Pam Lecky's Blog, page 9
April 25, 2023
A Matter of Faith by Judith Arnopp: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
I am delighted to host Judith Arnopp’s book spotlight tour with The Coffee Pot Book Blog. If you are a fan of the Tudor era, then this is a series you should check out.
You can follow the full tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-tour-a-matter-of-faith-by-judith-arnopp.html
A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the Days of the Phoenix, by Judith ArnoppFinally free of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, is now married to Anne Boleyn and eagerly awaiting the birth of his son. In a court still reeling from the royal divorce and growing public resentment against church reform, Henry must negotiate widespread resentment toward Anne. He places all his hopes in a son to cement his Tudor blood line, but his dreams are shattered when Anne is delivered of a daughter.
Burying his disappointment, Henry focuses on getting her with child again, but their marriage is volatile and as Henry faces personal bereavement, and discord at court, Anne’s enemies are gathering. When the queen miscarries of a son, and Henry suffers a life-threatening accident, his need for an heir becomes critical. Waiting in the wings is Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting who offers the king comfort and respite from Anne’s fiery passions.
Jane Seymour, stepping up to replace the fallen queen, quickly becomes pregnant. Delighted with his dull but fertile wife, Henry’s spirits rise even further when the prince is born safely. At last, Henry has all he desires but even as he celebrates, fate is preparing to deliver one more staggering blow.
But, when Anne falls foul of her former ally, Thomas Cromwell, and the king is persuaded he has been made a cuckold, Henry strikes out and the queen falls beneath the executioner’s sword, taking key players in Henry’s household with her.
Henry, the once perfect Renaissance prince, is now a damaged middle-aged man, disappointed in those around him but most of all in himself. As the king’s optimism diminishes, his intractability increases, and the wounded lion begins to roar.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: http://mybook.to/amofaith
A Little Bit about Judith
When Judith Arnopp began to write professionally there was no question as to which genre to choose. A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds an honours degree in English and Creative writing, and a Masters in Medieval Studies, both from the University of Wales, Lampeter.
Judith writes both fiction and non-fiction, working full-time from her home overlooking Cardigan Bay in Wales where she crafts novels based in the Medieval and Tudor period. Her main focus is on the perspective of historical women from all roles of life, prostitutes to queens, but she has recently turned her attention to Henry VIII himself.
Her novels include:
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years. (Book one of The Henrician Chronicle)
A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the years of the Phoenix (Book Two of The Henrician Chronicle)
The Beaufort Bride: (Book one of The Beaufort Chronicle)
The Beaufort Woman: (Book two of The Beaufort Chronicle)
The Kings Mother: (Book three of The Beaufort Chronicle)
The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England
A Song of Sixpence: The story of Elizabeth of York
Intractable Heart: The story of Katheryn Parr
The Kiss of the Concubine: A story of Anne Boleyn
Sisters of Arden: on the pilgrimage of Grace
The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII
The Song of Heledd:
The Forest Dwellers
Peaceweaver
Her non-fiction articles feature in various historical anthologies and magazines and an illustrated non-fiction book, How to Dress like a Tudor will be published by Pen & Sword in 2023.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.judithmarnopp.com
Blog: http://juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudithArnopp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetudorworldofjuditharnopp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-arnopp-ba999025/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tudor_juditharnopp/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judith-arnopp
Amazon Author Page: http://author.to/juditharnoppbooks
April 24, 2023
Inceptio by Alison Morton: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
You can follow the full tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-inceptio-10th-anniversary-edition.html
INCEPTIO (10th Anniversary hardback) by Alison Morton“It’s about Roman blood, survival and money. Mostly yours.”
In an alternative New York, Karen Brown is running for her life. She makes a snap decision to flee to Roma Nova – her dead mother’s homeland, the last remnant of the Roman Empire in the 21st century. But can Karen tough it out in such an alien culture? And with a crazy killer determined to terminate her for a very personal reason?
Stifled by the protective cocoon of her Roma Novan family, deceived by her new lover, she propels herself into a dangerous mission. But then the killer sets a trap – she must sacrifice herself for another – and she sees no escape.
A thriller laced with romance and coming of age, this first in series is Roman fiction brought into the 21st century through the lens of alternative history and driven by a female protagonist with heart and courage.
This 10thAnniversary hardback edition includes bonus content: Three character ‘conversations’, two short stories and the story behind INCEPTIO.
Buy links: INCEPTIO 10th Anniversary special edition hardback:
International Buy Link: https://mybook.to/INCEPTIOHardback
All other formats (ebook, paperback, audio)
Where to buy INCEPTIOA Little Bit About Alison …
Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue. INCEPTIO starts the adventure…
Alison MortonShe blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading historical, crime and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.
Six full-length Roma Nova novels, including INCEPTIO, have won the BRAG Medallion, the prestigious award for indie fiction. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. The Bookseller selected SUCCESSIO as Editor’s Choice in its inaugural indie review. The Historical Novel Society recently selected JULIA PRIMA, the first Foundation story set in the 4th century, the accolade of Editors’ Choice.
