Jean M. Roberts's Blog, page 9

Quick Book Review: A Kingdom to Claim by Sian Ann Bessey

Love historical fiction with romance? This one is set in the 9th century in the Kingdom of Wessex. King Alfred (The Great) is plagued by the Danes as they try to take all of England. A rollicking good story with plenty of action. This one was on special interest to me as I am also writing a novel that is set in the same time period and yes King A makes an appearance as well. Mine is the sequal to THE MIDSUMMER WOMEN and is a dual time/ dual POV with elements of magic. Coming early next year. Hopefully!
Find it here:




 

The Curse of Maiden Scars by Nicolette Croft

Welcome to astop on the Coffee Pot Book Tour for THE CURSE OF THE MAIDEN SCARS by NicoletteCroft. Wow!What a great title and book cover. We have a great excerpt for you today as well!Settle in a give it a read!

 

The Details:

 

Book Title: TheCurse of Maiden Scars

Series: Maiden,Mother, Crone

Author: NicoletteCroft

PublicationDate: June 4, 2024

Publisher: HistoriumPress

Pages: 286

Genre: HistoricalFiction / Women’s Fiction

 

Blurb:  

Sixteen-year-oldRenna Covert toils away in the shadows of a Yorkshire workhouse, her days filledwith the mundane task of shelling cotton and the dangerous duty of scouting forpunters. One fateful night, she crosses paths with two sailors and findsherself thrust into the heart of a chilling encounter at the local asylum. 

These harrowingexperiences catalyze Renna’s journey, promising newfound opportunities andrevealing long-buried family secrets. Yet, at every turn, powerful forcesconspire to thwart her quest for truth, forcing her to abandon her scullerywork and embark on a daring escape to Venice alongside her steadfastcompanions. 

In thelabyrinthine alleys of Venice, Renna’s fate takes yet another twist. She isensnared by a cunning Madam who trains her as a Venetian courtesan. But beneaththe veneer of luxury lies a world fraught with danger, where Renna must rely onher withs and resilience to navigate the treacherous waters of deceit andbetrayal. 

Set against thebackdrop of Venice’s tumultuous Napoleonic invasion of 1797, this is a tale ofa girl's struggle for survival. It is a story of resilience, defiance in theface of adversity, and, ultimately, one young woman’s determination to reclaimher identity.

 

The Curse ofMaiden Scars—Excerpt 3:

 

I raised thecover to her. “Is this true? About the daughters of Venice?” 

She turned herback to me. “I’ve already told you, yes. Daughters of wealthy families whosefathers are reluctant to pay prospective bridegrooms a suitable dowry end up inconvents. Annual donations prove lesser sums than funding valuable marriages.”

 She had told me.But I was still confused about her certainty. It was like she knew first-handwhat Aretino reported 200 years ago. “It says nuns might have sex lives asvaried as whores. That these women indulge in worldly, wild activities, butwith sisterhood secrecy.”

 “Catholicconvent laws from other Christendoms do not apply to Venice nunneries,” Camillacalmly explained. “Some Nuns become pregnant. If so, they leave the newbornchild on the church doorstep and pretend it is an abandoned infant, and thusraise their foundlings within the convent refuge, all funded by their fathers’dotal alms. Too bad they wouldn’t let their daughters marry in the first place,giving the bastard children a name and a station in life.” 

Knowing women ofall occupations—the poor in Yorkshire and the noble in Venice—might be lockedaway without cause made me question if my new city was merely an exchange ofone confinement for another. 

Chilled at thethought, I tucked the book into my dress pocket and watched the owl. The rat’stail weakly battered at the owl as its claws dug into the flesh. Its slowingmovements became fatefully still. In one final dramatic effort, the rat liftedits head before relaxing into the maw of death. I hoped neither example,Aretino’s nuns, nor the rat, was my fate.

