Linnea Tanner's Blog, page 27
May 16, 2022
N.L. Holmes Bird in a Snare Coffee Book Review Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @nlholmesbooks @maryanneyarde
I am pleased to host N. L. Homes as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held May 16th — May 21st, 2022. She is the author of the award-winning Historical Mystery, Bird in a Snare (The Lord Hani Mysteries, Book 1), which WayBack Press released on 21st March 2020 (425 pages)
Below are highlights of Bird in a Snare, the author bio for N. L. Holmes, and my review of her novel.
To Follow the Blog Tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: BIRD IN A SNARE
Bird in a Snare
(The Lord Hani Mysteries, Book 1)
By N.L. Holmes
Narrated by Thomas J. Fria
(Blurb)
When Hani, an Egyptian diplomat under Akhenaten, is sent to investigate the murder of a useful bandit leader in Syria, he encounters corruption, tangled relationships, and yet more murder. His investigation is complicated by the new king’s religious reforms, which have struck Hani’s own family to the core. Hani’s mission is to amass enough evidence for his superiors to prosecute the wrongdoers despite the king’s protection—but not just every superior can be trusted. And maybe not even the king! Winner of the 2020 Geoffrey Chaucer Award for historical fiction before 1750.
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual abuse of children
Buy Links:
Amazon UK 
Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU Barnes and Noble Kobo iBooks Audio
Universal Links for series:
The Crocodile Makes No Sound (Book 2)
The North Wind Descends (Book 4)
AUTHOR BIO: N. L. HOLMES
N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun.
Social Media Links:
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The historical mystery, Bird in a Snare, by N. L. Holmes takes you back to 1350 BCE Ancient Egypt when a Pharoah rose to power and implemented radical reforms of elevating only one god for worship. Lord Hani, the protagonist, is based on a historical figure whose travels as a royal emissary are accounted for by the Amarna Letters. The political turmoil in the region provides the backdrop to the story.
Lord Hani, a royal scribe, must deal with a troubled relationship with his estranged son, who opposes his values. The story starts when Lord Hani hosts a dinner for a charismatic leader of outlaws and renegades who has an alliance with the Pharoah and wants to be recognized as king. Later, Hani’s guest is assassinated in a siege at one of his fortresses. The elderly Pharoah sends Hani to investigate the murder. On his travels, he develops a fatherly relationship with his secretary, Maya, as the two face the political intrigues of an unraveling political empire. They are swept into a political whirlwind when the elderly Pharoah dies and his son rises to power. Although the new Pharoah orders to drop the investigation, Hani ultimately learns the scope of political machinations behind the murder through his entanglements with various players vying for power.
Author Holmes has written a meticulously researched historical mystery that has more of a flavor of an epic tale of political intrigue. The story is most engaging when the political issues directly involve his family and Maya. The sub-plot of the estrangement of Hani’s son from the family is the most compelling because it helps the reader understand how the new Pharoah’s reforms directly impact his family that serves other gods. There is an endearing, budding relationship between Hani’s daughter and Maya.
The narrative is rich in vivid descriptions of the landscape and various cities with unique cultures. The tale is at its best when historical details are woven through the story, detailing complex alliances and social and familial relationships that existed during this period. At first, I struggled to keep track of the myriad of characters with their complicated names. However, a list of characters, glossaries of gods, terms, and places, and the author’s note helped pave the way to navigate through the political intrigue. The story had a satisfying ending, tying together the pieces in the puzzle of the murder and resolving family conflicts.
Bird in a Snare is highly recommended for readers who enjoy reading complex historical fiction steeped in political intrigue and rich in authentic descriptions of the archaeology, the culture, and the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptian civilization.
Instagram: @coffeepotbookclub
May 15, 2022
Book Spotlight The Mesilla Mary Armstrong Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #WildWest #WesternHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @authornotarthur @maryanneyarde
I am delighted to spotlight the Western Historical Fiction novel, The Mesilla (The Two Valleys Saga, Book 1) by Mary Armstrong in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between May 16 —May 20th, 2022. Enchanted Writing Company released The Mesilla on 22nd April 2021 (391 pages.)
Below are highlights of The Mesilla and Mary Armstrong’s author bio.
To follow the blog tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: THE MESILLA
The Mesilla
(The Two Valleys Saga, Book 1)
By Mary Armstrong
(Blurb)
At 14 years old, Jesus ‘Chuy’ Perez Contreras Verazzi Messi is too small and frail to work the land on the family farm near the Rio Bravo in Mexico. The local padre’s tutoring reveals Jesus’s unending curiosity and fertile mind. Noted Las Cruces, New Mexico attorney, and politician Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain, agrees to take his nephew under his wing. Jesus ‘reads law’ with his uncle and shares adventures and adversity with the Fountain family and other historic Mesilla and Tularosa Valley citizens. His coming-of-age story will take you into the wild southwest, a brewing range war, a territory struggling toward statehood, courtroom dramas, and the adventures and adversities of a boy’s quest for manhood.
*A fictional memoir by Jesus about the ten years leading to the notorious and unsolved Fountain murders.
The Mesilla Buy Links:
Amazon UK 
Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU Barnes and Noble COAS Books
BOOKS SERIES: THE TWO VALLEYS SAGA
Universal Buy Links for the series:
When the Doves Coo (A Prequel to The Two Valleys Saga)
The Mesilla (The Two Valleys Saga, Book 1)
The San Augustin (The Two Valleys Saga, Book 2)
AUTHOR BIO: ALISON HUNTINGFORD
Mary lives in the heart of one of the ‘Two Valleys’ in Las Cruces New Mexico, with her husband Norman ‘Skip’ Bailey, Jr. and their Cavachon child-dog, Java. In 2017 she wrote the one-act play, It is Blood, which was selected for a performance by the Las Cruces Community Theatre. Whereas the Two Valleys series is a prequel to the notorious and unsolved murders of Albert J. Fountain and his eight-year-old son, It is Blood is a sequel to those events.
After winning an award for her debut historical fiction novel, The Mesilla, Mary has decided to focus on that genre — at least for the foreseeable future. Her writing is fast-moving, thought-provoking and with just enough wordsmithing to satisfy your artistic hankerings. While her writing has literary merit, she strives to capture the moment — the time and the place — and help you live in that moment.
