A Guest Post by Harry Duffin, author of Island of Dreams | Excerpt and $30 Gift Card Giveaway
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Island of Dreams by Harry Duffin Published by Independent on December 2022
Genres: Family, Historical Fiction, Saga
In May 1939, when Professor Carl Mueller, his wife, Esther, and their three children flee Nazi Germany, and find refuge on the paradise island of Cuba, they are all full of hopes and dreams for a safe and happy future. But those dreams are shattered when Carl and Esther are confronted by a ghost from their past, and old betrayals return to haunt them.
The turbulent years of political corruption leading to Batista’s dictatorship, forces the older children to take very different paths to pursue their own dangerous dreams.
And - among the chaos and the conflict that finally leads to Castro’s revolution and victory in 1959, an unlikely love begins to grow - a love that threatens the whole family.
Having escaped a war-torn Europe, their Island of Dreams is to tear them apart forever.
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Excerpt from Island of Dreams
The ornate cemetery looked deserted, but he knew they were there. Invisible, deadly, concealed among the lavish tombs of Havana’s famous and wealthy dead; crouching beside the weeping angels, the praying Madonna’s, the mock castles of granite and the towering black pyramid, last resting place of the city’s most celebrated and scandalous lovers – they were there. Hiding behind those final monuments to vanity, cradling their weapons, believing she would take up the challenge.
His heart thumped heavily inside the damp cotton shirt and linen jacket. Reaching inside, he felt the butt of the gun he had brought from Hans. He hadn’t fired a gun since he’d fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. It felt foolish to have one now, but he was prepared to give up his life to defend her.
She was brave and headstrong, and she would come, somehow. Freddie craved and feared it at the same time. ‘Craved’ – the word revealed his age as much as his feelings. Foolish old man, harbouring such dreams. Dreams he had promised himself she would never know.
They were dreams she had given him. For he had none when the ship sailed into the harbour all those years ago. She had brought him her dreams, bright as that May morning, as innocent as he was corrupt…
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Island of Dreams
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Guest Post from Harry Duffin, author of Island of Dreams
I had wanted to write a novel since I was sixteen, but, instead, I was lucky to earn a living writing drama for tv. My first novel, ‘Chicago May’, didn’t start out as a novel. I was researching a script about someone else when I came across the name of Chicago May, the most notorious swindler in New York. I decided to research her and then wrote a film script about her. And I took it to Hollywood. Well, you have to dream…
I couldn’t get arrested in Los Angeles, so I went home to the UK and put the script in a drawer. It lay in the bottom drawer for nearly ten years until Chris, my wife, said, ‘May is too good a character not to have her story told.’ so I dug out the script and wrote the novel. I didn’t send it to an agent or a publisher; I self-published it.
Nowadays, you can publish a book yourself for only a few hundred pounds, and self-published books can be just as good and successful as ones from the big publishers. Jennifer Worth self-published a memoir of her career and that became the hit tv series, ‘Call the Midwife.’ Andy Weir self-published his novel, ‘The Martian, and that was made into a film starring Matt Damon.
And, of course, E.L. James self-published ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, which despite being the most badly-written book in the English language, sold 100 million copies!
It took me about fifty years to write my first novel. But Mary Wesley wrote her first novel when she was seventy. She went on to sell three million copies of her books, including ten best sellers. Frank McCourt wrote Angela’s Ashes at sixty-six when he retired from teaching.
So, if you want to write a book, it’s never too late! Start writing that novel, that memoir. I’m sure a lot of you have cracking stories to tell. It may not sell millions, but if you like writing, if you like the way that words can move people, you can have some fun writing it.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Harry Duffin
Harry Duffin is an award-winning UK screenwriter, who won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best TV serial, while writing for Granada Television’s ‘CORONATION STREET’. Before that, in 1985, he was on the first writing team for the BBC’s ‘EASTENDERS’.
Before beginning his career writing drama for television, Harry spent a dozen years working in British theatre, as stage manager, writer, designer and director, working with actors such as Nigel Hawthorne, Anne Reid and Lesley Manville.
After script-editing the BBC’s HOWARDS’WAY, he freelanced for series like DISTRICT NURSE, THE BILL, BOON, THE BRETTS, EMMERDALE.
In 1994 he became Head of Development at the UK independent company, Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment. As the script executive he was responsible for seven major television series, included ‘SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON’ starring RICHARD ‘JOHN BOY’ THOMAS, and ‘TWIST IN THE TALE’, featuring WILLIAM SHATNER. He also wrote the film, RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND.
In 1998 he was the co-creator of the UK Channel Five teen-cult drama series ‘THE TRIBE’, which ran for five series, numbering 260 episodes. ‘THE TRIBE’ has been sold world-wide, and all series is on YouTube.
His first novel, CHICAGO MAY, is the first book of a two-part series. He has also written JAIL TALES, about his wife’s 20 year career in the prison service, and the novel BIRTH OF THE MALL RATS, the prequel to THE TRIBE.
He has just finished his third novel, ISLAND OF DREAMS, to be published on December 1st 2022.
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Giveaway!
Harry Duffin will award a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Island of Dreams
Full Tour Schedule:
October 10: Literary Gold
October 11: Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters
October 11: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
October 12: Long and Short Reviews
October 13: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
October 14: Fabulous and Brunette
October 17: The Avid Reader – review only
October 18: Gina Rae Mitchell
October 19: Westveil Publishing
October 20: All the Ups and Downs
October 21: Paws.Read.Repeat – review only
October 21: It’s Raining Books
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Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour Host
[…] Duffin let me know that his book, Island of Dreams, which I reviewed last October, is now available on […]
This sounds like an awesome book! I’d love to read it! Thanks for sharing!
Really nice cover and excerpt, looking forward to reading this!
[…] Gina Rae Mitchell […]
Great cover, this sounds pretty interesting.
I enjoyed the guest post and the excerpt, Island of Dreams sounds like an excellent book to read and I like the cover!
Thanks for sharing it with me and have a wonderful day!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Eva. I hope you have a great day too.
Sounds like a good book.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rita!
Good morning! But I know that it is afternoon where you are so good afternoon. If given the chance would you like to see this story made into a movie and if so, who is in your dream cast?
Thanks for hosting!
Harry Duffin is a new author to me, but I want to thank this blog for the introduction.
I look forward to reading this book.
You are most welcome, Audrey. I hope you enjoy it.