Alison lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.
Social media links:
Connect with Alison on her Roma Nova site: https://alison-morton.com
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alison_morton
Alison’s writing blog: https://alisonmortonauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonmortonauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton
Alison’s Amazon page: https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon
Newsletter sign-up: https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/
April 13, 2023
The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host the fabulous and talented Helen Hollick for her special 30th Publication Anniversary and 70th Birthday Celebration!
You can follow the tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-tour-the-kingmaking-by-helen-hollick.html
The Kingmaking by Helen HollickNew Editions for 2023
(sadly, this edition is not available in USA/Canada)
The Kingmaking: Book One
Pendragon’s Banner: Book Two
Shadow of the King: Book Three
The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend… KING ARTHUR
There is no Merlin, no sword in the stone, and no Lancelot.
Instead, the man who became our most enduring hero.
All knew the oath of allegiance:
‘To you, lord, I give my sword and shield, my heart and soul. To you, my Lord Pendragon, I give my life, to command as you will.’
This is the tale of Arthur made flesh and bone. Of the shaping of the man who became the legendary king; a man with dreams, ambitions and human flaws.
A man, a warlord, who united the collapsing province of post-Roman Britain,
who held the heart of the love of his life, Gwenhwyfar
– and who emerged as the most enduring hero of all time.
A different telling of the later Medieval tales.
This is the story of King Arthur as it might have really happened…
“If only all historical fiction could be this good.” Historical Novels Review
“… Juggles a large cast of characters and a bloody, tangled plot with great skill. ” Publishers Weekly
“Hollick’s writing is one of the best I’ve come across – her descriptions are so vivid it seems as if there’s a movie screen in front of you, playing out the scenes.” Passages To The Past
“Hollick adds her own unique twists and turns to the familiar mythology” Booklist
“Uniquely compelling… bound to have a lasting and resounding impact on Arthurian literature.” Books Magazine
(contains scenes of an adult nature)
Buy Links:
The Kingmaking is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: https://mybook.to/TheKingmaking_Book1
A Little Bit about HelenHelen is celebrating her 70th birthday and thirty years as a published author. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, was accepted for traditional publication in April 1993 by William Heinemann (Random House UK) a week after her 40th birthday. The Trilogy has been widely acclaimed since then – and gone through several different editions.
Helen moved from Random House UK in 2006 and went ‘Indie’, now in 2023 to celebrate she has brought out her own fabulous new editions! (The Trilogy is published mainstream by Sourcebooks Inc in USA/Canada. The publisher was offered the new cover designs for free, but declined.)
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.
She writes a nautical adventure/fantasy Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Sea Witch Voyages and has also branched out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with her Jan Christopher Murder 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.
Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Talesand Life of A Smuggler. She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon with a variety of pets and horses.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://helenhollick.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenHollick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.hollick
Newsletter subscription: https://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick
Blog: https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/477847.Helen_Hollick
April 6, 2023
Cultybraggan: A Scottish WW2 PoW Camp
In a beautiful and scenic area of Perthshire, Scotland, between the Aberuchill Hills and the Water of Ruchill, is Cultybraggan PoW camp, known as Camp 21. Initially built in 1941, it was probably intended to be an army camp but instead became a camp for captured Italians. These Italians prisoners were used to supply manpower to the local farming, forestry and industry sectors.
By Dr Richard Murray, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14199292That all changed in the latter part of 1943, when the camp was designated a ‘black camp’ by the British authorities. Due to the Geneva Convention, mixing of nationalities was prohibited, so the Italian prisoners were sent elsewhere. From then on, only Category A German prisoners were sent to the camp. These were the hardcore fanatical Nazi PoWs, mostly Waffen-SS, Fallschirmjäger (paratroops) and U-boat crew. These army, Kriegmarine, Luftwaffe, SS prisoners and officers were held in separate compounds, in an effort to break the power of the hardcore Nazis. Unlike their Italian counterparts, few mixed with the local community.
Mick Garratt / Nissen Huts, Cultybraggan CampThe prisoners were also segregated according to the level of threat they posed. The scale ranged from white to black. The whites were considered the least threatening, with some bearing special passes to work in the neighbouring farms. The greys were a risk, and the blacks were considered the most dangerous.
The prisoners were sent to Cultybraggan by ‘special train’ as far as the village of Comrie. From there they were marched for 30 minutes until they reached the camp. Locals told of hearing the German’s singing defiantly as they were marched through the countryside.
In 1944, the ringleaders of the Devizes plot, which hoped to break out 250,000 prisoners from camps across the UK, were imprisoned at Camp 21. One of the prisoners, Feldwebel Wolfgang Rosterg, an anti-Nazi was sent to the camp by mistake. He was murdered by inmates, and five of the prisoners were hanged for his murder, the largest multiple execution in 20th-century Britain. It is rumoured that Rudolph Hess was imprisoned here, but I am unable to confirm that is the case.