Before releasing her debut novel, Mary dabbled in creative writing, including a weekly column in the Las Cruces Sun News. Since retiring from a diverse career in various planning and design fields, she has devoted herself more fully to her writing, being a good spouse, serving her dog Java, and slipping away to the golf course when left unchained to the desk.
Social Media Links:
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Instagram: @coffeepotbookclub
May 12, 2022
M.K. Tod The Admiral’s Wife Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #DualTimeline #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @MKTodAuthor @maryanneyarde
It is my pleasure to welcome M. K. Tod as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held May 9th — May 13th, 2022. She is the author of the Dual-Timeline / Historical Fiction, The Admiral’s Wife, which was released by Heath Street Publishing on 11th April 2022 (390 pages)
Below are highlights of The Admiral’s Wife, M. K. Tod’s author bio, and an excerpt from her novel.
To follow the blog tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE
The Admiral’s Wife
By M.K. Tod
(Blurb)
The lives of two women living in Hong Kong more than a century apart are unexpectedly linked by forbidden love and financial scandal.
In 2016, Patricia Findlay leaves a high-powered career to move to Hong Kong, where she hopes to rekindle the bonds of family and embrace the city of her ancestors. Instead, she is overwhelmed by feelings of displacement and depression. To make matters worse, her father, CEO of the family bank, insists that Patricia’s duty is to produce an heir, even though she has Suffered three miscarriages.
In 1912, when Isabel Taylor moves to Hong Kong with her husband, Henry, and their young daughter, she struggles to find her place in such a different world and to meet the demands of being the admiral’s wife. At a reception hosted by the governor of Hong Kong, she meets Li Tao-Kai, an influential member of the Chinese community and a man she met a decade earlier when he was a student at Cambridge.
As the story unfolds, each woman must consider where her loyalties lie and what she is prepared to risk for love.
Trigger Warnings:
Brief sex scenes
Praise:
“Family secrets and personal ambitions, east and west, collide in this compelling, deeply moving novel.” — Weina Dai Randel, award-winning author of THE LAST ROSE OF SHANGHAI
“Irresistible and absorbing.” Janie Chang, bestselling author of THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS
Buy Links:
Amazon (Universal Link) 
Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU Barnes and Noble
M.K. (Mary) Tod’s interest in historical fiction began as a teenager immersed in the stories of Rosemary Sutcliff, Jean Plaidy, and Georgette Heyer. In 2004, her husband’s career took them to Hong Kong where, with no job and few prospects, Mary began what became Unravelled, her first novel. The Admiral’s Wife is her fifth novel.
Mary’s award-winning blog, www.awriterofhistory.com, focuses on reading and writing historical fiction. She’s an active member of the historical fiction community and has conducted five unique reader surveys on topics from readers’ habits and preferences to favorite historical fiction authors. Mary is happily married to her high-school sweetheart. They have two adult children and two delightful grandsons.
Social Media Links:
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June 1912
The theater looked surprisingly modest. Indeed, Isabel would not have imagined the plain gray exterior and simple wooden door to house anything of significance, if it weren’t for the strings of red paper lanterns spanning the trees in front. Mr. Li and his wife were waiting in the lobby, a small space decked out in vivid red and gold.
Li Tao-Kai greeted her with a slight bow. “Mrs. Taylor, how good to see you.”
Earlier, Isabel had asked Ah Lam to teach her how to say hello in Cantonese. She’d practiced the two sounds several times to much amusement from her housemaid. As far as she could discern, hello sounded like “neigh hoe,” which she said now to both Wen Lee Chu and Li Tao-Kai. Her greeting brought smiles to their faces.
“I’m delighted to be here,” she continued. “Allow me to introduce Miss Fletcher.”
When responding to the invitation, she’d mentioned that Henry would not be able to join them. It was Li Tao-Kai who had suggested she bring a friend. For the sake of propriety, then, Muriel accompanied her to the opera. Glancing around at the almost exclusively Chinese audience, Isabel was relieved. She didn’t relish the notion of being a single white woman in the company of an Asian couple.
Unlike London theaters, here it seemed that those attending did not mingle while drinking cocktails or champagne before the performance but instead took their seats upon arrival. Wen Lee Chu led the way into a large, two-story room unlike anything Isabel had ever seen.
Like the lobby, red and gold were in liberal use along with touches of green, blue, and black. The first-floor stage was square and thrust into the main seating area at least thirty feet. A black curtain with an intricate scene of flowers and trees in silver and gold was draped across the back of the stage. Red stairs allowed actors to mount to the smaller second-story stage where the backdrop was red and an enormous brass gong was mounted on a stand and flanked by marble-topped tables set on what looked like ceramic dragons.
As for seating, rows of dark wooden chairs stretched from side to side, and similar chairs painted with red lacquer populated the balconies, where painted silk banners defined each separate box. The buzz of conversation rose as more and more people entered the hall.
“Let me tell you a little bit about the opera we will see tonight,” Li Tao-Kai said after they were seated in the upper balcony level. “It’s called Legend of the White Snake—a Chinese fairytale about a snake spirit who falls in love with a man. Chinese legends often involve spirits. This snake spirit takes on the form of a woman, and the man falls in love with her. They get married. Unfortunately, another spirit is jealous and exposes the woman as a snake. This causes her husband to have a heart attack and die. Of course, being a spirit, she is able to bring him back to life . . . but more troubles follow.”
Wen Lee Chu leaned towards her husband and spoke softly.
“My wife wants me to tell you that it’s one of China’s great folk tales.”
Smiles and nods followed this statement.
“The opera is about to begin,” he said. “I hope you find it interesting.”
The lights dimmed and a gong sounded. The audience quieted until all that could be heard was the faint rustle of clothing. On the balcony stage, an actor appeared dressed in white, his long black hair pulled back from his face, his brows and eyes heavily accented with makeup. He raised a wooden mallet and struck the brass gong which reverberated across the hall and then the performance began.
For the next hour, Isabel’s attention was riveted to the stage. The story played out in music, song, mime, dance, and even acrobatics. The costumes were magnificent creations: long, flowing gowns in blue or white with occasional bits of red. Banners swooped and fluttered in the hands of the actors, at times suggesting water, at other times birds, clouds, or snakes. Flags, lanterns, umbrellas, pikes, and swords appeared with dramatic flourish. Symbols clanged, drums beat, horns blared. Castanets, bells, lutes, and reed pipes added to the tumult of sound. At times, these instruments were so loud that the actors sang in a piercing style to be heard. To her Western ear, these songs were more noise than music.
