Pam Lecky's Blog, page 3
March 28, 2025
The Midnight of Eights by Justin Newland: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Justin Newland for the blog tour for The Midnight of Eights, the second book in his The Island of Angels series. Justin has kindly provided an extract for you to enjoy (see below).
You can follow the full tour here:
The Midnight of Eights by Justin NewlandBlurb:
1580.
Nelan Michaels docks at Plymouth after sailing around the world aboard the Golden Hind. He seeks only to master his mystical powers – the mark of the salamander, that mysterious spirit of fire – and reunite with his beloved Eleanor.
After delivering a message to Francis Walsingham, he’s recruited into the service of the Queen’s spymaster, where his astral abilities help him to predict and thwart future plots against the realm.
But in 1588, the Spanish Armada threatens England’s shores.
So how could the fledgling navy of a small, misty isle on the edge of mainland Europe repulse the greatest fleet in the world?
Was the Queen right when she claimed it was divine intervention, saying, ‘He blew with His winds, and they were scattered!’?
Or was it an entirely different intervention – the extraordinary conjunction of coincidences that Nelan’s astral powers brought to bear on that fateful Midnight of Eights?
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/TheMidnightofEights
Also available in Kindle Unlimited
Extract from Chapter 5: Follow the Fox14th July 1581
Nelan tossed and turned, half awake and half asleep. The light from the enormous moon in the sky kept him from slumber. All the while, he’d dreamed of a fox. Then, in the dream, he wasn’t watching the fox; he was the fox, hiding in the bushes, watching… a mouse scurry into its burrow, a hog stroll through the meadow, a blackbird land on a branch. He smelled the hedgerow and the dank, earthy odours from the barley field nearby. His whiskers bristled with alarm. In the bushes behind him, there was movement.
A man shouted, “Follow the fox!”
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Outside, the sound of rain against the hull, splashing on the deck.
“Follow the fox!” The phrase echoed in his mind, but what did it mean? The cunning creatures were masters of deception and possessed the extraordinary ability to disappear in plain sight. He scratched his head, pulled his beard, and cast into his mind all the foxes he’d seen, and everywhere he’d encountered them.
Then he knew which fox to follow. It brought his future to a head. But it was a choice he made without hesitation. He knew it was the right one, because it lifted a weight from his shoulders.
Grabbing his doublet, he climbed the ladder up to the deck. Rain slanted into the hull. Almost slipping on the wet boards, he bade a hasty fare-thee-well to Tom, the bosun. He edged down the gangplank, onto the quay, and hailed the early morning ferry. He boarded it just as its master shoved it into the river flow.
“Don’t be rockin’ us, lad, or I’ll be rockin’ you!” the wherry master barked at him, a growl he recognised.
“Well, well, well,” Nelan said. “If it isn’t old Wenceslaus himself.”
“Ah! ’Tis I,” the man said from amidst the folds of his salt-and-pepper beard. “Now, where will I be a’ takin’ you, Little Master?”
“Upriver, Wenceslaus.”
“Upriver’s got a lot of places. Greenwich or the Bridge. Richmond or Putney. Where’s it to be?”
“Just row,” Nelan said. “I’ll tell you when we get there.”
The rain speared into them, but Wenceslaus still pulled hard on the oars. “Now, how long’s it been? Last time I sees ya, that Spanish boy got hisself blown up.”
“I’d no involvement in his death.”
“I believe ya, an’ I did so then, too.”
Just beyond London Bridge, he saw his old haunt of St Michael Queenhithe, where he used to sit with Eleanor. Ah. Eleanor. He had to believe he was getting closer to finding her. As the rain clouds cleared, Wenceslaus narrowly avoided colliding with the Putney ferry.
“Dock at that mansion over there!” Nelan yelled, pointing to a nearby jetty. “The one with the weather vane.”
“Is that a dog?”
“It looks like a dog, but it’s not a dog. It’s a fox. This is Barn Elms.”
Droplets of water dripped onto the floor of the same anteroom as the day he found the plough head. Because of the chill brought by the rain, the steward had lit a fire which crackled and snapped, but it said not a word. Despite that, Nelan had a great feeling. Barn Elms was near the waters of the river. He stood by a fire in the hearth. The weather vane of the fox graced the top of the building. He’d followed the fox. Now, where was Eleanor?
The door flung open, and Roger Adden gestured for Nelan to enter the fox’s den.
Since he’d last seen him, Walsingham appeared older, his face more wrinkled with the heavy concerns of keeping the realm safe from internal rebellion and foreign invasion. As he entered, the two other men in the room examined him with studied indifference.
Author Bio:
Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism.
Undeterred by the award of a Maths Doctorate, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (ISBN 9781789014860, Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.
His second book, The Old Dragon’s Head (ISBN 9781789015829, Matador, 2018), and is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.
Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation (ISBN 9781838591885, Matador, 2019) speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.
The Abdication (ISBN 9781800463950, Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.
The Mark of the Salamander (ISBN 9781915853271, Book Guild, 2023), is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it tells the epic tale of England’s coming of age.
The latest is The Midnight of Eights (ISBN 9781835740 330, Book Guild, 2024), the second in The Island of Angels series, which charts the uncanny coincidences of time and tide that culminated in the repulse of the Spanish Armada.
His work in progress is The Spirit of the Times which explores the events of the 14th century featuring an unlikely cast of the Silk Road, Genghis Khan, the Black Plague, and a nursery rhyme that begins ‘Ring a-ring a-roses’.
Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin gives talks to historical associations and libraries, appears on LitFest panels, and enjoys giving radio interviews. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.justinnewland.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/JustinNewland53
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-newland-b393aa28/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/justin-newland
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jnewland
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Justin-Newland/author/B06WRQVLT8
March 13, 2025
Strait Lace by Rosemary Hayward: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Rosemary Hayward for the book blog tour for Strait Lace, her new release, which is part of the Loxley Hall Series. Rosemary has kindly provided an excerpt to whet your appetite!
You can follow the full tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-tour-strait-lace-by-rosemary-hayward.html
Strait Lace by Rosemary HaywardBlurb:
It is 1905. Edwardian England. Harriet Loxley, the daughter of a vicar and niece to a prominent Nottingham lace manufacturer, spends her days playing cricket with her brother, scouring the countryside for botanical specimens, and never missing an opportunity to argue the case for political power for women. Given the chance to visit the House of Commons, Harriet witnesses the failure of a historic bill for women’s voting rights. She also meets the formidable Pankhurst women.
When Harriet gets the chance to study biology at Bedford College, London, she finds her opportunity to be at the heart of the fight. From marching in the street, to speaking to hostile crowds, to hurling stones through windows, just how far will Harriet go?
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mKkLMP
An Excerpt from Strait LaceHarriet focussed on the window on the opposite side of the wide road. To her left she heard the roar of the crowd. To her right someone yelled, “Now!”
Her stones flew hard, one smashing through the glass. Then one of Inga’s stones arced in a perfect trajectory and destroyed another pane.
“Votes for Women!” someone called out. Mary-from-college yelled, “Run, before they come for us.”
Harriet stayed by the window. Two women were clinging to a chimney stack on the roof opposite. If this was part of the original plan they’d not been told. Perhaps their stones were also part of a diversion and this was the major event of the day. The women had axes. What were they planning?
Inga had not gone with the others. She was holding onto the edge of the window frame, as if to stop it flying upwards and shutting them away from the events unfolding in front of them.
Harriet lent out of the window. The fireman who had grinned at them earlier was arguing with a police officer. He shrugged his shoulders and strode away from the canvas fire-hose lying limply along the edge of the street. A group of policemen surged forward. Some lifted the nozzle of the hose. Two struggled to open the water valve.
“They’ve seen them. Inga. They’re going to turn the hose on them.”
They watched as the young fireman refused to come forward. His men stood unmoving behind him but the policemen must have succeeded with the valve because the flat hose swelled and bucked and a stream of water shot up into the air. The policemen hauled at it and trained it on the women on the roof, who were soaked in an instant. The smaller of the two prised up a slate with an axe and hurled it into the street.
Inga grabbed Harriet’s arm. “They will fall. The slates are very steep. They must fall.”
“That’s Mary Leigh,” Harriet said. “You know her, the Union’s drum-major. She’s a firebrand. The tall, fair woman is Charlotte Marsh. They’ve taken their shoes off, look.”
The firemen propped a ladder against the wall and policemen swarmed up it. They were met with flying slates and shouts of Votes for Women! Charlotte Marsh staggered and slid feet first to the edge of the roof, a policeman catching her by the arm as she fetched up against the coping. The street was thirty feet below.
Harriet breathed, “Oh my God. Oh my God.”
Inga screamed, “They will die! They must die. Mein Gott. The other one is coming down now.”
Mary Leigh had turned onto her stomach and was letting herself down the treacherous slates feet first. Inga’s screams were echoed by dozens from the street below. All eyes were on the roof. The firemen pushed a wheeled fire escape against the wall. Two officers started dragging Charlotte Marsh along on her back.
“You ladies need to come with us.”
Harriet turned. Three policemen were inside the small bedroom, another was blocking the doorway. One had the bag that had held her stones in his hand.
Stay calm, be polite.
She raised a hand to cover her mouth. “This is it. Good luck.”
Author Bio:
Rosemary Hayward is the author of Margaret Leaving, a historical mystery uncovering little known events that occurred in the immediate aftermath to World War II. She is also the creator of Your Next Book, a deeply nerdy monthly newsletter describing a book picked from her bookshelf, or Kindle.
She is British by birth but now lives part of the year in California and part in southern Spain.
Author Links:
Website: www.rosemaryhayward.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rosemary-Hayward-1460369174026124
LinkedIn: https//www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-hayward-6544ba60
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaretleaving/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@margaretleaving
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hayward0738/_saved/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rosemary-hayward
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rosemary-Hayward/author/B06XR7GZR4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16658743.Rosemary_Hayward
February 21, 2025
The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois Cahall: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Lois Cahall for the book blog tour for her new release, The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery. Lois has kindly provided an excerpt for you to enjoy. (See Below).
You can follow the full tour here:
The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois CahallBlurb: In the heart of tumultuous times, amidst the grandeur of Victorian opulence, there existed an American socialite whose influence altered the course of the Anglo-Irish treaty: Lady Hazel Lavery.Boston-born Hazel ascended from her Irish roots to become the quintessential Society Queen of Chicago, and later London, where she lived a delicate dance between two worlds: one with her esteemed husband, Sir John Lavery, a portrait artist to royalty, and the other with Michael Collins, the daring Irish rebel whose fiery spirit ignited her heart. Together, they formed a love triangle that echoed through the corridors of power at 10 Downing Street, London.
Hazel’s wit and charm touched on the lives of the who’s-who of England, including Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw and Evelyn Waugh. The image of her memorable face graced Irish banknotes for close to half-a-century.
