Jean M. Roberts's Blog, page 3
July 2, 2025
The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Creswell
Welcometo the Coffee Pot Blog Tour for Allie Creswell’s latest book in the TalbotSeries! You can see my review in a previous post!
BookTitle: The Standing Stone on the Moor
Series:Talbot Saga Book #3 (can be read as a standalone)
Author:Allie Cresswell
PublicationDate: 20th June 2025
Publisher:Allie Cresswell Limited
Pages:531
Genre:Historical Romance
AnyTriggers: n/a
Blurb:
Yorkshire,1845.
Folklore whispers that they used to burn witches at the standing stone onthe moor. When the wind is easterly, it wails a strange lament. Historydeclares it was placed as a marker, visible for miles—a signpost for the lost,directing them towards home.
Forcedfrom their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugeessets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, brandedas ‘thieves and ne’er-do-wells.’ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, andfinds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.
Beth is the steward of nearby manor Tall Chimneys—a thankless task as theowners never visit. An educated young woman, Beth feels restless, like shedoesn’t belong. But somehow ‘home’—the old house, the moor and the standingstone—exerts an uncanny magnetism. Thus Ruairi’s great sacrifice—deserting hisbeloved Irish homestead to save his family—resonates strongly with her.
Could she leave her home to be with him? Will he even ask herto?
As she struggles with her feelings, things take a sinister turn. The peaceablevillage is threatened by shrouded men crossing the moor at night, smugglingcontraband from the coast. Worse, the exotic dancing of a sultry-eyedIrishwoman has local men in a feverish grip. Their womenfolk begin to mutterabout spells and witchcraft. And burning.
The Irish refugees must move on, and quickly. Will Beth choose an itinerantlife with Ruairi? Or will the power of ‘home’ be too strong?
BuyLinks:
UniversalBuy Link: https://books2read.com/u/b5P5pG
Author’sWebsite: www.allie-Cresswell.com
Author Bio:
Allie has been writing fictionsince she could hold a pencil. She has a BA and an MA in English Literature,specialising in the classics of the nineteenth century.
She has been a print-buyer, a publandlady, a bookkeeper and the owner of a group of boutique holiday cottage butnowadays she writes full time.
She has two grownup children,five grandchildren and two cockapoos but just one husband, Tim. They live inthe remote northwest of the UK.
The Standing Stone on the Moor is hersixteenth novel.
Author Links:
Website:https://www.allie-cresswell.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alliecresswell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allienovelist/
Threads:https://www.threads.com/@allienovelist
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-cresswell
AmazonAuthor Page: https://amzn.to/3GAaPXw
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6457033.Allie_Cresswell
July 1, 2025
A confit of Pears from the Form of Cury
Peersin a confyt
This is more of a fall dish but it shows how some dishes have lasted through the centuries. It's a pear confit or basically pears stewed in wine. I understand most of the recipe but some words escape me. It's fun to read these old manuscripts and try to guess at the words. Anyway, this looks like a nice dessert to serve with a dollop of whipped cream!
Takepeers and pare them clene, take gode rede wyne , mulberes and seeth the peerthin and whan thei buth yfode, take them up and make a syrup of wyne greke. Addblanch pwer, white sugar and gower gyng and do the peers in, seeth it a lytleand messe it forth.
June 30, 2025
Abhartach: The Irish Vampire
Abhartach: The Irish Vampire
Longbefore Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Vlad the Impaler, there was a monster known asAbhartach, the Irish Vampire. Although not appearing in written records until 1870when Patrick Weston Joyce wrote about him in his book, The Origin and Historyof Irish Names of Places, there is an oral history of this creature dating backto the fourth or fifth century.
Abhartachwas, according to legend, a dwarf, a magician, a chieftain, who terrorized hispeople. Tired of his way, they asked the hero Fionn Mac Cumhail (Finn McCool)to help them. Fionn slew the man and buried him, standing up. The next day, theAbhartach was back, demanding blood from his people. Fionn again killed thecreature and again buried him, standing up. Again, the Abhartach returned.