Copyright: Comrie Community OrganisationThe camp ceased to be used by the military in 2004, and now belongs to the Comrie Development Trust, bought through a community right-to-buy option in 2007. The camp is now a tourist attraction and museum.
In the third book of the Sarah Gillespie series, The Last Letter from London, my heroine, who is an MI5 agent, must visit Cultybraggan, where a mysterious Frenchwoman, Adeline Vernier, claiming to be a double-agent, awaits processing. This meeting is the catalyst for a series of nail-biting adventures taking them to Lisbon, the centre of espionage in Europe during WW2, and ending dramatically in London.
The Normandy landings are at stake …
Can the double-agent be trusted and can her demands be met?
Will Sarah and Adeline survive?
Pre-order is now live:
Amazon here
WHSmith here
Barnes & Noble here
April 1, 2023
Historical Fiction Author of the Month: Stella Riley
Welcome to my new 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 Stella Riley.
Stella Riley
Stella RileyWinner of four gold medals for historical romance (Readers’ Favourite in 2019, Book Excellence Awards in 2020, Global Book Awards in 2022 and Book Excellence Award in 2023) and fourteen B.R.A.G. Medallions, Stella Riley lives in the beautiful medieval town of Sandwich in Kent.
She is fascinated by the English Civil Wars and has written six books set in that period. These, like the 7 book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times newspaper!) and the Brandon Brothers trilogy, are all available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.
Stella enjoys travel, reading, theatre, Baroque music and playing the harpsichord. She also has a fondness for men with long hair – hence her 17th and 18th century heroes.
I’m sure readers are curious to know what enticed you to write in this genre in particular, Stella?What drew me to the 17th century?
Looking way, way back, my interest began when I was about ten years old and I was given a copy of The Children of the New Forest by Captain Maryatt – and loved it. A few years later, I discovered and enjoyed other titles set in that period; Margaret Irwin’s Stuart quartet, beginning with The Stranger Prince, Georgette Heyer’s Royal Escape and Daphne du Maurier’s The King’s General, for example.
But it wasn’t until after my first novel had been published that my fascination for the English Civil Wars became serious.
It began like this. I was on a train back to Banbury after a meeting in London with my publisher when I found myself thinking of the Great Siege of Banbury Castle in 1644 – and suddenly realised it offered, not just the perfect back-drop, but a story all of its own. In addition to being geographically important, Banbury’s main task was to supply the Royalist capital at Oxford. The castle, taken by the Cavaliers at the start of the war in 1642, stood cheek-by-jowl with the intensely Puritan town. It was the ideal tapestry on which to weave political, military and religious conflict. All it needed, was an impossible love across a divide of class and loyalties. Better still, it was an aspect of the Civil War that had been largely ignored. It had everything!
A great idea – but there was just one problem. At that point, all I knew about the siege was that it had lasted fourteen weeks and that, by the end of it, the starving garrison had eaten all but two of the horses. I told myself not to worry about that – there would be books telling me everything I needed to know. I could research it.
Ah. Problem number two. We’re talking pre-internet here; and there weren’t books, plural. Only one book – A History of Banbury by Alfred Beesley, published in 1841 had what I needed. Nothing daunted, I asked my local branch library to get a copy of it – and they did. Problem number three was that it was a first edition sent up from the Bodleian Library in Oxford which, understandably, I wasn’t allowed to take home. I therefore spent every morning of the next few weeks in the library copying out page after page of Mr. Beesley; and every afternoon researching the progress of the war in general from books of my own at home … until I was finally ready to start writing and A Splendid Defiance was born.
(A footnote to this: A History of Banbury is now available to read on-line and there are a handful of very brief references to the siege on the internet.)
A Splendid Defiance was and still is very close to my heart for several reasons. The background story is a true one and I told it as it happened. It gave me the opportunity to feature well-known historical figures such as Rupert of the Rhine … but, along the way, I also met and grew fond of some of the ordinary soldiers garrisoning Banbury. They were real people too, but the ordinary folk who rarely find a place in the history books. Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Greene, died of influenza just after the siege; Will Tyrwhitt who was sent to Banbury after losing an arm at Brentford; Colonel John Fiennes who had the thankless task of reclaiming the castle for the Parliament. Just three examples of many.
And one other who appears, not just in A Splendid Defiance but also in Garland of Straw and Lords of Misrule.
Sir William Compton; Governor of Banbury from 1642 at the age of seventeen, besieged at Colchester in 1648 and a founder member of the Sealed Knot in 1655. Quite a career for a gentleman most folk have never heard of … and one of many reasons this period of history is so rewarding.
Explore Stella’s Books
You can find all of Stella’s books here: Amazon
You can find out more about Stella and her work by checking out her social media links below:
Website: https://stellarileybooks.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RileyStella
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellariley.books
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellarileybooks/
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/riley9631/stella-riley-books/Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=Stella%20Riley
I’m delighted to share that next month’s author is Antoine VannerMarch 29, 2023
Godwine Kingmaker by Mercedes Rochelle: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Mercedes Rochelle on her tour for Godwine Kingmaker, part of the Last Great Saxon Earls series. Mercedes has kindly contributed an article on Tostig and Harold (see below).