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4APo7o
Excerpt from
The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery
Alice was out on Regent Street for drinks at the Café Royal, a thriving Victorian restaurant known to cater to the upper crust and apparently British spies. And then she was off to the Savoy for dinner with her international crowd. Like mother like daughter, I suppose. Christmas Eve she’d be traveling to Ireland, spending more and more time in Kilkenny. She even had dreams of living there. I suspect my Irish bug bit her, too. And she even expressed it to me in a letter:
Dearest Mommy,
The Irish are such delightfully kind and amusing people. It is nothing like English hunting, either field or country, everyone helps everyone else, and no one swears at anyone and you’re always welcome in the country if you’re a stranger… I think Ireland is the freshest, simplest, nicest country and people I have ever met, and I love every inch of it, so you can say ‘I told you so’ and crow over me to your heart’s content now. You were right! And I love you!
My stepdaughter, Eileen, wrapped gifts in the parlor. Nearby were her daughters, Ann Moira and June Mary, which now made John and I official grandparents.
Winston and John were in the library deep into cigars, gin and political talk with our son-in-law, William, while Clementine and I sat sipping sherry in the drawing room, the doors closed. My newest friend, Jessie Louisa “Louie” Rickard, an Irish writer, whose romantic novels we all devoured, joined us, listening on as Clementine cackled about some latest fashion.
My eyes watered up for the tenth time that day. I didn’t intend for her to notice but she instantly figured it out as I turned the other way to avoid eye contact.
“Hazel,” said Clementine, leaning in, her voice full of pity, “Hazel, look at me.” I turned as she gained my full attention. “You must gather yourself, darling girl.”
“Oh Clemmie, I don’t know how to…”
“Of course, you don’t. You’re American,” she said, patting my hand. “But try you must.”
“He was the love of…”
“… your life, yes, I know. But he’s gone. It’s been years,” said Clementine. “Those chapters of life are best left unpublished.”
Then she eyed my wardrobe, black from head to toe, compared to her layers of lapis and pitch blue – a bias-cut dress with belted waist and large yoke collar. “And Hazel, dearest, you’re not in mourning, you’re married…”
“Well, I suppose marriage is a form of mourning.” The three of us women shared a look.
“Fer sure,” said Louie with her Irish brogue. She was sporty. Wearing high waisted sailor pants and striped blouse.
As I admired their zest for life in the present, I longed to tell them right then and there that I mourned not only for Michael, but for our unborn child, and the recent loss of yet another one of Michael’s friends.
“It’s been so difficult, ladies. You’re the only ones I can confide in except for Michael’s sister, Hannie. We’ve stayed close. My love for him is always with me. He once said we were like swans who mate for life.”
“Pain comes from always wanting…” said Louie, trailing off and turning the other way, like a true romantic writer, gazing out the window. Whenever she spoke, rain practically fell on cue.
Clementine began pinching the puffed sleeves on her dress and then gazed up at me, clearing her throat to speak. “I have five tips for any woman where the living men are concerned, not the dead ones.”
“Oh?” I sat up, eager.
“Firstly,” said Clementine, “it is important that a man hires you a skilled staff and has an admirable career. Second, that he makes you laugh. Third, it is important to find a man you can count on who doesn’t lie to you. And that this man loves you and spoils you. And, finally,” she added, “it is most important that these four men don’t know each other!” A pause, and then Clementine burst out laughing.
“Oh Clemmie, you’re wretched! Is this your way of saying I should have an affair?”
“It’s time dear. It’s time.”
“I concur!” said Louie.
“But I’m a Catholic now,” I declared, “I don’t believe in divorce.”
“Nobody is saying to divorce, just have a good ole roll in the hay with a man more your age,” said Louie, tipping her head to suggest John was very old.
I regretted the way that I segued into the next words that fell from my mouth since rumors had already begun circulating about me. “And Kevin O’Higgins is dead, too. Michael’s friend.”
“Another one?” asked Clementine. “Dead?”
“Yes, back in July, didn’t I tell you then… though it feels like yesterday. The assassins poured lead into his body just like they did to Michael except they murdered him on his way to Mass.”
“Disgraceful!” said Clementine.
“Sometimes, I just feel frozen in misery,” I added.
“So, you were close, yeah?” asked Louie.
Trying to avoid the question instead reframing with a different answer. “I was watching polo at Ranelagh when I was told the news. The first thing I thought was the same thing I always think when I hear of the death of a man close to me. It’s always the men close to my life who die.”
Leaning forward I poured more sherry, and topped Clementine’s off, too. “O’Higgins so much wanted to see Michael’s achievements and endeavors for the country. They’re saying he was perhaps the greatest diplomat of them all. You know, he wrote me the most charming note. Ended it by saying he wished I could be there as his Parliament meets again. And then he went on about how much the Irish appreciate my help and sympathy.”
Clementine studied her sherry glass, took a sip, and then spoke, “Hazel, I suspect that your views of Ireland are unsuited to the harsh reality of sectarian strife.”
“But I love Ireland so. It was purely by accident of birth that America claimed me. Although,” I said, easing back into the chair and pouting, “Perhaps John was right. He once said that ‘Hazel’s Ireland is as unreal as a mirage in the desert.’”
Author Bio:Lois Cahall began her writing career as a columnist for Cape Cod newspapers and local periodicals, including Cape Cod Life. She spent a decade writing for national magazines (Conde Nast/Hearst). Her articles have been published in Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, SELF, Marie Claire, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Reader’s Digest, Men’s Journal, and Bon Appetit. In the UK she wrote for RED, GQ, Psychologies, and for The Times. In addition, Lois wrote profiles for The Palm Beach Post.
