Linnea Tanner's Blog, page 5
April 9, 2025
Fantasy Giveaway #Fantasy #booklovers #bookreaders
FANTASY GIVEAWAYAs an author and fellow reading enthusiast, I wanted to share an incredible opportunity with you. I recently joined an amazing group giveaway, featuring some of the best Fantasy authors out there, and I think you’ll love it!Explore more and join the fun here: https://cravebooks.com/giveaway/fantasyNot only have I contributed one of my own novels to this exciting event, but numerous other talented authors have also joined in, providing you with the chance to dive into a treasure trove of captivating stories.But that’s not all! By participating in this giveaway, you’ll be entered to win an array of free books and other fantastic prizes. One lucky winner will even receive a brand-new Kindle Fire Tablet 7 to enjoy their new reads on!Don’t miss out on this unique chance to expand your library and discover fresh, engaging stories. Sign up now: https://cravebooks.com/giveaway/fantasy
April 7, 2025
Brigitte Barnard The Tudor Queens’ Midwife #TheTudorMidwife #HistoricalFiction #TudorFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @thetudormidwife @cathiedunn
I‘m delighted to welcome Brigitte Barnard as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between March 31st – April 11th, 2025. Brigitte Barnard is the author of the Historical Fiction / Tudor Fiction, The Tudor Queens’ Midwife (The Tudor Queens’ Midwife, Book 1), independently published by the author on January 3rd, 2025 (299 pages).
Below are highlights of The Tudor Queens’ Midwife, Brigitte Barnard’s author bio, and a heartbreaking excerpt from her book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/02/blog-tour-the-tudor-queens-midwife-by-brigitte-barnard.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE TUDOR QUEENS’ MIDWIFE
The Tudor Queens’ Midwife
(The Tudor Queens’ Midwife, Book 1)
By Brigitte Barnard
Blurb:
In the glamorous, glittering and dangerous court of king Henry VIII and his queen Katherine of Aragon, the desperate desire for a healthy male heir overshadows all. Plagued by a series of miscarriages the queen is left grappling with the weight of her singular duty to provide a son for the Crown. Amidst this turmoil the queen turns to Sarah Menendez, the most highly skilled midwife in England. Sarah, exiled from her homeland and concealing her true identity must serve the queen and battle her deepest fears. As Sarah strives to save the queen from the perils of childbirth, the specter of her own past threatens to unravel the carefully crafted identity Sarah has created for herself and her young daughter.
In a world where power, politics and religion collide, Sarah finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deadly danger. The fate of the queen’s unborn child, the survival of the midwife and her daughter, and the stability of the kingdom hang in the balance. Sarah Menendez must employ all of her skills, cunning and courage to protect those she holds dear as well as the life of the queen and her unborn child.
The Tudor Queens’ Midwife is a gripping tale of secrecy, sacrifice and religious turmoil amongst the most opulent court the world has ever seen.
Trigger Points: Stillbirth
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4jzxyk
AUTHOR’S BIO: BRIGITTE BARNARD
Brigitte Barnard is an amateur historian of Renaissance English history and an author of the trilogy The Tudor Queens’ Midwife, of which the first book in the series is available. She is currently writing a non-fiction book about Tudor midwifery for Pen and Sword publishing house.
Brigitte is a former homebirth midwife, and she lives at home with her husband and four children. She also raises Cavalier King Charles spaniels.
Author Links:
Website: http://thetudormidwife.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheTudorMidwife
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetudormidwife
EXCERPT: THE TUDOR QUEENS’ MIDWIFE
The queen is struggling, and it’s still only twelve hours into her labour—she can be at this for much longer if I’m any judge.
Katherine then addresses her friend, “Maria, will you please give me my rosary so that I might pray?”
Maria de Salinas reaches into a little velvet bag on a rosewood table beside the bed. She places in the queen’s hands her ivory and diamond rosary, and the queen begins saying her rosary over and over again. The contractions seem to have subsided—yet another bad sign.
I motion to my daughter, and she gets uprises from the bed and comes to stand next to me.
I walk her over to the corner of the room, saying quietly in her ear, “I’m starting to feel concerned… this labour… I don’t know, there’s something wrong. I can’t put my finger on it, but I also can’t shake this feeling that something’s not right. I’m going to brew her an herbal draught that I hope will strengthen her womb. What should I put in it?”
My daughter is my apprentice. I am teaching her everything I know so she will one day follow in my footsteps and become the most competent midwife I can train her to be.
“I think we should try making her a tea with red raspberry leaves and perhaps some angelica root and, I don’t know, maybe some willow bark?”
“Excellent. Please go into my bag and pull out those herbs. I also want you to put aside some pennyroyal in case we need to use it, but I hope we won’t.”
As my daughter is gathering the herbs together, I walk over to the group of ladies and ask one of them if she could please go and fetch me a goblet of mulled wine sweetened with honey for the queen. A young woman jumps up, happy to be assisting the midwives and bustles out of the room to find a steward to go to the kitchens for her.
When everything is prepared to my satisfaction, I place the goblet of warm spiced wine and steeped herbs into the queen’s hands.
“Drink this, Your Majesty. It has honey and specially prepared herbs that will fortify your labour.”
