Pam Lecky's Blog, page 14
January 7, 2022
Pam Lecky Will Win Your Heart with ‘Her Secret War’ [DIAMOND REVIEW]
Does a young woman have what it takes to become a spy? (Photo courtesy Canva)
She thought they were safe. But that was before she heard the drone of planes overhead. The following day’s events changes her life forever. Does she have what it takes to rise from the ashes and forge a new path as a spy? Find out in Pam Lecky’s Her Secret War.
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December 13, 2021
1940: A Blitz Christmas
This could not be more appropriate when describing what became known as ‘Blitzmas’. In December 1940, Hitler’s Luftwaffe was doing its best to wipe British cities off the map. But the British public were having none of it and were determined to have the best possible holiday they could. Time magazine reported that Christmas parties were being held in the larger air-raid shelters, which provided safety for over one million people. Even the London theatres put on the usual Christmas Pantomimes. However, everyone suffered. It was not a normal Christmas by any means.
Gifts were difficult to come by. However, the Evening Standard reported that the Oxford Street pavements were congested and had a pre-war atmosphere. Luxuries such as silk stockings or French perfume were not to be found, but there was still liqueur chocolates available, and if you were lucky, you might find some figs or Turkish delight. Wine and spirits were plentiful but brandy was rare. The most popular present that Christmas was soap!
It was a ‘recycle’ Christmas. At home, decorations for the most part, were handmade, often by the children. Due to a paper shortage, scraps of paper, old Christmas cards, old newspapers, and brown paper were used to make ornaments and decorations. Presents were often homemade gifts wrapped in brown paper or even small pieces of cloth. Hand knitted items, such as hats and scarves were made by unravelling old jumpers and war bonds were bought and given as gifts, which helped the war effort. Homemade food items, such as chutneys and jams were popular and practical presents, along with items associated with gardening, like wooden dibbers for planting.
Manchester Christmas BlitzThere was little reprieve from the misery of Blitzkrieg. Greater Manchester bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe’s attacks that Christmas. On the night of 22/23 December 272 tons of high explosive were dropped, and another 195 tons the following night. Almost 2,000 incendiaries were also dropped on the city over the two nights. It became known as the Christmas Blitz. In total, 684 people died and a further 2,300 were wounded with districts to the north and east of the city badly affected. At least 8,000 homes were made uninhabitable.
The royal family had to spend the holiday at a secret location in case the Nazi airmen attacked while George VI was giving his Christmas broadcast. But as a mark of solidarity with the British public, the royal Christmas card was a picture of the king and queen in the grounds of the bombed Buckingham Palace. Traditional carol singing was cancelled due to the bombing and black-out, festive lights were not to be found on the streets, and many people had to work on the 26th of December, Boxing Day, which was a public holiday.
Due to rationing and high prices, most could not afford the traditional turkey or goose. Housewives had to use all their ingenuity to find substitutes. Luckily, the Ministry of Food provided lots of information (see recipe below) and even films on the subject. (The Imperial War Museum has many examples of these.) The only concession came in the week before Christmas in 1940; the tea ration was doubled and the sugar allowance increased to 12 ounces.
It can’t have been easy to celebrate a normal Christmas with many families separated by war and loved ones fighting overseas. Even though there was a small respite from the bombing in London on Christmas and Boxing Day, by 29th December, many families were rushing for the safety of air raid shelters once more. The King’s speech on Christmas Day must have been the highlight for many families but in December 1940. the outlook still looked bleak.
“The future will be hard, but our feet are planted on the path of victory, and with the help of God we shall make our way to justice and to peace.” King George VI (Christmas 1940)
In Her Last Betrayal, the sequel to Her Secret War, Sarah Gillespie spends Christmas with her family in Hampshire and is delighted to be involved in the Hursley Amateur Dramatic Society’s production of Hayfever, which they put on for the locals just before Christmas. However, it is to be a tragic Christmas that Sarah will never forget …
Her Last Betrayal will be released on 14th April. Cover reveal in the new year but pre-order now available:
December 7, 2021
New Release from Pam Lecky
Abbey Gardens, where it all started in No Stone UnturnedIt has been a hectic year, working on many different projects, including Her Secret War and Her Last Betrayal for Avon Books UK. However, as you probably know, my Lucy Lawrence Mystery Series is very close to my heart. Therefore, I am delighted to announce that the third book in the series, The Art of Deception, is now live for pre-order on Amazon worldwide. This title will be released on Friday 10th December.
The Royal Arcade, the scene is set for mischief …Lucy Lawrence is back in London, ready to settle down to a more sedate life after her adventures in Egypt. Unfortunately for Lucy, as she remarks to Phineas Stone: “mischief always find me!” So readers will not be surprised to hear that Lucy cannot resist being drawn into a case with Phineas.
However, her involvement triggers an unfortunate and tragic chain of events. It’s business as usual – murder and mayhem ensue! The action takes our pair from London to Kent and finally to Scotland to a desolate, rugged and isolated island …
I hope readers enjoy this third instalment; I have certainly had a lot of fun researching and writing this tale.
The Art of Deception (Book 3)London 1888: Stolen art and a vicious murder. Can Lucy Lawrence save Phineas Stone from the gallows?
Lucy is back in London and settling into her new life. To her delight, romance is also in the air. Meanwhile, Phineas is hunting down the notorious Apollo Syndicate: a dangerous gang stealing paintings to order from art collections all over the country.