Lois’s first novel, Plan C: Just in Case, was a #1 bestseller in the UK, where it remained in the top three fiction for the year before selling into foreign translation markets. In July of 2014, her novel hit #1 on the Nook “Daily Deal” in America. Her second novel, Court of the Myrtles, was hailed as “Tuesdays with Morrie on estrogen” by the Ladies Home Journal. Her newest book, The Many Lives of Hazel Lavery, is a work of historical fiction and will be published in 2025.
Lois is the former Creative Director of Development for James Patterson Entertainment. She credits her friend, Jim Patterson, the world’s most successful bestselling author, with teaching her about the importance of children’s reading and literacy. As a result, she founded the Palm Beach Book Festival in 2015, an annual event bringing in NYT bestselling and celebrity authors. The event is for book lovers, nurturing the written word for the children and adults of southern Florida.
In 2024 Lois also founded The Cape Cod Book Festival, an annual autumn event that promises to be a new cultural footprint in Massachusetts. It will be for locals and ‘washashores’ alike – a magical place where charitably minded readers can rub elbows with great writers and thinkers.
Lois divides her life between New York and Cape Cod, although her spiritual home is London. But most importantly, Lois can do the Hula Hoop for an hour non-stop and clear a Thanksgiving table in just under ten minutes.
Author Links:
Website: www.loiscahall.com
Twitter: https://x.com/LoCahall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoisCahallAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lois.cahall/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lois.cahall
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/loiscahall.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2431811526
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lois-Cahall/author/B0DG3W5QNW
February 14, 2025
Murder on West Lake by I.M. Foster: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host I.M. Foster for the book spotlight blog tour for Murder on West Lake, Book 3 in the South Shore Mystery Series.
You can follow the full tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-tour-murder-on-west-lake-by-i-m-foster.html
Murder on West Lake by I. M. FosterBlurb:
A scream shattered the tranquil air, echoing off the ice-covered lake, and Daniel’s heart froze. He knew that voice all too well.
After a pleasant afternoon of ice skating on the frozen waters of West Lake, local librarian Kathleen Brissedon stumbles across a gruesome sight in the nearby gazebo. It only takes a moment for her beau, assistant coroner Doctor Daniel O’Halleran, to determine that the victim was murdered.
To protect Kathleen from the ghastly sight of the man’s slashed throat, Daniel insists she return home while he examines the body further. Though the immediate cause of death appears obvious, he fears the subsequent autopsy will uncover more questions than answers, and it’s clear that he has his work cut out for him if he’s going to find the person responsible.
Kathleen has no intention of remaining demurely at home, not when there’s a murder to solve. Slipping back to the scene, she conducts her own investigation. Though her discoveries prove interesting, Daniel is too concerned about her safety to stifle his annoyance, especially after the killer makes a second attempt closer to home. But as the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place and Daniel starts closing in on the truth, the killer sets their sights on him.
With the danger increasing, Kathleen intent on assisting in the investigation, and his family descending on Patchogue to spend the Christmas holidays, Daniel has his hands full.
Will he and Kathleen be able to put their heads together and discover who is behind the attacks, or will the killer continue to plague the tranquil South Shore village unhindered?
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mlO8vq
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
I. M. Foster is the pen name author Inez Foster uses to write her South Shore Mystery series, set on Edwardian Long Island. Inez also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Andrea Matthews and has so far published two series in that genre: the Thunder on the Moor series, a time-travel romance set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Borders, and the Cross of Ciaran series, which follows the adventures of a fifth century Celt who finds himself in love with a twentieth-century archaeologist.
Inez is a historian and librarian, who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogically speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys doing the research almost as much as she does the actual writing of the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. Inez is a member of the Long Island Romance Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime.
Author Links:
Website: www.imfostermysteries.com
Twitter: https://www.x.com/IMFosterMystery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IMFosterMysteries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imfosterauthor
Threads: https://www.threads.net/imfosterauthor
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/i-m-foster
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/I-M-Foster/author/B0BFQK8854
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22926746.I_M_Foster
January 30, 2025
The Fugitive’s Sword by Eleanor Swift-Hook: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Eleanor Swift-Hook on the book blog tour for The Fugitive’s Sword. Eleanor has kindly provided an excerpt (see below).
You can follow the full tour here:
The Fugitive’s Sword by Eleanor Swift-HookBlurb:
Autumn 1624
Europe is deeply embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years’ War.
A young Philip Lord, once favoured at King James’ court, has vanished without a trace, under the shadow of treason.
Outside the besieged city of Breda, Captain Matthew Rider faces the brutal reality of wintering his cavalry in the siege lines, until he crosses paths with Filippo Schiavono, a young man whose courage and skill could change everything.
Kate, Lady Catherine de Bouqulement, arrives in London prepared to navigate the dangerous politics of King James’ court to ensure troops are sent to her mistress, the exiled Queen of Bohemia.
Within Breda’s walls, a foundling named Jorrit unwittingly stumbles into a lethal conspiracy when Schiavono hires him, supposedly to help sell smuggled tobacco. But Schiavono’s plans go awry and they are compelled to flee the city, only to be captured at sea.
If Schiavono is unable to prove his loyalty and ruthlessness to a savage Dunkirker privateer captain, both he and Jorrit will face certain death.
Meanwhile, in London, Kate is forced to fight her own battle against those seeking to coerce her into their schemes and finds herself trapped in a terrifying and deadly power struggle.