Queen Katherine puts aside her rosary and, raising the goblet to her lips, takes a sip.
“Come now, Your Majesty, drink that all down,” I say encouragingly.
The queen motions to my daughter, “Come here, child.” Dutifully, my daughter comes to stand in front of Katherine. “Did I hear your mother call you Faith?”
My daughter glances over at me. I nod my head imperceptibly.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” she says.
“Such a beautiful name,” says the queen. “And you are a good Christian girl? You study your catechism every day?”
My daughter’s eyes are downcast, firmly fixed on the floor beneath her, but she answers readily. “Oh, yes! Mother gives me lessons every day.”
“That is good,” says Katherine. “Your mother is very lucky to have such an avid pupil.”
The queen’s Spanish companion is watching this scene, studying my daughter closely through narrowed black eyes.
A jolt of fear grips my heart when I see Maria de Salinas scrutinizing my daughter. I recognize the look and a cold terror grips my very bowels. She knows who we are, I think. I say out loud, “Faith, where have you misplaced the tincture of pennyroyal? Please come here and find it for me!”
My puzzled daughter looks over at me, and I give her a frown. She bobs a little curtsy to the queen and comes over to where I’m standing, pretending to search in my bag for the missing herb.
“Mama, what??”
“Shh!” I interrupt my daughter before the words are out of her mouth. Reprimanded, my daughter hangs her head but doesn’t utter another word.
I look over at the queen, and the Spaniard’s dark gaze is still fixed on us.
“We should also try to rest a bit while the queen’s labour has a bit of a respite. I have a feeling we’re going to be here for quite some time, so let’s try and take advantage and rest a spell,” I say quietly to my daughter.
We retire to the small pallet in a corner of the queen’s room and pull the thin silk coverlet up over ourselves. The queen’s retinue follows our example, huddling down together on a large, low bed on the other side of the queen’s bedchamber.
It’s not more than two or three hours later when the queen’s pains start up again. Groggily, I make my way over to the queen’s bed and ask her if I may examine her again. Katherine winces as I slide my two fingers inside her and feel the mouth of the womb, which is now much thinner and more open. When I withdraw my fingers, I am satisfied to see some bloody mucus. This is a good sign that her labour is well and truly underway.
We are all exhausted at this point, when the queen’s demeanour changes. She climbs back into the bed, moving around, trying desperately to find a comfortable position. I watch her, but I don’t direct her. In my experience, it’s always best to leave the labouring woman alone and let her find her own way.
The queen moves onto all fours and begins to rock back and forth, moaning rhythmically. I move behind her, and my daughter comes to stand next to me. The moving stops, and the queen shrieks.
“¡No puedo hacer esto, María! ¡hazlo parar!”
Maria knits her brows together, but her voice is calm as she replies “Puedes hacer esto, eres fuerte y pronto sostendrás a tu hijo!”
The rocking becomes more frantic, and the queen loses control as the urge to bear down takes over.
“Now, Your Majesty, take a deep breath, and when you feel the next pain, I want you to bear down like you do when you are moving your bowels.”
I push the queen’s night rail up over her hips. She makes a low moaning sound deep in her throat and strains as she bears down with her pain.
“That was good, Your Majesty, take deep breaths in and out.”
The queen rests between pains, her head falling low, her whole body visibly relaxing. This pattern repeats itself until the queen screams, and a little head is visible between the queen’s legs.
“Excellent, Your Majesty! I can see the baby’s head! Now, on your next pain, I want you to hold your breath and push as hard as you can.”
Katherine gives a mighty push on the next contraction, and a little baby slithers out. The baby is so tiny. My daughter and I exchange looks. I quickly cut the cord and give the baby to my daughter, and she whisks the baby off. I deliver the afterbirth and put the placenta into a linen towel to be examined later.
One of the queen’s little ladies-in-waiting announces to the guard outside the bedchamber that the baby has been born. The king will be on his way to the queen’s bedchamber shortly. Katherine’s women are helping her into a fresh gown before she climbs into her velvet-draped tester bed. I get up and join my daughter, who is holding the queen’s baby daughter.
The queen’s baby is blue, not breathing, and her limbs are floppy. I rub her briskly with linen towels, but there is no response. I try breathing into her tiny mouth—nothing. The baby is dead, and there is nothing I can do to change that fact. Horrified, my daughter’s eyes hold my gaze as the tears well up. I set my mouth together firmly and briskly shake my head at her once. That’s all she needs to pull herself together. Maria, Katherine’s friend, helps the queen settle back onto her pillows, where she’s resting comfortably.
“Let me see my baby! I want to hold my baby! Why don’t I hear him crying?”
“Rest now, querida,” says Maria, “everything is fine. The midwives are bringing him to you.”
I carry the grim little bundle over to the queen.
“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty. Your baby girl is already in heaven.”
The distraught queen lets out a shriek I will remember until my last breath on this earth. No one with a heart could hear such a wail of pure, gut-wrenching agony and not understand the pain that the queen is consumed by. Her first baby, her husband’s heir, dead before she could even draw a breath. The queen’s ladies-in-waiting stand around the bed, some with tears running down their cheeks, others looking shocked and numb.