Lucy cannot resist when Phin asks for her help with the case, but her involvement triggers a terrifying chain of events. When the husband of Phin’s ex-fiancée is found brutally murdered at a house party, Phin becomes the prime suspect.
Can Lucy untangle the dangerous web that threatens to engulf the pair just as her dreams of happiness are coming true?
Pre-Order Link: The Art of Deception
November 26, 2021
Pam’s Picks: Historical Fiction Books for the Holiday Season
There is such a wealth of great historical fiction books available right now, books that make super Christmas pressies too. Here is my round-up of 2021’s best, and there is something to suit all tastes, from romance to the ancient world.
A Comfortable Alliance by Catherine Kullmann
Can they open their hearts to something much deeper and passionate? Will their marriage only ever be a comfortable alliance?
Six years ago, Helena Swift’s fiancé was fatally wounded at Waterloo. Locking away all dreams of the heart, she retreated to a safe family haven. On the shelf and happy to be there, Helena has perfected the art of deterring would-be suitors. Will, Earl of Rastleigh, is the only son of an only son: marriage is his duty. One of the great prizes of the marriage market, he shies away from a cold, society union. While he doesn’t expect love, he seeks something more comfortable. But how to find the woman who will welcome him into her life and her bed, and be a good mother to their children?
When Will meets Helena, he is intrigued by her composure, her kindness and her intelligence. As their friendship develops, he realises he has found his ideal wife, if only he can overcome her well-known aversion to matrimony. Will succeeds in slipping past Helena’s guard. Tempted by the thought of children of her own, and encouraged by her mother to leave the shallows where she has lingered so long, she accepts his offer of a marriage based not on dangerous love but affectionate companionship and mutual respect.
But is this enough? As Will gets to know his wife better, and the secrets of her past unfold, he realises that they have settled for second-best. Can he change the basis of their marriage? Will Helena risk her heart and dare to love again?
Buy Link: mybook.to/AComfortableAlliance
Rebel’s Knot by Cryssa BazosIreland 1652: In the desperate, final days of the English invasion . . .
A fey young woman, Áine Callaghan, is the sole survivor of an attack by English marauders. When Irish soldier Niall O’Coneill discovers his own kin slaughtered in the same massacre, he vows to hunt down the men responsible. He takes Áine under his protection and together they reach the safety of an encampment held by the Irish forces in Tipperary.
Hardly a safe haven, the camp is rife with danger and intrigue. Áine is a stranger with the old stories stirring on her tongue and rumours follow her everywhere. The English cut off support to the brigade, and a traitor undermines the Irish cause, turning Niall from hunter to hunted.
When someone from Áine’s past arrives, her secrets boil to the surface—and she must slay her demons once and for all.
As the web of violence and treachery grows, Áine and Niall find solace in each other’s arms—but can their love survive long-buried secrets and the darkness of vengeance?
Buy Links: Amazon: http://mybook.to/RebelsKnot Kobo/Apple/B&N: https://books2read.com/RebelsKnot
Discerning Grace by Emma Lombard
Wilful Grace Baxter, will not marry old Lord Silverton with his salivary incontinence and dead-mouse stink. Refusing this fate, she resolves to stow away. Heading to the docks, disguised as a lad to ease her escape, she encounters smooth-talking naval recruiter, Gilly, who lures her aboard HMS Discerning with promises of freedom and exploration in South America.
When Grace’s big mouth lands her bare-bottomed over a cannon for insubordination, her identity is exposed. She must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret.
BUY LINK: https://books2read.com/discerning-grace
Pagan Siege by Sam Taw
Three Violent Clans.
Two Deadly Rivals
One Struggle for Power
Anarchy reigns as the clan leaders revolt, threatening the Chief’s position within the tribe. Wildfires ravage the moors, settlers are starving and homeless, and wise woman, Meliora is no longer in favour. Their fate is now in the hands of fickle and ambitious youngsters, who have sly agendas of their own. Can they end the siege and retake control over the tin mines or will a vengeful leader prevail and slaughter Mel’s entire family?
Brutal skirmishes, bloody rituals and heartbreaking underdogs in the fifth book of the series. Start the adventure now.
Buy link: mybook.to/PaganSiege
Trysts and Treachery – Box Set by Elizabeth Keysian
In Tudor England, it’s dangerous to be an independent woman or to stand against the dictates of the Crown.
Enjoy this limited time only collection from Award Winning Author Elizabeth Keysian.
Lord of Deception: Despised by the cousin with whom she’s forced to live, the lonely but determined Alys craves escape. The most dangerous thing she could do is fall in love. Especially when the man who tempts her is Kit Ludlow, an exiled nobleman in disguise. Becoming involved in his secret mission proves more perilous than Alys could possibly have imagined.
Lord of Loyalty: An embittered war-hero must protect a crazed beauty. But he’s being blackmailed, she’s being hunted, and falling in love could be a fatal mistake. In honor of a deathbed promise, wounded veteran Sir William Cavendish rescues Isobel Marston from her grasping cousin. But this frenzied young woman proves a nightmare to handle. Soon Will is trying to save her from herself, as well as from those who want her dead.
