Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 98

#BookReview — Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire by Mary Ann Bernal #scific @BritonandDane

Planetary Wars Rise of an EmpireBy Mary Ann Bernal

Caught up in a whirlwind romance, Anastasia Dennison, M.D., does not realize her husband is the terrifying dictator, Jayden Henry Shaw, who rules the galaxy with an iron fist while pretending to defend the vulnerable against the Imperial Forces of the Empire.

Denying the existence of widespread suffering, Anastasia ignores her principles as she embraces the spoils of war and takes her rightful place among the upper echelon of Terrenean society.

Will Anastasia continue to support her husband’s quest for complete domination of every world within the cosmos, or will she follow her conscience and fight the evil invading her home?



"It was only a matter of time before the inhabitants succumbed to the oppressor, yet with tyranny came dissension. In the end, freedom had to prevail, whatever the cost."
But when Doctor Anastasia Dennison falls in love with a handsome stranger, the last thing on her mind is the freedom of her planet. All she can think about is Henry, and when she will next see him again. 
But while Anastasia dreams of a happy-ever-after, she ignores the subtle warnings that whisper to her that Henry is not who he is pretending to be. 
With the future of her planet at stake, will Anastasia's eyes be opened in time to see the monumental mistake she is making? Or will she continue to turn a blind eye and embrace the life that Henry has promised her?
Filled with strife, tested loyalties and subtle acts of defiance, Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire by Mary Anne Bernal has a lot to recommend it. In this majestic universe Bernal has created, there are two opposing sides — The Imperial Forces verse the Freedom Fighters. While The Imperial Force has the military advantage, the Freedom Fighters are determined not to be thwarted. This intense and violent struggle between the two sides is a theme that one often finds in Science Fiction novels which gives this book a sense of comforting familiarity. 
Bernal has given us a host of characters in this book, some I liked, some I loathed and others I had mixed feelings about. But, each character, whether it be the protagonist, the antagonist or the supporting characters, brought something rich to this tale.
Talking of characters... For a brilliant and capable woman, Doctor Anastasia Dennison is incredibly naive. She is an incurable romantic who lets love blind her to the truth. This is a time of desperate war, but Anastasia is very free with the information she gives to a man she had just met — a man she has never seen before — which left me slightly bemused. She is either very trusting or a complete and utter fool. At least her friend and colleague, Doctor Sophia Loft, had the sense to question this stranger's motives. But, even then, Anastasia brushes Sophia's concern aside. She refuses to pause and take a moment to consider if the story her beloved told her about himself is credible. Her inability to see Henry for who he really was baffled me because all the signs are there. Yes, Anastasia had never seen a photograph of the dictator of the universe, but still...! Anastasia is completely taken in by the story Jayden Henry Shaw has woven, and she is, for want of a better word, brainwashed. Bernal has not given us a strong and determined character in Anastasia, but instead, she has given us a woman who allows herself to be so blinkered that she no longer sees the suffering around her — her life is perfect, therefore what does it matter if other lives are being crushed? And for that reason, I found myself annoyed with her rather than sympathising with her plight. This, I think, is exactly what Bernal wants her readers to feel.
Jayden Henry Shaw is a compelling antagonist. He is incredibly ambitious and is not the sort of man who takes no for an answer. He is determined to not only rule the universe but to do so on his terms, and if anyone dares to oppose him, he quickly vanquishes them. He can be cruel and yet when it comes to Anastasia, we glimpse a different side to his character. Bernal has made Shaw real in the telling by giving him the ability to love, and despite all the lies, Shaw does love Anastasia. Shaw really closed the deal on this book for me. I thought his depiction was brilliant and demonstrated Bernal's ability at creating very flawed characters.
If you are looking for a gentle introduction into Science Fiction, then check out Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire by Mary Anne Berna.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.The Coffee Pot Book Club.

Pick up your copy ofPlanetary Wars Rise of an EmpireAmazon UK • Amazon US


Mary Ann Bernal  Mary Ann Bernal attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in Business Administration.  Her literary aspirations were ultimately realized when the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was published in 2009.  In addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann has also authored a collection of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler Tales series. Her latest endeavor is a science fiction/fantasy novel entitled Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Originally hailing from New York, Mary Ann now resides in Elkhorn, Nebraska. Connect with Mary Ann: Website • Whispering Legends Press • Twitter.

