Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 49

Welcome to the FINAL Day of the blog tour for A Feigned Madness by Tonya Mitchell #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @tremmitchell @swiftstory

 

  

  

A Feigned Madness

 By Tonya Mitchell

October 6th — December 8th 2020

Amazon UK • Amazon US 

Publication Date: 6th October 2020
Publisher: Cynren Press
Print Length: 392 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller

The insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island is a human rat trap. It is easy to get in, but once there it is impossible to get out. —Nellie Bly

Elizabeth Cochrane has a secret. 

She isn’t the madwoman with amnesia the doctors and inmates at Blackwell’s Asylum think she is.

In truth, she’s working undercover for the New York World. When the managing editor refuses to hire her because she’s a woman, Elizabeth strikes a deal: in exchange for a job, she’ll impersonate a lunatic to expose a local asylum’s abuses.

When she arrives at the asylum, Elizabeth realizes she must make a decision—is she there merely to bear witness, or to intervene on behalf of the abused inmates? Can she interfere without blowing her cover? As the superintendent of the asylum grows increasingly suspicious, Elizabeth knows her scheme—and her dream of becoming a journalist in New York—is in jeopardy.

A Feigned Madness is a meticulously researched, fictionalized account of the woman who would come to be known as daredevil reporter Nellie Bly. At a time of cutthroat journalism, when newspapers battled for readers at any cost, Bly emerged as one of the first to break through the gender barrier—a woman who would, through her daring exploits, forge a trail for women fighting for their place in the world.

For the FINAL day of this tour, we are over on Deborah Swift's Official Blog for a sneak-peek between the covers of this fabulous book!

Click HERE!

Have a sneak-peek between the covers of Janet Lee Berg's fabulous book - Restitution #BlogTour #HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub @janetleeberg1 @CaigJamie

 

December 8th - February 9th 2021

Publication Date: 30th September 2020
Publisher: Koehler
Page Length: 262 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Barnes and Noble • BooksAMillion

“Restitution” is the riveting, multigenerational story of Sylvie Rosenberg, a Holocaust survivor traumatized by the memory of her art dealer father forced to trade paintings with the Nazis in an attempt to save their large extended family.  Sylvie’s adult life in 1970s New York is plagued by survivors’ guilt and bitterness.  But when her self-destructive ways threaten to upend the life of her Vietnam-vet son, Sylvie finally needs to face her demons.  She returns to Holland to confront her past and fight the Dutch judicial system for the return of the masterpieces, but the battle proves far more difficult than Sylvie imagined...
Weaving in tragic true events from her own family history, Berg offers a sensitive story of history, romance, and humor along with detail from the extensive research of Lynn H. Nicholas, the world’s leading expert on art pilfered during WWII. Over 80 years later, the real family still awaits justice and the return of artwork that continues to hang on museum walls, without noting their tragic history…  

Our first stop of the tour is over on The Whispering Bookworm where you can have a sneak-peek between the covers.
Click HERE!  

Welcome to Day #2 of the blog tour for By Love Divided (The Lydiard Chronicles, Book 2) by Elizabeth St.John #HistoricalFiction #EnglishCivilWar #CoffeePotBookClub @ElizStJohn @LisaReadsBooks

By Love Divided(The Lydiard Chronicles Book 2)By Elizabeth St.John


December 7th – December 18th 2020
Amazon  • Books2Read

Book Title: By Love DividedSeries: The Lydiard Chronicles, Book 2Author: Elizabeth St.JohnPublished: October 2017Publisher: Falcon HistoricalPage Length: 381Genre: Historical Fiction