 

 

Buy Link:

 

Universal Buy Link:https://books2read.com/u/mgDEOq  

 

 

AuthorBio:

Nicolette Croftcan’t remember a time when she was not creating imaginary worlds inspired byher Hungarian and American ancestors. As a neuro-divergent learner, however,putting those stories to paper proved more challenging than imagining them.Because her determination would not allow her to settle, she pursued an EnglishB.A. to improve her writing. 

Young motherhoodalso brought unexpected challenges, which motivated her to pursue graduate workin twice-exceptional learners and education. She would later add an M.A. degreein Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in neurodivergent people, trauma,and grief. Nicolette uses her natural gift of storytelling as an exploratorymethod for her clients. 

The Curse ofMaiden Scars is also an outgrowth of her personal journeyand marks her first publication as a novelist, having previously publishedshort fiction. When not at her counseling practice or researching historicalfacts for her latest story, Nicolette shares treasured time with family,friends, and her husband. Whether writing, cooking, traveling, or learning, theact of creation is always at the center of her colorful life.

 

Author Links:

 

Website: https://www.nicolettecroft.com

Twitter: https://x.com/croft_nicolette

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoletteCroftAuthor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolette-croft-a6744929a/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolettecroft22/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nicolettecroft22

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nicole-Croft/author/B0052UF75G

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/178035999-nicolette-croft

 

The Dream Collector by R.W. Meek

                         

Welcome to The Book’s Delight and a stop on theCoffeePot Book tour for The Dream Collector by R.w. Meek. We have a great excerpt to get you interested! 

 

BookTitle: The Dream Collector “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh”

Series:Book II

Author:R.w. Meek

PublicationDate: April 30th, 2024

Publisher:Historium Press

Pages:651

Genre:Historical Fiction

 

 

Blurb:

 

Sabrine, hospitalized for fiveyears at the infamous Salpêtrière Asylum for Women, gains her release due tointervention of her sister Julie Forette and a young Sigmund Freud. Thereunited sisters are introduced to the dazzling art milieu of 1886 Paris, andsoon become close friends to the leading Impressionists. Sabrine attracts acult following as a poetess, the enigmatic "Haiku Princess."Seemingly cured by Freud of her Grand Hysteria, Sabrine soon enters into atumultuous relationship with Vincent van Gogh.

 

Julie and Sigmund Freud,alarmed by the eerie parallels between the emotionally volatile couple andtheir self-destructive impulses, begin an urgent search to discover the rootcauses for Sabrine and Vincent's growing psychoses. Julie, 'The DreamCollector' seeks their most unforgettable dream for Freud's interpretation andrevelations occur.

 

is an exploration of the psychologicalconsequences of betrayal, abandonment--and the redemptive power of art.

 

 

The Dream Collector Excerpt: 

                                                 “Returning to the Nest” 

ASf.f. and I found our way to Sabrine’s door, we heard loud tapping from inside.Entering, we quietly set our presents down, transfixed: Sabrine was busilyhammering a bird’s nest to the wall. When finished, she began rummaging insidea large, wood crate at her feet where more nests were deeply stacked. As shewas still unaware of our presence, we gazed at her handiwork. 

Thewall had become a tableau of nests, of varying sizes and colours, hung inartistic patterns. There were pin wheels, undulating waves, and even nests soremarkably assembled that they resembled musical notes.  It seemed as if she had imagined her ownfirmament—but replaced stars with nests. 

f.f.cleared his throat to signal we were in the room.  “May we be of humble assistance?” he queried. 

Notat all surprised by our presence, she held out a nest made of fine hay straw.“Oh, yes! You can reach much higher than I.” 

“Onlyin the most literal and mundane sense; but first...” He took off his top hatand removed his kid gloves before taking the nest, peering inside. “Anyleftover eggs to be concerned about?” 

“Oh,Vincent and I never took nests where there were eggs or baby birds.”  