“Now there’s a brief intermission,” Li Tao-Kai said. He rose to his feet. “Did you find it enjoyable?”
“Fascinating,” Isabel said. “There’s so much color and movement. It’s very different from our opera.”
“And you, Miss Fletcher?”
“Wonderful, Mr. Li. It was like a combination of ballet, athletics, and opera. The actors are superb. The lead female expresses such emotion in her gestures that at times I felt I could understand what she was saying.”
“A performer’s skill is judged by the beauty of their movements,” Li Tao-Kai said. “This particular actress is well known in Peking opera circles, and we are fortunate to have her here in Hong Kong.”
Wen Lee Chu touched her husband’s arm and spoke at length.
“My wife says these ancient legends tell us that all things may grow and change. A snake may become a woman, for example. A plant may become an animal. A human may become a god. And naturally, the reverse is also true. In tonight’s play, the snake becomes a woman. But she wants more. She wants love.”
“Perhaps such tales of growth and change symbolize our desire as humans to strive for more,” Muriel said. “More wealth, more beauty, a happier family, and so on.”
“An interesting observation, Miss Fletcher. Do you think we should all be content with our lot in life?” As he spoke, Li Tao-Kai looked directly at the governess, a slight frown marking his concentration.
Based on the blush in Muriel’s cheeks, Isabel assumed she was embarrassed by the intensity of Mr. Li’s gaze. I wonder if she’s has ever had a man in her life. The thought made her realize she’d never asked; indeed, she knew little of Muriel’s personal life except that her father had died, and Muriel had lived with her mother and younger siblings before becoming Georgiana’s governess.
Muriel drew her shoulders back and stood a little taller. “I think there’s a distinction between bettering oneself and tromping on others in a desire to get ahead. Or for that matter, denying the roots that gave one a start in life.”
“You make an excellent point, Miss Fletcher.”
Li Tao-Kai spent a moment chatting with his wife. He seemed to want to include her, despite her inability to converse in English. Based on the few comments Wen Lee Chu had already made, Isabel wondered if perhaps she understood some English but was uncomfortable speaking it.
“Mrs. Taylor told me that you went to Cambridge,” Miss Fletcher said. “Did you enjoy your time there?”
“It was difficult to fit in as a young Chinese man. My father made sure I spoke English before I went so there wasn’t a language barrier. Fortunately, I was good at sports.”
Isabel imagined the attitudes he would have encountered from the British upper-class men who attended places like Cambridge and Oxford. Men who felt entitled to wealth and position merely because they were born into it. Men she had socialized with in the heady days before marriage.
“What sports did you play?” Isabel asked.
“Tennis and cricket. I was reasonably good at them, which helped me be accepted. In the upper years, I had quite a few good friends. They called me Teddy.”
“Teddy?” she said.
“Yes. Tao-Kai seemed unnecessarily foreign. Teddy Li was much easier for everyone.”
“Did you enjoy your time in England, Mr. Li?” Muriel asked.
“Very much. I enjoyed your British culture and way of life. There are many things to admire about it. Unfortunately, my family disapproves of these sentiments.”
Tao-Kai’s admission surprised Isabel. However, the intermission came to an end as another gong sounded and she was unable to question him further.
Isabel thought about the evening while getting ready for bed. Li Tao-Kai had been the perfect host—solicitous and informative, blending serious conversation with more lighthearted matters. Just like the evening at government house, he’d been attentive to his wife, but Isabel hadn’t observed any signs of great affection between them. Was theirs an arranged marriage? Were arranged marriages the custom for Hong Kong Chinese?
Sights and sounds from the opera lingered in her mind. According to Wen Lee Chu, the meaning of the story was that all things may grow and change but that change might come in unexpected ways. As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered how Hong Kong would change her and her family.
Instagram: @coffeepotbookclub
May 10, 2022
Phil Hughes The Alcoholic Mercenary Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #Crime #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @Phil_Hughes_Nov @maryanneyarde
It is my pleasure to welcome Phil Hughes as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held May 2nd — May 12th, 2022. He is the author of the Historical Crime, The Alcoholic Mercenary, which was released by PerchedCrowPress on 30th April 2022 (350 pages)
Below are highlights of The Alcoholic Mercenary, Phil Hughes’ author bio, and details of his harrowing experiences in Naples that are reflected in his book.
To Follow the tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: THE ALCOHOLIC MERCENARY
The Alcoholic Mercenary
By Phil Hughes
(Blurb)
They said, “See Naples and then die!”
Rachel had thought it was to do with the natural beauty of the place. A misconception she soon lost after climbing down from the C130 troop carrier. The suspicious death of her predecessor, followed by the murder of a sailor, and an enforced liaison with a chauvinistic and probably corrupt cop saw to that.
“See Naples and then die!”
Some said the saying was anonymous. Some attributed it to Goethe. Still, others said it was Lord Byron, or maybe Keats. When the young brother of a mercenary hitman became her main suspect, Rachel leant towards Keats. Didn’t the poet die here? Somewhere near, for sure. Probably coined the phrase on his deathbed.
And then, the cherry on the top of her ice cream soda, she could smell grappa on the breath of the mercenary when she interviewed him. The only thing worse than a violent man: a violent man who drinks.
The only thing worse than a violent man who drinks: a violent man who drinks and considers himself Rachel’s enemy.
Buy Links:
Available on #KindleUnlimited
Universal Amazon Link 
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Although educated in Classical Studies, Phil is the author of several historical crime novels. Having spent many years living in the Mafia-infested hinterlands of Naples, Phil bases his novels on his experiences while living there. Much of what he includes in his stories is based on real events witnessed first-hand.
Having retired from writing and editing technical documentation for a living, Phil now lives in Wexford with his partner and their border terriers, Ruby, Maisy, and the new addition Ted. He writes full-time and where better to do it than in the Sunny South East of Ireland.
Social Media Links:
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Over the years, I had many experiences: from being asked by the local boss to go out in a Zodiac to owing a favour because a mafioso returned my stolen motorbike. I could write about the execution of two informants in the foyer of a neighbouring apartment block (palazzo) or the restaurant where Maradona allegedly bought his cocaine. Or I could write about a friend’s father committing suicide when the local clan kept burning down his tailor shop because he wouldn’t pay for protection.
For the sake of this article, I shall restrict it to one story told directly in my book, The Alcoholic Mercenary.
