Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 71
September 7, 2020
#BookReview — The Fire of Winter by DK Marley #HistoricalFiction #Shakespeare @theRealDKMarley
The Fire of Winter
By DK Marley
She is known as Lady Macbeth.
What leads her down the path of murder?
What secrets fire her destiny?
Gruah, the granddaughter of King Cìnéad III of the Royal Clan Alpin, marries two men in less than six months, one she loves and one she hates; one in secret, the other arranged by the High King of Scotland. At the age of eighteen, she lays her palm upon the ancient stone of Scone and sees her destiny as Queen of Scotland, and she vows to do whatever necessary to see her true love, Macbeth macFindlaech, beside her on the throne. Amid the fiery times and heated onslaughts from Denmark and England, as the rule of Scotland hangs in the balance, Gruah seeks to win the throne and bring revenge upon the monsters of her childhood, no matter the cost or amount of blood tainting her own hands; yet, an unexpected meeting with the King called the Confessor causes her to question her bloody path and doubt her once blazing pagan faith. Will she find redemption or has the blood of her past fire-branded her soul?
The story weaves the play by William Shakespeare with the actual history of Macbeth and his Queen in 11th-century Scotland. “...a woman's story at a winter's fire...” (Macbeth, Act III, Scene IV)
"'Twas what we wanted, remember?"
But as the army, led by Malcolm Canmore, the Earl of Northumbria, and MacDubh march ever closer, it is difficult to remember why they had wanted this power, this responsibility, for it had brought them nothing but heartache.
Determined to marry her true love, Macbeth macFindlaech, Gruah, daughter to Boite MacCinead and distant kin to King Mael Colium, risks the wrath of the king. But with ambition in her heart and the pagan gods by her side, Gruah fears no one. But she is not satisfied to just marry the man she loves. She wants more, she wants Scotland, and she will stop at nothing to be crowned queen.
Do you think you know the story of Lady Macbeth? Think again!
From a child's desperate suffering to nights filled with nightshade and poppy induced dreams, The Fire of Winter by DK Marley is the untold story of Lady Macbeth. A woman's whose crown, like her hands, would be forever stained with the blood of her enemies.
When ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints, and when one decides to use violence to further one's quest for power, the results are a kingship that is forged in tyranny. For those who love Shakespeare, then one would be familiar with his infamous Scottish play. Marley has taken this story one step further and presented her readers with a book that is rich in historical detail, mythology, pagan rituals, and fatalistic violence.
This novel is epic in the telling, and I was immediately enchanted with the compelling narrative and the emotional prose that kept me turning those pages long into the night. This is a story that is filled with cliff-hanger tension and historical controversy. The Fire of Winter is a novel that does not just threaten to mesmerise — it does.
The Fire of Winter is the story of one woman who is determined to never again be in a position where she is vulnerable and open to attack. But Marley asks her readers what you would do if you found yourself in a similar situation? Would you seek revenge, or would you try to forget, move on with your life? The latter is not an option for Gruah (Lady Macbeth), for fate plays her a ruthless hand. She has to act, or she will be forever lost.
The fire that burns in Gruah's very soul, the passion in which she approaches life at the beginning of the book is the very thing that leads her onto a road that takes her to her own predestined damnation. Gruah is the perfect example of an anti-hero, and although the reader can sympathise with her plight, she becomes, later on in the novel, someone who is unrecognisable even to herself. There were times when I lost all sympathy for this character, but at the same time, as she spirals out of control, I could not help but remember the young, innocent girl at the beginning of the book. The tragedy of this story is not the many lives that Gruah sacrifices to get what she wants, but it is the knowledge that perhaps, in the end, she gets what she deserves. I thought Marley's portrayal of Grauh was fabulous. This is a character that both appalled and impressed in almost equal measures.
The "witches" in this novel, are not of the supernatural kind but are instead the daughters of a man who used their mother very poorly and treated them even worse. With an explanation as to how these sisters came to meet with Macbeth on that fateful day at Forres, one cannot help but sympathise with them because, along with Macbeth, they are used to further one woman's ambition. Marley has wavered slightly from the interpretation that Shakespeare presented to his audience. They may be disfigured and shunned from society, but these women are not hags, nor are they evil. They are a product of their time and the circumstances of their birth. Marley does, however, give the nod to Shakespeare by using excerpts from his play to depict the mythical women that one has, after almost four hundred years, come to associate with the story of the Scottish king whose throne was saturated with the blood of the innocent. I thought the depiction of the sisters was very vivid in the telling.
Macbeth is a man swept up in his desires for Gruah, but he also fears that the king is leaning away from the tanistry rights of old, in favour of leaving the throne to his son. Macbeth is a strong contender for the throne, but he is wary. It isn't until he becomes infatuated with Gruah and then allows himself to be so cruelly manipulated that he begins to follow a path of savagery that will ultimately lead to his ruin. Macbeth is a man who promised much, but whose actions haunt him until the day he dies. At times Macbeth is blinded by his love for Grauh. He is a good man, but he is misled. Does that make him a weak man, incapable of thinking for himself? Perhaps. But it also made his story shamelessly compelling. I thought Macbeth was fabulously portrayed. He was a character that I enjoyed reading about.
The battle between Christianity and paganism is also played out between the pages of this book. As Gruah seeks forgiveness for her sins, she looks to the Church, but her pagan beliefs and her shame stop her from receiving the absolution that she so desperately needs. Marley has a clear understanding of how Christianity managed to take hold in a country that was ripe with superstition and pagan practices, and I thought the comparison between the two vastly different beliefs was vividly portrayed.
The Fire of Winter by DK Marley is a novel of exceptional scholarship. This is a novel that will hook a reader in from the opening sentence and will not let go until that final full stop.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Pick up your copy of
The Fire of Winter
Add The Fire of Winter to your 'to-read' list on
DK Marley
DK Marley is a historical fiction writer specializing in Shakespearean themes. Her grandmother, an English professor, gave her a volume of Shakespeare's plays when she was eleven, inspiring DK to delve further into the rich Elizabethan language. Eleven years ago she began the research leading to the publication of her first novel "Blood and Ink," an epic tale of lost dreams, spurned love, jealousy and deception in Tudor England as the two men, William Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe, fight for one name and the famous works now known as the Shakespeare Folio.