Lord of the Forest: She failed to save the man she loved. She won’t make the same mistake again. In his forest home, he’s a king among both beasts and men. Living hand-to-mouth in his woodland lair, Lancelot is used to helping himself to what he wants, and he wants Clemence. But when she drags him back into the real world, he soon realizes that she will either bring him salvation or oblivion.
Buy Link: http://mybook.to/tandtboxset
Forgiving Nero by Mary Ann Bernal
Rome. The jewel of the civilized world is no longer what it was. Strength has failed the Senate. Her legions are in disarray, and the Empire has fallen into Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Nero’s hands. His reign begins under a cloud of scrutiny, for he is the depraved Emperor Caligula’s nephew. Nero is determined to overcome that stigma and carve a name of his own. One worthy of Rome’s illustrious history.
Politics and treachery threaten to end Nero’s reign before it begins, forcing him to turn to unexpected sources for friendship and help. Many of the Praetorian Guard have watched over Nero since he was a small child, and it is in Traian that the young Emperor places his trust, despite the inherent threat of reducing his mother’s influence. Traian is the father he never had and the one man who does not judge him.
When Traian secretly marries the hostage Vena, it sets in motion a collision of values as Traian comes to odds with his former charge. The whirlwind that follows will shake the very foundations of the greatest Empire the world has ever known, and survival is far from guaranteed.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/baGOMy
Amazon Global Link: mybook.to/ForgivingNero
Longsword’s Lady by J.P. Reedman
Spirited away to France after the death of her father, the Earl of Salisbury, young Ela is soon found by a wandering minstrel and taken to the court of Richard Lionheart. Aged nine, she is betrothed to the King’s illegitimate half-brother, William Longsword, before being sent for education in the household of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Some years later, Ela and William form a harmonious bond, despite their arranged marriage, and have many children, but their lives are always threatened by uncertainty. King John now rules, and William is his most loyal brother–and his enforcer. When the King tries to seduce Ela while William lies in the dungeons of the fighting Bishop of Bouvines, at last he decides to change his allegiance from the brother he once loved who has now become a tyrant. He returns to the Plantagenet fold only on King John’s demise and the accession of his young nephew, King Henry III. But war and strife is never far away, and on a journey from Gascony, William is shipwrecked and believed dead by most, barring Ela. Men of ambition start clamouring to wed the widowed Countess–and claim the earldom of Salisbury through marrying her…
Buy Link: http://mybook.to/elasalisbury
The Antonius Trilogy by Brook Allen
Author Brook Allen has a passion for ancient history—especially 1st century BC Rome. Her Antonius Trilogy is a detailed account of the life of Marcus Antonius—Marc Antony, which she worked on for fifteen years. The first instalment, Antonius: Son of Rome was published in March 2019. It follows Antony as a young man, from the age of eleven, when his father died in disgrace, until he’s twenty-seven and meets Cleopatra for the first time. Brook’s second book is Antonius: Second in Command, dealing with Antony’s tumultuous rise to power at Caesar’s side and culminating with the civil war against Brutus and Cassius. Antonius: Soldier of Fate is the last book in the trilogy, spotlighting the romance between Antonius and Cleopatra and the historic war with Octavian Caesar.
SON OF ROME: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NYTMRJS
SECOND IN COMMAND: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z1MWB4D
SOLDIER OF FATE: https://tinyurl.com/yycewwrz
Desire & Deceit by Carol Hedges
It is 1868, and the body of a young man has gone missing from the police mortuary at Scotland Yard, an event that has never happened before. Who was the mysterious corpse, and why was he spirited away in the night? These are the questions baffling Detective Inspector Stride and Detective Sergeant Cully as they set out to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, two greedy, unscrupulous, inheritance-seeking brothers, Arthur and Sherborne Harbinger, descend upon London and their very rich dying aunt, each determined to get whatever they can out of her, and prepared to use whatever methods they can to win her favour. And over in her newly rented rooms in Baker Street, Miss Lucy Landseer, consulting private detective, has been presented with her first ever proper case to investigate ~ and finds it is one that will defy even her imaginative and inventive mind.
Set against the hottest summer on record, Desire & Deceit, the ninth outing for this popular Victorian Detectives series, explores how the love of money really is the root of all evil. Once again, Victorian London is brought to life in all its sights, its sounds, its sordid and gas-lit splendour. Another must-read book, teeming with memorable Dickensian-style characters.
Buy Link: author.to/Victoriancrime
Guardians at the Wall by Tim Walker
A group of archaeology students in northern England scrape at the soil near Hadrian’s Wall, once a barrier that divided Roman Britannia from wild Caledonian tribes. Twenty-year-old Noah makes an intriguing find, but hasn’t anticipated becoming the object of desire in a developing love triangle in the isolated academic community at Vindolanda. He is living his best life, but must learn to prioritise in a race against time to solve an astounding ancient riddle, and an artefact theft, as he comes to realise his future career prospects depend on it.
In the same place, 1,800 years earlier, Commander of the Watch, Centurion Gaius Atticianus, hungover and unaware of the bloody conflicts that will soon challenge him, is rattled by the hoot of an owl, a bad omen.
These are the protagonists whose lives brush together in the alternating strands of this dual timeline historical novel, one trying to get himself noticed and the other trying to stay intact as he approaches retirement.
How will the breathless battles fought by a Roman officer influence the fortunes of a twenty-first century archaeology dirt rat? Can naive Noah, distracted by his gaming mates and the attentions of two very different women, work out who to trust?
