Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 29

Welcome to Day #1 of the blog tour for Len Maynard's fabulous book — A Dangerous Life (DCI Jack Callum Mysteries Book 2) #HistoricalFiction #Crime @len_maynard @maryanneyarde

 

Join The Coffee Pot Book Club on tour with...

A Dangerous Life 

(DCI Jack Callum Mysteries Book 2)

By Len Maynard

February 8th – April 12th 2021

Publication Date: 28th July 2020Publisher: Sharpe BooksPage Length: 287 PagesGenre: Historical Crime Fiction
1959
A body of a man wearing theatrical make up is found hanging from a tree on Norton Common in Hertfordshire. He has been tortured and his throat has been cut.
DCI Jack Callum, a veteran policeman with his own rules for procedure, heads the investigation into this puzzling crime. The clues lead him close to the answer, but the solution remains elusive.
Why was the man killed?
What were the victim’s links to London’s gangland bosses?
When an unsolved murder is uncovered that appears to be connected to the case, Jack realises he must use his team to their full strength to separate the innocent from the guilty.
Jack also faces a challenge he never expected as he is accused of an improper relationship with a young Detective Constable on his team, Myra Banks.
In a breathless climax, Myra puts her own life on the line to deal with a figure from Jack’s past, who has now become a lethal threat in the present.
Head over to Brook's Scroll for a sneak-peek between the covers of A Dangerous Life  (DCI Jack Callum Mysteries Book 2)
Click HERE!

Amazon UK • Amazon US


Len Maynard
Born in Enfield, North London in 1953, Len Maynard has written and published over forty books, the majority of them in collaboration with Michael Sims. Ghost story collections, the Department 18 series of supernatural thrillers, stand-alone horror novels, the Bahamas series of action-adventure thrillers, as well as a handful of stand-alone thrillers. As editors they were responsible for the Enigmatic Tales and Darkness Rising series of anthologies, as well as single anthologies in the horror and crime genres. The DCI Jack Callum Mysteries are his first to be written under his own name.
Connect with Len:
Website •  Website “The DCI Jack Callum Mysteries” • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook

Welcome to Day #2 of the blog tour for The Bridled Tongue by Catherine Meyrick #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @cameyrick1 @JennyKnipfer

1st February – 5th April 2021
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble • Kobo • Apple Books
Publication Date: 1st February 2020Publisher: Courante PublishingPage Length: 358 pagesGenre: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction

England 1586. Alyce Bradley has few choices when her father decides it is time she marry as many refuse to see her as other than the girl she once was--unruly, outspoken and close to her grandmother, a woman suspected of witchcraft. 
Thomas Granville, an ambitious privateer, inspires fierce loyalty in those close to him and hatred in those he has crossed. Beyond a large dowry, he is seeking a virtuous and dutiful wife. Neither he nor Alyce expect more from marriage than mutual courtesy and respect.
As the King of Spain launches his great armada and England braces for invasion, Alyce must confront closer dangers from both her own and Thomas's past, threats that could not only destroy her hopes of love and happiness but her life. And Thomas is powerless to help.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine Meyrick is a writer of historical fiction with a particular love of Elizabethan England. Her stories weave fictional characters into the gaps within the historical record – tales of ordinary people who are very much men and women of their time, yet in so many ways are like us today. These are people with the same hopes and longings as we have to find both love and their own place in a troubled world.

Catherine grew up in regional Victoria, but has lived all her adult life in Melbourne, Australia. 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 not writing, reading and researching, Catherine enjoys gardening, the cinema and music of all sorts from early music and classical to folk and country and western and, not least of all, taking photos of the family cat to post on Instagram.

Connect with Catherine:
Website • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook • Pinterest


Head on over to Jenny Knipfer's Official Blog for a sneak-peek between the covers of this fabulous book!
Click HERE!

