Deborah Swift's Blog, page 15

Spotlight on ‘Widdershins’ by Helen Steadman #audiobook #17thCentury

The new audio book of Widdershins is narrated brilliantly by talented actor, Christine Mackie, from Downton Abbey and Coronation Street.

The first part of a two-part series, Widdershins is inspired by the Newcastle witch trials, where 16 people were hanged. Despite being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, these trials are not widely known about. In August 1650, 15 women and one man were hanged as witches after a Scottish witchfinder found them guilty of consorting with the devil. This notorious man was hired by the Puritan authorities in response to a petition from the Newcastle townsfolk who wanted to be rid of their witches.

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Widdershins is told through the eyes of Jane Chandler, a young woman accused of witchcraft, and John Sharpe, the witchfinder who condemns her to death. Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane soon learns that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world. From his father’s beatings to his uncle’s raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witchfinder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft.

Praise for Widdershins:

The Historical Novel Society said of Widdershins: “Impeccably written, full of herbal lore and the clash of ignorance and prejudice against common sense, as well as the abounding beauty of nature, it made for a great read. There are plenty of books, both fact and fiction, available about the witch-trial era, but not only did I not know about such trials in Newcastle, I have not read a novel that so painstakingly and vividly evokes both the fear and joy of living at that time.”

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Helen Steadman

Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf was inspired by a group of Lutheran swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687.

Despite the Newcastle witch trials being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.

The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword. During her archive research, Helen uncovered a lot of new material and she published her findings in the Northern History journal.

Helen is now working on her fourth novel.

Get in touch with Helen:

Twitter @hsteadman1650

Website: https://helensteadman.com/

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Darjeeling Inheritance by Liz Harris #Review #CoffeePotBookClub

Darjeeling, 1930

After eleven years in school in England, Charlotte Lawrence returns to Sundar, the tea plantation owned by her family, and finds an empty house. She learns that her beloved father died a couple of days earlier and that he left her his estate. She learns also that it was his wish that she marry Andrew McAllister, the good-looking younger son from a neighbouring plantation.

Unwilling to commit to a wedding for which she doesn’t feel ready, Charlotte pleads with Dan Fitzgerald, the assistant manager of Sundar, to teach her how to run the plantation while she gets to know Andrew. Although reluctant as he knew that a woman would never be accepted as manager by the local merchants and workers, Dan agrees.

Charlotte’s chaperone on the journey from England, Ada Eastman, who during the long voyage, has become a friend, has journeyed to Darjeeling to marry Harry Banning, the owner of a neighbouring tea garden.

When Ada marries Harry, she’s determined to be a loyal and faithful wife. And to be a good friend to Charlotte. And nothing, but nothing, was going to stand in the way of that.

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic adventure in Colonial India. Liz Harris is able to conjure the sights and sounds of Darjeeling in the 1930s with skill and accuracy. This includes the fact that during Colonial rule, the British in general treated the Indian population as their servants and as second class citizens, and even though individuals might have treated the Indian people they knew with kindness and respect, the accuracy of this depiction provides the reader with food for thought. The main thrust of the book is the developing romance between Charlotte and Andrew MacAllister who she is persuaded to marry after inheriting the tea plantation because their estates are next to each other and it is considered unsuitable in that era for a lone woman to be in business. Andrew is handsome, well-connected, and his estate is only second to her own. Charlotte is being pushed into marriage by her mother, but she wants to wait, and we suspect Andrew also has his reasons to delay. But will Andrew turn out to be everything she hoped?  Of course there is also Dan Fitzgerald, the good-hearted plantation manager, who teaches Charlotte everything she needs to know about growing tea (and in the process educates the reader). In amongst these developing and intertwining friendships is also the treachery of Charlotte’s  best friend Ada to add spice to the story. This is a novel with wonderful descriptions and a fast moving plot that has everything you could hope for in this kind of romance. I highly recommend it for your holiday reading and I’m looking forward to the other books in the series.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Amazon Author Page

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The post Darjeeling Inheritance by Liz Harris #Review #CoffeePotBookClub first appeared on Deborah Swift.