Connect with DK Marley
Check out Gretchen Jeannette's fabulous book — A Devil of a Time #HistoricalFiction #AmericanRevolution @GAJeannette
A Devil of a TimeBy Gretchen Jeannette
Captain Niall McLane might think he has survived the worst that could happen to any man, but as the bloody American Revolution draws to a close, he finds his troubles are just beginning. When Niall becomes a suspect in a grotesque murder, his reputation as a merciless Indian fighter and scalp hunter turns the public against him. Worse, the real killer has only begun to rampage, his sights set on those close to Niall.
Now the hunt for evil is on. Niall's only allies are Andrew Wade, a hopeless drunkard tormented by his act of cowardice, and Andrew's young wife, Clarice, a woman of mettle who captivates Niall's heart. After another murder occurs, Niall manages to stay out of jail, but can he protect Clarice from the formidable creature prowling in their midst?
From the mysterious forests of Kentucky to a graceful Virginia plantation, from the fevered heat of battle to the hope and struggle for renewal, A Devil of a Time weaves a tale of courage, betrayal, and forbidden love, of three men grappling with the demons of their past, and the remarkable woman destined to change all their lives forever.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
★★★★★
Highly Recommended
Read the full review HERE!
Pick up your copy of A Devil of a Time Amazon UK • Amazon US
Gretchen Jeannette
Gretchen Jeannette was born in 1955 in Wilmington, Delaware. She lives and works in Chester County, Pennsylvania, an area rich in Revolutionary War and Colonial American history. Her enduring interest in 18th Century America began at a young age, inspired by the novels of Dale Van Every and Allan Eckert, whose timeless tales of adventure and romance capture the essence of early American lore. Eager to read more such stories, to her disappointment she had trouble finding them on bookshelves, so she decided to write one of her own. Thus began a journey fueled by her passion for breathing life into history through believable characters, authentic historical details, and plots woven with adventure, romance and suspense.Connect with Gretchen: Website • Twitter • Goodreads.
Welcome to Day #1 of the blog tour for The Queen’s Devil (William Constable Spy Thriller, Book #3) by Paul Walker #TheQueensDevil #HistoricalFiction @PWalkerauthor @gwendalyn_books
The Queen’s Devil
(William Constable Spy Thriller, Book #3)
By Paul Walker
1583.
William Constable, recently married astrologer and mathematician, has settled into routine work as a physician when he is requested to attend two prisoners in the Tower of London. Both are accused of separate acts treason, but their backgrounds suggest there may be a connection.
Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley urge William to discover further intelligence from the prisoners while tending their injuries from torture.
The agent's investigations lead him to the French Embassy, which lies at the heart of a conspiracy which threatens the nation.
Through his enquiries, an unsuspecting William becomes entangled in a perilous web of politicking and religious fervour.
The threat comes from one the most powerful men in the English court – one referred to as the Queen’s Devil.
William faces a race against time to unpick these ties, climaxing in a daring raid on the Embassy.
Today we are stopping over on Gwendalyn’s Books for a fabulous review.
Click HERE!
Welcome to Day #6 of the blog tour for The Promise #HistoricalRomance #WW2 @KathleenHarrym1 @CraftygasheadZo
The Promise
A World War II Historical Romance
By Kathleen Harryman and Lucy Marshall
How far would you go to keep a promise?
In the heat of battle, one man's promise to another will be tested.
September 1939
As Britain is gripped by the fear and uncertainty of war, Tom Armitage stands to gain the one thing that he never thought possible - his freedom.
Rosie Elliot sees her future crumbling to dust as Will Aarons leaves Whitby with Jimmy Chappell to fight in the war. As she begins work at The Turnstone Convalescent Home, Rosie finds something she thought she had lost. Friendship. But friendship soon turns to love. Can this new love replace Will?
This is not an ordinary love story.
It's a story of love, loss, courage, and honour.
Of promises that must be kept or risk losing everything you've ever held dear.
Today we are stopping over on Zoe's Art, Craft and Life for a sneak-peek between the covers of The Promise.
Click HERE!
September 6, 2020
#BookReview — Empire's Reckoning: Empire's Reprise, Book I by Marian L Thorpe #HistoricalFantasy @marianlthorpe
Empire's Reckoning: Empire's Reprise, Book I
By Marian L Thorpe
How many secrets does your family have?
For 13 years, Sorley has taught music alongside the man he loves, war and betrayal nearly forgotten. But behind their calm and ordered life, there are hidden truths. When a young girl’s question demands an answer, does he break the most important oath he has ever sworn by lying – or tell the truth, risking the destruction of both his family and a fragile political alliance?
Empire’s Reckoning asks if love – of country, of an individual, of family – can be enough to leave behind the expectations of history and culture, and to chart a way to peace.
"Why are there so many secrets in this family?"
That was a difficult question for Lord Sorley to answer, for there were many secrets. But the most damning secret was about him. How could he tell Gwenna that her father had stolen his heart when he was just a boy of sixteen?
Time slips by unnoticed but Sorley remembered everything – the gentle touch, an all to fleeting look. Comiádh Cillian had stated many times that Lena was the love of his life, but they all knew he could not live without his Sorley.
It had been a time of change, of coming together for the greater good, but the road to unity was thwarted with difficulties, it still was, and not every kingdom was as tolerant as the one Lena came from. If it were known that Cillian had feelings for a man then his career, his achievements, would count for nothing. And so, what was between them must remain forever a secret. But how can Sorley look into Gwenna's eyes and lie? Dare he trust her with the truth?
From a young woman's questions to the story of one man's life, Empire's Reckoning: Empire's Reprise, Book I by Marian L Thorpe is a book in a million.