Finally,Fionn consulted a druid who told him to kill the monster with a sword made fromyew and bury him upside down. This seems to have done the trick, and he has notbeen seen since!
The legend of the Abhartach is from a small parish in Londonderry called, Slaghtaverty. There is a dolmon (standing stone) which is said to mark the vampire's burial spot. The word Abhartach means dwarf in old Irish. Some scholars believe that Bram Stoker heard of this legend and it was the inspiration for his Dracula story.
But… The Abhartach makes and appearance in book three of The Midsummer Women, TheFairy Witch. How will Hannah stop him? Find out soon.
June 19, 2025
The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Cresswell
Happy publishing day to my friend, Allie Cresswell and her latest book, The Standing Stone on the Moor! I love all her books and this one was no different. See below for my review!
The blurb:
Yorkshire, 1845
Folklore whispers that they used to burn witches at the standing stone on the moor. When the wind is easterly, it wails a strange lament. History declares it was placed as a marker, visible for miles—a signpost for the lost, directing them towards home.
Forced from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded as ‘thieves and ne’er-do-wells.’ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.
Beth is the steward of nearby manor Tall Chimneys—a thankless task as the owners never visit. An educated young woman, Beth feels restless, like she doesn’t belong. But somehow ‘home’—the old house, the moor and the standing stone—exerts an uncanny magnetism. Thus Ruairi’s great sacrifice—deserting his beloved Irish homestead to save his family—resonates strongly with her.
Could she leave her home to be with him? Will he even ask her to? As she struggles with her feelings, things take a sinister turn. The peaceable village is threatened by shrouded men crossing the moor at night, smuggling contraband from the coast. Worse, the exotic dancing of a sultry-eyed Irishwoman has local men in a feverish grip. Their womenfolk begin to mutter about spells and witchcraft. And burning.
The Irish refugees must move on, and quickly. Will Beth choose an itinerant life with Ruairi? Or will the power of ‘home’ be too strong?
About Allie:
Allie Cresswell was born in Stockport, UK and began writing fiction as soon as she could hold a pencil. She did a BA in English Literature at Birmingham University and an MA at Queen Mary College, London. She has been a print-buyer, a pub landlady, a bookkeeper, run a B & B and a group of boutique holiday cottages. She taught literature to lifelong learners but nowadays she writes full time.
She has two grown-up children, three granddaughters, two grandsons and two cockapoos—but just one husband—Tim. They live in Cumbria, NW England.
The Standing Stone on the Moor is her sixteenth novel.
The Standing Stone onthe Moor by Allie Cresswell
It’s 1845 and theindustrial revolution is in full swing but in remote Moorside in Yorkshire,time moves at a slower pace. Beth Harlish lives with her brother Frank in thegatehouse of a grand home, Tall Chimneys. They work as caretakers of the estate,which no one visits. Moorside is a small but tightknit but socially stratifiedcommunity. The upper crust is sometimes forced to socialize with their lesser orhave no one to talk to or about.
The potato famine inIreland has displaced millions of people and some have landed in Ruth’sneighborhood. A ragtag group led by the handsome and charismatic Irishman,Ruairi. Beth is attracted to him, but another man has his eye on her offeringher a safe but less interesting life.
The coming of the Irishcause problems for Beth and her brother, testing their love and loyalty to eachother. What life will Beth choose?
This is the fourth bookI’ve read by author Allie Cresswell, and I’ve enjoyed them all. She has a knackfor building complex characters and intricate relationships with lots of dramaand plots that resonate within their historical timeline.
The Standing Stone onthe Moor is a wonderful tale, rich with characters, that pulls you into life onthe moors. You can almost picture the heathered hillsides and feel the wind tugyour hair. I enjoyed the description of the coal mining operation and the dangersposed by such work. She did such a great job of bring the 19thcentury to life.