Driven by violence, treachery, and the sea’s merciless tides, their fates collide.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/TheFugitivesSword
An Excerpt:Whitehall, 1 January 1625
The first of January was the day set for the duke’s departure. He could not leave without participating in the ritual of gift giving that belonged to that day and the court celebrated in lavish style. Kate was not too surprised to find herself and Lucy invited to attend the farewell gathering.
It was held in Whitehall and a select proportion of the court was in attendance to honour the duke. Kate was glad to keep herself in the background whilst the duke, wearing his newly bestowed Order of the Garter with its diamond studded ribbon and heavy gold medal, was feted and praised.
The king was absent, but word spread that in addition to the Garter he had granted the duke a sizable pension. Prince Charles gave a short but stirring speech about his sister’s champion and announced his personal gift of three thousand pounds. After that there seemed to Kate to be a flurry reminiscent of an auction at which various nobles pledged sums to the duke’s support.
Of course, Buckingham was there with his duchess and his mother, but Kate kept an eye on them and ensured she was always inaccessible at any moment when one of them might have tried to speak with her. She knew that would be no defence against a specific request to attend upon them, so she devoted herself to conversation with the least controversial of the ladies present and tried hard to avoid notice.
Near the end of the event, Kate was congratulating herself on navigating through the shoals successfully and looking for Lucy so they would be ready for the final formalities, when she found her path barred by a young man with a high forehead, plump cheeks and long wavy hair which hung on each side of his face.
Mountjoy Blount.
“Lady Catherine, it is as if you have descended from the clouds. Such beauty.”
Kate had been wearing a polite smile throughout and now it froze in place.
Blount seemed not to notice any change in her and grasped her hand making a bow over it whilst bringing the fingers to his lips.
“His grace the Duke of Buckingham,” he went on as he straightened up, “sent me to escort you to him.”
One might want to scream and pull away. One might want to run, pushing through the thicket of velvet and taffeta clad bodies. One might want to simply refuse. But one could not, of course.
Kate drew a steadying breath and allowed herself to be drawn across the room, aware that most there marked their passage with speculation. Her eyes briefly found Lucy and their gazes locked before Kate was swept past.
Blount led her away from the main gathering and into a side chamber, where Buckingham stood in the secluded and exclusive company of Prince Charles, the Earls of Essex and Warwick and three other gentlemen who Kate supposed were also related to Mountjoy Blount. The Duchess of Buckingham and her mother-in-law sat together away to one side.
Focusing on the prince, Kate offered as deep and gracious a curtsy as she could achieve. Beside her, still holding her arm, Blount offered as deep an obeisance.
From somewhere to one side Kate heard a voice which she recognised as belonging to Buckingham’s mother.
“Oh, they do look so good together, do you not think?”
As Kate rose from her curtsy it was Prince Charles who spoke, not Buckingham. His doe like eyes held her gaze and he smiled almost shyly.
“L-Lady Catherine, it has been brought to my attention that you have been left without the support of a husband in the management of your lands and I would not see you forced to such straits for any longer than is necessary. I know you have given many years of devoted service to my dear sister, but I am sure she would not grudge you the comfort of your own home, your own husband and your own family.”
As he spoke Kate’s throat closed up and she knew there would be nothing she could do to stop the colour draining from her face. She could not have uttered a word in that moment had her life depended upon it.
Buckingham was wearing a supercilious smile and nodding as the prince spoke.
“Highness,” he said swiftly, “I would recommend our good friend Mountjoy Blount, the son of the late Baron Mountjoy, who is most willing to take up the care and responsibility of Lady Catherine and her lands.”
Kate’s thoughts were beating as rapidly as her heart. The prince had no power to compel this, only the king could do that and surely he would not allow— Then she stopped and into her mind came the number of occasions the king was known to have been bent from his chosen course by Buckingham. More and more often in recent times.
“Is that so?” the prince asked Blount, who bowed his head in response.
“It would be my honour, my privilege and my delight, highness” Blount said.
At least, a little mocking voice in the corner of Kate’s mind whispered, he is not lying about that.
“And do you consent to this, Lady Catherine?” the prince asked.
“Of course she does, highness,” Buckingham said smoothly. “Lady Catherine is an intelligent young woman. She knows what is in her best interests.” His gaze shifted to Kate, and she shivered.
He had placed her in an impossible position. The only escape routes open to her were lined with social condemnation, royal opprobrium and the risk of drawing both onto Lucy, not to mention severely damaging the cause that mattered most to them both.
She had no choice.
None at all.
Author Bio:
Eleanor Swift-Hook enjoys the mysteries of history and fell in love with the early Stuart era at university when she re-enacted battles and living history events with the English Civil War Society. Since then, she has had an ongoing fascination with the social, military and political events that unfolded during the Thirty Years’ War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
The Soldier’s Stand, book two in Lord’s Learning and the sequel to The Fugitive’s Sword, is now available for preorder and will be released on 25 February, 2025.
She lives in County Durham and loves writing stories woven into the historical backdrop of those dramatic times.
Author Links:
Website: www.eleanorswifthook.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/emswifthook/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LordsLegacySeries
Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/emswifthook.bsky.social
Book Bub: www.bookbub.com/profile/eleanor-swift-hook
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Eleanor-Swift-Hook/author/B0BKTP1CMG
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/22989983.Eleanor_Swift_Hook
January 7, 2025
Harold the King/I Am The Chosen King: The Coffee Pot Book Club Spotlight Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Helen Hollick for the spotlight tour for Harold The King (UK)/I Am The Chosen King (USA/Canada), as part of the 25 year anniversary of the original publication. Congrats Helen!