A Conversation with Magical Realism author, Barbara Spencer #mustread #Fantasy @BarbaraSpencerO

A Conversation with Magical Realism author, Barbara Spencer
Please give a warm Coffee Pot Book Club welcome to Barbara Spencer.  MA: It is lovely that you could drop by and chat with me today. Before we begin, please tell my readers a little about yourself and how you became a writer.  BA: Everyone’s writing journey is different, and mine possibly more than most. When challenged by some enterprising primary school child, ‘Did you always want to be a writer’ my reply invariably was, ‘No, a tap dancer.’
And that’s been my adult life, absurdly bizarre, from flying into Amman in a sand storm, travelling on a Laker flight that almost ran out of fuel over the Atlantic, to being part of the committee who choose Miss World.
It didn’t start like that, the neglected third daughter of parents who were throwbacks to the Victorian Era, when the adage, ‘spare the rod and spoil the child, was in vogue, maybe there was no rod but there was no spoiling either. Neither interest nor encouragement accompanied my childhood footsteps; the public library both my friend and mentor. My sisters shared a similar view and they now live in Australia. Sadly, it is 50 years since the four of us, my brother too, last met up all together.
However, with a passion for both cricket and cricketers, in 1968, my footsteps turned to Barbados in the West Indies, from which I returned via sojourns in Grenada, where I worked for a number of years, New York – ditto – also the Middle East, Greece and France, returning to the UK some fourteen years later.
I usually tell my young audiences it was six years and add, ‘Do you think my mother was worried by then,’ receiving enthusiastic nods of agreement by way of a reply.
But it was in the UK, sitting by a poolside watching my daughter, a competitive swimmer, plough up and down, that I began to write. I also became a swimming teacher and judge but, as my daughter is so fond of saying: ‘After chasing around the world for as long as you did, Mum, teaching swimming and learning to tap dance doesn’t quite cut it.’          After my first book, such a great part of my life story became tied up with schools. Even my name, settling on Barbara Spencer when I should have been Agatha Arbuthnot. As I told my young audience: ‘Because A is always on the top shelf in a book store and S is on the bottom.’




And also, huge involvement with Waterstones. In 2010 after my YA thrillers Running and Time Breaking were published, I became a regular Saturday signee at branches in the lower half of the country, and these two books remain staunch favourites on library shelves even after ten years.
MA: Such an inspirational story, Barbara. What inspired you to write The Year the Swans Came?

BS: So why ‘The Year the Swans Came’ and what is it about?In my blog, A Writer’s Inspiration, I go on to answer this particular question and talk about the setting for the book. Suffice to say that every character has become a personal friend.
On the surface, the novel is about a friendship between two families who live next door to one another. But look a little deeper and you will stumble over secrets and mysteries. This is the blurb:
Ruth and Maidy are best friends. Slightly the older, Ruth is stunningly beautiful, rich and wilful, and has always insisted she will marry Pieter, Maidy’s eldest brother, only to have him vanish the year swans first visit the city. Feared as cursed and birds of ill-fortune, six years later, on the morning of Maidy’s sixteenth birthday, they return.
For Maidy they usher in love and the return of her beloved brother, Pieter. For Ruth only destruction as she captivates every boy around, including Pieter and the enigmatic and mysterious Zande.
MA: As you know, I have read The Year The Swans Came and awarded it The Coffee Pot Book Club Book Award. It is such a hauntingly beautiful story, and I was wondering, how did you come up with your setting and your characters?
BS: It is a terrible cliché but they pretty much fell into place, as if they were waiting in the wings for me to call them out onto the stage. The same thing happened in Running, the character of Sean Terry of the American Secret Service, was not dreamt up by me. He sort-of took over.
As did Zande – my hero or is he the anti-hero in The Year the Swans Came?You will need to read the novel to find out.
Throughout the writing process the character was called Yöst, but it became very apparent this didn’t suit. So, he became Xander, which was immediately hi-jacked and onto the stage walked Zande, (pronounced Zan-de) who single-mindedly set about fashioning the story as he wanted.
Unrestrained, every girl’s eye flew to him and stayed. He knew it and had expected it although, as he made his way across the courtyard, there was no unseemly swagger. He had no need, his walk as graceful and lithe as a panther’s. As if the door’s opening had been a signal, boys not yet left for home drew themselves to their full height, becoming as alert and edgy as beasts that sense a rogue male in their territory. Fingers of angry air began to invade the forecourt and warnings, like arrows loosed from a bow, were hurled at his feet.  
Is there to be a sequel? There wasn’t. There is now.
MA: There are many books in the genre, magical realism. Can you tell us three things that set your novels apart?
BS: Is magical realism different from fantasy? I believe so. Whereas fantasy has no limits or boundaries, magical realism is set in our world, obeys is laws, but it has a twist; which leads me very nicely to The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, and The Miniaturistby Jesse Burton.What sets The Year the Swans Came apart from those books? Obviously, the century: this is not the distant past when anything could happen but a time that remains within touching distance. Although I refer to incidents in the Second World War, the novel is set in 1951, when daily life is both recognisable and familiar.
The subject matter: in which I have introduced into something quite modern. something as ancient as time itself – a legend that comes to life. And lastly, the awakening of love. Familiar perhaps but not for my narrator, Magrit Bader. This is something to be wondered at. 
 MA: Once last question… Can you share with us what you are currently working on?
BS: The sequel, because I want to know what happens! And I am finding it a most exciting journey. Hopefully to be published at the end of the year. Also, the 3-book series, Children of Zeus. In the same genre, this series compliments the storyline begun by The Year the Swans Came, and leads you further into the world of Zande, Yöst and Tatania. 
MA: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to chat with us today!
If you would like to find out more about Barbara's The Year The Swans Came then you know what to do... SCROLL DOWN!