Maria takes the queen in her arms, and the two rock gently back and forth together as their mingled tears stains the bedclothes. My daughter and I walk over to the other side of the room with the baby’s corpse still in my arms. We wrap the little infant in linen towels and place her gently on the sideboard.
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
April 6, 2025
Helen Hollick Kathy Holly Ghost Encounters #GhostEncounters #Ghosts #NorthDevon #FriendlyGhosts #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @HelenHollick @cathiedunn
I‘m pleased to welcome Helen Hollick with Kathy Holly back as featured authors in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 7th – 9th, 2025. They are the authors of the non-fiction book (with a bonus of two short stories), Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon, published by Taw River Press on 27th February 2025 (201 pages).
Below are highlights of Ghost Encounters, author bios for Helen Hollick and Kathy Hollick, and an excerpt from their book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/02/blog-tour-ghost-encounters-by-helen-hollick-and-kathy-hollick.html
HIGHLIGHTS OF GHOST ENCOUNTERS:
THE LINGERING SPIRITS OF NORTH DEVON
Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon
By Helen Hollick
With Kathy Hollick
Blurb:
Everyone assumes that ghosts are hostile. Actually, most of them are not.
You either believe in ghosts or you don’t. It depends on whether you’ve encountered something supernatural or not. But when you share a home with several companionable spirits, or discover benign ghosts in public places who appear as real as any living person, scepticism is abandoned and the myth that ghosts are to be feared is realised as nonsense.
It is a matter for individual consideration whether you believe in ghosts or not, but for those who have the gift to see, hear or be aware of people from the past, meeting with them in today’s environment can generate a connection to years gone by. Kathy and Helen Hollick have come across several such departed souls in and around North Devon and at their 18th-century home, which they share with several ‘past residents’.
In GHOST ENCOUNTERS: The Lingering Spirits Of North Devon, mother and daughter share their personal experiences, dispelling the belief that spirits are to be feared.
Ghost Encounters will fascinate all who enjoy this beautiful region of rural South-West England, as well as interest those who wish to discover more about its history… and a few of its ghosts.
(Includes a bonus of two short stories and photographs connected to North Devon)
cover design: Avalon Graphics
cover artwork: Chris Collingwood
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/GhostEncounters
This title will be available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
AUTHOR BIOSABOUT HELEN HOLLICK
Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen might not see ghosts herself, but her nautical adventure series, and some of her short stories, skilfully blend the past with the supernatural, inviting readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur.
In addition to her historical fiction, Helen has written several short stories, further exploring themes of historical adventure or the supernatural with her signature style. Whether dealing with the echoes of the past or the weight of lost souls, her stories are as compelling as they are convincing. Through her work, she invites readers into a world where the past never truly lets us go.
Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was published in the UK with her Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which, The Forever Queen (USA title – A Hollow Crown in the UK) became a USA Today best-seller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical-based adventures inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant.
Helen, husband Ron and daughter Kathy moved from London to Devon in January 2013 after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden and orchard, fending off the geese, helping with the horses and, when she gets a moment, writing the next book…
ABOUT KATHY HOLLICK
Diagnosed as severely dyslexic when she was ten, Helen pulled Kathy out of school at fifteen to concentrate on everything equine.
When not encountering friendly ghosts, Kathy’s passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had her own Welsh pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after. Kathy now runs her own Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training. EFT, or ‘tapping’, uses the body’s pressure points to aid calm relaxation and to promote gentle healing around emotional, mental or physical issues.
Kathy lives with her farmer partner, Andrew, in their flat adjoining the main farmhouse. She regularly competes at affiliated British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals.
She also has a fun diploma in Dragons and Dragon Energy, which was something amusing to study during the Covid lockdown.
Authors’ Links:
Helen Hollick
Website Twitter Facebook Bluesky
Blog: supporting authors & their books
Monthly ‘newsletter’: Thoughts from a Devonshire Farmhouse
Kathy Hollick
Facebook: North Devon – Taw River Equine Events
EXCERPT OF GHOST ENCOUNTERS:
THE LINGERING SPIRITS OF NORTH DEVON
Here in North Devon, spirits from the past might be encountered where they would be expected – on battle sites, in old pubs and inns, walking the corridors of old houses or lingering on the dockside where tall ships once dropped anchor. But they can also be found beside busy roads, strolling along quiet country lanes, and even keeping an eye on a busy modern car park. And lingering spirits are not limited to people, for animals remain among us as well. It is, I think, comforting to know that our loved ones – human and pets – are, in some way, still with us.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or not is a matter for individual consideration, but for those who have the gift to see, hear or be aware of people from the past, meeting with them in today’s environment can generate a connection to years gone by. Those who came before us and who chose to remain among us, whether strangers or relatives and ancestors, are to be welcomed, not feared.
Many of the encounters related in this narrative are personal in origin, not second-hand anecdotes or over-dramatised (and mostly unbelievable) tales to deliberately scare and frighten. Some of the private locations mentioned are inaccessible to public scrutiny, but there are enough public places, such as old pubs, villages and beaches, for ghost enthusiasts to explore, and maybe experience a friendly encounter or two.
Accompanied by photographs of some of the locations and animals featured in the text, Ghost Encounters will fascinate all who enjoy this beautiful region of South-West England, as well as interest those who wish to discover more about its history. And a few of its ghosts.
Find out more – and meet a few ghosts – in Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
April 2, 2025
Book Review Strait Lace Rosemary Hayward #StraitLace #HistoricalFiction #WomenInHistory #Suffragettes #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn
I’m delighted to welcome Rosemary Hayward as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, being held between March 13th – April 3rd, 2025. Rosemary Hayward is the author of the Historical Fiction, Strait Lace, published by Loxley Hall Books on March 8th, 2025 (400 pages).
Below are highlights of Strait Lace, Rosemary Hayward’s author bio, and my review of her book that covers the momentous suffragist movement in early twentieth century England.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-tour-strait-lace-by-rosemary-hayward.html
HIGHLIGHTS: STRAIT LACE
Strait Lace
by Rosemary Hayward
Blurb:
It is 1905. Edwardian England. Harriet Loxley, the daughter of a vicar and niece to a prominent Nottingham lace manufacturer, spends her days playing cricket with her brother, scouring the countryside for botanical specimens, and never missing an opportunity to argue the case for political power for women. Given the chance to visit the House of Commons, Harriet witnesses the failure of a historic bill for women’s voting rights. She also meets the formidable Pankhurst women.
When Harriet gets the chance to study biology at Bedford College, London, she finds her opportunity to be at the heart of the fight. From marching in the street, to speaking to hostile crowds, to hurling stones through windows, just how far will Harriet go?
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mKkLMP
AUTHOR BIO: ROSEMARY HAYWARD
Rosemary Hayward is the author of Margaret Leaving, a historical mystery uncovering little known events that occurred in the immediate aftermath to World War II. She is also the creator of Your Next Book, a deeply nerdy monthly newsletter describing a book picked from her bookshelf, or Kindle.
She is British by birth but now lives part of the year in California and part in southern Spain.
Author Links:
Website Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Threads
Pinterest Book Bub Amazon Author Page Goodreads
BOOK REVIEW: STRAIT LACE
Harriet Loxley, a daughter of a cleric and a niece of a prominent lace manufacturer, receives an invitation from a member of parliament, whom her brother works for, to attend the upcoming debate on the women’s suffrage bill in the House of Commons. Little did she know how the momentous experience and meeting other suffragists would change her life.
The historical fiction novel Strait Lace by Rosemary Hayward takes you back in time to 1905 England when women could not vote or work once married, expected to bear and raise children. With financial aid set up by her uncle in a trust, Harriet has the opportunity to study biology at Bedford College, London. However, she would have to give up her studies and not pursue a career if she ever married her supportive partner. Harriet is drawn into the suffragist movement with the promise that women could vote and correct social inequities. Learning oratory skills from her cleric father, she speaks publicly to hostile crowds. She takes the next steps to gain attention to her cause by protesting, being arrested and jailed, and going on a hunger strike.The ramifications of these acts negatively impact her family and she must reconsider how far she will go to gain the right for women to vote.
Strait Lace is an eye-opening story of a courageous woman who sacrifices almost everything to win the right for women to vote. Harriet is an engaging character who must make difficult decisions that could result in life-altering consequences. One choice she must wrestle with is whether to marry the man she loves. She could lose her position at Bedford College and be unable to pursue a career. Other social issues highlighted in the book include: 1) only property owners could vote, 2) health issues such as unfaithful husbands sexually transmitting infections to their wives, and 3) protesters suffering at the hands of police and being abused in prisons. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes is when a tube is forced down Harriet’s throat to force-feed her during her hunger strike.
Author Rosemary Hayward vividly describes the Edwardian time period and societal expectations. The story works best when the plot and sub-plots focus on women’s suffrage or other social inequities. Subplots of family competition, jealousy, and vengeance sometimes detracted from the overall theme and culminated in a disheartening ending.
For readers who want to learn more the women’s suffrage movement in early 1900’s England, Strait Lace is a compelling story about one woman’s sacrifice so that others could win the right to vote and fulfill their dreams.
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
March 31, 2025
Book Review Sword Brethren Jon Byrne #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalAdventure #medieval #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn
I’m delighted to welcome Jon Byrne as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, being held between March 11th – April 1st, 2025. Jon Byrne is the author of the Historical Fiction (Action/Adventure), Sword Brethren (The Northern Crusader Chronicles), published by The Book Guild on 28th November 2024 (416 pages).
Below are highlights of Sword Brethen, Jon Byrne’s author bio, and my 5-star review of his gripping, coming-of-age adventure set in 13th century Crusades in the Eastern Baltic.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-tour-sword-brethren-by-jon-byrne.html
HIGHLIGHTS: SWORD BRETHREN
Sword Brethren
(The Northern Crusader Chronicles, Book 1)
by Jon Byrne
Blurb:
1242 After being wounded in the Battle on the Ice, Richard Fitz Simon becomes a prisoner of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Alexander, intrigued by his captive’s story, instructs his scholar to assist Richard in writing about his life.
Richard’s chronicle begins in 1203, when his training to be a knight is disrupted by treachery. He is forced to flee England for Lübeck, where he begins work for a greedy salt merchant. After an illicit love affair, his new life is thrown into turmoil, and he joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword as they embark on imposing the will of God on the pagans of the eastern Baltic. Here, he must reconcile with his new life of prayer, danger and duty – despite his own religious doubts, with as many enemies within the fortified commandery as the wilderness outside. However, when their small outpost in Riga is threatened by a large pagan army, Richard is compelled to make a crucial decision and fight like never before.
Triggers: There are several mild profanities, a non-graphic rape scene and several descriptions of battle and death.
Buy Links:
Universal Ebook Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/boVKlV
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sword-brethren-jon-byrne/1146519606?ean=2940184429601
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/sword-brethren/jon-byrne/9781835740798
AUTHOR BIO: JON BYRNE
Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack.
He has always been fascinated by history and has studied the Medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive library of books. In his research, he has travelled to all of the locations mentioned in the book (East Anglia, Bremen, Lübeck, Latvia, etc).
Sword Brethren (formerly Brothers of the Sword) made it to the shortlist of the Yeovil Literary Prize 2022 and the longlist of the prestigious Grindstone International Novel Prize 2022. It is the first book in The Northern Crusader Chronicles.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.jonbyrnewriter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonByrneAuthor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Jon-Byrne/author/B0DJC6PL8D
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52458339.Jon_Byrne
BOOK REVIEW: SWORD BRETHREN
Sword Brethren by Jon Byrne is a gripping, coming-of-age medieval tale told from the perspective of a middle-aged Crusader that begins the story when he is a fourteen-year-old boy living in his father’s castle in England. Training to be a knight, Richard is charged with secretly depositing the deeds and titles of his father’s properties at a distant monastery for safekeeping. Upon his return, Richard discovers his uncle has murdered his father and taken the castle and surrounding lands as his own. To escape death, Richard flees with his father’s German steward, first to London and then to Lübeck. He must learn German and adapt to the rigors of working for a treacherous merchant to survive. His life is again threatened when the ramifications of his illicit affair with the merchant’s daughter comes to light. He must make a difficult decision to join the Livonian Brothers of the Sword just as they embark on a crusade to convert the pagans of the eastern Baltic to Christianity.
Sword Brethren is a page-turning adventure of an impetuous and brash young man who has lost everything but has the wit and courage to survive. Author Jon Byne has masterfully crafted an engaging epic tale told in the first person viewpoint of a middle-age knight with insight on how his youthful decisions impacted his life. It is a rare that a historical adventure has both action-packed scenes yet captures the essence of its characters. The prologue immediately drew me into the story and kept me turning the pages to discover why a noble born in England would fight in a Catholic-sanctioned military order, primarily composed of men from northern Germany. Under what circumstance would Richard, a warrior monk, sire a son?
After a brief background in the beginning chapters, the plot propels into fast-paced action full of tension at every turn. There are cinematic scenes in which Richard barely escapes with his life only to be pulled into another dire situation. The action keeps the readers’ hearts in their throats. Richard often react impulsively with deadly purpose in his youth, but his heart is in the right place. It is a captivating story of a young man determined to survive and to find meaning in his life after great loss. In his quest to avenge his father and to regain his heritage, he also finds love and deep friendships.
Sword Brethren is a promising start to The Northern Crusader Chronicles for which I’ll keep my eye on future books by John Byrne. I highly recommend this compelling medieval action/adventure for its heartfelt epic tale of a young English noble catapulted as a Teutonic Knight into the lesser-known Crusades in the Baltic regions
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
March 27, 2025
Howard Jay Smith Viva Violetta & Verdi #HistoricalFiction #BiographicalHistoricalFiction #Verdi #ClassicalMusic #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBook Club @cathiedunn
I‘m pleased to welcome Howard Jay Smith as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between March 24th – 28th, 2025. Howard Jay Smith is the author of the Historical Fiction, Viva Violetta & Verdi, released by Historium Press on January 28th, 2025 (256 pages).
Below are highlights of Viva Violetta & Verdi, Howard Jay Smith’s author bio, and an excerpt from his book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/02/blog-tour-viva-violetta-and-verdi-by-howard-jay-smith.html
HIGHLIGHTS: VIVA VIOLETTA & VERDI
Viva Violetta & Verdi
by Howard Jay Smith
Blurb:
A Love Affair Inspiring the World’s Most Unforgettable Operas:
Experience the intense, lifelong love affair between Giuseppe Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi, the brilliant and seductive soprano who shaped his legacy. As his muse, lover, and wife, Strepponi was the inspiration behind Verdi’s most iconic works, including La Traviata and Aida. Her influence was pivotal, as she became the architect of his creative triumphs and the heart of his operatic genius.
Set against the backdrop of Italy’s Risorgimento, this sweeping novel intertwines their turbulent relationship with the nation’s fierce struggle for independence. Through the heartbreak of three brutal wars, Verdi and Strepponi’s passion, betrayal, and artistic ambition come alive, mirroring the era’s fiery spirit.
Rich with themes of love, power, food, wine, and unrelenting passion, Viva Violetta & Verdi is an unforgettable exploration of art, resilience, and the enduring bond that transformed both an artist and a nation.
Praise for Violetta & Verdi:
“A stunning, significant book…that is rich, lush and drenched in knowledge. It is nothing less than a gift.” – Sheila Weller
“Smith’s historic drama embraces universal themes of class and religious persecution, and weaves gorgeous language with an intimate knowledge of Italian food, music, and political hypocrisy that contemporary readers will find irresistible.” – Jessica Keener
“Viva Violetta & Verdi is a well-researched love letter to Verdi; fans are sure to love.” – Leslie Zemeckis
“Perfection. You are right there, inhaling and breathing in the words, the smell, and each piece of music. Bravo. It is both a love song and a love letter to the irrefutable power of Verdi’s muse, Violetta.” – Amy Ferris
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bxyr2d
AUTHOR BIO: HOWARD JAY SMITH
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Howard Jay Smith is an award-winning writer from Santa Barbara, California.
Viva Violetta & Verdi is his third novel in his series on great composers, including Beethoven in Love: OPUS 139 and Meeting Mozart: From the Secret Diaries of Lorenzo DaPonte.
His other books include Opening the Doors to Hollywoord (Random House) and John Gardner: An Interview (New London Press). He was recently awarded a Profant Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Excellence in Writing.
Smith is a former two-time Bread Loaf Scholar and three-time Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow, who taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program and has lectured nationally. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, American Heritage Magazine, the Beethoven Journal, Horizon Magazine, Fig Tree Press, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous trade publications. While an executive at the ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment he worked on numerous film, television, radio and commercial projects.
He serves on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony and is a member of the American Beethoven Society.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.historiumpress.com/howard-jay-smith
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009914652603
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Howard-Jay-Smith/author/B072FL7Y6P
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14208462.Howard_Jay_Smith
EXCERPT: VIVA VIOLETTA & VERDI
Sacchetti al Tartufo
Tre reassured me that everything would be perfect. “We will have enough food and drink to last us until dawn. It will be a night worthy of the Maestro Verdi himself.”
It was after all a menu that Verdi had not only suggested, it was one he had insisted upon when we last dined together only days before he had passed away. In addition to endless salumi platters heaped high with miles of sliced meats and exotic cheeses, Tre had specialty ordered barrels of wine from across the breadth and depth of our still new nation that Verdi loved: Nero D’Avola from Sicily, Brunello from Montalcino, Sangiovese from Tuscany, Barolo and Barbera from the Piemonte, Taurasi from Naples, Prosecco from the Veneto, and Cagnulari from Sardinia. But the centerpiece of the evening, the specialty dish Verdi had specifically asked for was one he had enjoyed at Ca’ Dario for nearly seventy years, our Sacchetti al Tartufo, a satchel shaped dumpling filled with ricotta cheese and black truffles that was served in a delicate parmigiano white sauce. In Verdi’s own words, not only was it the most delicious dish that ever graced his palate, it was the one he most associated with the Risorgimento. To be Italian is to be passionate about food, opera and l’amore stesso – love itself. Verdi, the quintessential Italian, had his first taste of our Sacchetti al Tartufo on the night the revolution to birth a free and democratic Republic of Italy began. And his honor, for tonight only, we added a garnish of fresh basil and finely chopped bits sweet red peppers to the Sacchetti’s white sauce to echo the tricolors of our national flag.
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
March 20, 2025
Book Spotlight The Rune Stone Julia Ibbotson #TimeTravel #AngloSaxon #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalRomance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @JuliaIbbotson @cathiedunn
I‘m delighted to host the book spotlight for The Rune Stone (Dr DuLac series Book #3) by Julia Ibbotson in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between March 17th – 21st, 2025. The Rune Stone is a Historical Romance (timeslip mystery) published by Archbury Books on December 8th, 2021 (294 pages (ebook) / 376 pages (paperback)
Below are highlights of The Rune Stone and Julia Ibbotson’s author bio.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-tour-the-rune-stone-by-julia-ibbotson.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE RUNE STONE
The Rune Stone
(Dr DuLac series Book #3)
by Julia Ibbotson
Blurb:
A haunting time-slip mystery of runes and romance
When Dr Viv DuLac, medievalist and academic, finds a mysterious runic inscription on a Rune Stone in the graveyard of her husband’s village church, she unwittingly sets off a chain of circumstances that disturb their quiet lives in ways she never expected.
She, once again, feels the echoes of the past resonate through time and into the present. Can she unlock the secrets of the runes in the life of the 6th century Lady Vivianne and in Viv’s own life?
Again, lives of the past and present intertwine alarmingly as Viv desperately tries to save them both, without changing the course of history.
For fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, Christina Courtenay.
Praise for Julia Ibbotson:
For A Shape on the Air: “In the best Barbara Erskine tradition …I would highly recommend this novel” –Historical Novel Society
For the series: “Julia does an incredible job of setting up the idea of time-shift so that it’s believable and makes sense” – book tour reviewer
For The Rune Stone: “Beautifully written”, “absorbing and captivating”, “fully immersive”, “wonderfully written characters”, “a skilled story teller” – Amazon reviewers
“Dr Ibbotson has created living, breathing characters that will remain in the reader’s mind long after the book is read … The characters are brought to life beautifully with perfect economy of description … fabulous!” – Melissa Morgan
“A rich and evocative time-slip novel that beautifully and satisfyingly concludes this superb trilogy. The story is woven seamlessly and skilfully between the past and the present and the reader is drawn deeply into both worlds. Her portrayal of the 6th century and its way of life are authoritative, vivid and memorable.” – Kate Sullivan
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://myBook.to/TRS
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
AUTHOR BIO: JULIA IBBOTSON
Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries.
Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/ literature/ history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics.
After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s.
She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her work in progress is a new series of Anglo-Saxon mystery romances, beginning with Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.
Julia’s novels will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful story-telling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’ and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’.
Author Links:
Amazon Author page Author website & blog Facebook (author) Twitter
Instagram Pinterest Goodreads author page Bluesky
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
March 14, 2025
March Colorado Barnes & Noble Book Fairs Colorado Blvd Mar 15th Superior CO Mar 16th @BN @BNColoradoBlvd @BNSuperiorCO @COGreatAuthors @JudithBriles #Colorado #books #gifts #weekend #bookreaders
Barnes & Noble Colorado Book Fairs
Children’s, Action, Fantasy, Romance
and How-to Books Await You!
Perfect for Gifts
B&N Colorado Blvd (Mar 15th) & B&N Superior CO (Mar 16th)
Join me and other award-winning and best-selling local authors at the Colorado Barnes & Noble Book Fairs in support of the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame. On Saturday, March 15th, we’ll be at the B&N Colorado Blvd (960 S Colorado Blvd, Glendale, CO 80246) to sign books from 10 am to 5 pm. On Sunday, we will be at the recently opened B&N Superior CO (550 Marshall Rd Unit 2A, Superior, CO 80027) from 10 am to 5 pm.
B&N Colorado Blvd on Saturday, March 15th
B&N Superior CO on Sunday, March 16th
The signing events will feature local authors of all genres including children’s books, YA fantasy, epic fantasy, suspense, historical fiction, romance, self-help and more. For any purchase that you make at each respective bookstore, Barnes & Noble will contribute to the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame.
For more information about the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame, the Aspiring Authors Scholarships, and the Induction of Authors Connected to Colorado, visit www.ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org
Join us at the nearest B&N bookstore to you!
March 13, 2025
Book Spotlight Muldoon’s Misfortunes E V Sparrow #MuldoonsMisfortunes #ThoseResilientMuldoons #HistoricalFiction #FamilySaga #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub
I‘m delighted to host the book spotlight for Muldoon’s Misfortunes (Those Resilient Muldoons series) by E.V. Sparrow in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held today on March 14th, 2025. Muldoon’s Misfortunes is a Historical Fiction / Christian Historical Fiction novel published independently by Celebrate Lit Publishing Group on July 16th, 2024 (351 pages).
Below are highlights of Muldoon’s Misfortunes and E.V. Sparrow’s author bio.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/02/blog-tour-muldoons-misfortunes-by-e-v-sparrow.html
HIGHLIGHTS: MULDOON’S MISFORTUNES
Muldoon’s Misfortunes
(Those Resilient Muldoons series)
by E.V. Sparrow
Blurb:
A cursed widower forsakes his faith to ensure his hope.
On a verdant island beset by poverty and death, Mick Muldoon dares to escape his misfortunes. Is working a farm and raising a family such an impossible thing to ask? Wasn’t God supposed to answer prayers—not turn a deaf ear?
After surviving the treacherous voyage to America, Mick discovers the rumors of ample opportunity aren’t exactly true. His defective body hampers employment and keeps him dependent upon his peculiar sister. However, an unexpected invitation to move to the heartland guarantees his dreams.
Mick’s own dreadful choices hamper his hopes when he accepts work as a widow’s farmhand. Unbeknownst to him, there’s deception afoot. Mick’s inattention to love causes catastrophe as single fatherhood cruelly shatters his family. Will God miraculously hear his prayers this time?
In Book 1 of Those Resilient Muldoons series, this misguided, wayward widower encounters God’s unexpected presence.
Fall 2024, The BookFest Awards, First Place: Historical Fiction, General
Triggers: Alcoholism, grief from deaths of infant, children, spouse, emotional health, relationship issues.
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/m20D6R
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
AUTHOR BIO: E.V. SPARROW
A short story writer turned novelist Sparrow published a prequel Historical Fiction eBook novella, Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling in May 2023, and Muldoon’s Misfortunes, Historical Fiction Book 1 in Those Resilient Muldoons series in July 2024. Sparrow enjoys leading readers to Encounter God’s Unexpected Presence through her broken characters.
Before writing, Sparrow travelled extensively overseas and worked in two countries. She married, had a family, and worked for a nonprofit program for older, homeless mentally ill in California. She also volunteered in many community services, including the Divorce Care program. After a divorce, she remarried, and together they have eleven grandchildren that enrich life immensely.
Author Links:
Website Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest
Book Bub Author Book Bub Book Amazon Author Page Goodreads Author Goodreads Book
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
March 11, 2025
T.F. Troy The Absolution of Mars #TheAbsolutionOfMars #HistoricalFiction #AmericanHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn
I‘m delighted to welcome T. F. Troy as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between March 10th – 14th , 2025. T. F. Troy is the author of the Historical Fiction / American Civil War Spy Novel, The Absolution of Mars, released by Historium Press on January 21st, 2025 (302 pages).