You can follow the full tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/12/blog-tour-harold-the-king-by-helen-hollick.html
Harold The King (UK) / I Am The Chosen King (USA/Canada), by Helen HollickBlurb:
First published in 2000 – Celebrating a Silver Anniversary!
The events that led to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 – told from the English point of view.
Two men. One crown.
England, 1044. Harold Godwinesson, a young, respected earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. In Normandy, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power.
In 1066 England falls vulnerable to the fate of these two men: one, chosen to be a king, the other, determined to take, by force, what he desires. Risking his life to defend his kingdom from foreign invasion, Harold II led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honour and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes.
In this beautifully crafted tale, USA Today bestselling author Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the man who was the last Anglo-Saxon king, revealing his tender love, determination and proud loyalty, all to be shattered by the desire for a crown – by one who had no right to wear it.
Praise for Helen Hollick:
“Helen Hollick has it all! She tells a great story, gets her history right, and writes consistently readable books”
~ Bernard Cornwell
“A novel of enormous emotional power”
~ Elizabeth Chadwick
“If only all historical fiction could be this good”
~ Historical Novel Society Review
Buy Links:
Universal eBook Link, Harold The King: https://books2read.com/u/4jOdYj
Harold the King (UK): https://viewbook.at/HaroldTheKing
I Am the Chosen King (US): https://viewBook.at/ChosenKing
This title is available on #KindleUnlimited, except in US & Canada.
Author Bio:First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she writes a nautical adventure/supernatural series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She has also branched out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with her Jan Christopher Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working as a library assistant. The fifth in the series, A Memory Of Murder, was published in May 2024.
Helen HollickHer non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She is currently writing about the ghosts of North Devon, and Jamaica Gold for her Sea Witch Voyages.
Recognised by her stylish hats, Helen tries to attend book-related events as a chance to meet her readers and social-media followers, but her ‘wonky eyesight’ as she describes her condition of Glaucoma, and severe arthritis is now a little prohibitive for travel.
She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon with their dogs and cats, while on the farm there are showjumper horses, fat Exmoor ponies, an elderly Welsh pony, geese, ducks and hens. And several resident ghosts.
Author Links:
Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.hollick
Blog, supporting authors & their books: https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/helenhollick.bsky.social
Twitter / X: https://x.com/HelenHollick
Monthly newsletter: Thoughts from a Devonshire Farmhouse:
Start Here:January 2024 https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2024/01/thoughts-from-devonshire-farmhouse.html (posted on her blog)
December 4, 2024
A Woman Scorned by Marcia Clayton: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Marcia Clayton for the book blog tour for A Woman Scorned, part of The Hartford Manor Series. Marcia has kindly provided a snippet for you to enjoy (see below).
You can follow the full tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/11/blog-tour-a-woman-scorned-by-marcia-clayton.html
A Woman Scorned By Marcia ClaytonBlurb:
1886 North Devon, England
Lady Lilliana Grantley has been seriously ill with typhoid, a disease that recently claimed her husband Edgar’s life and that of his long-time lover, Rosemary Gibbs. Now recovering at last, the lady wastes no tears on her husband but is determined to wreak revenge on his two illegitimate children.
Embarrassed for years by his affair with Rosemary, a childhood sweetheart living nearby, she has falsely accused Sir Edgar’s daughter, Millicent, of the theft of a precious brooch and wants to see her jailed or hanged.
Fortunately for Millie and her little brother, Jonathan, their granny, Emily, insisted they leave home as soon as she heard of Sir Edgar’s death, for she knew his widow would seek revenge. The old lady was soon proved right, and Lady Lilliana, furious the two youngsters were nowhere to be found, evicted the old woman despite the fact she, too, was dangerously ill.
After a long and hazardous journey to North Devon, Millie and Jonathan were united with some long-lost family members who made them welcome and gave them a home. However, aware that Lady Lilliana has put a price on Millie’s head, they know they are not yet out of danger. Despite this, they are determined to find their granny, Emily, who seems to have disappeared.
Aided by her long-time lover, Sir Clive Robinson, Lady Lilliana is determined to find Millie and Jonnie and get them out of her life once and for all, but how far will the embittered woman go?
Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/AWomanScorned
A Snippet from A Woman ScornedExcerpt from Chapter 11
Rosa Baker’s hip was hurting, and she decided it was time to visit the bakery and enjoy a cake and a cup of tea before catching the train home. She usually enjoyed her weekly shopping trip, but it was becoming ever harder, and she wondered how much longer she would be able to manage it. She entered the busy tearoom and was pleased to see her favourite table by the window was unoccupied.
The lady behind the counter noticed the weary expression on Rosa’s face and, smiling brightly, told Rosa to sit down and that she would bring the refreshments to her.
“There we are, my dear. You seem a little tired this morning. Is everything all right?”
“Oh, thanks, Mary; bless you. Yes, but my hip is painful, and I had to rest. I’ll sit here now and read the newspaper until it’s time for my train if that’s all right with you.”
“Yes, of course. You’re one of our regulars; you sit there as long as you like.”
Rosa, thankfully, took a sip of her tea and bit into the piece of fruit cake she treated herself to every Friday. Reaching into her shopping bag, she retrieved her newspaper and spread it on the table before her. She read a few articles with interest, but as she turned the page, she was horrified to see another advertisement offering a reward for information leading to the apprehension of Millicent and Jonathan Gibbs. Fortunately, there were no photographs, but the detailed description would make them easily identifiable. The reward had been doubled to twenty guineas, a small fortune, and the old woman knew many would be tempted. She feared for the youngsters and hoped they had reached their destination in Hartford safely and had been taken in by their relatives.