Oh, this story. It has everything a reader can dream of and then some. I adored every word, every sentence every syllable. This is a delectable read from the opening sentence to that final full stop. I am so glad this is a series because I am not ready to leave this world and these characters, just yet.
The powerful, unquenchable and undeniable nature of love is explored in all of its exquisite detail. This is not a story of unrequited love, nor is it one of desperate pining, Lord Sorley's life is not put on hold because he loves where society says he should not. He does, instead, forge a life for himself and achieve his goals. However, he is influenced by that love, and although anger drives him away from it for a time, he cannot run from it forever. Lord Sorley is one of those characters whose depiction is so fabulously real in the telling that it seems almost cruel that he never lived. Lord Sorley, who is the narrator of this story, is a protagonist that one cannot help but adore. His struggle, his success, and his desperate desire to do the right thing make him all the more endearing. This novel could have so easily been a tragic love story, but it isn't. Lord Sorley laments for what he cannot have, of course he does, but he is also very accepting of what he can have, and I think that is what endeared him to me so much.
A relationship that I was interested in throughout this novel was between Lord Sorley and Lena. They are both in love with the same man, and Cillian cannot live without either of them. This could have been a massive recipe for disaster, but Lena is a character that has gone through a great deal – if you have not read her story in the Empire's Legacy series then I highly recommend that you do. Lord Sorley and Lena have to find a middle ground, in which both of them can live with. Thorpe approached this relationship with a great deal of care and understanding.
One may be mistaken in thinking Empire's Reckoning: Empire's Reprise, Book 1 is just another love story, but it is not – it is an adventure, it is a journey, it is an absolutely wonderful book that swept me away in its brilliance. Thorpe certainly knows how to entertain her readers, and this novel is written with a great deal of imagination and energy. It is vivid. It is astoundingly ambitious, but in all ways, it is an absolute triumph. I cannot praise this book enough. The narrative is enthralling. The prose is lyrically pleasing — this is a book that keeps on giving. It is immensely readable and is a reward for any reader.
This story is told through two different timelines, which I thought was masterfully executed. It certainly made for an enthralling read. I loved learning the truth along with Gwenna – on the face of it Lord Sorley is a gifted musician, a loyal friend, but he is like still waters, he runs deep. By using the two timelines, we learn so much about him that it is as if he becomes an old friend. There is a very intimate feel to this novel which I thought was simply brilliant.
Thorpe has a novelist's intuition into the human soul – her depiction, not only of Lord Sorley, but the other characters in this book, are vivid, and filled with an intuitive empathy towards their plights. It was a real pleasure to read about them, to get to know them. Thorpe is the master at portraying characters that stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. Bravo, Ms Thorpe. Bravo Indeed.
The world that Thorpe depicts is a fantasy one where social decorum's, and the dangerous world of political uncertainly and fragile alliances is explored in detail. The backdrop of this story is enthused with a tangible realism. This is a world that is very easy to imagine and become immersed in.
Empire's Reckoning: Empire's Reprise, Book I by Marian L Thorpe is a book that demands to be read again and again. This is a novel that is deserving of a place in your heart and on your bookcase for the simple reason that no one writes Historical Fantasy the way Thorpe does.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Pick up your copy of
Empire's Reckoning
Marian L Thorpe
Not content with two careers as a research scientist and an educator, Marian L Thorpe decided to go back to what she’d always wanted to do and be a writer. Author of the alternative world medieval trilogy Empire’s Legacy, Marian also has published short stories and poetry. Her life-long interest in Roman and post-Roman European history informs her novels, while her avocations of landscape archaeology and birding provide background to her settings. As well as writing and editing professionally, Marian oversees Arboretum Press, a small publishing imprint run as a collective. Marian is currently writing Empire’s Reckoning, the next book in her series.
Connect with Marian: Website • Twitter • Goodreads.
Have a sneak-peek between the covers of Marie Macpherson's fabulous #NewRelease — The Last Blast of the Trumpet #HistoricalFiction #Scotland @Scotscriever
The Last Blast of the Trumpet
(John Knox Trilogy, Book 3)
By Marie Macpherson
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.
Praise for The Last Blast of the Trumpet
‘Macpherson has done for Knox what Hilary Mantel did for Cromwell.’
Scottish Field,
‘This richly realized portrait of a complex man in extraordinary times is historical fiction at its finest.’
Linda Porter, author of Crown of Thistles; Katherine the Queen, Royal Renegades; Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the Court of Charles II.
‘Marie Macpherson has once again given us a cavalcade of flesh and blood characters living the early days of the Scottish Reformation in a complex tale told with economy and wit.’
S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker Series and Alexander Seaton mysteries.
Excerpt
Chapter One
The Parish Church of the Holy Cross of St John the Baptist, Perth, 11 May 1559
‘John Knox has come.’
The words took flight, leaping from lip to lip, echoing round the kirk, ringing to the rafters, and striking terror into his soul. The seething mass of humanity surged forward only to be shoved back by metal-clad men-at-arms. Knox stood rooted to the threshold. The kirk was crammed full: he hadn’t expected such a crowd nor such a clamour. Panic gripped his throat and crushed his lungs.
An elbow nudged him and a voice muttered in his ear, ‘The folk have tramped from all the airts to show their support for their preachers and to await your guidance, master.’
Swallowing deeply, Knox steeled himself to follow in the wake of Sir Patrick Lyndsay’s lean, lofty figure cutting a swathe through the swarm that parted like the Red Sea before Moses. The biblical comparison inspired him. In the midst of the throng, folk stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to catch sight of him; those at the front stretched out their hands. Faces rough-hewn by the unforgiving Scottish climate glowed with expectation and excitement. His ain folk, he thought: humble hinds and herdsmen in fusty sheepskin blankets, ploughmen and draymen in worsted tunics jostled cheek by jowl with masons and skinners in worn leather jerkins and aprons, in stark contrast to the docile, dutiful gentry of his Geneva brethren. More like the Berwick horde before he’d tamed them, Knox reminded himself. He should not fear this unruly flock but seek to win them over.
