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#MGMonday... Middle Grade Settings

 Middle Grade Settings: An Introduction Having photos in front of you can help you write about your settings I’m going to make a confession. Settings are not something I often spend time planning. Perhaps my stories are the poorer for it, but the settings come as I’m writing or editing. The Glass Room, in Taking Wing, is not something I planned before I started writing. Personally, I’m a very visual writer, seeing my characters as though they are a video in my head, and I write what I see. As such, the setting just happens! There are benefits and drawbacks to this. The main benefit is that the writing process is more interesting. Not everything is set, and my story can still give me surprises. The drawback is that, similar to AI, I cannot know that I’m not stealing settings from films and books I’ve seen/read previously. I certainly don’t mean to plagiarise but the concern is a real one! With that in mind, I have started to at least have a vague idea of my settings before I start t...
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Book Review - Mrs Murray's Home



I'm thrilled to be taking part in the book tour for this really enjoyable book "Mrs Murray's Home" by Emily-Jane Hills Orford!

Mrs Murray's Home

Blurb

Home is where the heart is, or so they say. It’s also been said that a home is a person’s castle. But home is also with family and friends. Mrs. Murray longs for home, the family home, a castle an ocean away. The Brownies also crave for home, the same castle Mrs. Murray considers home. And Granny? Mary’s Granny hasn’t been home since she was Mary’s age. It’s time to visit the homeland, Scotland. Mary’s excited to tag along with Granny, Mrs. Murray and the Brownies. And then there’s the witch. The one they thought they’d killed. And the treasure. The one they had found. And it all ties together, for better or for worse. Join the adventure in book 3 of the popular “Piccadilly Street Series”.
Review



I loved most of the characters, in particular Brunny. He seemed human (although, of course, he's not! He's a brownie!) but I enjoyed his grumbles and his sweet nature. Having the two aspects worked really well and made him an enjoyably 3D character. He was certainly my favourite character. Funny, caring, and relatable.

 I also liked the little twists (which I won't mentioned here!) and the surprises in the novel that were interwoven skilfully into the story. I never felt that the story was forced. The plot was fast paced and certainly enjoyable!

 Although this is not the first book with these characters, the author relays the prior information really well, without info-dumping. I haven't read the earlier books, but I found I didn't need to. It was an enjoyable standalone story.

 There was one thing that niggled me quite a bit about the book: the research about Scotland. I've never known it to snow in July. The last frost date is in May.
It's also incredibly tricky using real places. The book is mostly set at Blair Castle - a real place owned (at the time) by a real family. Strangely, I had no problem with the brownies in the castle. It was Cousin George who I took exception to. Personally, I'd have preferred it if Mary and her Granny visited a fictional castle, or the old Duke of Atholl was portrayed a little more realistically.

 I also wasn't sure about the witch, and how she was "born bad". I do love a good baddy back-story - you know, a reason for all the bad stuff that they've done - and I don't really like a kid's book to have the Born-Bad-Baddy. Personally, I think this isn't a good lesson for kids to learn.

 On the whole, however, I really enjoyed reading this book. I read the entire book in a day, which is always an indication of a fabulous plot! Thank you Emily-Jane Hills Orford for sharing this gripping book with me!
Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Please do leave your own review on Amazon, or Goodreads, or whichever your favourite book platform is. Reviews really help authors!

There's an awesome Rafflecopter prize that you can enter by following this link:

Please follow the rest of the tour posts of this gripping book as it starts its journey into the world:

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Comments

  1. Emily-Jane Hills Orford29 April 2020 at 11:01

    Thanks for hosting me and my book, "Mrs. Murray's Home". Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clemency Crow29 April 2020 at 18:47

      You're very welcome! I may have to search out the previous books!

      Delete
  2. Bernie Wallace29 April 2020 at 13:07

    I like the cover. Did you help design it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily-Jane Hills Orford29 April 2020 at 13:41

      The publisher has an amazing cover designer who has designed the covers for each book in the series. I'm glad you like it.

      Delete
  3. Victoria Alexander29 April 2020 at 18:24

    Thanks for sharing your review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Leah Cavendish29 April 2020 at 18:32

    The book sounds great and I like the cover.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clemency Crow29 April 2020 at 18:48

      It's a really entertaining book!

      Delete
    2. Emily-Jane Hills Orford29 April 2020 at 19:19

      Thanks. I have to admit I had a lot of fun writing all the books in this series. There's one more to come.

      Delete
  5. Clemency Crow29 April 2020 at 18:50

    You're very welcome! Thank you for the opportunity!

    ReplyDelete
  6. pippirose30 April 2020 at 00:44

    Sounds like a fun read! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily-Jane Hills Orford30 April 2020 at 11:17

      I hope you get to read this book and the other books in the series. One more book to come.

      Delete
  7. James Robert30 April 2020 at 09:19

    Thanks so much for both the book description and giveaway as well. I enjoy hearing about another good book.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bernie Wallace30 April 2020 at 12:56

    Do you find a difficult time concentrating on your work due to everything going on in the country right now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily-Jane Hills Orford1 May 2020 at 19:43

      I have to write. It's my sanity. When my mother was dying of cancer ten years ago and my son was fighting his own battle with cancer at the same time, I had to write. Writing takes me away from the problems of the day without having to sacrifice the importance of those around me. So, yes, it is difficult, but I make myself write - every day. To keep me sane in a time full of insanity.

      Delete

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