Linnea Tanner's Blog, page 19
May 24, 2023
BOOK SPOTLIGHT ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS #HistoricalFiction #anthology #ShortStories #AlternateHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @HistWriters @cathiedunn
I am pleased to spotlight the alternative history anthology, Alternate Endings – A Short Story Anthology of Historical What Ifs, in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held on May 25th. Alternative Endings was released by the Historical Writers Forum on November 1st, 2022 (360 pages).
Below are highlights of Alternative Endings and biographies of all authors who contributed short stories to the anthology.
Tour Schedule page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/04/blog-tour-alternate-endings-anthology.html
HIGHLIGHTS: ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS
Alternate Endings
A Short Story Anthology of Historical What Ifs
by Salina B Baker, Stephanie Churchill (Foreword), Sharon Bennett Connolly, Elizabeth Corbett,
Virginia Crow, Cathie Dunn, Karen Heenan, Michael Ross, and Samantha Wilcoxson
Blurb:
We all know the past is the past, but what if you could change history?
We asked eight historical authors to set aside the facts and rewrite the history they love. The results couldn’t be more tantalizing.
What if Julius Caesar never conquered Gaul?
What if Arthur Tudor lived and his little brother never became King Henry VIII?
What if Abigail Adams persuaded the Continental Congress in 1776 to give women the right to vote and to own property?
Dive in to our collection of eight short stories as we explore the alternate endings of events set in ancient Rome, Britain, the United States, and France.
An anthology of the Historical Writers Forum.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Samantha Wilcoxson
Samantha Wilcoxson is an author of emotive biographical fiction and strives to help readers connect with history’s unsung heroes. She also writes nonfiction for Pen & Sword History.
Samantha loves sharing trips to historic places with her family and spending time by the lake with a glass of wine. Her most recent work is Women of the American Revolution, which explores the lives of 18th century women, and she is currently working on a biography of James Alexander Hamilton.
Sharon Bennett Connolly
Historian Sharon Bennett Connolly is the best-selling author of five non-fiction history books, with a new release coming soon.
A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Sharon has studied history academically and just for fun – and has even worked as a tour guide at a castle. She writes the popular history blog, www.historytheinterestingbits.com.
Sharon regularly gives talks on women’s history; she is a feature writer for All About History magazine and her TV work includes Australian Television’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’
Cathie Dunn
Cathie Dunn writes historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The focus of her historical fiction novels is on strong women through time.
She loves researching for her novels, delving into history books, and visiting castles and historic sites.
Cathie’s stories have garnered awards and praise from reviewers and readers for their authentic description of the past.
Karen Heenan
As an only child, Karen Heenan learned early that boredom was the enemy. Shortly after she discovered perpetual motion, and has rarely been seen holding still since.
She lives in Lansdowne, PA, just outside Philadelphia, where she grows much of her own food and makes her own clothes. She is accompanied on her quest for self-sufficiency by a very patient husband and an ever-changing number of cats.
One constant: she is always writing her next book.
Salina B Baker
Salina Baker is a multiple award winning author and avid student of Colonial America and the American Revolution.
Her lifelong passion for history and all things supernatural led her to write historical fantasy. Reading, extensive traveling and graveyard prowling with her husband keep that passion alive.
Salina lives in Austin, Texas.
Virginia Crow
Virginia Crow is an award-winning Scottish author who grew up in Orkney and now lives in Caithness.
Her favourite genres to write are fantasy and historical fiction, sometimes mixing the two together. Her academic passions are theology and history, her undergraduate degree in the former and her postgraduate degree in the latter, and aspects of these frequently appear within her writings.
When not writing, Virginia is usually to be found teaching music. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration, and music is often playing when she writes. Her life is governed by two spaniels, Orlando and Jess, and she enjoys exploring the Caithness countryside with these canine sidekicks.
She loves cheese, music, and films, but hates mushrooms.
Elizabeth K Corbett
Elizabeth K. Corbett is an author, book reviewer, and historian who has recently published a short story, “Marie Thérèse Remembers.” She is currently working on her debut novel, a gothic romance set in Jacksonian America.
When she is not writing, she teaches academic writing, something she is very passionate about. She believes in empowering students to express themselves and speak their truth through writing. Additionally, she is a women’s historian who studies the lives of women in eighteenth and nineteenth century North America. Mostly, she is fascinated by the lives of the lesser known women in history.
A resident of gorgeous coastal New Jersey, she takes inspiration from the local history to write her historical fiction. She is an avid reader who adores tea and coffee.
Stephanie Churchill
After serving time as a corporate paralegal in Washington, D.C., then staying home to raise her children, Stephanie Churchill stumbled upon writing, a career path she never saw coming.
As a result of writing a long-winded review of the book Lionheart, Stephanie became fast friends with its New York Times best-selling author, Sharon Kay Penman, who uttered the fateful words, “Have you ever thought about writing?”
Stephanie’s books are filled with action and romance, loyalty and betrayal. Her writing takes on a cadence that is sometimes literary, sometimes genre fiction, relying on deeply-drawn and complex characters while exploring the subtleties of imperfect people living in a gritty, sometimes dark world.
She lives in the Minneapolis area with her husband, two children, and two dogs while trying to survive the murderous intentions of a Minnesota winter.
Michael Ross
Best selling author Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories.
He’s a retired software engineer turned author, with three children and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of forty years. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas.
Michael attended Rice University as an undergraduate, and Portland State University for his graduate degree. He has degrees in computer science, software engineering, and German. In his spare time, Michael loves to go fishing, riding horses, and play with his grandchildren, who are currently all under six years old.
Connect with Historical Writers Forum:
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
May 22, 2023
The Enigma Beyond Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey Guest Post Artificial Intelligence #TechnoThriller #ActionAdventure #FictionalThriller #AI #artificialintelligence #MachineLearning #R-Group #BreakfieldBurkey #EnigmaSeries @1rburkey
It is a pleasure to feature Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey—the awarding-winning co-authors of The Enigma Series (Technothrillers – Fiction/ Thriller / Technology). I had the opportunity to speak with Rox Burkey at the 6th Annual PenCraft Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony for Literary Excellence held in Lake Charles, LA, where she received an award and discussed the new perceived threat to the world, artificial Intelligence (A.I.). The showdown between man and the computer system HAL in 2001 A Space Odyssey is no longer science fiction. Humans are now grappling with the potential benefits and dangers of A.I. in its infancy.
The Enigma Beyond: -A Techno Thriller (Bool 11 in the The Enigma Series) is highlighted in this post. Released by ICABOD Press on January 7th, 2020 (386 pages), this novel explores the potential risks of A.I.
Below are highlights and the book trailer of The Enigma Beyond, author bios for Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey, and their guest post entitled: Breakfield & Burkey comments on Artificial Intelligence and where we are heading
HIGHLIGHTS: THE ENIGMA BEYOND
The Enigma Beyond: -A Techno Thriller
(The Enigma Series Book 11)
By Charles Breakfield & Rox Burkey
Narrator/VoiceActor: Derek Shoales
Blurb:
Automation of humanity’s demise – Artificial intelligence
Technologists make computers faster. Computers are ingesting all the data from around the world, good, bad, or indifferent.
These machines can think—big mistake.
Decision making wars between Artificially Intelligence supercomputers and humans recently kicked into overdrive. Algorithms deliver manufactured choices to individuals and organizations to growing number of personal devices to drive decisions. Continued seduction of mankind becomes eminent unless stopped by our champions.
R-Group, information experts, leverage their next generation youth to rise to the new threats of modern technology. These evolving specialists are poised to compete with complex adversaries run by greedy technological geniuses.
Training of new R-Group family members is real-time cyber assault events. Working with ICABOD, R-Group’s treasured supercomputer, is their best weapon for this battle.
MAG, the consortium of global technology predators, united to bring their insidious plans for technology domination to the world stage.
Everyone caught in the cyber crosshairs realize time’s up!
Technical oligopolies want to dictate their terms for control of political, , healthcare, finances, and orbiting defense systems.
Can the champions of the R-Group intercept the MAG group?
Who will win the AI wars?
What readers are saying –
“This latest book in the series is a wake-up call about AI and robots, giving you a feeling of being too close to home.?
“It is an edge of your seat, mind-blowing, realistic and far-reaching thriller that will leave you with nightmares. These are the monsters one cannot see, but they are there, nonetheless.”
“Another great adventure towards the end of the series. There is always something to learn.”
Book Buy Links:
Available on Kindle Unlimited?
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AUDIOBOOK: THE ENIGMA BEYOND
Audiobook Buy Links:
BOOK TRAILER: THE ENIGMA BEYONDOVERVIEW: THE ENIGMA SERIES
R-Group is a group of cyber heroes supporting their clients, businesses, and governments from tyranny by the bad actors of the Darknet. They use their technological, financial, and dedicated resources to find the sources of evil exploits and expose them to the authorities.
The Box Set edition for Books 1-3 of the Enigma Series includes The Enigma Factor, The Enigma Rising, and The Enigma Ignite. The first-generation R-Group began in 1939 in Poland when three patriots tried to hit back at the German invaders by taking their encryption device and learning its secrets. The three men risked their lives to help make a difference in humanity. Their moral principles were handed down through the generations. These guidelines are instilled in their modern-day support as the cyber good guys beat back the cyber criminals oozing all over the Darknet. Each tale uses today’s contemporary issues, such as identity theft, stealing satellite communications, or capitalizing on battlefield communications.
Though each story is a stand-alone, characters continue to grow and evolve throughout the entire series. The technology used in these fictional thrillers is accurate. Who will win and keep the scales tipped in favor of humankind is at the heart of the thrillers.
Buy Links to The Enigma Series
Books in Series Available on Kindle Unlimited?
BREAKFIELD AND BURKEY SHORT STORIES
BREAKFIELD – Charles works as a data/telecom solution architect and supports digital security, blockchain solutions, and unified communications. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles’ love of wine tastings, cooking, and Harley riding often provides writing topics.
Much of his personality comes from his father who served in the military for 30 years and three wars. Charles grew up on multiple bases and different countries. The multi-cultural exposure helps him with the various character perspectives they bring to the series. His personal ambition is to continue to teach Burkey humor.
BURKEY– Rox is a Customer Experience Specialist who works with businesses around the world. As a gifted speaker and accomplished listener, she bridges the chasm between business problems and technical solutions to optimize business productivity. She has written technology papers, white papers, but launches into high gear when plotting our next technothriller or short story.
As a child, she led the other kids with her highly charged imagination generating new adventures with make believe characters. She is proud of being a Girl Scout until high school, and contributed to the community as a member of a Head Start program. Rox enjoys her family, learning, listening to people, travel, outdoor activities, sewing, cooking, and thinking about how to diversify the series.
BREAKFIELD AND BURKEY began their partnership writing non-fictional papers and books. They formed a business partnership to share stories as fictional story writers. They recognize storytelling is an evolving method to share excitement, thrills, and insights to today’s technology risks.
They are passionate about leveraging real technology into fictional writing. The variety of characters have attributes from the many people who crossed their professional paths add that depth. Admittedly, Breakfield often asks interesting people he meets if they thought about being an evil cyberthug or femme fatale in their series.
Both authors travels are pulled into stories that requires real knowledge of specific locals. They enjoy well-rounded thrillers that include levels of humor, romance, intrigue, suspense, and mystery.
They love to talk about their stories at private and public book readings or events. Burkey conducts podcast style interviews with a couple of author groups, and enjoys extracting the tidbits from authors, especially new ones. Her first interview was, wait for it, Breakfield. You can learn where they will be from the calendar on their website.
EnigmaSeries.com has information on the Enigma Series, 12 books, 10 short stories, audio books, book trailers, and the newest series Enigma Heirs releasing in 2023. They have proudly earned multiple awards for their fictional creations.
We are also part of the Underground Authors group writing cozy mysteries/murders in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. We are committed to providing an installment for Season 2 and Season 3 to accompany The Flower Enigma, released in Season 1.
Social Media Links:
Reach out to authors anytime at their e-mail: Authors@EnigmaSeries.com. Co-authors Rox Burkey and Charles Breakfield look forward to your comments and feedback.
Website Enigma Series YouTube Burkey Website Twitter Burkey Twitter Enigma Series Facebook Burkey
Facebook The Engima Series Breakfield & Burkey Blog Instagram LinkedIn Burkey LinkedIn Breakfield
Amazon Author Page Breakfield Amazon Author Page Burkey
GUEST POST: BREAKFIELD AND BURKEY
Breakfield & Burkey comments on Artificial Intelligence and where we are heading –
The continued expansion of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and enhanced machine learning using supercomputers threatens the creativity of individual authors, musicians, and artists. We maintain that creativity is not a once-and-done singularly brilliant idea but the culmination of several innovations with incremental steps that, when taken together, look fantastic. No idea comes from a vacuum but gets built upon other concepts and foundations. Using programs, computer learning, and global data lake access permits completing these nanosecond activities. This iterative process competes with the human creative process over time.
Our Proof Points Include:
David Bowie’s computer-generated musical tune he pioneered in 2016. He fed in the critical rules of the music creation process and permitted the computer to select the words. The result was a starting point for A.I. and machine-generating modern music products.
IBM allows its A.I. tool, Watson, to make medical diagnostics based on access to multiple online databases faster than a regular doctor. The medical field teaches robots to perform surgery more precisely than a heart surgeon’s 15 -20 years of education and training.
The movie industry has shifted from artists drawing by hand for stop-motion animation to action scenes generated using a bank of computers. The result is a shortened time to market with higher graphical quality. The actor is no longer the centerpiece of the character interpretation. Characterization is now under the control of the Computer engineer controlling the mouse and keyboard of a computer terminal as suggested by their program.
Computer-generated art by Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) sold for $69 million. The digital piece was auctioned by Christie’s at a standalone online auction on March 12, 2021. Early A.I. application prototypes began with Canva to generate book cover graphics and have now morphed into using natural language direction fed into an A.I. enhanced chatbot hosted by OpenAI companies like Dall-E2: https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2. Speak or type the graphical image you desire; then, it allows the user continues to have the program refine the output.
Apple and others are experimenting with artificial intelligence to generate voice recordings instead of voice actors/narrators in audiobooks. Many audiobook narrators are scoffing at this so-called innovation, yet the same scenario occurred when Apple introduced the iPhone. The significant players Nokia, Blackberry, and Motorola derided Apple’s entry into the market as an immature product with no chance against the incumbents. Remember that technical innovation doesn’t stop with the initial introduction because innovation is an iterative process. Demands on product owners: do it again but give me better.
There is nothing sacred when it is up against technology. Humans have always claimed creativity was the main difference between analog artists and digital computers. Artificial intelligence coupled with deep learning capabilities challenges that argument. Providing artificial intelligent learning to an evolving software application will shorten the creative process leads that authors, musicians, and artists currently enjoy.
We’ve seen whole professional careers reduced to a mere 20 basic rules to be able to operate. In our world, physics, math, chemistry, and electricity frame the tools humans use. If those rules leverage computer programs, then why not story generation? As storytellers, we believe we are better writers today than ten years ago. The danger to creativity is programs drive the content rather than human imagination and feelings. We are on the precipice where humans can’t claim creative superiority, even though man has programmed digital innovators. We are forfeiting our creativity to technology.
Breakfield and Burkey witnessed firsthand the already sad state of affairs based on a book review we had purchased. The results returned in ten days, filled with compliments and praise. The only problem was the content referenced our characters from other stories. We spotted it immediately. It appeared the reviewer gave our website and information gathered from other reviewers to an A.I. enhanced chatbot program and asked to create relevant statements about our fictional story. Even though we had submitted a book synopsis, the wrong protagonists were listed, an incorrect good guy organization, and nothing tied to the new unreleased story. When confronted with the apparent sleight of hand review, the reviewing company begged for another chance after firing the bogus reviewer.
