Deborah Swift's Blog, page 4
January 6, 2025
Silver Anniversary for Harold the King by Helen Hollick #CoffeePotBookClub #1066
Two men. One crown.England, 1044. Harold Godwinesson, a young, respected earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. In Normandy, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power.In 1066 England falls vulnerable to the fate of these two men: one, chosen to be a king, the other, determined to take, by force, what he desires. Risking his life to defend his kingdom from foreign invasion, Harold II led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honour and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes.In this beautifully crafted tale, USA Today bestselling author Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the man who was the last Anglo-Saxon king, revealing his tender love, determination and proud loyalty, all to be shattered by the desire for a crown – by one who had no right to wear it.Praise for Harold The King / I Am The Chosen King:“Helen Hollick has it all! She tells a great story, gets her history right, and writes consistently readable books.”~ Bernard Cornwell“A novel of enormous emotional power.”~ Elizabeth Chadwick“Thanks to Hollick’s masterful storytelling, Harold’s nobility and heroism enthral to the point of engendering hope for a different ending…Joggles a cast of characters and a bloody, tangled plot with great skill.”~ Publisher’s Weekly“Don’t miss Helen Hollick’s colourful recreation of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest.”~ Daily Mail“An epic re-telling of the Norman Conquest.”~ The Lady“If only all historical fiction could be this good.”~ Historical Novel Society ReviewBuy the Book!Harold The King is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.Universal Ebook Buy Link of Harold The KingUniversal Paperback Link UK VersionUniversal Paperback Link US Version
First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen Hollick became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she writes a nautical adventure/supernatural series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She has also branched out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with her Jan Christopher Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder, incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working as a library assistant. The fifth in the series, A Memory Of Murder, was published in May 2024.Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She is currently writing about the ghosts of North Devon, and Jamaica Gold for her Sea Witch Voyages.Recognised by her stylish hats, Helen tries to attend book-related events as a chance to meet her readers and social-media followers, but her ‘wonky eyesight’ as she describes her condition of Glaucoma, and severe arthritis is now a little prohibitive for travel.She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon with their dogs and cats, while on the farm there are showjumper horses, fat Exmoor ponies, an elderly Welsh pony, geese, ducks and hens. And several resident ghosts.Connect with Helen: Website • Blog • Twitter / X • Facebook • Bluesky Amazon Author Page • NewsletterThe post Silver Anniversary for Harold the King by Helen Hollick #CoffeePotBookClub #1066 first appeared on Deborah Swift.
December 16, 2024
The Three Deaths of Justice Godfrey by L C Tyler #review #murdermystery
REVIEW
I love this series – there is so much to enjoy in the period. In this novel poor Justice Godfrey has met his end in three different ways – bludgeoned, stabbed and strangled – thus leading John Grey to wonder if it could be suicide and some people (who might benefit from the Will) want it covered up, as in those days to take your own life was a crime.
A little research and googling the name led me to realise that this is actually based on a real Restoration case, which all added to the interest. Titus Oates and two other men fabricated evidence of what became known as the Popish Plot to murder Charles II and put his Roman Catholic brother James, the Duke of York (later King James II), on the throne.
And of course, when I got to the end there were all the notes from Mr Tyler telling me all I needed to know about what was fact and what was fiction. This novel makes the most of the history, with some insisting the Catholics dunnit, and others deciding they hadn’t. The very dodgy Titus Oates, with his even dodgier background, is a pivotal character in the story. As usual, Grey’s wife, Aminta, has her own ideas and is responsible for chivvying her husband to try things that move the plot forward.
The narrative is laced with a good amount of dry wit, which makes the books great fun to read..
This will be enjoyed by Tyler’s fans and also by those who love a twisty murder mystery based on real events. Unravelling a murder alongside John Grey is always a great pleasure and this witty and absorbing mystery is first class entertainment. Highly recommend.
ABOUT THE BOOK
October 1678. Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey, respected London wood monger and Court Justice, sets out from his house, early one foggy morning, in his second-best coat. Then he vanishes. Six days later, his body is discovered in a ditch near Primrose Hill. He has been severely beaten, strangled and stabbed through the chest – killed three times, in fact. There’s no doubt somebody wanted him dead. The cash in his pockets however is still there. And, in spite of the wet weather and muddy roads, his clothes are dry and his shoes are spotlessly clean.