You can follow the complete tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/01/blog-tour-last-great-saxon-earls.html
GODWINE KINGMAKER by Mercedes RochelleThey showed so much promise. What happened to the Godwines? How did they lose their grip? Who was this Godwine anyway, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask.
He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine’s best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn.
Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.
Buy Links:
This series is available on Kindle Unlimited
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/38VrJZ
Audio: https://www.audible.com/pd/Godwine-Kingmaker-Audiobook/B09JFJCY3G
TOSTIG AND HAROLD’S SIBLING RIVALRY
by Mercedes Rochelle
To this day, more than 950 years after the Norman Conquest, many of us are still fascinated by the causes of this pivotal event—and I am one of them. If Harold Godwineson hadn’t been 260 miles away fighting his brother when Duke William landed at Pevensey, things might have gone differently. So where does Tostig come into this? From outlawry to Stamford Bridge, Tostig was on the wrong side of the law. In his last battle, he seems to have been second in command after Harald Hardrada and has been branded as a traitor ever since.
Battle of Stamford Bridge: Cambridge University Library MS. Ee.iii.59
It was thought by many that Tostig himself persuaded Hardrada to invade, thus forcing King Harold to rush north and defend his kingdom against the Vikings. However, this conclusion is by no means certain; nobody was tracing Tostig’s movements in the early part of 1066. It’s entirely possible that the Norwegian King planned the invasion on his own, and Tostig merely fell in with his army when the time came. There is no doubt that Hardrada was the leader of the Viking invasion. What exactly Tostig thought to accomplish is uncertain. Perhaps he only wanted his old earldom back. Or, he might have bargained to rule his old earldom as sub-king to Harald. Maybe he hoped Hardrada would get killed and he could rule in his stead, unlikely though that sounds.
But why was Tostig fighting against his brother, anyway? This was the question that inspired me to write THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY. Why was he outlawed? How could Harold allow his brother to go off in such a rage that he would come back with an invading army? Surely Tostig had his reasons; such a devastating turn of events could have not come about arbitrarily.
In a situation like this, matters usually deteriorate over the course of time. Harold and Tostig were only a couple of years apart. Was there rivalry from their boyhood? Did Tostig feel left out? When Tostig became Earl of Northumbria, his brother had already been Earl (first of East Anglia and then of Wessex) for 10 years. What did Tostig do all that time? There was no catching up; by 1055 Harold was practically the “right hand” of King Edward, and frequently took on responsibilities that the king didn’t want to be bothered with. When Tostig helped his brother during the Welsh campaign of 1063, what was his reward? Harold was lauded as a great warrior because of this campaign; Tostig barely received mention, and may well have emptied his coffers to help pay for it. Could this have contributed to the stress between them?
The real trouble started in 1065; up until then Tostig had ruled Northumbria for 10 years without any major disturbance. However, after the Welsh campaign he found himself obliged to impose new taxes on this previously undertaxed earldom. Some have said that Tostig needed to pay for the campaign. Other historians suggested he was urged to do so by Harold, acting in concert with the king who wanted to bring the north more in line with his southern provinces. There were some political assassinations that might have contributed to the unrest, but most historians agree that taxation issues pushed the troublesome thegns to revolt.
King Edward the Confessor, detail from the Wilton Diptych – Wikipedia
And what a revolt it was! Tostig was in the south hunting with King Edward when thegns from all over Yorkshire and Northumberland gathered in York and attacked the Earl’s housecarls, catching them totally unprepared. Although Tostig’s 200+ troops tried to fight back, they were unable to mount an organized defense and were killed almost to a man. The rampaging rebels broke into the armory, destroyed Tostig’s manors, and raided the treasury, making off with all the carefully gathered taxes.
Next on the agenda was to call a witan and elect a new Earl: Morcar, younger son of Earl Aelfgar of Mercia—who just happened to be standing by. This was a totally illegal move and the rebels knew it, so they proceeded to rampage their way south and force the issue with the king. Enter Harold, who was delegated to mediate for Tostig. King Edward and Tostig had every reason to believe Harold would get what they wanted, so they were more than horrified when their negotiator came back with rebels in tow. Morcar and his supporters didn’t trust Harold and insisted that the king be confronted personally with all their demands. A second round of negotiations ensued, and Harold was still unable to budge the rampaging Northumbrians. They declared that Tostig had to go and that Morcar be officially declared Earl, or else they would continue their depredations into East Anglia.
Tostig went into a rage and accused Harold of fomenting the rebellion himself. In self-defense, Harold offered his sworn oath that he was not responsible but Tostig was having none of it. Edward wanted to raise the fyrd and teach his errant subjects a lesson, but the late season and poor support for Tostig’s cause were enough to foil the king’s empty threats. Edward eventually backed down and gave into the rebel demands, though the loss of royal prestige was a blow the king never recovered from. Just over a month later, King Edward was dead.