Although this book ispart of a larger series, which I have not read, yet, I had no trouble divinginto this one. It certainly an be read as a stand alone.
I rate this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
Be sure to check out all of Allie's Books!
How to Purchase:
Purchase link to the book on Amazon.US: https://www.amazon.com/Standing-Stone-Moor-Talbot-Saga-ebook/dp/B0F4DM7B31/
On Books.by: https://books.by/allie-cresswell
Or to buy direct as an eBook from me: https://allie-cresswell.com/books
June 17, 2025
Comodore: A Recipe form the Book of Cury
Comodore:A Fruit and Pastry Recipe from the Form of Cury
I have a newish figtree, only three years old and it’s yet to really set a lot of fruite. Lastfall I had five or six figs. I’m expecting more this year. Here’s a recipeusing figs. It’s got a lot of steps. (who thought medieval cooking was basic?) Ilove to see what this tastes like. It actually sounds pretty tasty. Below is the actual recipe with it original spelling. Can you make out what it says? I've got my translation below.
Take Fyges andRaisouns. pyke hem and waisshe hem clene, skalde hem in wyne. grynde hem rightsmale, cast sugur in the self wyne. and founde it togyder. drawe it up thurgh astraynour. & alye up the fruyt therwith. take gode peerys and Apples. parehem and take the best, grynde hem smale and cast therto. set a pot on thefuyrer [2] with oyle and cast alle thise thynges therinne. and stere itwarliche, and kepe it wel fro brennyng. and whan it is fyned cast thertopowdours of gynger of canel. of galyngale. hool clowes flour of canel. &macys hoole. cast therto pynes a litel fryed in oile & salt, and whan it isynowz fyned: take it up and do it in a vessel & lat it kele. and whan it iscolde: kerue out with a knyf smale pecys of the gretnesse & of the lengthof a litel fyngur. & close it fast in gode past. & frye hem in oile.& serve forth.
My interpretation:
Take figs and raisins,soak them and was them clean. Scald them in wine. Grind them small and addsugar and mix well. Put through a strainer.
Take good pears andapples, pare them and cut them up into small pieces. Put them in a pot over thefire with oil. Add the figs and raisins and stir very well. Add the followingspices: ginger, cinnamon, whole cloves, and whole mace. Fry it up with a littlesalt, then remove it, let it cool. When cold, cut into slices the length of alittle finger. Wrap it in pastry and then fry the pasty in oil.
Sounds a little like afried pie made with fruit paste. What do you think?
June 13, 2025
The Banshee
TheBanshee
TheIrish take their fairies quite seriously and despite years of American TV andmovies portraying fairies as tiny flying objects, that is not what they arelike at all. The origins of the fairy go back to the Tuatha de Danann, thepeople of Danu, the Celtic gods who came to the island and battled the Firbolgand the Formians for the land. A later invader, the Milesians defeated the Tuatha,and they were tricked into living under ground when the victors offered tosplit Ireland in two and choose to take the topside, leaving the Tuatha deDannan to live under the Earth.
Themany burial mounds and ring forts across Ireland are the access points to theunderground and are called the Sidhe. The descendants of the gods are calledthe Aos Sidhe, the people of the mounds.
Itis said that the goddess Brigid lost her son Ruadan during the second battle ofMoytura against the Formians. Her cries of anguish at his death are said to thefirst keening in Ireland.
TheBanshee is a type of sidhe or fairy that wails as a harbinger of death. If a personhears the plaintiff cry or keening of the Banshee, they know that death is near,either for them or a family member. The Banshee is described as having longsilvery hair, and the face and body of an old woman. Her name comes from theIrish words bean side, which means woman of the mound.
Keeningwas a common practice in Ireland, and professional mourners were hired to keenat wakes and funerals. It was eventually stamped out by the Catholic Church andthe changing customs and beliefs of the Irish people. If you search the internet,you can find old recordings of keening. It sounds more like a lament than acry.