People are quick to connect his killing with the role Godfrey has played in exposing a Catholic plot to kill the King. His name is, after all, an anagram of ‘dy’d by Rome’s reveng’d fury’. Parliament, whipped into a frenzy by the conspirator Titus Oates, demands a suitable perpetrator is found. But it soon becomes clear that Godfrey had not merely offended the Catholics. And he had, some weeks before, predicted his own death with uncanny accuracy.
Magistrate John Grey is summoned from his Essex village to investigate an increasingly inexplicable crime and to prevent some innocent men from being hanged as a regrettable political necessity.
BUY THE BOOKFind L C Tyler on his website: https://www.lctyler.com/
The post The Three Deaths of Justice Godfrey by L C Tyler #review #murdermystery first appeared on Deborah Swift.December 12, 2024
The Royal Menagerie of Versailles by Peggy Joque Williams #CoffeePotBookClub #17thCentury
Le Ménagerie Royale de Versailles
King Louis XIV, the monarch who ruled France throughout most of the 17th century and is a central character in Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles, had his own zoo at Versailles. He called it Le Ménagerie Royale.
In this excerpt from Courting the Sun, Sylvienne takes Etienne, a young shoemaker who wants to marry her, to visit the menagerie at Versailles.
[Etienne] tied the horses to a hitching post outside the gate, and we made our way inside in silence. The Menagerie was a large domed pavilion surrounded by a series of enclosures fanning out like the spaces between spokes of a wheel. Etienne’s eyes grew wide with astonishment as we approached the first pen.
Around a pond stood several dozen pink birds with long necks and long spindly legs, some standing only on one leg, the opposing limb pulled up tight under their bodies. The tall birds chattered noisily as ducks and swans waddled and swam among them. Watching them helped quell my agitation. “They are flamants roses,” I said.
“I’ve read of them. They come from the Spanish Americas.”
I let him take my hand as we strolled to the next paddock, a grassy area with zebras grazing. Ostriches clustered nearby pecking at the ground, several peering over the fence at us. Another enclosure held an elephant tossing sand and dirt over its back with its trunk. Large clumps of its dung baked in the sun. Next to it, a glass wall surrounded a large tree with thick branches upon which playful, screeching monkeys romped.
But the animals I most wanted Etienne to see were still to come. A lion with a majestic mane lay sprawled across a large flat rock in its enclosure. On the ground at his feet, sat a lioness panting in the sun. In the next enclosure a golden-coated leopard, its fur marked with black rosettes, paced back and forth, eyeing us with wary interest. The last pen housed a tiger which paced in and out through its shed door, in and out, in and out.
“Aren’t they marvelous? Did you ever think you would see such animals in your life?” I looked up at Etienne, expecting awe that mirrored my own. Instead, he was quiet, almost sullen. “What’s wrong?”
“To be penned up like this. It must be awful for them.”
“They know no other life.”
“They must have come from somewhere.” He reached out and ran a finger down one of the vertical bars separating them from us. “Trapped. Unable to come and go as they wish, to live the life they were meant to live. Not unlike you and I.”
“What do you mean? You came here of your own accord.”
He shrugged. “Not any more than you did.”
I sucked in a breath. It was true. I had felt I was accepting a prized invitation; but no one refuses a summons from the King. And no one leaves court without the King’s permission. I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t have to. He was already striding out of the compound.
“Etienne! Wait!” I chased after him.
He stopped near the horses. “Sylvienne, this whole place, Versailles, it’s nothing more than one large…what did you call it? A menagerie. Everyone here lives their lives solely at the pleasure of the King. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“I never thought about it that way.”
He lifted me up onto Phoebe’s saddle.
“And anyway, what choice do I have?”
“That’s my whole point.” He put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over Jolie’s back. “A life without choice is no life at all.”
I used the idea of the menagerie to show how Etienne feels about being at Versailles. He is a talented shoemaker from Amiens, the same town from which Sylvienne came. Etienne is in love with Sylvienne, but she is a beautiful young woman fawned over by the king and others in the royal inner circle. Etienne is an outsider, a craftsman, brought to Versailles upon Sylvienne’s recommendation; and he resents his situation.
Louis XIV by Hyancinth Rigaud
Louis began construction on the menagerie in 1663; it took about five years to complete. He collected exotic animals and birds from all over the world, and he invited painters, zoologists, taxidermists and visitors of all types to view his collection. Many of the animals were offered as diplomatic gifts from countries seeking Louis’ good graces. The elephant was apparently a gift from Dom Pedro II, King of Portugal, and the lions and tiger were given by various Arab princes.
