Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 2

#BookReview — Leningrad: The People's War by Rachel R. Heil #HistoricalFiction #WW2

 

Leningrad: The People's War By Rachel R. Heil 

Publication Date: 1st February 2021
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 386 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction / WW2

Leningrad, 1941. 

As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. Instead, they keep their heads down and try to avoid the ever-watching eyes of their own oppressive government.University student Tatiana Ivankova tries to look ahead to the future after a family tragedy that characterizes life under the brutal regime. But, when the rumors that have been circulating the country become a terrifying reality, Tatiana realizes that the greatest fear may not be the enemy but what her fellow citizens are prepared to do to each other to survive. As his men plow through the Russian countryside, Heinrich Nottebohm is told to follow orders and ask no questions, even if such commands go against his own principles. His superiors hold over him a past event that continues to destroy him with every day that passes. But, when given the opportunity to take an act of defiance, Heinrich will jump at the chance, ignoring what the end results could be. Leningrad: The People’s War tells the harrowing beginning of a war that forever changed the landscape of a city, told through the eyes of both sides in a tale of courage, love, and sacrifice.

Very few had noticed it before, but now everyone did. Leningrad was becoming a battleground for not only the Germans but for the Soviet government against its own people...

To engage in a war on all fronts is difficult enough. But to fight a war when you are already being persecuted by those who are meant to be leading your country to victory is a catastrophe. For the residents of Leningrad, the war with Germany brings a new set of challenges. If they are to be victorious, then the Red Army must hold its ground and the government must look after its people. But this is Soviet Russia, a place where mistrust spreads quicker than misinformation and the Great Purge had already stolen some of the Red Army’s most talented generals. The peace treaty Stalin agreed with Hitler had turned out to be a worthless piece of paper—another terrible betrayal for Stalin to come to terms with. For the citizens of Leningrad, however, the battle to survive has only just begun...

From the devastating aftermath of the Great Purge to the desperation of a people whose city is surrounded by enemy forces, Leningrad: The People’s War by Rachel R. Heil navigates the horror of the Siege of Leningrad during World War II.

Heil has presented her readers with a historically rich tale, where nothing is beneath her attention. The fear of the NKVD, and the horrors of the Great Purge resulted in a nation that lived in constant terror. The immediate threat to life was not the distant rumblings of the German army, but Russia’s own Communist government, whose paranoid leader saw danger even where there was none. When the threat of war becomes something that can no longer be ignored, Stalin begins to blame, for the most part, imagined foreign enemies for all of their internal problems. Heil has depicted a country conflicted. Could Hitler be any worse than Stalin? Was it better to stick to the devil you know rather than risk it all with the devil you don’t? Stalin’s Iron fist reaction to every problem meant innocent people were persecuted, and this fear is depicted in this novel with a careful understanding of what it must have been like to live in Russia during this period.

This novel, as the name suggests, is about The Siege of Leningrad. What we witness through the pages of this remarkable book is the systematic genocide of a city due to starvation and deliberate destruction of the city’s civilian population. At times this makes for some harrowing reading, especially as people start to slowly starve to death. Heil does not whitewash the horrors that the citizens of Leningrad faced. Through the eyes of Tatiana Ivankova we witness everything, including the disturbing desensitising of death.

This deeply haunting novel tells the intimate and harrowing story of Tatiana Ivankova. Tatiana has good reasons to loath Stalin’s cruel and dangerous regime. She has already lost two members of her family, and she fears that it is only a matter of time before Stalin orders another purge. She will do anything to ensure that the lives of her immediate family are not threatened, even if it does mean agreeing to do whatever Josef Krasnoff, a newspaper reporter with an influential father, tells her to do. What she could never have imagined was that he would force her to join a unit of female volunteers who would help protect the city from the fascists that surrounded her. They were to represent the Party and Comrade Stalin. Failure was not an option. Tatiana’s initial response to this news was a desperate sense of despair. She felt utterly powerless. Tatiana had been forcibly conscripted into the army, and although she loathes Josef for what he has done to her, she excels at the job. Tatiana is a character that I came to care about. She is this bright and really lovely young woman who just wants to live in peace, to be free from both the Party and the German invaders, but life dictates otherwise. There is also an air of vulnerability about her which made her character very appealing. She is forced into the dangerous game of espionage, and there is nothing she can do about it. I thought Tatiana’s depiction was sublime. She is a character that a reader can get behind and root for.

