#Review of The Transcendent Tide by Doug Johnstone @doug_johnstone @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #BlogTour

The Transcendent Tide
By Doug Johnstone

Review by Louise Cannon

For those following the Enceladons Trilogy, this is the grand finale, of what has been a rather urgently relevant, yet entertaining read that’s just got better and better, with this final one being one of the best. Even if you aren’t into sci-fi, which isn’t a huge genre read for me, it has much more than aliens. There’s humanity and eco-awareness too.
Discover the blurb and my review below. thanks to being on the Random T. Tours blog tour and Orenda for supplying the book. Please note, all opinions are my own.

Blurb

It’s been eighteen months since the Enceladons escaped the clutches of an American military determined to exterminate the peaceful alien creatures.

Lennox and Vonnie have been lying low in the Scottish Highlands, Ava has been caring for her young daughter Chloe, and Heather is adjusting to her new life with Sandy and the other Enceladons in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland. But fate is about to bring them together again for one last battle.

When Lennox and Vonnie are visited by Karl Jensen, a Norwegian billionaire intent on making contact with the Encedalons again, they are wary of subjecting the aliens to further dangers. But when word arrives that Ava’s daughter has suffered an attack and might die without urgent help, they reluctantly make the trip to Greenland, where they enlist the vital help of local woman Niviaq.

It’s not long before they’re drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and death. What is Karl’s company really up to? Why are sea creatures attacking boats? Why is Sandy acting so strangely, and why are polar bears getting involved?

Profound, ambitious and immensely moving, The Transcendent Tide is the epic conclusion to the Encedalons Trilogy – a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Encedalons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it…

Review

The Transcendent Tide couldn’t be more timely, with a certain US President kicking off, greedily looking at Greenland, one of the most important and vital countries to save planet earth, if left virtually untouched. I’ve always reckoned that nature will always win-out, not humans in the end and this book is a fine example of nature vs humans and makes stark points of why we need to work with, not always against it. Who will win, can there be any winners, will anything turn out alright in the end?

What Doug Johnstone has created is a deeply profound trilogy, which has grown even deeper still come this final book. The way he gets the most important points across, mixed with a bit of entertainment, is done to a highly skilled quality. It’s thought-provoking and intelligently done, so that, if you’re worldly aware, you can join the dots between the events that are happening in the book to what’s happening in the world with the ideas of certain world politicians.

There are twists and turns, secrets and lies which forms some of the entertaining parts of the book, not that this dilutes any of the important points, it does however add to the readability of the plot.

I highly recommend The Transcendent Tide and the previous 2 books in the trilogy.

#Interview with Lorna Rose Treen By Lou about 24 Hour Diner People #RoseTreen @Instalorns @sohotheatre #24HourDinerPeople

Interview with Lorna Rose Treen
about 24 Hour Diner People

Soho Theatre – 8th – 13th September 2025

Interview conducted by Louise Cannon

I had the pleasure of interviewing the award-winning actor Lorna Rose Treen about her popular show, 24 Hour Diner People now at Soho Theatre, London. In August 2025, it sold out all 30 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, coupled with many glowing reviews, it’s the successful stage show you don’t want to miss!
Find out a bit about it below and then onto the interview. At the end of the interview, you can find out how you can get your hands on tickets so you can see the show yourselves and the awards won.
*Please note, I am not affiliated to anyone or anything.

24 Hour Diner People offers up a full-fat collection of eccentric, escapist, and delightfully silly characters – all served with a side of proper jokes. Expect to meet a waitress who dreams of flying, a trucker with unusually long arms, a woman who’s kept her umbilical cord, a 1960s spy on a caffeine high, and a teenager giddy from her first kiss – all somehow coexisting in a strange, time-warped roadside diner.

1. You sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and had to add extra dates due to demand for your show 24 Hour Diner People. What did that feel like at the largest festival in the world and what are your hopes as your tour it to Soho theatre, London?