Louis started a trend with his menagerie. A number of palaces and noble houses throughout Europe began to build their own menageries modeled after Louis’—and thus was born the concept of the zoo. The menagerie at Versailles went into decline after Louis’ death in 1715; it was destroyed altogether during the French Revolution in the 1790s.
The Ménagerie at Versailles is an apt metaphor for the situation in which Sylvienne and Etienne find themselves in Courting the Sun. They were curiosities kept at court for the pleasure of the King. Outwardly, it might look as if they were free to come and go, but in the time of the Sun King, one did not refuse an invitation to court, and one did not leave without the king’s express permission.
The Book – Courting the Sun
“A rich journey through 17th century France in all its aspects—its bucolic countryside, the still-unmatched splendor of the court of Louis XIV, and the struggling French colony in Canada.”~ Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author of Elizabeth I, The Autobiography of Henry VIII & The Memoirs of Cleopatra
France, 1670. On her sixteenth birthday, Sylvienne d’Aubert thinks her dream has come true. She holds in her hands an invitation from King Louis XIV to attend his royal court. However, her mother harbors a longtime secret she’s kept from both her daughter and the monarch, a secret that could upend Sylvienne’s life.
In Paris, Sylvienne is quickly swept up in the romance, opulence, and excitement of royal life. Assigned to serve King Louis’s favorite mistress, she is absorbed into the monarch’s most intimate circle. But the naïve country girl soon finds herself ill-prepared for the world of intrigue, illicit affairs, and power-mongering that takes place behind the shiny façade of Versailles.
This debut historical novel from Peggy Joque Williams captures the vibrancy and quandaries of 17th century life for a village girl seeking love and excitement during the dangerous reign of the Sun King.
Images:
Ménagerie Royale de Versailles – Attribution: Artist: D’Aveline (French artist, late 17th and early 18th century), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ostriches sketch – Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Louis XIV as Apollo in the Ballet Royal de la Nuit (1653) Wikimedia Commons
Portrait of Louis XIV – Hyacinthe Rigaud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
November 27, 2024
The Paris Portrait by Heidi Eljarbo #CoffeePotBookClub #Paris #Art
Fabiola stumbles upon a clue that indicates a royal portrait went missing almost two hundred years ago. Is this true, or is there substance to the rumor?
Paris, France, 1973.
After an enjoyable but dusty road trip, Fabiola and her friends, Pippa and Cary, arrive in a small village on the outskirts of Paris to spend a few days with Fabiola’s brother Eivind and his family.
On their first evening there, Eivind shows Fabiola an ancient recipe book he bought at an auction. The book is filled with old writing, and he asks Fabiola to decipher the pages. After the others have gone to bed, she spends hours reading and is gripped by the last pages that have nothing to do with recipes for baked goods and stews. Certain the author was a famous portrait artist at the time of the French Revolution, Fabiola and her friends set out on a treacherous investigation, dodging murderers and thieves to learn the truth.
Versailles, France, 1789.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun— portraitist and close friend of the extravagant queen of France, Marie Antoinette—has already painted thirty portraits of the queen. Her contemporaries compare her to the old Dutch masters, calling her one of the greatest portrait painters of her time.
But outside on the streets, Paris is becoming more perilous with every day that passes. Madame Le Brun would be a fool to think the rumors of a revolution will pass, and aristocratic life will continue as before.
Amid the turmoil, she paints one final portrait of Marie Antoinette, knowing well her association with the queen could cause her to be arrested or executed. As chaos and riots in Paris turn to violence, Madame Le Brun flees with her young daughter, hoping her royal friend and the portrait will be safe.
This is Heidi Eljarbo’s third dual timeline novel about Norwegian art historian Fabiola Bennett—a captivating spin-off from her much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.
BUY THE BOOK! https://books2read.com/u/3nPAjB
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
About Heidi Eljarbo
HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking their Wheaten Terrier in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.
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The post The Paris Portrait by Heidi Eljarbo #CoffeePotBookClub #Paris #Art first appeared on Deborah Swift.