New Release! A Strand of Gold by Elisabeth Conway #HistFic #Singapore #Review

Singapore 1822: a place tainted by exploitation and dishonesty.

This is the world into which Chin Ming disappears, powerless to discover what happened to her missing father and unable to deliver his letter to Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore.

This story begins beside the harbour in Guangzhou, where Chin Ming is plotting to board a junk. On the same ship is Wing Yee, a high-class courtesan, anticipating a brighter future. During the voyage they form a friendship, but when they reach Singapore, they become embroiled in the attitudes and values of the times. They are subjected to the very worst of human nature in a male-dominated world. The opportunities they dreamt of in Singapore are shattered when they are imprisoned, firstly by a Chinese merchant, and then by a devious European trader.

In Elisabeth Conway’s A Strand of Gold we experience a world where slavery is tolerated, gambling and prostitution are rife, and all of this is set against a background of Raffles’ idealism and East India Company bureaucracy.

Review

This is a novel firmly rooted in the historical truth of the times and features slavery, sexual exploitation and a society ravaged by corruption and misogyny. Having said that, this is not at all a depressing novel. Chin Ming is a very likeable heroine, one with courage and a determination to survive and find her lost father. The friendship between Chin Ming and the more worldly courtesan Wing Yee is sensitively drawn, and I liked both of these women and was rooting for their survival.

The real-life characters of Raffles and his adopted son Dick, are seamlessly woven into the narrative, and the reader learns a lot about how Singapore was planned and built, and about native customs, and the flora and fauna of the area. In this context Raffles is a somewhat naive idealist, who wants to expand his utopia, but we also see the grasping nature of trade which threatens his ideals. Trade with China in goods such as Opium affects all the dealings in Singapore, as does the Dutch stranglehold on trade.  Elisabeth Conway clearly has a great knowledge of Singapore and its history and its a pleasure to read a book featuring this unusual setting. For anyone interested in Asian culture and particularly the history of Singapore, this book is a rare treat and warmly recommended.

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Watch and hear an extract https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeSyfwkp8ys

Find Elisabeth at her website where you can read more about the history of Singapore : https://elisabethconway.com/

On Twitter:  @LisaLisa2613

A Strand of Gold is published by Atmosphere Press

The post New Release! A Strand of Gold by Elisabeth Conway #HistFic #Singapore #Review first appeared on Deborah Swift.

Over the Hedge by Paulette Mahurin #WW2 #CoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to spotlight the WW2 novel  ‘Over the Hedge’ by Paulette Mahurin  today.

What’s it about?

Netherlands 1943

During one of the darkest times in history, at the height of the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1943, members of the Dutch resistance began a mission to rescue Jewish children from the deportation center in Amsterdam. Heading the mission were Walter Süskind, a German Jew living in the Netherlands, Henriëtte Pimentel, a Sephardic Jew, and Johan van Hulst, principal of a Christian college.

As Nazis rounded up Jewish families at gunpoint, the three discreetly moved children from the deportation center to the daycare across the street and over the backyard hedge to the college next door. From the college, the children were transported to live with Dutch families. Working against irate orders from Hitler to rid the Netherlands of all Jews and increasing Nazi hostilities on the Resistance, the trio worked tirelessly to overcome barriers. Ingenious plans were implemented to remove children’s names from the registry of captured Jews; to sneak them out of the college undetected past guards patrolling the deportation center, and to meld them in with their new families to avoid detection.

Based on actual events, Over the Hedge is the story of how against escalating Nazi brutality when millions of Jews were disposed of in camps, Walter Süskind, Henriëtte Pimentel, and Johan van Hulst worked heroically with the Dutch resistance to save Jewish children. But it is not just a story of their courageous endeavors. It is a story of the resilience of the human spirit. Of friendship and selfless love. The love that continues on in the hearts of over six hundred Dutch Jewish children.

About Paulette:

Paulette Mahurin is an international bestselling novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science.

Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. The Seven Year Dress, made it to the bestseller lists for literary fiction and historical fiction on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia.  Her new release, Over the Hedge, was #1 in Hot New Release Amazon U.K. it’s second day out.

Follow Paulette on Twitter @MahurinPaulette

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The post Over the Hedge by Paulette Mahurin #WW2 #CoffeePotBookClub first appeared on Deborah Swift.