It felt like an administrative error! But no it was honestly so nice to see the tickets flying, especially because no one had seen the finished show yet so it was mostly selling because people wanted to spend time with me whatever it was I was gonna do. What a lovely compliment!

2. You have some eccentric characters in your show. Are there particular people or idiosyncrasies you’ve observed in human behaviour to create your characters?

I love watching documentaries and imitating the way we used to speak in the past. I am a nightmare to watch TV with because I parrot whatever is being said and try to copy the intonation. My grandma taught me this, we were a nightmare duo.

3. What inspired you to create characters that are seen as being “voiceless” and giving them a voice and in a comical way?

I like watching the background characters in films and TV, especially from years gone by. I love giving a 5 minute monologue to a character who is a background character for a reason. So often these are women, whilst the men get to be funny in the spotlight, so it’s fun to put the attention on the women and make them get the laughs.

4. The diner you’ve created sounds brilliant fun. You say it’s a fantasy Americana seen through your Midlander eyes. What was the pull for you to build this type dineras the premise for you show?

Fringe is long, and if your show has life after fringe – it’s even longer. I wanted to build an environment I wanted to lock in and spend a lot of time in. Americans who’ve seen the show have commented that I clearly love the mundanity of the day to day, but for me a diner in America is a most exciting place to be. Growing up there were diners in every sitcom, drama, musical and film. Even though they weren’t real, they hold a place of play and joy andescapism built entirely from fiction and dreams, that you just couldn’t get in Redditch’s (now defunct) Chicago Rock Cafe.

5. If you could meet anyone in a diner, who would it be and why?

I’d like to meet James Broom from sixthform because he still owes me £20.

6. You’re no stranger to comedy and have worked with Emily Atack on her show (ITV), Time of the Week (BBC R4), true crime mockumentary, Criminally Untrue and more… what was it like to work on such huge hits and people and how do you take those experiences forward into your expanding comedic career?

Time of the Week is my radio show I co-created with Jonathan Oldfield. We star in it alongside Sian Clifford, who is unbelievably funny. It’s such an honour to be stupid alongside her. She’s like, properly properly good. Series 2 is coming out later this year, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the nonsense we have written and made Sian say. The writers room and cast are made up of people we not only find incredibly funny, but also people who we love working with. I think sometimes solo performing can feel a little lonely (not when you’re on stage connecting with an audience, but all the organising and writing process). So time of the week is a real beacon for me to connect with my fellow character colleagues like Ada Player and Alice Cockayne, Jodie Mitchell, and Jonathan. And touch base with some of the best new writers like Priya Hall. It’s a real delight to bounce your ideas off someone you think is the funniest person in the world. There’s a reason why American comedy is so successful and I think a big factor is the writer room culture. It really grows and nurtures talent.

7. Going back to 24 Hour Diner People, what do you hope people will take away from it.

I just want them to have had a stupid nice time. I don’t think my comedy will ever make you learn nothin.

8. Where can people follow you on social media?

Instalorns on instagram

LornaRegionalTransport on TikTok

Deborah Meaden on Linked in

Lorna Rose Treen will be performing 24 Hour Diner People at Soho Theatre from 8^th-13^th September. Tickets here – https://sohotheatre.com/events/lorna-rose-treen-24-hour-diner-people/

Chortle’s Best Alternative Act 2024 – Winner

Channel 4 Sean Lock Award 2023 – Finalist

Dave’s Best Joke of the Fringe 2023 – Winner

Chortle’s Best Newcomer 2023 – Winner

BBC New Comedian 2023 – Semi Finalist

Funny Women Stage Award 2022 – Winner

Funny Women Comedy Shorts Award 2022 – Winner

#BloodyScotland News – Finalists Revealed For the McIlVanney Prize 2025 @BloodyScotland #CrimeFiction #BookFestival

FINALISTS REVEALED FOR THE McILVANNEY PRIZE

sponsored by the Glencairn Glass
Winner to be presented on Friday 12 September 2025

