MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 7
December 8, 2020
Warm Up Your Nights with Alpha Eternal, a #SteamyParanormalRomance by Brenda Sparks
Excerpt
“So, what brings you here, Shira?” As if I didn’t know.
“I was told to keep…I-I just wondered where you were.”
Told to keep an eye on me is more likely. Why else would she have stuck to him like glue every second he’d been here? He really shouldn’t complain. As guards went, she was a good-looking one, even if she needed an attitude adjustment now and then.
“Well, you found me.”
“Yeah, after searching around for hours. Why aren’t you in the communications room working on the computers?”
He shrugged. “I can’t do anything more until we figure out a way to cool the room, so the server won’t overheat.”
“Then shouldn’t you be thinking about that instead of messing about down here in the garage?” Shira accused hotly.
“I’ll have you know I do my best thinking under a car.” Perspiration trickled down his chest. Shira’s eyes hungrily followed the trail. Damn, it was fun getting her all riled up.
“And have you come up with a solution?” Shira moved a little closer as if she was afraid to get too near.
“I might have. Give me a little while longer to reason it through.” He grabbed two bottles of water from the top of the toolbox. “Want a drink?”
Shira took the one he offered. He tipped the other to his mouth and drained it in long swallows, allowing her a lengthy stare at him standing there half-naked, head tipped back. Alex heard a soft moan push through her lips and struggled not to smile around the bottle. She enjoyed playing the pissed off demon, but he preferred the flirty one and wasn’t above using what the Fates gave him to bring that out.
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About the Author
Brenda Sparks
Born in Virginia, Brenda Sparks now resides in the Sunshine State. Balancing her professional commitment to the local school district with her writing is challenging at times, but writing suspenseful paranormal romance is a passion that won’t be denied. Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure. Brenda loves to connect with readers. Please visit her online or stop by her website to say hi.
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December 6, 2020
Book Spotlight and Excerpt: The Last Blast of the Trumpet by Marie Macpherson
Conflict, Chaos and Corruption in Reformation Scotland. He wants to reform Scotland, but his enemies will stop at nothing to prevent him. Scotland 1559: Fiery reformer John Knox returns to a Scotland on the brink of civil war. Victorious, he feels confident of his place leading the reform until the charismatic young widow, Mary Queen of Scots returns to claim her throne. She challenges his position and initiates a ferocious battle of wills as they strive to win the hearts and minds of the Scots. But the treachery and jealousy that surrounds them both as they make critical choices in their public and private lives has dangerous consequences that neither of them can imagine. In this final instalment of the trilogy of the fiery reformer John Knox, Macpherson tells the story of a man and a queen at one of the most critical phases of Scottish history. Praise for The Last Blast of the Trumpet ‘Macpherson has done for Knox what Hilary Mantel did for Cromwell.’ Scottish Field ‘This richly realized portrait of a complex man in extraordinary times is historical fiction at its finest.’ Linda Porter, author of Crown of Thistles; Katherine the Queen, Royal Renegades; Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the Court of Charles II ‘Marie Macpherson has once again given us a cavalcade of flesh and blood characters living the early days of the Scottish Reformation in a complex tale told with economy and wit.’ S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker Series and Alexander Seaton mysteries
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Excerpt
The Last Blast of the Trumpet
Marie Macpherson
Part 1 Chapter One The Wrath of the People
The Parish Church of the Holy Cross of St John the Baptist, Perth, 11 May 1559
‘John Knox has come.’
The words took flight, leaping from lip to lip, echoing round the kirk, ringing to the rafters, and striking terror into his soul. The seething mass of humanity surged forward only to be shoved back by metal-clad men-at-arms. Knox stood rooted to the threshold. The kirk was crammed full: he hadn’t expected such a crowd nor such a clamour. Panic gripped his throat and crushed his lungs.
An elbow nudged him and a voice muttered in his ear, ‘The folk have tramped from all the airts to show their support for their preachers and to await your guidance, master.’