London, 1630.
Widowed and destitute, Lucy St.John is fighting for survival and makes a terrible choice to secure a future for her children. Worse still, her daughter Luce rejects the royal court and a wealthy arranged marriage, and falls in love with a charismatic soldier. As England tumbles toward bloody civil war, Luce’s beloved brother Allen chooses to fight for the king as a cavalier. Allen and Luce are swept up in the chaos of war as they defend their opposing causes and protect those they love.
Will war unite or divide them? And will they find love and a home to return to—if they survive the horror of civil war. In the dawn of England’s great rebellion, love is the final battleground.
A true story based on surviving memoirs, court papers, and letters of Elizabeth St.John's family, By Love Divided tells of the war-time experiences of Lucy St.John, the Lady of the Tower. This powerfully emotional novel tells of England's great divide and the heart-wrenching choices one family faces.
Head on over to Madwoman In The Attic for a sneak-peek between the covers of this fabulous book!
Click HERE!

Anna Belfrage is over on The Books Delight where she is talking about "The deadly desserts of treason – of the short life of a royal earl..." @HistFictioneers @jroberts1324

 

November 17th - January 19th 2021

Publication Date: November 17, 2020
Publisher: Historical Fictioneers
Page Length: 486
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Title: Betrayal
Authors: Judith Arnopp, Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Derek Birks,
Helen Hollick, Amy Maroney, Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Tony Riches, Mercedes Rochelle, Elizabeth St. John, Annie Whitehead

Amazon UK • Amazon US  
"Loyalty breaks as easily as a silken thread."
Misplaced trust, power hunger, emotional blackmail, and greed haunt twelve characters from post-Roman Britain to the present day. And betrayal by family, lover, comrade can be even more devastating.
Read twelve tales by twelve accomplished writers who explore these historical yet timeless challenges.
AD455—Roman leader Ambrosius is caught in a whirlpool of shifting allegiancesAD940—Alyeva and cleric Dunstan navigate the dangers of the Anglo Saxon court1185—Knight Stephan fights for comradeship, duty, and honour. But what about love?1330—The powerful Edmund of Kent enters a tangled web of intrigue1403—Thomas Percy must decide whether to betray his sovereign or his family1457—Estelle is invited to the King of Cyprus’s court, but deception awaits1483—Has Elysabeth made the right decision to bring Prince Edward to London?1484—Margaret Beaufort contemplates the path to treason1577—Francis Drake contends with disloyalty at sea1650—Can James Hart, Royalist highwayman, stop a nemesis destroying his friend?1718—Pirate Annie Bonny, her lover Calico Jack, and a pirate hunter. Who will win?1849/present—Carina must discover her ancestor’s betrayer in Italy or face ruin.

Anna Belfrage is over on The Books Delight where she is talking about "The deadly desserts of treason – of the short life of a royal earl..."

Click HERE! 

Welcome to Day #7 of the blog tour for Fire and Ash Gifts of the Gods, Book 3 By Thomas J Berry #FireandAsh #HistoricalFiction #AncientGreek #CoffeePotBookClub @TBerryAuthor @MaddieS39950549

Fire and Ash
Gifts of the Gods, Book 3
By Thomas J Berry


NOVEMBER 30TH – DECEMBER 11TH 2020AMAZON UK • AMAZON US • AMAZON CA • AMAZON AU • BOOKLOCKER
Publication Date: 10th October 2020Publisher: BookLocker Genre: Historical Fiction Page Length: 450 PagesFive men and women in Ancient Greece are set on a dangerous journey of self-discovery during the bitter conflict of the Peloponnesian War. While mighty Athens struggles to rebuild after a devastating campaign abroad, the feared warriors of Sparta prepare to deliver the final blow in a decades long war. No one is safe anymore as the conflict shifts across the Aegean to the shores of wealthy Persia. Old colonies, once loyal to Athens, are eager to rebel and the Great King is willing to pay anything to regain his control over them. These coastal plains set the stage for massive battles and heartbreaking defeats. This time there will be only one true victor. The news coming out of Sicily ripples across the cities of Ancient Greece like a thunderbolt and it is left to the poor and desperate to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. One young mother is suddenly faced with a horrible tragedy and struggles against all odds to make a new life for her family. An eager boy looking for adventure enlists in the new Athenian ranks but finds life on campaign a lot more than he bargained for. A Spartan officer in the twilight of his years struggles to adapt to a young man's army and an exiled Athenian strives to earn his way back into the graces of his beloved city. The harem girls in a Persian court meet a handsome foreigner and one risks everything for a chance at love. As the conflict between Athens and Sparta builds to a final showdown, five men and women struggle to come to terms with their changing world. What will they find in the ashes when peace finally comes?

