Pam Lecky's Blog, page 8
July 3, 2023
The King’s Champion by Nancy Northcott: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Nancy Northcott for the blog tour for her new release, The King’s Champion, Book 3 in The Boar King’s Honor Trilogy. Nancy has kindly provided an excerpt (please see below)
You can follow the full tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/05/blog-tour-kings-champion-by-nancy-northcott.html
The King’s Champion by Nancy NorthcottThe Boar King’s Honor Trilogy
A wizard’s misplaced trust
A king wrongly blamed
A bloodline cursed until they clear the king’s name.
Book 3: The King’s Champion
Caught up in the desperate evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France in the summer of 1940, photojournalist Kate Shaw witnesses death and destruction that trigger disturbing visions. She doesn’t believe in magic and tries to pass them off as survivor guilt or an overactive imagination, but the increasingly intense visions force her to accept that she is not only magically Gifted but a seer.
In Dover, she meets her distant cousin Sebastian Mainwaring, Earl of Hawkstowe and an officer in the British Army. He’s also a seer and is desperate to recruit her rare Gift for the war effort. The fall of France leaves Britain standing alone as the full weight of Nazi military might threatens. Kate’s untrained Gift flares out of control, forcing her to accept Sebastian’s help in conquering it as her ethics compel her to use her ability for the cause that is right.
As this fledgling wizard comes into her own, her visions warn of an impending German invasion, Operation Sealion, which British intelligence confirms. At the same time, desire to help Sebastian, who’s doomed by a family curse arising from a centuries-old murder, leads Kate to a shadowy afterworld between life and death and the trapped, fading souls who are the roots of her family’s story. From the bloody battlefields of France to the salons of London, Kate and Sebastian race against time to free his family’s cursed souls and to stop an invasion that could doom the Allied cause.
The King’s Champion concludes Nancy’s Northcott’s exciting Boar King’s Honor Trilogy.
The King’s Champion – Universal Buy Link
Buy Links, Book 1 & 2:
This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
The Herald of Day – Universal Buy Link
The Steel Rose – Universal Buy Link
The King’s Champion – Excerpt From Chapter 1 – The trucks carrying Kate and other soldiers arrive on the outskirts of Dunkirk.
Refugees fleeing south clogged the road. Men and women with weary, defeated faces dragged carts or carried bundles. Some bore children on their backs, the little ones’ eyes wide and full of dread. A lucky few actually had horse-drawn carts, likely farm wagons, with belongings and family jammed into them. The soldiers and their trucks moved through the mass at a crawl.
At last, as the day waned, the truck ground to a halt, apparently on the outskirts of a town. The ruined buildings lining the road stood between two and four stories tall. Some were narrow, while others had as many as six windows across. None of them had any glass remaining, and chimneys stood like grim sentinels where upper floors and roofs had been blasted away.
“Everybody out,” someone called from the front of the truck.
Kate scrambled out with the men around her. They melded into the ranks of the infantry.
“Road’s blocked ahead,” the stocky man climbing down from the cab announced. “It’s faster to go on foot. The Jerrys have destroyed the port. We’re to head for the beaches on its east side.” He left the engine running and removed the radiator cap.
Kate had seen soldiers do that before. The engine would eventually seize, making it useless to the Nazis.
She fell in with the men around her. No one had more than a pack and his rifle. Deserted buildings lined the road, their doors and windows gaping, empty holes revealing shadowy piles of rubble within. Here and there, the setting sun hit a west-facing window and illuminated the wreckage inside.
There was still enough light for photos. Kate dug out her camera. Stepping out of the mass, she clambered onto a chunk of broken masonry that looked like part of a brick wall.
Ahead, a giant pillar of smoke filled the horizon. An acrid whiff of something that might’ve been burning oil rode the breeze.
She opened her camera, focused on the men marching toward her, and clicked the shutter. Then she faced forward to capture the men marching away. The photos might be a little underexposed, but maybe she could fix them in the darkroom.
Closing the camera took only a moment. There might be other opportunities, though, so she held onto it as she joined the men marching past.
When they eyed her curiously, she smiled.
“Kate Shaw. Consolidated News Union.” She offered her hand to the man on her right. He shook it carefully, with hardly any pressure.
“What’s your unit, and how has it been for you fellows?” she asked. Assuming they were all North Yorkshire Fusiliers might be a mistake. As soldiers raced for the beach, units became jumbled. Or so she’d heard.
Before the men could answer, someone up front shouted, “Take cover!”
Everyone looked up. A trio of planes headed their way, swooping low.
“Messerschmitts!” a man farther forward yelled.
The fighters could strafe, and everyone on the road was exposed. They all dashed for the nearest buildings. Huddled in a wrecked kitchen with two of the men, Kate did what she’d done so many times since the fighting started. Clenching her fists, she closed her eyes and thought, Don’t see us. Don’t see us. Don’t see us.
Author Bio:
Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman. Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy, history, and romance.
Nancy earned her undergraduate degree in history and particularly enjoyed a summer spent studying Tudor and Stuart England at the University of Oxford. She has given presentations on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III to university classes studying Shakespeare’s play about that king. In addition, she has taught college courses on science fiction, fantasy, and society.
The Boar King’s Honor historical fantasy trilogy combines Nancy’s love of history and magic with her interest in Richard III. She also writes traditional romantic suspense, romantic spy adventures, and two other speculative fiction series, the Light Mage Wars paranormal romances and, with Jeanne Adams, the Outcast Station space mystery series.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.NancyNorthcott.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NancyNorthcott
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nancynorthcottstreetteam
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancynorthcottauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancynorthcott/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-northcott
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Northcott/author/B00ITY5KLS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3468806.Nancy_Northcott
July 1, 2023
Historical Fiction Author of the Month: Elizabeth St. John
Welcome to my Blog Series, Historical Fiction Author of the Month.