Island of Gold by Amy Maroney #CoffeePotBookClub #historicalfiction

A noble French falconer. A spirited merchant’s daughter. And a fateful decision that changes their destiny forever.

When Cédric is recruited by the Knights Hospitaller to the Greek island of Rhodes, his wife Sophie jumps at the chance to improve their fortunes. After a harrowing journey to Rhodes, Cédric plunges into the world of the knights—while Sophie is tempted by the endless riches that flow into the bustling harbor. But their dazzling new home has a dark side.

Slaves toil endlessly to fortify the city walls, and rumors of a coming attack by the Ottoman Turks swirl in the streets. Desperate to gain favor with the knights and secure his position, Cédric navigates a treacherous world of shadowy alliances. Meanwhile, Sophie secretly engineers a bold plan to keep their children safe. As the trust between them frays, enemies close in—and when disaster strikes the island, the dangers of their new world become terrifyingly real.

With this richly-told story of adventure, treachery, and the redeeming power of love, Amy Maroney brings a mesmerizing and forgotten world to vivid life.

Review

This is a beautifully written novel set in 15th Century France and on the island of Rhodes, during the time when Turkey And Greece were battling over territory. Initially this is a romance, between Cedric, a young nobleman and falconer, and Sophie the daughter of a rich merchant, but a commoner. The romance is tenderly drawn and we get wonderful portraits of both lead characters – of their hopes and desires for the future, and of the way their different upbringings have affected their lives. Cedric is a man who can handle himself in battles against bandits or ecorcheurs, he is used to travelling, being on the road and his freedom. Sophie on the other hand has been brought up by a doting father to be spoilt and to enjoy the luxuries of a wealthy household. Naturally their eventual marriage runs into many difficulties, none more so than when they take ship for Rhodes.

From here, the novel becomes more of an adventure, and we begin to learn more about the Knights Hospitaller of St John who were fighting to maintain a stronghold against Muslim forces. Not only this, but the traffic of slaves, and piracy and corruption bedevil the island. In defending a woman, Cedric kills an enemy, thus rousing the ire of his supporters. Cedric has to deal with the treachery of men he trusted, and all the time a deadly plague is raging. There is a lot going on, all set against the mythic background of the old Greek religion and the newer Catholicism and Islam, in a battle for supremacy.

This is a novel rich in detail, from how to train and raise gyrfalcons, to making certain sorts of dye, to the use of ‘dragon’s blood’ in medicine, to the running of the Grand Order of the Knights. As a reader I love to be immersed in a different time and place, especially one that is unfamiliar. This is a fantastic novel with something for everyone, and I’m sure it will prove very popular with historical fiction fans, even if they have no knowledge whatsoever of the period. Once you’ve started it, you won’t want to put it down, and it comes highly recommended from this picky reader.

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Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail.

Twitter: twitter.com/wilaroney Facebook: www.facebook.com/amymaroneyauthor Instagram: www.instagram.com/amymaroneywrites/

 

The post Island of Gold by Amy Maroney #CoffeePotBookClub #historicalfiction first appeared on Deborah Swift.

New Release! The Sins of the Father by Annie Whitehead #Mercia #HistFic

A father’s legacy can be a blessing or a curse…

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The sons of Penda of Mercia have come of age. Ethelred, the youngest, recalls little of past wars while Wulf is determined to emulate their father, whose quest to avenge his betrayed kinswomen drew him to battle three successive Northumbrian kings.
Ecgfrith of Northumbria is more hostile towards the Mercians than his father was. His sister Ositha, thwarted in her marriage plans, seeks to make her mark in other ways, but can she, when called upon, do her brother’s murderous bidding?
Ethelred finds love with a woman who is not involved in the feud, but fate intervenes. Wulf’s actions against Northumbria mean Ethelred must choose duty over love, until he, like his father before him, has cause to avenge the women closest to him. Battle must once more be joined, but the price of victory will be high.
Can Ethelred stay true to his father’s values, end the feud, keep Mercia free, and find the path back to love?
This is the second of the two-book series, Tales of the Iclingas.