Weput the mention of Vincent aside. I sat down on the floor, next to my sister,inspecting the various nests inside the crate. I simply did not want her toknow that Vincent had voluntarily committed himself to the Saint Paul Asylum.

 

 

 

Buy Links:

 

UniversalBuy Link:  https://books2read.com/u/baLazP

 

HardbackLink US:  https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Collector-Sabrine-Vincent-Gogh/dp/1962465349

 

Author Bio:

 

R.w.Meek has a Master’s degree in Art History from the American University inWashington, D.C., his areas of expertise are Impressionism andPost-Impressionism, with a particular interest in Vincent van Gogh. 

Hisfirst novel The Dream Collector “Sabrine & Sigmund Freud” was votedrunner-up by the Historical Fiction Company for best novel of 2022. 

Bornin Baltimore, he currently resides with his wife Pamela in Santa Clarita,California. He’s passionate about art, cinema, literature and jazz. His twodogs, Reve and Banjo, were awarded angelic status in heaven.

 

 

Author Links: 

Website:https://www.ronmeekauthor.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Rw-Meek/100010220437381/

AmazonAuthor Page:https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.-w.-Meek/author/B0CZJ8JDP5

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLf52C_8VYyMbHMSL_jfv-g

 

 

Hatfield 1677: Laura C. Rader

A new book from author Laura C. Rader, Hatfield 1677. This one looks really good, especially if you love early American History like I do! It's set during King Philip's War, a war that all but drove the fledgling colonies into the sea. Acts of barbarity were committed by both sides of this devasting conflict.
Here's the blurb:

Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devotedhusband, father, and skilled military scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantlyobeys orders to guide a brutal attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.

After the catastrophic event, Benjaminis burdened with guilt and longs for peace. But the Algonquians, led by therevered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts townof Hatfield, capturing over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wifeMartha and their three young daughters.

Hatfield 1677 is a tale of threeinterwoven yet diverging journeys of strength and survival: Benjamin, driven bylove and remorse to rescue his family; Martha, forced into captivity anddesperately striving to protect her children; and Ashpelon, willing to risk everything to ensure the safety andfreedom of his people.

Based on the lives of theauthor’s ancestors, this riveting and unforgettable novel gives voice to threevastly different experiences in North America during a time before the creationof the Declaration of Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and abattleground; equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty andhappiness were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.

Meet The Author:

After retiring from teaching English and history I am now a full-time historical fiction writer. When I'm not writing, researching, or reading, I like to study genealogy, attend neighborhood book club meetings, take forest walks with my Rough Collie, and visit with my adult daughter. Originally from California, I live twenty miles north of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hatfield 1677 is my first novel, based on the lives of my 9th great grandparents.

Follow Laura:

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter

Book Tour: Novice Threads by Nancy Jardine

 

Welcome to The Book’s Delight and the Coffee PotBook Tour for Novice Threads a soon to be released Historical Fiction novel byauthor Nancy Jardine.

 

Media Kit  

BookTitle: Novice Threads

Series:Silver Sampler Series

Author:Nancy Jardine

PublicationDate: 15th May 2024

Publisher:Nancy Jardine with Ocelot Press

PageLength: 356

Genre:Victorian Scotland Saga / Historical Fiction / Women’s Fiction

 

Blurb:  

A thirst for education.  Shattered dreams. Fragile relations.

  1840s Scotland

 Being sent to school is the mostexhilarating thing that’s ever happened to young Margaret Law. She sharpens hernewly-acquired education on her best friend, Jessie Morison, till Jessie isspirited away to become a scullery maid. But how can Margaret fulfil hervisions of becoming a schoolteacher when her parents’ tailoring and draperybusiness suddenly collapses and she must find a job?

 Salvation from domestic drudgery– or never-ending seamstress work – comes via Jessie whose employer seeks atutor for his daughter. Free time exploring Edinburgh with Jessie is great fun,but increasing tension in the household claws at Margaret’s nerves.

 Margaret also worries about herparents' estrangement, and the mystery of Jessie's unknown father.

