition. Her professional journey is as dynamic as her personal interests. With a diverse career spanning Fine Arts, Interior Design, Metal Smithing, Lapidary, and the craft beer and hospitality industries, she has cultivated a deep and varied understanding of her many fields of interest. Find out more at her website https://www.authorlisajoysachs.com/  and find  her on  Facebook and Twitter @Saxdsign

Book Review: 'If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause': The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn, by Heather R. Darsie

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

Heather R. Darsie’s If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause is a compelling and thought-provoking reassessment of Anne Boleyn’s fall. Rather than familiar Tudor court drama, Heather Darsie reframes Anne’s execution as a calculated act of judicial murder made possible by the legal and religious upheavals of the English Reformation.

What sets this book apart is its attention to context often overlooked: Anne’s reformist sympathies, her Continental connections, and the broader ideological threat she posed to Henry VIII once she ceased to be politically useful. Heather Darsie’s argument is well constructed, well-researched, and clearly written, making complex legal and theological issues accessible without oversimplification.

This is a persuasive re-evaluation that challenges long-held assumptions, the story of Anne Boleyn you thought you knew.

Tony Riches

 

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About the Author

Heather R. Darsie works as an attorney in the US. Along with her Juris Doctorate she has a BA in German, which was of great value in her research. She completed multiple graduate-level courses in Early Modern History, with her primary focus being the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V. She runs the website MaidensAndManuscripts.com, and is a co-host of Tudors Dynasty podcast. Find out more at maidensandmanuscripts.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Bluesky @hrdarsiehistory.bsky.social

Special Guest interview with Doug Lawrence, Author of Grief – The Silent Pandemic

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Grief is a profound and universal experience, a natural response to the loss of someone or something deeply cherished. Yet, for many, the journey through grief is made even more difficult by a lack of personal understanding and a society rife with misconceptions about what it means to grieve. This widespread misunderstanding has contributed to a mental health pandemic, leaving countless individuals feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and without the tools to heal.

I am pleased to welcome author Doug Lawrence to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book 

Grief the Silent Pandemic offers a guiding light in the darkness of loss. Drawing from decades of experience as a grief mentor and the deeply personal pain of losing my beloved wife, My aim is to provide a compassionate and insightful exploration of the grieving process. With raw honesty and profound empathy, I delve into the complexities of grief, shedding light on the emotional, psychological, and societal challenges it presents.

Through heartfelt storytelling, practical advice, and actionable solutions, I hope to empower readers to navigate their own grief journeys. I challenges the stigma and misinformation surrounding grief, offering a roadmap to healing that is rooted in understanding, connection, and hope.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I prefer to write in the morning when I am fresh and motivated to tell my story. I have experienced writers block a couple of times and have struggled to get back on track. I resorted to taking a sabbatical from writing and went away on a trip to see if that would work. It didn’t.

What advice do you have for new writers?

What purpose are you trying to achieve with your writing? Will your target audience recognize themselves in the beginning of your story? Focus and set aside dedicated time for writing. If you don’t then you will wander aimlessly trying to find yourself and who you are writing for.

 
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

I have donated a lot of books to various people and groups and would end up getting a referral. The work that my publicist does has also raised awareness. I have done over 200 podcasts and I share my story about mental health, grief and mentoring and I talk about my book. LinkedIn has been a good way to promote as well. I would like to do some speaking engagements (face to face – in person). For me, it is raising awareness of the book but also my story.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

This has been a tough journey as the more I researched the deeper I went. My story became a part of someone else’s story. Their story became an extension of mine.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

As my book is based on lived experiences, they were not scenes that I was exposed to but actual real-life experiences – lived experiences. One that stands out and has a profound effect on me was when my wife Debra had become really ill from the Cancer and went to her family doctor. She was sent immediately to the Emergency Department. 

As we sat in an examination room in the ER waiting for the doctor, I began to assume the worst that something really bad was going to happen. Up to that point it was only my assumption as to what might be happening. The doctor attempted as best he could to keep us positive but based on the tests he had done and his comments I knew that my Debra was going to die and there was nothing that I could do. Every time I speak about this or write about it I relive that time over and over.

What are you planning to write next?