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My Amazon Review of Cometh The Hour – first in series:

5.0 out of 5 stars  Fantastically detailed account of life in early Britain

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2018

I know nothing about this period of British history, and was delighted to find this gripping book gave me a bird’s eye view of life in 7th century Mercia and Northumbria. Fortunately for the reader, the author has adapted some of the names to make them easier to read and remember, and the result was a fluid reading experience despite the complexity of the allegiances of the clans at the time.

The writing is visceral, describing bloodshed and battles, the clash of the old religion with the new Christian faith, and the effect of marriage and alliances between rival kings. This is a novel in the best tradition of sagas – you can’t help but feel for the characters, especially the women like Derwena, as they watch their men carve out their place in this hostile environment, where war is an ever present reality. Highly recommended.

Buy the bookContact Annie via her website: http://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk/This is an unusual period and I found it fascinating. I already have Sins of the Father lined up on my kindle, and a review will be coming soon.Have any of you read any other novels set in this time? If so, do post them in the comments.The post New Release! The Sins of the Father by Annie Whitehead #Mercia #HistFic first appeared on Deborah Swift.

The Queen’s Spy by Clare Marchant #BookReview #CoffeePotBookClub

About the book:

1584: Elizabeth I rules England. But a dangerous plot is brewing in court, and Mary Queen of Scots will stop at nothing to take her cousin’s throne.

There’s only one thing standing in her way: Tom, the queen’s trusted apothecary, who makes the perfect silent spy…

2021: Travelling the globe in her campervan, Mathilde has never belonged anywhere. So when she receives news of an inheritance, she is shocked to discover she has a family in England.

Just like Mathilde, the medieval hall she inherits conceals secrets, and she quickly makes a haunting discovery. Can she unravel the truth about what happened there all those years ago? And will she finally find a place to call home?

Review of The Queen’s Spy

A proper Sunday afternoon read, of escapism and historical intrigue!

I am always wary of double timeline novels because I often find I am more in sympathy with one of the timelines than the other, and this was certainly initially the case with The Queen’s Spy. I was immediately hooked into orphan photographer Mathilde’s story, but Tom’s took me a lot longer to warm to. But as the novel carried on I found my sympathies changing and really grew to like the deaf mute apothecary Tom, who, because of his ability to lip-read gets taken on by the unpredictable Queen Elizabeth as a spy. He really grew on me and so it became a rare thing for me where I was equally invested in both stories.

The real-life secondary characters of the Tudor court are very well drawn, including Elizabeth I herself and Walsingham, the architect of the Babington Plot to replace Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots. The background detail is vibrant and convincing, particularly the herbalism which plays a key role in linking the stories together. The discovery of an enigmatic painting behind a panel in the chapel wall, and the subsequent arrival of art historian Oliver adds a romantic element to the modern day story, whilst the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Isobel, supplies the romance in the Tudor thread. This is not a novel of ‘derring do’ despite the title. It is more about developing relationships – Tom’s quest for acceptance and a way to make himself useful in the world, and Mathilde’s longing for family. I particularly liked the way that step-sister Rachel ‘brought round’ Mathilde after her initial prickly start, and thought this was realistically done. The parallels between the two stories were drawn with a light touch. All in all I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys dual timeline novels, and particularly to fans of the Elizabethan period.

Where to buy the book:  Amazon UK  US  Kobo iBooks  Audio

Find Clare on Social Media @ClareMarchant1

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claremarchant1

The post The Queen’s Spy by Clare Marchant #BookReview #CoffeePotBookClub first appeared on Deborah Swift.

Camelot and the Victorian Era – Kingfisher by D K Marley #CoffeePotBookClub #HistoricalFiction

Welcome to D K Marley, who is giving us an insight into the fascinating historical background to her novel, Kingfisher.

The Disappearance of the Halcyon Days – Camelot and the Victorian Era

by D. K. Marley

There are two definitions of the word halcyon. First, as an adjective denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful; second, as a noun it is the name of a mythical bird, a kingfisher, said by ancient writers to breed in a nest floating at sea during the winter solstice, charming the wind and waves into calm. Both definitions play a key role in the development of my novel “Kingfisher” and relate to two time periods lost in history and considered by many to be halcyon days.