Find out in Tim Walker’s thrilling historical dual timeline novel, Guardians at the Wall.
Buy link: http://mybookto/guardiansatthewall
A Matter of Class series by Susie Murphy
A Matter of Class is a historical fiction saga set in rural Ireland in the 1820s, a time when the country is in turmoil as Irish tenants protest against their upper-class English landlords. Spirited Bridget Muldowney, a landowner’s daughter, and loyal Cormac McGovern, a stable hand’s son, once ran wild around the country estate as childhood friends. However, now that they’re adults, Bridget’s overbearing mother is determined to enforce the employer-servant boundaries between them and plots to keep them apart. The odds are stacked against Bridget and Cormac but love may prove to be a force too powerful to resist, and the consequences of their actions will echo throughout the whole series.
Buy link: https://getbook.at/class123
Lives Apart: A tale of emigration from Ireland to America after the famine. Set in County Clare, Boston, San Francisco and Nova Scotia, Lives Apart explores sibling relationships and how a disastrous action can reverberate through the lives of the extended family. It also looks at the experience of emigration, both for those who had the courage to venture across the Atlantic and those they left behind.
In 1877, young Johanna McNamara leaves her quiet life on the family farm in County Clare and emigrates to America to join her businessman brother Hugh. Full of hope, she is determined to make a success of her life. Tragedy strikes before she finds her feet, and she must put the care of others before her own needs.
Back in Ireland, farming life continues through the seasons, with her brother Art struggling to deal with his troubled son Declan. Sending him to the USA is an option that might help turn him into a man. Little does Johanna know what lies ahead with the arrival of a nephew, whose act of betrayal will blow her life apart.
LIVES WITHOUT END is an emotional tale of family secrets spanning three generations. Focussing mainly on the beautiful, but emotionally fragile, Bridie, a young bride, full of hope and courage, who, following a tragedy, emigrates from Ireland to build a new life in America. After her involvement in an affair that would rock society were it to be discovered, she is forced into making a heartbreaking decision. She returns home to Ireland with her arsenal of secrets, in her search for peace and the meaning of life. Hidden lives, memories of the past – who knows what lies beneath the surface we present to the world?
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08MWY632B
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0937FM2LY
Dublin’s Girl by Eimear Lawlor
1917. A farm girl from Cavan, Veronica McDermott is desperate to find more to life than peeling potatoes. Persuading her family to let her stay with her aunt and uncle in Dublin so she can attend secretarial college, she has no idea what she is getting into. Recruited by Fr Michael O’Flanagan to type for Eamon De Valera, Veronica is soon caught up in the danger and intrigue of those fighing for Ireland’s independence from Britain.
The attentions of a handsome British soldier, Major Harry Fairfax, do not go unnoticed by Veronica’s superiors. But when Veronica is tasked with earning his affections to gather intelligence for Sinn Féin, it isn’t long before her loyalty to her countrymen and her feelings for Harry are in conflict. To choose one is to betray the other…
Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3mPR0zi
Daughters of War by Lizzie Page
As a teenager in Chicago, May always dreamed of travelling the world. So when she falls in love with George Turner, she can’t wait to return to London as his wife. Two beautiful daughters follow, but George isn’t the husband he promised to be. Ten years on, May is wondering if she’s made a terrible mistake.
The Great War has been declared in Europe, and all around, brave young men are being called up to serve. George, banned from conscription himself, has taken to the bottle, and May suspects he’s seeing other women too. He even sends her beloved daughters away to school. She misses them terribly every day.
Then May meets veteran nurse Elsie, who persuades May to join the war effort. May knows nothing of nursing – it will be difficult, dangerous work, but her heart is telling her it’s the right thing to do and the only way to carve out a life for herself and her daughters away from George.
But when George does the unthinkable, May’s children are put at risk. Miles away on the front line and unable to reach them, will May be reunited with her little girls before it’s too late?
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GFHHZNQ
Her Secret War by Pam Lecky
A life-changing moment: May 1941: German bombs drop on Dublin taking Sarah Gillespie’s family and home. Days later, the man she loves leaves Ireland to enlist.
A heart-breaking choice: With nothing to keep her in Ireland and a burning desire to help the war effort, Sarah seeks refuge with relatives in England. But before long, her father’s dark past threatens to catch up with her.
A dangerous mission Sarah is asked to prove her loyalty to Britain through a special mission. Her courage could save lives. But it could also come at the cost of her own…
Buy Link: http://smarturl.it/HerSecretWar
The Irish Clans is an epic story immersed in the tumultuous Irish revolutionary wars. The once mighty McCarthy and O’Donnell Clans, overthrown in ancient times, are not extinct. They are linked on two continents by a medieval pact entwining military history and religious mythology. Divine intervention plays a pivotal role in unearthing the secrets of the Clans’ treasure and heroic exploits. The patriotism and passion of Celtic heritage lies at the heart of this intriguing story.
In The Irish Clans: Book 5, Revolution, the Clans implement a plan to utilize the McCarthy gold for the coming revolution before rebel forces begin hostilities.
Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3gQNbWi
Heart of Cruelty by Maybelle Wallis
Birmingham, 1840: Jane Verity, deserted by her lover, endures the cruelties of the workhouse. Coroner Doughty rescues her on his way to an inquest on a young inmate. As Jane works in his household she deciphers the corrupt secrets of the workhouse, the truth behind his inquests, and the lies at the heart of his marriage. As she tries to convince him, he falls in love with her, but if he acts it will destroy him…
Heart of Cruelty is a gripping and authentic novel about passion that triumphs over reason, and about the abuse of power.
Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3mQm9T1
The Lucky Country by Rose M Cullen
A searing journey into the Australian Outback for an emigrant family in the early 1960s.
The Glendon family seek a new home and fortune in The Lucky Country after Patrick’s farm in Ireland is bankrupted by a freak storm. Their journey traverses the epic landscape of Australia and their fate collides with a cast of equally lost souls on the vast wheat and sheep station in Western Australia owned by Jack Anderson, a man as tough and ruthless as his pioneering father. Where indigenous storyteller, Ben Down, is as uprooted as any of the immigrants he encounters, the ways of his ancestors in his ‘Born Country’ no longer possible.
Buy Links:
Paperback The Lucky Country by Rose M Cullen | 9781839458705 (feedaread.com)
UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucky-Country-Rose-M-Cullen-ebook/dp/B08ZG34F58
US link: https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Country-Rose-M-Cullen-ebook/dp/B08ZG34F58
The Duty of Daughters by Wendy J Dunn
Doña, Beatriz Galindo. Respected scholar. Tutor to royalty. Friend and advisor to Queen Isabel of Castile.
Beatriz is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A holy war that saw the Moors pushed out of territories ruled by them for centuries. In a time when most women possessed little control over their lives, Beatriz seeks control of her own destiny—even if this means placing herself in danger. Beatriz readies Catalina of Aragon, the queen’s youngest child, for a very different future life. She teaches Catalina how to survive exile and exist without Queen Isabel’s protection. She prepares her to be England’s queen.
Buy Link: http://mybook.to/FPS
Uneasy Quest by George Nash
Death and oblivion are never far away.
Ireland, 1169: a foreign army has landed in County Wexford. Invited by Diarmaid MacMurrough, King of Leinster, Strongbow’s Norman invasion of Ireland has begun…
Huw Ashe, a young Welsh archer, and his Norman father have joined the invading forces to escape a death sentence in Wales. Becoming a ruthless warrior, Huw forges alliances with the powerful warring factions of Munster and makes new and dangerous enemies. With Bridín O’Brien, an Irish noblewoman, he finds a love that bridges class and language barriers and endures separation, conflict and hardship.
As Huw and his family become the targets of a vicious revenge quest, he and Bridín must strive to find a safe haven from threats old and new, as war and upheaval take hold in Ireland and Huw risks losing everything.
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1838092005?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
A Matter of Conscience by Judith Arnopp
A Matter of Conscience Henry VIII: the Aragon Years
‘A king must have sons: strong, healthy sons to rule after him.’ On the unexpected death of Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales his brother, Henry, becomes heir to the throne of England. The intensive education that follows offers Henry a model for future excellence; a model that he is doomed to fail. On his accession, he chooses his brother’s widow, Caterina of Aragon, to be his queen. Together they plan to reinstate the glory of days of old and fill the royal nursery with boys. But when their first-born son dies at just a few months old, and subsequent babies are born dead or perish in the womb, the king’s golden dreams are tarnished Christendom mocks the virile prince. Caterina’s fertile years are ending yet all he has is one useless living daughter, and a baseborn son. He needs a solution but stubborn to the end, Caterina refuses to step aside. As their relationship founders his eye is caught by a woman newly arrived from the French court. Her name is Anne Boleyn. A Matter of Conscience: The Aragon Years offers a unique first-person account of the ‘monster’ we love to hate and reveals a man on the edge; an amiable man made dangerous by his own impossible expectation.
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08W48QQ9C
In This Foreign Land by Suzie Hull
March, 1914. When talented artist Isobel embarks on a journey to Egypt, it’s to reunite her best friend Alice with her husband, Wilfred – and to use the stunning sights of Cairo as inspiration for her own paintings.
A whirlwind romance was the last thing she expected, but when Isobel meets Wilfred’s handsome brother, Edward, neither can deny the strong connection between them – especially when unexpected tragedy strikes, leaving them all reeling.
Just as they get to grips with their grief, WW1 erupts, and the lovers are forced to separate. They promise to meet again in London. But when Edward is listed as ‘missing – presumed dead’ only weeks after landing in France, Isobel is devastated, unmarried and on the brink of ruin. She has only one way to save her honour… but it means betraying the love she holds so dear.
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/this-Foreign-Land-romantic-page-turning-ebook/dp/B09L4T66YK
November 25, 2021
New Release from Suzie Hull
I am absolutely thrilled to bring you news of Suzie’s debut novel. I’m so very proud of her achievement for she is an inspiration, proving without a doubt, that hard work and perseverance really do pay off. I will be tucking into this book over the weekend.
A little bit about Suzie …Suzie Hull lives in Northern Ireland with her family and numerous rescue cats. She originally dreamt of being a ballet dancer, but instead trained as a Montessori Nursery teacher and has spent the last thirty years working with children. She has always had an enduring passion for history and books, and since she came from a long line of creative women it was only a matter of time before she turned to writing . A member of the RNA, In this Foreign Land is her debut novel.
In This Foreign Land by Suzie Hull‘I beg of you this one thing – that if I should perish here, in this foreign land, that you will look after her.’