Each month, I will showcase a different historical fiction author. Their books will range from romance to mystery and adventure to crime, and will be from many different eras. I hope you discover a new author and their work to enjoy. Happy reading!
In this post, I am delighted to feature author Elizabeth St. John.
Elizabeth St. JohnElizabeth 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 books include her trilogy, The Lydiard Chronicles, set in 17th Century England during the Civil War, and her newest release, The Godmother’s Secret, which explores the medieval mystery of the missing Princes in the Tower of London.
What enticed you to write in this genre?Growing up in England where the weather promotes reading and the countryside is full of castles and ancient churches, I spent much of my childhood buried in old books, family papers and walking around ruins. My parents loved history and reading and passed those genes on to me. Our favourite days were spent “St.John-hunting” where we would follow some thread in our family tree and end up in a forgotten churchyard or country house, face-to-face with an ancestor. When I came to write The Lydiard Chronicles I felt I knew the characters intimately because of my familiarity with their correspondence, wills, diaries and portraits preserved at our ancestral home of Lydiard Park and within The Lydiard Archives.
I’m very fortunate since my family kept many personal documents, and an extensive family tree preserved on great pieces of Antiquarian sized paper which had been handed down by generations. Those inspired me to want to write only relying on primary sources, and so I then visited museums and libraries where records might be stored. The Lydiard Chronicles draw on Lucy Hutchinson’s seventeenth century memoirs, which are archived at Nottingham Castle. When I first encountered them thirty years ago, they were hidden in a battered file cabinet in the castle offices, and by asking and poking around I was thrilled to see the notebooks first hand. Now they have a beautiful dedicated display within the Castle.
When I was looking for inspiration for my latest novel, The Godmother’s Secret, I literally entered my own name into our digitised family tree to see who else was recorded. About half a dozen Elizabeths appeared—Victorian, Georgian, and Tudor women; some who had lived at court, others who led simple lives in the English countryside. But I was intrigued to find Elysabeth St.John who lived in the 15th century – and over the moon when I discovered she was aunt to Henry Tudor and the godmother to Edward V – the eldest brother of the missing Princes in the Tower. I had a new family story to investigate!
Explore Elizabeth’s Books
The Godmother’s Secret
If you knew the fate of the Princes in the Tower, would you tell? Or forever keep the secret? Bound by blood and rent by honour, Lady Elysabeth Scrope is torn between the crown and her family, knowing that if her loyalty is questioned, she is in peril of losing everything—including her life.
https://geni.us/GodmothersSecret
The Lydiard Chronicles: A True Family Saga
The Lady of the Tower
Love should set you free. Not send you to the Tower of London. Lucy St.John, a beautiful highborn orphan at the court of King James, faces a devastating betrayal, forcing her to fight for her survival—and her honour—in a world of deceit and debauchery.
By Love Divided
Allen and Luce Apsley are swept up in the chaos of war as they defend their opposing causes and protect those they love. Will war unite or divide them? And will they find love and a home to return to—if they survive. In the dawn of England’s great rebellion, love is the final battleground.
Written in Their Stars
The rebel. The spymistress. The courtier. As the women work from the shadows to topple Cromwell’s regime, their husbands fight openly for Charles II’s throne on England’s bloody battlefields. Separated by loyalty and bound by love, Luce, Nan and Frances hold the fate of England—and their family—in their hands.
You can find out more about Elizabeth and her work by checking out her social media links below:
Website: http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElizStJohn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-st-john
Amazon Author Page: https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn
Goodreads: https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn
Next Month’s Author will be Terry Lynn ThomasJune 29, 2023
Book Spotlight: The Puppet Maker by Jenny O’Brien
The Puppet Maker by Jenny O’Brien(Publication Date: 17th October 2023)
The scrap of paper looked as if it had been torn from a diary. The words written in faint pencil. The letters rounded, almost childlike:
“Please look after her. Her life and mine depend on you not trying to find me.”
When Detective Alana Mack arrives at Clonabee police station, in a small Irish seaside town on the outskirts of Dublin, she doesn’t expect to find a distressed two-year-old girl sobbing on the floor. Abandoned in a local supermarket, the child tells them her name is Casey. All Alana and her team have to go on is a crumpled note begging for someone to look after her little girl. This mother doesn’t want to be found. Still recovering from a terrible accident that has left Alana navigating a new life as a wheelchair user, Alana finds herself suddenly responsible for Casey while trying to track down the missing mother and solve another missing person’s case… a retired newsagent who has seemingly vanished from his home.
Forced to ask her ex-husband and child psychiatrist Colm for help, through Forensic Art Therapy, Alana discovers that whatever darkness lies behind the black windows in Casey’s crayon drawing, the little girl was terrified of the house she lived in. Then a bag of human remains is found in a bin, and a chilling link is made – the DNA matches Casey’s. Alana and her team must find the body and make the connection with the missing newsagent fast if she is to prevent another life from being taken. But with someone in her department leaking confidential details of the investigation to the media, can Alana set aside her emotional involvement in this case and find Casey’s mother and the killer before it’s too late?
Heart-pounding and totally addictive, The Puppet Maker is the first in the Detective Alana Mack series that will have fans of Ann Cleeves, Angela Marsons and LJ Ross racing through the pages late into the night.