The other character of interest is Heinrich Nottebohm, a German officer with a mysterious past and who, like Tatiana, feels utterly disgusted by what they are being asked to do as well as what they are witnessing. Heinrich was a breath of fresh air, and a stark contrast to his commanding officer, Max. He is a quiet soul, but that does not make him weak. He knows how to play the game, he just wishes he was not playing it.

There are many harrowing scenes in this novel, but there is one scene that stood out from the rest. Tatiana overhears a conversation, where a Russian Jew declares that he would rather have a German head of state than the one they currently have. He was not at all worried about being taken to a camp, for he was so sure that he would be released when they realised what a good citizen he was. This scene is very brief, a couple of sentences no more, but the innocent portrayal was utterly heartbreaking.

Heil has explored the use of propaganda to inform, or misinform more often than not, the citizens of Leningrad. I thought Josef’s character was really interesting because he is a journalist who refuses to see the truth even when it is staring him in the face. He toes the Party lines and tries to turn every disaster into a victory and those who don’t agree with him are traitors. I could not decide if this blinkered vision of events was caused by fear, or by an unshakable arrogance and determination to make a name for himself.

The dropping of leaflets from the Germans onto Leningrad to frighten them into compliance backfired because the residents were not even allowed to look at the leaflets, let alone read them, unless they wanted to be accused of treason. It must have been so confusing and frightening to know that the things you were told were probably not true, but then, as Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany, once said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it...” Stalin promoted an image of himself as a benevolent ruler and champion of the Soviet Union, but his increasing paranoia meant his country was in no fit state to fight a war with Germany. Not yet, anyway. Heil demonstrates the destructive nature of propaganda and how some citizens were not so hoodwinked by what they were being told. They saw through the lies.

As a tutor of modern history which encompasses Russia during this era, I am very familiar with the Siege of Leningrad, which made this story all the more poignant, and although I don’t know how this story will end, I do know how the siege ends. As I neared the end of this book, I wondered how Heil could fit in the rest of the story but, to my relief, I discovered that this is book one of a series, and thank goodness for that, for I am not done with these characters yet and I am looking forward to following their journey in the following books.

This novel is a must-read for fans of quality Historical Fiction set in World War II.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

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Rachel R. Heil is a historical fiction writer who always dreamed of being an author. After years of dreaming, she finally decided to turn this dream into a reality with her first novel, and series, Behind the Darkened Glass. Rachel is an avid history fan, primarily focused on twentieth century history and particularly World War Two-era events. In addition to her love for history, Rachel loves following the British Royal Family and traveling the world, which only opens the door to learning more about a country's history. Rachel resides in Wisconsin.
Connect with Rachel: Facebook • Goodreads • Instagram • BookBub

We are so excited to be taking The Usurper King (The Plantagenet Legacy, Book 3) by Mercedes Rochelle #HistoricalFiction #Plantagenet #HenryIV #BlogTour @authorRochelle

 

The Usurper King(The Plantagenet Legacy, Book 3)By Mercedes Rochelle

May 11th – July 13th 2021

Publication Date: 5th April 2021
Publisher: Sergeant Press
Page Length: 308 Pages
Genre: Historical FictionFrom Outlaw to Usurper, Henry Bolingbroke fought one rebellion after another.
First, he led his own uprising. Gathering support the day he returned from exile, Henry marched across the country and vanquished the forsaken Richard II. Little did he realize that his problems were only just beginning. How does a usurper prove his legitimacy? What to do with the deposed king? Only three months after he took the crown, Henry IV had to face a rebellion led by Richard's disgruntled favorites. Worse yet, he was harassed by rumors of Richard's return to claim the throne. His own supporters were turning against him. How to control the overweening Percies, who were already demanding more than he could give? What to do with the rebellious Welsh? After only three years, the horrific Battle of Shrewsbury nearly cost him the throne—and his life. It didn't take long for Henry to discover that that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it.
Amazon UK • Amazon US 
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Mercedes Rochelle

Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. The next series is called The Plantagenet Legacy about the struggles and abdication of Richard II, leading to the troubled reigns of the Lancastrian Kings. 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 • Blog • Facebook • Twitter • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads
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Tour Schedule

Welcome to Day 9 of the blog tour for Forsaking All Other by Catherine Meyrick #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #BlogTour @cameyrick1

 

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16th March – 18th May 2021

Publication Date: 16th March 2018
Publisher: Courante Publishing
Page Length: 308 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Romance
England, 1585.
Bess Stoughton, waiting woman to the well-connected Lady Allingbourne, has discovered that her father is arranging for her to marry an elderly neighbour. Normally obedient Bess rebels and wrests from her father a year's grace to find a husband more to her liking.
Edmund Wyard, a taciturn and scarred veteran of England’s campaign in Ireland, is attempting to ignore the pressure from his family to find a suitable wife as he prepares to join the Earl of Leicester’s army in the Netherlands.
Although Bess and Edmund are drawn to each other, they are aware that they can have nothing more than friendship. Bess knows that Edmund’s wealth and family connections place him beyond her reach. And Edmund, with his well-honed sense of duty, has never considered that he could follow his own wishes.
With England on the brink of war and fear of Catholic plots extending even into Lady Allingbourne’s household, time is running out for both of them.
Love is no game for women. The price is far too high.
We are stopping over on two fabulous blogs today..
Our first stop is over on Zoe's Art, Craft & Life for a sneak-peek between the covers.
Click Here.
Our second stop is over on Sara in Bookland for a fabulous review.
Click Here.
Tour Schedule

Welcome to Day 8 of the blog tour for Pied Piper by Keith Stuart #HistoricalFiction #WW2 #BlogTour @len_maynard

 

March 22nd – May 24th 2021

Publication Date: 1st March 2021
Publisher: LMP- Len Maynard Publishing
Page Length: 176 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / WWII

In September 1939 the British Government launched Operation Pied Piper. To protect them from the perils of German bombing raids, in three days millions of city children were evacuated - separated from their parents.

This story tells of two families: one whose children leave London and the other which takes them in. We share the ups and downs of their lives, their dramas and tragedies, their stoicism and their optimism. But. unlike many other stories and images about this time, this one unfolds mainly through the eyes of Tom, the father whose children set off, to who knew where, with just a small case and gas mask to see them on their way.

Follow the tour HERE!! 

We are so excited to be taking The Shadows of Versailles (An Affair of the Poisons Book One) by Cathie Dunn on tour! #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #Versailles #BlogTour @cathiedunn

 

The Shadows of Versailles

(An Affair of the Poisons Book One)

By Cathie Dunn

May 10th – May 21st 2021

Publication Date: November 20th, 2020
Publisher: Ocelot Press
Page Length: 251 (ebook) / 277 (pb)
Genre: historical fiction / mystery
Dazzled by Versailles. Broken by tragedy. Consumed by revenge.
When Fleur de La Fontaine attends the court of King Louis XIV for the first time, she is soon besotted with handsome courtier, Philippe de Mortain. She dreams of married life away from her uncaring mother, but Philippe keeps a secret from her.
Nine months later, after the boy she has given birth to in a convent is whisked away, she flees to Paris where she mends gowns in the brothel of Madame Claudette, a woman who helps ‘fallen’ girls back on their feet.
Jacques de Montagnac investigates a spate of abducted children when his path crosses Fleur’s. He searches for her son, but the trail leads to a dead end – and a dreadful realisation.
Her boy’s suspected fate too much to bear, Fleur decides to avenge him. She visits the famous midwife, La Voisin, but it’s not the woman’s skills in childbirth that Fleur seeks.
La Voisin dabbles in poisons.
Will Fleur see her plan through? Or can she save herself from a tragic fate?
Delve into The Shadows of Versailles and enter the sinister world of potions, poisoners and black masses during the Affairs of the Poisons, a real event that stunned the court of the Sun King!
Amazon 
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Cathie Dunn