Head on over to The Historical Fiction Blog and join Michael L. Ross as he explores the history behind his fabulous book - The Search (Across the Great Divide, Book II) #History #HistFic @MichaelLRoss7 @authorrochelle

 

February 1st – February 19th 2021
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble • Kobo 
Publication Date: December 15, 2020Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUSPage Length: 217 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-selling author Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories. He's a retired software engineer turned author, with three children and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of forty years. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas. The main character of "Across the Great Divide", William Dorsey Crump, is one of the founders of Lubbock and Shallowater, Texas. Michael knew Will's granddaughter when he was a child. He has written a scholarly article on Will Crump for the Texas Historical Society, published in the Handbook of Texas Online, and has sold short stories in the past. This is his first novel and the first in the Across the Great Divide series, now an Amazon bestseller.

Michael attended Rice University as an undergraduate, and Portland State University for his graduate degree. He has degrees in computer science, software engineering, and German. In his spare time, Michael loves to go fishing, riding horses, and play with his grandchildren, who are currently all under six years old.

He sees many parallels between the time of the Civil War and our divided nation of today. Sanctuary cities, immigration, arguments around the holiday table, threats of secession - all are nothing new. Sometimes, to understand the present, you have to look at the past- and reach Across the Great Divide.  

Head on over to The Historical Fiction Blog and join Michael L. Ross as he explores the history behind his book.
Click HERE!

You have to check out Stuart Rudge's fabulous #NewRelease — The Fall of Kings (Legend of the Cid, Book 3) #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @stu_rudge

 

Publication Date: February 5th 2021Publisher: Independently PublishedPage Length: 406 pagesGenre: Historical Fiction

Castile. 1071AD. Three kings. One crown.
After Sancho II of Castile dispatches his champion Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar to capture his brother, King Garcia of Galicia, he hopes it is a defining moment in his quest to reunite the lands of his father under one banner. But Alfonso VI of Leon is one step ahead, and has already added the lands of Galicia to his domain. When the only alternative is war, Sancho turns to Rodrigo to lead the armies of Castile, and he must use all his tactical acumen to defeat the Leonese in the field. Only one son of Fernando can claim victory and become the Emperor of Hispania.
Rodrigo and Antonio Perez, now a knight of the realm, find difficulty adjusting to the new regime. Dissent and unrest run rife throughout the kingdom, and the fear of a knife in the dark from enemies old and new hangs heavy upon the pair. But if it is allowed to fester, it threatens to undo all that has been achieved. Can Rodrigo and Antonio root out the enemies of the king, and prevent chaos reigning throughout the land?
The Fall of Kings in the breath taking third instalment of the Legend of the Cid.

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU 



Stuart Rudge was born and raised in Middlesbrough, where he still lives. His love of history came from his father and uncle, both avid readers of history, and his love of table top war gaming and strategy video games. He studied Ancient History and Archaeology at Newcastle University, and has spent his fair share of time in muddy trenches, digging up treasure at Bamburgh Castle.
He was worked in the retail sector and volunteered in museums, before working in York Minster, which he considered the perfect office. His love of writing blossomed within the historic walls, and he knew there were stories within which had to be told. Despite a move in to the shipping and logistics sector (a far cry to what he hoped to ever do), his love of writing has only grown stronger.
Rise of a Champion is the first piece of work he has dared to share with the world. Before that came a novel about the Roman Republic and a Viking-themed fantasy series (which will likely never see the light of day, but served as good practise). He hopes to establish himself as a household name in the mound of Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian, Ben Kane and Matthew Harffy, amongst a host of his favourite writers.
Social Media Links:Website • Facebook

Welcome to Day #5 of the blog tour for The Search (Across the Great Divide, Book II) by Michael L. Ross #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @MichaelLRoss7 @CaigJamie

February 1st – February 19th 2021
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble • Kobo 
Publication Date: December 15, 2020Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUSPage Length: 217 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-selling author Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories. He's a retired software engineer turned author, with three children and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of forty years. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas. The main character of "Across the Great Divide", William Dorsey Crump, is one of the founders of Lubbock and Shallowater, Texas. Michael knew Will's granddaughter when he was a child. He has written a scholarly article on Will Crump for the Texas Historical Society, published in the Handbook of Texas Online, and has sold short stories in the past. This is his first novel and the first in the Across the Great Divide series, now an Amazon bestseller.