Pre-Order Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C9JJ5XYB
About Jenny O’Brien 
Born in Dublin, Jenny O’Brien moved to Wales and then Guernsey, where she tries to find time to write in between working as a nurse and ferrying around 3 teenagers. In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You’ll be pleased to note she won’t be entering Bake-Off.
She’s also an all-year-round sea swimmer. Jenny is represented by Nicola Barr of The Bent Agency and published by Storm Publishing and HQ Digital (Harper Collins).
June 13, 2023
A Murder on Oak Street by I.M. Foster: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host I.M. Foster for the book blog tour for her book, A Murder on Oak Street. Inez has kindly provided an excerpt for your enjoyment (see below).
You can follow the full tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-tour-murder-on-oak-street.html
Murder on Oak Street by I. M. FosterNew York, 1904. After two years as a coroner’s physician for the city of New York, Daniel O’Halleran is more frustrated than ever. What’s the point when the authorities consistently brush aside his findings for the sake of expediency? So when his fiancée leaves him standing at the altar on their wedding day, he takes it as a sign that it’s time to move on and eagerly accepts an offer to assist the local coroner in the small Long Island village of Patchogue.
Though the coroner advises him that life on Long Island is far more subdued than that of the city, Daniel hasn’t been there a month when the pretty librarian, Kathleen Brissedon, asks him to look into a two-year-old murder case that took place in the city. Oddly enough, the case she’s referring to was the first one he ever worked on, and the verdict never sat right with him.
Eager for the chance to investigate it anew, Daniel agrees to look into it in his spare time, but when a fresh murder occurs in his own backyard, he can’t shake his gut feeling that the two cases are connected. Can he discover the link before another life is taken, or will murder shake the peaceful South Shore village once again?
Buy Links:
This title is available to read with #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3GVXlO
Murder on Oak Street: ExcerptDaniel O’Halleran stared down at the crumpled body, blood spreading out in a deep crimson pool beneath the man’s head. He reached over to close the victim’s turquoise eyes. Something wasn’t right here, aside from the fact that a body was lying battered and broken on the rough wooden floor. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but then that wasn’t his job, now was it?
“Well?” Sergeant Timothy O’Halleran asked, a frown creasing his aging brow. “What killed him, then?”
Trying to suppress a smile, Daniel stood up, brushing the dust from his pants. His uncle knew very well what had killed the man, but clearly wanted to make Daniel feel important in his new position as a coroner’s physician for the city of New York. “You’re well aware what killed him, Uncle Timothy.”
His uncle gave a quick glance around before slapping him on the back of the head. “Ye’re a professional now, lad. Act like one, eh? Yer da didn’t spend all that money for a medical degree for ye to be acting the fool.”
This time Daniel did laugh, but he removed the smile from his face quickly as his uncle’s frown deepened. He was right. Richard and Sarah Adams had raised him as their own in every respect after his mother had died. For all intents and purposes, they were his parents, even though he’d insisted on retaining his mother’s surname. He did want to make them proud of him.
Wiping a hand across his face to remove any remnant of tomfoolery, as his adoptive mother called it, he took a deep breath. “He’s cracked his skull and bled out.” Daniel bent down again, sniffing the man’s clothing. “Probably drunk, but I can’t be certain.”
“Sure, I can smell it from up here,” Timothy said. “Whiskey, I’d say. I’m thinking ye need to be getting out a bit more if ye’ve any doubt.”
“It’s not what he’s been drinking I question, but the amount that made it into his stomach. Most of the smell is coming from his clothing, not his mouth. What selfrespecting drunk would let that much liquor go to waste?”
Timothy nodded. “Ye may be right, me boy. I know the man, and he’s not one to be found tipping more than a glass or two, especially in a place such as this.”
Daniel rubbed a thumb beneath his bottom lip, hesitant to say what was on his mind, but the thought was apt to come out anyway. He nodded up the stairs. “Maybe he was here for other reasons. I’ve no doubt that girl was pregnant. If he wanted her to have it aborted . . .”
This time Timothy shook his head. “I’ll not be believing that. More likely he was here to talk her out o’ such a drastic act, and someone caught him at it. The father, perhaps.” He scrubbed the day-old stubble on his chin. “What about the wretched sod in the corner room?”
“I suspect that was natural causes, but I’ll be able to tell you more—”
“I know, when ye get a better look.” His uncle rested a hand on his shoulder. “Ye’d best be quick about it, though. The chief will be wanting this one wrapped up before the widow gets any ideas. She’s way out on Long Island, so ’tis not likely he’ll be spending a great deal o’ time or resources on it.”
“But if the man’s been murdered . . .” Daniel stood, indignant to think the chief might put other considerations before the truth.
Timothy pointed a finger at him. “Now ye listen here, boyo. ’Tis the way things are. If the widow wants to hire someone to investigate, she’s free to do so. The city’s not likely to be spending good money on a drunkard found dead in a tenement, especially with a pregnant lass stabbed to death two floors above. Saints preserve us, lad, the knife’s lying at his fingertips.”
“There’s no proof it’s his knife, or that it was even used in her murder. Perhaps I could try and use that new fingerprint system I’ve heard mentioned to see if—”
“It doesn’t matter,” his uncle said, cutting him off. “’Tis lying beside him, and that’s how the bigwigs will see it, whether ye like it or not.”
“Then why ask me at all?”
“This is a good job, and ye won it fair and square, but ye can lose it just as easily. Give the boss yer opinion and leave it at that. And for the love o’ God, don’t be going making any waves, or ye might find yerself unemployed with a reputation as a troublemaker. Fingerprints, indeed!”