March, 1914. When talented artist Isobel embarks on a journey to Egypt, it’s to reunite best friend Alice with her husband, Wilfred – and to use the stunning sights of Cairo as inspiration for her own paintings.
A whirlwind romance was the last thing she expected, but when Isobel meets Wilfred’s handsome brother, Edward, neither can deny the strong connection between them – especially after unexpected tragedy strikes, leaving them all reeling.
Just as they get to grips with their grief, WW1 erupts, and the lovers are forced to separate. They promise to meet again in London. But when Edward is listed as ‘missing – presumed dead’ only weeks after landing in France, Isobel is devastated, unmarried and on the brink of ruin. She has only one way to save her honour… but it will mean betraying the love she holds so dear.
A heartrending and thrilling WW1 romance, In This Foreign Land is the stunning new debut from Suzie Hull, for fans of Kate Hewitt, Shirley Dickson and Kate Eastham.
Buy Links:Amazon https://bit.ly/shfland
November 11, 2021
The Telegram – a Short Story for Armistice Day
Ireland, 1914
Bill Ryan was my eldest brother. He was a popular lad with a ready smile, always up for mischief. At twelve years of age, I looked up to him and adored him, as did my younger brother David and little George who was only three. Our universe was a tiny part of County Meath; our world a small farmstead handed down for generations. Mother worked hard and although she was strict, she was a loving and kind-hearted woman. My father, however, was a hard man. Often aloof, his stern gaze was enough to put the fear of God into you.
When Bill finally plucked up the courage to broach the subject of signing-up, he met with strong resistance. But he persevered. We must defeat the Hun, he said to them, his voice resonating with conviction. As David and I listened from behind the door, my heart sang. How brave he was! But father refused to listen – Bill was needed on the farm and that was the end of the nonsense. Mother pleaded with Bill as only a mother can. But in the end, he presented them with a fait accompli, arriving home one day in uniform.
His cheery words on departure didn’t fool me; I saw the fear in the depths of his hazel eyes. But he had always been stubborn, my brother, and as proud as all the Ryan men before him. As he disappeared down the narrow laneway, it bewildered me. Why did he have to go, I wondered, and not someone else’s brother? He was only eighteen. One last wave and he turned towards the road. The rest of us returned to the house but mother stood still, despite the chill of the early morning, and watched until the twist in the laneway took him out of sight.
For the first few months after he left, Bill’s letters had arrived from the Curragh training camp almost every week. Ironically, father read them out to us, his voice ringing proud. Mother sat white-faced and said not a word, her knitting needles clicking furiously. Even when one letter contained a photograph of Bill in uniform, she could not look at it without her eyes welling up.
But one Saturday morning the dreaded news arrived; Bill’s regiment was off to France. My mother gasped, her hand to her throat. My father glared at her and shook his head. She made for the stairs, her shoulders rigid as if she feared she would splinter into tiny pieces. I watched my father’s face. Would he follow her? But he carefully folded the letter and put it away with the others in the drawer of the dresser. He would not meet my eye but hauled on his heavy coat and slapped his flat cap on his head, his expression grim. I sat at the table, uncertain. Come along, Joe, he said standing in the doorway, there’s work to be done. His attitude confused me because I could hear my mother’s sobs. Why did he not comfort her? David looked at me, the same question in his eyes. Father tapped impatiently on the door frame then grunted. What was I supposed to do? Torn, I could only shrug at David and follow my father out the door.
A year passed and life continued as normal on the farm, but I look back on the winter of 1915, its horrors crystal clear in my mind. I knew the world was at war. What boy in Ireland, or indeed the world, did not? The wireless spoke of little else. Every night, my father would turn it on and sit, head bent, listening to the news. Belgium, France and names of places I had never heard before, tripped off the announcer’s tongue. Marnes. Ypres. Neuve Chapelle. We had no atlas in the house. I pestered my father to explain where these places were. He would shake his head and tell me to ask the schoolmaster in the morning. It was only years later I realised he hadn’t known either. Soon those far-flung places were a part of my vocabulary.
October slid into November and winter’s icy tentacles stole under the door and through the cracks in the ancient window frames, chilling us to the bone. Night-time was the worst. I snuggled up to George in the narrow bed against the wall in the attic, but it made no difference. We shivered in unison under the thin wool blanket. Not that I slept much. Between the scratchy blanket and my anxious thoughts, sleep was elusive. Where was Bill? What was he doing? Each morning we awoke to frost on the bed cover and ice on the inside of the windows. At my mother’s bidding, I broke through the plug of ice in the bucket of water and helped George wash his hands and face. Father grumbled it was the foulest winter he had ever known.
Off to school with you, my mother would say, pushing us older boys out the door each morning. It wasn’t too bad once you got over the initial blast of frigid air, but we had wanted snow not this crackling hoar-frost that made your ears and nose hurt and your eyes water. I had found Bill’s old woollen hat out in the barn and commandeered it. My younger brother David wanted it too and we fought like cats for it. It was worth the thrashing I received from my father when he saw David’s black eye, for that hat smelt of Bill’s tobacco and gave me comfort.