Vala Penrys, my main character, is born in 1886 at the height of the idyllic days of Queen Victoria when the wealth and power of Great Britian as an Empire stretched across the globe, bringing an age of enlightenment and ‘innocence’ to faraway lands such as India, the West Indies, and Africa. At least this was the goal behind many of the political agendas formed by those in government during that time period, Great Britian’s agenda often at the sacrifice of what those lands wanted for their own people.

Part of the reason for the supposed halcyon days of Victorian England is fixed in the idea of the moral climate. Often viewed as quite dour and non-indulgent, there was a zero tolerance towards promiscuity and criminality, the ‘stiff-upper-lip’ persona; and yet, this was the age when the ideas of chivalry took root in Victorian-era art and when writings such as “The Idylls of the King” and “The Mabinogion’ created a fascination with the legends of Camelot, of courtly love, and the romantic notions of a golden Kingdom matching that of Victoria’s.

Vala’s household is one immersed in these ideals, the resplendent representation of a perfect Victorian family – father, mother, and five girls with a country home in Wales, a home in London with a respectable Knightsbridge address, servants to care for their comforts, fine dresses, and the spectacular London Seasons filled with presentations at court, balls, and parties, all with the goal of snatching a titled gentleman with a good income and social standing.

As with most families of the upper class, they lived in a world set apart from the realities of the middle class and poor – a dream world of comfort, and yet a world of stark inequality. A world where men had the freedom to select a profession of their choosing and were viewed as creatures of ambition, liberty, enterprise, reason, and aggression; and yes, sexual morality was a different standard for men versus women. Women were expected to marry (hopefully, well), be submissive, provide heirs, and keep the estate and servants under her care. Even a hint of scandal upon a woman’s name in regards to morals could render her an outcast for the rest of her life. It was not that way with men. Women were property, and only men were granted the right of divorce due to infidelity. This vein of the ‘secret life’ of many influential and political men of the time plays out in the story, showing a contrast between the Victorian days and the days of King Arthur that the Victorians admired.

When you travel back to Arthur’s day, generally regarded as between the 3rd and 4th century, the days of Uther Pendragon, the legend tells of different halcyon days, ones where women held a special position in relation to the myths and stories of Avalon. The priestesses of the sacred isle were the ones revered as creatures of ambition, liberty, enterprise, reason, and sometimes, aggression (such as with the infamous Morgayne le Fae). Also, they were not property but had the right to choose to marry or to bear children as a result of the rituals of the Beltane festivals. In the heyday of the Kingdom of Camelot, halcyon days reigned or so the legend says.

Even in our modern day, we refer back to “Camelot” as the ideal Kingdom with a golden King dispensing justice, loyalty, and honor, all backed by his chivalrous Knights of the Round Table. We need not look any further than the days of President John F. Kennedy to see how people relate his government with those ancient dream-like days, an exquisite time in history people long to return to. As in both cases, with Victorian England and with the Kingdom of Camelot, those halcyon days evaporated with the heat of war – the declaration from Germany against Britain in 1914, and the rage of Mordred against King Arthur. Death, blood, betrayal, pain, suffering, all instruments which forever removed those idyllic days.

At the onset of the novel, the Penrys family are stuck in their day-to-day routine, sipping tea, peering out windows, reciting poetry… until their world is shattered by the announcement of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo. In quick haste, the girl’s father, Ian, leaves for the war, and their fragile mother teeters on the edge of losing her grip with reality. Vala is desperate to escape the shadow of war creeping across Britain and yet, she feels helpless. Her own odd fascination with the stories of Camelot develop into the realization that there is more to the stories than just myths, that somehow the strange dreams she has about the kingfisher bird, and the voices she hears near the rowan tree on their estate are connecting her family with the legend. She longs for the halcyon days before the war, and for the chivalrous days of King Arthur. Not only that, but like most Victorian girls of her class and age, she desires a handsome gentleman to sweep her off her feet.

The war changes many things, and the discovery that she is a time traveller gives her the idea that she is destined to bring back those halcyon days in the past, present, and for the future.