I’mcurrently writing book 3 in The Midsummer Women Series, The Fairy Witch, and I’mpretty sure their will be a Banshee in there somewhere, too cool to pass up!
June 12, 2025
Lady of the Quay by Amanda Roberts
Welcome to a stop on the Coffeepot Book Tour forLady of the Quay by Amanda Roberts. I have a great snippet to entice you!
The Details:
BookTitle: Lady of the Quay
Series:Isabella Gillhespy Series, Book #1
Author:Amanda Roberts
PublicationDate: May 9th, 2025
Publisher:Hickory Press
Pages:256
Genre:Historical Mystery / Suspense
Blurb:
Knowing she is innocent is easy … proving it is hard
1560,Berwick-upon-Tweed, northern England
Followingthe unexpected death of her father, a series of startling discoveries about thebusiness she inherits forces Isabella Gillhespy to re-evaluate everything sheunderstands about her past and expects from her future.
Facingfinancial ruin, let down by people on whom she thought she could rely, andsuspected of crimes that threaten her freedom, Isabella struggles to prove herinnocence.
Butthe stakes are even higher than she realises. In a town where tension betweenEngland and her Scottish neighbours is never far from the surface, it isn’tlong before developments attract the interest of the highest authority in theland, Sir William Cecil, and soon Isabella is fighting, not just for herfreedom, but her life. She must use her wits and trust her own instincts tosurvive.
Ladyof the Quay introduces an enticing new heroine who refuses to be beaten, evenas it becomes clear that her life will never be the same again.
Fromthe author of the award-winning ‘The Woman in the Painting’.
Buy Link:
UniversalBuy Link: https://books2read.com/u/317rQa
Thistitle is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
Amanda Roberts has worked as an Editor inbusiness-to-business magazines for over 30 years, specialising in out-of-homecoffee, vending and foodservice/catering, including Editor of the globalgastronomy title: ‘Revue internationale de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’.
She currently freelances, editing UK-based healthcaretitles – HEFMA Pulse, Hospital Food + Service and Hospital Caterer. She is amember of the Society of Authors, the Historical Novel Society and WestOxfordshire Writers. She also volunteers for Tea Books (part of Age UK) to runa book club/reading group for elderly people in the community.
Snippet:
Eating alone at the vast table, which could seat a dozen people with ease, did nothing to improve my attitude, or my mood, and I vowed that unless I was entertaining I would take my meals in my closet from now on. Yes, I had to try to think of it as my closet now. I retired there after I had eaten, and although I relished the silence, I was not yet comfortable with the void that my father’s absence left in the space. With the shutters closed to deny the outside world, I settled by the fire and tried to cocoon myself in memories of him, but I could no longer trust my own mind. To keep secrets had not been in his nature, and yet that is what he had done. And these were not just any old secrets; they were big, black, ugly ones. How was I supposed to reconcile the man I thought I had known so well with the person I was now discovering? He had been the pivot of my existence for most of my life, my moral and spiritual guide and a person respected by all who knew him, but who was he really?
Author Links:
Website:https://amandarobertsauthor.co.uk/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095191090333
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_roberts_author/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/lady-of-the-quay-isabella-gillhespy-series-book-1-by-amanda-roberts
AmazonAuthor Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amanda-Roberts/author/B00N0RQBAI
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231816264-lady-of-the-quay
June 10, 2025
Higher Love by Joanne Kukanza Easley
HIGHER LOVE
By JOANNE KUKANZA EASLEYWomen’s Literary FictionPublisher: Red Boots PressPages: 380Publication Date: May 12, 2025
Higher Love - the new release from Joanne Kukanza Easley, the multi-award-winning author of Sweet Jane, Just One Look, and I’ll Be Seeing You.