The Year the Swans CameBy Barbara Spencer


Ruth and Maidy have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Stunningly beautiful, rich, and wilful, Ruth has always insisted she will marry Pieter, Maidy’s eldest brother, only for him to vanish from their lives late one night.

Is his disappearance linked to the arrival of the swans, feared as cursed and birds of ill-fortune? What will happen when they return six years later, on the morning of Maidy’s sixteenth birthday?

And who exactly is the enigmatic and mysterious Zande?

Follow Ruth and Maidy’s cursed tale of love as they discover what happened to Pieter, how the appearance of Zande will affect the rest of their lives, and just how much destruction Ruth’s beauty can cause.


Pick up your copy ofThe Year The Swans CameAmazon UK • Amazon US • Waterstones


Barbara Spencer

In 1967, Barbara Spencer hi-tailed it to the West Indies to watch cricket, the precursor to a highly colourful career spanning three continents, in which she was caught up in riots, wars, and choosing Miss World. Eventually, she settled in Somerset to bring up a family. In 2010, the publication of Running, her new teenage thriller, has taken Barbara countrywide. Passionate about the importance of books in today's society, Barbara is happiest working with young would-be writers and is frequently invited into schools to talk about creative writing.
Connect with Barbara: Website • Facebook • Twitter.

The Coffee Pot Book Club is proud to be working alongside #BooksGoSocial to bring you some fabulous promotional deals. Get Amazon Ads That Will Sell Your Book! Book Today and save $30.00 on all Amazon Ad Packages. @LPOBryan

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#BookReview — Metropolis by Ellie Midwood #HistoricalFiction #1920s

Catherine Kullmann's fabulous new #RegencyRomance, The Potential for Love, is now available on #NetGalley @CKullmannAuthor

Have you heard…?
Catherine Kullmann’s fabulous book, The Potential for Love,  is available on NetGalley for your reading pleasure.
If you love great Regency Romances then this is the book for you. 
The Potential for LoveBy Catherine Kullmann

When Arabella Malvin sees the figure of an officer silhouetted against the sun, for one interminable moment she thinks he is her brother, against all odds home from Waterloo. But it is Major Thomas Ferraunt, the rector’s son, newly returned from occupied Paris who stands in front of her.
For over six years, Thomas’s thoughts have been of war. Now he must ask himself what his place is in this new world and what he wants from it. More and more, his thoughts turn to Miss Malvin, but would Lord Malvin agree to such a mismatch for his daughter, especially when she is being courted by Lord Henry Danlow?
As Arabella embarks on her fourth Season, she finds herself more in demand than ever before. But she is tired of the life of a debutante, waiting in the wings for her real life to begin. She is ready to marry. But which of her suitors has the potential for love and who will agree to the type of marriage she wants?
As she struggles to make her choice, she is faced with danger from an unexpected quarter while Thomas is stunned by a new challenge. Will these events bring them together or drive them apart?