When Britain emerged from WW1, it was like looking through a glass darkly, a murky window covered with a film of dust. Everybody from the nobility to the poor dealt with some type of loss, with death, and with the utter shattering of the world they knew before. How does one go backwards from so much death on a world wide scale? Or even from a small personal scale? The horrendous images suffered by those in the actual battle, and the changes wrought upon the women at home forever etched upon their minds and hearts.

The world evolved, nevermore to see those halcyon days again. And yet, even to this day, we still remember, we still long for that dream, thus the reason for so many novels about those days of elegant parties, fancy ball gowns, men in silk cravats and top hats, or romantic knights on horseback, the showering apple blossoms carpeting the pathways to Avalon, and the sunlight peeking over Glastonbury Tor.

In Ovid’s Metamorphosis, the origin of the ‘halcyon days’ is the story of Alcyone and Ceyx of ancient Greece who were transformed into kingfishers by the Gods. For seven days in winter, no storms occur so that she might lay her eggs and make her nest on the beach. With the beat of her wings, she calms the waves and the wind so together they might nurture their young. The phrase has come to refer to a bright interval in the midst of adversity – days we all long for even in the COVID time we are living in today.

We can’t help it, we long for Camelot the same way Vala Penrys longs for it in “Kingfisher”. After all, if you had the power to go back and change history, to bring about those peaceful days, wouldn’t you risk everything to do it?

Kingfisher

The past, future, and Excalibur lie in her hands.

Wales, 1914. Vala Penrys and her four sisters find solace in their spinster life by story-telling, escaping the chaos of war by dreaming of the romantic days of Camelot. When the war hits close to home, Vala finds love with Taliesin Wren, a mysterious young Welsh Lieutenant, who shows her another world within the tangled roots of a Rowan tree, known to the Druids as ‘the portal’.

One night she falls through, and suddenly she is Vivyane, Lady of the Lake – the Kingfisher – in a divided Britain clamoring for a High King. What begins as an innocent pastime becomes the ultimate quest for peace in two worlds full of secrets, and Vala finds herself torn between the love of her life and the salvation of not only her family but of Britain, itself.

“It is, at the heart of it, a love story – the love between a man and a woman, between a woman and her country, and between the characters and their fates – but its appeal goes far beyond romance. It is a tale of fate, of power, and, ultimately, of sacrifice for a greater good.” – Riana Everly, author of Teaching Eliza and Death of a Clergyman.

Available on #KindleUnlimited, or BUY IT HERE: Universal Link: https://amzn.to/3A94jzi

 Connect with D K Marley :

Website: https://www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com

Blog: https://www.thehistoricalfictionpress.com/hist-fic-chickie-blog

Podcast: https://www.thehistoricalfictionpress.com/podcast

Twitter: https://twitter.com/histficchickie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealdkmarley.author

 

The post Camelot and the Victorian Era – Kingfisher by D K Marley #CoffeePotBookClub #HistoricalFiction first appeared on Deborah Swift.

The Marquise of Darkness by Phil Syphe #France #poison #blog

Having just finished a book abut an Italian poisoner, I’m fascinated to have Phil Syphe here today to talk about another woman involved in poisoning.

Over to Phil to tell us more.

Set in seventeenth-century France, The Marquise of Darkness is based on the real-life exploits and crimes of poisoner Marie-Madeleine d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers. Because ‘Marie-Madeleine’ is a bit of a mouthful, I opt for ‘Madeleine’ in the novel, which I feel suits her better than just ‘Marie’.
I’m aware some readers will be familiar with Madeleine’s history, but for the benefit of those who aren’t, I’ve avoided revealing any spoilers below.

The Story
The story opens in Madeleine’s Parisian home during 1659 and spans the next two decades.

Madeleine is married to luckless gambler Antoine who, in 1660, receives a marquisate. While Madeleine is happy to receive the title of Marquise de Brinvilliers, she despairs as her husband wastes their fortune. Rankled by his adulterous affairs, she takes lovers of her own, the foremost being the dashing Chevalier Godin de Sainte-Croix. Sainte-Croix is the ultimate charmer, yet his handsome face masks the darkness within him. Sainte-Croix persuades Madeleine to help fund his secret business of dealing untraceable poisons to anyone wanting rid of an enemy or to kill a rich relative to gain an inheritance. It’s an inheritance that Madeleine needs, thanks to her husband’s continual losses at the card table. For the plan to succeed, Madeleine must poison a family member with her own hands.