Michael attended Rice University as an undergraduate, and Portland State University for his graduate degree. He has degrees in computer science, software engineering, and German. In his spare time, Michael loves to go fishing, riding horses, and play with his grandchildren, who are currently all under six years old.

He sees many parallels between the time of the Civil War and our divided nation of today. Sanctuary cities, immigration, arguments around the holiday table, threats of secession - all are nothing new. Sometimes, to understand the present, you have to look at the past- and reach Across the Great Divide.  

Head on over to The Whispering Bookworm to read a review of this fabulous book!
Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #10 of the blog tour for Rebecca's Choice by Heidi Gallacher #HistoricalFiction #RebeccasChoice @HeidiGallacher @swiftstory

January 25th – February 5th
Amazon UK • Amazon US
Publication Date: 30th October 2019Publisher: Independently PublishedPage Length: 211 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction

‘Can Rebecca find the love and passion she craves within a Victorian world that seems to be conspiring against her?’

It is 1887 and Queen Victoria is on the throne. Businessman and meteorologist Geoffrey de Roussier is passionate about his weather station and railways, yet little of his passion seems to filter through to his shy, naïve young wife, Rebecca. 

Following his tragic demise, Rebecca discovers that Geoffrey’s railroad investments have failed, leaving her penniless. As the past threatens to engulf her, Rebecca realises she has to make a choice. Gwilym Llewellyn, Geoffrey’s trusted friend and advisor, has an emotional debt to repay to Geoffrey and meets Rebecca to offer her a solution. Meanwhile Rebecca has found passion in another direction… 

One man will save her from destitution, the other will offer her the love and excitement that she aches for. Whom will she choose?  

This book has a beautiful setting in Cardiff, South Wales. If you like a good mix of an evocative depiction of the Victorian era and a modern-thinking heroine then Rebecca’s Choice is the novel for you. 

This is Heidi Gallacher’s debut novel, a compelling historical Victorian romance. Pick up ‘Rebecca’s Choice’ today to lose yourself in this wonderful story! 

Heidi Gallacher

Heidi Gallacher was born in London in the Sixties. She grew up in Cardiff and Swansea, South Wales. She jumped at the chance to move to Paris in her twenties to learn a new language and culture. 

Following the arrival of her first son she moved to sunny Switzerland where she has lived ever since. 

She completed her Masters in Creative Writing in 2018 and her first short story Changing Places was published in September of that year. Rebecca's Choice is her first novel.

When not writing, Heidi writes and performs music, swims in Lake Zürich and fundraises for a school in Tanzania. 

Connect with Heidi:
Twitter • Instagram • Facebook • Goodreads
Head on over to Deborah Swift's Official Blog to find an exclusive author interview with Heidi!
Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #10 of the blog tour for The Woodsman’s Rose (Donovan Family Saga, Book 2) by Gifford MacShane #HistoricalFiction #Western @AuthorGMacShane @MaddieS39950549

January 25th – February 5th

Buy this book!

Publication Date: January 25th 2021
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 329 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Western Romance

1880s Arizona
Daniel Donovan wants nothing more than to get married, unless it's to restore his friendship with his closest friend, Alec Twelve Trees.
Alec is raging about his mother's murderer, whose identity Daniel knows but will not reveal, as the killer is dead and the family he left behind would be compromised if the knowledge became public. But Alec cannot recognize any needs but his own, and the rift between the friends grows wider every day.
Daniel's fiancée, Annie, is a delicate girl, her health frail and her future uncertain. Prone to vicious headaches that at times rock her to her knees, she’s accepted Daniel’s ring but is hesitant to name their wedding date, worried that marriage and possible pregnancy will exacerbate her physical problems.
Annie inherited the gift of insight from her Welsh mother and digs into the past, searching for a way to help Alec and Daniel mend their relationship. But when she discovers the secret behind the murder, it’s more horrifying than she could have imagined.It may take more than Annie’s small strength and inherited skills to bring the friends together again. And that’s before a new enemy shows his face.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gifford MacShane is the author of historical fiction that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.
Her novels feature a family of Irish immigrants who settle in the Arizona Territory in the late 1800s. With an accessible literary style, MacShane draws out her characters' hidden flaws and strengths as they grapple with both physical and emotional conflicts.
Singing almost before she could talk, MacShane has always loved folk music, whether it be Irish, Appalachian, spirituals, or the songs of the cowboys. Her love of the Old West goes back to childhood, when her father introduced her to the works of Zane Grey. Later she became interested in the Irish diaspora, having realized her ancestors must have lived through An Gorta Mor, the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s. Writing allows her to combine her three great interests into a series of family stories, each including romance, traditional song lyrics, and a dash of Celtic mysticism. Having grown up in a large & often boisterous Irish-American family, she is intimately acquainted with the workings of such a clan and uses those experiences to good purpose (though no names will be named!)MacShane is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and is an #OwnVoices writer. A self-professed grammar nerd who still loves diagramming sentences, Giff currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband Richard, the Pied Piper of stray cats.
Connect with Gifford:Website • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon
“There were times when I found myself reaching for the tissues, and there were times where I feared for one of the character’s life. The author certainly knows how to write a compelling plot…” Oh look, another book!
Head on over to Oh look, another book! to read the rest of the review!
Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #15 of the blog tour for She Sees Ghosts―The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls by David Fitz-Gerald #HistoricalFiction #Supernatural @AuthorDAVIDFG @Beatric09625662