 When tragedy befalls thehousehold in Edinburgh, Margaret must forge a new pathway for the future –though where will that be?

 Buy Links: 

Thistitle is available to read on #Kindle Unlimited. 

UniversalBuy Link: https://mybook.to/NTsss

 

Author Bio:

 

Nancy writeshistorical and contemporary fiction. 1st Century Roman Britain isthe setting of her Celtic Fervour Series. Victorian and Edwardian history hassneaked into two of her ancestry-based contemporary mysteries, and her currentSilver Sampler Series is set in Victorian Scotland. 

Her novels haveachieved Finalist status in UK book competitions (People's Book Prize; ScottishAssociation of Writers) and have received prestigious Online Book Awards. 

Published withOcelot Press, writing memberships include – Historical Novel Society; RomanticNovelists Association; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of WritersScotland; Alliance of Independent Authors.

  

Follow Nancy on Social Media: 

Website     Twitter     Facebook     Linked In     Instagram    Bluesky

Pinterest     Bookbub    Amazon Author Page    Goodreads

 

Quick Review: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

I really enjoyed this ARC of The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis, it is currently available on Netgalley for advanced Readers, it will be published in January of 2025. It is a dual-time story which I love, it's also got multiple POVs which were handled very well. It's definetly worth the read, especially if you can get it on Netgalley for free! It's set in NYC and in Egypt in the 1930s and 1970s. The MC is Charlotte who as a young woman was part of an archeology group in Egypt in the 1930s. It picks back up when she is almost 60 and working for the Met Museum in NYC in the Egyptian Department. Lots of intriuge and mystery. I recommend it.
 

The Fortune Keeper: Deborah Swift

 

Welcometo a stop on the Coffee Pot Book Tour for The Fortune Keeper by Deborah Swift,their book of the year for 2023! 

The Details:  

BookTitle: The Fortune Keeper
Series:Italian Renaissance Series
Author:Deborah Swift
PublicationDate: 24th November 2022
Publisher:Quire Books
Pages:412
Genre:Historical Fiction
 

 

Blurb: 

Count yournights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb 

Winter inRenaissance Venice
 
Mia Caiozzi isdetermined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. Buther stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it willlead her into danger. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, soMia must study in secret.
 
Giulia's realname is Giulia Tofana, renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is inhiding from the Duke de Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the deathof their brother. Giulia insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. Ifnot, it could threaten them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebelsagainst Giulia, determined to go her own way.
 
When the twosecret lives collide, it has far-reaching and fatal consequences that willchange Mia's life forever. 

Set amongstopulent palazzos and shimmering canals, TheFortune Keeper is the third novel of adventure and romance based on thelife and legend of Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.

 

'Hercharacters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back onthe shelf'

~Historical Novel Society

 

 

NB This is thethird in a series but can stand alone as it features a new protagonist. Othertwo books are available if reviewers want them.

 

TriggerWarnings:

Murderand violence in keeping with the era.

 

 

Buy Links:

 

Thistitle is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

 

UniversalLink: https://mybook.to/FortuneKeeper

 

 

Audiobook Buy Links:

 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/audiobook/fortune-keeper-the

Audio:https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Fortune-Keeper-Audiobook/B0C63R95WM

 

 

Author Bio:


 
Deborah Swift is aUSA TODAY bestselling author who is passionate about the past. Deborah used tobe a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives inan old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near theglorious Lake District. Deborah has an award-winning historical fiction blog ather website www.deborahswift.com.
 
Deborah loves towrite about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives ofordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books andstill resonate today.
 
The first in herseries about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, The Poison Keeper,was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade, and a Coffee Pot BookClub Gold Medal, and the latest in her WW2 Secret Agent series, Operation Tulip, is coming soon.