An aspect of Organised Crime that is common throughout the world: from various mafias and tongs to the IRA, is the concept of punishment. Any unauthorised crime tends to be dealt with swiftly and brutally. This is no different in Naples.
While we lived in Lucrino, there was a heroin addict who was known to do a bit of selling on the side. He bought his supplies from African drug dealers operating in the city’s hinterlands. They sold their drugs in cul de sacs laid out where no houses were ever built (also in the book). I know this because my bike broke down outside Lago Patria, and he offered to tow it back for me but had to run an errand first. The errand ended up being a cat and mouse chase around empty streets (and by empty, I mean streets without houses) with a car full of African drug dealers. In all my experiences, this was the scariest. The drug dealers in their Fiat Punto (four of them) were definitely armed and not affiliated because in Naples in the nineties, racism was rife. No one would deal with the Mau Mau (a derogatory term for African criminals). Affiliation was vital because it meant some form of control: a set of rules if you will. The car chase ended up in a houseless cul de sac and involved the exchange of a small fortune (payment for the tow) for a condom full of heroin that the dealer had tucked away in the side of his mouth.
The guy who offered a tow was skinny, always with an open shirt and a grimy vest underneath. He had a greasy ponytail and a broken-down Fiat 500.
Apparently, his drug dealing was unauthorised because he was kneecapped outside our local bar one Saturday morning while drinking an espresso. Its audacity would seem astounding until realising that no one would act as a witness, not even the victim. After his punishment, I only saw the dealer once more, hobbling down the street with a removable cast on his leg and crutches. I can only assume he either moved away after that or failed to heed the warning.
This episode is related in The Alcoholic Mercenary, in the kneecapping of an “unauthorised” drug dealer along the seafront of Pozzuoli.
@coffeepotbookclub
May 5, 2022
Rowena Kinread The Missionary Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @RowenaKinread @maryanneyarde
It is my pleasure to host Rowena Kinread as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held May 2nd — May 6th, 2022. She is the author of the Historical Fiction, The Missionary, which was released by Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers on 28th April 2021 (357 pages).
Below are highlights of The Missionary, Rowena Kinread’s author bio, and an excerpt from her book.
To follow Blog Tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: THE MISSIONARY
The Missionary
By Rowena Kinread
(Blurb)
Patricius, a young man of Britannia, is taken from his home and family when Gaelic pirates attack his village. On his arrival in Ireland, he is sold as a slave to the cruel underking of the Dalriada tribe in the north. Six years later, Patricius manages to escape. His journey takes him through France to Ravenna in Italy. His subsequent plans to return to Britannia are side-tracked when he finds himself accompanying several monks to the island monastery on Lerinus. His devotion to his faith, honed during his captivity, grows as he studies with the monks. Haunted by visions of the Gaels begging him to return to Ireland and share the word of God with them, Patricius gains support from Rome and his friends to return to the land of his captivity. His arrival is bitterly opposed by the druids, who have held power over the Irish kings for many years, and he and his companions must combat the druids to succeed in their God-given mission.
Trigger Warnings:
Sex, violence, swearing
Buy Links:
Available on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU Waterstones Book Depository
Rowena Kinread grew up in Ripon, Yorkshire. After leaving school, she started working for Lufthansa in Stuttgart. There she met her future husband whom she married in Ripon. After raising 3 children, she began working as a secretary in a private physiotherapy practice. At the same time, she started writing non-fiction books and magazine articles. Retirement finally brought the financial security to start writing full-length fiction. A keen interest in history and her own family ancestry inspired her debut novel, The Missionary, the dramatic story about the life of St.Patrick. A second book, The Scots of Dalriada, will be published this year. Ms. Kinread says that she welcomed retirement and all its wonderful opportunities to launch a third career.
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EXCERPT: THE MISSIONARYby Rowena Kinread
At dusk, Patricius and five men approached the fortress of Tara once again. The druids, upon seeing them, raced towards them with blades and clubs. With an ease and swiftness of practice, Patricius and his men pulled the brambles aside, entered the tunnel and, disguising the entrance once again, moved rapidly along the tunnel, exiting where Robertus was awaiting them with the horses. They mounted quickly and rode speedily away.
By the time the druids arrived where they had seen Patricius and his men standing, they had disappeared.
“Where are they?” they asked each other. “They cannot be gone far.”
“There!” A druid pointed to a hill on the other side of the valley where Patricius and his men could just be discerned galloping away on their horses. “Deer! They have turned into deer!”
Not wanting to believe this, the druids searched a while longer, but they could find no trace of Patricius and his men. They returned to the Great Hall in Tara and reported their failed mission to Laeghaire. Laeghaire was feasting in his palace together with kings, princes and nobles. He jumped up and thumped his fists down on the table. Plates clattered and cups upturned. “Do I have to do everything myself?” he raged “You are a useless bunch of do-no-goods! Go, leave! I cannot bear the sight of you all.” Then he let himself fall back onto his throne and exasperated took a large swig of red wine.
Suddenly Patricius and his five companions appeared in their midst. The door had been locked but still Patricius, Lupus and four men loomed abruptly among the High King and his guests.
“You invited me and my men to come and teach you the word of our Lord.” Patricius spoke as if nothing had occurred.
“Ye… yes, indeed.” Laeghaire quickly hid his astonishment. “Come and sit down at my table. Servants!” he called, clapping his hands. “Bring food and drink for our guests.”
Lucetmael, the druid, wore a massive chunky gold ring on his left forefinger. It was adorned with a large emerald which concealed a small hollow filled with poison. Passing a silver cup of wine to Patricius, Lucetmael smiled to him welcomingly, disguising his hatred. Covering his left hand with the sleeve of his robe, he pressed a catch on his ring to release a drop of poison into Patricius’ cup. Patricius waited until his men also had wine, then, rising from their seats, they crossed themselves and blessed the wine.
“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” They raised their cups to their lips.
Laeghaire and his company looked on, dumbfounded. Leaning in close to each other so that Patricius and his men could not hear them, they asked one another, “What are they mumbling? And why do they make strange signs?”
Lupus used the distraction to sprinkle a substance into Patricius’ cup. The wine froze to ice, solely the poison remained liquid. Patricius turned his cup upside down and the poison fell out. Then he blessed his cup again and the wine returned to its natural state. Lucetmael looked on angrily as Laeghaire became impressed.
“Tell me,” Laeghaire asked, “what do you mean with ‘the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’?”