Swallowing deeply, Knox steeled himself to follow in the wake of Sir Patrick Lyndsay’s lean, lofty figure cutting a swathe through the swarm that parted like the Red Sea before Moses. The biblical comparison inspired him. In the midst of the throng, folk stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to catch sight of him; those at the front stretched out their hands. Faces rough-hewn by the unforgiving Scottish climate glowed with expectation and excitement. His ain folk, he thought: humble hinds and herdsmen in fusty sheepskin blankets, ploughmen and draymen in worsted tunics jostled cheek by jowl with masons and skinners in worn leather jerkins and aprons, in stark contrast to the docile, dutiful gentry of his Geneva brethren. More like the Berwick horde before he’d tamed them, Knox reminded himself. He should not fear this unruly flock but seek to win them over.
‘Is thon the mighty preacher everyone’s talking about?’ a voice piped up. ‘He’s gey wee.’
Lyndsay grabbed the offender by the throat. ‘Short in stature he may be, but his voice makes the heart dirl like thunder. Afore I rip out your blasphemous tongue, shift your fat arse and let him pass.’
Cowed, the man slunk away while the rest of the crowd fell silent. Patrick, Master of Lyndsay, a blunt and fierce soldier, was not a man to be crossed.
‘Never fash, Preacher Knox, my men-at-arms will guard the kirk doors lest the priors of Perth dare to thwart your sermon. And I’ll no shrink from turning them loose on the rabble if trouble breaks out.’
Rather than inspire confidence, the warrior’s words filled Knox with foreboding. ‘I want no violence used on the brethren. We need to show that we come in peace.’
Lyndsay’s hefty shoulders lifted in a non-committal shrug before he stomped off down the nave. Knox headed for the foot of the pulpit where he was greatly cheered to see a well-kent face amongst the group.
John Willock, the minister who had married him to his beloved Marjory, now clasped him to his broad chest. ‘We give thanks that the Lord has sent you here in our hour of need to stand fast with our brothers in Christ,’ he said and introduced his fellow preachers. John Christison was another former friar, while Paul Methven, a baker, and William Harlaw, a tailor, were self-educated guildsmen who had taken up the cause. ‘All good men and true.’
‘Not in the eyes of Marie de Guise who’s charged us with sedition and heresy,’ Methven growled. ‘Her daughter’s marriage to the French dauphin has emboldened the French sow and she’s cracking the whip.’ The blunt-spoken baker clenched fists swollen from constant kneading. ‘The regent has broken her promise to permit us to practise our faith. Just before Easter she commanded everyone to attend mass, make confession in a priest’s lug and take the sacrament on the tongue.’
‘It’s true. With an eye on the Vatican’s support, the regent has taken to heart the papal dogma of extra ecclesiam nulla salus,’ John Christison added.
Knox gave a nod of understanding. ‘Outside the Roman Church there is no salvation. Paul IV is a severe and unbending prelate. Thon Antichrist vowed that even if his own father were a heretic, he’d gather the wood to burn him.’
Willock clasped Knox’s hand. ‘Now’s the time to break from the fetters of Rome, brother. Scotland is on the brink of civil strife and we’re in dire need of a skipper to take the helm.’
‘What about thon Lords of the Congregation?’ Knox asked. The signatories to the bond had led him a merry dance over the past few years. He’d lost count of the number of times they had called him back to Scotland, assuring him the time was ripe to return. After several false starts and delays in Dieppe, he’d finally arrived home and, with barely time to regain his land legs, he’d been whisked into the midst of the maelstrom.
‘Many of the lords are biding their time, waiting to see which way the die falls,’ Willock replied. ‘The regent still has the support of her stepson, Lord James Stewart, the Earl of Argyll as well as the Hamiltons. Her commander-in-chief, Châtelherault, is one of those who benefits from a lavish French pension.’
Knox gave a contemptuous snort. ‘So, the glister of the profit has blinded their eyes. It was ever thus.’
‘Nevertheless, the Ayrshire lords, including Glencairn and Ochiltree, have aye stood firm.’
‘Never mind thon band of noble ne’er-do-weils,’ Methven broke in. ‘Craftsmen and guildsmen like us champion the poor and needy who’re clamouring for reform. It’s not only the roasting of our martyr, Pastor Milne, that has provoked our brethren but your warning call, Mr Knox. The folk have taken to heart your words.’