Author Bio:
Marcia Clayton writes historical fiction with a sprinkling of romance and mystery in a heart-warming family saga that stretches from the Regency period through to Victorian times.
A farmer’s daughter, Marcia was born in North Devon, a rural and picturesque area in the far South West of England. When she left school at sixteen, Marcia worked in a bank for several years until she married her husband, Bryan, and then stayed at home for a few years to care for her three sons, Stuart, Paul and David.
As the children grew older, Marcia enrolled in a secretarial course, which led to an administrative post at the local college. Marcia progressed through various jobs at the college and, when working as a Transport Project Coordinator, was invited to 10 Downing Street to meet Tony Blair, the then Prime Minister. Marcia later worked for the local authority as the Education Transport Manager for Devon County Council and remained there until her retirement.
Now a grandmother, Marcia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She’s a keen researcher of family history, and this hobby inspired some of the characters in her books. A keen gardener, Marcia grows many of her own vegetables. She is also an avid reader and enjoys historical fiction, romance, and crime books.
Marcia has written six books in the historical family saga, “The Hartford Manor Series”. You can also read her free short story, “Amelia”, a spin-off tale from the first book, “The Mazzard Tree”, by downloading the story here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/amelia-free-download/
In addition to writing books, Marcia produces blogs to share with her readers in a monthly newsletter. If you would like to join Marcia’s mailing list, you can subscribe here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/
Author Links:
Website: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarciaC89111861
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marciaclaytonauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marciaclayton97/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/marciaclayton.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marcia-clayton
Amazon Author Page: http://viewauthor.at/MarciaClayton
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20429025.Marcia_Clayton
December 2, 2024
Madeline’s Boy by Sara Powter: The Coffee Pot Book Club Spotlight Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Sara Powter for the book blog spotlight tour for Madeline’s Boy, published 13th November 2024.
You can follow the follow tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/11/blog-tour-madelines-boy-by-sara-powter.html
Madeline’s Boy by Sara PowterBlurb:
England 1830s to New South Wales 1840
The race to protect an orphaned Boy
All is not straightforward when money and titles are involved.
Orphaned, afraid and on the run, Chip must flee.
Madeline was his mother’s best friend. Maddie now needs to keep her charge safe and alive. She must give up her life to protect the boy she has loved since birth.
Months after Chip’s parents’ demise, Maddie sets out to deliver Chip to his Uncle Humphrey, who lives in Sydney. Through him, she meets Chip’s friend Tim, who falls for Maddie— but will they find happiness?
The menacing presence soon finds Chip, and Maddie needs to hide him again. They are moved from hidden farms to secret valleys, ending up in an aboriginal encampment.
Can Tim find a way to be with Maddie? And if so… Will Chip ever be safe?
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/MadelinesBoy
Author Bio:
Sara Powter lives on the NSW Central Coast. Her childhood was spent with her parents, mainly travelling up and down the East Coast of Australia, fishing, shell collecting, and doing some of her education through correspondence schooling.
With a passion for science, she worked as a Scientific Assistant in the Entomology Department of the Department of Agriculture. She married Stephen soon after leaving there, and they spent 30 years in Ministry in the Newcastle Anglican Diocese in NSW, only retiring at the end of 2020.
When ‘Covid 19’ hit, time was available to pen some of the stories she’d wanted to write for some time. Within twelve months, eight stories were finished, and ideas for more were coming (after four years, she had recently completed her twenty-eighth book). These stem from her passion for Colonial Australia, her convict ancestors, and the fantastic country’s remarkable history!
Sara wrote these as she wished to complete one of her mother’s unfinished manuscripts. The series prequel, “Dancing to Her Own Tune,” is now completed and ties in Sheila Hunter’s Australian Trilogy with Sara’s Lockley series and many others. All are Clean Australian Historical Fiction.
But… Watch for more in The Hunter to Macquarie Collection and The Convict Birthstain Collection.
Author Links:
Website: www.sarapowter.com.au
Twitter: https://x.com/SaraPowter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063887262514
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-powter-450b6b145/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarapowter2251/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sara-powter
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sara-Powter/author/B08X4K9VM1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13548072.Sara_Powter
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRC4aFyyiVAMy5ZLTTQUEw
November 26, 2024
The Paris Portrait by Heidi Eljarbo: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I’m delighted to host Heidi Eljarbo once more for the blog tour for The Paris Portrait, A Fabiola Bennett Mystery, her latest release.
You can follow the full spotlight tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/10/blog-tour-the-paris-portrait-by-heidi-eljarbo.html
The Paris Portrait by Heidi EljarboBlurb:
Fabiola stumbles upon a clue that indicates a royal portrait went missing almost two hundred years ago. Is this true, or is there substance to the rumor?
Paris, France, 1973.
After an enjoyable but dusty road trip, Fabiola and her friends, Pippa and Cary, arrive in a small village on the outskirts of Paris to spend a few days with Fabiola’s brother Eivind and his family.
On their first evening there, Eivind shows Fabiola an ancient recipe book he bought at an auction. The book is filled with old writing, and he asks Fabiola to decipher the pages. After the others have gone to bed, she spends hours reading and is gripped by the last pages that have nothing to do with recipes for baked goods and stews. Certain the author was a famous portrait artist at the time of the French Revolution, Fabiola and her friends set out on a treacherous investigation, dodging murderers and thieves to learn the truth.