Cathie Dunn writes historical fiction, mystery, and romance.
Cathie has been writing for over twenty years. She studied Creative Writing, with a focus on novel writing, which she now teaches in the south of France. She loves researching for her novels, delving into history books, and visiting castles and historic sites.
Her stories have garnered awards and praise from reviewers and readers for their authentic description of the past.
Cathie is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
After nearly two decades in Scotland, she now lives in the historic city of Carcassonne in the south of France with her husband, two cats and a rescue dog. 
Social Media Links:Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads 
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Tour Schedule

Welcome to Day #9 of the blog tour or The Importance of Pawns by Keira Morgan #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @KJMMexico

 

March 25th – May 17th 2021
Publication Date: 10th March 2021Publisher: French Historical Fiction/ Fiction de la renaissance FrançaisePage Length: 380 pagesGenre: Historical Fiction
Based on historical events and characters in sixteenth-century France, this timeless tale pits envy, power and intrigue against loyalty and the strength of women’s friendships. 
The French court dazzles on the surface, but beneath its glitter, danger lurks for the three women trapped in its web. The story begins as Queen Anne lies dying and King Louis’s health is in declines. Their two daughters, Claude and young Renée, heiresses to the rich duchy of Brittany, become pawns in the games of power. 
Countess Louise d’Angoulême is named guardian to both girls. For years she has envied the dying Queen Anne, the girls’ mother. Because of her family’s dire financial problems, she schemes to marry wealthy Claude to her son. This unexpected guardianship presents a golden opportunity, but only if she can remove their protectress Baronne Michelle, who loves the princesses and safeguards their interests. 
As political tensions rise, the futures of Princess Renée and Baronne hang in the balance, threatened by Countess Louise’s hidden plots. Timid Claude, although fearful of her mother-in-law, must untangle the treacherous intrigues Countess Louise is weaving. Claude and her friends encounter one roadblock after another as they contrive to outflank the wily countess. Their goal is to protect young Princess Renée. 
In the end, faced with frightening consequences, will Claude find the courage to defend those she loves?

Head over to The Whispering Bookworm for a fabulous interview.
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Blog Tour: At Her Fingertips (The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, Book 3) by Kellyn Roth

Join The Coffee Pot Book Club on tour with…At Her Fingertips (The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, Book 3)By Kellyn RothSeptember 8th – November 10th 2021

Publication Date: 17th July 2021

Publisher: Wild Blue Wonder Press

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

She’s willing to do anything to follow her plan.Debutante Alice Knight is ready for her first social season in London. She’s determined to impress society and her mother with an affluent match, at last escaping her past and embracing a future of her own making.Peter Strauss, an American reporter visiting England, isn’t exactly what Alice had in mind. However, his friendship proves invaluable as Alice faces the challenges of her debut. Almost immediately, she attracts the attention of a well-born gentleman—perfect save for the simple fact that he’s not a Christian.The life she longs for is finally at her fingertips, but between her own heart and the convictions of her faith, she isn’t sure she ought to grasp it.At Her Fingertips, a romantic women's fiction novel, is the third novel in Kellyn Roth's Christian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy. Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU Kellyn Roth

Kellyn Roth is a Christian historical women’s fiction & romance author from North-Eastern Oregon who has independently published multiple novels, the most notable being The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy series. You should definitely call her Kell.

Kell lives on family-owned property outside an unmemorable but historical town with her parents, two little brothers, precious border collies, a dozen cows, and lots of chickens. She also possesses a classic, vintage aesthetic which does not at all speak to her country girl side, but such is life.

When not writing, Kell likes to blog, work as a virtual assistant for authors and other small business owners, and spend lavish amounts of money on Dairy Queen french fries. She also likes to talk about her books (and occasionally Keira Knightley) way too much. You’ve been warned.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads Tour Schedule Coming Soon...