Check out what Oh Look, Another Book has to say about this book!

Click HERE!

Discover what life was like in the Eleventh Century with #HistoricalFiction author, Paula Lofting #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @Paulalofting @1BrookAlle

December 7th – December 18th 2020
Amazon UK • Amazon US

Publication Date: August 26th 2020 / Second Edition: Publisher: Longship PublishingGenre: Historical Fiction
WAR AND BLOODFEUD
"Best battle description ever!"
1056...England lurches towards war as the rebellious Lord Alfgar plots against the indolent King Edward. Sussex thegn, Wulfhere, must defy both his lord, Harold Godwinson, and his bitter enemy, Helghi, to protect his beloved daughter.
As the shadow of war stretches across the land, a more personal battle rages at home, and when it follows him into battle, he knows he must keep his wits about him more than ever, and COURAGE AND FEAR MUST BECOME HIS ARMOUR…

We are kicking of this tour with a stop over on two fabulous blog.
Discover what life was like in the Eleventh Century over on Brook's Scroll.
Click HERE!

Have a sneak-peek between the covers of Anne Krist's fabulous book - Burning Bridges #Romance #holidayreading @DeeSKnight

 

Publication Date: January 20, 2020Publisher: Nomad Authors PublishingPage Length: 261PagesGenre: Contemporary romance
Not your typical “secret baby” book! This Southern romance packs in the emotion.
Consider the role of strangers in our lives. An unknown postman in Virginia hides a bag of mail one day. How many bridges were burned in that forgotten mail pouch?
Sara Richards’ world is rocked when three love letters from 1970 are delivered decades late. The letters were written by Paul Steinert, a young sailor who took her innocence with whispered words of love and promises of forever before leaving for Vietnam. Sara is left behind, broken hearted and secretly pregnant, yearning for letters she never received.
Then Paul died.
Now, years later, she discovers the betrayal wasn’t Paul’s, when her mother confesses to a sin that changed their lives forever. How can Sara reveal to Paul’s parents that they have a granddaughter they’ve missed the chance to know? Even worse, how will she find the words to tell her daughter that she’s lived her life in the shadow of a lie?
Picking her way through the minefields of secrets, distrust, and betrayal, Sara finds that putting her life together again while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.




Sara stared at the letters arranged before her in numerical order. The moment in time she and Paul shared was long ago, yet her dream had conjured his presence as though she’d just seen him. In her mind, his blue eyes darkened with passion before his lips captured hers, and he moaned his appreciation when their tongues met. She tasted his sweetness and knew the steel of his arms as he held her. How many nights had she put herself through hell reliving those memories? Too damn many.
After the concert, they’d met clandestinely on weekends, mostly at Sandbridge, where they could walk and talk undisturbed. With each meeting, stirrings built deep in Sara that pushed her to want more, but Paul insisted they restrain themselves because of her age.
Then the weekend before he shipped out, she'd planned a surprise and her life changed forever.
The kettle screeched, bringing her back to the present. Sara prepared a cup of tea and then picked up the envelope marked twenty-eight. At one time, she would have given her right arm to hold this letter. Now, curiosity and the desire for a brief escape drove her more than the passion of youth. Blind love had faded when she’d had no word to bolster her during the long weeks after the ship left.
First had come the waiting. No letters arrived, even though she wrote him daily. There were no phone calls, no notes, no anything, for days that dragged into weeks then crept into months.
Anticipation morphed into anxiety. She worried he was sick or hurt and unable to write.
One day she admitted that Paul must be afraid to write for some reason, and she feared what he would say if she did receive a letter. That their time together had been a mistake, that she was too young to be in love. That he really loved someone else and Sara had been only a stand-in while he was in Virginia. Perversely, she began to sigh with relief when she arrived home and found no word.
Now, knowing why she hadn’t received mail, what would she feel if she opened this letter and her old fears proved to be true?
“Nothing,” she murmured. “Paul’s dead. He can’t hurt me anymore.” At the very least, his letters might allow her to put his ghost to rest. For that reason alone, she had to read them.
She slid her thumb under the flap and ripped the envelope open. A single sheet held his hurried scrawl.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.