January 18th – February 5th 2021
Amazon
Publication Date: October 25, 2020 Publisher: Outskirts PressPage Length: 270 pagesGenre: Historical/Supernatural
A blazing fire killed her family and devoured her home. A vengeful demon haunted her. Ghosts of the Revolutionary War needed help that only she could provide. A young woman languished, desperate to survive, and teetered on the edge of sanity.
Mehitable grew up in a freshly tamed town, carved from the primeval forest. Family, friends, and working at the mercantile filled her days and warmed her heart. For Mehitable, life was simple and safe, until tragedy struck. When her family perished in their burning home, she retreated into a world of her own making.
As a young girl, she had seen glimmers, glimpses, and flickers of the spirit world. She closed her eyes. She turned her back. She ignored the apparitions that she never spoke of, desperately hoping they would leave her in peace. She was mistaken.
Grief-stricken, Mehitable withdrew from the human world. Ghosts were everywhere. They became bolder. She could no longer turn her back on the spirit world. Her friends feared for her survival. Nobody understood her. She would have to find her own way.
Fans of TV’s Ghost Whisperer and Long Island Medium will especially love She Sees Ghosts. This historical novel features memorable characters and delivers bone-tingling, spine chilling goosebumps. It stands on its own and it is the next installment in the Adirondack Spirit Series by the award-winning author of Wanders Far―An Unlikely Hero’s Journey. David Fitz-Gerald delivers a historical novel with a bittersweet ending that you won’t see coming.
Would she save the spirits’ souls, or would they save her? Only time would tell.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Fitz-Gerald writes fiction that is grounded in history and soars with the spirits. Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing. She Sees Ghosts―A Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls is the next instalment in the Adirondack Spirit Series.
Connect with David:
Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

“From watching the growth of a new town, the start of a new family and ghosts who may or may not even know that they are dead, She Sees Ghosts is a story of creation and destruction, birth and death, joy and sorrow…” Candlelight Reading
Head on over to Candlelight Reading to read the rest of the review!
Click HERE!

#BookReview — Discovery by Barbara Greig #HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub @BarbaraGreig_

 

Publication Date: 16th June 2020Publisher: MatadorPage Length: 336 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction

Discovery: an epic tale of love, loss, and courage. When Elizabeth Gharsia's headstrong nephew, Gabriel, joins Samuel Champlain's 1608 expedition to establish a settlement at Quebec, he soon becomes embroiled in a complicated tribal conflict. As months turn into years, Gabriel appears lost to his family.
Meanwhile at home in France the death of her father, Luis, adds to Elizabeth's anguish. Devastated by her loss, she struggles to make sense of his final words. Could her mother's journals, found hidden among Luis's possessions, provide the key to the mystery?
The arrival of Pedro Torres disrupts Elizabeth's world even further. Rescued from starvation on the streets of Marseille by her brother, Pedro is a victim of the brutal expulsion of his people from Spain. Initially antagonistic, will Elizabeth come to appreciate Pedro's qualities and to understand the complexity of her family?