‘Is thon the mighty preacher everyone’s talking about?’ a voice piped up. ‘He’s gey wee.’
Lyndsay grabbed the offender by the throat. ‘Short in stature he may be, but his voice makes the heart dirl like thunder. Afore I rip out your blasphemous tongue, shift your fat arse and let him pass.’
Cowed, the man slunk away while the rest of the crowd fell silent. Patrick, Master of Lyndsay, a blunt and fierce soldier, was not a man to be crossed.
‘Never fash, Preacher Knox, my men-at-arms will guard the kirk doors lest the priors of Perth dare to thwart your sermon. And I’ll no shrink from turning them loose on the rabble if trouble breaks out.’
Rather than inspire confidence, the warrior’s words filled Knox with foreboding. ‘I want no violence used on the brethren. We need to show that we come in peace.’
Pick up your copy of
The Last Blast of the Trumpet
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Barnes and Noble • Penmore Press
Add The Last Blast of the Trumpet to your ‘to-read’ list on
Marie Macpherson
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).
Connect with Marie:
Publication Date: 24th August 2020
Publisher: Penmore Press
Page Length: 409 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Check out Eric Schumacher's fabulous book — Forged By Iron (Olaf's Saga Book 1) #HistoricalFiction #Vikings @DarkAgeScribe
Forged By Iron(Olaf's Saga Book 1)By Eric Schumacher
From the bestselling author of Hakon’s Saga comes Forged by Iron, the first in a series of thrilling tales about Olaf Tryggvason, one of the most legendary and enigmatic kings of the Viking Age.
Norway, AD 960.
The fabric that has held the Northern realm together is tearing. The sons of Erik Bloodaxe have returned and are systematically killing all opposition to the High Seat. Through treachery, Harald Eriksson slays Jarl Trygvi, an heir to the throne, and then comes for Trygvi’s wife, Astrid, and son, Olaf.
Astrid and Olaf flee their home with the help of Astrid’s foster father, Torolv Loose-beard, and his son, Torgil, who are oath-sworn to protect them. The group escapes east, through the dark, forested land of the Swedes and across the treacherous East Sea, all the while evading the clutches of Harald’s brutal henchmen.
But the gods are fickle and the group is torn apart, forcing them to fend for themselves in Forged by Iron, a must-read for all who enjoy action-packed historical fiction.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
★★★★★
Highly Recommended
Read the full review HERE!
Pick up your copy ofForged By IronAmazon UK • Amazon US
Eric Schumacher
Eric Schumacher was born in Los Angeles in 1968 and currently resides in Santa Barbara, CA with his wife, two children, and dog. He is the author of three historical fiction novels set in the Viking Age: God’s Hammer, Raven’s Feast, and War King. All tell the story of the first Christian king of Viking Norway, Hakon Haraldsson, and his struggles to gain and hold the High Seat of his realm. For more information on Mr. Schumacher or to read more of his blog posts about the Viking Age, please visit is website.Connect with Eric: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads.
September 3, 2020
Have a sneak-peek between the covers of Alison Morton's fabulous book — AURELIA #HistoricalFiction @alison_morton
AURELIA
By Alison Morton
“A high-gauge stainless steel needle was not the way I thought I would die."
Late 1960s. Roma Nova is haemorrhaging silver – its lifeblood since dissidents founded the country at the dusk of the Roman Empire. Ex-Praetorian Guard officer Aurelia Mitela is sent undercover to Berlin to investigate.
Should she pursue the mysterious and attractive Miklós, a suspected smuggler, or Caius Tellus, a ruthless and amoral Roma Novan she discovers operating in Berlin and whom she has despised and feared since childhood?
When her enemy strikes at her most vulnerable point, Aurelia must make an agonising decision – her country, her love or her child?
Awards
First in the Aurelia Mitela adventures, where Roman fiction is brought into the 20th century through an alternative history lens. INSURRECTIO, NEXUS (novella) and RETALIO follow on.
– Historical Novel Society’s indie Editor’s Choice
– B.R.A.G. Medallion
– Finalist, HNS Indie Award
Praise for AURELIA
“The action and drama are relentless; the climatic conclusion heart-stopping stuff”
Hoover Book Reviews
“Anyone interested in Roman history will enjoy the concept – and as this one is set in the sixties, it ticks all the boxes and deserves to be selected as Editor’s Choice.”
Historical Novel Society
“A racing climax and a fully satisfying ending"
Kate Quinn
Excerpt
Pick up your copy of
AURELIA
Amazon • Apple • Kobo • Barnes and Noble
Also available on Audiobook
listen to a sample here.
Paperback from a variety of retailers
Add AURELIA to your ‘to-read’ list on
Alison Morton
Alison Morton writes the award-winning Roma Nova series featuring modern Praetorian heroines – "intelligent adventure thrillers with heart." She puts this down to her deep love of Roman history, six years’ military service, a masters' in history and an over-vivid imagination. She blogs, reads, cultivates a Roman herb garden and drinks wine in France with her husband.
All six full-length Roma Nova novels have been awarded the BRAG Medallion. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. SUCCESSIO was selected as an Editor’s Choice in The Bookseller. Novellas CARINA and NEXUS and a collection of short stories – ROMA NOVA EXTRA – complete the series so far.
Connect with Alison:
Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Newsletter
Join #HistoricalFiction author, Malve von Hassell, a she takes a look at the life of Stephen I, Count de Sancerre. There is also the chance to check out Malve's fabulous #MiddleGrade #NewRelease — ALINA: A Song For The Telling @MvonHassell
Life in the time of Stephen I, Count de Sancerre
By Malve von Hassell
Have you ever stumbled over a historical figure and were overcome with the urge to bring that figure to life?
That was the case for me when I first encountered Stephen de Sancerre, more properly known Stephen I, the first Count de Sancerre (1133–1190). He became one of the principal characters in my historical fiction book Alina: A Song for the Telling.