Connect with Anne:
Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon • Newsletter • LinkedIn • Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas

Tim Walker is giving away 3 ebook copies of his fabulous book — Arthur Rex Brittonum #Giveaway #HistoricalFiction #Bookstagram @timwalker1666

 

Publication Date: 8th December 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 272 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
From the decay of post-Roman Britain, Arthur seeks to unite a troubled land.
Arthur Rex Brittonum (‘King of the Britons’) is an action-packed telling of the King Arthur story rooted in historical accounts that predate the familiar Camelot legend. Britain in the early sixth century has reverted to tribal lands, where chiefs settle old scores with neighbours whilst eyeing with trepidation the invaders who menace the shore in search of plunder and settlement.
Arthur, only son of the late King Uther, has been crowned King of the Britons by northern chiefs and must now persuade their counterparts in the south and west to embrace him. Will his bid to lead their combined army against the Saxon threat succeed? 
He arrives in Powys buoyed by popular acclaim at home, a king, husband and father - but can he sustain his efforts in unfamiliar territory?  It is a treacherous and winding road that ultimately leads him to a winner-takes-all clash at the citadel of Mount Badon.
Arthur Rex Brittonum is book five in A Light in the Dark Ages series, but can be read as a standalone novel.


If you would like to be in with a chance to win one of three ebook editions of Tim Walker's fabulous book Arthur Rex Brittonum then head over to #Bookstagram and follow the instructions on the Instagram post.
Click HERE!
Good Luck
*Open Internationally.*Terms and Conditions apply.