 

Author Links:

 

Website: www.deborahswift.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/swiftstory

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/

Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift

Amazon:http://author.to/DeborahSwift

Book Tour: Shire's Union Trilogy by Richard Buxton

 

Welcome to The Book’s Delight and a stop on RichardBuxton’s Coffee Pot Book Tour for his American Civil War Trilogy.

 

The Details:

BookTitle: Trilogy consisting of:

Whirligig (Book #1)

The Copper Road (Book #2)

Tigers in Blue (Book #3)

Series:Shire’s Union

Author:Richard Buxton

PublicationDate:

WG= 22/3/2017

TCR= 26/7/2020

TIB= 8/12/2023

Publisher:Ocoee Publishing

PageLength:

WG= 479

TCR= 421

TIB= 424

Genre:American Historical Fiction

 

 

 

Blurb:

Shireleaves his home and his life in Victorian England for the sake of a childhoodpromise, a promise that pulls him into the bleeding heart of the American CivilWar. Lost in the bloody battlefields of the West, he discovers a second homefor his loyalty. 

Clarabelieves she has escaped from a predictable future of obligation and privilege,but her new life in the Appalachian Hills of Tennessee is decaying around her.In the mansion of Comrie, long hidden secrets are being slowly exhumed by a warthat creeps ever closer. 

TheShire’s Union trilogy is at once an outsider’s odyssey through thebattle for Tennessee, a touching story of impossible love, and a portrait ofAmerica at war with itself. Self-interest and conflict, betrayal and passion,all fuse into a fateful climax. 

Writtenby award winning author Richard Buxton, the Shire’s Union trilogy begins with Whirligig,is continued in The Copper Road, and concludes with Tigers in Blue.

 

Buy Links:

 

UniversalBuy Links for individual titles:

 

WG:  https://books2read.com/u/3GP7AO

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whirligig-richard-buxton/1130891070

TCR: https://books2read.com/u/b5JRvR

TIB:   https://books2read.com/u/mVnXaA

 

Trilogy Amazon Buy Links:

 

US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDXDZDB

UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CDXDZDB

 Author Bio:

 

Richard lives with hisfamily in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in CreativeWriting at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship withAmerica, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the lateeighties. He travels extensively for research, especially in Tennessee, Georgiaand Ohio, and is rarely happier than when setting off from a motel to spend theday wandering a battlefield or imagining the past close beside the churningwheel of a paddle steamer. 

Richard’s short storieshave won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competitionand the Nivalis Short Story Award. His first novel, Whirligig (2017) wasshortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award. It was followed by TheCopper Road (2020) and the Shire’s Union trilogy was completed by Tigersin Blue (2023). To learn more about Richard’s writing visit www.richardbuxton.net. 

 

FollowRichard on Social Media: 

Website      Twitter     Facebook     Instagram     Book Bub     Amazon AuthorPage:

Goodreads

I See Dead People: A Guest Post by Author Gail Ward Olmsted

Asan Author of Historical Fiction... I See Dead People!

byGail Ward Olmsted

 

Doyou recall that kid from the 1999 psychological thriller The Sixth Sense?You know the one- he looks at the character played by Bruce Willis and saysquite convincingly ‘I see dead people’. It is an iconic scene and a shocking admission from an unlikely source. Butyou know what? I see dead people too!

 

Writinghistorical fiction is a balancing act of creating a good story while doingjustice to real people, places, or events or in some cases. all three. Fictionalizingreal people can be tricky, resulting in anything from a bland version of awell-known character from the annals of history to a vampire-hunting AbeLincoln. It all starts with a thorough understanding of your characters.