Sancerre coat of arms - Wikipedia.Stephen is a fascinating historical figure, and to top it off, his story contains an intriguing blank spot. He accepted a proposal of marriage, by the standards of the times suitable at all levels. He settled his affairs and embarked on a long journey, bringing substantial gifts with him. Then, after a few months of contemplation, the groom returned home.
Reminiscent of “the dog that didn’t bark,” in a Sherlock Holmes mystery, the marriage didn’t take place. The historical record does not expand on this. One can’t help but wonder at what happened.
Stephen was born in France in 1133 as the third son of a powerful and well-connected lord, Count Theobald II of Champagne. Stephen inherited the county of Sancerre from his father, while his brother Henry received Champagne, and his eldest brother received Blois and Chartres. Thus, Stephen’s holdings were the smallest, but nonetheless nothing to sniff at; he was still one of the wealthiest lords of the land and a power to be reckoned with. On the strength of this, he was the first to claim the right to mint currency.
Stephen was evidently active and involved at many levels in the running of his estate and holdings. In Sancerre, he built a six-towered castle on the local hill and strengthened the fortifications of the town of Sancerre itself. He interested himself in the construction of a pond and several mills. This led to a lengthy dispute with the church which had laid claim to the land. It was eventually settled by splitting the proceeds from the mill among the disputing parties.
Remarkable for an age in which the concept of ‘Might is right’ customarily dominated the settlement of any disputes, Stephen repeatedly showed his willingness to establish different standards. In 1155, Stephen granted the Customs of Lorris to the merchants of the town. This charter, setting forth rights and protections, was considered one of the most progressive in the Capetian kingdom.
His interest in local laws and customs was wide-ranging. For instance, he abolished Formariage, a feudal law that gave lords control over the marriage of their serfs as well as the progeny of people dependent on him. According to the rule of Formariage, parties who married in another county from their county of residence automatically lost some of their property or had to pay a substantial fine.
Stephen also abolished a local custom which involved the liberation of a prisoner at Easter. This custom, invoking the freeing of Barrabas by Pontius Pilate, frequently led to led to bloody battles among members of the local population, and Stephen was determined to put a stop to this.
Stephen ensured that levies or fine taxes were subject to limits; he even arranged that those charged with the duty of collecting such levies were empowered to reduce the fine.
In many of his actions, Stephen showed his support of the church. For instance, in response to local church leaders’ requests, he promised that he would not receive on his lands any who as a result of their status, in accordance with the custom governing servitude, would otherwise become his property after one year. He also allowed the local monks to name their own abbots and granted them other concessions.
In 1169, when Stephen was almost 40 years old, Amalric I, the King of Jerusalem and father of the future Queen Sibylla, invited Stephen to come to Jerusalem. Amalric had chosen Stephen as a suitable husband for his daughter. Such a position would have resulted in Stephen becoming the King of Jerusalem upon the anticipated death of Amalric’s son Baldwin IV who suffered from leprosy and was not expected to live long.
Unquestionably, Stephen was eminently suitable by the standards of the 12th century. He was a wealthy and powerful lord in France and the grandnephew of King Stephen of England. In any event, Stephen accepted King Amalric’s invitation and traveled to Jerusalem, bringing a substantial gift of money from King Louis VII of France with him. The gift consisted of funds raised by King Louis VII out of a tax imposed in 1166 and levied for four or five years.
Once he arrived in Jerusalem, he engaged in prospective son-in-law duties. He involved himself in aspects of financial affairs by advising the king on the wisdom of instituting a general tax. Such a general tax was actually implemented in 1183. Stephen also presided over a court case on behalf of King Amalric. This case involved a dispute among the three daughters of Henry the Buffalo, each of whom claimed rights to their father’s estate. Stephen devised what might be termed a Solomonic judgement; he ordered the estate to be divided up equally among the three, while also stipulating that the younger two sisters would henceforth have to pay homage to the eldest.
And this is where the story becomes riddled with holes. Without adding any details, the record in the Sancerre family history states simply that Stephen returned home in 1173. There was not to be a marriage to Sibylla. It certainly was a long way to travel only to decide against a marriage.
To be sure, Stephen was not adverse to marriage. He had been married before he went to Jerusalem.
In 1153, he married the daughter of Godfrey of Donzy; there is some confusion about her given name which may have been Alix, Adelaide, or Matilda. The way in which this marriage came about is fascinating. Stephen’s intended was about to wed one Anselm de Trainel. On the day of this wedding, Stephen appeared and kidnapped her. Alix’s brother, Hervé III de Donzy lodged a complaint with Stephen’s brother Henry. Henry, in league with King Louis VII, besieged Stephen who had retired to the castle of Saint-Aignan. However, before battle could break out, the disputing parties settled. Stephen could proceed with his marriage to Alix and in recompense agreed to cede a portion of his holdings, Gien in the Loiret department of north-central France, to his new brother-in-law. According to the family history, Alix apparently was happy to agree to the transfer of property and to stay with Stephen. He had two sons with Alix. There is uncertainty about when she died; however, Stephen must have been a widower when he set out for Jerusalem.
When Stephen returned to France in 1173, he married a woman known as Dame Beatrix. Their marriage was of short duration; she died in 1179. He remarried a third time in 1187 to one Aénor. His third wife did not have much time with her husband; he departed for Jerusalem in 1190.
Meanwhile, Stephen’s actions in the years after his return from Jerusalem indicate a man who was independent and even rebellious. He picked various conflicts with King Phillip II, who happened to be a nephew of Stephen. King Phillip II. was the son of King Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne, Stephen’s sister. Stephen was the de facto leader among a group of powerful baronial rebels against the king in the years 1181 to 1185. Eventually the king, determined to put an end to feudal warfare, was able to suppress the rebellion, and Stephen had to concede defeat and submit to the authority of the king. In later years, King Phillip became the first French monarch to assume the title of “King of France.”