Tostig left the country voluntarily enough, loaded with gifts from the king but still swearing revenge against his brother. Apparently Harold washed his hands of the whole situation, for he is not recorded attempting to offer Tostig any compensation until the battle of Stamford Bridge. Even after he became king, Harold supported the wily sons of Aelfgar (his former rivals) and even married their sister to prove that Tostig was not coming back. Tostig may have found this doubly insulting. By the time they faced each other on the battlefield, Harold is said to have offered back the earldom if Tostig would lay down his arms. When Tostig asked what Harold was prepared to offer Hardrada, we hear the famous line “Seven feet of English ground, or as much more as he may be taller than other men.” At this response, Tostig righteously refused his brother’s offer. (I still find this episode a little implausible; it came from Snorri Sturluson, whose account may be somewhat apocryphal.)
So his sense of betrayal was surely a driving force for Tostig’s attempted return. But there is another factor to remember: there were plenty of precedents for an Earl to rampage his way back into favor. Earl Godwine did it in 1052, and Harold himself was part of that reunion; his bloody encounter at Porlock left behind 30 dead thegns and countless others. Even Aelfgar, Morcar’s father, wreaked havoc on two occasions (the first causing the destruction of Hereford in 1055); both times he was restored to his earldom. So Tostig was just following suit; of course, his allies were a bit more powerful than Aelfgar’s!
Author Bio:
Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story.
Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended!
Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://mercedesrochelle.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorrochelle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercedesrochelle.net
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mercedes-rochelle
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mercedes-Rochelle/author/B001KMG5P6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1696491.Mercedes_Rochelle
March 17, 2023
Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host Paul M. Duffy for the book blog tour for Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound. Paul has kindly provided an excerpt to whet your appetite – please see below.
You can follow the full tour here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-run-with-hare-hunt-with-hound.html
Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound by Paul M. DuffyOn a remote Gaelic farmstead in medieval Ireland, word reaches Alberic of conquering Norman knights arriving from England. Oppressed by the social order that enslaved his Norman father, he yearns for the reckoning he believes the invaders will bring—but his world is about to burn. Captured by the Norman knight Hugo de Lacy and installed at Dublin Castle as a translator, Alberic’s confused loyalties are tested at every turn. When de Lacy marches inland, Alberic is set on a collision course with his former masters amidst rumours of a great Gaelic army rising in the west. Can Alberic navigate safely through revenge, lust and betrayal to find his place amidst the birth of a kingdom in a land of war?
Buy Link:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4j5pdl
An Excerpt from Run with the Hare, Hunt with the HouseFile
We saw signs of the fall. Of the havoc wrought far from our lands by the Engleis. Dishevelled bands of exiles travelling north on the slíghe. Fires beyond our borders and reports of silhouetted horsemen furtive on the hills. The Tiarna kept vigil, the kelt ever in his fist. Then the poet came and his approach heralded destruction. That itinerant wizard. That unholy satirist. He signalled the reckoning, whether he knew it or not. He signalled the intrusion of the outside world. The small fruit of my existence bursting open, its rind splitting and wasps spilling from galls to crowd the opening and feed on the juice.
Lochru saw him first, late that next day. He came to fetch me from the monastery and bring me back to the Tiarna’s farmstead, the lad Fiachra with him leading a donkey, his eyes full of suspicion. On our return past the low meadow, we stopped to try our hand with the winter geese and saw the poet wandering at the edge of the bog that ran away eastwards from our borders.
‘There’s a crane yonder in the meadowland,’ Lochru said in that archaic way he had of speaking, his dropsied face muffling his words and his snout pointing over the sedge. We lay on our bellies behind a crisping brace of fern. On the flat before us, a riot of geese clamoured and fouled the ground with their black excrement. Slings in our fists, we lay still, watching the birds rooting at the damp earth for whatever it is that gives them sustenance.
‘Crane?’ I whispered and Lochru snorted, letting me know that my youth had betrayed me. That there was no crane. That there was something strange somewhere. Something out of place in the sloping scene before us. I said no more, but studied the foreground where the great tumult of geese jostled. My eyes ranged further, beyond the limits of the river, marked by a line of bulrush rising from the grass. And beyond that, a glistening wet ground, full of the swollen river overspill with willow and elder un-coppiced and growing wild. I saw nothing to remark upon. Lochru waited still, his satisfaction that his old eyes had seen what I could not, competing with his mounting impatience.
Then I saw him, stooping as he moved slowly around the tree roots, navigating the edge of the wide bog. His head covered with a bolt of cloth which fell around his shoulders and beneath, a green cloak skirting his knees. The colour of his cloak announced him as a man of status. A man that should be on the slíghe with a retinue and a horse, not travelling alone, slopping through the turf.
‘Exile?’ I whispered, remembering the Tiarna’s cousin, hounded into the wastes, fleeing from dispute before his eyes were cut from his head.