November 25, 2024
Women in the Early Theatre – Elizabeth Knepp by Deborah Swift #HistoricalFiction
Elizabeth Knepp, sometimes known as Mary Knepp, was borm as Elizabeth Carpenter and married her husband Christopher in 1659. He was known as a ‘jockey’ a common word then for someone who had a profession to do with horses,, so he was probably a horse dealer, with his business near Smithfield Market in London. Elizabeth I gave her the nickname ‘Bird’ in my novel as she loved to sing, and there are so many other Marys and Elizabeths in Pepys’ diary.
There are 108 references to Mrs Knepp in Pepys’ diary. Actresses in those days were always known as ‘Mrs’ whether they were single or married. In the seventeenth century, status was always conferred on a woman by the man. Thus Pepys always refers to his wife Elisabeth as ‘my wife’. Although this seems in our ears to diminish her, in fact this is not an insult; it was designed to confer on her a status not accorded to his servants who were referred to as Dolly, or Deb, or Jane. The theatre was the one place where this did not hold sway – female actors were always called ‘Mrs’ as a mark of respect.
Pepys first met Elizabeth Knepp on 6th December 1665; and he described her as:
‘pretty enough, but the most excellent, mad-humoured thing, and sings the noblest that I ever heard in my life.’
Christopher Knepp, her husband, on the other hand, is described as:
‘an ill, melancholy, jealous-looking fellow’.
So grew the first inkling of a conflict I could use in my novel. Christopher Knepp seemed to me the sort of man who would definitely not approve of his wife taking to the stage!
Pepys had an absolute passion for the theatre, and his diary for 1666-68 is full of references to the theatre and particularly to Mrs Knepp, including mentions of their amorous flirtations, and passages about how much he enjoyed their musical evenings and especially her singing. My impression from the diary is that they genuinely liked each other, and this was one of the things that attracted me to writing about her.
The professional actress was a new phenomenon in the 1660s. Up until the seventeenth century, women had no reflections of themselves in entertainment; all female roles were played by boys. The first female on the English stage was Margaret ‘Peg’ Hughes, who played Desdemona in a production of Othello in 1660. Only two months before, the role had been played by a boy, and the thought of this upheaval in the theatre led me to create the character of Stefan. Being an actress in this era was a way of both gaining and losing power –a woman was able to behave on stage in a powerful way, but also women were still seen as commodities; an attraction or novelty to please those that mattered at the time, i.e men.
In this period the theatre was one of the few ways for women to transcend social boundaries. Through Pepys’ diaries we can witness Nell Gwynne, rising through society from bawd’s daughter to mistress of a king. Evidence shows Nell Gwynne certainly had a mind of her own and used her position on stage to advance herself, and of course now she has achieved some sort of national status. In Pepys’ diary, Elizabeth Knepp is invited to musical soirées with Pepys and his civil-servant friends. Being in the theatre conferred a ‘celebrity’ status not available to other women, and just as today, celebrities were sought out by the upper echelons of society.
Elizabeth Knepp played major and minor roles in a range of productions of the 1660s and 1670s, including the famous role of Lady Fidget in Wycherley’s The Country Wife at Drury Lane in 1675. Beyond the scope of my novel, she is thought to have been a mistress of Sir Charles Sedley, who was a notorious rake and libertine, part of the ‘Merry Gang’ gang of courtiers which included the Earl of Rochester and Lord Buckhurst. She probably provided Pepys with backstage gossip and inside insights into a world he was avid to know more about. She supplied him with the theatrical and social gossip of the day, and when the theatres were closed down for the plague, took part in evening entertainments alongside him, as an equal.