Madeleine and Sainte-Croix commit numerous atrocities for financial gain, or to settle scores. They stop at nothing to get what they want, be it via seduction, strangulation, shooting, poisoning, or arson. Sainte-Croix employs six mercenary servants, with the most formidable being La Chaussée, who will perform any vicious act for money. This dangerous man is the perfect killing tool. Combined, La Chaussée, Sainte-Croix, and Madeleine are a triumvirate of evil.

In the background of all the poisonings, sex, and violence are Madeleine’s five children. She loves her eldest son and daughter, but three illegitimate children are less favoured.

Louis, one of two boys fathered by Sainte-Croix, idolises his mother. Although Madeleine isn’t cruel to him, Louis yearns for the love she gives to his eldest siblings.

Marie, sired by Madeleine’s cousin, is shy and ugly. This she could live with, if her mother would spare her a little kindness.

The older Marie grows, the deeper Madeleine’s resentment towards her becomes. Can Marie find a way to earn her mother’s love, or will she become victim to Madeleine’s dark nature?

Background

Having been fascinated by Madeleine and her story for several years, I decided in 2019 to write a novel about her. During my research, biographies about her proved to be contradictory, while many online sources get several facts wrong, or omit important details. Whilst modern books bring certain taboo facts to light, which were unsuitable for publication centuries ago, the best and most thorough resource I found was a 1912 publication called Madame de Brinvilliers and Her Times, 1630–1676, by Hugh Stokes.

Although Stokes’s biography is old, his work reproduces detailed accounts and official records that helped me structure parts of my novel. The most reliable source, which he quotes extensively from, is a memoir written by someone who met Madeleine near the end of her life, namely Abbé Edmé Pirot. Pirot clears up much of the misinformation given in certain modern biographies and on websites.

Below is a quote from Stokes citing Pirot regarding the latter’s impressions of Madeleine:

‘She was very clever in finding a way out of a difficulty, and she made up her mind with rapidity. On the other hand, she was frivolous, and had no power of application. She did not like to talk too much about the same subject. She refused to be bored. But she had a complete command over herself, and seldom lost her self-composure. If her features were naturally sweet, when sudden anger seized her, a frightful grimace masked her face.’

As for the other two members of the ‘triumvirate of evil’, Sainte-Croix was, according to Stokes, ‘a handsome young officer with a fascinating manner’ who was mixed up in more deadly affairs than those dramatized in The Marquise of Darkness, most of which are vague and would’ve over-complicated my plot.

Regarding La Chaussée, he was, to quote Stokes:

‘a bold, impudent wretch, who swaggered through the streets, fearing no man. He had an amount of clever cunning. Sainte-Croix and the Marquise de Brinvilliers could not possibly have found a more zealous and devoted assistant in their crimes.’

Most characters in The Marquise of Darkness were real people, including many secondary and incidental characters. I elaborate further on this, and more on what’s truth or fiction, in my author’s note.

I’ve used my imagination to fill in any gaps in Madeleine’s history. All scenes featuring her five children are invented, as little is known about them, including the names of the four youngest. With a killer for a mother, and a weak-minded father, their lives must’ve been unstable.

An image of Madeleine’s portrait appears on my novel’s front cover. Pirot’s described her eyes as blue, though they look darker in this image, while her chestnut hair is powdered.

The Marquise of Darkness is available from Amazon: BUY HERE US    BUY HERE UK 

Note to Readers: True to the history, the novel contains graphic scenes of torture and violence, plus scenes of a sexual nature.

Facebook: Phil Syphe, Author

Twitter: @PhilSypheAuthor

The post The Marquise of Darkness by Phil Syphe #France #poison #blog first appeared on Deborah Swift.

Below Stairs by Charlotte Betts #Servants #History #Edwardian

I’m thrilled to welcome Charlotte Betts to my blog today to tell us about the history that features in her new novel, The Fading of The Light. I’ve read it, so can really recommend it as an exciting summer read.