Arthur and the Britons Clash with Anglisc Warriors
They broke camp in eerie silence and rode off the plateau into a blanket of mist that covered the farmlands. Sullen farm workers stood by as the soldiers filed past in pairs, each man wondering what the day would bring. Viroco’s scouts had reported that there were many refugees from the great town of Lindum at the magistrate’s villa, in the direction of the rising column of smoke.
By mid-morning, they had reached the back wall of the magistrate’s estate, and Arthur’s scouts had reported that the front wall was heavily barricaded against a rabble of Anglisc warriors clustered around a huge bonfire they had made some one hundred paces from the villa’s gates. The thick brambles that lined the inside of the stone wall and tumbled over the top between sharp spikes would dissuade many from attempting to scale it.
“Go to the left, Bedwyr and Viroco, leading half of the men around the estate walls, and I shall proceed to the right with my men and Peredur with his Rheged guard. We shall meet at the front and form up in a line facing the enemy. Eight men will remain here with the wagon.” He looked at his eleven-year-old squire, Dermot, mounted on a frisky pony, his eyes wide with excitement. “Dermot, you will stay close to Ambrose and keep him safe for me. Your time to witness battle shall come.”
Arthur intended to waste no time on speaking to the defenders of the estate. No sooner had the two lines of horsemen met before the front ditch, to cheers from the wall behind, than he ordered lances braced and a slow trot towards the Anglisc warriors. The morning fog had lifted, as if God himself had raised a curtain to reveal the enemy. Arthur’s confidence and eagerness to engage the enemy gave heart to his men, many of whom were novices. Their enemy, numbering more than a hundred, were slowly forming two loose shield walls on either side of their bonfire that had now burnt low to a mass of glowing embers. Another thirty or so wandered about the countryside beyond, returning with arms full of plunder or driving livestock from nearby farms.
The Angliscs shouted war cries and curses in their guttural tongue and beat their swords and axes on cowhide shields. Only four of their leaders were on horseback, Arthur noted. He kicked Mars into a charge and screamed at the top of his voice. Feeling Excalibur in its sheath slapping his hip, he gripped his long lance firmly in one leather-gloved hand and clasped the round shield that protected his thigh and side in the other.
The earth shook with the vibration of two hundred horses galloping as one, generating a drumming that filled the ears of both the horsemen and their enemy. The war cries turned to screams as the line of horses crashed through the Angliscs, knocking many to the ground. Others were impaled on lances, as the purpose behind months of practice came to fruition for the eager horsemen. 
Arthur ran his lance into the throat of a burly warrior whose long moustache hanging in twin blond plaits, whipped around his face as he fell. After twenty paces, Arthur pulled up his horse and spun around, drawing Excalibur from its scabbard. The blade that had once been wielded in battle by Ambrosius now shone in the sunlight, and Arthur paused to wait for his riders to line up beside him. He glanced behind and smirked at the sight of Bedwyr and three others chasing the Anglisc leaders on their ponderous farm horses.
Holding Excalibur high, and with another roar, he kicked his snorting black stallion forward and they fell upon the dazed Angliscs, who staggered about and tried to raise their fallen comrades to their feet. Arthur knew to broadside his intended victim and slash to his left, where his shield gave him some protection from counter thrusts. His razor-sharp steel blade carved through any impediment beneath it, whether helmet, shield or chain mail vest. This gave his sword a seemingly magical power to onlookers, who knew not that it had been fashioned to steel from highest quality iron in the hottest furnace by a master swordsmith. He rarely needed a second slash or stab to fatally wound an opponent.
His men made short work of their enemy, and few prisoners were taken. The numerical advantage and use of horses had been a decisive factor, and Arthur could see that barely a dozen of his men had been killed. However, at least two dozen were nursing wounds.
“Fetch the wagon – we have wounded men that need attending!” Arthur shouted. “Do not slay any more of the enemy - we will need them to dig a burial pit. Herrig, question the prisoners to find out what you can of their plans. Come with me, Peredur. We shall meet with those inside. Our work is done.”


Amazon UK • Amazon US • Kobo • iBooks • Nook





Tim Walker is an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. He grew up in Liverpool where he began his working life as a trainee reporter on a local newspaper. After attaining a degree in Communication Studies, he moved to London where he worked in the newspaper publishing industry for ten years before relocating to Zambia where, following a period of voluntary work with VSO in educational book publishing development, he set up his own marketing and publishing business, launching and editing a construction industry magazine and a business newspaper.
His creative writing journey began in earnest in 2013, as a therapeutic activity whilst undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment. He began writing an historical fiction novella, Abandoned, following a visit to the nearby site of a former Roman town, publishing in 2015 (revised and extended in 2018). This would become book one in a series, A Light in the Dark Ages. The aim of the series is to connect the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend, presenting an imagined history of Britain in the fifth and early sixth centuries. Now there are five books in the series, published between 2015 - 2020.
His latest novel, published in June 2020, is Arthur, Rex Brittonum, a re-imagining of the story of King Arthur (book five in the series). It received a highly Recommended commendation by the Coffee Pot Book Club in June 2020. It follows on from 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum, the story of a youthful Arthur (book four in the series), that received recognition from two sources in 2019 - One Stop Fiction Book of the Month in April, and an honourable mention in the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year (Historical Fiction) Awards. The series starts with Abandoned, followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); then book three, Uther's Destiny (2018). Series book covers are designed by Canadian graphic artist, Cathy Walker.
Tim has also written two books of short stories, Thames Valley Tales (2015), and Postcards from London (2017); a dystopian thriller, Devil Gate Dawn (2016); Perverse (verse and short fiction, 2020); and a three-book children's series, co-authored with his daughter, Cathy - The Adventures of Charly Holmes (2017); Charly & The Superheroes (2018) and Charly in Space (2020).
Connect with Tim:Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon Author Page