This year the McIlvanney Prize is being judged by BBC Radio Scotland presenter, Nicola Meighan; arts journalist Arusa Qureshi and crime reviewer and regular contributor to the Bloody Scotland podcast, Gordon Mcghie. Today we can reveal the books they have selected for the shortlist and why:

THE MIDNIGHT KING by Tariq Ashkanani (Viper)
‘When we speak about thrillers being page turners (this) should be used an example of how it should be done’

THE GOOD FATHER by Liam McIlvanney (Bonnier)
‘A captivating story…McIlvanney’s slow pacing keeps you hooked’

PAPERBOY by Callum McSorley (Pushkin Press)
‘A novel dripping with wicked black humour and a real sense of place.

THE GOOD LIAR by Denise Mina (Vintage)
‘Packs a punch with its prologue. A fascinating study of a flawed protagonist & insights into the science of blood spatter’

MIDNIGHT AND BLUE by Ian Rankin (Orion)
‘With an established series it takes something special to make one title stand out – Midnight & Blue shone’

Alongside one of the biggest names in Scottish crime fiction (Sir Ian Rankin) the list features three previous winners (Denise Mina, Liam McIlvanney and Callum McSorley) and a relative newcomer to the scene, the winner of the 2022 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize (Tariq Ashkanani).

It’s also a David & Goliath moment in terms of publishers. Tariq Ashkanani, Callum McSorley and Liam McIlvanney are published by indies Pushkin Press, Viper (Profile) and Bonnier whereas the others are published by PRH and Hachette.

Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at the awards sponsor Glencairn Crystal, said:

‘Now in our sixth year of sponsoring these prestigious awards with the Glencairn Glass, the world’s official whisky glass, we continue to be incredibly impressed by the outstanding calibre of authors who take part. The remarkable creativity and talent showcased in the McIlvanney Award never fails to inspire us – congratulations and good luck to all the finalists.’

The presentation of both prizes will take place in the ballroom of The Golden Lion at 6pm on Friday 12 September before the new ‘Day of the Deid’ procession to Ian Rankin’s event at The Albert Halls.

#Review by Lou of All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain @Heidi_Swain @TeamBATC #TeamBATC #AllWrappedUp #WynbridgeSeries

All Wrapped Up
By Heidi Swain

Review by Louise Cannon

Lets all cosy up and head to Wynbridge for autumn. Heidi Swain’s latest book tempts you back to this small village where new and familiar people are met each time she sets a book here. As the trees display their leaves with their autumnal colours, they are also doing so in Wynbridge. It’s quite different from Heidi Swain’s usual summer or Christmas offerings.
Thanks to Books and The City, Simon & Schuster, I am on the blog tour with a review, which can be found after the blurb. All opinions are my own.

Blurb

In Wynbridge, the scent of autumn is on the breeze and love is in the air…

Clemmie Bennett has been renovating beautiful Rowan Cottage on the outskirts of the small town of Wynbridge, for eighteen months following a very public heartbreak back in her childhood hometown. The popular Instagram influencer, lost her husband, sold their home, and has been cosied up the Fens and living a very private life, but now she feels it’s time for a change.

A chance encounter with co-owner of The Cherry Tree Café, the bubbly Lizzie Dixon, pulls her into organizing Wynbridge’s first-ever Autumn Festival, and her once quiet life is soon a distant memory. With the whole town rallying behind the event, she discovers a new sense of purpose.

And when local vet Ash falls hard for Clemmie, she begins to wonder if she’s ready to move even further on from her past and fall in love again…

This autumn, cosy up with Heidi and this perfect seasonal romance.

Review

Heidi Swain has a knack of looking at life circumstances and putting a different slant on it, for example, her main character, Clemmie is a widow before she is 30, readers are informed in the opening pages. She brings with it a raft of emotions and circumstances, including loneliness. She brings some originality to this part of life in the writing of it and yet, of course for some readers, sadly a relatable reality, for other readers, perhaps a fostering of empathy.