Daniel sighed, his shoulders slumping as if a weight had been laid across them. “It may not matter one way or the other.”
“And why’s that?” Timothy narrowed his eyes. “Out with it.”
“Prudence wants me to resign and go into practice with her father.” He shrugged, trying to shift the heaviness from his shoulders, and rubbed the scar on his forehead. “It certainly pays more, and she’s used to the finer things in life. Besides, I’d actually be helping living people, and if the department’s not going to follow up on anything anyway . . .”
“Humph!” His uncle grumbled in Gaelic, words Daniel didn’t understand, and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. “That’s all a bunch o’ malarkey, and ye know it. Ever since ye’ve been a wee lad ye’ve spoken o’ naught but joining the police force. Yer da saw how important that was to ye. Sure, he wanted ye to have a grand education and all, and yet he found a way for ye to have both, didn’t he? Now here comes this society lass, asking ye to give it all up. Yer da put yer dreams above his own. He always has. I can’t be saying the same for this lass.”
“Let’s not get into that again.” The longer they dwelled on the topic, the more his forehead ached. “You don’t like Pru. I understand that, but she does love me, and I her. Shouldn’t that count for something?”
“Then she should be wanting what’s best for ye.”
“And what about me wanting what’s best for her? I have to think of her needs as well.”
His uncle gave a half shrug. “’Tis why I never wed meself.”
Daniel chuckled, the ache along his scar easing a little. “You never wed because you eat and drink your job, and you couldn’t find a woman who would put up with it . . . or you.”
“True enough, though when I see yerself all grown like ye are, I do regret it from time to time—not having a lad o’ me own.” He sniffed before continuing and gripped Daniel’s arm. “That aside, I just want ye to be happy, lad. Ye know that.”
“I do, Uncle, though if you don’t let me get going, I’ll be sacked regardless.” He picked up his medical bag, the one his uncle had spent a fortune on for his graduation. “I’ll see you for dinner Wednesday night, seven o’clock sharp. You know how Hattie gets if you’re late.”
“Now there’s a woman that might have turned me head once upon a time.”
“She’d have knocked that thick Irish head of yours off its block.” Daniel walked outside with his uncle and looked up at the dilapidated building. “I know Dr. Scholer will do his best, but if we rule it a murder, will the department at least see if any of the other tenants saw anything?”
Timothy scratched the back of his head. “Ah, Danny! I’ll do me best, but the truth o’ it is there’s likely not a soul in there that heard a thing. Aside from the drink, I’m thinking there might be a good deal o’ opium use going on.”
Daniel nodded. “But you will try?”
“O’ course I will.”
Daniel squeezed his uncle’s shoulder and headed back toward his buggy, his uncle’s voice calling after him.
“Ye’ll be letting me know what ye find?”
Daniel waved his hand, a smile crossing his face once more.
A Little bit about Inez …
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 love 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 the research almost as much as she does writing 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.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://imfostermysteries.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/IMFosterMystery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IMFosterMysteries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imfosterauthor
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/i-m-foster
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BFQK8854
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22926746.I_M_Foster
June 12, 2023
Book Spotlight: Penelope – Tudor Baroness by Tony Riches
Lady Penelope is one of the most beautiful and sought-after women in Elizabethan England. The daughter of the queen’s nemesis, Lady Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex, she becomes the stepdaughter of Robert Dudley when he marries her mother in secret.
Penelope’s life is full of love and scandal. The inspiration for Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet Astrophel and Stella, she is inevitably caught up in her brother Robert’s fateful rebellion.
A complex and fascinating woman, her life is a story of love, betrayal, and tragedy. Discover how Penelope charms her way out of serious charges of treason, adultery, and forgery, and becomes one of the last truly great ladies of the Tudor court.
A maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, Penelope outlives the end of the Tudors with the death of the old queen and the arrival of King James, becoming a favourite lady-in-waiting to the new queen, Anne of Denmark.
Buy Links:
“This is the story of a woman who lived life on her own terms, and one that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.”
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C78KDRK3
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C78KDRK3
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C78KDRK3
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0C78KDRK3
Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of Tudor historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors. As well as his new Elizabethan series,
Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Brandon trilogy, (about Charles Brandon and his wives). For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches.
June 2, 2023
Cold Blows the Wind by Catherine Meyrick: The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Catherine Meyrick for the blog tour for Cold Blows the Wind. Catherine has kindly provided an excerpt to whet your appetite.
You can follow the full tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/04/blog-tour-cold-blows-the-wind.html
Cold Blows the Wind by Catherine MeyrickHobart Town 1878 – a vibrant town drawing people from every corner of the earth where, with confidence and a flair for storytelling, a person can be whoever he or she wants. Almost.
Ellen Thompson is young, vivacious and unmarried, with a six-month-old baby. Despite her fierce attachment to her family, boisterous and unashamed of their convict origins, Ellen dreams of marriage and disappearing into the ranks of the respectable. Then she meets Harry Woods.
Harry, newly arrived in Hobart Town from Western Australia, has come to help his aging father, ‘the Old Man of the Mountain’ who for more than twenty years has guided climbers on Mount Wellington. Harry sees in Ellen a chance to remake his life.
But, in Hobart Town, the past is never far away, never truly forgotten. When the past collides with Ellen’s dreams, she is forced to confront everything in life a woman fears most.
