Linnea Tanner's Blog, page 11
June 12, 2024
Book Review Shire’s Union Richard Buxton #ShiresUnion #AmericanCivilWar #Historical Fiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RichardBuxton65 @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to introduce and feature the award-winning author, Richard Buxton, in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, held between June 3rd – 14th, 2024. He is the author of the Historical Fiction trilogy, Shire’s Union, consisting of the following books:
Whirligig (Book #1) was released by Ocoee Publishing on 22 March 2017 (479 pages)The Copper Road (Book #2) was released by Ocoee Publishing on 26 July 2020 (421 pages)Tigers in Blue (Book #3)was released by Ocoee Publishing on 8 December 2023 (424 pages)
Below are highlights of the Shire’s Union trilogy, Richard Buxton’s author bio, and my 5-star review of Tigers in Blue (Book 3).
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/04/blog-tour-shires-union-trilogy-by-richard-buxton.html
HIGHLIGHTS: SHIRE’S UNION TRILOGY
Blurb:
Shire leaves his home and his life in Victorian England for the sake of a childhood promise, a promise that pulls him into the bleeding heart of the American Civil War. Lost in the bloody battlefields of the West, he discovers a second home for his loyalty.
Clara believes she has escaped from a predictable future of obligation and privilege, but her new life in the Appalachian Hills of Tennessee is decaying around her. In the mansion of Comrie, long hidden secrets are being slowly exhumed by a war that creeps ever closer.
The Shire’s Union trilogy is at once an outsider’s odyssey through the battle for Tennessee, a touching story of impossible love, and a portrait of America at war with itself. Self-interest and conflict, betrayal and passion, all fuse into a fateful climax.
Written by award winning author Richard Buxton, the Shire’s Union trilogy begins with Whirligig, is continued in The Copper Road, and concludes with Tigers in Blue.
Trilogy Amazon Buy Links:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDXDZDB
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CDXDZDB
BOOKS IN SHIRE’S UNION TRILOGY
Whirligig (Book #1)
Buy Links:
https://books2read.com/u/3GP7AO
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whirligig-richard-buxton/1130891070
The Copper Road (Book #2)
Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/b5JRvR
Tigers in Blue (Book #3)
Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/mVnXaA
AUTHOR BIO: RICHARD BUXTON
Richard lives with his family in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship with America, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the late eighties. He travels extensively for research, especially in Tennessee, Georgia and Ohio, and is rarely happier than when setting off from a motel to spend the day wandering a battlefield or imagining the past close beside the churning wheel of a paddle steamer.
Richard’s short stories have won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competition and the Nivalis Short Story Award. His first novel, Whirligig (2017) was shortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award. It was followed by The Copper Road (2020) and the Shire’s Union trilogy was completed by Tigers in Blue (2023). To learn more about Richard’s writing visit www.richardbuxton.net.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.richardbuxton.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton65
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShiresUnion
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardbuxton63
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-buxton
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B06XV3FYQF/about
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16673953.Richard_Buxton
BOOK REVIEW: TIGERS IN BLUE
The ravishes of the American Civil War weigh heavily on soldiers from both sides of the American Civil War, but memories of home and family haunt them as they prepare to battle in one of the deadliest campaigns in Tigers in Blue (Book 3 Shire’s Union) by Richard Buxton. Even though I had not read the first two books in the series, I was drawn to the stories of the various characters whose fates weave together in the Franklin–Nashville Campaign. Set in the fall of 1864, the story begins with a moving scene in which Shire, a Union soldier, finds a momentary respite away from his regiment as he walks alone in the woods of Georgia. He encounters another Union sharpshooter who asks him to find a spiderweb to use as crosshairs for his rifle. The sharpshooter deftly attaches the delicate threads across his scope and comments, “Spiders spins it with death in mind and I just use it for bigger game.” Spotting a rebel scout in the distance, the sharpshooter aims his rifle at the enemy but is shot in the head before he can discharge his weapon. Shire barely escapes the surprise attack, recognizing that he’d been keeping company with death for a whole year and wasn’t free of it yet.
Other characters from both sides of the war are spun into the complex web of General Hood’s campaign to lure Sherman westward into a final decisive battle. However, instead of pursuing Hood, Sherman coordinates with Union forces already in Tennessee to counter Hood as he continues marching the bulk of his army toward Savannah. Unbeknownst to Shire as his regiments prepare to defend Nashfield, the love of his life, Clara, has purchased a farm near Franktown. There, the families of Tod, Clara’s former lover and rebel soldier, reside. Opposing forces gather at Franktown, threatening to engulf opposing armies and homesteaders in the firestorm.
Author Richard Buxton has written a powerfully moving story about historical figures whose lives are torn apart in the brutality of war. Yet, they cling to the hope of returning home. The character-driven story begins slowly as it weaves the backstories and subplots of various characters directly impacted by Hood’s campaign. The story is divided into four parts, encompassing the strategy and preparation for war on the Western front, the bloody battle at Frankfort, and the aftermath of the campaign. The author eloquently captures the tender moments that are juxtaposed with the cruelty and chaos of warfare. I rapidly turned the pages in Parts 3 and 4 to learn the fates of characters after the battle at Franktown.
Tigers in Blue is a memorable odyssey that delves into the minds and souls of people, from both sides of the American Civil War, who had to overcome the trauma of war and maintain their humanity through their love for family. Highly recommended.
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
Richard Buxton Shire’s Union #ShiresUnion #AmericanCivilWar #Historical Fiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RichardBuxton65 @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to introduce and feature the award-winning author, Richard Buxton, in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, held between June 3rd – 14th, 2024. He is the author of the Historical Fiction trilogy, Shire’s Union, consisting of the following books:
Whirligig (Book #1) was released by Ocoee Publishing on 22 March 2017 (479 pages)The Copper Road (Book #2) was released by Ocoee Publishing on 26 July 2020 (421 pages)Tigers in Blue (Book #3)was released by Ocoee Publishing on 8 December 2023 (424 pages)
Below are highlights of the Shire’s Union trilogy, Richard Buxton’s author bio, and my 5-star review of Tigers in Blue (Book 3).
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/04/blog-tour-shires-union-trilogy-by-richard-buxton.html
HIGHLIGHTS: SHIRE’S UNION TRILOGY
Blurb:
Shire leaves his home and his life in Victorian England for the sake of a childhood promise, a promise that pulls him into the bleeding heart of the American Civil War. Lost in the bloody battlefields of the West, he discovers a second home for his loyalty.
Clara believes she has escaped from a predictable future of obligation and privilege, but her new life in the Appalachian Hills of Tennessee is decaying around her. In the mansion of Comrie, long hidden secrets are being slowly exhumed by a war that creeps ever closer.
The Shire’s Union trilogy is at once an outsider’s odyssey through the battle for Tennessee, a touching story of impossible love, and a portrait of America at war with itself. Self-interest and conflict, betrayal and passion, all fuse into a fateful climax.
Written by award winning author Richard Buxton, the Shire’s Union trilogy begins with Whirligig, is continued in The Copper Road, and concludes with Tigers in Blue.
Trilogy Amazon Buy Links:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDXDZDB
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CDXDZDB
BOOKS IN SHIRE’S UNION TRILOGYWhirligig (Book #1)
Buy Links:
https://books2read.com/u/3GP7AO
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whirligig-richard-buxton/1130891070
The Copper Road (Book #2)
Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/b5JRvR
Tigers in Blue (Book #3)
Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/mVnXaA
AUTHOR BIO: RICHARD BUXTON
Richard lives with his family in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship with America, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the late eighties. He travels extensively for research, especially in Tennessee, Georgia and Ohio, and is rarely happier than when setting off from a motel to spend the day wandering a battlefield or imagining the past close beside the churning wheel of a paddle steamer.
Richard’s short stories have won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competition and the Nivalis Short Story Award. His first novel, Whirligig (2017) was shortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award. It was followed by The Copper Road (2020) and the Shire’s Union trilogy was completed by Tigers in Blue (2023). To learn more about Richard’s writing visit www.richardbuxton.net.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.richardbuxton.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton65
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShiresUnion
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardbuxton63
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-buxton
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B06XV3FYQF/about
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16673953.Richard_Buxton
BOOK REVIEW: TIGERS IN BLUE
The ravishes of the American Civil War weigh heavily on soldiers from both sides of the American Civil War, but memories of home and family haunt them as they prepare to battle in one of the deadliest campaigns in Tigers in Blue (Book 3 Shire’s Union) by Richard Buxton. Even though I had not read the first two books in the series, I was drawn to the stories of the various characters whose fates weave together in the Franklin–Nashville Campaign. Set in the fall of 1864, the story begins with a moving scene in which Shire, a Union soldier, finds a momentary respite away from his regiment as he walks alone in the woods of Georgia. He encounters another Union sharpshooter who asks him to find a spiderweb to use as crosshairs for his rifle. The sharpshooter deftly attaches the delicate threads across his scope and comments, “Spiders spins it with death in mind and I just use it for bigger game.” Spotting a rebel scout in the distance, the sharpshooter aims his rifle at the enemy but is shot in the head before he can discharge his weapon. Shire barely escapes the surprise attack, recognizing that he’d been keeping company with death for a whole year and wasn’t free of it yet.
Other characters from both sides of the war are spun into the complex web of General Hood’s campaign to lure Sherman westward into a final decisive battle. However, instead of pursuing Hood, Sherman coordinates with Union forces already in Tennessee to counter Hood as he continues marching the bulk of his army toward Savannah. Unbeknownst to Shire as his regiments prepare to defend Nashfield, the love of his life, Clara, has purchased a farm near Franktown. There, the families of Tod, Clara’s former lover and rebel soldier, reside. Opposing forces gather at Franktown, threatening to engulf opposing armies and homesteaders in the firestorm.Author Richard Buxton has written a powerfully moving story about historical figures whose lives are torn apart in the brutality of war. Yet, they cling to the hope of returning home. The character-driven story begins slowly as it weaves the backstories and subplots of various characters directly impacted by Hood’s campaign. The story is divided into four parts, encompassing the strategy and preparation for war on the Western front, the bloody battle at Frankfort, and the aftermath of the campaign. The author eloquently captures the tender moments that are juxtaposed with the cruelty and chaos of warfare. I rapidly turned the pages in Parts 3 and 4 to learn the fates of characters after the battle at Franktown.
Tigers in Blue is a memorable odyssey that delves into the minds and souls of people, from both sides of the American Civil War, who had to overcome the trauma of war and maintain their humanity through their love for family. Highly recommended.
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
June 5, 2024
Michèle Callard The Sand Vines #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #FamilySaga #BelleEpoque #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn
I‘m delighted to introduce Michèle Callard as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, held between June 3rd – 7th, 2024. Michèle Callard is the author of the Historical Fiction, The Sand Vines (The Vine Saga Series), released by Millefeuille Press on 01 May 2024 (400 pages).
Below are highlights of The Sand Vines, Michèle Callard’s author bio, and an excerpt from her book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/04/blog-tour-the-sand-vines-by-michele-callard.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE SAND VINES
The Sand Vines
(The Vine Saga Series)
By Michèle Callard
Blurb:
Bordeaux 1870 – Life is hard on the moor.
If Flore, a shepherd’s daughter, is not married by autumn, she must go into service and lose everything she holds dear.
Back from the French army, the dashing Ricar has set her heart and body on fire. Will he propose to her before it is too late?
Martial, the viscount’s son, adores Flore from afar, aware that she can never be his. When a betrayal and a forest fire put Flore in danger, Martial seizes his chance, grabs her hand, and takes her to safety far away in the north of France, hoping they might start afresh. But war looms.
Will it bring them together or tear them apart?
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/b6JzXZ
AUTHOR BIO: MICHÈLE CALLARD
Michèle Callard grew up in France. A country girl at heart, she swapped her Paris flat for a cottage in rural England where she lives with her Irish husband and the youngest of her three sons.
She writes fast-paced novels set in different regions of France, bursting with authentic characters, colours, flavours, and history.
Author Links:
Website: https://michelecallard.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelecallardauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michele.oconnell.44
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@michele.oconnell.44
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/oconnellofsalford
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/michele-callard
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michèle-CALLARD/author/B09WRT58ZT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22320819.Mich_le_Callard
EXCERPT: THE SAND VINES
Balloons above, rats below
Martial, Jules and Mary were walking home from the soup kitchen. They had kept people alive for another day but how long could this siege go on? A freezing fog fuzzed the harsh edges of the Parisian winter. Inside the thick cottonwool cloud, sporadic noises intensified, ghostly figures stirred in the greyness, but what struck Martial was not so much what he could hear, but the sounds that had gone: the clatter of hoofs, the shouts of drivers, oaths, creaking wheels, the cries of hawkers and the hurdy-gurdies of street singers.
Paris was silent. All that remained were the shuffle of clogs, the pointless marching of national guards, and the clippety-clop of the last horses spared for pulling hearses.
A street urchin popped in front of him. ‘Father Martial?’
‘Jojo!’ Martial’s face broke into a grin. ‘Bon sang, you gave me a fright. Where did you spring from?’ He remembered the boy. A regular attendee of the soup kitchen he patronised, Jojo was famous for his quips and irreverent songs.
‘I’m doing fine, Father. Really well, in fact.’ Jojo threw Mary a side glance and winked. ‘She the doctor’s girlfriend?’
‘The lady is a doctor too. An American doctor.’
Jojo let out a slow whistle of admiration. After a few seconds, he said with a grin, ‘Want to see where I live?’
‘You’ve found a place to stay?’ Martial’s question remained unanswered. Jojo had disappeared.
Mary and Jules searched around the tall white façades, their wrought-iron balconies visible in the mist.
‘Psst!’ A hirsute head popped up, level with the pavement.
‘Saperlipopette!’ Jules pulled up his trousers and peered down.
‘Come, Father, Monsieur Jules. I’ll show you.’ The boy hesitated. ‘Not sure about having a lady down there.’ He grinned, uncovering a missing tooth. ‘Mind you, before the siege, ladies did pay a fair few sous to visit the sewers. Over the water they trundled, in a little train pulled by a horse. The King of Protudal even went down there.’
‘The King of Portugal indeed?’ Martial smiled at Jojo, King of the Sewers. ‘Doesn’t it get smelly down there?’
Jules peered down.
‘Come and have a sniff for yourself, monsieur.’
Jules’s grey hat disappeared below the pavement. Mary tucked up her skirt and followed him down the ladder.
Martial stepped down carefully and stood mouth open.
‘Bienvenue chez moi!’
A vast dome glimmered in the strange light that filtered from the grilles along the walls, reflecting a tidy canal. Fourteen feet high and very wide, the space radiated calm, only disturbed by the odd plop. The fetid air was warmer than outside, and in a corner, Jojo had decorated his living quarters with an artistic installation of scavenged objects. Milk churns mostly.
Scrabbles and squeaks rose from one of them. Mary took a step, peered into it and shot back. ‘Gee whillikers! Rats!’
‘Eh oui, madame.’ Jojo pulled the plank that leaned against the churn.
‘Corne tonnerre, boy, do you catch them to sell?’ Jules cautiously glanced into the tall metal receptacle and called Martial over.
Rats were scrabbling on top of each other, covered in a shiny substance. Using the bodies of the weaker ones as launching pads, the stronger ones jumped but never reached the top.
‘I catch them with sugar.’ Jojo beamed. ‘We’ve a shortage of everything, but Paris has enough sugar and booze to last a whole year. Rats smell it, run up this plank and—’ A lid swivelled around a piece of doweling. ‘Woosh! The lid tilts and they fall in. All I have to do is skin ’em, thread ’em onto a stick and sell ’em as brochettes.’
‘Yes,’ Martial said weakly. ‘I saw them at the butcher’s.’
‘I can deliver a few to your house tomorrow if you want. I’m sold out at the moment.’
‘Thank you, Jojo,’ Martial replied diplomatically. ‘I’m sure you’ll find customers who will appreciate them more than we might.’
‘For sure. The gentlemen from the ’cademy did a blindfold test, you know, between rat, cat, dog and bird, and they all agreed that rat was the best meat. I preficted the method to catch ’em, and I’m taking orders. The other day, I even sold some to a cook from a big restaurant. Made them into a terrine with spitachio, he said, and champagne. I peeped inside that place when I was delivering. Very grand. Gold everywhere. He gave me some bread. White bread too, and us three months into the siege.’
‘Can’t say I even remember the taste of white bread,’ Jules muttered.
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
June 4, 2024
Book Review The Lost Women of Mill Street Kinley Bryan #HistoricalFiction #WomenInHistory #AmericanCivilWar #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @kinleybauthor @cathiedunn
I am delighted to host Kinley Bryan as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, held between May 14th – June 4th, 2024. Kinley Bryan is the author of the Historical Fiction, The Lost Women of Mill Street, released by Blue Mug Press on May 7, 2024 (300 pages).
Below are highlights of The Lost Women of Mill Street, Kinley Bryan’s author bio, and book review.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/03/blog-tour-the-lost-women-of-mill-street-by-kinley-bryan.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE LOST WOMEN OF MILL STREET
The Lost Women of Mill Street
by Kinley Bryan
Blurb:
1864: As Sherman’s army marches toward Atlanta, a cotton mill commandeered by the Confederacy lies in its path. Inside the mill, Clara Douglas weaves cloth and watches over her sister Kitty, waiting for the day her fiancé returns from the West.
When Sherman’s troops destroy the mill, Clara’s plans to start a new life in Nebraska are threatened. The millworkers are branded as traitors and exiled to a desolate refugee prison hundreds of miles from home. Clara and Kitty hold no sympathy for the Confederacy; nevertheless, they must leave behind everything they’ve ever known.
Clara clings to hope while grappling with doubts about her fiancé’s ambitions and the unsettling truths surrounding his absence. As the days pass, the sisters find themselves thrust onto the foreign streets of Cincinnati, a city teeming with uncertainty and strife. She must summon reserves of courage, ingenuity, and strength she didn’t know she had if they are to survive in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming land.
Inspired by true events of the Civil War, The Lost Women of Mill Street is a vividly drawn novel about the bonds of sisterhood, the strength of women, and the repercussions of war on individual lives.
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/lostwomenofmillstreet
AUTHOR BIO: KINLEY BRYAN
Kinley Bryan’s debut novel, Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury, inspired by the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 and her own family history, won the 2022 Publishers Weekly Selfies Award for adult fiction. An Ohio native, she lives in South Carolina with her husband and three children. The Lost Women of Mill Street is her second novel.
Author Links:
Website: https://kinleybryan.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kinleybauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinleyBryanWrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinleybryanauthor/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kinley-bryan
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kinley-Bryan/author/B09J5GWDLX
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21892910.Kinley_Bryan
BOOK REVIEW: THE LOST WOMEN OF MILL STREET
Set in the later stages of the American Civil War, The Lost Women of Mill Street by Kinley Bryan is a coming-of-age tale about Clara Douglas and her younger sister Kitty, caught in the firestorm of General Sherman’s march to Atlanta. Orphaned as teenagers, Clara and Kitty struggle to survive the harsh working conditions of weaving on industrial looms in Roswell, Georgia. Clara clings to the hope that her fiancée will return and take her to Nebraska to homestead. Compounding their problems is the overseer’s unwanted attention on Kitty. He is mysteriously found drowned in a creek after the Union Army burns the city and then the mill to the ground. Some suspect Clara of his murder as Union forces round up all the mill workers and take them on an arduous trip north to Cincinnati. Clara and Kitty must find ways to support themselves in a city where they are considered traitors. They must draw on their ingenuity and resilience to survive.
Author Kinley Bryan has written a memorable story of how two women rise above their desperate situation to find their true pathway on life’s journey. It is based on a historical event in 1864 when mill workers, mostly women and children, were arrested and sent north by Federal forces. The fate of most remains a mystery.
Told from the perspective of Clara, The Lost Women of Mill Street is a coming-of-age story about two sisters who support each other as they find careers for which they are passionate. Their relationship is sometimes contentious, but their overriding loyalty and love for each other give them strength to overcome self-doubt and wartime obstacles.
Young modern-day women figuring out where they belong in their world will relate to Clara and Kitty. Descriptions of the devastation of war-torn areas are vivid but not too graphic. An element of romance is woven into the storyline, but the overarching theme is sisterhood and finding yourself. It is an uplifting story suitable for young adults. However, the unexpected twist in the climax did not work well for me, but others may feel otherwise.
The Lost Women of Mill Street is suggested for those who enjoy reading uplifting, historical stories about two young women supporting each other and rising to overcome unfortunate circumstances.
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
June 2, 2024
Author Interview Johanna Wittenberg #Vikings #Norsewomen #Shieldmaidens
I am excited to feature Johanna Wittenberg—the author of the best-selling The Norsewomen series. I became acquainted with Johanna’s work when I reviewed The Queen of Hel (Book 5) and The Queen of War (Book 6) for the Historical Novel Society (HNS). Johanna is a masterful storyteller reminiscent of the oral traditions of skalds retelling Nordic mythological tales and legends. The saga sweeps you into the adventures of the seafaring Vikings and depicts their religious beliefs and culture. Battle scenes and mythical realms of the afterlife are riveting and cinematic in scope.