I started to write on mentoring, mental health and spirituality and kept being pulled towards the topic of grief and spirituality as that has a strong message for me.I have to decide how deep I want to go with the sub-topic of spirituality or does it become a main topic. I am not there yet,

Yet within this spiritual disorientation lies potential for transformation. Grief can open space for a more authentic spirituality—one that allows questions without judgment and honors presence over platitudes. It invites connection not through explanation, but through compassion, ritual, memory, and meaning-making. Spirituality becomes less about belief systems and more about how one lives with loss, love, and hope.

Doug Lawrence

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About the Author

Doug Lawrence is an International Certified Mentor and holds two Mentor Certifications; Certificate of Competence – Mentor and the Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor from the International Mentoring Community. Doug is the only one to hold the Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor in the world today. Doug served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for 25 years retiring in February of 1999 at the rank of Staff Sargent. Doug has been involved in the certification of mentors since 2009 when he first partnered with an organization to provide mentor certification based on knowledge. Doug has now partnered with an expert in certification to provide a certification for mentors based on competence.  Doug’s Practice of Mentoring continues to grow and has resulted in: 1) his teaching of others how to effectively mentor, 2)the mentoring of others internationally, 3) and being recognized as a thought leader in the mentoring space. Find out more at Doug's website https://talentc.ca/

Historical Fiction Spotlight: A Whisper On The Breeze, by Ellen Gough

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Violet and her widowed mother, Mabel, lived a life of drudgery on their rural farm. Mabel never got over the loss of her son in the Great War. He was the only man she ever truly loved. Any hopes she had for a better future, were thwarted the day her mother came into school brandishing a horse whip. 

Her beauty attracted unwelcomed attention, but her mother had not unprepared her for the ways of men. She met her nemesis at the tender age of fourteen, only to have to face him again, years later. Would he still carry a grudge against her for what she and her mother did?

When Violet had children of her own she gave them the love that her own mother denied her. When she became a single mother during World War 11, her high principles were put to the test. When the Americans arrived, bringing fresh hope, she grabbed at the chance of happiness. However, when someone she trusted committed the most heinous of crimes, she was left doubting her skills as a mother.

Violet's daughter, Annie, was determined not to live a life of poverty like her mother and grandmother. She was adamant that nothing would stand in her way. Later she found herself caught up in a scandal involving her employer, would she do the right thing or would she continue to turn a blind eye? Her high flying job came at a cost, had she left it too late to find love?

This saga follows the lives of three generations of the Smith/Higgins family and their fight against poverty through two world wars and beyond. All three women think they are different to one another, but is that really the case?

‘A powerful story with a cast of brilliant characters.’ Joy Wood - Award winning author of ‘Whatever It Takes’

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About the Author

Ellen Gough is the author of the historical saga,  A WHISPER ON THE BREEZE. She has previously published a book of comedic poems, called THE ADVENTURES of Betty and Maeve. She is also an artist. She did not start writing until after retiring from a career in nursing. You can find Ellen on Linkedin and Instagram

Book review: Mary of Modena: James II's Dazzling Queen, by Justine Brown

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

The 1688 “Glorious Revolution” that toppled James II and VII also veiled his consort in propaganda. Mary of Modena: James II’s Dazzling Queen reveals the extraordinary woman beneath. Lovely and spirited, Mary Beatrice Isabella d’Este is also England’s sole Italian queen

Justine Brown’s Mary of Modena: James II’s Dazzling Queen is a compelling and illuminating biography that restores Mary Beatrice Isabella d’Este to her rightful place as one of the most fascinating figures of late Stuart England. 

The strong narrative brings to life the extraordinary journey of England’s sole Italian queen: from her early aspirations to become a nun to her acceptance of a dynastic marriage, and ultimately to her years as a determined queen consort, regent, and supporter of the Jacobite cause.

Justine Brown’s style is accessible, presenting historical detail with clarity.  Her passion for the subject shines through to create a thoughtful and richly detailed account I am happy to recommend.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Justine Brown lives in London with her husband, and is the author of several books on a Utopian theme, as well as The Private Life of James II. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Justine travelled widely from a young age. She holds an M.A. in English literature from the University of Toronto, where she developed a broad interest in seventeenth century culture. There she became a Junior Fellow of Massey College. The author of three Utopian-themed books, she runs a YouTube history vlog, Justine Brown’s Bookshelf. Find out more from Justine's website and follow her on Twitter @brown_bookshelf