BUY THE BOOK
Amazon link mybook.to/EntertainingMrPepys
Kobo link https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/entertaining-mr-pepys-1
Waterstones link https://www.waterstones.com/book/entertaining-mr-pepys/deborah-swift/9781786154156
The post Women in the Early Theatre – Elizabeth Knepp by Deborah Swift #HistoricalFiction first appeared on Deborah Swift.October 20, 2024
The King’s Intelligencer by Elizabeth StJohn #NewRelease #RichardIII #CoffeePotBookClub
Discovering the Missing Princes in the Tower
London, 1674When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited.Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?A captivating historical novel of conspiracy, passion, and courage, The King’s Intelligencer is one woman’s quest for a truth that could change the fate of a nation. A companion to the critically acclaimed best-selling novels The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, The King’s Intelligencer weaves together beloved characters and actual events to bring a suspenseful mystery to life.REVIEWI was really looking forward to this having read The Godmother’s Secret, and I loved it even more than that one. I loved the setting – London after the Great Fire, meticulously recreated in both its splendour and squalor, and I immediately warmed to Franny — a great character the reader can instantly root for. The mystery starts almost immediately when the bones of the suspected Princes of the Tower are unearthed at the bottom of a staircase. But were these the bones of the lost child princes, or not? Franny must set out to discover the answer. Of course the discovery will affect the whole of the English monarchy and Charles II himself, as well as Franny’s own family. But discovering the truth is a knife-edge endeavour – the Restoration court is full of spies and political maneuverings which add to the simmering tension in this novel. The attention to detail in the novel is second-to-none, and the authenticity pulls the reader into another world. In this world the women like Nan Wilmot and Franny Aspley, who seemingly have no overt power, have to work behind the scenes to keep their family’s position and ensure justice is done. For Franny this leads to uncomfortable discoveries and hard decisions.I couldn’t put this book down. This is one of the best historical novels I have ever read and certainly one of my books of the year. I recommend it to all lovers of well-written historical fiction, and it would make a wonderful book group pick. Go and buy!Praise for The King’s Intelligencer:
“In her latest literary achievement, Elizabeth St.John delivers a powerful and memorable narrative in The King’s Intelligencer. Through her storytelling, she has woven together an indelible plot that delves into the realms of family, friendship, monarchy, espionage, and love. This book has an irresistible pull that draws you into the story and the lives of those who lived so many years ago.” ~ Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion, 5* Review
“Franny Apsley is a captivating heroine, confident and courageous…her puzzle-solving sleuth work is nothing short of intoxicating for a mystery fan like myself. As an intelligencer, she walks a tightrope of duplicity at great personal risk, and the stakes rise with every step she takes toward the novel’s stunning conclusion.” ~ Amy Maroney, author of the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles
“Exquisitely, skilfully and often lyrically written, I also felt captivated by the threads St John weaved into this novel that connect to her previous works like The Godmother’s Secret and The Lady of the Tower. This is a brilliant novel, and a must read for lovers of historical fiction.” ~ Wendy J. Dunn, author of award-winning Tudor fiction
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? BUY THE BOOK Universal Buy LinkThe post The King’s Intelligencer by Elizabeth StJohn #NewRelease #RichardIII #CoffeePotBookClub first appeared on Deborah Swift.October 15, 2024
The Vow by Jude Berman #NewRelease #CoffeePotBookClub #HistFic
In a stunning work of feminist historical fiction for readers who loved Dawn Tripp’s Georgia and Whitney Scharer’s The Age of Light, Jude Berman brings painter Angelica Kauffman to life. Accused of dressing as a boy to study in the prestigious galleries of eighteenth-century Italy, child prodigy Angelica Kauffman has set high goals for herself. She is determined to become a history painter, a career off-limits to women. To ensure her success, she has vowed never to marry.When a new patron invites her to London, Angelica befriends famous artists, paints portraits of Queen Charlotte and other royalty, and becomes a founding member of the Royal Academy. While still in London, an alluring but mysterious Swedish count makes her an offer that may be too tempting to resist. Then, upon returning to Italy, she meets Wolfgang von Goethe.Time and time again, Angelica faces the insurmountable obstacles and great personal sacrifices that come with being an independent woman. The vows she makes, big and small, are repeatedly challenged. Will she break free from the traditional male/female binary and the many oppressive social dictates of her time and learn to “paint with her soul” . . . or is a vow of a different sort necessary if she is to answer the deepest call of her heart?BUY from Amazon UK and Amazon USAbout the Author
Jude Berman has a BA in art from Smith College and an Ed D in cross-cultural communication from U Mass Amherst. After a career in academic research, she built a freelance writing and editing business and ran two small Indie presses. She lives in Berkeley, CA, where she continues to work with authors and write fiction. In her free time, she volunteers for progressive causes, paints with acrylic watercolors, gardens, and meditates.