“Come outside with me,” Patricius invited Laeghaire, “and I shall show you.”
The company went outdoors and Patricius plucked a shamrock from the grass.
“It is no mystery,” he told Laeghaire, handing him the three-leaved shamrock. “The greatest secret of heaven lies smiling in the sun beneath your feet. This is one leaf, yet it is parted in three. It represents the Trinity, where we acknowledge God’s existence as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each of them is separate from one another and yet they are identical and one God. This is the Sign of the Three in One. Each is fully divine and although distinctly separate, they are one God. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”
Instagram: @maryanneyarde
May 2, 2022
Strung By Roske Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFantasy #roskechronicler #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @RoskeChronicler @maryanneyarde
It is my pleasure to welcome ⟅R̫o̮s̫k͚e̫ (Roske) as a featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held May 2nd — May 6th, 2022. ⟅R̫o̮s̫k͚e̫ is the author of the Literary, Historical Science-Fantasy Romance, Strung, which was released by Conceptual Chronicler of Time on 22nd February 2022 (422 pages).
Below are highlights of Strung, author bio of ⟅R̫o̮s̫k͚e̫, and an excerpt from the book.
To Follow the Blog Tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: STRUNG
Strung
By ⟅R̫o̮s̫k͚e̫
(Blurb)
Few in the world of Iodesh believe the Faye are more than legend—until an unwanted suitor captures one as Lady Lysbeth Haywood’s bride price.
Presented with the Faye, Lysbeth is torn between her excitement to learn more about the legendary people, her dread at the possibility of a forced engagement, and her battle of attrition with Avon society.
It’s worth the struggle, for as layers of the Faye’s extraordinary mysteries are peeled away, their revelations—and Lysbeth’s own role in them—reach farther than she ever thought possible.
Praise
Trigger Warnings:
Mild self-harm, off-screen abuse, and brief on-screen violence.
Buy Links:
Available on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU
AUTHOR BIO: ROSKE
⟅R̫o̮s̫k͚e̫ is Strung’s diegetic author and illustrator. Its real-world counterpart began building the world of Strung at age 12
to disassociate from budding bisexuality and physical disabilities—and eventually traded adversity’s escapism for inspiration.
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OVERTURE: Adagio
(aka Chapter 1 | The Faye Arrives)
Servants assemble on the front terrace as the Ladies proceed to the Grand Chamber. The extravagant marble hall is a central intersection to Lindenholt’s equally extravagant entryway, Grand Drawing Room, and Grand Dining Hall. Ornate frescoes on the vaulted ceiling peer over the floor’s polished, crystalline veins. Clerestory windows cast warm, westerly light on the railing of a second story mezzanine. Behind the gathered Ladies, a series of ornate columns guard the Grand Stair at the room’s end.
“Moment of truth.” Isaac frowns, sauntering to the group from his den.
“Yes.” Lysbeth’s throat constricts as Mr. Tenson, Lindenholt’s head butler, takes up his position at the seam of two mahogany doors. She squeezes Elane’s hand and straightens, finding courage in well-stacked vertebrae.
They wait.
A muffled hum swells from the terrace. Mr. Tenson clutches brass at his hips and peeps through the door’s sliding window. His back stiffens; he clears his throat. Carved mahogany swings wide, pulling sharpened murmurs into the room on a puff of cool air.
“Announcing The Right Honorable, The Earl of Dorsit… and guest,” he declares, following the door’s swivel to the Chamber’s inner walls.
Dorsit, a man of fair build and looks—and upon whose features pretension finds permanent accommodation—stands alert in the entryway as mahogany knocks against marble. Beyond him, curious glints of light move into the vestibule’s shade and dull. Lysbeth’s squint reverses course. They’re horns. Thin, silver, and affixed by some means to the head of a taller person behind the Earl.
“Your esteemed Lordship. My Ladies,” Dorsit simpers, removing his hat to perform an exaggerated bow. A gasp emits from the greeting party. Dorsit’s bow has revealed the figure at his back.
Thin tubes of silver alloy run over a lithe torso. Beginning at either temple, two jet-black, fishtail plaits lead to an exceptionally long ponytail decorated with thin chain. Diagonally above each ear are not one, but three horns stacked in a gentle downward arc. Though a silver mask covers the lower face, large eyes, fine brows, and the beginnings of a tall nose give the impression of great beauty.
Gina pulls a smelling-salt pouch from her bliaut-bodice and tilts against Marium for a huff. In turn, Marium tilts on Elane, who releases her cousin’s slackened hand to shoulder her friend’s daze.
Lysbeth takes in as many details as possible, drawing a sharp breath as her gaze climbs. The eyes. They’d been aimed at the vestibule’s ceiling, now they look into the Chamber. Their striking shade of green—or is it blue? —leaps from the landscape of black, sterling, and tan that comprise the face they inhabit. The rattling in her chest threatens to topple her carefully constructed spine. Dorsit had written truthfully.
Arising from his bow, the Earl blocks the stranger again. “I hope the evening finds you well, Lady Lysbeth.”
“Indeed, thank you, Sir,” she manages a steady voice, “though we’ve been quite anxious for your arrival.”
“M’yeees? How delightful.” Dorsit purses his lips and swallows. “Eh, before I present the Faye specimen, allow me to allay any fears of ferality. My men addressed him as Evyn and assured me he’s a docile sort, though I’m afraid his appearance may shock the sensibilities of one so delicate and virginal as you, My Lady.”
“We’re all equally shocked by the magnitude of your good fortune in this endeavor, I’m sure,” Lysbeth responds in fruitcake: dry, but with enough scattered moisture to be given the benefit of the doubt.
Dorsit puffs and moves to the side. Fully visible now, the room eagerly regards the Faye again.
He touches the doorframe with long, graceful fingers as he steps into the Chamber. Willowy, tall-waisted, and extremely lean, hems of musculature tailor his body. An elegant filigree of resplendent silver—which leaves little to the imagination—journeys across his physique, hiding at times beneath thin plates along the inner and outer planes of his appendages. A rectangle of snake-chain hangs like a loincloth from his hips. Above it, a narrow path of panels climbs the center of his abdomen. Eight lines of silver wrap around his torso and converge under a slightly convex, diamond-shaped cover against his heart.
Lysbeth’s gaze skitters across him. As she reaches his face again, she finds he’s looking at her, too.