‘File’ said Lochru. Poet. A man to traverse boundaries. A man of twelve years’ learning who would know by heart the endless genealogies, the forms of praise and of redress. A man respected and feared who, if the words were with him could raise up a tiarna in noble verse or destroy him with satire, break his power, throw doubt upon his legitimacy. If the skill was with him, his words could raise a blemish or even slander a man to the doors of death.
‘Stay low and watch,’ Lochru said, ‘and tell me all that he does. Do not move or follow until the stranger has gone.’
Lochru surged forward in a swift but awkward movement, letting loose a stone from his sling before landing heavily on his knees, crying out with the effort. The geese erupted, taking flight in competing panic, brewing upwards in such a cacophony that my eyes rose with them, watching their combined bulk empty into the grey sky. When my gaze returned to scan the edge of the bog, I could no longer see the poet. At length, I picked out his stooped form behind a hummock. As the geese cleared, his distant, shaded face searched in our direction looking for the source of the fright. Lochru stood up then with great effort groaning and pressing on his knee to rise in the manner of rheumatic man. He walked down the slope, towards the river, mumbling expressively to himself. Bending, he came up with a gander, shivering in his hand. He made a great show of inspecting the bird before pulling its neck and hooking it under his belt, lustily clapping dirt from his hands. He turned, making his way back uphill towards the eaves of the Tiarna’s wood where Fiachra waited, cutting withies by the donkey.
The poet watched all of this from his hiding place. He watched as Lochru, with his uneven gait, made his way upslope through the furze bushes. Lochru played his part, well, and from where I lay, I watched him re-join Fiachra, holding up the bird in triumph. The poet waited for a time, crouched low, waiting until he was satisfied there was no danger. He stood out from behind the heather and took up his labouring tread into the south. I watched until his slow progress took him from view.
When I reached the treeline, the withies were cut and piled up in great stacks beside where the donkey was tethered, waiting dourly. A fire smouldered under cover of the dark wood and the goose was roasting on a sharpened ash rod with sprigs of smoking plumage sticking from the carelessly plucked skin. The light waned as I settled in beside the fire and the time when our absence would be noted was approaching. Lochru took the bird from the spit, pulling it apart with his broad fingers and he shared it out in three ways according to our status, and we sat back from the fire swallowing hot gobbets of the flesh and gazing up at the small parcels of the dying day through the canopy above, savouring the moment as a breath of freedom.
‘And MacMurchada dead,’ said Lochru, repeating the news that was on all lips.
Fiachra did not speak and I filled the silence.
‘A tyrant they say, though the Tiarna liked him well enough.’
‘True,’ Lochru said. ‘Raided with him into Osraige in the days of Toirdelach. And MacMurchada never came here seeking vengeance with his foreign mercenaries.’ Fiacra spoke up hotly.
‘They say his body rotted around him while he still drew breath. A great putrescence coming out of him.’ He looked to me, his dark eyes glinting. ‘A curse, surely, for bringing the foreigner.’
‘But will his foreigner soldiers leave now that the old bear is dead?’ Lochru said, his fingers thick within the gnarl of his beard.
‘Ask this one,’ Fiacra said, his regard sly and lips glazed with grease as he tossed a bone in my direction, ‘the worst foreigner of them all.’
‘They say at the monastery that King Henri is come to Yrlande to lay his hand on MacMurchada’s land.’ I said this to stop Fiacra’s windpipe. ‘And that there is a man with him – de Lacy, to whom Míde has been promised.’ Lochru erupted in a high brash laugh.
‘Haah…now Christendom’s most powerful king comes to claim our lands. Well lads, will I live to see such wrongness?’
‘He will sweep this way surely and who is there to stop him?’ I said.
‘And you and your father will be there to welcome them with arms wide having buried knives in all of our backs,’ Fiacra said with vehemence. ‘But the foreigners have not heard of our own king – Ua Conor and his war dog Ua Ruairc. They will be sent back over the sea with spears in their backs.’
‘So that is our choice – Ua Ruairc of Breifni or the Engleis?’ Lochru said loudly, casting his eyes upwards. Fiacra spat into the leaf litter as Lochru laughed. And that settled the matter. Not a word was spoken of the poet.
A Little Bit About Paul …
Paul DuffyPaul Duffy, author of Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound (2022), is one of Ireland’s leading field archaeologists and has directed numerous landmark excavations in Dublin as well as leading projects in Australia, France and the United Kingdom.
He has published and lectured widely on this work, and his books include From Carrickfergus to Carcassonne—the Epic Deeds of Hugh de Lacy during the Cathar Crusade (2018) and Ireland and the Crusades (2021). He has given many talks and interviews on national and international television and radio (RTÉ, BBC, NPR, EuroNews).
Paul has also published several works of short fiction (Irish Times, Causeway/Cathsair, Outburst, Birkbeck Writer’s Hub) and in 2015 won the Over the Edge New Writer of the Year Award. He has been shortlisted for numerous Irish and international writing prizes and was awarded a writing bursary in 2017–2018 by Words Ireland.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.paulduffywritings.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PDufaigh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PDufaigh/
March 14, 2023
Pagan Warrior by MJ Porter: The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tour
Today, I am delighted to host MJ Porter on this book blog tour. MJ has kindly provided some historical background to the setting of the book (see below).