Have a sneak-peek between the covers of GL Robinson's fabulous #RegencyRomance - The Lord and The Red Headed Hornet #HistoricalRomance @gl_robinson

 

The Lord and The Red Headed Hornet

By GL Robinson

Publication Date: 13 February 2021
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 231 Pages
Genre: Regency Romance

Amelia and Aurelius are orphaned twins. She's a bossy, fiery red-head. Her handsome brother wants to join the army and fight against Napoleon. But she wants him to become a diplomat. She talks her way into a man's job - as secretary to an aristocrat - hoping he will provide the contacts. But when her boss disappears and her brother joins the army anyway, can the red-headed hornet save them both?

But the gentleman was addressing her. He tipped his hat with his cane and gave her a slight bow.

"Edward Woodbridge, Ma'am, at your service."

If her view of him had instantly assured her of his claim to fashion, his of her did just the opposite. He saw in front of him a woman of above average height, dressed very plainly in a navy-blue pelisse and matching but rather uncompromising bonnet.  In fact, bonnet was not really the word, he decided. It was a very plain hat, with neither feather nor flower to relieve its dullness. However, some lucky impulse had persuaded the wearer to turn up the brim across the front, and it was this that saved it. For the turned-up brim revealed the wayward curls of what was obviously a mass of fiery red hair and a pair of nut-brown eyes, eyes that were now regarding him very candidly. 

"Amelia Moreton," said the owner of the eyes, moving her reticule and the newspaper into her left hand in order to extend to him the right. He took it and held it for a moment.

"How may I be of service?" asked Mr. Woodbridge, asking himself why on earth he did so.   Why didn't he simply leave this female to her business and go on with his own? "You're too susceptible to a pair of brown eyes, my boy," he said sternly to himself.  But it was too late.

"Oh, do you think you could?" said Miss Moreton, looking at him earnestly. "I'm looking for the home of the Earl of Ailesbury. Do you happen to know where it is?" She looked down the row of stately townhomes of Albemarle Street that lay before her. 

 Mr. Woodbridge cursed silently.  Now he was sure he should have gone on his way. But he answered politely, "Why yes, it is number 23.  Just down here on the right. But I'm afraid you will find the Earl from home."

"Do you know him then?" asked Miss Moreton even more earnestly. " I'm hoping to see him. Is he nice?"

"I do know him well, as a matter of fact," he replied.  "As to whether he is nice, it's not really for me to say, though I find him very nice indeed. You see, I am he."

"You!" said Miss Moreton in evident disbelief. "But I thought him a much older man!"

"Perhaps you mean my father.  If so, I'm sorry to inform you he died four years ago."

Miss Moreton ignored this sad loss to the Earl's family.  "Anyway, you said your name was Woodbridge. Edward Woodbridge. "

"It is. I'm Edward Woodbridge, Earl of Ailesbury, third Baron of Mayne. Perhaps you see why I prefer to simplify it. May I ask why you are looking for me?"

"It's the job, you see," said Miss Moreton, who seemed to have reconciled herself to both his name and his age. "I want to see him… you, I mean,  in answer to the advertisement for the job."  When he still looked puzzled, she added, "The job of secretary to his… your lordship."

Light dawned on the gentleman in front of her. "But the job of secretary is for a man!"

"It doesn't say that here.  Look! It only says His Lordship the Earl of Ailesbury seeks a secretary.  The candidate must be well organized and accustomed to working independently. And it gives the address and today's date.  There is no mention of gender. I am well organized and I prefer to work independently.  If you'd wanted a man, you should have said so." Miss Moreton sounded increasingly indignant.  "Anyway, even though I'm not a man, I'm sure I can do it just as well as one. Probably better."

His lordship looked at her for a moment then burst out laughing. "It was my present secretary who wrote the notice for the Times, not I. He is leaving almost immediately for a diplomatic post abroad and I daresay he was a little distrait when he composed it.  And I imagine he never considered the possibility of a woman applying for the job. No more did I.  But you're right.  Why not? You can probably do it as well or better than he." He reached inside his jacket, took out a pocket book, withdrew a card, scribbled a note on it and gave it to her. "Here, he's in the house now.  Take this to him and tell him I said to engage you." He tipped his cane to his hat and gave a slight bow.  " Good day to you, Miss Moreton. No doubt I shall see you again before long."  