Johanna graciously accepted my invitation for an interview which provides a fascinating insight into her as an author and her books. In addition, below are highlights of her last two books (The Queen of Hel and The Queen of War), her author bio, and social links.
HIGHLIGHTS: THE QUEEN OF HEL
The Queen of Hel
(Book 5
The Norsewomen
)
by Johanna Wittenberg
Blurb:
Norway, AD 824. The evil Queen in the Mound is dead, the Irish necklace held fast in her ghoulish grip. Undisturbed, the queen’s curse lies dormant. But Ragnhild attempts to retrieve the necklace, unleashing a pestilence on Tromøy. As her people sicken and die, Asa must seek the cure in the Otherworld. Leaving her beloved son behind, she travels alone to the dark world deep underground, a place from which mortals never return. The realm of Hel herself.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/Queenofhel
The Nordic saga The Queen of Hel (Book 5 of The Norsewomen) continues the mythological adventures of historical figures and legends from Norway and Ireland in 824 CE. The epic tale begins when Ragnhild, a female warrior, travels to Tromøy to retrieve the queen’s necklace that she secretly stole from her husband’s cousin, a king in Ireland. To avoid a rift in her husband’s family, she must return the pendant before it is discovered missing. Ragnhild learns Åsa has beheaded and buried the former evil queen with the gold chain clutched in her hand. As a result of Ragnhild digging up the corpse to recover the powerful necklace, a deadly disease unleashes over the land. Desperate to find a cure, Åsa must travel to Hel and find the queen from the mound to lift the curse. But no mortal has ever returned from the dark, underground world.
Author Johanna Wittenberg’s narrative prose is reminiscent of the rich tradition of oral storytelling during the Nordic heroic age. Mythical elements are woven into Åsa’s odyssey as she rides on horseback through Niflheim—the land of freezing mist—to reach Hel. Vivid sensory descriptions of the Otherworld and the travails Åsa must overcome are cinematic and epic in scope. The saga not only sweeps you into the mystical realms of the afterlife, it historically depicts Nordic culture, oral traditions, and seafaring adventures to Ireland, where Celtic religion and Christianity clash. Glossaries of characters, terms, and gods and heroes help readers navigate through the tale.
The Queen of Hel seamlessly weaves elements of Norse and Celtic mythology into an epic Viking adventure that will enthrall readers with its evocative and imaginative storytelling.
Historical Novel Society HNR Issue 104 (May 2023)
HIGHLIGHTS: THE QUEEN OF WAR
The Queen of War
(Book 6
The Norsewomen
)
by Johanna Wittenberg
Blurb:
An old enemy has been secretly watching Tromøy, probing for any weakness. An opportunity presents itself and he strikes, capturing Åsa. Imprisoned by a mighty king and his powerful sorceress, Åsa must survive by her wits while her allies launch a desperate rescue attempt against overwhelming odds. Cornered and outnumbered by her enemy, Åsa summons the dark power of war magic to save her people.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/Queenofwar
The epic Nordic saga, The Queen of War (Book 6 of The Norsewomen), continues the legendary tale of Queen Åsa from Tromøy, an island off the east coast of Norway. Sufficient backstory is provided so the book can be read as a standalone. The tale begins in 825 CE, a year after Åsa survived an odyssey to Hel to break a curse that unleashed a deadly plague in her kingdom. With her kingdom at peace, she arranges for her six-year-old son to be mentored by his biological father and her previous secret lover. However, her world turns upside down when she is captured by the Danish king, Horik, who is determined to make her his queen in his scheme to conquer and rule the Norwegian coast. Against all odds, Åsa has to find a way to escape imprisonment and warn her Norse allies of Horik’s threat. She must rely on her cunning and magic to thwart the Danish invasion and save her people.
Author Johanna Wittenberg is a masterful storyteller reminiscent of the oral traditions of skalds retelling mythological tales and legends. The author vividly describes battle scenes that are riveting and cinematic in scope. The fast-paced adventure races to a heart-throbbing climax where Norsemen and Danes ultimately clash. Mystical elements seamlessly weave into the historical backdrop of medieval Scandinavia. A sorceress, Åsa can cast spells and spiritually meld with a falcon to see through its eyes. A list of characters, maps, and glossaries of Norse terms, gods, and heroes helps the reader to navigate through the story.
The Queen of War is an epic adventure that captures the battle tactics, religious beliefs, and culture of the seafaring Vikings. Highly recommended.
Editor’s Choice Historical Novel Society HNR Issue 108 (May 2024).
THE NORSEWOMEN SERIES
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/TheNorsewomen
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Norse & Icelandic Fiction, Norse & Viking Myth & Legend
AUTHOR BIO: JOHANNA WITTENBERG
Johanna Wittenberg is the author of the bestselling The Norsewomen Series, the story of Åsa, a real Norse queen who ruled alone during the early Viking Age. Like her Viking forebears, Johanna has sailed to the far reaches of the world. She lives on a fjord in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, whom she met on a ship bound for Antarctica.
Social Links:
Author Website: https://johannawittenberg.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNorseQueen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norsewomen5/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/johanna-wittenberg
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JOHANNA WITTENBERG
Would you give us an overview of the books you’ve published in The Norsewomen series?
So far the series consists of 6 books, starting with The Norse Queen. The first book is based on the brief tale of Queen Åsa from Snorri Sturleson’s Heimskringla. In the subsequent books, I imagined Åsa’s life after she vanished from history, using what I had learned from my extensive research into archeology, myth, and the sagas.
Please tell us more about your most recently released books: The Queen of Hel (Book 5) and The Queen of War (Book 6) in The Norsewomen series.
The Queen of Hel focuses on Åsa’s journey to the realm of Hel. It’s based on several accounts drawn from the sagas. In the second half of the book, the shield-maiden Ragnhild journeys back to Ireland to return a cursed necklace she had stolen. She defends the holy island of Iona from a Viking raid and has a run-in with the Picts of Dal Riata.
In The Queen of War Åsa is kidnapped by the Danish King Horik (a real person) and she must use her wits and magic to escape, while her allies launch a desperate rescue attempt. I was fascinated by Horik’s history as well as the archeology of a fortress that may have been his stronghold.
What inspired you to write about legendary women in The Norsewomen series?
My mother, an artist of Norwegian descent, created a series of images that revived the ornamental style preserved in wood carvings and metalwork of the Viking age. Her art now graces my covers. Together we discovered Queen Åsa. I was enthralled by the idea that a woman ruled alone for 18 years in the early Viking Age, a time of constant war and violence in Scandinavia. What kind of woman could do that?
Mom introduced me to the museums of Oslo. I spent hours in them, especially the Viking Ship museum which housed the magnificent Oseberg burial ship.
It is a 70-foot Viking longship loaded with artifacts, one of the greatest ship burials found in Norway and one of the most important discoveries that show us how people lived in the Viking age. The burial contained the remains of two women, and no evidence of any men. It is thought by many to be Åsa’s grave.
There are numerous other burials throughout Scandinavia that suggest some women held great power and status during the Viking Age.
How much research was involved in writing your books? How did you go ABOUT researching the history, myths, language, and culture of the Vikings?