Baffled, Knox asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Do you no mind? The Beggars’ Summons posted on the gate of every friary and monastery throughout the land on the first of January?’ Methven handed him a tattered scrap of paper.
Knox quickly scanned the summons. Written on behalf of the blind, the crooked, the bedridden, widows and orphans and all other poor folk, it ordered the flocks of friars to hand over their ill-gotten gains and quit their religious houses by Whitsun. Or else be forced out on Flitting Friday, the 12th day of May.
Knox looked up. ‘But that’s tomorrow. Who’s going to evict them?’ The eyes of all gazing upon him gave the answer.
Lyndsay stepped forward. ‘The faithful await a signal from you, master.’
Knox felt trapped, the knot in his stomach tightened. Everyone believed he’d written this anonymous warning and looked to him for the next step. He should speak the truth but his thrapple felt so dry he doubted he could utter a sound. The same fear that had seized him before his first sermon at St Andrews now threatened to strangle him into silence. His back throbbed from injuries sustained in the galleys, firing tentacles of pain up the back of his neck and into the base of the skull. The words from Ezekiel came unbidden into his mind: I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth so that you will be dumb and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.
Knox had come home expecting to head a religious reformation not lead troops into battle.
Marie Macpherson
Scottish writer Marie Macpherson grew up in Musselburgh on the site of the Battle of Pinkie and within sight of Fa’side Castle where tales and legends haunted her imagination. She left the Honest Toun to study Russian at Strathclyde University and spent a year in the former Soviet Union to research her PhD thesis on the 19th century Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov, said to be descended from the Scottish poet and seer, Thomas the Rhymer. Though travelled widely, teaching languages and literature from Madrid to Moscow, she has never lost her enthusiasm for the rich history and culture of her native Scotland.
Writing historical fiction combines her academic’s love of research with a passion for storytelling. Exploring the personal relationships and often hidden motivations of historical characters drives her curiosity.
The Knox Trilogy is a fictional biography of the fiery reformer, John Knox, set during the 16th century Scottish Reformation. Prizes and awards include the Martha Hamilton Prize for Creative Writing from Edinburgh University and Writer of the Year 2011 awarded by Tyne & Esk Writers. She is a member of the Historical Writers’ Association (HWA), the Historical Novel Society (HNS) and the Society of Authors (SoA).
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December 4, 2020
Coming this winter from Whispering Legends Press: Forgiving Nero by Mary Ann Bernal
Rome. The jewel of the civilized world is no longer what it was. Strength has failed the Senate. Her legions are in disarray, and the Empire has fallen into Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Nero’s hands. His reign begins under a cloud of scrutiny, for he is the depraved Emperor Caligula’s nephew. Nero is determined to overcome that stigma and carve a name of his own. One worthy of Rome’s illustrious history.
Politics and treachery threaten to end Nero’s reign before it begins, forcing him to turn to unexpected sources for friendship and help. Many of the Praetorian Guard have watched over Nero since he was a small child, and it is in Traian that the young Emperor places his trust, despite the inherent threat of reducing his mother’s influence. Traian is the father he never had and the one man who does not judge him.
When Traian secretly marries the hostage Vena, it sets in motion a collision of values as Traian comes to odds with his former charge. The whirlwind that follows will shake the very foundations of the greatest Empire the world has ever known, and survival is far from guaranteed.
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Mary Ann Bernal attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in Business Administration. Her literary aspirations were ultimately realized when the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was published in 2009. In addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann has also authored a collection of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler Tales series and a science fiction/fantasy novel entitled Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Her recent work includes Crusader’s Path, a redemption story set against the backdrop of the First Crusade, and Forgiving Nero, a novel of Ancient Rome.
Since Operation Desert Storm, Mary Ann has been a passionate supporter of the United States military, having been involved with letter-writing campaigns and other support programs. She appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her volunteer work. She has been a featured author on various reader blogs and promotional sites.
Mary Ann currently resides in Elkhorn, Nebraska.