The danger to creativity is replacing human ideas with digital innovation. Think about the following possibilities:
When a movie gets told by computersPatients agree to surgery by a robot rather than a physicianA massively powerful parallel processor indicates that your genetic makeup will result in a high probability of children with congenital disabilities, or When you can no longer live life to the fullest because your smartphone doesn’t have an app for that, then technology has too much control.We need to maintain guardrails to allow the creative minds of humans today and tomorrow to blossom. We don’t want to rob future generations of learning with too much-undisciplined technology today. Breakfield and Burkey write for humans, not silicon based A.I. enhanced computers.
May 15, 2023
MJ Porter Pagan King #PaganWarrior #TalesOfMercia #TheSeventhCentury #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @coloursofunison @cathiedunn
I am pleased to host MJ Porter again as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour that is being held between March 14th — May 16th, 2023. MJ Porter is the author of the Historical Fiction/Action and Adventure novel, Pagan Warrior (The Seventh Century), released by MJ Publishing on 25th May 2015 (new cover from January 2022) [294 pages].
Below are highlights of Pagan Warrior, MJ Porter’s author bio, and my 5-star review of her novel.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-pagan-warrior-by-mj-porter.html
HIGHLIGHTS: PAGE WARRIOR
Pagan Warrior
(The Seventh Century)
by MJ Porter
Audiobook narrated by Matt Coles
Blurb:
From bestselling author, MJ Porter comes the tale of the mighty pagan king, Penda of Mercia.
Britain. AD632.
Penda, a warrior of immense renown, has much to prove if he is to rule the Mercian kingdom of his dead father and prevent the neighbouring king of Northumbria from claiming it.
Unexpectedly allying with the British kings, Penda races to battle the alliance of the Northumbrian king, unsure if his brother stands with him or against him as they seek battle glory for themselves, and the right to rule gained through bloody conquest.
There will be a victor and a bloody loser, and a king will rise from the ashes of the great and terrible battle of Hædfeld.
Book Buy Links:
Universal Link Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU
Barnes and Noble Waterstones Kobo iBooks Bookshop.org
Audio Buy Links:
AUTHOR BIO: MJ Porter
MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Being raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author’s writing destiny was set.
MJ Porter Social Media Links:
Website Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest
BookBub Amazon Author Page Goodreads Linktr.ee Tiktok
Narrator, Matt Coles Social Media Links
BOOK REVIEW: PAGAN WARRIOR
Pagan Warrior by MJ Porter is a 7th Century novel of political intrigue between various factions leading up to the Battle of Hæðfeld in 732 AD Northumbria. It is told in first person point of view by major historical figures that fought in the battle, including Penda of Mercia, King Cadwallon of Gwynedd, and King Edwin of Northumbria. The story begins three years earlier when King Edwin defeats King Cadwallon in battle but fails to pursue and kill him. A deadly mistake.
Exiled, King Cadwallon convinces the renowned warrior, Pendra, to ally with him. Together, they scheme which allies to win over and find ways to lure King Edwin into a disadvantageous battlefield. Meanwhile, spies inform King Edwin of King Cadwallon’s intent to war with him again. Both kings form fragile alliances with other kings and influential commanders in preparation for the final battle that will decide who rules the various regions. Treachery abounds, where family ties are tested. It is not revealed until the final battle who will betray the other and rise to power.
Author Porter has written a unique historical fiction told in the present tense from the perspective of eight rulers, each having the potential to gain power and wealth after the final battle. This plot-driven book provides insight into each character’s motivations and an overview of battle tactics and fighting methods used by the various clans. It explores how Christian and pagan religions further incite division among the kings and within their families. The theme of how abuse of power corrupts absolutely is highlighted in raw detail and with relatable modern-day language. The climactic battle packs a punch. Vivid, riveting fight scenes project the brutality of battle.
It is difficult to navigate the novel’s beginning, with so many characters telling the story. However, the tale unfolds seamlessly as one narrator switches to another in the next chapter. Access to each character’s internal thoughts and motivations yields a greater impact in the climactic battle scenes where betrayals are revealed and when medieval justice is ultimately served.
For those who enjoy reading about the political machinations of British rulers and the great battles fought in the Dark Ages, I recommend Pagan Warrior for its realistic depiction of warrior kings vying for power and seeking vengeance.
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
May 13, 2023
Welcome to Day 2 of Shirley Harris-Slaughter’s “MOTHER’S DAY AND OTHER FAVORITE THINGS” Blog Tour! @sharrislaughter @4WillsPub @4WP11 @RRBC_Org #RRBC #4WillsPub.
TODAY IS MOTHER’S DAY!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL THE MOTHERS, GODMOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, FOSTER MOTHERS, AUNTS AND COUSINS
GIVEAWAYS(2) $5 Amazon Gift Cards
(5) Tickets into RRBC’s WC&BE Raffle for (7) $100 Amazon Gift Card Gift Baskets
Please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to visit the other blog tours. Thank you so much for stopping by today.
BLOG POSTJoyce Winifred Harris-Burkes: HOW I REMEMBER MY MAMA
Excerpt …
Before she met and married my dad, she worked at a naval base in Alameda County, California. She used to screw rivets into the engines of airplanes. She had to be physically placed inside the engine area to screw on the rivets. Remember “Rosie the Riveter?” Well, during the World War II era, that was my mama. For those of you who are too young to remember Rosie the Riveter, I have included the piece below, taken from an online Inside History Newsletter. It explains the black side of “Rosie…”
Rosie the Riveter —the steely-eyed World War II heroine with her red bandana, blue coveralls and flexed bicep—stands as one of America’s most indelible military images. Positioned under the maxim, “We Can Do It,” the “Rosie” image has come to broadly represent the steadfast American working woman, and more specifically, the millions of female laborers who kept the factories and offices of the U.S. defense industries humming.
What the iconic “Rosie” image doesn’t convey is the diversity of that work force—specifically the more than half-million “Black Rosies” who worked alongside their white counterparts in the war effort. Coming from throughout the United States, these “Black Rosies” worked tirelessly—in shipyards and factories, along railroads, inside administrative offices and elsewhere—to fight both the foreign enemy of authoritarianism abroad, and the familiar enemy of racism at home. For decades, they received little historical recognition or acknowledgement.
Imagine my surprise that my mama was part of that working force of women around the country, filling jobs until the men came home from the war. My father was in the Navy and was stationed at the same Naval Air Base where they met. I am proud to know that both my parents were a part of history.
BOOK BLURB:
Mama could tell a joke. Next thing you know, you are rolling on the floor from one of them. She loved to play the lottery and religiously purchased tickets every chance she got. If you fail to buy her tickets when she asks you, she will tell you that was the winning number … “If you had done what I asked, I would have won.” It was classic!
She was just as passionate about her faith and could quote passages from the bible all day long, which she did. She was a good mother and made huge sacrifices for her children.
She was the woman who wanted to be an actress but never got the chance. She was the woman who worked at a naval air base in Alameda County, California, screwing rivets in wings of airplanes. They were called “Rosie the Riveter” during World War II.
She was the constant in our lives.
This is how I remember my mama!
BOOK TRAILER:
AUTHOR BIO: SHIRLEY HARRIS-SLAUGHTER
Shirley Harris-Slaughter is the author of Our Lady of Victory, the Saga of an African-American Catholic Community, which was written to address a need to preserve Catholic history in her local community. She mentored four freshman girls at the local middle school. She is active in her church and Rave Reviews Book Club, a virtual book club community where she has added another biography and fiction to her repertoire. She is married to Langston and is a Michigan Native.
And now, Slaughter has written a memoir about her mother, Joyce Winifred Harris-Burkes: How I Remember My Mama. It talks about memories regarding her life, and her works. The theme is about how the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Slaughter is an activist just like her mother.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter: @sharrislaughter
Facebook: Shirley Slaughter
Websites:
AMAZON BOOK PURCHASE LINKS:
Joyce Winifred Harris-Burkes: HOW I REMEMBER MY MAMA
Our Lady of Victory, the Saga of an African-American Catholic Community
Ronald L. Powell: Missing in Action
Crazy! Hot! And Living On The Edge!!
A CITIZEN’S GROUP IN ACTION: Saving a Train Station
To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to schedule your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE . Thanks for supporting this author and her work! Thank you for being the best part of 4WillsPub tours!
May 7, 2023
Book Spotlight Try the Leopard’s Mouth Charles Moberly #Thriller #Romance #1970s #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to spotlight the Historical Thriller / Historical Romance, Try the Leopard’s Mouth by Charles Moberly in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 8th through May 12th, 2023. Try the Leopard’s Mouth was released by Tancava Press on March 12th, 2023 (375 pages).
Below are highlights of Try the Leopard’s Mouth and Charles Moberly’s author bio.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-tour-try-the-leopards-mouth.html
HIGHLIGHTS: TRY THE LEOPARD’S MOUTH
Try the Leopard’s Mouth
By Charles Moberly
Blurb:
AFRICA, 1970
Briony and Tom, both in their twenties, are very different characters. But opposites attract. In business, as in love, they complement each other.
They buy a farm and discover a rare drug. Tom grows it and Briony markets it. At first, they are oblivious of their responsibilities to the land and its people. But gradually they realise that they have been supporting a racist and colonialist regime.
The onset of the Rhodesian – Zimbabwean War of Independence tears at the couple’s relationship. Misunderstandings arise from their conflicting personalities and from external pressures. Events pull them apart, but also bind them together.
Try the Leopard’s Mouth is a romantic thriller set in Africa. It is also a historical novel, grounded in real events in the period 1970-80.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU
AUTHOR BIO: CHARLES MOBERLY
Charles Moberly has written three novels to date: The Scrotum Toad, a satirical comedy (Winner of a Chill with a Book Reader Award); The Corncrake, a historical novel set in 1909-10 and 1914-15 (Winner of a Chill with a Book Premier Award).
In The Corncrake, four members of a family share the narration, which passes between them approximately 300 times throughout – this powerful technique allows the reader to enter the minds of the characters as they react to events, so that love, conflicts and misunderstandings are conveyed immediately. This is only possible if the voices of the characters are so strong that they are identifiable the moment they speak.
Try the Leopard’s Mouth is a romantic thriller with a firm historical base.
Charles lived and worked in Africa for two years, which explains why two of his novels are set there.
In his writing, he loves tension and how cultural differences can tear people apart, yet unite them through a common humanity. He believes that no two characters should ever have the same voice. He writes in the vernacular of the time and place, using slang where appropriate.
He now lives in the UK.
Author’s Links:
Website Amazon Author Page Goodreads
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
May 4, 2023
Lindsey S Fera Muskets and Masquerades #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @AuthorLinzFera @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to welcome Lindsey S. Fera again to The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 1st — May 5th, 2023. Lindsey S. Fera is the author of the Historical Fiction / Historical Romance, Muskets and Masquerades (Muskets Trilogy), released by Pompkin Press on April 18th, 2023 (500 pages).
Below are highlights of Muskets and Masquerades, Lindsey S. Fera’s author bio, and an excerpt from her book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-tour-muskets-and-masquerades.html
HIGHLIGHTS: MUSKETS & MASQUERADES
Muskets and Masquerades
(Muskets Trilogy)
by Lindsey S. Fera
Blurb:
Jack and Annalisa are married only five months when, enroute to France, a shipwreck separates them. On different shores, each believes the other dead. But when Annalisa learns Jack is alive, she returns to America and discovers much has changed. After a betrayal, she flees town as her alter ego, Benjamin Cavendish, and joins the Continental Army.
Unbeknownst to Annalisa, Jack has also joined the Continentals, harboring shameful secrets from his days in mourning. Against the backdrop of war with Britain, façades mount between Jack and Annalisa, and the merry minuet of their adolescence dissolves into a masquerade of deceit, one which threatens to part them forever.
Buy Links:
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AUTHOR BIO: LINDSEY S. FERA
LINDSEY S. FERA is a born and bred New Englander, hailing from the North Shore of Boston. As a member of the Topsfield Historical Society and the Historical Novel Society, she forged her love for writing with her intrigue for colonial America by writing her debut novel, Muskets & Minuets, a planned trilogy.
When she’s not attending historical reenactments or spouting off facts about Boston, she’s nursing patients back to health. Muskets & Masquerades is her sophomore novel.
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EXCERPT: MUSKETS & MASQUERADES
Annalisa wiped the sweat and grime from her face and, clutching her musket, hurried after George and Quinnapin. Her brother sought General Benedict Arnold, who rode wildly up and down the lines atop his brown gelding. Annalisa thought the general might fall from his horse with the force of his vigor.
“Rally, men, rally! To Breymann’s Redoubt!” General Arnold galloped into the fray toward British and Hessian lines.
Annalisa regarded George and Quinnapin. They’d all been fighting most of the afternoon, and the British had retreated back to Freeman’s Farm, all their advancements from the first battle gone. Breymann’s Redoubt, to the British far right, appeared weaker than Balcarre’s Redoubt, heavily defended by both British and Hessians forces, and situated mid-field.
“He’s daft,” George said, “but if we can overtake that fortification, we’ll be behind British lines. This will be a decisive victory, Little One.”
With lips pursed, Annalisa nodded. Her musket loaded and bayonet affixed, she sprinted into the fray with Quinnapin; George fell behind.
“By my side, Cav,” George shouted over the deafening boom of cannon and musket-fire. He wielded his firelock on a charging Hessian, but the soldier sliced Annalisa’s right arm.
“Fie!” She hollered.
Her brother discharged his fowler on the assailant, and with a sputter, the German fell. George turned to her. “Quick, your neckpiece.”
Blood spilled from the gash as she untied the linen cravat from her neck, and with George’s help, wound it tightly about her arm.
“I’ll be fine,” Annalisa said, though it burned.
She loaded her musket then fired, striking a Redcoat in the chest, then thrust her bayonet into an oncoming Hessian. Beside her, George reloaded his fowler with expert quickness, firing three volleys a minute at the onslaught.
“Quinn!” Annalisa fired her Brown Bess on advancing British. Quinnapin swung his tomahawk into their opponent, an echo of their coordinated efforts at Freeman’s Farm.
The battlefield ebbed with smoky, sulfuric discharge of gunpowder, the scent mingling with coppery blood. Such sights and smells often returned Annalisa to Bunker Hill, but she peered ahead. At the foreground of their ambuscade, General Arnold rode recklessly about the field. If only we had someone like him at Bunker Hill. Then we may have proved victorious that day.
Cloistered amidst her charging militia, Annalisa lost sight of General Arnold, and fired upon a Hessian foolish enough to advance, despite his retreating army. The soldier toppled to his knees and landed upon his face. He gurgled and gasped into the earth. Pitying him, Annalisa bayonetted him, and his gurgle ceased. Would that this unknown German have done similarly for me had I fallen. With a shiver, she cradled her wounded arm, stepped over his body, and hastened after George.
Quinnapin, who just maimed a Lobsterback, cleared his blade on the soldier’s red coat. Beside him, George nodded to her arm, now soaked with blood.
“Would that I’d killed that Hessian before he got to you,” he said.
“Worry not, ’tis but a scratch,” she replied, recalling his gruesome injury from Lexington and Concord, of which he’d said the same. Her right bicep throbbed viciously beneath the tied cravat, but she was confident she could treat it once they returned to camp.
“They retreat!” a militiaman shouted above the roar of explosive gunpowder.
As the sun made a lazy departure toward the horizon, the Redcoats and Hessians hurried from the field, leaving behind the dead and wounded. Freeman’s Farm, empty of Burgoyne’s army, left the Continentals and militia behind Breymann’s Redoubt. Her body beginning to ache, Annalisa wound her good arm about George and together, they hobbled through the body-littered field. This must be how Oliver was presumed dead.
Quinnapin sidled up beside them. “That looks to be a nasty wound, Cav. Have you enough within your supplies to remedy it?”
“I do.” With nothing to distract her, the searing burn of the gash amplified, but she withheld a grimace. The cut is deep, but not long.
“Cav!” A familiar voice rang through the evening smog, and William, encrusted in blood and dirt, bounded toward them with Bartlett at his heels.
“What is it, Wilhelmina?” George asked.
“’Tis General Arnold,” he replied, his face pink beneath a layer of grime. “He’s been badly wounded.”
Annalisa stared at Quinnapin, whose healing capability far eclipsed her own.
“How bad is his injury?” Quinnapin asked, catching her glance.
“We know not, only that he was shot in the leg, and had fallen from his horse,” Bartlett answered for William.
“Where’s Jack?” George asked.
“I know not,” William replied. “I’ve not seen him since this morning.”
Bile rose into Annalisa’s throat. What if he’s wounded, or dead? I must search this field for him…
“Josiah and Isaac are with Captain Fleming and the rest of the Massachusetts regiment burning British tents,” William added. “Arnold is with the Connecticut regiment. You must go, quickly.”
Annalisa hesitantly followed Quinnapin as he weaved through the confusion of men and tents.
“He has surgeons and doctors enough, I’m sure,” Annalisa said. “How could they know to ask for us?”
“We’ve a reputation, Cav,” Quinnapin replied, looking back. “We healed many after Freeman’s Farm.”
The sky quickly darkened, as autumn is wont to do, but the mask of night hardly obscured the vestige of battle. Campfires and lanterns lit the smoky landscape in eerie glow, and Annalisa choked on the sulfur still clogging the air. She quivered, unsure if it was her untreated wound, or the otherworldly nature surrounding her.
I’d rather be any place but here, tonight. And we must find Jack…
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
May 1, 2023
Amy Maroney The Queen’s Scribe #HistoricalFiction #TheQueensScribe #RoyalHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @wilaroney @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to welcome Amy Maroney again to The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 1st — May 12th, 2023. Amy Maroney is the author of the Historical Fiction, The Queen’s Scribe (Sea and Stone Chronicles), released by Artelan Press on April 25th, 2023 (388 pages).
Below are highlights of The Queen’s Scribe, Amy Maroney’s author bio, and her fascinating post on what inspired her to write about Charlotta of Lusignan, the courageous teenaged monarch in her book
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-tour-the-queens-scribe-by-amy-maroney.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE QUEEN’S SCRIBE
The Queen’s Scribe
Sea and Stone Chronicles
By Amy Maroney
Blurb:
A broken promise. A bitter conflict. And a woman’s elusive chance to love or die.
1458. Young Frenchwoman Estelle de Montavon sails to Cyprus imagining a bright future as tutor to a princess. Instead, she is betrayed by those she loves most—and forced into a dangerous new world of scheming courtiers, vicious power struggles, and the terrifying threat of war.
Determined to flee, Estelle enlists the help of an attractive and mysterious falconer. But on the eve of her escape, fortune’s wheel turns again. She gains entry to Queen Charlotta’s inner circle as a trusted scribe and interpreter, fighting her way to dizzying heights of influence.
Enemies old and new rise from the shadows as Estelle navigates a royal game of cat and mouse between the queen and her powerful half-brother, who wants the throne for himself.
When war comes to the island, Estelle faces a brutal reckoning for her loyalty to the queen. Will the impossible choice looming ahead be her doom—or her salvation?
With this richly-told story of courage, loyalty, and the sustaining power of love, Amy Maroney brings a mesmerizing and forgotten world to vivid life. The Queen’s Scribe is a stand-alone novel in the Sea and Stone Chronicles collection.
Praise for the Sea and Stone Chronicles:
“Island of Gold is a nimbly told story with impeccable pacing.”—Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice Review
“Sea of Shadows is stunning. A compelling tale of love, honor, and conviction.”—Reader’s Favorite Review
Amy Maroney is the author of the award-winning Miramonde Series, the story of a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern day scholar on her trail.
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AUTHOR BIO: AMY MARONEY
Amy Maroney studied English Literature at Boston University and worked for many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. She lives in Oregon, U.S.A. with her family. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading.
Amy is the author of The Miramonde Series, an Amazon-bestselling historical mystery trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s award-winning historical adventure/romance series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, is set in medieval Rhodes and Cyprus.
An enthusiastic advocate for independent publishing, Amy is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Historical Novel Society.
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CHARLOTTA OF LUSIGNAN, THE COURAGEOUS TEENAGED MONARCH WHO INSPIRED THE QUEEN’S SCRIBE
As a writer who specializes in forgotten women of Europe’s medieval and Renaissance eras, I’m often disappointed by the scant details available about the talented, powerful, interesting females who lived and died alongside men whose lives and deeds were carefully chronicled.
These women inhabit the margins of history, beckoning to me from the shadows, urging me to dig deeper and look for them in unusual places. I’ve done so and been rewarded: women show up in municipal and tax records; in notaries’ record-books; in church documents; in illustrations and textiles and paintings. These tantalizing glimpses of living, breathing women are enough for me to confidently create characters who come to life on the page and worlds that feel real.
Since I’m always on the hunt for nearly invisible women, I tend to get knocked sideways when I discover women who already have a place in the historical record. Queen Charlotta of Cyprus is one such woman.
I stumbled upon this young ruler while doing research on the medieval rule of the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes, Greece, for my Sea and Stone Chronicles novels. References to the Kingdom of Cyprus kept cropping up, too numerous to ignore. Digging deeper, I learned that a French dynasty—the Lusignans—ruled Cyprus for several centuries during the medieval era.
Theirs was a glittering, powerful court. Pilgrims en route to Jerusalem regularly stopped in Cyprus to visit the gorgeous churches and abbeys built by the Lusignans. Travelers recorded their impressions of the royal falcon collection, of luxury fabrics created on the island, of bejeweled, golden birds crafted by Cypriot artisans.
But by the time the widowed, teenaged Queen Charlotta took the throne in 1458, the Lusignan dynasty was hobbled by debt. Moreover, it teemed with suspicious deaths and outright murders, fueled by a power struggle between the Latin Catholic supporters of King Jean de Lusignan (Charlotta’s father) and the Greeks who rose to prominence thanks to Charlotta’s mother, Queen Eleni Palaiologina.
To complicate matters further, Charlotta’s half-brother Jacco (son of King Jean and a mistress) coveted the throne for himself. It turned out he would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Charlotta, saddled with a weak-willed, disinterested second husband (Louis of Savoy), faced her brother’s civil war with courage and mettle. After fighting off Jacco’s siege at Kyrenia Fortress, she sailed without her husband around the Mediterranean, beseeching allies for help. Even when all seemed lost and Jacco’s forces occupied most of Cyprus, she refused to give up her quest.
This courageous queen’s story just had to be told. So I resolved to bring her to life with a novel, The Queen’s Scribe.
One detail kept jumping out at me in my research: despite the fact that her father was French, Charlotta could barely speak the language. She’d grown up in her Greek mother’s apartments, for all intents and purposes a Greek girl. Yet French was the language of high administration, the language both her husbands spoke, and the language of diplomacy in Charlotta’s world. This is how I developed the concept of a fictional French heroine serving the queen as a skilled interpreter and scribe.
Landmarks of Cyprus island – old medieval fortress castle in Kyrenia, Turkish part
In The Queen’s Scribe, fictional Estelle de Montavon, a talented scribe and linguist, offers unique value to the Lusignan court of Cyprus. Estelle’s language skills become as valuable as gold when the royal court retreats to Kyrenia Fortress and civil war looms between the queen and Jacco. As Queen Charlotta voyages across the Mediterranean Sea beseeching allies for help, Estelle is at her side, witnessing every triumph and disaster along the way.
This extraordinary queen’s ambition and courage burned bright for a few short years, and she deserves another turn in the spotlight. I hope The Queen’s Scribe plays a role in bringing Charlotta of Lusignan’s extraordinary story back to life.
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
April 27, 2023
Alison Morton INCEPTIO #10Years INCEPTIO #RomaNovaSeries #AlternativeHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @alison_morton @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to welcome Alison Morton again to The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 17th — April 28th, 2023. Alison is the author of the Alternative History/Thriller, INCEPTIO (10th Anniversary hardback; Roma Nova Series), released by Pulcheria Press on 28 March 2023 (original ebook and paperback on 1 March 2013) [390 pages].
I previously reviewed JULIA PRIMA by Alison Morton, which immediately drew me in and kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. The novel vividly describes a decaying Roman empire caught in a political whirlwind of Christian leaders striving to counter Roman law and culture established during the time when pagan beliefs were accepted in 370 AD.
Below are highlights of INCEPTIO (10th Anniversary Hardback), Alison Morton’s author bio, and her fascinating post on what inspired her to write time travel back to ancient Roma Nova, the last remnant of the Roman Empire.
Blog Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-inceptio-10th-anniversary-edition.html
HIGHLIGHTS: INCEPTIO (10th Anniversary Hardback)
INCEPTIO
Roma Nova Series
By Alison Morton
Blurb:
“It’s about Roman blood, survival and money. Mostly yours.”
In an alternative New York, Karen Brown is running for her life. She makes a snap decision to flee to Roma Nova – her dead mother’s homeland, the last remnant of the Roman Empire in the 21st century. But can Karen tough it out in such an alien culture? And with a crazy killer determined to terminate her for a very personal reason?
Stifled by the protective cocoon of her Roma Novan family, deceived by her new lover, she propels herself into a dangerous mission. But then the killer sets a trap – she must sacrifice herself for another – and she sees no escape.
A thriller laced with romance and coming of age, this first in series is Roman fiction brought into the 21st century through the lens of alternative history and driven by a female protagonist with heart and courage.
This 10thAnniversary hardback edition includes bonus content: Three character ‘conversations,’ two short stories and the story behind INCEPTIO.
Buy links:
INCEPTIO 10th Anniversary special edition hardback:
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AUTHOR BIO: ALISON MORTON
Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue. INCEPTIO starts the adventure…
She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading historical, crime and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.
Six full-length Roma Nova novels, including INCEPTIO, have won the BRAG Medallion, the prestigious award for indie fiction. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. The Bookseller selected SUCCESSIO as Editor’s Choice in its inaugural indie review. The Historical Novel Society recently selected JULIA PRIMA, the first Foundation story set in the 4th century, the accolade of Editors’ Choice.
Alison lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.
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INSPIRATION FOR WRITING ROMA NOVA SERIES
Thank you so much for inviting me back to your blog, Linnea. I was delighted when you took JULIA PRIMA to your heart last October with your insightful review.
JULIA PRIMA was a departure for me as I usually write about her 21st century descendants. In fact, the Roma Nova series starts in a modern period but that timeline only exists because of Julia’s journey to search for Lucius sixteen centuries before.
So, why did I choose to start in the present with INCEPTIO whose 10th Anniversary hardback I am celebrating today? Strong Roman themes were essential in any story I was going to write – I’d been a ‘Roman nut’ since age eleven and clambered over most of Roman Europe. The military element was important – Rome was a military society. Added to that, I had served six years in uniform in the UK armed forces so that way of life was an easy one for me to draw on. I can never forget the robust camaraderie and the common purpose of that life. Very Roman!
The next influence was that of Robert Harris and his alternative timeline thriller, Fatherland, a thriller set against the supposition that that Nazi Germany had won the war in Europe. Beautifully and succinctly written, it was revolutionary and caused a storm in Germany and around the world. In this way, I discovered the enticing idea of changing the historical timeline – alternate history.
However, I wanted a woman leading the action, not merely playing a victim, assistant, consultant, girlfriend/partner/wife or token female, which was not possible in an Ancient Roman society, so I brought the story setting up to the 21st century. My heroine makes her own voyage of self-empowerment from Karen Brown, ordinary although restless young woman, into Carina Mitela, a purposeful citizen serving Roma Nova but experiencing a legendarily rocky path to love!
Roma Nova is, in a way, a thought experiment: challenging and a research dream/nightmare. However, it does carry a message: what if thrillers were set in a world of unconscious equality where its inhabitants didn’t even think about gender roles Jamie Bond rather than James Bond? it simply wouldn’t occur to them to assign them – gender-mirroring that was so inherent and natural to the characters that it was instinctive. The world of Roma Nova pushes it further with the natural bias toward women. It’s not far past that equality midpoint but it does switch natural succession in favour of women.
While I’m trying to provoke thought, my main aim is to provide several hours of solid entertainment and an escape from the real world. But Roma Nova does try to discuss serious themes of self-empowerment, betrayal, breakdown, loyalty, fear, rebellion and liberation within its stories along with the banter, friendships, pratfalls and love. These are not just Roman experiences, but human ones.
But how to make it believable?
To write alternative history authentically, you need to research as carefully as an author writing a conventional historical novel. Alternate history starts when the timeline diverges at a point in the past from the one we know, in Roma Nova’s case in AD 395. You research thoroughly up to that point, then jump into the void and follow historical logic.
The key is to keep everything plausible and consistent, so I use familiar anchors to prevent readers becoming alienated and throwing the book on the floor. Roma Nova is a Roman type society with values and mentality similar to the classical period of Ancient Rome. Some things will have evolved over the centuries since the time split, other things will be different from the modern timeline we know. Hopefully, the combination of these changes to history and the present gives INCEPTIO (and the rest of the series) an intriguing, possibly exotic feel, but not such a strong one as to jolt readers out of the story.
Many aspects, both for the characters themselves and their environment, will be the same as ours. For instance, even in a country occupied by 21st century Romans, a blue uniformed figure driving a car with door markings and a flashing blue roof light will inevitably suggest modern law enforcement to the reader. But in 21st century Roma Nova they are called custodes, inheritors of the vigiles who had policed Roman Nova from the late fourth century until the early 1980s.
Another technique is to mine elements from the historical record. In my books, the heroine becomes a special forces operative, so I reached back into history and plucked the Praetorian Guard forward into the 21st century. Not only does this build on the thoughts of toughness, a dash of ruthlessness, a sense of duty and glamour that we may already have about them, it uses their historical name to anchor them as archetype Romans guarding the ruler and the state. I’m aware they became corrupt in real history and eventually disbanded but, as in all historical fiction writing, in alternative history you can bend the rules a little.
Things will have progressed through the alternative historical timeline, and you can use elements harking back to the original culture. My 21st century Roma Novans stand at the forefront of the digital technical revolution as an echo of their engineering, craft and organisational expertise in ancient times.
But you need to be careful when ‘mining’. The Roman Empire in AD 395 was significantly different from how it had been in the time of Augustus in the first century. For instance, the sestertius, the archetypal silver Roman coin that pops up in TV and films, had disappeared by the late third century. The gold solidus served as the standard unit at that time, so my modern Roma Novans use solidi, including for their online banking.
Roma Novans hold their culture and history very dear and see it as both a purpose and method of survival. In INCEPTIO, our heroine finds a forum, senate, a family based social system, all ruled by an imperatrix. The military elite is called the Praetorian Guard and service to the state is valued before personal pleasure or gain. Well, in theory!
Roma Novan homes even in the 21st century are based around an atrium with a set of ancestor busts and statues (imagines) in the hallway. Although Latin is the official language, naming conventions have evolved along with the social system.
And finally, as with all historical fiction, my characters must act, think and feel like real people. The most credible ones live naturally within their world, i.e., consistently reflecting their unique environment and the prevailing social attitudes. Thus, Roma Novans are tough and ingenious and their language, including slang and cursing, reflects this. Of course, it makes a stronger story if the permissions and constraints of their world conflict with their personal wishes and aims. But that’s what happens in all good fiction!
Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub
April 23, 2023
Rowena Kinread The Scots of Dalriada #HistoricalFiction #ScottishHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RowenaKinread @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to feature Rowena Kinread in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between February 27th — May 1st, 2023. Rowena is the author of the Historical Fiction, The Scots of Dalriada, released by Vanguard Presson on 26th January 2023 (287 pages).
Below are highlights of The Scots of Dalriada , Rowena Kinread’s author bio, and an excerpt from her book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/01/blog-tour-scots-of-dalriada-by-rowena-kinread.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCOTS OF DALRIADA
The Scots of Dalriada
By Rowena Kinread
(Blurb)
THREE BROTHERS
Fergus, Loarn and Angus, Princes of the Dalriada, are forced into exile by their scheming half-brother and the druidess Birga One-tooth.
THREE FATES
Fergus conceals himself as a stable lad on Aran and falls helplessly in love with a Scottish princess, already promised to someone else. Loarn crosses swords against the Picts. Angus designs longboats.
TOGETHER A MIGHTY POWER
Always on the run the brothers must attempt to outride their adversaries by gaining power themselves. Together they achieve more than they could possibly dream of.
Fergus Mór (The Great) is widely recognised as the first King of Scotland, giving Scotland its name and its language. Rulers of Scotland and England from Kenneth mac Alpín until the present time claim descent from Fergus Mór.
Full of unexpected twists and turns, this is a tale of heart-breaking love amidst treachery, deceit and murder.
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AUTHOR BIO: ROWENA KINREAD
Rowena Kinread grew up in Ripon, Yorkshire with her large family and a horde of pets. Keen on travelling, her first job was with Lufthansa in Germany.
She began writing in the nineties. Her special area of interest is history. After researching her ancestry and finding family roots in Ireland with the Dalriada clan, particularly this era.
Her debut fiction novel titled “The Missionary” is a historical novel about the dramatic life of St. Patrick. It was published by Pegasus Publishers on Apr.29th, 2021 and has been highly appraised by The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post and the Irish Times.
Her second novel “The Scots of Dalriada” centres around Fergus Mór, the founder father of Scotland, and takes place in 5th century Ireland and Scotland. It was published on Jan.26th, 2023.
The author lives with her husband in Bodman-Ludwigshafen, Lake Constance, Germany. They have three children and six grandchildren.
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EXCERPT: THE SCOTS OF DALRIADA
Donald sees Cartan approaching the ring. He nudges Lorcan and says, “Keep him occupied, I’ll make sure Fergus disappears.” He runs towards the stables but can’t find him anywhere.
Cartan sees Lorcan’s unmistakeable long, lanky figure and strides purposefully towards him.
“You here Lorcan, what are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same. Why shouldn’t I be here? If you must know, I’ve been looking at the horses. Laird Donald wants a destrier, he asked for my advice.”
“Ah, any particular horse in mind? I’m looking for one myself.”
Lorcan tips the end of his nose. “Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” An idea forms in his mind. “Must go, I’ve business to attend to.”
He leaves Cartan standing at the ringside and ambles leisurely towards the stables.
Donald is amongst a mass of people, “I can’t find him. He must’ve seen Cartan and disappeared himself,” he tells Lorcan.
“Good. Now listen, I’ve got a plan. When the destriers are auctioned, bid for Lockwood until I rub my nose.”
“Lockwood? I thought we’d agreed on Thunderbolt.”
“Aye, I’ve no time to explain, trust me.” Lorcan finds Tormey and tells him to speak to the auctioneer. “Get him to auction Lockwood in third place, and Thunderbolt right at the end, I’ll explain later. Oh, and ask Hamish to do a demonstration on Lockwood before the bidding.”
Tormey looks a little surprised as Lorcan rushes off again, but he knows him well enough to do as bid without asking questions. Next, Lorcan goes around the ring until he finds Old Mac from the village.
“You and your friends bid for Lockwood till I pull my left earlobe.
The drinks are on me tonight.”
“Oh, right you are, leave it up to me.”
Satisfied that his plan could succeed, Lorcan takes place at the ringside and watches the sales. The auctioneer calls for attention and announces that the highlight of the fair was imminent, the auction of this year’s destriers. Eight horses are trotted around the ring whilst the auctioneer praises their compact and well-muscled build, their skill, and their swiftness, before they file out again. The first two horses achieve prices over four hundred gold pieces. Lorcan notices with satisfaction that Cartan doesn’t bid, but turns his head constantly between himself and Donald like a ball game. Hamish enters the ring riding Lockwood. Tall and majestic the powerful animal strides out with confidence. He has an elegant gait, a refined head, and an arched neck. His white coat is glossy, and his mane and tail plaited. Loud, “Oohs and aahs” accompany his movements.
Lockwood doesn’t bat an eyelid at the noise. Hamish lets him jump over two smouldering sheaves of hay. The spectators applaud. Then Hamish steers Lockwood to the middle of the ring. He demonstrates a leg yield with Lockwood moving forwards and sidewards; lifesaving on a battle field. Finally, he canters the full length of the ring, pulls Lockwood up briskly and lets him turn a pirouette to face the opposite direction. Then he trots again to the centre and rears up on his hind feet.
The applause makes Hamish’s ears ring. As he exits, the bidding begins.
The auctioneer has his instructions and begins at four hundred. Donald raises his hand, followed quickly by Cartan and Old Mac and his mates. In a matter of minutes, the bidding has reached eight hundred and fifty. Lorcan pulls his left ear lobe and Old Mac, and his friends drop out of the bidding, shaking their heads sadly.
“Eight hundred and eighty, who’ll give me eight hundred eighty?” the auctioneer bellows.
An awed silence falls over the ring. A collective holding of breath and eager expectation. The price is ridiculous, even for such a grand animal. Donald looks at Lorcan anxiously, but failing to see him rub his nose, nods to the auctioneer. The spectators let out their breath simultaneously. Lorcan grins at Cartan triumphally.
“One thousand!” Cartan shouts. A shocked silence, then enthusiastic applause.
Lorcan rubs his nose and Cartan sneers arrogantly as no one else raises his bid.
Lorcan turns on his heels quickly, and stumbling twice over stones that hadn’t been there before, rushes into the tack room. He shuts the door behind him and collapsing on a bale of straw, thrusts his fist into the air. It was a small victory but a gratifying one. Donald enters, followed by Tormey and Hamish.
“By me God, I nearly wet my truis there!” Donald exclaims. Tormey laughs and slaps Lorcan on his shoulders.
“Well done,” he says to Hamish. “You did us proud.”
“Aye, that was magnificent lad,” Donald says and Lorcan nods in agreement.
“What’s he doing now?” he asks.
There is no need to call him by name, everyone knows who he’s talking about.
“Paying the bailiff, emptying his purse,” Tormey grins wickedly. “By God, I hope that shoe holds till he’s back in Ireland. Mind you, I’d love to see his face when it falls off and he sees what’s below it.”
“Or rather the horn that’s not below it,” Lorcan grins wickedly.
“Well come on, no time for dithering, we’ve got a horse to buy.” “Oh yes, Thunderbolt, I nearly forgot!” Donald says.
Outside, the spectators are in a festive mood. When Cartan leaves with Lockwood to return to the port, a huge cheer goes up. The sale of Thunderbolt, a handsome dappled grey stallion with an unusual black mane and tail, is almost an anti-climax in comparison. Donald gets him for a fair five hundred and twenty gold pieces.
The fair is over, and everyone goes to the tavern to celebrate. Laird Douglas pays for food and drink; the evening is long. Just one person is missing, Fergus.
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April 20, 2023
David Lawrence Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon #HistoricalFiction #QueerFiction #RomanticComedy #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn
It is my pleasure to feature David Lawrence in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 10th — April 21st, 2023. David is the author of the Historical Fiction / Queer Fiction / Romantic Comedy, Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon Eyes, which was released on February 21, 2023, by Broadbound Publishing (245 pages).
Below are highlights of Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon Eyes, David Lawrence’s author bio, and an excerpt from his book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-blue-billys-rogue-lexicon.html
HIGHLIGHTS: BLUE BILLY’S ROGUE LEXICON
Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon
by David Lawrence
(Blurb)
William Dempsey was a wonder among wonders.
By 18, he had risen from a gang of London street rogues to be the personal plaything of the Marquess of Argyll. Maintained in splendour, celebrated at masquerades – with everything he could wish for.
Now all has come crashing down. He is put out in the rain without patronage, his West End apartment, or a place among the ton.
So on a stormy night, he arrives at a house in Southwark. Marathon Moll’s in the Mint – the bawdyhouse he worked in during his ascent and where he earned the name Blue Billy.
But is Marathon Moll’s a place from which to rise again? For there is one in the crowd, who catches his eye. Who takes his hand and promises something better.
Or does Moll’s signify a return to his roots? For one day, a second and very different young man raps on the door. Takes his hand and asks him to return to his past.
To the cat language of vagabonds. The canting dialect of thieves.
To the schemes, and the dreams, of his youth.
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AUTHOR BIO: DAVID LAWRENCE
David Lawrence is the author of two queer historical novels – ‘Hugh: A Hero without a Novel’ and ‘Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon’. As a writer, he loves taking a deep dive into the politics, social norms, and events of 18th century England while presenting humorous and unique coming-of-age tales.
A native of the American Southwest, David has spent much of his life in Great Britain, France, and Finland. He now lives in the American Northwest – Helena, Montana – with his Finnish partner.
By day he loves hiking under the Big Sky of his beautiful adopted state.
By night, however, he prefers wandering the byways of 18th century London…
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EXCERPT: BLUE BILLY’S ROGUE LEXICON
NOTE: The opening of the novel. It was such fun naming these chapters. The terms are taken from actual 18th century street slang I found during my research, and, thankfully, I found something to fit each chapter. Here Billy is arriving at a place he was formerly employed in, a bawdyhouse called Marathon Moll’s. He was kicked out years ago for stealing but he has fallen on hard times and hopes Moll will take him back.
Chapter 1 Abram Cove
among thieves signifies a naked or poor man; also a lusty strong rogue
“And what have we here?”
“Let us in, Moll. Beast of a storm tonight, ain’t it?”
“Aye,” returned Moll, cinching her silk wrap while maintaining a hand behind the front door she’d opened just an inch. “Stormy for some by the look of it.”
The wind sent rain barrelling into this secluded yard in the Mint, taking the standing, shiftless dregs of chamber pots for an airy jaunt. Souls Yard, a misshapen cul-de-sac of three freestanding abodes consisted of a squat, squalid cottage, from which no light entered or emerged. A converted barn with modish ventilation in every wall and door, the slope of its gambrel roof rather like hands praying for intervention. And the jewel of the Yard, Marathon Moll’s: a double-fronted, two-story block tethered at east and west with slender chimneys touched with scoliosis.
“Have you lost your way tonight, Billy?”
With a look of wounded indignation, William Dempsey said, “Ain’t it enough to wish the company of an old, dear friend? ‘Old’ meaning previous-like,” he added, “nothin’ more.”
The door remained unmoved; Billy was left to shiver on the tilted stonework of the front elevation. Wiping the endless stream of August rainwater from his face, he pressed himself against the opening until their faces nearly touched. Moll’s – with its native jaundice, like dirty lemon juice upon features which arrived at too many points. Billy’s – a canvas of creamy white, flushed with health and whose boyish pout Moll herself had often declared a criminal provocation.
“‘Old’ you have defined, Billy, but how do you define ‘dear friend’?” said the bawd, pushing up her aquiline nose. “That term implies paying calls of friendship, or at least of courtesy (which are not calls to steal from my house, mind you), and I’ve not seen your pretty face these two years.”
“That Blue Billy outside?” came a second voice from within. “Let him in out the rain, for God’s sake.”
Recognising the voice of one of the house’s most devoted patrons, Dempsey said, “‘Dear friend’ I define as Dip-Candle Mary there behind you, who I hear’s set to be married next week, so I come to bestow my congratulations.”
All around Souls Yard, eyes were opening within cracks in the ramshackle barn and, one sensed without ever quite knowing, at the darkened front window of the cottage. For though a code of honour kept the inhabitants of each from inquiring into the business of their neighbours, scenes in the Yard were fair game for all.
After a moment, and a great sigh from Moll, the door withdrew just enough to allow into the vestibule Dempsey’s small, slim form. Mary hurried forward to embrace him. He was a tallow chandler from Shoreditch, Dip-Candle Mary being his house name. Such names were customary in these houses, which referenced either one’s profession or physical appearance. Indeed, Billy had never known him by any other, though the man had always been sweet on him. Sweet enough to forgive the trinkets Billy had lifted from his dressing table when staying the night. That silver-handled comb the man really didn’t need seeing as how he kept his hair so short. That errant bit of coin taken from coat pockets…
From the dark vestibule, Billy looked toward the glow of the front parlour. The room was filled with claret wallpapering before which replicas of Roman forms thought or gloried or sported in alabaster relief. Chintz upholstered sofas and settees of various conditions reclined before the fireplace, currently cold, its salt shelf crammed with crucibles of scented oil waiting to ignite on crackling nights. The parlour was lit by two fat beeswax candles stuck into halves of an antiquated urn hung over the mantle. The widely cast light lifted a glow from the gold threading of the furniture and, for a moment, a glow in Billy himself as he recalled the handful of good times he’d enjoyed while living here.
No question, Moll had come up in the world. When his eyes returned to hers, pride shone in her face as though to say: only observe all I have accomplished since I got rid of you. When Billy took a tentative step forward she held up a thin finger, forbidding him to take another step, dripping like a rainforest. He began to undress.
“You keep those sodden clothes on ‘til we fetch you a robe,” said Moll, ordering the house fiddler, presently dozing on the chintz sofa, to grab an old, dirty robe from the back of the parlour cupboard – “the one Lord Chesterfield died in whilst having a frisk with Sook Stockings.” Then she reached forward to slap at Dempsey’s hand, which, despite the injunction, had continued to open his fine Holland shirt to his navel. “Sook Stockings, Billy. The boy I discovered after I kicked you from this house despite your prediction that I could never replace you. Well, let me tell you – he not only replaced but has indeed outshon’d you.”
Billy returned to Dip-Candle Mary. The man smiled and kissed him, tugging at the stubborn tie in his long, drenched hair before venturing one large hand over his narrow belly. “Tremulous as a new calf from that chill rain,” said the tallow chandler. “Upon my word it is lovely to see you. They tell me you are kept by the Marquess of Argyll these days – he is a lucky man.”
After taking Mary’s hand for a kiss, Billy slipped from his shirt and into the filthy robe presented to him which smelled of all shades of nastiness. Stepping wide to leave his shoes, knee breeches, waistcoat, and frockcoat in a steaming pool in the vestibule, he took Mary to the spot on the crimson sofa previously warmed by the fiddler. Then, hitching up his robe, he bid the man unfasten his garters so they might peel away his silk stockings. “But do it ever so carefully. They’re my best vampers.”
As Mary reached tentatively up his thigh to begin the operation, the lady of the house entered the room, cinching her wrap violently across jutting hip bones. “Moll is my dear friend too, despite her abuse,” continued Billy. Then, addressing the man directly: “Not in a hundred years would I begrudge you another attraction; I wish you ten pairs of Sook Stockings if they fetch the cash. And now, while my Marquess tends to some important business in France for a few months, I’ve decided to make myself available to you again.”
At which point Dempsey squirmed and, touching his attendant’s shoulder, said, “Mary, a lad don’t tie garters that far up his leg.”
“Get your bloody hand outta there!” shouted Moll, and after an imposing look from his hostess, Dip-Candle Mary withdrew in a cloudy frown to the opposing end of the sofa.
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