In 1190, Stephen and his brother Theobald decided to join the Third Crusade, led by King Phillip and Richard the Lionheart. Prior to his departure, he commenced the abolition of serfdom in his domains. That fact alone makes him stand out as a remarkable individual.
Stephen died on October 21, 1990 at the Siege of Acre; his brother died a few months later.
The family history states that “Stephen and his brother died after performing many deeds of great valor,” and that “Stephen I had many wonderful qualities; he was brave and filled with humanity. He lightened the burden on his people at a time when many French people were suffering and oppressed, by relieving them of various forms of servitude.”
Like the Chevalier de Bayard, known as “le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche,” Stephen might well have been described as "the knight without fear and beyond reproach.” Meanwhile, some of the Chevalier de Bayard’s contemporaries called him “the good knight” in recognition of his gaiety and kindness. I suspect that Stephen might have preferred such a moniker for himself.
As an aside, Sancerre was a wine producing region already in the 12th century, and control over the products of the harvest figured into negotiations between Stephen and other lords.
ALINA: A Song For The Telling
By Malve von Hassell
ALINA: A SONG FOR THE TELLING is the coming-of-age story of a young woman from Provence in the 12th century who travels to Jerusalem, where she is embroiled in political intrigue, theft, and murder, and finds her voice.
"You should be grateful, my girl. You have no dowry, and I am doing everything I can to get you settled. You are hardly any man's dream." Alina's brother, Milos, pulled his face into a perfect copy of Aunt Marci's sour expression, primly pursing his mouth. He had got her querulous tone just right.
I pinched my lips together, trying not to laugh. But it was true; Aunt Marci had already introduced me to several suitors. So far I had managed to decline their suits politely.
Maybe Alina's aunt was right. How could she possibly hope to become a musician, a trobairitz, as impoverished as she was and without the status of a good marriage?
But fourteen-year-old Alina refuses to accept the oppressing life her strict aunt wants to impose upon her. When the perfect opportunity comes along for her to escape, she and her brother embark on a journey through the Byzantine Empire all the way to Jerusalem.
Alina soon finds herself embroiled in the political intrigue of noble courts as she fights to realize her dream of becoming a female troubadour.
Pick up your copy of
ALINA: A Song For The Telling
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Malve von Hassell
Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994). She has self-published a children’s picture book, Letters from the Tooth Fairy (Mill City Press, 2012) and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012). She has published The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015) and Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), and has another forthcoming historical fiction novel, The Amber Crane (Odyssey Press, 2020). She is working on a biographical account of a woman coming of age in Germany during World War II.
Connect with Malve:
Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook.
Join me in Conversation with #HistoricalFiction author, Kate Griffin #ShortStories @KateAGriffin
Join me in Conversation with Kate Griffin
Please give a warm Coffee Pot welcome to Historical Fiction author, Kate Griffin’s.
Mary Anne: A huge congratulations on the release of Victoriana: A HWA Short Story Collection. Could you tell us how you got involved in this fabulous collection of short stories?
Kate Griffin: I’ve been a member of the HWA for around four years now. Writing can be quite lonely, especially for someone like me who until quite recently went into an office every day and thrived on the conversation and gossip. It’s great to be part of a supportive group of knowledgeable, amusing, opinionated people again.
I joined the HWA because I write about the past. My Kitty Peck series, published by Faber and Faber, is set in London’s Limehouse during the early 1880s. Kitty is a music hall artiste who reluctantly inherits three shabby venues along with a much more sinister bequest. The four books in the series take my daring, spirited and rather mouthy cockney sparrow on a topsy-turvy journey through every layer of Victorian London’s society during which she discovers a great deal about herself and about her family.
The Kitty Peck books are deliberately melodramatic and theatrical. I’ve enjoyed taking well-worn Victorian tropes and turning them on their heads and inside out to present a very knowing version of the era. Rumbling hackney carriages, cane-twirling toffs, pea-souper fogs and painted street-corner harlots are the visual motifs of many a Victorian drama – both on page and on screen - and I’ve loved deploying them, but I also wanted to write about the Limehouse described to me by my nan* Hannah.
Born in Limehouse in1898 (it’s still a shock to think of her as a Victorian) Hannah told me about the hard lives of the men and women who worked on the London docks. She made me aware of the historic diversity of Limehouse where, ironically, the riches of the world and some of its poorest inhabitants quite literally came ashore to ‘feed’ the engine of empire. And she described the music halls that provided a glittering, raucous, lime-lit respite from poverty and hardship. In my books, I’ve delighted in showing the tarnish beneath the spangles worn by the performers, pitted against the darkness beneath the plush, rich sheen of highest echelons of Victorian society. It’s all a charade!
I was fortunate that my former working life enabled me to visit many wonderful old buildings. As Communications Manager for SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings), Britain’s oldest conservation charity, I was privileged to see the fantastic Wilton’s Music Hall in Graces Alley off Cable Street in London’s East End before it was lovingly repaired and restored to its former glory.
Wilton’s was another massive inspiration for the Kitty Peck series While my SPAB colleagues carefully examined woodworm, blown plaster and cracks that day, I inhaled the drama of the building’s past. My co-workers went back to the office with a detailed conservation plan and I went back with an idea for a book!
In recent years I’ve contributed reviews and articles to Historia, the HWA’s online magazine. The programmes I reviewed were set in the Victorian era – naturally - and it was no hardship to watch some great TV and write about it. The invitation to write a short story for the HWA’s Victoriana collection, came out of the blue last Christmas. I suspect it was partly because of those reviews, but I also hope it’s because beneath the melodrama, gothic pastiche and gaudy penny dreadful trimmings of the Kitty Peck series, there is also passion, research and authenticity.
*I am mounting a one-woman crusade to bring back ‘nans’
Mary Anne: All the books in this collection are set during the Victorian era. Why do you think this period in history is still really popular with readers?