December 3, 2020
The Inspiration behind Gift of the Gods Fire and Ash by Thomas J. Berry
Five men and women in Ancient Greece are set on a dangerous journey of self-discovery during the bitter conflict of the Peloponnesian War.
While mighty Athens struggles to rebuild after a devastating campaign abroad, the feared warriors of Sparta prepare to deliver the final blow in a decades-long war. No one is safe anymore as the conflict shifts across the Aegean to the shores of wealthy Persia. Old colonies, once loyal to Athens, are eager to rebel and the Great King is willing to pay anything to regain his control over them. These coastal plains set the stage for massive battles and heartbreaking defeats. This time there will be only one true victor.
The news coming out of Sicily ripples across the cities of Ancient Greece like a thunderbolt and it is left to the poor and desperate to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. One young mother is suddenly faced with a horrible tragedy and struggles against all odds to make a new life for her family. An eager boy looking for adventure enlists in the new Athenian ranks but finds life on campaign a lot more than he bargained for. A Spartan officer in the twilight of his years struggles to adapt to a young man's army and an exiled Athenian strives to earn his way back into the graces of his beloved city. The harem girls in a Persian court meet a handsome foreigner and one risks everything for a chance at love.
As the conflict between Athens and Sparta builds to a final showdown, five men and women struggle to come to terms with their changing world. What will they find in the ashes when peace finally comes?
An Author's Inspiration
Gift of the Gods Fire and Ash
I have enjoyed writing historical fiction novels for many years and like to bring to life interesting stories that will pique someone’s interest. But I never want to be predictable so I adjust my writing styles and points of view for each project. I’ve penned a real-life murder mystery during the War of 1812 and a grand epic saga during the siege of the Alamo. Three incredible WWII veterans allowed me to share their marvelous stories during an indelible time in our recent past. Bolstered by the great reception to these works, I embarked on a new challenge – to write a trilogy of stories around a single conflict in history. It was a daunting task! I spent weeks searching for just the right era and moment in time.
I was first introduced to the Spartans in my teenage years but knew little about them beyond their warrior concept and frugal living standards. Athens, of course, was home to the philosopher, Socrates, and the famous leader, Pericles. Large statues and monuments still stand in the Acropolis today where democracy was first born. Now as I sought the right source material for my trilogy, I took a deep dive into those ancient texts and came away with a passion I never knew I had.
People of the modern world have almost forgotten about those ancestors of long ago, but I knew it was important to bring them back…and learn from them. America and Russia have been at odds for over a century now and that inherent conflict is visible in everything we do. Democracy and socialism were battling each other 2,500 years ago and struggled to overcome the same prejudices that we experience today. This conflict came to a sudden head during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC, and that is where my story begins…almost.
Some of you may have seen the 2006 movie, 300, with Gerard Butler as King Leonidas of Sparta. His small group of hearty warriors fought to the death against the great Persian hordes led by Xerxes, their larger-than-life god-king. The Persians were depicted in the movie almost as one-dimensional monsters while the heroic Spartans gave them a good run for 2 hours before finally succumbing. It was a great flick – I loved it…except there was more to the story and I knew it was intricately connected to my own, which takes place 50 years afterward. In order to tell my story on Sparta’s war with Athens, I first needed to set the record straight on this one.
Source: Wikipedia
I invest years of research into my historical novels in order to get the details right. It’s worth the effort and is a critical part of my writing. My characters are fully developed people with interesting backgrounds. They have hopes and dreams, insecurities, and strong passions, but most of all, they believe in themselves. No matter which side of the conflict they are on, they trust that what they are doing in the moment is the proper course of action. They are not wholly evil or completely angelic. They are humans and I treat them as such…frailties and all! Each novel has real historical people within its pages mixing with fictional characters who could easily have lived during that era. It’s important to note that because my novels examine all sides of the war and from many different angles. From generals to slaves, widows to bachelors, we see this timeline from many points of view. That’s the best kind of story to tell – an honest one.
The saga of the Peloponnesian War, fortunately, lent itself to three unique installments and for that, I was grateful. From beginning to end, it covered a 27-year span, almost three full decades. The events also shifted locations from Greece to Sicily to Persia – a perfect combination to tell a fast-moving tale in three books. It was important that each novel in the trilogy could be read as a stand-alone volume. Therefore, great care was made to isolate the events and characters so their story could be told in a single book.