There’s a vibrant picture painted in the mind’s eye of autumn, with the trees and pumpkins, as well as a sense of cosiness and comfort in cakes and other nice things to give a sense of warmth. Warmth also comes in the shape of friendship and a blossoming romance and a sense of hope too as the book goes on.

The sense of community is as strong as ever and as for Clemmie, who has her struggles in life and wants nothing more than to hide away, but she does re-enter the outside world, which is sure to give hope to anyone else feeling how she does.

All Wrapped Up has all the cosy feels and is a triumph of a book as we enter cool, crisp mornings.

#Review By Lou of Slow Burn By Oti Mabuse #OtiMabusi @TeamBATC #RomanticFiction #SlowBurn

Slow Burn
By Oti Mabusi

Review by Louise Cannon

As it nears that time of year when Strictly hits our tv screens again, Slow Burn by Oti Mabusi is timely and compelling. Oti Mabuse is no stranger to writing books, but this is her debut novel for adults and it’s stunning!
Thanks to Books and The City – Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Slow Burn, I am on the blog tour.
Check out my review after the blurb below. Please note, all opinions are my own.

Blurb

Filled with scenes of sizzling passion, plot beats of swoon-worthy romance, and a cast of Black female characters that you’ll fall in love with, the unputdownable debut novel from Oti Mabuse brims with heat and heart. Perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert, Laura Jane Williams, Tia Williams, Farrah Rochon, Hannah Grace and Bolu Babalola.

For dancer Lira, Latin Ballroom is everything. Whilst her dreams of fame were cut short aged 19, she’s never forgotten the connection she felt dancing with a stranger at the Paris World Championship afterparty 13 years ago.

Now, with her younger sisters pursuing their own successful dancing careers, and the responsibility of running the family dance studio falling to her, Lira’s ambitious flame is about to flicker out. Until a chance encounter sees her secretly auditioning for Slow Burn, a new dance show about to embark on a 6-week European tour, and coming face to face with a blast from her past that sends her reeling.

Gabriele is the quintessential bad boy of the Latin Ballroom scene. Slim of hip, with long, lean muscles that pop, a chiselled jaw, dark eyes, obscenely long lashes, and a mouth that just won’t give, it’s no surprise when he lands the principal male lead role on Slow Burn. But, with just a few weeks to go till the tour starts, he still hasn’t found his female co-star. All it takes is one audition to set his world on fire…

On the dance floor they’re smouldering, off it, they’re on fire.

Review

When opening Slow Burn and noticing the name, Lira, I couldn’t help but smile and wonder if it was a nice nod to her friend, Janette Manrara’s daughter, Lira, in at least by choosing her name to feature in the book. Nice if it is and if it isn’t, well, it’s still a pretty name.

Back to considering the plot.
It’s time to swoon as smouldering romance occurs, Slow Burn has got everything that you could wish for on this dance floor in a beautifully written plot that you just sink into and forget the cares of the day for a while.

Slow Burn is a beautiful, well-crafted character driven story, which feels at times a bit nicely artistically done, in the way that there’s one character who is at the end of the dance career and another just on the cusp of having the opportunity to dazzle. This plot and character development as everything builds up for the dance show, Slow Burn is compelling to read and you can feel the passion for dance and the expertise and experience of Oti Mabuse shine through.

As well as the dance world, there’s also home-life to contend with and not everyone is well, which adds an extra layer and a bit more complexity as it portrays life isn’t all glitz and sparkly sequins all of the time. It doesn’t get too complex, but none-the-less, adds another depth to the plot.

As you read, the connection between characters is palpable and the emotions become truly heartfelt and at times, catches you with quite an intensity, as you dance through the pages of the dancers lives. In this respect, it’s quite a surprisingly powerful read and it carries very well throughout, pulling you in further and deeper.

This is Oti Mabuse’s debut novel and I feel that if she has a desire to continue writing, she should have a bright author career future ahead of her. I would certainly read more, so hoping she keeps them coming!