Based on a period in the lives of the author’s great-great-grandparents, Sarah Ellen Thompson and Henry Watkins Woods, Cold Blows the Wind is not a romance but it is a story of love – a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and, those most troublesome loves of all, for the men in her life. It is a story of the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Buy Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/ColdBlowstheWind
An Excerpt from Cold Blows the Wind‘Harry, meet Bill and George Thompson.’ His father turned back to the two men. ‘My son, Harry Woods the younger.’
The elder man held out his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Harry the younger.’ He waved his hand towards the group of women. ‘And these are my lady and my daughters.’
Harry raised his hat to Mrs Thompson, a tiny woman shorter even than Grannie, who had joined the men. The three younger girls gave Harry a passing glance, more interested in the antics of the baby they had with them, a sturdy child of around six months, who was trying to stand on the youngest and pull her fringe. The baby fell back in her lap and began to cry. The woman Harry supposed was the child’s mother held out her arms and the youngest girl passed the baby to her. She seemed to be aware of Harry’s gaze and glanced across at him. She was pleasant looking, her face made for smiling. His stomach gave an unexpected lurch. He shook his head to clear it—she must be George Thompson’s wife.
Bill Thompson passed a flask around, Mrs Thompson and Grannie both making sure they got their share. Harry took a swig. He was hungry and would have preferred a cup of tea.
The young woman smiled at him. ‘Should you be having that on an empty stomach, Mr Woods?’ She stood, the child on her hip, and picked up a tin. ‘Here, have a sandwich.’ The scent of roses washed over him. He closed his eyes a moment. The memory of Eliza’s gentle violet perfume faded.
‘Thank you.’ He took a sandwich and sat on the bench by the door. At a loss for words, he bit into the sandwich: cheese and pickle. It disappeared in three bites—it had been a long time since breakfast.
‘Go on, have another.’ Mischief in her grey-blue eyes, she grinned as if she were flirting with him.
He glanced across at George who winked back. Harry’s eyes widened, unsure what was happening.
The baby started to wail. ‘Poor Billy is teething.’ The woman stuck her finger in the child’s mouth, rubbing his gums.
‘Don’t know much about babies,’ Harry said.
‘You have none yourself, Mr Woods?’
There had been no such blessing. ‘No, Mrs Thompson.’
‘No need to be formal. I’m Sarah Ellen but family call me Ellen, you can too.’
He wasn’t being drawn into this game. ‘Your husband might have something to say about that.’ He glanced at George again.
‘My husband? Oh, you mean George?’ Her laughter pealed around the clearing. ‘He’s my brother. No Billy’s father ran a mile when he heard Billy was on the way. Afraid Will, my other brother, would give him a right thumping. Bastard!’ She said the word under her breath.
Harry blinked. He had never heard a decent woman speak like that before. His pulse bounced surprisingly.
‘So where are you from, Mr Woods?’
Even when she wasn’t smiling, there was amusement in her eyes. Her skin was clear and unblemished, her lips perfect.
He realised he was sitting dumb, staring at her. Her chin had the slightest dimple.
‘I’m from Perth but born in Fremantle on the other side of the Swan River.’ He stopped. Why was he giving her his life story? ‘If I’m to call you Ellen, you should call me Harry.’ He smiled—he couldn’t stop himself.
‘Oh, I will.’ Her eyelashes fluttered lightly. ‘Are Mr and Mrs Woods from Perth too?’
‘My father was there from the start of settlement. Mrs Woods is his second wife, he met her here.’
The baby began grizzling again. Ellen looked down, rocking him in her arms. ‘My little darling needs a sleep.’
He watched her walk away towards her sisters—the straightness of her back, the tilt of her head, the sway of her hips.
Harry got up and helped himself to a cup of Grannie’s stewed tea and one of the scones set out on a plate. He had finished when a small party arrived wanting to be taken to the pinnacle.
As he moved off with them, Ellen gave Harry a dazzling smile. He grinned back, aware of his own ridiculousness—he suspected he was near old enough to be her father.
A Little Bit About Catherine …
Catherine Meyrick is an Australian writer of romantic historical fiction. She lives in Melbourne but grew up in Ballarat, a large regional city steeped in history. Until recently she worked as a customer service librarian at her local library. She has a Master of Arts in history and is also an obsessive genealogist.
When she is not writing, reading and researching, Catherine enjoys gardening, the cinema and music of all sorts from early music and classical to folk and country & western. And, not least, taking photos of the family cat to post on Instagram.
Social Media Links:Website: https://catherinemeyrick.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameyrick1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatherineMeyrickAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinemeyrickhistorical/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/catherinemeyrick15/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/catherine-meyrick
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07B8VXWYQ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17798235.Catherine_Meyrick
June 1, 2023
Historical Fiction Author of the Month: Brook Allen
Welcome to my Blog Series, Historical Fiction Author of the Month.
Each month, I will showcase a different historical fiction author. Their books will range from romance to mystery and adventure to crime, and will be from many different eras. I hope you discover a new author and their work to enjoy. Happy reading!
In this post, I am delighted to feature author Brook Allen.
Brook Allen
Brook AllenAuthor 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. The first installment, Antonius: Son of Rome was published in March 2019. It follows Antony as a young man, from the age of eleven until he’s twenty-seven and meets Cleopatra. Brook’s second book is Antonius: Second in Command, dealing with Antony’s rise to power at Caesar’s side and the civil war against Brutus and Cassius. Antonius: Soldier of Fate spotlights the romance between Antonius and Cleopatra and the historic war with Octavian Caesar.
In 2019, Son of Rome won the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year Award. In 2020, it was honored with a silver medal in the international Reader’s Favorite Book Reviewers Book Awards and won First Place in the prestigious Chaucer Division in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2020.