The final piece of the writing would be the most challenging of all – trying to tell a complex story over decades of time from many different viewpoints. The solution was to weave five main characters into a single book and allow their stories to build upon each other like a tapestry. Iron and Bronzewas the first novel in this series and built off the famous battle of King Leonidas at the Thermopylae Pass. We see Kalli, a young widow intent on training her son for Olympic boxing…and finding herself in over her head. Doro is a wealthy aristocrat from Athens whose life comes crashing down around him when the war begins. Matty is a helotslave in Sparta and risks everything for a new life. Marching alongside these characters are the two emerging superpowers of the day. Sparta and its mighty soldiers with a fearsome reputation, find themselves pitted against Athens who sails the strongest navy the world has ever seen.
The second novel, Silver and Gold, continues the saga after peace is finally declared, but much like America and Russia today, tensions seethe just below the surface. Alcibiades, a charismatic Athenian general, brings the conflict to a new level when he sets his eye on conquering the colonies on Sicily and the entire Mediterranean coastline. No one is safe anymore and the Spartans set sail to this far-off land in a desperate bid to stop him. Does anyone remember Vietnam in the 60’s and 70’s? Two global powers battling it out far from home with everything at stake. Andreas, a Spartan officer of mixed parentage, must overcome his lowly status to help the Sicilians defend against this invading armada or die trying. Cathryn is a young mother native to the island and sees her world turned upside down by the rising conflict. Kyril, a boxing prodigy who fought in the Delian Games, joins the powerful Athenian fleet only to discover the awful truth hidden beyond the horizon.
This last adventure, Fire and Ash, brings the war to a dramatic conclusion as Sparta seeks to cut Athens off from its rich colonies on the Persian coast. Some of the war’s biggest naval battles are fought off the shores where Xerxes once called home and the irony is not lost on them as both sides now seek to make an alliance with their former adversary. Memo, an Athenian officer living in exile looks to find a way back into the graces of his beloved city while Aleki, an older Spartan officer, struggles to adapt in a young man’s army. Timandra, an exotic dancer in a Persian court, finds love with a handsome foreigner and risks everything to keep him safe. In the end, only one city will reign supreme over the Ancient world and the struggle between democracy and socialism will finally be decided.
It is my fervent hope that readers will not only find enjoyment in these pages but learn something new as well. These are types of books I’ve always enjoyed myself and I know there is a strong audience for them. Remember, if we can learn the past, we can shape a better future for ourselves!
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About the Author
Thomas J. Berry
Thomas Berry received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Bonaventure University. He takes pleasure in extensively researching both historical fiction and non-fiction stories. In his spare time, he enjoys long-distance running and has completed several marathons. He currently lives with his wife and children in New Jersey. You can learn more about Thomas and his historical novels on his website, www.thomas-berry.com.Connect with the Author
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December 2, 2020
Book Spotlight and Excerpt: Anke The Beginning, by Anas Hamshari and Caroline Snodgress
Living in the city of Mechelen, just south of once-prosperous Antwerp, in the aftermath of the Thirty Years’ War, Anke Verhaegen, an ambitious nineteen-year-old, is determined to make the most of her life.
When her brother Johan suggests crossing the Atlantic to New Netherland, Anke knows this is her destiny. Together, the two set about attempting to secure passage across the sea.
Before long, their plans are in motion, and hopes are high. Yet, with vengeful enemies, secrecy, and danger on the high sea waiting to be faced, will Anke really be able to secure a better life for herself?
Excerpt
“She was glorious once,”the incumbent cloth merchants of Antwerp often said, “this flourishing city by the North Sea. Her glory may have faded, but her beauty remains.”