Kate Griffin: I think the Victorian era is instantly recognisable. Visually – largely thanks to film and TV – it is very familiar territory where lavish drama is framed by mist, mourning and mahogany, and played out to a soundtrack of rustling crinolines, rumbling wheels on cobbles, the clopping of horses and the tapping of a villain’s cane. I sometimes wonder if we (writers and readers) find a sort of ‘cosiness’ in all those trimmings? I’m quite wary of that. My books have been both praised and criticised for their ‘gritty’ quality and the fact that I don’t shy away from the seamy underbelly of the Victorian era where obscene poverty and hardship were the flip side of grand balls, candlelit dinners and sprawling country estates.
We are tantalisingly close to the Victorians and the great writers of that age – Dickens, the Bronte sisters, Elliot, Collins, Mrs Gaskell etc. – still speak directly to us in a language that is almost our own. We can also research newspapers and archival documents from the era that are easily understood and oddly crisp and fresh beneath our fingers. But we must never forget, the Victorian era is completely alien.
In The Go Between, L.P. Hartley wrote, ‘The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.’ I think that’s a rather perfect ‘warning to the curious’ (to steal the title of a ghost story by the marvellous M R James, born in 1862). We can never know what the era of ‘Victoriana’ was like because none of us have been there. Our writing is based on a thousand different, highly personal glimpses of the past. We Neo-Victorian writers have all created our own worlds from a mental patchwork.
I also think that we are fascinated by the pioneering spirit of the Victorian era. It was a time of extraordinary discovery when science really began to slip the shackles of superstition. The Victorians thought they could do anything. You see that in the confidence of their architecture and the explosion of industry. Nothing got in the way of profit. Their arrogance and self- belief were breath-taking and – in terms of Empire – troubling in the extreme. The era was the fiery crucible of our modern age, for good and ill.
Ultimately, the title of the collection, ‘Victoriana’ is a playfully cosy word for a time that was anything but.
Mary Anne: Could you tell us a little about your story, The Trick of It, that can be found in the collection?
Kate Griffin: As I mentioned in answer to your previous question, the heady mixture of science and superstition that pervades the Victorian era is fascinating. Their growing technical brilliance was set against the questioning of age-old certainties. If the Victorians could build bridges, tunnels, viaducts, aqueducts, steam trains etc. – why not contact the dead? Does that seem so extraordinary when they could bend the world of the living to their will?
When I was invited to contribute a story to Victoriana, I was delighted to find out that the tale could feature one of my characters. I knew exactly who to turn to.
At the end of the 19th century spiritualism was very fashionable. In my last book, Kitty Peck and the Parliament of Shadows, I had fun writing a séance scene featuring Madame Toth-Varda, a terrifying Hungarian medium who was trying out for a place on the bill in one of Kitty’s music halls. Although the character appears briefly in the book, I leave a hint as to where she goes next. The Trick of It is set during Madame’s journey across the Atlantic to New York. I hope my séance in a storm at sea is chilling and entertaining.
Mary Anne: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of writing Historical Fiction?
Kate Griffin: To be brutally honest, the most challenging aspect for me is getting my bottom into the chair and actually writing something. I am a terrible procrastinator, always finding a hundred things to do to put off the awful moment of having to open my lap top and start typing. Bizarrely, once I start, I often find it hard to stop.
When I’m immersed in a story the most important thing is to maintain authenticity. No matter how weird or whacky the plot or the characters, I try to make sure that the world they operate within is as accurate as possible. There’s nothing worse while reading historical fiction than to come across a glaring anachronism. Immediately you lose faith in the story and the writer.
Research is important, but it can be a honey trap. There’s a fine balance between peppering your story with fascinating, genuine period detail and bombarding your reader with so much carefully hoarded knowledge that your plot disappears beneath a mountain of redundant information. Too little research and you fail to evoke a period, too much and you bury it! It’s like walking a literary tightrope.
Mary Anne: What advice do you have for aspiring Historical Fiction authors?
I think my main piece of advice is outlined above, beware the perils of research. Don’t fall in love with your fascinating investigations and studies so much that they stifle your storytelling. Also, don’t use research as an excuse for not writing. It’s tempting to feel that you can’t sit down to write until you know everything about, say, the topography of the London sewer network in 1881, but unless you actually start to write your story, you will never have the chance to use that knowledge. My simple advice is, write more, research less. You can always go back to correct and embellish what’s there on the page (or computer screen).
My other key bit of advice, is to enjoy yourself!
Mary Anne: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to chat to us.
If you would like to find out more about Victoriana then you know what to do – SCROLL DOWN!
Victoriana
A HWA Short Story Collection
“The Victorian era, full of crime and elegance, comes to life in this diverse and dramatic collection. Read your favourite author, or find a new one.” Richard Foreman, author of Raffles: The Complete Innings
Immerse yourself in the Victorian period through a diverse collection of thrilling short stories.
Read about some of your favourite characters from established series, or be introduced to new writers in the genre.
The stories in Victoriana bring the Victorian era richly to life, with crime, murder and scandal set against the backdrop of the Boer War and a rapidly changing Victorian society.
This striking new collection, brought to you by the Historical Writers' Association, also includes interviews with each author.
Find out more about their writing processes and what attracts them to the Victorian era.
Victoriana is a must read for all fans of historical fiction.
Authors & Stories Featured in Victoriana:
Elisabeth Gifford – The Last Resort
Hilary Green – The Choice
Kate Griffin – The Trick of It
Richard James – Last Orders
Carolyn Kirby – Ladies and Gentlemen
R.N. Morris – The Complainant
Vayu Naidu – A Madurai Mystery of Victoriana
Sophia Tobin – The Unwanted Suitor
Tom Williams – Some People Think We Are Very Backward
Robert Wilton – The Widow and The Wagon
Excerpt
The Trick of It
By Kate Griffin
Full story published in the HWA’s short story collection Victoriana
The scene is set aboard the ocean liner City of Berlin midway across the Atlantic Ocean.