I put in literally years of research. The first book took me 6 years to write and publish. The subsequent books in the series take about a year each from beginning to end. I love research! I have a substantial research library, each book bristling with post-it flags. I use the internet extensively as well, with scholarly sites such as Academia.edu and JSTOR.org. I have traveled to Scandinavia and Ireland several times and walked the lands in my stories. I really want to be there, to see the events in real life, and writing fiction is the next best thing.
Why did you choose to weave mythological elements into The Norsewomen series?
Accuracy. I started out writing a straight historical novel with no supernatural elements, but soon discovered that it is virtually impossible to portray the era accurately without including the spiritual beliefs of the time. During the early medieval period, everyone believed in magic and the gods, even Christian priests. They believed in it to the extent that they wrote laws forbidding specific magical practices. I want to show the world as the Vikings saw it, not as a modern person sees it. For the reader to immerse themselves in the world, magic has to be real. The supernatural and mythological elements I portray in my books is based on careful research and is as true to what the Norse believed as I can make it. I have a lot of fun with it, too, especially in The Queen of Hel.
Is there any sub-character in The Queen of Hel (Book 5) OR The Queen of War (Book 6) who is your favorite? Explain why.
I love Brother Brian. He just popped into my mind as I was writing, with his entire history. I love the idea of a gentle druid who has transcended time and space. Another favorite is Cian. He also popped into my mind as I was writing. King Horik was playing chess, and I became aware that he was playing with someone…a slave… Cian appeared, with his thoughts and then his back story of a gifted harper. These types of characters are so real to me!
What is your favorite quote from one of your books in The Norsewomen series?
She remembered a song her mother taught her when she was very young, a vardlokkur, in words humans could not understand. It was a song to call the dísir, the loving spirits of the dead.
PODCAST: SHIELDMAIDENS
Johanna Wittenberg has a monthly podcast, Shieldmaidens, Women of the Norse World, with fellow author K.S. Barton. They have a great time sharing their research as well as some good Norse legends. Here’s a link tree to most platforms like Spotify: Shieldmaidens: Women of the Norse World. It’s also available on Youtube; here’s a link to the latest episode: Shieldmaidens on Youtube.
Author Interview Johanne Wittenberg #Vikings, #Norsewomen, #Shieldmaidens
I am excited to feature Johanne Witternberg—the author of the best-selling The Norsewomen series. I became acquainted with Johanne’s work when I reviewed The Queen of Hel (Book 5) and The Queen of War (Book 6) for the Historical Novel Society (HNS). Johanna is a masterful storyteller reminiscent of the oral traditions of skalds retelling Nordic mythological tales and legends. The saga sweeps you into the adventures of the seafaring Vikings and depicts their religious beliefs and culture. Battle scenes and mythical realms of the afterlife are riveting and cinematic in scope.
Johanne graciously accepted my invitation for an interview which provides a fascinating insight into her as an author and her books. In addition, below are highlights of her last two books (The Queen of Hel and The Queen of War), her author bio, and social links.
HIGHLIGHTS: THE QUEEN OF HEL
The Queen of Hel
(Book 5
The Norsewomen
)
by Johanna Wittenberg
Blurb:
Norway, AD 824. The evil Queen in the Mound is dead, the Irish necklace held fast in her ghoulish grip. Undisturbed, the queen’s curse lies dormant. But Ragnhild attempts to retrieve the necklace, unleashing a pestilence on Tromøy. As her people sicken and die, Asa must seek the cure in the Otherworld. Leaving her beloved son behind, she travels alone to the dark world deep underground, a place from which mortals never return. The realm of Hel herself.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/Queenofhel
The Nordic saga The Queen of Hel (Book 5 of The Norsewomen) continues the mythological adventures of historical figures and legends from Norway and Ireland in 824 CE. The epic tale begins when Ragnhild, a female warrior, travels to Tromøy to retrieve the queen’s necklace that she secretly stole from her husband’s cousin, a king in Ireland. To avoid a rift in her husband’s family, she must return the pendant before it is discovered missing. Ragnhild learns Åsa has beheaded and buried the former evil queen with the gold chain clutched in her hand. As a result of Ragnhild digging up the corpse to recover the powerful necklace, a deadly disease unleashes over the land. Desperate to find a cure, Åsa must travel to Hel and find the queen from the mound to lift the curse. But no mortal has ever returned from the dark, underground world.
Author Johanna Wittenberg’s narrative prose is reminiscent of the rich tradition of oral storytelling during the Nordic heroic age. Mythical elements are woven into Åsa’s odyssey as she rides on horseback through Niflheim—the land of freezing mist—to reach Hel. Vivid sensory descriptions of the Otherworld and the travails Åsa must overcome are cinematic and epic in scope. The saga not only sweeps you into the mystical realms of the afterlife, it historically depicts Nordic culture, oral traditions, and seafaring adventures to Ireland, where Celtic religion and Christianity clash. Glossaries of characters, terms, and gods and heroes help readers navigate through the tale.
The Queen of Hel seamlessly weaves elements of Norse and Celtic mythology into an epic Viking adventure that will enthrall readers with its evocative and imaginative storytelling.
Historical Novel Society HNR Issue 104 (May 2023)
HIGHLIGHTS: THE QUEEN OF WAR
The Queen of War
(Book 6
The Norsewomen
)
by Johanna Wittenberg
Blurb:
An old enemy has been secretly watching Tromøy, probing for any weakness. An opportunity presents itself and he strikes, capturing Åsa. Imprisoned by a mighty king and his powerful sorceress, Åsa must survive by her wits while her allies launch a desperate rescue attempt against overwhelming odds. Cornered and outnumbered by her enemy, Åsa summons the dark power of war magic to save her people.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/Queenofwar
The epic Nordic saga, The Queen of War (Book 6 of The Norsewomen), continues the legendary tale of Queen Åsa from Tromøy, an island off the east coast of Norway. Sufficient backstory is provided so the book can be read as a standalone. The tale begins in 825 CE, a year after Åsa survived an odyssey to Hel to break a curse that unleashed a deadly plague in her kingdom. With her kingdom at peace, she arranges for her six-year-old son to be mentored by his biological father and her previous secret lover. However, her world turns upside down when she is captured by the Danish king, Horik, who is determined to make her his queen in his scheme to conquer and rule the Norwegian coast. Against all odds, Åsa has to find a way to escape imprisonment and warn her Norse allies of Horik’s threat. She must rely on her cunning and magic to thwart the Danish invasion and save her people.
Author Johanna Wittenberg is a masterful storyteller reminiscent of the oral traditions of skalds retelling mythological tales and legends. The author vividly describes battle scenes that are riveting and cinematic in scope. The fast-paced adventure races to a heart-throbbing climax where Norsemen and Danes ultimately clash. Mystical elements seamlessly weave into the historical backdrop of medieval Scandinavia. A sorceress, Åsa can cast spells and spiritually meld with a falcon to see through its eyes. A list of characters, maps, and glossaries of Norse terms, gods, and heroes helps the reader to navigate through the story.
The Queen of War is an epic adventure that captures the battle tactics, religious beliefs, and culture of the seafaring Vikings. Highly recommended.
Editor’s Choice Historical Novel Society HNR Issue 108 (May 2024).