My grandfather used to say the same almost every time he told me a new bedtime story. He was my father’s father, who lived in our house before us with his wife and six other children. I remember him as a fixture of the household, along with my grandmother. Though, while she always seemed to be knitting or dusting or arranging flowers in vases, my grandfather was like the heavy wardrobe in the main bedroom upstairs, or the sturdy table in the dining room. He was unmoving, silent, always seated beside a roaring fire, with a cigar—a habit he had picked up from the Spaniards who returned from the New World—between his lips or his fingers. When the sun had gone down and the fire burned low, he would rise stiffly from his seat and make his way up to the nursery, where I lay awake waiting for him. Only then would he become animated, the words falling fast from his lips, supplanting the plain little room with images of grandeur. When he died, it felt like that world went with him.
Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one to tell me of our Golden Age. Even if there was no one left who had lived through those days, the splendor of it lived on in stories. Every merchant from every Flemish province couldn’t stop talking about Antwerp’s past grandiosity. Unfortunately, I wasn’t born during that golden era. Still, every story about the past gave people like me hope, and it made me believe that anything and anyone can rise from the ashes. I had faith that prosperity would return, but, more importantly, I knew that if it didn’t, I would not hesitate to seek it out myself.
You must be wondering, now, who I am and what my story is. We’ll come to that soon enough, but first, allow me to share one truth about life: every great story has a beginning. To understand mine, let me take you back to the golden days of Antwerp. Thousands of foreign merchants used to reside in the capital city. Though my generation was born a century too late to see this for ourselves, words from our grandfathers painted a vivid image in our minds of life here throughout the first half of the sixteenth century.
Each day, hundreds of ships passed by Antwerp’s port. There were English ships laden with fine wool, Portuguese caravels fraught with Indian pepper and Ceylonese cinnamon, and Baltic trade cogs bringing in musky, rich ambers from Muscovian tree resin. Ships took turns to unload their cargo. On land, thousands of trade carts went in and out of the city gates every week. Every merchant was eager to sell their wares and commodities in Antwerp’s market.
It was the wealthiest city in the continent, and one of the largest—the crown jewel among the countless European cities enriched by trade. The exploration had begun in Portugal, a century before, with their caravels and bold explorers. Soon everyone was vying for prosperous trade routes. Potential colonies became as alluring as gold or spices. The New World attracted men in droves, washing up on those shores in their hulking ships, while other entrepreneurs went east to trade in India and China. And, at the heart of this web, it seemed, lay Antwerp—the sugar capital, the banking hub, a cosmopolitan heaven.
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About the Authors
Anas Hamshari
Anas Hamshari is an established businessman residing in the State of Kuwait, and an author of one personal growth book and two historical fiction novels. Anas has been a lifelong writer and first began creating medieval fiction tales and short stories when he was seven years old. In June 2020, Anas formed Exotic Reads, a historical fiction self-publishing division in one of his main businesses, Exotic Flavor. Exotic Reads will be self-publishing a variety of historical fiction novels in the weeks, months, and years to come.
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Caroline Snodgress
Caroline Snodgress is a first-time author but a long-time writer and ghostwriter. As an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, she is planning to double major in English and History, and is thoroughly enjoying taking as many fiction writing classes as she can fit into her schedule. When not in Charlottesville, she lives with her family just outside of Richmond, reading eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature and watching plenty of period dramas in her spare time.
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December 1, 2020
Spotlight on Tom Kane, author of The Brittle Sea (The Brittle Saga Trilogy Book 1)
Tom Kane
Fun Facts
I once shared a railway station platform with Queen Elizabeth II. I am descended from French Huguenots who fled to England from persecution in France in the 16th Century. I’m related to Grace Darling, Born in November 24, 1815 in Bamburgh, North East England. She was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter. She famously rowed a longboat to the rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838, which made her a national heroine. On my first flying lesson I managed to take off unaided by the instructor… and I’m still here to tell the tale. My family were once landed gentry and can even boast a Lord and two knights in the family. I have no idea where it all went wrong but I was born to a working-class family in the English midlands.
The Titanic disaster is the catalyst that sparks a bloody feud between two families in early 20th century America.
Magda Asparov is travelling from her home in the Ukraine to be the chosen bride of American businessman Matthew Turner III. But the ill-fated voyage of the unsinkable ship has far-reaching consequences for her and her savior.
Magda has lost her memory and a new personality, Maggie, has taken hold. The Captain of her rescue ship, Richard Blackmore, has fallen for Maggie.
A mental illness, betrayal, murder, and corruption destroy Blackmore's life until all that remains is for him to seek revenge.
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About the Author
As a child, Tom Kane's family always insisted he was born in the corner of the living room, behind the TV. That strange assertion, true or false, seems to have set the tone for the rest of his life. Kane's mother inspired him to write. Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov inspired his love of science fiction. Monty Python inspired him to be silly and he continues to blame Billy Connolly for his infrequent bursts of bad language In the corner or behind the TV, what is officially known about Tom Kane's birth is that it took place in England many moons ago.
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November 30, 2020
Spotlight on novelist Tonya Mitchell, author of A Feigned Madness
Tonya Mitchell
Some Fun Facts
I’m digging pretty deep here…I’m plain vanilla as uniqueness goes.
Crusader's Path by Mary Ann Bernal - Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year - Honorable Mention - Historical Romance
Honorable MentionThe Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the YearThe Historical Fiction Book of the YearHistorical Romance
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From the sweeping hills of Argences to the port city of Cologne overlooking the River Rhine, Etienne and Avielle find themselves drawn by the need for redemption against the backdrop of the First Crusade.
Heeding the call of His Holiness, Urban II, to free the Holy Land from the infidel, Etienne follows Duke Robert of Normandy across the treacherous miles, braving sweltering heat and snow-covered mountain passes while en route to the Byzantine Empire.
Moved by Peter of Amiens’ charismatic rhetoric in the streets of the Holy Roman Empire, Avielle joins the humble army of pilgrims. Upon arrival in Mentz, the peasant Crusaders do the unthinkable, destroying the Jewish Community. Consumed with guilt, Avielle is determined to die fighting for Christ, assuring her place in Heaven.
Etienne and Avielle cross paths in Constantinople, where they commiserate over past misdeeds. A spark becomes a flame, but when Avielle contracts leprosy, Etienne makes a promise to God, offering to take the priest cowl in exchange for ridding Avielle of her affliction.
Will Etienne be true to his word if Avielle is cleansed of the contagion, or will he risk eternal damnation to be with the woman he loves?
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November 17, 2020
Crusader's Path by Mary Ann Bernal - Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year Finalist - Historical Romance
FinalistThe Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year 2020Historical RomanceFrom the sweeping hills of Argences to the port city of Cologne overlooking the River Rhine, Etienne and Avielle find themselves drawn by the need for redemption against the backdrop of the First Crusade.
Heeding the call of His Holiness, Urban II, to free the Holy Land from the infidel, Etienne follows Duke Robert of Normandy across the treacherous miles, braving sweltering heat and snow-covered mountain passes while en route to the Byzantine Empire.
Moved by Peter of Amiens’ charismatic rhetoric in the streets of the Holy Roman Empire, Avielle joins the humble army of pilgrims. Upon arrival in Mentz, the peasant Crusaders do the unthinkable, destroying the Jewish Community. Consumed with guilt, Avielle is determined to die fighting for Christ, assuring her place in Heaven.
Etienne and Avielle cross paths in Constantinople, where they commiserate over past misdeeds. A spark becomes a flame, but when Avielle contracts leprosy, Etienne makes a promise to God, offering to take the priest cowl in exchange for ridding Avielle of her affliction.
Will Etienne be true to his word if Avielle is cleansed of the contagion, or will he risk eternal damnation to be with the woman he loves?
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About the Author
Mary Ann Bernal
Mary Ann Bernal attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in Business Administration. Her literary aspirations were ultimately realized when the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was published in 2009. In addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann has also authored a collection of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler Tales series and a science fiction/fantasy novel entitled Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Her recent work includes Crusader’s Path, a redemption story set against the backdrop of the First Crusade, and Forgiving Nero, a novel of Ancient Rome.
Since Operation Desert Storm, Mary Ann has been a passionate supporter of the United States military, having been involved with letter-writing campaigns and other support programs. She appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her volunteer work. She has been a featured author on various reader blogs and promotional sites.
Mary Ann currently resides in Elkhorn, Nebraska.
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