Welcome to Day #9 of the blog tour for The Last Blast of the Trumpet (Book 3 of the Knox Trilogy) by Marie Macpherson #HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub @Scotscrieve @PenmorePress1 @BritonandDane

 

The Last Blast of the Trumpet

(Book 3 of the Knox Trilogy)

By Marie Macpherson

October 12th – December 14th 2020

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Barnes and Noble

Publication Date: 24 August 2020

Publisher: Penmore Press

Series: The Knox Trilogy

Print Length: 409 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Biographical Fiction

Conflict, Chaos and Corruption in Reformation Scotland. 

He wants to reform Scotland, but his enemies will stop at nothing to prevent him. 

Scotland 1559: Fiery reformer John Knox returns to a Scotland on the brink of civil war. Victorious, he feels confident of his place leading the reform until the charismatic young widow, Mary Queen of Scots returns to claim her throne. She challenges his position and initiates a ferocious battle of wills as they strive to win the hearts and minds of the Scots. But the treachery and jealousy that surrounds them both as they make critical choices in their public and private lives has dangerous consequences that neither of them can imagine.

In this final instalment of the trilogy of the fiery reformer John Knox, Macpherson tells the story of a man and a queen at one of the most critical phases of Scottish history.

About the author


Scottish writer Marie Macpherson grew up in Musselburgh on the site of the Battle of Pinkie and within sight of Fa’side Castle where tales and legends haunted her imagination. She left the Honest Toun to study Russian at Strathclyde University and spent a year in the former Soviet Union to research her PhD thesis on the 19th century Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov, said to be descended from the Scottish poet and seer, Thomas the Rhymer. Though travelled widely, teaching languages and literature from Madrid to Moscow, she has never lost her enthusiasm for the rich history and culture of her native Scotland.
Writing historical fiction combines her academic’s love of research with a passion for storytelling. Exploring the personal relationships and often hidden motivations of historical characters drives her curiosity.
The Knox Trilogy is a fictional biography of the fiery reformer, John Knox, set during the 16th century Scottish Reformation. Prizes and awards include the Martha Hamilton Prize for Creative Writing from Edinburgh University and Writer of the Year 2011 awarded by Tyne & Esk Writers. She is a member of the Historical Writers’ Association (HWA), the Historical Novel Society (HNS) and the Society of Authors (SoA).

Head over to Let Your Words Shine... to find a spotlight and excerpt of this fabulous book!

Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #6 of the blog tour for Lady Estrid: A Novel of Eleventh Century Denmark by M J Porter #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @coloursofunison @LisaReadsBooks

 

LADY ESTRID: A NOVEL OF ELEVENTH CENTURY DENMARKBY M J PORTER

November 2nd  – January 4th
Amazon UK • Amazon US

Publication Date: 29th October 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length:
Genre: Historical Fiction 

Daughter, Sister, Duchess, Aunt. Queen.

United by blood and marriage. Divided by seas. Torn apart by ambition.

Lady Estrid Sweinsdottir has returned from Kiev, her first husband dead after only a few months of marriage. Her future will be decided by her father, King Swein of Denmark, or will it?

A member of the ruling House of Gorm, Estrid might not be eligible to rule, as her older two brothers, but her worth is in more than her ability to marry and provide heirs for a husband, for her loyalty is beyond question. 

With a family as divided and powerful as hers, stretching from England to Norway to the land of the Svear, she must do all she can to ensure Denmark remains under the control of her father’s descendants, no matter the raging seas and boiling ambition that threatens to imperil all.

Check out a fabulous review over on Madwoman in the Attic

Click Here!