In 1986 Austin, Texas, sixteen-year-old Stephanie steps into sixty-two-year-old Lauren’s life, her uncanny resemblance cracking open a buried past. Claiming to be the daughter of the child Lauren gave up for adoption forty-five years ago, Stephanie upends Lauren’s life—already complicated by her remarriage to Brett after thirty-three years apart. Stung by her adoptive grandmother’s deception, Stephanie stays, her past of tragedy and self-harm forging a fragile bond with Lauren and Brett. When Stephanie’s trust fund evaporates, crushing her college dreams, Lauren sacrifices all to give her a future—only to face a bittersweet twist that echoes the past and changes everything. This heart-wrenching family drama delves into the enduring impact of secrets, the power of unconditional love, and the strength found in facing our pasts.
CLICK TO PURCHASEAmazon | B&N
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joanne Kukanza Easley, a retired registered nurse with experience in both the cold, clinical operating room and the highly charged world of psychiatric hospitals, lives in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes fiction about complicated, twentieth-century women. Her multi-award-winning debut, Sweet Jane, was named the adult fiction winner at the Texas Author Project and shortlisted for the Sarton Award and Eric Hoffer Award, among others. Just One Look, Joanne’s second novel, was a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick. I’ll Be Seeing You, her third novel, features characters from Sweet Jane. Look for her fourth novel, Higher Love, a sequel to her third book, in Spring 2025. Her prize-winning short stories and poetry have appeared in several anthologies.WEBSITE ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ X/TWITTER ◆ FACEBOOKAMAZON ◆ GOODREADS ◆ BOOKBUB
ENTER TO WIN!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
REVIEW
TheShort Story: A tale about family, trust, and learning to love each other.
MyReview:
Thisis the fourth book I’ve read by author Joanne Kukunza Easley, and I’ve enjoyedthem all. Higher Love is a continuation of the story of Lauren, one time model,alcoholic, now a well-respected businesswoman who’s remarried her husband Brettafter a separation of 30+ years. She is happy, healthy and ready to swan intoher golden years until … an unknown granddaughter crashes her birthday party!
Sixteen-year-oldStephanie has run away from her grandmother. At the reading of her grandfather’swill, she found out that her own deceased mother had been adopted and thatLauren was her mother and her biological grandmother. Stephanie’s arrival opensold wounds and bring back painful memories from Lauren’s past. Stephanie mustdeal with issues in her past and rebuild a new life in Texas while dealing withdrama of the teenage years and unexpected problems.
Together,along with Brett, Lauren’s husband, they must forge a family bond, learn totrust and to love each other.
Joanne’sbooks are always well written with characters that leap from the pages. Shedeals with real human issues such as alcoholism, divorce, unwanted pregnancies,self-harm and more with a deft hand. You’ll cheer for her characters, get madat them when they make mistakes, ache for the pain and cheer them on as theyput their lives back together again.
Higherlove is set in Austin, Texas in the 1980s. It was fun to be immersed in that timeperiod again. BTW, books set in the 1980s are now considered to be ‘historicalfiction.’ Of course, as a Texan, I appreciate the Texas setting.
Asalways, I really enjoyed Joanne’s book and I recommend it to readers who lovegreat family stories, strong women and emotional journeys.
To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLHigherLove on your preferred social media platform.
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE CAMPAIGN PAGEFOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH REVIEWER PARTICIPATING.
June 8, 2025
The Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift
Welcome to astop on the Coffeepot Book Tour for Deborah Swift’s Last Train to Freedom! Let’sdive right in:
The Details:
Book Title: LastTrain to Freedom
Series: n/a
Author: DeborahSwift
PublicationDate: 8th May 2025
Publisher: HQDigital
Pages: 361
Genre: HistoricalFiction
Triggers: WW2, so mildviolence
Blurb:
'Taut,compelling and beautifully written – I loved it!’ ~ DAISYWOOD
'Tense andthought-provoking' ~ CATHERINE LAW
1940. AsSoviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee tosurvive.
A lifelineappears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: theymust deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities,evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing topossess it.