Brook is currently working on a new project a little closer to home. Her upcoming work takes place in early 19th century Virginia.
Brook has always loved writing. She completed a Masters program at Hollins University with an emphasis in Ancient Roman studies. She lives in the heart of southwest Virginia in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and black dog, Jak.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
Due to my day job, my writing times are few and far between. It’s usually after dinner that I’m able to sit down and write for 90 minutes or so. And of course, I have weekends, too. During the summer, I am off work, so that time is mighty precious for writing. It’s not an easy thing to juggle a full-time job and stay self-disciplined enough to make my writing count. But when writing is your joy and such a part of you that you miss doing it when you’re not—then it’s achievable.
Explore Brook’s Books
Son of Rome: Desperate to redeem his name, young Marcus Antonius is determined to redeem himself. He refuses to let warring rebels, scheming politicians, or even an alluring young Egyptian princess stand in his way. Buy Link: https://mybook.to/0HMl
Second in Command: As civil war again looms during the crisis following the Ides of March, Marcus must don the mantle of ruthlessness to carve his own legacy in Rome’s history. Enemies have been made, wills have been read, and heirs proclaimed. But in Rome, blood answers only to blood. Buy Link: https://mybook.to/FQ9CeKf
Soldier of Fate: As his rival’s star rises, Marcus is embroiled in a bitter struggle threatening to end their unity. He is a man torn between two countries and two families, and ultimately—a soldier fated to be the catalyst transforming Rome from Republic to Empire. Buy Link: https://mybook.to/5bIc
~Allen deftly paints a vivid picture of Republican Rome (not the paradise later proponents worshiped), of its snake pit politics, of daily life in Roman households, and of the treacheries and shifting alliances in the eastern provinces.~
Margaret George, Bestselling author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra
You can find out more about Brook and her work by checking out her social media links below:
EMAIL: 1brook.allen@gmail.com
WEBSITE: https://www.brookallenauthor.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1BrookAllen
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Historical.FictionWriter/photos/a.1921073788134240/274856848538 4762/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/brookallen54/
Next month’s author will be Liz St. JohnMay 25, 2023
The Devil’s Glove by Lucretia Grindle: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Lucretia Grindle on her book blog tour for The Devil’s Glove. Lucretia has kindly provided an excerpt (please see below).
You can follow the full tour here: Blog Tour Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/04/blog-tour-the-devils-glove.html
The Devil’s Glove by Lucretia GrindleNorthern New England, summer, 1688.
Salem started here.
A suspicious death. A rumor of war. Whispers of witchcraft.
Perched on the brink of disaster, Resolve Hammond and her mother, Deliverance, struggle to survive in their isolated coastal village. They’re known as healers taught by the local tribes – and suspected of witchcraft by the local villagers.
Their precarious existence becomes even more chaotic when summoned to tend to a poisoned woman. As they uncover a web of dark secrets, rumors of war engulf the village, forcing the Hammonds to choose between loyalty to their native friends or the increasingly terrified settler community.
As Resolve is plagued by strange dreams, she questions everything she thought she knew – about her family, her closest friend, and even herself. If the truth comes to light, the repercussions will be felt far beyond the confines of this small settlement.
Based on meticulous research and inspired by the true story of the fear and suspicion that led to the Salem Witchcraft Trials, THE DEVIL’S GLOVE is a tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the power of secrets. Will Resolve be able to uncover the truth before the town tears itself apart, or will she become the next victim of the village’s dark and mysterious past?
Praise for The Devil’s Glove:
“From its opening lines this historical novel from Grindle (Villa Triste) grips with its rare blend of a powerfully evoked past, resonant characters, smart suspense, and prose touched with shivery poetry.”
~ BookLife Reviews Editor’s Pick
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4EN58l
Excerpt from The Devil’s Glove by Lucretia GrindleWe are making bread in the kitchen, lifting the dough, folding and banging it on the scrubbed surface of the table when my mother and I hear a voice ask, “Do you know me, Mistress?”
As one, we spin around.
Neither of us has said so, but we have been waiting for John Alden. Watching for his familiar form to stride down the meadow path, or appear like something conjured in the doorway telling us his errand is achieved, that Madockawando and Saint Castin have no interest in wars or raids. That we are safe.
But this is not John Alden. The man standing in our kitchen door is not much more than a boy. He has doffed his old hat and twists it as if he could wring words from it, make it speak for him instead of having to speak himself. His boots are worn and his breeches, like his face, are filthy with dust. But it’s the hands that mark him as one of the militia. It’s the grease streaks and the powder burns, black and sore looking from the loading and re-loading.
More of them arrived yesterday. Like the rest of the town, Judah and I watched them pass. All shapes and sizes, some ragged, some short, others tall. Fat men and thin boys and men who look so ordinary it is hard to tell one from the other marched down Broad Street to the Fort with Captain Blackman riding at their head, his new boots and sun burned cheeks shining with importance.
Now this tall boy stands in our door-yard looking in at us, and suddenly, even though I have not seen him for years and have never so much as traded a word with him, I do know him. This is Thaddeus Hobbs. Avis’s oldest son. Abigail’s older brother.
My mother must see it at the same time, because she nods. Her hands hover over the dough on the table before she lowers them and wipes them on her apron.
“Master Hobbs,” my mother says. But she might as well have said, I’ve been waiting for you.