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April 27, 2022
Lelita Baldock Where the Gulls Fall Silent Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #WheretheGullsFallSilent #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @LelitaBaldock @maryanneyarde
I am delighted again to welcome Lelita Baldock as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 25th through April 29th, 2022. Lelita Baldock is the author of the Historical Fiction, Where the Gulls Fall Silent, which was independently released by the author on 28th October 2021 (231 pages).
Below are highlights of Where the Gulls Fall Silent, Lelita Baldock’s author bio, and an excerpt from her book.
To Follow the Blog Tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: WHERE THE GULLS FALL SILENT
Where the Gulls Fall Silent
By Lelita Baldock
(Blurb)
A small fishing village, a shunned healer, her daughter, tradition, superstition and a world set to change.
Kerensa lives with her mother, the healer Meliora, on the edge of a small fishing community on the Cornish Coast.
The townsfolk, who work the fish runs of pilchard and mackerel that make their way up the Atlantic coast, call on her mother for help with their ailments, but never for her company.
Kerensa does not know why.
Curses and superstitions whisper around her as she grows into a competent young woman, fighting for her place amongst the people of Porth Gwynn.
But what has caused the rift between her and the town?
And can their traditional way of life survive in the face of changing winds?
Where the Gulls Fall Silent is a historical fiction that explores the lives of the fishermen and women who made their living from the rough Atlantic Ocean; the hardship they faced; the secrets that divided them; and the community spirit that pulled them through.
A story of love, loss, hope and second chances.
Trigger Warnings:
Adult themes, mentioned sexual assault
Buy Links:
Available on #KindleUnlimited
Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU
AUTHOR BIO: LELITA BALDOCK
Lelita Baldock is an author of historical fiction and crime fiction.
She has a passion for dark stories, with an unexpected twist.
It was during her years studying English Literature at University that Lelita discovered her love of all things reading and writing. But it would be another 15 years before she would take up the challenge and write her own novel.
Her debut novel, the historical fiction Widow’s Lace, is an Amazon best-seller.
Her follow up, The Unsound Sister, saw her take a different direction in her writing, trying her hand at crime fiction and has been warmly received globally.
Her third novel, Where the Gulls Fall Silent, a traditional historical fiction set in mid-1800s Cornwall, is out now.
Lelita also runs a blog and newsletter featuring fellow authors and other creatives.
Social Media Links:
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EXCERPT: WHERE THE GULLS FALL SILENT
A Feast of Fish and Thyme
“Heave, two, three, four. Heave, two, three, four… keep up lads!” Kenver called the stroke as Rewan and his brothers streaked out across the bay, heading for the opening to the ocean beyond. Rewan bent to his task, pulling on his oars with all the pent up enthusiasm of his months away on the farms.
They’d come home early to prepare, after purchasing the new drift nets from a merchant at Padstow and had spent hours practicing with them in the bay. He and his father and crew had been so busy repairing the boats, sanding the hulls and repainting the wood to protect the beams from the whipping waves and rains that Rewan had had barely a moment to himself. Of course, time to himself was not essential when the person you dreamed about walked past your workplace every morning.
And every morning he’d been ready. As Kerensa strolled past, her right foot marking her distinctive shuffle, Rewan had made his way to the cobbled main street to intercept her path. First he brought smiles and good days, then thoughts on the weather and the coming season. Yesterday, confidence buoyed by the progress they were making in their use of the nets, and knowing they would soon launch out beyond the bay, he’d picked a bunch of wild flowers and fashioned them into a simple bouquet.
Kerensa walked past, head facing forward, wry smile touching her lips, she knew to expect him by now. Rewan approached, bouquet secured behind his back.
“Fine day my lady.”
“My lady indeed!” Kerensa had almost snorted, flashing him a smile both bewildered and joyous. She really didn’t see it, he realised, she didn’t see her beauty.
“You prefer I call you by your name then, Kerensa.” He lowered his voice, deep and soft as the sound of her name purred through his lips.
Her face turned scarlet, the smattering of freckles along her nose and cheeks lost in the reddened hue. He grinned.
“We are to sea tomorrow, out beyond the bay.”
Kerensa stopped dead in her tracks. “Beyond the bay? Into the sea?”
Surprised, Rewan cocked his head at her. “Why, yes. That’s what we’ve been preparing for all month. Why we came back sooner.” His lips quirked into his natural lopsided smile. “Me though, I came back for you.”
She didn’t laugh or demur, just stared straight at his face.
“Is it safe… beyond the bay? The seas are wild. The trading vessels are far larger than…’
“Hush,” Rewan laughed and brought the bouquet from behind his back, “For you.”
This time she startled, eyes fixed on the purple and yellow petals he’d spent his evening hours searching for.
Her lips pursed as if holding in a laugh. “They are lovely, Rewan. But… how long did the nettle bite burn? I have salves for that you know.”
His bravado dimmed slightly. How did she know he’d grabbed a handful of the infernal stinging herb in his search?
Seeing his discomfort, Kerensa quickly continued, “They are lovely, thank you.” And reached out to take them from his hand. As she did so her fingers brushed his. All thoughts of embarrassment vanished and, as if of their own accord, his fingers curled about hers, holding their hands together across the pretty flowers.
His lip quirked up, eyes shining bright and hot he leaned forward, “They are lovely, as are you.”
He struggled to contain the surge of desire that raced through his core as he watched her swallow, her throat bob up and down.
She pulled her hand away and placed the flowers within her basket. Tonight, when she returned from her daily forage, that basket would be filled with herbs and wild vegetables. He loved the smells of the land that trailed in her wake.
“To sea then,” she said, eyes looking over his shoulder towards the calm waters of the bay. “If I don’t see you before you set out tomorrow. Be… careful.”
“There is nothing to fear,” he announced bravely, almost believing his words. Leaning closer he brought his lips to her ear, “Do you think I would ever leave? I will always return for you.”
Their eyes met, locked for a moment, two. Then Rewan, eyes shining bright, turned and ran down the beach to his crew.
Now that crew were cresting the waves, making fast for the open water.
Rewan pulled hard on the oars, his limbs moving fluidly, his body poised and ready. His muscles worked powerfully but he barely registered the strain on his limbs, he knew only the excitement of the day, of the new adventure before him and his brothers.
They crossed the cliff heads.
Cardor gave a “Whoop!” of excitement and the brothers grinned as one.
“Slow it down boy!” Braneh’s cry echoed over the waves.