THE NORSEWOMEN SERIES
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/TheNorsewomen
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Norse & Icelandic Fiction, Norse & Viking Myth & Legend
AUTHOR BIO: JOHANNE WITTENBERG
Johanna Wittenberg is the author of the bestselling The Norsewomen Series, the story of Åsa, a real Norse queen who ruled alone during the early Viking Age. Like her Viking forebears, Johanna has sailed to the far reaches of the world. She lives on a fjord in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, whom she met on a ship bound for Antarctica.
Social Links:
Author Website: https://johannawittenberg.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNorseQueen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norsewomen5/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/johanna-wittenberg
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JOHANNE WITTENBERG
Would you give us an overview of the books you’ve published in The Norsewomen series?
So far the series consists of 6 books, starting with The Norse Queen. The first book is based on the brief tale of Queen Åsa from Snorri Sturleson’s Heimskringla. In the subsequent books, I imagined Åsa’s life after she vanished from history, using what I had learned from my extensive research into archeology, myth, and the sagas.
Please tell us more about your most recently released books: The Queen of Hel (Book 5) and The Queen of War (Book 6) in The Norsewomen series.
The Queen of Hel focuses on Åsa’s journey to the realm of Hel. It’s based on several accounts drawn from the sagas. In the second half of the book, the shield-maiden Ragnhild journeys back to Ireland to return a cursed necklace she had stolen. She defends the holy island of Iona from a Viking raid and has a run-in with the Picts of Dal Riata.
In The Queen of War Åsa is kidnapped by the Danish King Horik (a real person) and she must use her wits and magic to escape, while her allies launch a desperate rescue attempt. I was fascinated by Horik’s history as well as the archeology of a fortress that may have been his stronghold.
What inspired you to write about legendary women in The Norsewomen series?
My mother, an artist of Norwegian descent, created a series of images that revived the ornamental style preserved in wood carvings and metalwork of the Viking age. Her art now graces my covers. Together we discovered Queen Åsa. I was enthralled by the idea that a woman ruled alone for 18 years in the early Viking Age, a time of constant war and violence in Scandinavia. What kind of woman could do that?
Mom introduced me to the museums of Oslo. I spent hours in them, especially the Viking Ship museum which housed the magnificent Oseberg burial ship.
It is a 70-foot Viking longship loaded with artifacts, one of the greatest ship burials found in Norway and one of the most important discoveries that show us how people lived in the Viking age. The burial contained the remains of two women, and no evidence of any men. It is thought by many to be Åsa’s grave.
There are numerous other burials throughout Scandinavia that suggest some women held great power and status during the Viking Age.
How much research was involved in writing your books? How did you go ABOUT researching the history, myths, language, and culture of the Vikings?
I put in literally years of research. The first book took me 6 years to write and publish. The subsequent books in the series take about a year each from beginning to end. I love research! I have a substantial research library, each book bristling with post-it flags. I use the internet extensively as well, with scholarly sites such as Academia.edu and JSTOR.org. I have traveled to Scandinavia and Ireland several times and walked the lands in my stories. I really want to be there, to see the events in real life, and writing fiction is the next best thing.
Why did you choose to weave mythological elements into The Norsewomen series?
Accuracy. I started out writing a straight historical novel with no supernatural elements, but soon discovered that it is virtually impossible to portray the era accurately without including the spiritual beliefs of the time. During the early medieval period, everyone believed in magic and the gods, even Christian priests. They believed in it to the extent that they wrote laws forbidding specific magical practices. I want to show the world as the Vikings saw it, not as a modern person sees it. For the reader to immerse themselves in the world, magic has to be real. The supernatural and mythological elements I portray in my books is based on careful research and is as true to what the Norse believed as I can make it. I have a lot of fun with it, too, especially in The Queen of Hel.
Is there any sub-character in The Queen of Hel (Book 5) OR The Queen of War (Book 6) who is your favorite? Explain why.
I love Brother Brian. He just popped into my mind as I was writing, with his entire history. I love the idea of a gentle druid who has transcended time and space. Another favorite is Cian. He also popped into my mind as I was writing. King Horik was playing chess, and I became aware that he was playing with someone…a slave… Cian appeared, with his thoughts and then his back story of a gifted harper. These types of characters are so real to me!
What is your favorite quote from one of your books in The Norsewomen series?
She remembered a song her mother taught her when she was very young, a vardlokkur, in words humans could not understand. It was a song to call the dísir, the loving spirits of the dead.
PODCAST: SHIELDMAIDENS
Johanne Wittenberg has a monthly podcast, Shieldmaidens, Women of the Norse World, with fellow author K.S. Barton. They have a great time sharing their research as well as some good Norse legends. Here’s a link tree to most platforms like Spotify: Shieldmaidens: Women of the Norse World. It’s also available on Youtube; here’s a link to the latest episode: Shieldmaidens on Youtube.
May 23, 2024
Bonnie Suchman Stumbling Stones #HistoricalFiction #JewishHistory #FamilyHistory #WWII #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @BonnieSuchman @cathiedunn
I‘m delighted to feature Bonnie Suchman in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 20th – 31st, 2024. Bonnie Suchman is the author of the Historical Fiction, Stumbling Stones, released by Black Rose Writing on May 9, 2024 (282 pages)
Below are highlights of Stumbling Stones, Bonnie Suchman’s author bio, and her compelling guest post about understanding the challenges for Jews fleeing Nazi Germany after Adolph Hitler came to power in 1933.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/03/blog-tour-stumbling-stones-by-bonnie-suchman.html
HIGHLIGHTS: STUMBLING STONES
Stumbling Stones
by Bonnie Suchman
Blurb:
Shortlisted for the Hawthorn Prize 2024
“Alice knew that Selma sometimes felt judged by their mother and didn’t always like it when Alice was praised and Selma was not. Alice glanced over at her sister, but Selma was smiling at Alice. In what Alice understood might be Selma’s last act of generosity towards her sister, Selma was going to let Alice bask in the glow of Emma’s pride toward her elder daughter. Then the three shared a hug, a hug that seemed to last forever.”
Alice Heppenheimer, born into a prosperous German Jewish family around the turn of the twentieth century, comes of age at a time of growing opportunities for women.
So, when she turns 21 years old, she convinces her strict family to allow her to attend art school, and then pursues a career in women’s fashion. Alice prospers in her career and settles into married life, but she could not anticipate a Nazi Germany, where simply being Jewish has become an existential threat. Stumbling Stones is a novel based on the true story of a woman driven to achieve at a time of persecution and hatred, and who is reluctant to leave the only home she has ever known.
But as strong and resilient as Alice is, she now faces the ultimate challenge – will she and her husband be able to escape Nazi Germany or have they waited too long to leave?
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4ND1x8
AUTHOR BIO: BONNIE SUCHMAN
Bonnie Suchman is an attorney who has been practicing law for forty years. Using her legal skills, she researched her husband’s family’s 250-year history in Germany and published a non-fiction book about the family, Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Germany. Bonnie found one member of the family, Alice Heppenheimer, particularly compelling. Stumbling Stones tells Alice’s story. Bonnie has two adult children and lives in Maryland with her husband, Bruce.