***
Sitting at our table, Thaddeus Hobbs watches me pour the pitcher of cider as if he has never seen the stuff before. As he takes the proffered cup, I see that his hands are shaking. He is exhausted. Or terrified. Or both. Perhaps his hair was once as gold as Abigail’s. Now, it is dirty brown and in need of a barber. His eyes are blue, but softer than his sister’s, almost gray. His linen shirt is old, and sticks to him, and smells. When he lowers the cup, I pour him another. He drinks that greedily, too.
My mother mounds the dough and places it in the waiting bowl to let it rise. She nods for me to take the bowl.
I am opening the cupboard door when I hear her say, “Your mother left the world in peace.” Which is a lie. “But they called me too late,” she adds. “There was little I could do for her.”
“Or the babe.”
It is not a question. I turn, and can see my mother’s face. She looks at Thaddeus Hobbs, considering, before she nods.
“No.” She agrees. “I could do nothing for the babe. How did you know? From your father?”
He shakes his head. “From my mother.”
The words hang in the room. And it is then, looking at Thaddeus Hobbs, that my mother and I understand. He knows. I do not know how, but Avis’ son knows that her death was not a natural one. Any doubt is dispelled by his next question.
“How?”
“Poison,” my mother says, after a moment. “Hellebore. In food. A stew or soup.”
“You are sure?” There is pain on his face, and also, strangely, something like relief. I do not understand why until he speaks again. “So, she was not witched?” He asks. “You are sure? You are certain of that, Mistress?”
“Witched?” My mother frowns. “Why would you think that?”
“Goody Skilling says it.”
My mother makes a face. “You have seen her?”
Thaddeus nods. “It was Goody Skilling, who told me you were at my mother’s death. She told me. Everything.”
My mother and I exchange a look. I cannot imagine what Goody Skilling’s ‘everything’ is, but I am quite certain it bears little resemblance to ours. I do not have time to ponder this, because suddenly Thaddeus Hobbs is babbling. Now that he has started, he cannot seem to stop. Words break from him like a dam giving way, tumbling and falling over one another, so roiled by the storm of his distress that their sense is hard to grasp.
“I heard the rumor, in Saco. Gossip said a woman had died here, witched. And I was afraid it was her. I wanted to come at once. But with all the trouble, I was not allowed. But I heard, and after the stories from Boston, I thought – people say, it travels. The witching travels, on the night air. And, I thought -” His words run dry, stopping almost as abruptly as they began.
My mother shakes her head. She reaches for the stool that sits beside the hearth, pulls it in front of Thaddeus Hobbs’ chair and sinks down. Taking both of his hands, holding them gently so as not to worry the burns, she looks straight into his face.
“Your mother was not witched, Thaddeus. We, too have heard the gossip.”
Of course we have. The whole world has heard how the children of a Boston family have been struck. All of them witched. Writhing in pain, and shouting, and rushing about as if their wits have been snatched and put in the Devil’s hands.
“This is not what happened here,” my mothers says, her eyes never leaving his. “Your mother’s soul was never in danger.”
Now I understand the look of relief that came over him when she told him about the hellebore. Thaddeus Hobbs has been carrying the burden of his mother’s soul, the fear that it was taken from her and she is wandering in torment, searching and searching for it in the wilderness of The Damned.
“Your mother was not witched,” my mother repeats. “She was taken from this world before her time, it is true. But by poison. Not witching. By the time I was sent for, it was too late. There was nothing I could do.”
After a moment, Thaddeus nods. His next words sound as if he is pulling them from his very depths. As if they are heavy and tied to a rope he is hauling hand over hand.
“It need not have been evil. It could have been in error.”
The hope in the words is palpable. My mother says nothing. I know what she is doing – giving him the place in his mind to believe what he will, to believe what will give him peace. But peace is not what Thaddeus Hobbs wants. His next words freeze me to the floor.
“My mother’s death could have been an error,” he says. “But it was not.”
A Little Bit About Lucretia …Lucretia Grindle grew up and went to school and university in England and the United States. After a brief career in journalism, she worked for The United States Equestrian Team organizing ‘kids and ponies,’ and for the Canadian Equestrian Team. For ten years, she produced and owned Three Day Event horses that competed at The World Games, The European Games and the Atlanta Olympics. In 1997, she packed a five mule train across 250 miles of what is now Grasslands National Park on the Saskatchewan/Montana border tracing the history of her mother’s family who descend from both the Sitting Bull Sioux and the first officers of the Canadian Mounties.
Lucretia GrindleReturning to graduate school as a ‘mature student’, Lucretia completed an MA in Biography and Non-Fiction at The University of East Anglia where her work, FIREFLIES, won the Lorna Sage Prize. Specializing in the 19th century Canadian West, the Plains Tribes, and American Indigenous and Women’s History, she is currently finishing her PhD dissertation at The University of Maine.
Lucretia is the author of the psychological thrillers, THE NIGHTSPINNERS, shortlisted for the Steel Dagger Award, and THE FACES of ANGELS, one of BBC FrontRow’s six best books of the year, shortlisted for the Edgar Award. Her historical fiction includes, THE VILLA TRISTE, a novel of the Italian Partisans in World War II, a finalist for the Gold Dagger Award, and THE LOST DAUGHTER, a fictionalized account of the Aldo Moro kidnapping. She has been fortunate enough to be awarded fellowships at The Hedgebrook Foundation, The Hawthornden Foundation, The Hambidge Foundation, The American Academy in Paris, and to be the Writer in Residence at The Wallace Stegner Foundation. A television drama based on her research and journey across Grasslands is currently in development. THE DEVIL’S GLOVE and the concluding books of THE SALEM TRILOGY are drawn from her research at The University of Maine where Lucretia is grateful to have been a fellow at the Canadian American Foundation.