The gaslights along the walls of the little salon dimmed. The only light now came from two candelabra taken from the table. These were set either side of a makeshift stage formed from a platform where a grand piano had stood. The instrument had been pushed back against the painted panels.
It had taken some time for the cabin staff to effect this transformation. Those who had chosen to attend the ‘diversion’ had taken refuge in the small reading room until summoned to return. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on her part, but as they waited, Clara thought that the rocking and groaning diminished and that ship seemed easier on the ocean.
Returning to the little salon, she saw that the long dining table was now stowed in sections against the walls and that the diners’ delicate gilt chairs were arranged in four neat rows before the platform.
She hadn’t wanted to come, but George and Mrs Tallon had persuaded her.
‘Death is not the End.’
When Captain Kennedy read out those words, Clara had felt a chill breath on the back of her neck. At the same moment, from the corner of her eye, she had seen one of the candles splutter and die.
‘It’s just a game, my dear.’ Mrs Tallon had said. ‘It will be fun.’
George escorted her to seats in the second row. He turned to continue his conversation with the Tallons, who were positioned behind them. Clara moved her skirt as the Oxford student took the seat next to her. In the reading room, she had heard him disagree with the bishop, who did not approve of the evening’s diversion.
‘The literal meaning of occult is hidden,’ he had said, jabbing a ringed finger. ‘And it is my belief that the Lord means such things to remain so.’ The bishop had withdrawn in the equally censorious company of Lady Barbara Wretton.
The student nodded at the platform. ‘I must admit to finding this most interesting, Mrs Sinclair. As a man of science, I do not share Bishop Rickson’s distaste for such experimentation. Besides, I am quite sure the woman is a charlatan, a stage trickster…’ He faltered, presumably recalling Clara’s background. He cleared his throat and flicked at some imaginary lint on his knee. ‘Well, I am sure it will be entertaining at the very least.’
Clara smiled and examined the rest of the diners who had chosen to be diverted. Their number had dwindled to around twenty. The young couple had gone to their cabin and Mr Bellman had deserted his wife, who was now sitting next to her friend Mrs Tallon.
Captain Kennedy mounted the platform and clapped his hands. Silence descended as he gave a small bow and stepped to the sides to blow out all the candles. The salon was suddenly quite black. Clara heard mutters and rustling.
The captain’s voice sounded in the darkness.
‘It gives me great pleasure to present to you, Madame Liljana Toth-Varda.’
The ensuing silence was almost alarming. It seemed to Clara that a stillness had entered the salon. She was not aware of the rolling of the ship or movement or sound from anyone sitting around her. Then, as if from far away, a single low note was played on violin. It lingered, vibrating in the air, longer than Clara thought possible and then came a melody coaxed from lowest and most mournful notes of the strings.
After a minute or so, she brought her hands to her ears. It wasn’t that the playing was bad, quite the opposite, in fact. It was that she could actually feel the notes thrumming through every nerve and sinew of her body. She had the oddest sensation that she was the instrument being played.
The sound stopped abruptly. Tentatively, Clara moved her hands to her lap. A light flared. In the gloom, a dark figure bent to light the candles. Finally, when the platform was bathed in a pool of flickering light, the figure moved to the centre.
Madame Toth-Varda was a tall, wand-like woman. The narrow cut of her dark gown emphasised her unusual height. Her black hair was twisted in a sheeny coil high on the top of her head, which added to her presence. Whorls of jet beads glittered at her shoulders, around her sleeves and in the folds of her skirt. As she breathed, the jewels rippled like the scales of a serpent.
But it was not her height or singular dress that produced a muffled gasp from several members of the little gathering. Chalk-white powder made the woman’s face seem to float above the beaded collar of her dress. Powder had settled into the grooves around her mouth and nose, bringing an eerie glow to her hawk-like features. Against this pallor, her long black eyes, the lids painted beetle-wing green, seemed at once too large for her face and set too deep in her head. Clara couldn’t look away from those eyes.
‘Greetings.’ Madame Toth-Varda rolled the ‘r’. ‘My music calms them.’
The deep voice was richly accented and compelling. It seemed to pluck at Clara’s mind like the music of the violin that she now saw resting on the piano. Madame took a deep breath and folded her arms. She closed her eyes and the green lids fluttered as she spoke again.
‘Come, dear friends. You have heard my call. Now you will obey my summons. The journey is not far. The threshold may be dark, but let the light and the echo of my song guide you.’
The little salon was suddenly very cold. George tapped Clara’s shoulder and whispered. ‘Do you know her?’
She shook her head. In all her time with Logie, playing the halls and stages from Edinburgh to Plymouth and three months touring America, she had never seen anyone like Madame Toth-Varda. The woman was chanting now, her voice strengthening as she repeated the summons. Perspiration left glistening snail trails in the white powder on her cheeks.
Suddenly she stopped.
Very slowly Madame Toth-Varda stretched out her arms. She breathed deeply and the jet beads on her bodice winked with the rise and fall of her breast. Her painted eyelids snapped open.
‘And now we go to work.’
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Kate Griffin
Kate Griffin was the winner of the 2012 Faber /Stylist Magazine competition to find a distinctive new voice and character in crime. The resulting ‘Kitty Peck’ series navigates the squalid back streets of Victorian Limehouse, the aristocratic corridors of power and the transgressive world of music hall - all viewed through the eyes of a young whip-smart aerial artiste (Kitty Peck) and her ‘family’ of outsiders.
There are now four books in the series: Kitty Peck & the Music Hall Murders (2013), Kitty Peck & the Child of Ill Fortune (2015), Kitty Peck & the Daughter of Sorrow (2017) and Kitty Peck & the Parliament of Shadows (2019). All published by Faber.
Kate has worked in antiques, journalism and communications. Until 2019 she was Head of Press for Britain’s oldest conservation charity SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings). Her love of old buildings and the stories they tell continues to inspire her writing.
She lives in a Victorian house in St Albans with her husband Stephen, and a lot of dust.
Follow her on Twitter @KateAGriffin
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