We're so excited to welcome Amanda Block & CJ Cooke to store to celebrate the publications of their new novels The Haunting of Hero's Bay & The Last Witch.

Tickets are £5 and can be redeemed against any purchase on the evening of the event. 

The Haunting of Hero's Bay

1840
As a vast ship loses its way in the night-time mist, shattering against the cliffs of
Crescombe, North Devon, a daring young artist dives into the murky sea. But it's not for
heroism he is risking all: something - or someone - is drawing him into those dark,
perilous waters... By dawn, only his legacy will survive.

Now
When Finley arrives in Crescombe for the summer, he suspects he's not alone in his attic
bedroom. Before long, he is uncovering secrets the remote seaside town has kept for
almost two centuries: about ghosts and curses, about a ruthless old smuggling family, and about the young women whose bodies have washed up along the town's rocky shoreline, just below his porthole window.

Yet the more Finley learns, the further he's bonded to those who have gone before him -
and the closer he comes to meeting the same watery end. But this is not just a story about death. It's about love. It's about fate. And how, ultimately, the past can pull you under.

The Last Witch

Will she be damned by flame… or cursed by magic? Innsbruck 1485 Helena should be doing what every other wealthy young wife is doing: keeping her husband’s house, bearing his children.

But when their footman is found dead, Helena is accused of killing him. Worse, she is accused of being a witch. Imprisoned with six other women, Helena is plunged into a world of terror.

When a cursed witch totem is smuggled into the prison, the prisoners attempt to use it to escape only to unleash a malevolent spirit which places all their lives in danger. Does Helena risk her life and the lives of others by standing up to the terrifying witchfinder and risk death at the stake if found guilty? Or is the real threat the world beyond this one…?

About the authors

Originally from Devon, Amanda moved to Edinburgh in 2007, where she attained a
master's degree in creative writing. Since then, she's divided her time between
ghostwriting, editing and tutoring.

Amanda's writing is often inspired by myths and fairy tales, which she uses as starting
points to tell new stories. Her work has been shortlisted in contests such as the Bridport
Prize and the Mslexia Short Story Competition. The Lost Storyteller is her first novel.

C.J. Cooke is an acclaimed, award-winning poet, novelist and academic with numerous other publications written under the name of Carolyn Jess-Cooke. Her work has been published in twenty-three languages to date. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature from Queen’s University, Belfast, and is currently Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she researches creative writing interventions for mental health. C.J. Cooke lives in Glasgow with her husband and four children. @CJessCooke

If you have any questions regarding the event or to request additional accessibility accommodations please contact hello@rarebirdsbooks.com