Visit judeberman.com for more information about her books.The post The Vow by Jude Berman #NewRelease #CoffeePotBookClub #HistFic first appeared on Deborah Swift.October 3, 2024
The Dragon Tree by Julia Ibbetson #CoffeePotBookClub #DuLacSeries
~ book tour reviewer“an engaging and original time-slip novel that keeps the reader turning the pages…the characters are authentic and the mystery is neatly woven between the centuries … seamless time transitions”~ Melissa MorganBuy Link:Universal Buy LinkThis series is available on #KindleUnlimited, and in ebook & paperback formats.Series Buy Links:Amazon UKAmazon USAbout Julia Ibbotson
Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/ literature/ history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics.After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s. She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone.Her work in progress is a new series of Anglo-Saxon mystery romances, beginning with Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful story-telling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’ and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’.Author Links:Website • Twitter • Facebook • InstagramBookBub • Pinterest • Amazon Author PageLinkedIn • GoodreadsThe post The Dragon Tree by Julia Ibbetson #CoffeePotBookClub #DuLacSeries first appeared on Deborah Swift.
September 29, 2024
The Pirate’s Physician by Amy Maroney
When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?
The Pirate’s Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno’s famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly.
Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea.
Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?
A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate’s Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen’s Scribe
REVIEW:
This is a fabulous historical novella full of action and intrigue, with a beautiful setting and much to interest anyone who likes books about herbalism or ancient medicine. Giulia Rinaldo, a student physician, is based on a real-life physician practising in the days when the ideas of Arabic medicine (and women in the profession) were far ahead of the time. Desperate to escape her old and ugly Florentine suitor who has a claim on her because of an inheritance, Giulia risks all to embark on a journey with Captain Eneko – a gorgeous and dashing pirate. The romance is very swoonworthy! The detail in this novella takes you firmly into her 15th Century world, with immersive descriptions of sea voyages, Mediterranean palaces, and danger and at every turn. All the characters are well-drawn and vivid, and I particularly enjoyed the maidservant Rosetta, who provided both comfort and grit. Wonderful escapism and highly recommended for a winter romantic read.
Praise for the Sea and Stone Chronicles:
“Island of Gold is a nimbly told story with impeccable pacing.” ~ Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice Review
“Sea of Shadows is stunning. A compelling tale of love, honor, and conviction.” ~ Reader’s Favorite Review
“The Queen’s Scribe is a vividly visual adventure set at the tumultuous court at Nicosia, where deathly intrigues match those of the Italian and French states. There is a constant sense of danger, sometimes stronger, at other times more subtle, that runs through the whole novel. It makes for nail-biting reading.”~ 5* Review, Ruins & Reading
Amy Maroney is the author of the award-winning Miramonde Series, the story of a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern day scholar on her trail.
BUY THE BOOK Universal Buy LinkAbout Amy Maroney
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.Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean.To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at www.amymaroney.com.
Author Links:
Website • Twitter • FacebookInstagram • Pinterest • BookBubAmazon Author Page • Goodreads
The post The Pirate’s Physician by Amy Maroney first appeared on Deborah Swift.
September 25, 2024
Apollo’s Raven by Linea Tanner #CoffeePotBookClub #Spotlight #Free
*Apollo’s Raven will be FREE to download September 26th – 30th, 2024*September 26th, 2024Publication Date: January 20th, 2020 (3rd edition)Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher LLCPages: 394Genre: Historical Fantasy / Historical FictionAudiobook Narrator: Kristin JamesA Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people. AWARD-WINNING APOLLO’S RAVEN sweeps you into an epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.
Will Catrin overcome and eradicate the ancient curse? Will she be able to embrace her forbidden love for Marcellus? Will she cease the war between Blood Wolf and King Amren and save her kingdom?
Praise for Apollo’s Raven:“If you mingled the history and romance of Philippa Gregory with the magical fantasy of George R.R. Martin, the result just might be the fascinating Apollo’s Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 1) by Linnea Tanner. Get ready for a journey filled with the desires of star-crossed lovers, the horror of a son polishing his own mother’s skull and the fantasy of humans becoming creatures as a tool to save their very humanity.”“Sorcery? Mythology? Forbidden love? An ancient curse? Yes, please! I fully enjoyed this epic tale of intrigue, deception, and love. The characters are developed well, while the plot leaves the reader wanting more.”Book Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSdT5wK4aIBuy Link:Universal Buy Link This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.Series Titles’ Buy Links:Apollo’s Raven (Book #1)Dagger’s Destiny (Book #2)Amulet’s Rapture (Book #3)Skull’s Vengeance (Book #4)Series Links:Amazon USAmazon UKAuthor Links:Website • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter / X • PinterestAmazon Author Page • BookBub • Threads • LinkedIn • GoodreadsThe post Apollo’s Raven by Linea Tanner #CoffeePotBookClub #Spotlight #Free first appeared on Deborah Swift.