You can follow the full tour here:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-pagan-warrior-by-mj-porter.html
Pagan Warrior by MJ PorterAudiobook narrated by Matt Coles
From bestselling author, MJ Porter, comes the tale of the mighty pagan king, Penda of Mercia.
Britain. AD632.
Penda, a warrior of immense renown, has much to prove if he is to rule the Mercian kingdom of his dead father and prevent the neighbouring king of Northumbria from claiming it.
Unexpectedly allying with the British kings, Penda races to battle the alliance of the Northumbrian king, unsure if his brother stands with him or against him as they seek battle glory for themselves, and the right to rule gained through bloody conquest.
There will be a victor and a bloody loser, and a king will rise from the ashes of the great and terrible battle of Hædfeld.
Universal Buy Link: books2read.com/PaganWarrior
A Little Bit about the Author MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in seventh to eleventh-century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Being raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author’s writing destiny was set.
Some Historical Background to Britain in the Seventh Century – a Patchwork of Kingdoms
One of the hardest processes when writing about this very early period of Britain is to get an idea of what the kingdoms might have looked like and to explain this to the reader. The seventh century is often seen as the period when the Heptarchy, the seven very well-known kingdoms of the Saxon period, emerged and formed, ultimately derived from potentially very many much smaller kingdoms, the names of which are only rarely still known.
The Heptarchy consisted of the kingdoms of Northumbria (itself derived from the uniting of Deira and Bernicia), Mercia, the kingdom of the East Angles, Wessex, Sussex, Kent, and Essex. In later centuries, these kingdoms would merge until only four main kingdoms remained, and then, from the early middle of the tenth century, England emerged. But the battle of Hædfeld with which Pagan Warrior concludes was a British-wide battle set as this process was formalising in the seventh century, and there are yet more kingdoms that must be mentioned which didn’t form part of Saxon England.
Scotland didn’t yet exist, but Dal Riata, Pictland and Alt Clut (sometimes called Strathclyde) did. Wales didn’t exist, although the kingdoms of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, Ceredigion and Powys did, The kingdom of Dumnonia (modern-day Cornwall), was also in existence and very much not part of Saxon England. Indeed, these kingdoms are often termed British, as opposed to Saxon. As someone woeful at geography – I purposefully don’t adopt the names of places from this period because it confuses me – I’m only too well aware of how much I’m asking from my reader as it is without adding weird place names to already strange sounding personal names, and yet it was necessary to add a whole host of strange names, which often, have no relation to the current names of counties, let alone kingdoms.
All of these different kingdoms, we’re told, were involved in some way in the battle of Hædfeld. Some of the kingdoms joined the alliance, spear-headed by Cadwallon of Gwynedd, Edwin’s foster-brother. Others joined that of Edwin of Northumbria. Almost all of them took one side or another in the mighty battle of Hædfeld fought in 632 or 633 (there is some confusion about the exact date) between the two sides. To ensure my readers have some idea of who’s who, I’ve termed all of the character’s as being ‘of’ their kingdom, although I’m unsure if that’s actually how they might have been named.
I was surprised by how many individuals could be named from the seventh century, particularly for the build-up to the battle of Hædfeld. The cast is not Game of Thrones huge, but it was larger than I expected. Not just Penda of the Hwicce, only later could he be termed of Mercia, and Cadwallon of Gwynedd in the British ‘alliance’, but also Cloten of Deheubarth, Clydog of Ceredigion, Eiludd of Powys, Clemen of Dumnonia, Domnall Brecc of Dal Riata, Beli of Alt Clut and Eanfrith of Bernicia. While on the Northumbrian led alliance were Edwin of Northumbria, alongside his children, Osfrith and Eadfrith, as well as Eowa of the Hwicce, Osric of Deira – Edwin’s cousin, Cynegils of Wessex, Sigeberht of the East Angles and Oswald of Bernicia – Edwin’s nephew. At least, that’s how I stack the two sides as the battle is about to commence. In later periods, it is sometimes a struggle to find who was king of where and when that might have been, so to find so many characters, even if it can seem a little overwhelming, was fantastic and ensured that the British-wide battle of Hædfeld could be retold in Pagan Warrior with a nod to each of these kings, and the part they might, or might not, have played in the events that played out on that fateful day in October 632 or 633.
Image Credit Wikimedia Commons: Map of Britain in the 600s, User:Hel-hama, CC BY-SA 3.0
Social Media Links:Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/MJPorterauthor
Narrator, Matt Coles:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcolesvoiceovers/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattcolesvoiceovers
Website: www.mattcolesvoiceover.com
March 9, 2023
Historical Fiction Author of the Month: Carol Hedges
Welcome to my new 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, 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, Carol Hedges, whose Victorian series I love.