Author Links:
Website: www.bonniesuchman.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieSuchman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556457672565
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonniesuchmanauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bonniesuchman/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bonnie-suchman
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bonnie-Suchman/author/B09L3BDVRQ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21796158.Bonnie_Suchman
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES FOR JEWS FLEEING NAZI GERMANY
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Jews represented less than one percent of the German population. Yet, the Nazis made anti-Semitism a core component of their ideology and encouraged Jews to leave Germany. With all that we know about how the Jews were treated by the Nazis, one must wonder why German Jews didn’t leave in 1933. The answer to this question is complicated, which is one of the reasons why I wrote Stumbling Stones.
When they first took power, the Nazis understood that any actions taken against the German Jewish population to encourage emigration would raise an immediate problem – Jews held great wealth in Germany and the sudden loss of capital could negatively impact an economy still reeling from the depression. In addition, early in his tenure, Adolf Hitler made the decision to rearm Germany, and Germany needed capital to pay for such armament.
To prevent Jewish capital flight, the Nazi government lowered the threshold for application of the Reich Flight Tax, which taxed all assets leaving Germany at a rate of 25 percent. Prospective emigrants were also required to move all of their money into a blocked account in a subsidiary of the Reichbank, to purchase foreign currency at a very unfavorable exchange rate, and then to have a 20% fee applied. These measures would have resulted in a loss of about half of the value of assets, so that German Jews of means tended to remain in Germany, at least in the early years of the Nazi regime. Instead, mostly young people or those with few assets chose to leave Germany.
For those who made the decision to leave, their options were limited. Most of those leaving Germany fled to a neighboring European country or to Palestine (which was Israel before independence in 1948). The US had in place restrictions on immigration, the most challenging of which was the “likely public charge” clause, which required that a financial sponsor be found for the potential immigrant. Mostly because of this clause, only 10% of the US quota for German immigration in 1933 was filled.
When Hitler first came to power in 1933, there were a number of anti-Semitic actions taken, but fearing that too many actions could jeopardize German foreign trade or damage the economic revival at home, there was a reduction in such actions in 1934. Moreover, there was concern that actions towards Jews could also jeopardize the Olympic Games that were to take place in Berlin in 1936. Because of this inconsistency in approach towards German Jews, many Jews opted to remain in Germany, hoping that 1933 was an anomaly and that conditions would improve.
A shift in approach to Germany’s JewS began in 1935 with the enactment of the Nuremberg Laws. These laws became the cornerstone for legalized persecution against German Jews. The Nuremberg Laws defined who was a Jew and then stripped all Jews of German citizenship, as well as prohibited marriages and extramarital sexual intercourse between Jews and non-Jews. These laws fueled the removal of Jews from German society. Many Jewish-owned businesses were pressured to close, and Jews were restricted in what employment they could hold. Many Jews lost their jobs as a result.
Moreover, Germany increased the pace of plunder. The fee assessed after the Reich Flight Tax was paid increased to 68% in 1935 and 81% in 1936. And the Gestapo also became involved with Jewish emigration, working with the tax office to monitor emigration activity. Because of this collaboration, Jews who had announced that they were leaving found themselves subject to phony taxes and sometimes even arrest. By the time of Kristallnacht at the end of 1938, it was essentially impossible for Jews to leave Germany with any of their assets. Any German Jew leaving at that time could leave with just 10 Reichmarks, the equivalent of approximately fifty dollars.
For those German Jews who had opted to emigrate before Kristallnacht, finding a place to emigrate still remained a challenge. By 1937, 129,000 had left Germany, but 371,000 still remained. In 1936, just 25% of the US quota for Germans was reached, likely because of the “likely public charge” clause. And emigration to Palestine was curtailed beginning in 1936, so that, by 1939, virtually no German Jews were able to emigrate. The US government started to ease sponsorship requirements beginning in 1937, so that about half of the quota was reached that year. Only in 1939 was the quota fully reached, but, by this point, Jews on the waiting list would be waiting years for a spot.
Until 1938, measures taken by the Nazis were intended to limit the assets Jews could take with them, but measures after Kristallnacht actually inhibited Jewish emigration. In order to leave, Jews still needed the tax clearance certificate, but for many Jews, obtaining that certificate became increasingly difficult. The Nazi government assessed a new 25% levy on all Jewish assets after Kristallnacht to cover the damage and cleanup costs of the pogrom. Not only was this an additional cost, but the levy was based on the value of the assets as of April 1938. The plummeting value of Jewish assets after Kristallnacht made it impossible for many Jews to pay the levy, particularly for those who could not sell their property because it carried a Jewish stigma. And the appearance of phony taxes owed were preventing German Jews from receiving their tax clearance certificates. And complaining about those fake taxes made it even harder to clear their tax obligations. Some were even arrested after complaining about the phony taxes.
Those who could not clear their tax obligations were stuck in Germany, and the waiting list for US visas grew longer and longer, as those German Jews who were reluctant to leave finally saw the writing on the wall and decided to try to leave. But, by the middle of 1941, it was almost impossible to leave. When the German borders were finally closed in October 1941, 170,000 German Jews were still left in Germany. The Nazi government was then able to finally achieve its goal of total plunder of Jewish assets. The assets in all the blocked accounts were seized and the other assets left behind were confiscated, both from Jews who had successfully emigrated and from Jews who were ultimately deported.
For a more in-depth analysis of the challenges faced by German Jews in escaping Nazi Germany, go to my website bonniesuchman.co
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
May 21, 2024
Book Review Their Castilian Orphan Anna Belfrage #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #MedievalEngland #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @abelfrageauthor @cathiedunn
I am delighted to host Anna Belfrage again as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 13th – 24th, 2024. Anna Belfrage is the author of the Historical Fiction / Romantic Historical Fiction / Historical Romance, Their Castilian Orphan (Book 4 The Castilian Saga), released by Timelight Press on 23 March 2024 (400 pages).
Below are highlights of Their Castilian Orphan, Anna Belfrage’s author bio, and my 5-star review of her book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot...
HIGHLIGHTS: THEIR CASTILIAN ORPHAN
Their Castilian Orphan
(Book 4 The Castilian Saga)
by Anna Belfrage
Blurb:
It is 1294 and Eustace de Lamont is back in England after five years in exile. He will stop at nothing to ruin Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Noor d’Outremer.
Robert’s half brother, Eustace de Lamont, has not mellowed during his absence. He is more ruthless than ever, and this time he targets Robert’s and Noor’s foster son, Lionel.
Lionel is serving King Edward as a page when Eustace appears at court. Not only does Lionel become the horrified witness to Eustace’s violent streak, Eustace also starts voicing his suspicions about Lionel’s parentage. The truth about Lionel’s heritage is explosive—should King Edward find out, all would be lost for Robert and Noor.
In October of 1294, Wales rises in rebellion. Robert must leave his family unprotected to fight the Welsh rebels on the king’s behalf, comforted only by the fact that Eustace too is called to fight.
Except that Eustace has no intention of allowing his duty to his king—or a mere rebellion—come between him and his desire to destroy Robert FitzStephan . . .
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/TCO
AUTHOR BIO: ANNA BELFRAGE
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. Anna has just released the final instalment, Their Castilian Orphan, in her other medieval series, The Castilian Saga, which is set against the conquest of Wales. She has recently released Times of Turmoil, a sequel to her time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding. . .
All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion. She has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.
“A master storyteller”
“This is what all historical fiction should be like. Superb.”
Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website: https://www.annabelfrage.com/
Sign up to Anna’s newsletter to keep up with new releases, give-ways and other fun stuff: http://eepurl.com/cjgatT
Author Links:
Website: www.annabelfrage.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/abelfrageauthor
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/abelfrageauthor.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabelfrageauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/annabelfrageauthor
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-belfrage
Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/ABG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage
The epic tale of Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Noor d’Outremer, continues in Their Castilian Orphan (Book 4 The Castilian Saga), set in 13th Century Medieval England during the reign of King Edward I. When the book begins in 1294, the couple is happily married with three children and a foster son named Lionel, but Noor nearly dies giving birth to a baby daughter. Dark clouds of political turmoil portend the upheaval of their family harmony. The Welsh are secretly uniting to rebel and King Philippe IV of France is outmaneuvering King Edward to relinquish Gascony. The exiled Eustace de Lamont has returned to court to destroy the family of his half brother, Robert.
Unbeknownst to the twelve-year-old Lionel, serving as a page to King Edward, he is the youngest son of a Welsh prince brutally slain in the last rebellion. Noor saved him as a babe but disguised his identity as the orphan of an unknown Castilian knight. With rebellion brewing in Wales, the discovery of Lionel’s true identity could have deadly consequences for him and his foster family. While serving the king, Lionel experiences Eustace’s cruelty firsthand and tries to steer clear of him. The political situation reaches a crisis when King Edward gathers an army to regain Gascony, but the Welsh take advantage of his distraction and besiege some English cities. Lionel accompanies King Edward as he turns his forces on the Welsh rebels, with Robert fighting as his commander. The story culminates in a heart-wrenching climax leaving you in tears.
Author Anna Belfrage seamlessly weaves the backstory of the previous three books to focus the story on Lionel, the Castilian orphan. Once I grasped how the cast of characters were related to each other, I was drawn into the epic tale full of romance, political intrigue, and betrayal. The sensory descriptions capture the essence of the Medieval era and reflect the author’s impeccable research. Battles and conflicts are riveting but not overly graphic with violence. The sexual scenes are explicit but tastefully done, which will appeal to romance readers. The theme of familial love and loyalty bringing hope beyond tragedy will long resonate in your mind after you finish the book.
The epic tale is character-driven and full of romance between Robert and Noor and their shared love for their family. By the end of the story, I was fully invested in the cast of characters and cared about what happened to each. The complex relationship between King Edward and Lionel was particularly poignant, wavering between loyalty and distrust. Lionel cared for Edward when he was most vulnerable, suffering from gout. The boy ultimately wins the king’s trust but at times bears the brunt of his explosive wrath. Although most of the characters are well-developed, I found Eustace to be more of a one-dimensional villain who did not come across as a cunning and worthy opponent.
For those who have read the previous books in The Castilian Saga, you will find Their Castilian Orphan a compelling addition to the series.
Instagram Handle: @coffeepotbookclub
May 15, 2024
V P Felmlee Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion #YoungAdultFiction #NewAdultFiction #Mustangs #WildHorses #AbandonedAnimals #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour @lilhistorian @cathiedunn
I‘m delighted to host V P Felmlee as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 15th – 17th, 2024. V L Felmlee is the author of the Young Adult / New Adult Fiction, Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion (Book 3, The Abandoned Trilogy), released by TCS Publishing on November 2023 (280 pages)
Below are highlights of Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion, V P Felmlee’s author bio, and an excerpt from her novel.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/03/blog-tour-autumn-and-the-silver-moon-stallion-by-vp-felmlee.html
HIGHLIGHTS: AUTUMN AND THE SILVER MOON STALLION
Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion
(Book 3, The Abandoned Trilogy)
V P Felmlee
Blurb:
An abused, neglected filly is abandoned on a remote country road, left to die. A young woman grieves the loss of her best friend, the champion horse she had built her life and future around. The heir to one of the largest ranches in Wyoming comes home to face the ire and disappointment of his grandfather. A world-renown scientist clashes with the U.S. government over a brutal, decades-long war to decide the fate of thousands of mustangs, a beloved icon of the American West. Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion is their story of love, hatred, and death. Will their struggles give them hope to fight for their beliefs, or tear them forever apart?
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4NDrwY
AUTHOR BIO: V P FELMLEE
V P Felmlee is the author of The Abandoned Trilogy: Price Tadpole & Princess Clara; Good Boy Ben; and the third book in the series, Autumn and the Silver Moon Stallion. A former newspaper reporter and editor, she has a degree in geology, and has been active in historic preservation and animal welfare issues. Her articles have appeared in several magazines and she has won numerous awards.
She will be the 2025 president of Women Writing the West and lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with her husband, two dogs, and six cats.
Author Links:
Website: www.vfauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilhistorian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicki.felmlee.7
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/V-P-Felmlee/author/B0BQJKNSKJ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23381045.V_P_Felmlee
Al hurried into the garage where the ATV sat and flung the cover off. He checked the fuel, half a tank, more than enough to get him where he wanted.
He straddled it, then keyed the ignition. It started up and he steered it out of the garage, not bothering to close the doors.
Within minutes his clothes were drenched.
He glanced over at the passenger seat. Next to him was the 30-30 caliber rifle he’d taken from his gun cabinet before he left the house. It was getting wet, but he wasn’t concerned. In fact, he wasn’t concerned about anything.
He grinned as he steered the ATV down the ranch road. He was a man on a mission, finally doing something that made sense.
The machine roared towards the bottom of the switch backs. Al hardly slowed down before taking the first turn. It was muddier than the ranch road. The ATV clawed its way through without any problems.
Al’s grin grew wider. The second turn. The ATV fish-tailed a little, skidded in the muck. Maybe take it slower, he admonished himself.
The third turn was coming up, just above Silver Moon Canyon. Al knew there was a turn-off where you could stop and see the bottom end of the canyon. The road was muddier, slicker now. The ATV’s lights barely pierced the gloom. He squinted and almost missed the last turn. The ATV fish-tailed again, more seriously this time.
Where was that turn-off? He knew it was to his left. He didn’t slow down, instead gunned the ATV faster.
The front tires hit several rocks, the ATV bounced up and down, almost tipping over. The rifle flew out of the seat, disappearing in the rain.
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
May 10, 2024
Lakewood Colorado Barnes & Noble Book Fair May 11th @BNDenverWest @BN @COGreatAuthors @LakewoodColo @JudithBriles #Colorado #books #gifts #weekend #bookreaders
Celebrate Reading with Colorado Authors at
Barnes & Noble Book Fair
at West Village, Lakewood Barnes & Noble
Perfect for Spring Shopping!
I’ll be joining other award-winning authors at the Barnes & Noble Book Fair on May 11th at the West Village location in Lakewood to sign books from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Books and other store merchandise purchased by visitors in the store on Saturday will generate a donation to the Aspiring Authors Scholarships awarded by the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame in September 2024.
The book signing event will feature local authors of all genres including children’s books, inspiration, mystery, techno-thrillers, historical fiction, fantasy, memoirs, and much more. For more information, click Colorado Authors Hall of Fame and learn more about the Aspiring Authors Scholarships.