Pursued acrossSiberia on the Trans-Siberian Express, Zofia faces danger at every turn, racingto expose the truth as Japan edges closer to allying with the Nazis. With thefate of countless lives hanging in the balance, can she complete her missionbefore time runs out?
‘Suchan interesting and original book…. Informative, full of suspense and thrills.’
~ NetgalleyReview
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link:http://mybook.to/TransSiberian
Author Bio:
Deborah Swift isthe English author of twenty historical novels, including Millennium Awardwinner Past Encounters, and The Poison Keeper the novel based aroundthe life of the legendary poisoner Giulia Tofana. The Poison Keeper won the Wishing Shelf Readers Award for Book ofthe Decade. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, thefirst in the series being The Silk Code.
Deborah used towork as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the researchaspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as ascenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against abackground of real historical events. Deborah lives in England on the edge ofthe Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworthand Coleridge.
Author Links:
Website: www.deborahswift.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/swiftstory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/deborahswift.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift
Amazon AuthorPage: http://author.to/DeborahSwift
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deborahswiftauthor/
Murder With Wine by Anita Dickason
Murder With Wine: A Tori Winters Mystery by Anita Dickason is like stepping into a cozy home filled with the smell of coffee and spiced muffins. Definitely, a winning combination in my book.
Book Title: Murder With Wine
Series: Tori Winters Mystery Series, Book 3
Author: Anita Dickason
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Suspense
Deceit Runs Deep
Danger Runs Deeper
What begins as a spine-tingling ghost tour, a night of unexpected thrills and chills for Tori Winters, quickly twists into something far more sinister.
Her free ticket, from an anonymous source, pulls Tori into the heart of a deadly conspiracy, entangling her in a treacherous web of murder and deceit.
While whispers of scandal ripple through Granbury, the unthinkable looms. Is Tori about to be arrested for a murder she didn’t commit?
As suspicion tightens its grip, something even more insidious lurks in the shadows, dragging her deeper into a maze of hidden motives and lethal deception.
Tori is the killer’s next target.
Find it on: Goodreads and Amazon.
Other Books in the Tori Winters Mystery Series:
Deadly Keepsakes: Tori Winters Mystery Series, Book 1
The past becomes a deadly future.
When Tori Winters testifies as the star witness in a murder trial, she becomes a target. Someone wants her dead—and she’s not about to give them a second chance. With everything she owns stuffed into her car, she flees, desperate to disappear.
A cryptic phone call leads her to Granbury, a quiet Texas town where no one would think to look. But safety is an illusion. The historic house she inherits harbors dark secrets—ones tied to a past that refuses to stay buried.
A town full of strangers. A legacy steeped in deception. Who can she trust?
With a relentless killer closing in, Tori realizes her inheritance may not be a blessing. It could be her death sentence.
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub.
Murder's Legacy: Tori Winters Mystery Series, Book 2
Secrets that defy time!
An inconceivable disaster strikes, bringing Tori Winters’ plans to turn her historic house into a bed and breakfast inn to a traumatic standstill. A section of the escape tunnel built by her great-grandfather, a notorious Dallas gangster, collapses. Within the rubble, there is a gruesome discovery. A skeleton with a bullet hole in the skull.
The shocking cave-in sparks more than a police response. Accusations that the tunnel is dangerous triggers an ominous scheme to condemn her property.
Tori soon discovers more than the destruction of her beloved house is on the line. It seems she can’t escape the past. It keeps clawing its way into her life with deadly consequences.
Someone wants to permanently shut her down.
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub, Barnes & Noble.
About Anita Dickason
Award-Winning Author Anita Dickason
Anita Dickason is a retired police officer with a total of twenty-seven years of law enforcement experience, twenty-two with Dallas PD. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics officer, advanced accident investigator, tactical officer, and first female sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.
See more about Anita Dickason by visiting her website https://www.anitadickason.com.