He walked jauntily down the street, leaving her standing in astonishment behind him. 

Amazon UK • Amazon US

GL Robinson

I'm a product of a convent boarding school in the south of England in the 1950's and early 60's. You can probably guess I received an old-fashioned education. I learned a great deal about the humanities and practically nothing in the sciences. The only science I remember is the ditty: Miss Cummings (our teacher) was a scientist, alas she is no more, for what she took for H2O (water) was H2SO4 (sulphuric acid). Not bad, eh? Words to live by.

I met my American husband while working in Brussels, then moved with him to Bonn. My first child was born in Brussels and then I had twins in Germany. I never heard the word “Push!” in English!  I've lived in the USA for over 40 years.  I'm a retired French professor and have seven grandchildren and the same husband I started with. 

We’re getting ready to move from upstate New York (a lovely, rural and CHEAP area) to Boston, where two of our kids live. They think we should be near them in our old age(!) But the house prices are four times as much.  If I tell you our financial plan is dependent on winning the lottery, you can see why I need to sell A LOT of books!

My writing journey began in July 2018 when my sister, Francine, who I was very close to in spite of living continents apart, died from cancer. When we were in the boarding school all those years ago we used to giggle at Georgette Heyer’s books under the covers after lights-out. The day after her funeral I woke up with a Regency Romance story whole and entire in my head. Having never written fiction before (my previous writings tended to be on such fascinating subjects as the use of the subjunctive in subordinate clauses), in two months I wrote what turned out to be my House of Hale Trilogy. I know she inspired me. I’ve been writing ever since and now have 9 books (soon to be 10) on Amazon. All my books are dedicated to her.  She sits on my shoulder as I write.

People ask why I self-publish, and I suppose really it’s because of my age. Initially, I went the usual query route but waited ages but got no traction (why do I always think of dirt bikes when I write that?). I’m in my 70’s and thought if that carried on I could be dead before anything happened, so I decided to self-publish! I'm so glad I did. It was a bit of a learning process but I love the control you have over your books and unless you're a famous author I believe you earn more. 

When I’m asked what I read I’m often a bit ashamed to admit I don’t read many novels in my genre, except for Georgette Heyer (still!), who I can quote from memory! But I should give a shout-out to Regency writers Audrey Harrison, who was a mentor for me in the beginning, and Jenny Hambly. They are both good writers and good people!

My recent reads have been A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, which I think you’d classify as serious literary fiction, but I’ve also enjoyed The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.  

I do like books with a little humour! My own are quite funny, I think!

If there’s one book I think everyone should read it’s To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee.  The messages about prejudice, both racial and against the handicapped, are more needed now than ever.

My next book, The Lord and the Cat’s Meow, is coming out on 22 May. It stars a cat called Horace. Originally I had planned it for 2022, which is the 200th anniversary of the world’s first Animal Rights Act in England in 1822, but I liked it so much, I couldn’t bear to wait! I’ve never owned a cat but Horace really spoke to me!

I’ve just finished a split time-line novel, beginning in Paris in 1793 and ending in London in 1815. It's a new departure for me, and I enjoyed writing it! It’s called the Lord and the Unwilling Mistress. It will be out towards the end of the year.

And so, dear Reader, I ask you, why do you read? Is it to escape, just to relax or for information? Or for some other reason entirely? How could I help you achieve your goals in my writing? I’d love to hear from you. My readers are an enormous help to me, choosing book covers -  I had a horrible one for The Cat’s Meow till a reader set me straight! -  and titles. The title of the first of my Trilogy The Earl and the Mud-Covered Maiden was chosen by my readers. Please contact me via my website, where you can also get a free short story and listen to the first chapters of all my novels, plus see pix of me and my sister and grandchildren.