Charlotte is a winner of the Romantic Novelists Association Award for Historical Fiction, and this trilogy of books about the artists community in Cornwall is full of fascinating characters and lush settings.

Charlotte lives on the Hampshire/Berkshire borders in a C17th cottage in the woods. A daydreamer and a bookworm, she enjoyed careers in fashion, interior design and property before discovering her passion for writing historical novels.

Below Stairs by Charlotte Betts

In 1901, the census shows that over 40% of the adult female population worked in service and this didn’t include the large number of girls, some barely ten years old. Working conditions were unregulated and a maid would often work a seventeen hour day with only one afternoon off a week and time for church on Sunday mornings. There was no legislation that protected a servant in old age or in times of sickness until the National Insurance Act of 1911 was passed.

There was a stark contrast between the family’s opulent rooms and the meagre servants’ quarters. This was deliberate so that a servant didn’t get ‘ideas above his, or her, station.’ Despite low wages and, often poor conditions such as lack of sanitary arrangements, competition for places was fierce. Working as a servant was sometimes the only alternative to near starvation, providing regular meals and a roof over their head. In large country houses and London townhouses, male and female servants were separated to prevent them fraternising.

Maids were crammed into attic bedrooms, while the men were usually housed in the basement or rooms near the kitchen. If a pretty maid, however, attracted her master’s eye she had little say in the matter and would immediately be sent packing without a reference if she became pregnant.

In the great houses, aristocratic employers had an army of mostly hidden servants to attend to their every need. The Duke of Devonshire once stated that a staff of two hundred were required to manage a house party of fifty guests. The number of servants employed by a family indicated their wealth and social status

There was a strict hierarchy for the staff of a prosperous family. The butler oversaw the entire household. Beneath him were several footmen, a gentleman’s valet, a lady’s maid and gardeners. A housekeeper, reporting to the butler, would have beneath her in the hierarchy a cook, kitchen maid, scullery maid, parlour maids, chamber maids, a nanny and a nursery maid for the children.

Even middle class families would have several servants, at least a cook-housekeeper, a maid or two and perhaps a gardener. A charwoman might come once a week to do ‘the rough’ and laundry might be sent out to a washerwoman. The cook would attend the mistress of the house in the mornings to decide upon the menus.

Parlour maid

Servants adhered to a strict routine, often beginning their work at five-thirty am. There were few labour saving devices and plenty of elbow grease was required in the constant battle against dirt and dust from the coal fires. Carpets were brushed twice a week and rooms dusted and beds stripped daily. Endless buckets of water were carried upstairs and then the slops and night soil had to be carried downstairs. Maids must have been delighted when bathrooms were installed in their employer’s houses. After cooking and serving the family’s sumptuous meals in the dining room, the servants ate the leftovers in the kitchen. Their evening meal would be served at about 9pm, after the family had eaten, but work wasn’t finished until the family had gone to bed, the butler had locked up and the junior housemaid had taken hot water bottles upstairs, She was then free to return to her unheated attic to fall, exhausted, into bed.

After the 1870s, education became more available to the masses and literacy increased, bringing with it changing social attitudes and expectations. Young girls became reluctant to enter the endless drudgery of service if there was work available in shops, factories and even offices. During the Great War, many women left service to fill the jobs left vacant by men, even though their pay for the same job was far less than a man’s salary.

Of course, once the war was over, the surviving men wanted their jobs back, forcing many women back into service as their only option. Nevertheless, women had grasped the opportunity to show what they were capable of and this ultimately led to them being allowed to vote, though it wasn’t until after 1928 that all female servants were granted this privilege. Meanwhile there were still floors to be scrubbed and grates to be cleaned and the master’s boot laces to be ironed.

Buy Here: https://www.yourswithlove.co.uk/titles/charlotte-betts/the-fading-of-the-light/9780349423012/

To be the first to hear about Charlotte’s new releases and her writing life, please do visit her at www.charlottebetts.co.uk

Twitter: @CharlotteBetts1

Facebook: Charlotte Betts – Author

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Finished reading? You might like this post – Servants in Historical Fiction

The post Below Stairs by Charlotte Betts #Servants #History #Edwardian first appeared on Deborah Swift.