She and her husband, David Lutyens, live in Shropshire.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://LucretiaGrindle.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookWhisperer.ink
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bookwhisperer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookwhispererink/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/lucretiagrindle Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/827521.Lucretia_Grindle
May 2, 2023
Historical Fiction Author of the Month: Antoine Vanner
Welcome to my Blog Series, Historical Fiction Author of the Month.
Each month, I will showcase a different historical fiction author. Their books will range from romance to mystery and adventure to crime, and will be from many different eras. I hope you discover a new author and their work to enjoy. Happy reading!
In this post, I am delighted to feature author Antoine Vanner.
Antoine Vanner
Antoine VannerAntoine Vanner had a long career, mostly at a senior executive level, in one of the world’s largest multinationals. This involved residence and work in eight countries and short assignments in a dozen others. He worked In retirement as a part-time academic in the US, UK, Philippines and Latin America. Life threatening experiences included management in the midst of a vicious terrorist campaign in which business activities, and once himself personally, were targets. Also held on one at knifepoint, beaten with rifle-butts and made a 200-yard sprint under AK-47 fire at the age of 60 (when “retired”), not to mention more mundane risks such as storms at sea and life in the corporate world. He’s had a half-century love affair with Africa, living for a total of a decade in one country there and visiting nine others. In retirement, provided pro-bone advice on certain policy matters to several African leaders. All this was a splendid preparation for writing! Vanner is at home in two languages, competent in a third and very rusty in two more. He now lives in rural Britain with his wife, dog and eight horses (his wife’s main interest). His main interest is, and always has been, history, especially of the 19th Century.
I’m sure readers are curious to know what enticed you to write in this genre in particular, Antoine?I became addicted to the novels of C.S. Forester from boyhood – my father introduced me to Hornblower with the Happy Return when I was eleven. I loved Forester’s style and the theme in all his novels (and he covered a huge range outside the Hornblower series) of the Man Alone who must be a leader, carry heavy burdens of responsibility, must take hard decisions when there is nobody to turn to for advice and knows that his superiors will throw him to the dogs if things go badly. I always aspired to write on the same theme. Combining this with my interest in the 19th Century and its vast political, social, scientific, medical and technological advances led to my creation of Nicholas Dawlish, a Royal Navy officer born in 1845 and dying in 1918 who finds himself involved not just in maritime but in political events of his time, many of them obscure. By sheer coincidence, these are mostly set in locales I’m familiar with from personal experience! A surprise for me was that his wife became such a strong character in her own right that she demanded two books in which she would be the protagonist. Linked to real life events also, in these she would find herself in a murky world of corruption, betrayal and espionage. Eleven books so far and a twelfth underway. Free short stories for mailing-list members fill in gaps between novels.
Explore Antoine’s Books
Adventure by land and sea in the Late-Victorian Era.
Battle, intrigue, mystery, loyalty, courage, deception, atrocity, ethical dilemmas . . .
The lives of an ambitious Royal Navy officer and his indomitable wife.
You can find all of Antoine’s books here: https://bit.ly/3nG9epE
You can find out more about Antoine and his work by checking out his social media links below:
Facebook: Dawlish Chronicles
Twitter: Antoine Vanner
Website, Book Details: https://dawlishchronicles.com/books/
Free Short Stories and Mailing List: https://bit.ly/3igvA9f
Next month’s author will be Brook AllenMay 1, 2023
The Queen’s Scribe by Amy Maroney: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
A broken promise. A bitter conflict. And a woman’s elusive chance to love or die.
1458. Young Frenchwoman Estelle de Montavon sails to Cyprus imagining a bright future as tutor to a princess. Instead, she is betrayed by those she loves most—and forced into a dangerous new world of scheming courtiers, vicious power struggles, and the terrifying threat of war.
Determined to flee, Estelle enlists the help of an attractive and mysterious falconer. But on the eve of her escape, fortune’s wheel turns again. She gains entry to Queen Charlotta’s inner circle as a trusted scribe and interpreter, fighting her way to dizzying heights of influence.
Enemies old and new rise from the shadows as Estelle navigates a royal game of cat and mouse between the queen and her powerful half-brother, who wants the throne for himself.
When war comes to the island, Estelle faces a brutal reckoning for her loyalty to the queen. Will the impossible choice looming ahead be her doom—or her salvation?
With this richly-told story of courage, loyalty, and the sustaining power of love, Amy Maroney brings a mesmerizing and forgotten world to vivid life. The Queen’s Scribe is a stand-alone novel in the Sea and Stone Chronicles collection.
Praise for the Sea and Stone Chronicles:
“Island of Gold is a nimbly told story with impeccable pacing.”
—Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice Review
“Sea of Shadows is stunning. A compelling tale of love, honor, and conviction.”
—Reader’s Favorite Review
Amy Maroney is the author of the award-winning Miramonde Series, the story of a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern day scholar on her trail.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link (if you have it): https://mybook.to/QueensScribe
A Little Bit About Amy …
Amy Maroney studied English Literature at Boston University and worked for many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. She lives in Oregon, U.S.A. with her family. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading.
Amy is the author of The Miramonde Series, an Amazon-bestselling historical mystery trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s award-winning historical adventure/romance series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, is set in medieval Rhodes and Cyprus.
An enthusiastic advocate for independent publishing, Amy is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Historical Novel Society.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.amymaroney.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilaroney
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymaroneyauthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-maroney-582636b4/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amymaroneywrites/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amyloveshistory/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-maroney
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Maroney/author/B01LYHPXEO
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15831603.Amy_Maroney