Below are highlights of The Absolution of Mars, T. F. Troy’s author bio, and an excerpt from the book.
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/02/blog-tour-the-absolution-of-mars-by-t-f-troy.html
HIGHLIGHTS: THE ABSOLUTION OF MARS
The Absolution of Mars
By T.F. Troy
Blurb:
Politics, Friendship, or Greed? Which of these was the true author of the Confederate conspiracy to decapitate the Union?
The Absolution of Mars by T.F. Troy is a masterful blend of historical fiction, human drama and moral exploration. Set against the backdrop of a racially fraught period in American history, the story does not back away from the harsh realities or racial biases of the day.
The narrative introduces Jemm Pender, a former slave with a superior intellect, who rises to become a key agent in the National Detective Police Force. Jemm is tasked to trace the movements of J. W. Boyd, a Confederate spy working out of Canada.
From its intriguing opening scene, where playful dialogue among children hints at deeper mysteries, the story captivates with a blend of vivid detail and emotional depth. Jemm’s quest intertwines with his wife Marnie and Aunt Cordelia, both blessed with remarkable capabilities that are being lost to the scientific thought of the day.
Troy tackles difficult topics with honesty and precision, creating moments that are as painful as they are profound. The prose is rich and evocative, with dialogue that breathes life into the characters and their struggles. The Absolution of Mars is a poignant, thought-provoking exploration of history, identity, and humanity, recommended for readers seeking depth and nuance.
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Links:
Paperback – https://geni.us/2mZBsc
Hardcover – https://geni.us/SwELJ
Ebook – https://geni.us/K5DUX
FEATURED BIO: BARNEY CAMPBELL
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A student of the American Civil War, T.F. Troy has an award-winning journalism career spanning more than 40 years. He currently serves as Executive Editor of Cleveland Magazine’s Community Leader as well as the Editor of Ohio Business Magazine. He also writes features for Northern Kentucky Magazine and Dayton Magazine, among other regional publications. His work with those publications has won him numerous awards, taking first, second and third place in Ohio for Magazine Feature Writing. Troy’s work has appeared in major metropolitan daily newspapers including the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
In addition to the previously mentioned publications, Troy also held positions as a Senior Editor for both ABC/Capital Cities and ICD Publications in New York. His work has appeared in numerous national consumer and trade periodicals throughout his career. In his first book Cleveland Classics: Great Tales from the North Coast, Troy interviewed local and national Cleveland celebrities such as: Jim Brown, Bob Feller, Patricia Heaton and Arsenio Hall among others. The Absolution of Mars, set just after the Civil War, is his first novel, but third book.
Author Links:
Publisher Website Facebook LinkedIn Instagram
Bluesky Amazon Author Page Goodreads
EXCERPT: THE ABSOLUTION OF MARS
A single distant scream pierces through the misty night. Down U street and up 10th the lamplighters have done their job as they had done the night before for the Grand Illumination, kicking off a weekend of celebration. Flickering gas lamps shrouded in a halo of pulsating golden light—lining the streets — the city alight with the potential for an all-night celebration.
But something has gone terribly wrong.
Jemm doesn’t know how he knows, he just knows. And he feels a pit in his stomach, his arumbo, as his ancestors called it, a sixth sense that tells when trouble is coming. Marnie had predicted something like this. But Jemm thought himself above her predictions, which seemed childlike, denying even his own arumbo.
A man of science and observation, Jemm has no time for tribal shibboleths and superstitions. But Marnie does have a knack for things like this. And she does have the Ovambo talent for reading people. It not only commands Jemm’s respect, sometimes it scares him.
Jemm sits in the window of the fourth floor of his dwelling in what the whites call “darkie town” where Marnie has made a home. Early on in the Great Conflict, even before the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln freed more than 3,000 slaves, most now working as servants. Many live in this neighborhood, which is attracting more freedmen and women heading north to freedom every day.
From his perch above the city, Jemm sees the trouble moving its way across town, fanning out in a concentric circle; moving from house to house, from street to street, to neighborhood and neighborhoods beyond. The town reacting to desperate news in the middle of the night.
It was just as his Aunt Cordelia said: You could see trouble moving, through nature, or through men, not by the trouble itself, but its effect—just as you couldn’t see the wind, but you could see how it would bend and sway trees—or how birds would fly or small animals run away from danger.
A foggy night with cold and rain in the offing, Jemm can smell it in the air. The stove by the window, takes the chill off. Marnie is still asleep in the ondijungo, but Jemm knows she will soon travel back to the living.
Jemm spots a single lantern in the spire of St. John’s on Lafayette when he hears the first bell. Then a light from behind throws flickering shadows on the wall in front.
It’s Marnie.
“Here it comes, just like I told,” she says, grabbing his shoulders.
The night before she had one of her dreams. Aunt Cordelia had taken her hand and walked her in a strange shape.
“Dis the way it got to be Marnie. Dis here da way it is,” Cordelia says to her from the ethereal.
When she waked the next morning, Marnie realizes she’s been walked in the shape of a coffin. Someone important to her is dead or going to die.
Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social