Once in France, Bill’s letters became less frequent and mother’s knitting became more frantic. She used her egg money to pay for the postage on the parcels she sent to him. As she stood at the kitchen table, carefully wrapping the knitted items in brown paper, my father would watch in silence, his expression sour. I wondered if he begrudged Bill those things or was it the expense of the postage. However, I was proud she entrusted me with the trip into town to the post office. Mr O’Connor always smiled at me and ruffled my hair. You’re a good brother, young Joe, he’d say. He always gave me a peppermint cream from one of the glass jars on the shelf behind the counter.
No one believed it was possible the winter could become any colder. But it did. December was soon upon us and with it came the snow storms. The laneway to our house was deep with snow. It was so bad we did not go to school. Each of us dreaded when it was our turn to bring the bucket out to the barn to fill it with turf. Our chilblains and sniffles were nothing compared to what the boys were suffering in the trenches in France, my mother would say. I tried to imagine what it must be like and prayed every night that God would keep Bill safe. Wouldn’t the best Christmas present be him coming home for a few days? But I didn’t dare voice this as I knew my mother was frantic with worry; the permanent frown on her forehead testament to her inner turmoil.
Bill had been absent so long now I was finding it hard to remember his face or the sound of his voice. This distressed me; it felt like betrayal. When it became unbearable, I’d sneak up to the attic and hold his hat in my hands and try hard to remember. I’d picture happier times, mucking about in the fields or proudly working by his side at harvest time. It helped a little.
Whenever there was a break in the weather, I trudged to the post office, mother’s parcel tucked under my arm. God forgive me, but all I thought of was that peppermint cream. Two weeks passed and no letters came, then three. My mother anxiously waited for my return and scanned my hands as I’d come in the door. No post, young man, she’d ask, her voice cracking. Guiltily, I’d shrug and shake my head. I’d slip off to do my chores, uncomfortable to be around her. But dread is contagious. We all fell victim to it as the atmosphere in the house deteriorated. The silence from France continued.
The next week as I entered the post office there was a huddle of people at the counter, deep in conversation. Someone coughed and Mr O’Connor looked over his glasses at me. The customers fell silent. Ah, young Joe, is it, he asked. I thought that was a strange thing to say. Did he not know me well? He shifted on his feet, glancing at the other customers who were still watching me in silence. My stomach flipped over as I wracked my brains. Had I done something wrong? Had someone snitched on us for stealing those apples last autumn?
Mr O’Connor cleared his throat. I put the parcel up on the counter as usual but he didn’t take it. He winced and turned away for a brief moment. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he let out a slow breath. Then he handed me a small envelope. Take this telegram to your parents, son, he said at last. I gazed at his Adam’s apple, as it jumped up and down in his throat. I wondered what ailed him. My eyes strayed to the jar on the shelf behind him, but he didn’t take the hint. Disappointed, I knew there would be no treat today and cursed my bad luck. As I closed the door behind me, I heard the customers’ voices rise. I hurried home, out of temper, the telegram rammed into my jacket pocket.
Wimereux, France, 1955
My wife June consulted the map as our hire car slowly rounded the bend in the road. It should be up ahead, she said, tapping the map with a finger. I hadn’t been sure about dragging her along on this trip, but of course I should never have doubted her. My rock.
The little Citroën spluttered as I changed gear, my nerves jangling. Beside me, June stiffened, but I kept my eyes on the road ahead. Driving on the ‘wrong side of the road’ was testing my mettle. I’d already had a run-in with an irate farmer and his tractor. The small town was much like every other we had passed through during the trip. A seaside town, it was off-season now and the streets were almost deserted. With a shaking hand, I wound down the window. The tangy scent of salt-laden air flooded into the car. The sea was close but not visible. I wondered if Bill had liked it here; did he have time to paddle in the water? Silently, I berated myself – of course he didn’t. It was a bloody war!
All of a sudden, I was overcome with dread. What had possessed me to come here? David and George had thought it a strange thing to do. But, their memories of Bill were not as vivid as mine. I ground the gears again and cursed under my breath. Where was this blasted place? I knew my French was far too basic to ask directions. Keep going, June said, when I voiced this thought. What a sensible woman she was – I took a few deep breaths and relaxed.
Around another bend and all of a sudden we came upon it. The cemetery wall was high but you could make out the tops of crosses and monuments. I parked up. For several moments I sat unmoving and concentrated on my breathing. At last I was here. Easing my grip on the steering wheel, I turned to my wife. Do you mind if I do this alone, I asked her. She smiled and nodded.
I paused at the gateway, a trifle confused. This looked like an ordinary French cemetery, not a military one. It was then I realised there was another cemetery directly behind it. Through an archway and a little gate was the War Graves Commission cemetery. It was stark but strangely beautiful with row upon row of flat headstones lying flush with neatly mown lawn. As I walked along counting the rows, I realised my face was wet with tears. So many graves! Had all of these men been Bill’s comrades? But as I stopped and read some of the inscriptions, I realised they were from many different regiments and countries. The only link was where they had died; the field hospital at the edge of the town.
Bill’s grave was right at the back under the shadow of a high wall. I’m not sure how long I stood there as images of the day we learned of his death flooded my mind. My mother had collapsed shaking into a chair when I attempted to hand her the telegram. I had not realised what it was, but she knew immediately. Panicking, I had yelled at David to fetch our father and he almost tripped out the door in his haste. Little George had clung to my mother’s skirts, staring up at her in horror and fear. Father had come bustling in from the barn then stopped dead when he saw my mother struggling to breathe. His chin wobbled and his hand snaked out and snatched the telegram from my hand. Take your brothers to your aunt’s house, he’d said in a strangled voice. I knew it was serious, for he disliked my Aunt Lily intensely.