“I am going to New France.”

 Discovery by Barbara Greig is an immersive story of love, loss, challenge, and fate that keeps you hooked from beginning to the end.

Discovery is a dual-timeline saga, set in 1557 and from 1607-1611, about the fates of various members of the Gharsia family. Originally Moriscos from Spain, who fled the country when the Inquisition was at its height, they blend in with the Protestant towns of the Pays d’Oc in south-western France.

The Prologue starts in the year 1607 when young Gabriel Gharsia, bored with his studies to become a physician and itching to go on a grand adventure, tells his grandfather, Luis Gharsia, of his plans to join Samuel Champlain, the explorer, on his next journey to New France. He scoffs at Luis’ suggestion he complete his studies first and instead prepares for his big journey.

Then we go back to 1557 when a young Luis returns to England with his childhood friend Henri Gaulbert to rescue the daughters of a late business partner. Alyce and Meg Weaver are Protestants, their lives in danger under Queen Mary’s strict Catholic rule. Their brother had died a martyr’s death by fire for the cause, and the fear within the family is palpable. The elder, Alyce, married to a priest who now has abandoned her, has a young daughter, Jane, and is pregnant again. Not the ideal conditions for a perilous journey across the sea to the Pays d’Oc. Luis cares deeply for Alyce, despite being married to Marie, an agreement of convenience. Tragedy strikes on their journey, but eventually they make it south. But then tragedy strikes again, leaving Luis with several challenges.

Forward we go to 1608. Gabriel, accompanied by his childhood friend Luc Gaulbert (grandson of Henri who had accompanied Luis to England), has landed in the New World, but the great adventure turns out to be hard manual work, coupled with the constant threat of disease and death and a harsh environment. His hopes of being employed as a physician dashed, he is a mere labourer who grows to resent his decision. The threat of attacks by local tribes at odds with the French settlers becomes real. When Gabriel is taken captive, he is brought to a Mohawk settlement several days’ journey away. Only the proof of his hard work, visible in his physique and his hands, save his life. Over the following chapters, we discover Gabriel’s challenges as he, slowly but surely, becomes part of the Mohawk community. But he still hasn’t forgotten his roots, and his inner conflict continues. Should he stay, or try to find his way back?

“Storm clouds are gathering now we Huguenots have lost our protector.”

Then the story moves to 1610 and we meet Elizabeth, Luis’ granddaughter and Gabriel’s aunt, who lives in Caors with an aged Luis. Her brother Thomas, a highly respected tutor in Huguenot circles is in Montauban, leaving her to deal with the family home and their vines on the land adjacent to the Gaulberts, a three-hour journey away. When on a rare visit, Thomas brings home Pedro Torres, a Morisco recently fled from Spain, who he’d found almost starved in Marsilha (Marseille). Luis welcomes Pedro to his home, and a deep friendship develops between two men who share a secret faith. On Luis’ death, Thomas employs Pedro as a caretaker of the accounts of the Gharsia lands. Irritated at first, almost to the point of aggressive, Elizabeth eventually acquiesces as Pedro settles into his duties. A maid is hired to ensure no improprieties happen.

One day, Elizabeth comes across her late mother’s diaries, and she uncovers some hidden truths about her family that shock her. Pedro offers his guidance and support, and slowly, they grow closer, yet he is fully aware of his status-a man of no means. He still plans to go to Amsterdam, where the religious strife was kept at bay. But can he leave Elizabeth without revealing his feelings at all?

As the chapters veer between several years and points of view, we discover more about the various members of the Gharsia family. In fact, we grow quite close to them. Luis’ love for Alyce; his affection, later, for Meg, her younger sister and Elizabeth’s mother; Elizabeth’s own struggles as a forward-thinking female in her thirties without a husband; Pedro’s steadfast character and secret admiration for Elizabeth—it all sweeps us with it as the saga continues. With the end of each section, I wanted to know more, but was swiftly sidetracked by another character’s gripping story.

“Will you protect me when our enemies come?”