Kenver looked to Rewan for direction. The men grinned at each other.
“Keep pace boys,” Rewan cried, “Let’s show those old men what we’re made of! Make ‘em chase us!”
Eyes bright with mirth, Kenver called the stroke as they glided farther from the protected waters of the bay.
It was a bright clear day, the winds off the coast were moderate and warm, the sun and gulls high overhead. As they stroked farther from the bay the swell grew, but not by much. It was a perfect day to set out, but Rewan knew not all days would be so calm. He would have to talk to his father about the mast and sail designs the drift net merchant had told him of.
Imagine the sea they could cover, the catches they could make if the wind powered them on!
Shaking his head he brought his focus back to the moment.
Braneh and his crew were now in the open waters too. While Rewan loved the idea of continuing to outpace his father, this was not a race. The two boats were needed to stretch the net, moving through the water collecting the fish. He ordered Kenver to slow the stroke and their pace changed. Soon the two boats came into line.
Rewan looked over the water to his father. Braneh’s face was stern and focused, but when their eyes met across the water, Rewan saw it, the glow of adventure that matched his own. Nodding to each other they set the net then rowed out, pulling the cords taunt between them, before advancing on the school of pilchards the huer had spotted beyond the break. Rowing as one father and son guided their crews through the school of white-bellied fish, collecting them up and trapping them in their drift net, before hauling the nets up full to bursting with squirming, struggling bodies.
“Haha!” Carawon let out a whooping cry and then the men grinned to each other.
This was going to work.
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April 26, 2022
Christopher M. Cevasco Beheld: Godiva’s Story Coffee Pot Blog Tour #LadyGodiva #AngloSaxons #HistoricalFiction #PsychologicalThriller #DarkFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @cevasco_m @maryanneyarde
It is my pleasure to spotlight Beheld: Godiva’s Story by featured author, Christopher M. Cevasco, as part of The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 25th − April 29th, 2022. Beheld: Godiva’s Story is a Historical Fiction / Psychological Thriller released by Lethe Press on 10th April 2022 (242 Pages)
Below are highlights of Beheld: Godiva’s Story and Christopher M. Cevasco’s author bio.
To follow the blog tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: BEHELD: GODIVA’S STORY
Beheld: Godiva’s Story
By Christopher M. Cevasco
(Blurb)
A darkly twisted psychological thriller exploring the legend of Lady Godiva’s naked ride.
Having survived a grave illness to become one of 11th-century England’s wealthiest landowners, Godgyfu of Coventry (Lady Godiva) remains forever grateful to the town whose patron saint worked such miracles. She vows to rebuild Coventry’s abbey and better the lives of its townsfolk. But the wider kingdom is descending into political turmoil, and her husband, Earl Leofric, starts to break under the strain. Godgyfu finds her own plans unravelling the moment she meets Thomas, a Benedictine novice with perverse secret desires. Three lives become dangerously entangled in a shocking web of ambition, voyeuristic lust, and horrid obsession. Can Godgyfu escape the monk’s menacing wiles and Leofric’s betrayals to secure her future in a changing kingdom? Perhaps, but first she faces a dark test of wills leading her perilously closer to a legendary ride…
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual situations, psychological abuse, violence, brief references to suicide.
Buy Links:
Universal Link Universal Amazon Link Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU Barnes and Noble Lethe Press
Christopher M. Cevasco was born in New Jersey and spent a memorable decade in Brooklyn, New York, but he feels most at home in medieval England, Normandy, Norway, and Greenland. A lifelong passion for history and fiction led him to earn degrees in Medieval Studies and English and later to embark upon a writing career that merges these two loves.
Chris was the founding editor of the award-winning Paradox: The Magazine of Historical and Speculative Fiction from 2003 to 2009. His own short stories appear in such venues as Black Static, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Distant Echoes (Corazon Books, UK), and the Prime Books anthologies Shades of Blue and Gray: Ghosts of the Civil War and Zombies: Shambling Through the Ages.
A long-time member of the Historical Novel Society, Chris currently serves on the society’s North American conference board as registration chair for the upcoming 2023 conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Chris lives with his wife and their two children in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Social Media Links:
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April 19, 2022
Alison Huntingford A Ha’penny Will Do Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @ahuntingford9 @maryanneyarde
I am delighted to spotlight the Historical Fiction novel, A Ha’penny Will Do, by Alison Huntingford in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 18th —April 22th, 2022. A Ha’penny Will Do was released by Austin Macauley Publisher on 31st January 2022 (368 pages.)
Below are highlights of A Ha’penny Will Do and Alison Huntington’s author bio.
To follow the blog tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: A HA’PENNY WILL DO
A Ha’penny Will Do
By Alison Huntingford
(Blurb)
Love, dreams and destitution.
Three members of one family are linked by their struggle to survive poverty and war at the turn of the century.
Kate, a homesick, lonely Irish immigrant, dreams of being a writer. After difficult times in Liverpool she comes to London looking for a better life. Hoping to escape from a life of domestic service into marriage and motherhood, she meets charming rogue William Duffield. Despite her worries about his uncertain temperament, she becomes involved with him. Will it be an escape or a prison?
Fred is a restless elder son, devoted to his mother yet locked in a tempestuous relationship with his father. War intervenes and he secretly signs up to serve abroad. Is his bad reputation deserved? What will become of him?
Joe, too young to sign up for WW1, is left to endure the hardships of war on the home front and deal with his own guilt at not being able to serve. He starts an innocent friendship with his sister-in-law which sustains him through hard times. Will he survive the bombs, the riots, the rationing and find true love in the end?
These are their intertwined and interlocking stories recreated through the medium of diaries, letters and personal recollections, based on the author’s family history covering the period of 1879 – 1920. The truth is never plain and rarely simple.
This novel is a fresh and compelling look at life for the working-class poor in England at the end of the Victorian era. Covering issues such as the struggle for home rule in Ireland, the hardships of domestic service, marital strife, the suffragettes and the horrors of World War 1 on the home front and abroad, this is a realistic and gripping tale which keeps the reader involved in their human plight all the way.
Buy Links:
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AUTHOR BIO: ALISON HUNTINGFORD
Alison Huntingford has a degree in humanities with literature, and has always enjoyed reading, especially, the great writers of the 19th century.
She is an only child of two only children and so has always felt a distinct lack of family. This has inspired her to research her family history and most of her writing is based on this. Her debut novel, The Glass Bulldog, was published in 2019, and was nominated for the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. This is her second full length novel, although, she has also written several short stories.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their pets, listening to music, going to the cinema, and gardening. She lives in Devon, on the edge of Dartmoor.
Social Media Links:
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April 13, 2022
HELEN HOLLICK When The Mermaid Sings Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #MermaidSings #HistoricalFantasy #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @HelenHollick @maryanneyarde
I am delighted to welcome Helen Hollick again as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 11th through April 15th, 2022. Helen Hollick is the author of the Historical/Nautical Fantasy, When The Mermaid Sings (A Prequel Story to The Sea Witch Voyages), which was released by Taw River Press on 21st June 2021 (190 pages).
Below are highlights of When The Mermaid Sings, Hellen Hollick’s author bio, and a dispatch from the author that includes her motivation for writing the Sea Witch Voyages series and an excerpt from her book.
To follow the blog tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: WHEN THE MERMAID SINGS
When The Mermaid Sings
(A prequel story to The Sea Witch Voyages)
By Helen Hollick
A prequel short read story to the Sea Witch Voyages of Captain Jesamiah Acorne
When the only choice is to run, where do you run to?
When the only sound is the song of the sea, do you listen?
Or do you drown in the embrace of a mermaid?
Throughout childhood, Jesamiah Mereno has suffered the bullying of his elder half-brother. Then, not quite fifteen years old, and on the day they bury their father, Jesamiah hits back. In consequence, he flees his Virginia home, changes his name to Jesamiah Acorne, and joins the crew of his father’s seafaring friend, Captain Malachias Taylor, aboard the privateer, Mermaid.
He makes enemies, sees the ghost of his father, wonders who is the Cornish girl he hears in his mind – and tries to avoid the beguiling lure of a sensuous mermaid…
An early coming-of-age tale of the young Jesamiah Acorne, set in the years before he becomes a pirate and Captain of the Sea Witch.
Praise:
“Ms Hollick has skillfully picked up the threads that she alludes to in the main books and knitted them together to create a Jesamiah that we really didn’t know.” Richard Tearle senior reviewer, Discovering Diamonds
“Captain Jesamiah Acorne is as charming a scoundrel as a fictional pirate should be. A resourceful competitor to Captain Jack Sparrow!” Antoine Vanner author
“Helen Hollick has given us the answer to that intriguing question that Jesamiah fans have been aching for – how did he start his sea-going career as a pirate?” Alison Morton, author
“I really enjoyed the insight offered into Jesamiah’s backstory, and found the depiction of our teenage hero very moving.” Anna Belfrage, author
“I loved this little addendum to the Jesamiah series. I always had a soft spot for the Lorelei stories and enjoyed that the author cleverly brought her over from the Rhine valley to fit into the story.” Amazon Reviewer
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual content, adult language.
Buy Links:
Available on #KindleUnlimited.
Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon AU
First published in 1994, Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (UK title: A Hollow Crown) with the sequel, Harold the King (US title: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she writes a nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages.
She is now branching out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with her new venture, the Jan Christopher Murder Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working as a library assistant.
Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler.
She lives in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon, runs Discovering Diamonds, a review blog for historical fiction, and occasionally gets time to write…
Social Media Links:
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DISPATCH FROM THE AUTHOR
A brief bit about the Sea Witch Voyages:
I wrote the first Voyage (Sea Witch) back in 2005 after thoroughly enjoying the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Like most avid readers, however, I wanted more than just the movie, I wanted to read something that was as entertaining and as exciting. A nautical adventure with a charming rogue of a pirate captain, written for adults (with adult content) but with a dash of supernatural fantasy as well – elements of which had made that first movie such fun to watch. I found many nautical-based novels, but they were all ‘serious stuff’ – Patrick O’Brian, Alexander Kent, C. S. Forrester … all good reads but without the fantasy fun, and barely a female character in sight. I simply could not find the book I wanted to read. So, I wrote my own.
The first Voyage led to more books in the series, and also generated several emails from fans who wanted to know how Jesamiah had become a pirate in the first place.
When the Mermaid Sings answers that question.
Excerpt: When the Mermaid Sings
The Windward Islands – 1709
Browsing the stalls and bothies arrayed along the harbourside, Jesamiah had already made several purchases: a new three-corner leather hat, three second-hand shirts and pairs of breeches that better fitted his maturing height and build, and a buckram long coat that was also not new, but all it required were replacing three missing buttons. He bought a short dagger and sheath that fitted comfortably into the hollow of his back, and from the same trader, a fine-honed cutlass with a sturdy brass knuckle guard, its scabbard boasting an intricate pattern of birds in flight. To tame the hair on his face into what he considered to be the prospect of a rakish jawline beard and elegant mustache, he selected a fancy ebony box containing a shaving kit: a razor that was ‘as sharp as a razor’ – he had laughed heartily at the journeyman’s joke – two bars of Castile soap, a leather strop, a small mirror and a pot of alum. Fitting neatly beneath the lid nestled a square linen towel.
Laden with his bargains, he stopped at one last stall, his attention caught by a set of brass buttons. Ah! Just what he needed for his coat! On peering closer, he was delighted to find that there were a dozen of them, all with an acorn design. Perfect.
“I’ll take them,” he said to the woman behind the stall, who stank of body odour, fish and gin. “How much?”
She named a price. Jesamiah shrugged and felt in his pocket for the required coins, handed them over and slipped the buttons into the same pocket. As he turned away, elegant fingers caught at his arm.
“They were overpriced, my Adonis. You should ’ave bartered.”
“They are exactly what I want. I saw no point in attempting to beat her down.”
Dolly laughed. “Traders will soon learn to love you, Jesamiah Acorne. As will the ladies.” She flapped her hand in the direction of Mermaid, tugging restlessly at her anchor cable. “Malachias tells me you sail with the tide. You will come back to see me, non?”
Jesamiah grinned. “Certainement, mademoiselle, certainement!”
“Bon,” she answered, “I ’ave grown most fond of you.”
As I grew fond of your papa, she thought. She reached up and unthreaded the blue ribbon entwined in a lock of Jesamiah’s hair. “I shall keep this,” she said, putting the trophy to her lips to kiss it. “To remind me of my Adonis.”
(excerpt edited. Adult content)
How I met Jesamiah Acorne (the tru-ish) story
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/p/how-i-met-jesamiah-acorne.html
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