Versailles, France, 1789.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun— portraitist and close friend of the extravagant queen of France, Marie Antoinette—has already painted thirty portraits of the queen. Her contemporaries compare her to the old Dutch masters, calling her one of the greatest portrait painters of her time.
But outside on the streets, Paris is becoming more perilous with every day that passes. Madame Le Brun would be a fool to think the rumors of a revolution will pass, and aristocratic life will continue as before.
Amid the turmoil, she paints one final portrait of Marie Antoinette, knowing well her association with the queen could cause her to be arrested or executed. As chaos and riots in Paris turn to violence, Madame Le Brun flees with her young daughter, hoping her royal friend and the portrait will be safe.
This is Heidi Eljarbo’s third dual timeline novel about Norwegian art historian Fabiola Bennett—a captivating spin-off from her much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3nPAjB
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking their Wheaten Terrier in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/
Twitter: @HeidiEljarbo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/
Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-eljarbo
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/heidieljarbo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo
Newsletter: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/newsletter
November 1, 2024
The King’s Intelligencer by Elizabeth St.John: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to welcome back Elizabeth to my blog for the book blog tour for her new release, The King’s Intelligencer. Elizabeth has kindly provided an excerpt for you to enjoy (see below).
You can follow the full tour here:
The King’s Intelligencer – Discovering the Missing Princes in the Tower by Elizabeth St.JohnLondon, 1674: When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited.
Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.
Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.
In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?
A captivating historical novel of conspiracy, passion, and courage, The King’s Intelligencer is one woman’s quest for a truth that could change the fate of a nation. A companion to the critically acclaimed best-selling novels The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, The King’s Intelligencer weaves together beloved characters and actual events to bring a suspenseful mystery to life.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #Kindle Unlimited.
Universal Buy Link: https://geni.us/KingsIntelligencer
An Excerpt from The King’s IntelligencerChapter 1
London, 1674
Footsteps rattled across Westminster Abbey’s chessboard floor, tip-tapping a reveille rude enough to wake the dead. Franny Apsley frowned. She welcomed an entertaining disruption from escorting her royal mistress around the dismal graves, but they had yet to visit the tomb that really mattered. The one that served Franny’s purpose, if not her desire.
The excursion was the girl’s idea, of course, because Lady Mary Stuart, King Charles’s precious twelve-year-old niece, relished visiting macabre monuments of her ancestors. Later, Mary would no doubt scream for her favourite lady as the dead rode nightmares across her swagged four-poster, keeping Franny awake and yawning at her side, and proving once again her opinion that a place in the royal household was more duty than honour. The least she could salvage from today’s expedition was another rung up the ladder of ambition.
Gibstone, the court’s drawing master, scuttled towards them, his anvil-jawed face mulberry-flushed, stubby legs pumping. He flashed a satisfied glance at Franny; he was her co-conspirator in entertaining Mary.
“Do you carry news, Mr. Gibstone?” The interruption was timely, but not at the expense of Franny’s story. In its telling, she required the presence of a significant tomb to capture Mary’s vivid imagination. “Can it wait? We must go to the Lady Chapel.”
“What is it?” cried Lady Mary, eager, apparently, for a diversion. “Oh, what has happened, Mr. Gibstone?”
“Bones! Bones! The Tower”—panted the dwarf, wedging a thumb under his elaborate cravat—“I’ve been at the demolition at the Tower of London. Kit Wren is examining ancient bones found by the stairs at the White Keep. Children’s bones. Two sets. Two children. In the Tower.”
A distant story nagged just beyond Franny’s recollection. “Bones? Whose bones?”
“Could it be the murdered princes?” Mr. Gibstone rolled his eyes in excitement. “Come now! Come and see for yourself.”
Courtiers circled, enticed by the whiff of distraction from Lady Mary’s obsession. She may enjoy predicting her own future by communing with her royal ancestors in the abbey, but the Tower of London? Children’s bones? Evidence of a royal murder?
Infinitely more interesting.
Beyond Mr. Gibstone’s bobbing head, behind the familiar clutch of cousins, friends, and foes, a stranger stood tall, his green-eyed gaze piercing the abbey’s gloom. He watched Franny, not the news-bearing dwarf. She had not seen this man before.
Franny blinked, looked away, met the unforgiving stares of the painted plaster saints in their niches. “Jesu,” she breathed and crossed herself. “The murdered princes? Jesu save their souls.”
Mary clapped with delight. “Bones! Another adventure.” Her voice squeaked excitement. “Franny, we must go this very minute!”
Not until she had finished her business in the abbey. “We have one more tomb to visit.” Franny bent to Mr. Gibstone, gathered her thoughts. “Arrange for the coach to meet us in the sanctuary courtyard. We will be there shortly.”
Mr. Gibstone wavered, torn between Franny’s instructions, Mary’s excitement, and his opportunity to win favour. “They think it might be the missing princes,” he offered again hopefully, “in the Tower.”
The Tower. The princes. Franny inhaled deeply. She hadn’t been to the Tower since she was nine years old. And never thought she’d have reason to return.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Elizabeth’s works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a trilogy set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley’s perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the sudden discovery of the princes’ bones. In Charles II’s court of intrigue and deceit, Franny must decide what she’ll risk—for England’s salvation, her family’s safety, and her own happiness.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/ElizStJohn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@elizabethjstjohn
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethstjohn.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-st-john
Amazon Author Page: https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn
Goodreads: https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn