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Join Historical Fiction author, John Anthony Miller, as he talks about the inspiration behind his fabulous new book — Sinner, Saint or Serpent #Mystery #NewRelease @authorjamiller

An Author’s InspirationBy John Anthony Miller
I have two inspirations as an author. The first is the vivid imagination I was blessed with – I love to plot twists and turns and surprises – and the second is a desire to learn.
I’m an avid reader, mostly non-fiction, and I keep a list of time periods and locations that I might like to write about. Many of my ideas come from that, rather than a specific plot or character. When I do start with the plot, it normally begins with an overarching global theme, like the Holocaust. If the concept begins with a character, I like to write about people who do something totally unexpected and usually for no benefit, either for their country or to save others, knowing there’s no personal reward for the risks that they take.
When I’m ready to begin a new project, I normally start two or three books at the same time. As I mentioned, one of the drivers for me is the opportunity to learn about new things, and eventually one of the books I start will become my focus, based on how interesting I find the material that I’m researching. It takes a good deal of research to write a book, which means what I’m learning about has to maintain my interest through the entire first draft. For those that don’t, they land in a file on my computer, and they’re on the list for the next book I write.

I also like to set books in exotic locations – Paris, Lake Como, Switzerland – and I’ve been to most of them, often multiple times. I like to describe the locations in detail, to draw my readers in – to make them feel like they’re walking down the same street that the character is, can see the same buildings or flowers or automobiles, to make the location a character, too, just as interesting to the reader as the people in the book.
Change also motivates me, and I like to do something completely different with each book I write, whether I change genres – mystery to thriller to psychological – or I change voices, use a dialect, sparse description in a minimalist style or a lush narrative.
I suppose the trick is to tie it all together – a good plot, an exotic location, an interesting historical period, and characters you care about. For me, this takes many revisions. I’m always jealous of authors who write a draft, review it, and then send it off to their agent or publisher. I suppose for me, the rough draft is the hardest, and then I continually polish it, through five or six revisions, sometimes more. That may sound tedious to some, but for me, I can’t wait to get to my computer every day!

When I wrote my latest release, Sinner, Saint or Serpent, I started with the overall plot. It’s a murder mystery, with several suspects, designed to keep the reader confused about who the actual killer is. I started the book in third-person, but it didn’t feel right, so I switched to first-person and created a narrator, Justice Harper, a journalistic reporter beyond reproach. I already had the title – I keep a running list of potential titles – and I next decided to make the characters surrounding the narrator unique. They consist of a voodoo queen named Belladonna Dede, a Mafia gangster named Nicky the Knife, Lucinda Boyd, a pillar of New Orleans society, Serenity Dupree, a sultry jazz singer, and Blaze Barbeau, a real estate magnate with a checkered past. I gave Justice an assistant, and tried to create an unforgettable character in Remy Morel, a woman who speaks her mind, with absolutely no filter whatsoever.


When I write a novel, I like to move beyond the main characters, and create subplots for the other major characters – essentially what happens in their lives when they’re not in the midst of propelling the main plot. I weave that in through the subsequent revisions as I round out each of the characters.
And if the location, the plot, the subplots, the voice, and the characters are created effectively, the result is a book that makes the reader keep turning the page. Ultimately, that’s what I strive for – to provide entertainment that the reader remembers long after they finish the book.

Sinner, Saint or SerpentBy John Anthony Miller

New Orleans, 1926  When a leading businessman is found murdered, investigative reporters Justice Harper, known for his fairness, and Remy Morel, his sassy counterpart, are determined to find the killer. There are three suspects, all prominent women in New Orleans society. The sinner is Blaze Barbeau, a real estate magnate with a checkered past. The saint is Lucinda Boyd, who lost her family business to the victim. And the serpent is a spooky voodoo queen named Belladonna Dede.

Excerpt
New Orleans, LouisianaMay 18, 1926 at 7:37 p.m.
August Chevalier sat in the parlor of his Royal Street mansion, eyes wide open, a bullet hole in the center of his forehead with a line of blood trailing down the bridge of his nose. He seemed surprised by death’s arrival, or by whoever delivered it, as if meeting his maker had been the farthest thing from his mind at the time.
I studied the body from the foyer, leaning against the white molding of the arched entrance, watching the investigation. The corpse sat on a Victorian couch, lavender with lion’s paws feet, a book lying askew beside it. The Prince, by Machiavelli, was a political discourse that supposedly gave good advice for handling enemies to business folks like Chevalier. He should have read it just a little bit sooner.
There was an Art Deco table in front of the couch with a glass top and floral wrought iron frame that matched the fence that circled the property. Chevalier’s left leg was stretched out beneath it, a nick on the sole of his Italian leather shoe. Like most rich folks, he wore expensive clothes – a silk blue shirt and darker slacks with barely a wrinkle in them.
Even though I had no right to be at the crime scene, I was there just the same. So I just kept looking around the room, scribbling notes on a pad I always carried with me. There was a small leather bag on the floor near the leg of the couch, just beside the body. The string keeping it closed had come undone, and there was a trail of gray powder, a few streaks of vermillion and chunks of something that looked like bones or small animal parts scattered across the Oriental carpet. I knew it was a gris-gris bag, a voodoo charm used to ward off evil or bring good luck – or any number of things that the creator might make for the purchaser. They were popular in New Orleans, especially among the superstitious. And even those that weren’t.
A grandfather’s clock stood against the far wall, a leather chair beside it, while a mahogany desk sat just under the side window. It was flanked by two cypress bookshelves, the spines of decorative leather volumes visible as you entered the room. A few papers were arranged real neat on the desktop, with a torn envelope and a folded letter that was a bit crumpled tossed near one edge. It looked recently opened, read and discarded, the contents perhaps not to the liking of the addressee. The writing on the envelope, visible from my location whereas the letter itself was not, showed fine penmanship, a swirling cursive with a flair for the dramatic, sex of the originator unknown. I leaned toward female. Most men I knew, including myself, were just not that neat.
Pick up your copy ofSinner, Saint or Serpent

Amazon UK • Amazon US




John Anthony Miller
John Anthony Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a father of English ancestry and a second-generation Italian mother. Motivated by a life-long love of travel and history, he normally sets his novels in exotic locations during eras of global conflict. Characters must cope and combat, overcoming their own weaknesses as well as the external influences spawned by tumultuous times. He’s the author of the historical thrillers, To Parts Unknown, In Satan’s Shadow, When Darkness Comes, All the King's Soldiers, and For Those Who Dare, as well as the historical mystery, Honour the Dead. His latest novel, Sinner, Saint or Serpent, is a jazz age murder mystery set in New Orleans. He lives in southern New Jersey with his family.Connect with John: Website • Facebook • Twitter.

Check out AnneMarie Brear's fabulous #NewRelease — Prue (Marsh Saga Series Book 2) #1920s #historicalfiction @annemariebrear

#BookReview — The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot by Tony Morgan #HistoricalFiction @tadmorgans

The Pearl of York, Treason and PlotBy Tony Morgan

A gripping historical novel, perfect for the lovers of CJ Sansom and SJ Parris, set in the atmospheric streets and buildings of Tudor York. When Margaret Clitherow is arrested for illegally harbouring Catholic priests in The Shambles, her friends, led by a youthful Guy Fawkes, face a race against time to save her from the gallows. As events unfold, their lives, and our history, change forever. Margaret, known as the Pearl of York, and Guy, famous for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, were raised by prosperous Protestant families. Both became Catholic enemies of the state. What events could persuade a happily married woman to consider martyrdom, or transform a young Yorkshireman into a terrorist?



"Hell is a place on Earth. It's located within a tower in London..."
I tell them only this — that I, John Johnson, from Netherdale in Yorkshire, wanted to blow *[1] you Scotch beggars back to your native mountains. I must not tell them the truth. I must hold strong even as they turn the screws, even as my body breaks. I am the most loyal of men. They will not hear the truth from me. I will not give them the names of my fellow conspirators. Nor will I tell them my real name.
I may not be able to escape their bonds or this tower, but my mind will always be free. I must take myself away from here, away from their questions and their torture. So, I will fly back to York, to the place where it all began and to the woman who inspired me. 
Margaret Clitherow was the bravest woman I ever met, and so, in my time of suffering, I will think of her. Margaret, The Pearl of York, endured their torment. And so will I.
At times harrowing, The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot by Tony Morgan is the captivating story of a young Guy Fawkes as he stumbles precariously into a world of religious intolerance, torture, and martyrism.
Oh, how I invested my heart into this book. The emotional commitment that Morgan demands of his readers is absolute. The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot grabbed me from the opening sentence and as I cherished every syllable, every word, every sentence I could not help but wonder how I had never heard of one of England's greatest martyrs, Saint Margaret Clitherow — the Shining Pearl of York. Her story is one of religious piety. Her steadfast devotion to a religion that was illegal, her sham of a trial and her subsequent brutal execution has not only been brought vividly back to life, but it has also shed light on a foreign, shameful past, where the whims of a nation were as changeable as its weather. 
Morgan describes this fraught and dangerous time through the eyes of Guy Fawkes, and he goes some way in explaining how a fifteen-year-old schoolboy went from a being a promising scholar who hoped to study the law to one of the most infamous and remembered conspirator in English history. As the fireworks light up the sky on November 5th, and as bonfires blaze with effigies of the man who was caught under the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder, the story of Guy Fawkes has endlessly fascinated generation after generation. James Sharpe, professor of history at the University of York once describe Fawkes as being *[2] "the last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions." Fawkes had always been clear of his goal — of course, the outcome was not what he would have wanted. But this book isn't about the night when the conspirators were betrayed. It is about a young man who is seduced by his mother's faith and becomes embroiled in the affairs of the small and hidden Catholic community that Margaret Clitherow created. This is a story of intolerance and hate, but it is also one of first love and survival against impossible odds. It is a book in a million. This novel is a hidden gem that one happily stumbles upon from time to time.
Morgan is determined to wring every last essence of emotions from his readers, and he has achieved his aims most admirably. This book made me cry, it made me smile, it made me angry, and it made me pensive. The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot is one of those books that once read you can never forget. The narrative is too enthralling, the prose is crisp, the characters are compelling, and the setting is as luxuriously detailed as it is lucid. Morgan has peeled away the layers of over 400 years of history and has written something fresh, vibrant and totally unputdownable.
The hours of research that Morgan has dedicated to this story has to be commended. No stone, it seems, has been left unturned while Morgan pieced together the history and what one might call the folklore which surrounds many of the characters in this book. Reading this book is like taking a step back in time. Words cannot describe how well Morgan has woven the history of this period with a tale that is not only vastly entertaining and compelling addictive but one that also makes the reader pause and ask, what were they thinking? And who came up with such terrible torturous punishments and executions? It is beyond comprehension. At the close of this book, I felt a very real sense of grief for Margaret and for Fawkes as well because we all know how his life ended — at least he fell from the ladder on his way to the noose and thus did not have to endure the agonising and protracted death of a traitor.
The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot by Tony Morgan is a heartbreaking book that grabs you from the first page and does not let you go until the last full-stop. I cannot praise this book enough. It was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. This is an example of Historical Fiction at its most exquisite.
 I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.The Coffee Pot Book Club. 
* [1] Cobbett, William (1857), A History of the Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland, Simpkin, Marshall and Company* [2] Sharpe, J. A. (2005), Remember, Remember: A Cultural History of Guy Fawkes Day, Harvard University Press.

Pick up your copy ofThe Pearl of York, Treason and PlotAmazon UK • Amazon US


Tony Morgan
Tony Morgan is a Welsh author and university academic. He lives in North Yorkshire, near to the birthplace of Guy Fawkes and Margaret Clitherow. In addition to writing historical novels, Tony also gives history talks covering the events of the Gunpowder Plot and Margaret Clitherow’s life. To date, all profits from his novels and talks have been donated to good causes. In 2020, Tony’s supporting St Leonard’s Hospice in York. For more details, visit Tony’s website.

Join #HistoricalFiction author, Brook Allen, as she explores The Ides of March. There is also a chance to check out Brook's fabulous series — Antonius #AncientRome @1BrookAllen

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!By Brook Allen
Marcus rubbed sleep from his eyes, considering. Why would Decimus Brutus be intervening to get Caesar to the Senate? That sounded suspicious.Hackles raised, he threw the coverlet off.“What day is it?” mumbled Fulvia, stretching and turning over.“The ides of Martius,” Marcus replied, yawning. “Eros, get my toga. It seems I must look like a consul today after all.”
Assassination.
In Roman times, the calendar often had several terms signifying a particular date. The 15thof March, May, July, or October was considered the “ides”. All other months had an “ides”, as well; theirs landing on the 13th day of the month.During Gaius Julius Caesar’s dictatorship, the ides in the month of March was to change Roman history permanently. In fact, it was a date so ingrained in the history of western civilization, that the Ides of March connotes a day of infamy—of bad luck. Each March 15th in Rome, actors descend upon the area where Caesar was killed to “replay” the deed. And then, people with a real fascination for Caesar’s history still deposit roses on the very place his body was cremated—within the ruined remains of the Temple of Caesar. Flowers in the Temple of Caesar: Flowers can be seen year-round inside the Temple of Julius Caesar.
If Caesar is so well-remembered today, then when why was he killed in the first place? In 44 BC, Caesar had been granted the title of “Dictator for life”. This was a pretty big deal. Ever since Rome had first become a Republic, the mere thought of single-man rule was abhorrent—in fact traitorous. When the Senate allowed Caesar this honor, it was beyond anything that had been done before. Caesar was given a political permanence that no other dictator had been granted. However, one must remember that he won that permanence by military force. Once his final rival, Pompeius Magnus was dead, Caesar had full control over Rome. Compared to his predecessors, Julius Caesar held a more worldly, global-based view of the Roman world.  The exclusivity of Roman citizenship was now available for Gallic people and people in the east. But Caesar took it step more, granting senatorial status to Gallic-born men. For hard-core Romans like Brutus, Cassius, and others, this was like swallowing poison. And Caesar had pretty much claimed divine roots by this time, too. He had always boasted that his family was descended from the goddess Venus Genetrix (Venus of the family—meaning his) and shortly before his death, he had a temple completed and consecrated in Rome, dedicated to her. But the juiciest tidbit about that, which turned into a raging scandal, was that the cult-statue inside the temple had a high-profile model—Cleopatra of Egypt, Caesar’s mistress! Good ol’ down-home, strait-laced Roman senators just couldn’t take any more.A group of them, led by Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus began to plan an assassination. On the day they chose to strike, it was assumed that Caesar would actually be appointed “king” over all Roman possessions, excluding Rome itself. That fateful day?
Minted by Brutus, this coin’s back is fascinating. It shows two daggers surrounding a cap. Caps like these were associated with liberated slaves. The conspirators called themselves “liberators”.
The Ides of March.Though Caesar was stabbed twenty-three times, it’s estimated that as many as sixty men were in on the plot. One man, Decimus Brutus (no big relation of Marcus Brutus, by the way) was actually a beneficiary in Caesar’s will! There’s much argument of whether or not Marcus Antonius (Marc Antony) was involved. However, Antonius was well-known as Caesar’s “right-hand man” by that time and he was also known for his loyalty to friends and family. So what exactly happened on the Ides?Strangely enough, Caesar nearly missed his own assassination! Romans were a very superstitious people, and because of some dark portent, Calpurnia’s nightmare, or perhaps a real warning, he opted NOT to go—at first. However, the senator Decimus Brutus may have been the one to intervene and convince Caesar to attend.Antonius was usually at Caesar’s side. Because of his physical size and reputation as a fine soldier, the assassins came up with a plan to separate Antonius from Caesar. As soon as Caesar and Antonius entered the Theater of Pompeius’s curia (where the Senate was meeting at the time), a friend of Antonius insisted he speak with him. This “friend” was Gaius Trebonius, a military colleague of Antonius. Both had fought for Caesar during the Gallic Wars at the final, bloody siege at Alesia. The two had shared a tent and as soldiers often do, had formed a close bond. Little did Antonius know that Trebonius was no longer his friend!Once Caesar had taken his place in the Senate, “deliberations” of a sort began, with some petitions. Servilius Casca was the first to strike a blow and Caesar—always a fighter, even in encroaching age and illness—fought him off with a writing utensil known as a stylus. Ah, the power of the pen! Sadly for Caesar, the pen didn’t save him. It’s generally accepted that Marcus Brutus was the last man to stab the dictator. Brutus probably did have a lot of conflicted feelings. His mother had been Caesar’s mistress, he had also served Caesar in Gaul, and had even been pardoned by him after the civil war with Pompeius. Regardless of whether Brutus’s jab finished the job, Caesar died shortly thereafter of multiple stab-wounds. All of the conspirators, who at this point termed themselves as “liberators” fled to the Temple of Jupiter. It was located on the highest hill in Rome—the Capitoline—not an easy place to approach from a military standpoint. History tells us that Antonius was pretty slick during the days that followed. He walked the fine political line between civil unrest (again!) and keeping the peace, doing an admirable, if not wily job of it. And he gave his stellar funeral oration that not only stirred the plebians into a frenzy by cremating Caesar themselves, but spooked Brutus and Cassius all the way to Greece!
Anthony's eulogy.
At this, the plebs became frenzied, chanting oaths to Caesar’s shade, jumping up and down in unison and lifting hands or balling fists in emotion. Their fervor encouraged Marcus, and in a daring move, he kicked the lid off of the basket at his feet. Inside was Caesar’s bloodied toga, and he whipped it out to thousands of gasps. One of his lictors stepped forward on cue, and Marcus took up his fasces, draping the stained garment over the axe. He lifted it high, striding back and forth across the Rostra, displaying it like a banner.As calls of heartfelt grief and outrage climaxed, Marcus shouted over the din so all could hear, “What would Caesar have thought of this day? He’d say, ‘To think I actually spared the lives of the very men who killedme!’”Excerpts taken from Brook Allen’s novel, Antonius: Second in Command

Antonius Second in Command
By Brook Allen

The Antonius saga continues…
Having proven himself as a formidable cavalry commander, Marcus Antonius finally earns a position at his kinsman Julius Caesar’s side. However, Caesar is an exacting general, demanding complete allegiance from his staff, even when his decisions put him at odds with the Senate. Marcus’s loyalty to Caesar comes at a cost, and he soon finds himself embroiled in mob violence and military mutinies. As civil war brings Rome’s Republic crashing down, many a relationship is torn asunder, including Marcus’s marriage. Determined to rise triumphant in Rome’s new era, Marcus faces his fears, his failures, and his enemies—not the least of whom is himself.
Amid the crisis of the Ides of March, Marcus must don the mantle of ruthlessness to carve his own legacy in Rome’s history. Enemies have been made, wills have been read, and heirs proclaimed.
But in Rome’s civil unrest, blood answers only to blood.
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AntoniusSon of RomeBy Brook Allen

For over two thousand years, Marc Antony has been one of history’s most controversial men. His story was buried with him and written by his enemies. Now his entire saga is revealed in a compelling trilogy by Brook Allen.
After young Marcus Antonius’s father dies in disgrace, he yearns to restore his family’s honor during the final days of Rome’s dying Republic. Marcus is rugged, handsome, and possesses abundant military talent, but upon entering manhood, he falls prey to the excesses of a licentious society. His whoring, gambling, and drinking eventually reap dire consequences. After a series of personal tragedies, Marcus must come into his own through blood, death, and sacrifice. Once he finally earns a military commission, he faces an uphill battle to earn the respect and admiration of soldiers, proconsuls, and kings. Desperate to redeem his name and carve a legacy for himself, he refuses to let warring rebels, scheming politicians, or even an alluring young Egyptian princess stand in his way.

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Brook Allen

Brook Allen is a Music Educator in a rural community near Roanoke, VA. Aside from her regular classes, she teaches two ensembles, a Chorus and Recorder Consort. Born in Salt Lake City, UT, Brook was raised in Omaha, Nebraska and has lived all over the U.S., from the Pacific Northwest, all the way down to Florida. She graduated with a B.A. in Music Education and has a M. A. in Liberal Studies, with an emphasis on Roman History. Brook is happily married and has two energetic Labrador Retrievers. Voraciously active, she cycles, hikes, and loves to travel.Connect with Brook: Website • Twitter • Facebook.

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