Connect with GL Robinson:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Blog Tour: The Steel Rose (The Boar King’s Honor Trilogy, Book 2) by Nancy Northcott

Join The Coffee Pot Book Club on tour with…The Steel Rose (The Boar King’s Honor Trilogy, Book 2)by Nancy NorthcottJune 24th – August 26th 2021

Publication Date: April 29, 2021

Publisher: Falstaff Books

Page Length: 370 Pages

Genre: Historical Fantasy/Romantic Fantasy

Amelia Mainwaring, a magically Gifted seer, is desperate to rescue the souls of her dead father and brother, who are trapped in a shadowy, wraith-filled land between life and death as the latest victims of their family curse. Lifting the curse requires clearing the name of King Richard III, who was wrongly accused of his nephews’ murder because of a mistake made by Amelia’s ancestor.In London to seek help from a wizard scholar, Julian Winfield, Amelia has disturbing visions that warn of Napoleon Bonaparte’s escape from Elba and renewed war in Europe. A magical artifact fuels growing French support for Bonaparte. Can Amelia and Julian recover the artifact and deprive him of its power in time to avert the coming battles? Their quest takes them from the crowded ballrooms of the London Season to the bloody field of Waterloo, demanding all of their courage, guile, and magical skill. Can they recover the artifact and stop Bonaparte? Or will all their hopes, along with Amanda’s father and brother, be doomed as a battle-weary Europe is once again engulfed in the flames of war?The Steel Rose is the second book in the time-traveling, history-spanning fantasy series The Boar King’s Honor, from Nancy Northcott (Outcast Station, The Herald of Day). Amazon Nancy Northcott

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. She combines the emotion and high stakes, and sometimes the magic, she loves in the books she writes.

She has written freelance articles and taught at the college level. Her most popular course was on science fiction, fantasy, and society. She has also given presentations on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III to university classes studying Shakespeare’s play about Richard III. Reviewers have described her books as melding fantasy, romance, and suspense. Library Journal gave her debut novel, Renegade, a starred review, calling it “genre fiction at its best.”

In addition to the historical fantasy Boar King’s Honor trilogy, Nancy writes the Light Mage Wars paranormal romances, the Arachnid Files romantic suspense novellas, and the Lethal Webs romantic spy adventures. With Jeanne Adams, she cowrites the Outcast Station science fiction mysteries.

Married since 1987, Nancy and her husband have one son, a bossy dog, and a house full of books.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads Tour ScheduleJune 24thViviana MacKade’s Official BlogThe Hist Fic ChickieThe Coffee Pot Book ClubJuly 1stThe Magic of Wor(l)dsI got lost in a bookJuly 8thB for BookreviewJuly 15thArchaeolibrarianRuins & ReadingJuly 22ndLoupDargent.InfoMJ Porter’s Official BlogJuly 29thWriters at the gateOh look, another book!August 5thLet Your Words Shine…A Thousand SunsAugust 12thHistorical Fiction With SpiritCelticLady’s ReviewsJudith Arnopp’s Official BlogAugust 19thCandlelight ReadingAugust 26thThe Whispering BookwormThe Book Bandit’s Library

Welcome to Day 8 of the blog tour for Embers by Josephine Greenland #Excerpt #YoungAdult #BlogTour @greenland_jm

 Embers By Josephine Greenland



March 18th - May 20th 2021
Publication Date: 4th March 2021
Publisher: Unbound
Page Length: 336 Pages
Genre: Young Adult / Crime / Mystery
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Waterstones • UK Bookshop
Two siblings, one crime. One long-buried secret.   17-year-old Ellen never wanted a holiday. What is there to do in a mining town in the northernmost corner of the country, with no one but her brother Simon – a boy with Asperger’s and obsessed with detective stories – for company?   Nothing, until they stumble upon a horrifying crime scene that brings them into a generations-long conflict between the townspeople and the native Sami. When the police dismiss Simon’s findings, he decides to track down the perpetrator himself. Ellen reluctantly helps, drawn in by a link between the crime and the siblings’ own past. What started off as a tedious holiday soon escalates into a dangerous journey through hatred, lies and self-discovery that makes Ellen question not only the relationship to her parents, but also her own identity.
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