#Review by Lou of From Crime Scenes to Cruise Ships – Navigating life’s troubled waters with resilience and hope by Dr. Rhona Morrison @rhonamorrisonauthor @RandomTTours #BlogTour #NonFiction #Memoir

From Crime Scenes to Cruise Ships

Navigating life’s troubled waters with resilience and hope
By Dr. Rhona Morrison

Review written by:
Louise Cannon – Bookmarks and Stages

Dr Rhona Morrison was a respected Forensic Psychiatrist and is also known for the bestselling book, I Don’t Talk To Dead Bodies. In this new book, she talks in a warm, hopeful manner about being at the crossroads of life that instantly draws you in.
Thanks to Right Book Press and Random T. Tours for a gifted copy of the book, I have the pleasure to share the blurb and my review with you, which you can find below.
All opinions are my own.

Blurb

What if your biggest challenge became your greatest adventure?

One day, Dr Rhona Morrison was a respected forensic psychiatrist planning for retirement. The next, on her birthday, she became a widow, stepping into an uncertain and unplanned future alone. But as Rhona soon discovered, an ending can also be a beginning – if you grasp the opportunities life presents.

In this warm, witty, and inspiring memoir, Rhona shares how she navigated the twists and turns of her loss and subsequent reinvention, transforming her grief into opportunity. From launching an art business and writing her first book, I Don’t Talk to Dead Bodies, to becoming a cruise ship lecturer and embarking on global adventures, she tackled each step with an open heart. Along the way, she discovered unexpected joys, new passions, and a renewed sense of purpose.

From Crime Scenes to Cruise Ships is an uplifting story of resilience, reinvention and embracing the unknown. Whether you’re facing loss, retirement, or a major life shift, Rhona’s journey is a reminder that even when life feels uncertain, you still have the power to shape your future. It may not look like you once imagined, but it can still be rich with meaning, adventure and possibility.

Your story isn’t over; the next chapter is waiting. So, let’s turn the page and step into what comes next – together.

Review

Dr. Rhona Morrison shows that life doesn’t stand still, not even after you’ve lost the love of your life, your life partner. She lost her husband and one day found herself on a very different, perhaps unexpected path in her life as she ends on a cruise ship.
It’s a rather wisely written memoir, that really touches your heart and soul. On the page, anyway, she has this clever ability to draw you in closer to her, to her life story and care about it. It isn’t just merely the content of her life story that does this, and some of it is indeed heart-rendering, it’s the way it’s written and presented too, including the way she frames her life and work, through the good and the more challenging times.

The book is frank and from the prologue, made me want to sit in on one of her talks, it truly sounds fascinating as she explains a bit about her profession and also her inner-self. From the start, I warmed to her. She then rewinds time a bit to her husband, the empty chair and more… I smiled about the 32 Edinburgh Fringe shows. That is impressive and more than me in my limited time. I have to add here, that I like that later in the book, she mentions seeing Kevin Quantum, a fabulous magician, whom I too have had the pleasure to review, interview and meet.

She talks frankly about the stages of grief and how they were for her, whilst smartly acknowledging that it can be different for other people. Still, there’s a lot that people can gain from her opening up like this. Throughout the book, she tells quite a bit about herself in terms of personality, struggles, the ‘human condition’ side really, amongst some of the really positive, cool human life stuff of lecturing/giving talks where lots of people listen to her, seeing some people who are also making their name out there.

There’s a lot of heart-warming content written too, when it comes to friendships and the activities they do. The adventures sound immense!

Dr. Rhona Morrison is inspirational in how she navigates life, even when huge changes occur and cross-roads are presented, she shows there is a way forward.

Crime Scenes to Cruise Ships is fascinating, entertaining and gives bags of hope in a very well articulated book. Whether you’re on the verge of retirement or not, perhaps at a cross-road in life or wanting something new to read, this book caters for it all.