Forty years have not dulled the pain of that day; it is a watermark engraved on my life’s page.
I caught movement from the corner of my eye and looked up to see June strolling towards me. As our eyes met she hesitated, but I gestured to her it was all right. Thankfully, she didn’t say a word but came up close and smiled her encouragement. I took a deep breath and pulled the woollen hat out of my pocket. It no longer smelled of tobacco. It no longer smelled of Bill.
But I placed it on the headstone and said a silent prayer for my long-lost brother.
The End
©Pam Lecky 2021
October 23, 2021
Horror Zone – Getting Spooky with Pam Lecky, Multi-Genre Writer, and Her Love of The Ghost Story
Pam Lecky, is not only a good friend and fellow author, she also shares my love for the humble ghost story, writing a great, short piece of fiction is quite the art ,and a ghost story always has a little gothic around the edges. Here, Pam discusses one of her own eerie pieces, The Lighthouse Keeper.
Pam is an Irish historical fiction author with Avon Books UK/Harper Collins. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, The Crime Writers’ Association, and the Society of Authors. She is represented by Thérèse Coen, at the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency, London. Pam has a particular love of the late Victorian era/early 20th Century.
In November 2020, Pam signed with Avon Books UK/Harper Collins in a two-book deal. The first book in the historical thriller series, Her Secret War, will be published on 14th October 2021; the sequel in 2022.
Her…
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October 17, 2021
October 13, 2021
It’s Publication Day for Her Secret War!
I am so thrilled to share the news that my new release is out in the world today. Her Secret War is the first of two books based around a young Irish girl, Sarah Gillespie. Sarah is the only one of her family to survive the North Strand bombing in May 1941 which kills 28 people and leaves hundreds homeless. Her plight resonates with the thousands who survived similar incidences throughout the war, all over the world. From the ruins of her life, Sarah must make some difficult decisions. Like many Irish, she has family in Britain and when they hold out the offer of a new life and a job, Sarah decides to leave Ireland. Unfortunately, her new life slowly falls apart as her family history catches up with her, and she is drawn into the dark world of WW2 espionage.
Both my family and local history inspired Her Secret War. My mother and her sisters left rural Ireland to work in Britain during WW2. One aunt was following her boyfriend who had joined the RAF, and she went to work in a factory making munitions. Another aunt wanted to study nursing, and my mother was a ‘clippie’ (bus conductor) on the Birmingham buses. Her Secret War is not their story, but there are glimpses of their experiences hidden amongst the fiction. The bombing of North Strand, which features in the book, happened only a few miles from where I grew up.
Pam LeckyHer Secret War is published by Avon Books UK/Harper Collins today, and the eBook is still only 99p (but not for much longer). You can grab a copy here: http://smarturl.it/HerSecretWar
If you enjoy the book, please leave a review – many thanks!
Here is a short extract from the book:October 8, 2021
New Release from FB Hogan – The Nightmare
I have great pleasure in announcing that Fiona Hogan’s new release is now available. Fiona and I met a few years ago at a bizarre book fair down in Waterford. As survivors of that event, (yes, it was that weird!) we have clung together for support as we have dipped our toes into the publishing world.
Fiona is one very talented writer (and editor) with a wonderful imagination. Her work, however, comes with a word of warning – if you scare easy, be prepared to have to sleep with the lights on for a couple of weeks after reading her short but extremely scary stories!
THE NIGHTMARE – A selection of gothic and contemporary dark fiction from F.B. Hogan
The Nightmare by FB HoganI set the table for you, come sit.
I hope you enjoy my humble fare, a selection of only the darkest of delights. But make sure and pull your chair in closer to the hearth for the night falls and the wind blows wild muffling the sound of approaching footsteps. Something comes, something creeps ever closer. A nightmare thing.
Enter a dark place between fact and fiction.
On a cold winter’s night whilst crossing the frost covered field to fetch water, a child hears a sound on the air, an infant’s cry. But no baby awaits her hurried progress.
A pensioner rapidly losing her memory exists in a twilight world where only a lost love can bridge the gap between past and present.
A young man at a boutique music festival discovers more than romance in the fading forest.
Something travels the cosmos, a creature of nightmare and terror. A veiled medium sits at a table in a Victorian parlour waiting.
Amongst the lamb, a wolf harvests souls in a bid for promotion.
Buy Link: The Nightmare
FB HoganA little bit about FB…F. B. Hogan is a writer, blogger and poet living in the midlands of Ireland. She masquerades as a sensible adult and mother to five children and a cat but lives and breathes purely for horror. Her collection of dark fiction The Nightmare is now available on Amazon.
Fiona writes in a mix of genres and you can also find her collection of humorous and supernatural tales – The Lights Went Out and Other Stories on Amazon under the name Fiona Cooke Hogan. Her novella, a romantic comedy set in Kerry, Ireland – What Happened in Dingle, is also available to download for Kindle. She scribbles random thoughts about nature, her work and anything that amuses her at her blog http://www.unusualfiction.wordpress.com.
The Lights Went Out and Other Stories
Fiona has recently signed a two book contract with SpellBound Books and her first book, a collection of deliciously dark and twisted tales kicks off SpellBound’s SHOctober Horrorfest.