 

Withmy purely fictional main characters in my contemporary novels, I start out withan in-depth analysis. Physical characteristics, personality traits, socialbehaviors, attitudes, likes and dislikes. I alone can decide that ‘she wouldnever say that’ or ‘he would never go there’ and no one can argue with me.They’re my characters, my invention and I have the final say. Regardlessof whether they are based on real people or more likely, a combination of anumber of people, it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

 

Butwhat if a character is closely based on or inspired by a real person? Just howmuch fiction is allowed to be included and still have the novel be considered historicaland/or biographical? Striking the right balance between fact and fiction can bechallenging, but it’s what elevates a memorable story into a novel that begs tobe read. Readers of historical fiction are seeking entertainment, an escape andaccording to one of my readers, “it gives you somewhere to go when you have tostay where you are.” In order to reveal the character’s true self, you need to truly‘see’ them and discover their attitudes, beliefs and expectations; theiressence, if you will.

 

Thetwo historical novels that I have published highlight the lives of real people.The first is a male, well known for his professional achievements but littlehas been written about his personal and family life. To complicate mattersfurther, he shares the same surname and family lineage as my husband. In myauthor notes, I explain in detail what is factually true and what parts wereliberties I thought necessary to develop the story I wanted to write. I felthonor-bound to respect his legacy and hope that I did him proud.

 

Inmy second novel, I chose a remarkable woman who most of us have never heard of.I learned of her while doing research for my first historical fiction title. Shehas a difficult last name, was not in the least bit photogenic and accounts ofher personality ranged from lively and fetching all the way to ‘dull asdishwater’. Which description is the more accurate? I don’t know for sure butat some point, instinct takes over. With only a very sketchy outline to follow,I needed to decide who this person really was, to really get to know her. Ibased what I wrote on what I was able to glean from actual letters she wroteand received as well as her professional accomplishments and lifestyle. Onceagain, I hope I did justice to her legacy.

 

Soyes, I see dead people and I hear them too. My books include a good deal ofdialogue and when the characters come from another time and place, it is easyto weigh the writing down with cumbersome language, words and phrases that maybe unfamiliar to modern readers. Balancing the different styles and manners ofspeaking in order to be authentic as well as enjoyable is the key.

 

Thenext time you read a historical novel, look closely at the characters theauthor has chosen to bring to life. I predict you’ll see dead people too!

 

GailWard Olmsted is the award-winning author of eight published novels. Her twoworks of historical fiction are the best-selling Landscape of a Marriage,the mostly true story of park builder Frederick Law Olmsted and Mary, his wifeof 44 years, and Katharine’s Remarkable Road Trip, a newlyreleased fictional journey of a remarkable real woman: Katharine PrescottWormeley.

 

 

Book Review: Salad Days by Allie Cresswell

 

Thank you to Allie Cressell for sending me a complimentary copyof her book for my review. This is the second book by this author that I have read.

The Details:

Salad Days by Allie Cresswell

Published: June 10, 2024

Publisher: Allie Creswell

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Women’s Literary Fiction

Pages: 291

Available: ebook, paperback

Violence: none

Sex: none

 

The Short Story: Engaging, poignant, a beautifulstory

 

My Review: Salad Days is the story of two neighboringfamilies and how their lives intertwine, for better or worse. The story is told from the perspectiveof Prue, whose extended family runs Salad Days, a produce farm in England. Prueis not speaking to us, the reader, she’s retelling her story to Arthur, son of thedown on their heels, Lords of the Manor. She starts with her earliest memory andit’s of Arthur. Prue tells her story from her child’s perspective, what she saw,thought, believed to be true at that moment in time, even if she now knowsdifferently.

The story is beautifully told and wonderfully descriptive. I loved the summer adventures and escapades of childhood, exploring, rambling, days at the beach, imaginative play. I felt I was right there alongside Prue and Arthur. It’s a simpler time, we think, the 1960s, but like all families there is drama,intrigue, grief. The magical days of our youth often blind us to thecomplicated lives of the surrounding adults, and Prue is unaware ormisinterprets what is happening to her family. As Prue and Arthur age, theirrelationship changes from childhood enemies, budding friends, to besties, growingever more complicated.

This is a story that will tug at your heartstrings, surpriseyou with its ending, and have you thinking about it long after you’ve finished.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of a great story.