Gabriel’s character development the deepest of all. He starts out as a brash—and rather selfish—young man, who quickly grows disillusioned with his choice of adventure when things don’t turn out the way he’d imagined. Then, the assimilation into the Mohawk tribe, reluctant at first, is gradual, and throughout, we get a sense that, as he faces their enemies and other challenges, he learns about the duties of a life a far cry from his carefree days as a student in Paris. His internal development is shown very realistically and believable. The author gives him time to learn, to experience his challenges, and to find the path that I wished him to take a long time before he comes to a final decision.

The religious conflict of the times is well described. We can feel a sense of danger and the fear of discovery. A nasty encounter Elizabeth has in Montauban brings home the fact that even the slightest hint of non-conforming can trigger perilous events. The author shows the punishment meted out by the Inquisition on those it believed to be insincere in their conversion, and the dangers the Moriscos faced by hiding their true faith beneath the façade. I’d never heard of Moriscos before I read Discovery, and I had to read up about them.

The timeline spans several years, leaving a few gaps that are filled with Meg’s diary, but overall, it works very well in showing how their lives move forward. At times, I’d have liked more detail, but I’m aware of word count limits, and with so many characters vying for our attention, it would have added another volume.

As a resident in the new French region now called Occitanie, I loved the author’s use of the Occitan place names in the Pays d’Oc, and the way she painted a vibrant picture of the land, the vineyards, and the towns in your mind’s eye. It added a strong sense of authenticity. I have been to Cahors and the surrounding area, and I could easily visualize Elizabeth and her home there.

However, I had to learn to distinguish all the various characters and their relationships to each other, especially when Elizabeth read her mother’s diaries. At times, I had to check the List of Characters, to remind myself, so having that was very useful.

Having so many characters also led to some instances of ‘head-hopping’ which took a while to get used to, but it was ultimately unavoidable, as the author had to ensure we—the readers—know everything we needed to know.

And whilst any loose ends are neatly tied up, I thought the Epilogue, several years later, felt a little rushed. But it was an ending that intrigued me, including the missing years, so now I hope there will be a sequel.

I would love to read more about the Gharsia family, and I’m delighted to discover there are two novels preceding this one. I shall look out for them.

Discovery by Barbara Greig sweeps you off your feet with its beautiful setting, the dangerous undercurrents of religious dissent, and its group of warm, realistic characters with all their strengths and flaws. A true family saga that makes you research the history of the religious wars and learn about the Moriscos and their plight. A highly engaging read!

Review by Cathie Dunn.
The Coffee Pot Book Club


Amazon UK • Amazon US


Born in Sunderland, Barbara Greig spent twenty fulfilling years teaching History in sixth form colleges in the North East before leaving to concentrate on writing historical fiction. Her debut novel, Secret Lives, was published in 2016 (Sacristy Press) and her new novel, Discovery, was published in 2020 (Matador).
Connect with Barbara:Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon Author Page.

Welcome to Day #4 of the blog tour for The Search (Across the Great Divide, Book II) by Michael L. Ross #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @MichaelLRoss7 @MagicofWorldsBE

February 1st – February 19th 2021
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble • Kobo 
Publication Date: December 15, 2020Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUSPage Length: 217 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-selling author Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories. He's a retired software engineer turned author, with three children and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of forty years. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas. The main character of "Across the Great Divide", William Dorsey Crump, is one of the founders of Lubbock and Shallowater, Texas. Michael knew Will's granddaughter when he was a child. He has written a scholarly article on Will Crump for the Texas Historical Society, published in the Handbook of Texas Online, and has sold short stories in the past. This is his first novel and the first in the Across the Great Divide series, now an Amazon bestseller.

Michael attended Rice University as an undergraduate, and Portland State University for his graduate degree. He has degrees in computer science, software engineering, and German. In his spare time, Michael loves to go fishing, riding horses, and play with his grandchildren, who are currently all under six years old.

He sees many parallels between the time of the Civil War and our divided nation of today. Sanctuary cities, immigration, arguments around the holiday table, threats of secession - all are nothing new. Sometimes, to understand the present, you have to look at the past- and reach Across the Great Divide.  

Head on over to The Magic of Wor(l)ds for a sneak-peek between the covers of this fabulous book!
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