Carol Hedges
Carol HedgesI am 72, and a UK writer of 18 books for Teenagers/Young Adults and Adults. My writing has received much critical acclaim, and my novel Jigsaw was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal.
I am probably best known, however, as the author of ‘The Victorian Detectives’ ~ a series of ten novels set in 1860s London and featuring Detective Inspector Leo Stride and his side-kick Detective Sergeant Jack Cully, who work for the detective division of Scotland Yard.
I live in Hertfordshire with a Tortie-Siamese cat called Halley, who thinks my writing chair belongs to her, a husband (we’ve been married for 48 years) and a lot of pond fish. When not writing/sleeping/trying to resist cake. I am a political activist ~ and can be seen outside the Houses of Parliament, protesting against this government and its policies. I have two grandchildren, both sadly now domiciled in New York, one of whom is the star of a series of blogs called The Adventures of L-Plate Gran, which I wrote while looking after her.
Recently I have started learning Yiddish, partly to reconnect with my family’s German Jewish past (I lost my paternal grandparents during the Holocaust) and stop my aged brain from deteriorating. Mazel tov! I’m currently blogging about this experience as The Adventures of L-Plate Bubbe.
Although I have been published by two big mainstream publishers, I am now self-published under the imprint Little G Books. My work is available via Amazon in print and ebook format.
What enticed you to write in this genre?I never intended to write a historical fiction novel, let alone a whole series. For many years, I was a children’s author, published by OUP and Usborne. I had a top London agent. I appeared at the Edinburgh and Cheltenham Literary Festivals. But fate intervened. In 2008, there was a banking crash, and as a result, publishers of children’s fiction decided to cut back on mid-list writers like me and invest in celebs, pop stars and already known writers instead. Suddenly, I found myself with no publisher interested in reading my manuscripts. But I couldn’t NOT write ~ that was like not breathing! So I decided to move genre, and wrote Diamonds & Dust ~ a one off, quirky first-person slightly Goth Victorian detective novel . My agent hated it and refused point blank to submit it. So we parted company, and, long story short, I decided the way forward for me was to take control and self publish.
Looking back, it was a logical progression. My degree was in English Literature, specialising in the Victorian period. I loved reading Dickens and his contemporaries, researching the period and immersing myself in every aspect of the era. Ten books later and a lot of lovely appreciative readers, [including me, Carol!] here I am. Grateful for the chance to share my writing and my passion with you, the reader.
Some Reviews …“As always, Carol Hedges brings Victorian London and its inhabitants to vibrant and atmospheric life with evocatively distinctive and descriptive prose. The multilayered mystery is told from various perspectives in the present tense, which puts the reader right at the scene, and there’s a varied cast of characters, ranging from despicable to engaging. Cleverly written dialogue gives insights into characters’ personalities and motivations. ” (Cathy Ryan)
“Carol Hedges skilfully weaves these stories together, with echoes of Dickens and Conan Doyle. The writer has done her research but displays it with a light touch. She paints a vivid picture – warts and all – of Victorian London. All our senses are in play here. The characters are well drawn, entirely believable and I had no trouble distinguishing them.” (Sandra Firth)
Social Media Links:Blog: https://carolhedges.blogspot.com/
Visit my unusual Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thecuriousVictorian/
On Twitter: @riotgrandma72
Explore Carol’s BooksUniversal link: Author.to/Victoriancrime
I’m delighted to share the news that next month’s author is Stella Riley
Death at Castle Cove by Mary Grand: Book Spotlight
‘Death At Castle Cove’ by Mary Grand is set on the picturesque Isle of Wight and features amateur detective Susan Flynn and her partner Alice.
Susan’s life revolves around walks in the country with her dog and meeting her fellow dog lovers for strolls along the coastal paths. Her young lodger, Colette, seems to be fitting in well, after a difficult start in life. But when Colette dies in suspicious circumstances, Susan realises that her dog walking friends were the last to see her alive. She has to face the disturbing fact that one of her friends may be responsible.
The local police put it all down to an unfortunate accident, but Susan is not convinced. As she looks in to the mystery, she finds out that her friends have much to hide – and one of them must have killed Colette.
Buy Link: Death at Castle Cove
Mary GrandMary’s writing career started with self-publishing three novels, Free to Be Tegan’, ‘Hidden Chapters’ and ‘Behind the Smile’ alongside two free anthologies of short stories ‘Catching the Light’ and ‘Making Changes’.
Mary GrandIn 2020, she was very excited to start working with the amazing Boldwood Books, who published her first murder mystery, ‘The House Party.’ This book was followed by two more island murder mysteries, ‘The Island’ and ‘Good Neighbours.’
Her latest book, published by Boldwood on March 8th 2023, is the first in a new series featuring amateur detective Susan Flynn and her partner Alice called ‘Death at Castle Cove.’ This is a murder mystery, a classic whodunnit. This series is set in the present day but is inspired by many years of reading Agatha Christie!
Social Media
Website: https://marygrand.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mary.grand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormaryg
