Judith Arnopp's Blog, page 14
March 1, 2023
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: A Mistake of Murder by Helen Hollick
Book Title: A Mistake of Murder
Series: Jan Christopher Murder Mystery – Episode #3
Author: Helen Hollick
Publication Date: 18th January 2023
Publisher: Taw River Press
Page Length: 169
Genre: Cosy Mystery (Historical)
A Mistake of Murder
By Helen Hollick
Blurb:
The third Jan Christopher Cosy Mystery
Was murder deliberate - or a tragic mistake?
January 1972. The Christmas and New Year holiday is over and it is time to go back to work. Newly engaged to Detective Sergeant Laurence Walker, library assistant Jan Christopher is eager to show everyone her diamond ring, and goes off on her scheduled round to deliver library books to the housebound – some of whom she likes; some, she doesn’t.
She encounters a cat in a cupboard, drinks several cups of tea... and loses her ring.
When two murders are committed, can Jan help her policeman uncle, DCI Toby Christopher and her fiancé, Laurie, discover whether murder was a deliberate deed – or a tragic mistake?
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen 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/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She has also branched out into the quick read novella, 'Cosy Mystery' genre with her Jan Christopher Murder 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.
Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon, England, and occasionally gets time to write…
Facebook Australian Readers’ Page: Mastodon: Newsletter: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:
February 15, 2023
I am with Helen Hollick on the blog today, having a 'gander' at her new book!
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries
by Helen Hollick
So, What Have Geese Got To Do With Cosy Mysteries?
Well, nothing really, except in my opinion Judith Arnopp’s novel, The Winchester Goose is probably one of her best, and I have five geese, so I thought I would combine these things together to make an interesting article.
The ‘Winchester Geese’ were London prostitutes, in Judith’s novel, at the time of Henry VIII.
The women and their brothels were not wanted inside the City of London so toted their trade to the South of the River Thames in Southwark, an area exempt from London jurisdiction but under the authority of the Bishop of Winchester. Hence the connection.
Domestic geese have rather a reputation for being bad-tempered. (I wonder if this also applied to the London prostitutes?) The holy geese saved Rome from a surprise attack in 390 BC, and our five geese often alert us to visitors or the postman arriving. Colin, our gander, is actually only a ‘danger’ when his ladies (BooBoo being his main mate) are sitting on eggs, so he is only doing his job of keeping them safe. Not much comfort when you have a large white goose hissing and flapping at you! (The trick is to hiss and flap back!)
My geese are very vocal and have different ‘voices’ for different things, which I do recognise: ‘Danger- fox!’, ‘Water bowl’s empty’, ‘more grain please’, ‘pesky duck/hen – go away! (We have ducks and hens as well.)
Goose used to be the main Christmas dish before turkey became more popular here in England, and the Goose Fairs of the past must have been quite a sight – and sound.
We have quite a few sayings connected to geese:
"Have a gander" - to look at something.
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander" - what is appropriate treatment for one person is appropriate for someone else.
Someone's "goose is cooked" - they are about to be punished
"Silly goose" refers to someone who is being particularly silly.
"A wild goose chase" - a futile waste of time and effort.
What is the connection with my cosy mystery series which is set in the 1970s with the main character being Jan Christopher, a young North London public library assistant?
I have recently released the third in the series, A Mistake of Murder, where Jan helps her uncle, DCI Toby Christopher and his Detective Sergeant, Laurie Walker – Jan’s fiancé – solve the crimes of burglary and murder. My plan is to alternate each mystery between the setting of North London and Jan’s library, with where I live here in North Devon. So Episode 4, A Meadow Murder, which I am currently writing, has its location at a Devonshire farm and village – where there will be a gaggle of five noisy geese. The gander being called Colin and his chief Missus will be BooBoo...
How’s that for linking three completely different subjects together!
Helen Hollick
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mystery Series:
Jan Christopher #1 A Mirror Murder
Jan Christopher #2 A Mystery of Murder
And just published:
Jan Christopher #3 A MISTAKE OF MURDER
Was murder deliberate - or a tragic mistake?
A series of burglaries and an elderly person is murdered. Can library assistant Jan Christopher help discover whether murder was a deliberate deed – or a tragic mistake?
January 1972. The Christmas and New Year holiday is over and it is time to go back to work. Newly engaged to Detective Sergeant Lawrence Walker, library assistant Jan Christopher is eager to show everyone her diamond ring, and goes off on her scheduled round to deliver library books to the housebound – some of whom she likes; some, she doesn’t.
She encounters a cat in a cupboard, drinks several cups of tea... and loses her ring.
When two murders are committed, can Jan help her policeman uncle, DCI Toby Christopher and her fiancé, Laurie, discover whether murder was a deliberate deed – or a tragic mistake?
About Helen:
First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen 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/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She has also branched out into the quick read novella, 'Cozy Mystery' genre with her Jan Christopher Murder 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.
Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon and occasionally gets time to write...
A Mistake of Murder by Helen Hollick available from an Amazon near you, or order from any bookstore. Paperback and e-book available.
https://mybook.to/MISTAKEofMURDER
Helen’s Amazon author page:
https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
Helen’s Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Subscribe to Helen’s Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick
February 6, 2023
The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Geometry Girls by Tom Durwood
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Book Title: The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Geometry Girls
Series: Ruby Pi Adventure Series
Author: Tom Durwood
Publication Date: December 22, 2022
Publisher: Empire Studies Press
Page Length: 147
Genre: YA fiction
The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Geometry Girls
By Tom Durwood
Young adult fiction featuring gambling, bandits, swordplay, probability and Bayes’ Theorem. An English teacher hopes to engage students with colourful STEM adventures.
“In this outstanding collection, Tom addresses the chronic problem of our young women dropping out of STEM studies. His stories lend adventure to scientific thinking.” ~ Tanzeela Siddique, Math Instructor)
“The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Geometry Girls”
By Tom Durwood
Excerpt 1: Tank Story
A PLEASANT MORNING AT THE MONASTERY
Mathematics reveals its secrets only to those
who approach it with pure love, for its own beauty.
-- Archimedes
“What are these?” asked the pretty girl in the candy stripes, Madeline. “These rows of numbers? They’re weird-- ”
“Stop it!!” replied the boy in the green-wool uniform. “That’s the signal notebook -- ”
“But the numbers don’t make any sense!” pouted Madeline.
“Yes! Maybe that’s because they’re in code!” The soldier added a brief oath.
“Shouldn’t you be on your rounds anyway -- ”
The pair had been flirting most of the morning.
“No need,” replied pretty Madeline. “Simone is doing quite well on her own.”
“Hey Simone!” Madeline called across the infirmary. “Fatso! We have volleyball this afternoon. Remember what happened last time -- ”
“Hey, give it a rest,” said one of the other boys.
Four schoolgirls, student nurse volunteers, in their candy-stripe uniforms and delicate white hats and clean white aprons, tended the wounded soldiers along the neat rows of cots.
France was at war with Germany.
Her soldiers needed mending.
The lovely, forested grounds of the medieval Cloisters north of the village Montcornet were ideal for recuperation. Pleasant sounds of water running in a brook and birds trilling filled the open first floor of the nunnery.
Simone moved among the patients’ beds, offering hope, pouring water, parsing out medications.
“Et ta gueule,” replied Simone. “Jump in any time.”
“Simone, you can see, even through your eyeglasses,” said Charlotte, cruelest of the three. “We’re busy conferring with the Security officer s,” meaning the boys at the radios.
“Oh! Graisse cherie!” Rennie, the small one, chimed in. “You missed a spot! There!”
In the Spring of 1940, France needed all of her resources, all of her people and all of her history, to fend off the overwhelming force of the Third Reich’s blitzkrieg. Hitler’s Seventh Panzer Division dwarfed all opposition. The Seventh Panzer Division did not distinguish between combatant and schoolchildren, nor did it care to take civilian prisoners.
Suddenly the radio crackled, sharp and loud and grating.
One of the young soldiers pushed Charlotte off his lap as he reached for the radio dials.
The makeshift hospital in the Medieval nunnery also served as one of Montcornet’s communications stations.
“What’s that?” asked Madeline suddenly. “That sound -- ”
Everyone stopped to listen to something new.
A deep, guttural, reverberating boom rose, overtaking the radio’s thin squawking. It was like thunder rumbling from the basements.
It was a radical, foreign sound, infinitely threatening and sharply out of place in that pastoral, meditative setting.
A machine sound --
Now they heard the snap of crunching branches.
“JESUS!”
Ilyn, the highest-ranking of the teenaged soldiers, pointed down the road which led to the monastery’s front drive and portico.
He raised his binoculars.
A monster had suddenly appeared in the road,
It had somehow burst through the hedgerows.
It was now shambling directly towards them no more than a quarter-mile away.
Ilyn cranked the radio generator.
“Hello! Ready One! Ready One! HEY!” he shouted.
“A NAZI TANK just pulled up – ”
The creature’s rolling treads smashed over the low stone walls that neatly divided the road from the orchards.
“But what are we supposed to do?”
A jarring BOOM! sound --
An explosive concussion blew them out of their seats and sent a shower of stone shards across the infirmary.
“Where did that come from-- ”
Bewildered, blinking, the soldiers and nurses sat where they had fallen.
The artillery had struck above them.
Now they heard bursts of rapid machine-gun fire --
Two bodies fell from the second-story balcony onto the lawn in front of the portico.
“NO! No!” screamed Madeline. “CHARLOTTE. Char, nonono --”
Charlotte was not moving. She lay slumped unnaturally against the wall. Deep stains of blood scarred her nurse’s uniform. The blow had been terrible and violent --
“HEY! HEY!” Ilyn screamed into the radio microphone. “HELP! HELP US!”
Rennie cowered beneath a doctors’ examination table, streaks of blood in her hair --
One of the boys at the radio started crying.
Madeline moaned in fear, clinging to Ilyn’s leg.
“What do you mean?” screamed the desperate Ilyn into the receiver. A steady stream of chatter poured out of the speaker.
“How would I know what type of tank it is -- ”
“Königstiger,” shouted Simone from across a row of beds that had been knocked over. “It’s a Royal Tiger. Can’t you see -- ?”
She lifted a patient back into one of the cots.
“DUCK!” screamed Ilyn –
THOOM!
The bellow of a second artillery round struck the back wall with tremendous ‘thunk!’ and detonated on contact.
The stone floors shook with the impact. The system of masonry and archways supporting the Cloisters trembled.
Outside, steel treads on the gravel road signaled that the death machine was rolling inexorably towards them.
At seventy-five tons, the Konigstiger was the heaviest tank in all the Third Reich. The Royal Tiger, most destructive tank ever built, led the Panzer corps. Its long-barreled, high velocity KwK 43 88-millimeter cannon could penetrate five inches of armor at a range of two kilometers. It could kill you up close with two 7.92 MG34 machine guns. Driven by a 16-cylinder, 700-horsepower engine, the Royal Tiger could chase down a flock of Jeeps. Its metal skin of green and brown and charcoal gray marked its source, for surely this death-dealer had risen from the caves of the nether-regions, like its beastly brethren, the bloody-jawed Teuton serpent Jörmungandr. the undead draugr, who single-handedly slew Nerthus and plagued the armies of Nidhogg, and thrice-cursed Grendel, murderous denizen of the mead halls of Heorot.
“HELP US! HELP!” Ilyn repeated into the radio microphone.
The telegraph clacked in response.
The tank shifted gears. Its motors whined and revved, turret adjusting as its guns took fresh aim.
Ilyn stopped to listen to the earphones. He scribbled frantically in his notebook --
Metal cranked. An orange-gold flame flashed --
BOOM! Another round struck with a harpie-like shriek and a rain of heavy fragments and shrapnel.
“My eardrums!” screamed Rennie. Blood seeped through her fingers as she tried to cover her ears.
Ilyn fell to the floor, cut almost in two, his body blackened –
Madeline redoubled her screaming at the sight of Ilyn’s bloody corpse.
She slammed into the medicine cupboards in her hysterical effort to get away.
Death stormed the Cloisters.
Simone pushed Ilyn’s body off the chair.
She pulled trembling Rennie to her feet.
She leaned over the transmitter and telegraph.
She found Ilyn’s notebook and scanned through its pages. She stopped to look hard at one page in particular.
Here is what she saw written there
10 4 24 23 12 10 / 1 2 12 14 10 4 22 17
6 12 22 10 12 24 / 24 12 4 24
“What, Simone?” cried Rennie, buoyed by the sight of her friend taking action. “Can’t we go?”
She wrung her hands to try and keep them from shaking so hard.
“What’s it say?”
Simone scribbled on a piece of paper.
The furious Konigstiger entered the courtyard with an angry, guttural Rrrrrrrr --
Simone swept up a MAS-36 carbine that was leaning against the radio desk. She whacked hard and broke the lock on the weapons closet with the rifle butt. She swung the doors open.
“Come on Rennie! Help me carry this -- ”
With effort, Simone plucked one of the big rocket launchers from its rack.
The American- made M1A1 shoulder cannon was a metal tube with attachments and dials stuck onto its shaft, five feet long and fifty pounds heavy.
“Here!” Simone grunted and bade her friend carry the back end of the bazooka.
Rennie hesitated.
In the courtyard, the terrible machine sounds came closer.
“It’s just us,” said Simone. “Either we stop this thing, or everybody dies.”
Rennie looked hard at her companion.
“All right.”
Brave Rennie wiped her nose.
“I understand. Simone, I understand.”
Tom Durwood is a teacher, writer and editor with an interest in history. Tom most recently taught English Composition and Empire and Literature at Valley Forge Military College, where he won the Teacher of the Year Award five times. Tom has taught Public Speaking and Basic Communications as guest lecturer for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group at the Dam’s Neck Annex of the Naval War College.
Tom’s ebook Empire and Literature matches global works of film and fiction to specific quadrants of empire, finding surprising parallels. Literature, film, art and architecture are viewed against the rise and fall of empire. In a foreword to Empire and Literature, postcolonial scholar Dipesh Chakrabarty of the University of Chicago calls it “imaginative and innovative.” Prof. Chakrabarty writes that “Durwood has given us a thought-provoking introduction to the humanities.” His subsequent book “Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism” has been well-reviewed. “My favourite nonfiction book of the year,” writes The Literary Apothecary (Goodreads).
Early reader response to Tom’s historical fiction adventures has been promising. “A true pleasure … the richness of the layers of Tom’s novel is compelling,” writes Fatima Sharrafedine in her foreword to “The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter.” The Midwest Book Review calls that same adventure “uniformly gripping and educational … pairing action and adventure with social issues.” Adds Prairie Review, “A deeply intriguing, ambitious historical fiction series.”
Tom briefly ran his own children’s book imprint, Calico Books (Contemporary Books, Chicago). Tom’s newspaper column “Shelter” appeared in the North County Times for seven years. Tom earned a Masters in English Literature in San Diego, where he also served as Executive Director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity.
Two of Tom’s books, “Kid Lit” and “The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter,” were selected “Best of the New” by Julie Sara Porter’s Bookworm Book Alert
Website: www.themathgirls.com
Newsletter: empire-studies-press.mailchimpsites.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TDurwood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.durwood.52
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-durwood-542bb422/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.fr/theusefulsherpa/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Durwood/e/B00935QAQ6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5462355.Tom_Durwood
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January 31, 2023
The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: The White Sails Series Collector's Edition by Emma Lombard
Book Title: The White Sails Series Collector’s Edition
Series: The White Sails Series
Author: Emma Lombard
Publication Date: February 1st, 2023
Publisher: Emma Lombard
Page Length: 1006
Genre: Historical Romance
The White Sails Series Collector’s Edition
By Emma Lombard
Award-winner, The White Sails Series, where icy winter storms, opportunistic mercenaries, uncharted lands, and a colourful crew of sailors are all lashed together by an epic love story.
This collector’s edition includes all four books in the series.
The White Sails Series: Special Hardback Omnibus
If Bridgerton and Pirates of the Caribbean had a love child.
Are you a fan of sweeping romantic adventures?
Do you fall for tall, brooding Naval Officers?
Love a feisty female lead who makes you yell aloud?
Then hop aboard Emma Lombard’s hardback Collector’s Edition of The White Sails Series, and batten down the hatches!
But why?
Well, firstly, let me tell you what my Kickstarter campaign isn’t. It isn’t a plea for donations, it’s not a beg for money, and it’s not just another retailer.
Okay, so what is it then?
Kickstarter is a wonderful way for me to give more to my fans.
It allows fans access to a special collector’s edition that is not (and will never be) available from online retailers.
It allows fans to have each and every copy personalised, which is just not doable on retailers.
It also allows fans a more intimate view of the story behind my series.
And best of all, it allows fans to get involved in my next series, whether through an exclusive sneak peek of the first draft or even having a character named after them.
Oh, and did I mention there’s an opportunity to win the original oil painting of the cover?
Where else in the world do you get all this extra cool stuff thrown in just because you bought a book?
What’s in it for you, Emma?
Without wanting to sound too cheesy, I’m beside myself to put such a pretty book out in the world. I’m mean, just look at that dreamy sunset! I’m not going to lie, I love a chunky book.
This collector’s edition fulfils my ultimate author dream—to be able to hold (and smell) a weighty tome. I’m not the only one—I’ve had folks walk up to my books at the market and pick them up just to smell them! My kind of peeps!
I know it’s taboo to talk about money, but the pledges received for this campaign will help me recoup some of the upfront expenses that I have already laid out, like editing, book cover design, audiobook narration, and it will give me the momentum I need to invest in those same services for my next series, The Gold Hills Series.
You’ll be helping keep the indie publishing ecosphere turning, which in turn lets me keep creating more stories.
So, what’s The White Sails Series about?
One of my readers described it best: If Bridgerton and Pirates of the Caribbean had a love child.
The idea for this series was born from a tiny nugget of family gossip that my grandmother shared with me. She told me how my 3x great grandmother left her well-to-do family in England to elope with an English sea captain, and live aboard his ship with him.
I took the basic concept of this story and had a blast creating an entirely fictitious imagining of what it might have been like for a woman to live aboard a ship in those days. Quite ironic considering that I get terribly sea-sick myself.
Curious? Never seen what a Kickstarter campaign looks like?
Just looking: Take a look at Emma's campaign to see it in detail:
Note: clicking on this link will not sign you up to anything, it will simply take you to the campaign page to look.
GIVEAWAY:
Batten down the hatches, m’lovelies, for a chance to win an exclusive, personalised, hardcover Collector’s Edition of The White Sails Series:
Winner will be notified by email on February 18th, 2023.
Buy Links:
Exclusively available on Kickstarter:
Emma Lombard was born in Pontefract in the UK. She grew up in Africa—calling Zimbabwe and South Africa home for a few years—before finally settling in Brisbane Australia, and raising four boys. Before she started writing historical fiction, she was a freelance editor in the corporate world, which was definitely not half as exciting as writing rollicking romantic adventures. Her characters are fearless seafarers, even though in real life Emma gets disastrously sea sick.
Website: Twitter: Facebook: Instagram: Book Bub: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:
January 18, 2023
The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: His Castilian Hawk by Anna Belfrage – Audiobook Book Blast
Book Title: His Castilian Hawk
Series: The Castilian Saga
Author: Anna Belfrage
Narrator: Greg Patmore
Publication Date: Audio version, November 3, 2022
Publisher: Timelight Press
Page Length: Audio book
Genre: Historical Fiction, Medieval Historical Romance
His Castilian Hawk
By Anna Belfrage
Narrated by Greg Patmore
For bastard-born Robert FitzStephan, being given Eleanor d’Outremer in marriage is an honour. For Eleanor, this forced wedding is anything but a fairy tale.
Robert FitzStephan has served Edward Longshanks loyally since the age of twelve. Now he is riding with his king to once and for all bring Wales under English control.
Eleanor d’Outremer—Noor to family—lost her Castilian mother as a child and is left entirely alone when her father and brother are killed. When ordered to wed the unknown Robert FitzStephan, she has no choice but to comply.
Two strangers in a marriage bed is not easy. Things are further complicated by Noor’s blood-ties to the Welsh princes and by covetous Edith who has warmed Robert’s bed for years.
Robert’s new wife may be young and innocent, but he is soon to discover that not only is she spirited and proud, she is also brave. Because when Wales lies gasping and Edward I exacts terrible justice on the last prince and his children, Noor is determined to save at least one member of the House of Aberffraw from the English king.
Will years of ingrained service have Robert standing with his king or will he follow his heart and protect his wife, his beautiful and fierce Castilian hawk?
The Kindle ebook of this title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: Audible Amazon:Bingebooks : NOOK (Barnes and Noble): Chirp: Libro:
Storytel: Scribd: Kobo & Walmart: Google Play: Audiobooks:
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.
Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients.
Her Castilian Heart is the third in her “Castilian” series, a stand-alone sequel to her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love. In the second instalment, The Castilian Pomegranate, we travel with the protagonists to the complex political world of medieval Spain. This latest release finds our protagonists back in England—not necessarily any safer than the wilds of Spain!
Anna has also authored The Whirlpools of Time in which she returns to the world of time travel. Join Duncan and the somewhat reluctant time-traveller Erin on their adventures through the Scottish Highlands just as the first Jacobite rebellion is about to explode!
All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.
Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com
Website: Twitter: Facebook: Instagram: Book Bub: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:
January 9, 2023
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: The Captain's Woman by Holly Bush
Book Title: The Captain’s Woman
Series: The Thompsons of Locust Street
Author: Holly Bush
Publication Date: 1/10/23
Publisher: Holly Bush Books
Page Length: 218
Genre: Historical Romance
The Captain’s Woman
by Holly Bush
Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…
1870 ~ Muireall Thompson has taken her duties seriously since her parents died on the family’s crossing from Scotland to America in 1854. As the eldest sibling, their death made her responsible for her family and left little time for a life of her own. But now her brothers and sisters are adults; even the youngest is nearly ready to face the world on his own. What will she do when she is alone, other than care for an elderly aunt and volunteer at the Sisters of Charity orphanage? Has the chance for a husband and children of her own passed her by?
Widower Anthony Marcus, formerly a captain in the Union Army, is a man scraping the bottom of his dignity and hanging on to his honor by the barest thread. Reduced to doing odd jobs to keep a roof over his dear daughter Ann’s head, he often leaves her with the Sisters of Charity while he is out seeking steady work with a decent salary that will allow him to move from their single-room living quarters.
After an initial meeting that finds Muireall and Anthony at odds, a tentative friendship forms as they bond over their mutual affection for Ann. As friendship leads to passion, can a wealthy spinster and a poor soldier overcome their differences in station to forge a future together? Just as Muireall finds the courage to reach for her own happiness, Anthony’s past rises up between them and an old enemy reemerges to bring the Thompson family down once and for all. Will the divide between them be insurmountable, or can they put aside pride and doubt for a love worth fighting for?
The Captain’s Woman – Excerpt
“Just a casual meal,” Anthony said after a few moments. “I feel as though I’ve walked into a Chestnut Hill mansion.”
“Lucinda’s family is quite wealthy. That does not mean she, or my brother James, cannot host a pleasant meal for friends and family.”
“No, it does not.”
“I get the feeling you are angry with me,” she said.
He glanced at her finally. “I promised myself I would not discuss it with you at a party hosted by your family, of which I’m a guest.”
A waiter came up to them carrying a tray of wine and champagne. He looked at Mr. Marcus. “If wine is not to your liking, sir, I can get you a whiskey or bourbon.”
“Wine will be fine, thank you,” he said and turned to her. “Miss Thompson?”
She took a glass of wine from the tray, as did he, and the waiter moved on.
“You look very beautiful tonight, Miss Thompson. Very beautiful.”
Muireall didn’t breathe for a moment, didn’t move, and only after a minute had passed did she meet his eyes. It had been a long time. It had been . . . never. She’d never had a man look at her with admiration the way the Mr. Marcus was doing now.
“Thank you,” she finally whispered. She realized then that they’d stepped closer to each other, too close for a public setting such as this but also exactly where she wished to be standing. He glanced away then, as though he realized their nearness too, and took a step back.
“The green suits you better than what you wear to the orphanage.”
She smiled. “If this is your attempt at a flirt, then you are rusty, Mr. Marcus.”
He glanced at her, stern at first, and then his lips pulled to one side in a half grin. “I suppose you’re right.”
She looked up and saw Elspeth and Alexander walking toward them. The men shook hands, and they chatted about everyday things. She imagined Elspeth, kind and perceptive Elspeth, sensed that Mr. Marcus may be overwhelmed with the company and the setting. Although she was certain that he’d been reared and educated in a proper home, she thought his natural courtesies may have been stretched to the limit by his recent near poverty. It wasn’t long until Lucinda joined them, her father, Henri Vermeal, beside her.
“You are a vision, Miss Thompson,” he said and kissed her hand. “It has been far too long since we have seen each other.”
“Thank you, Henri. Allow me to introduce Mr. Anthony Marcus to you. Mr. Marcus, Mr. Henri Vermeal is Lucinda’s father.”
“Mr. Marcus was recently a captain in the Union army, Father,” Lucinda said.
“A captain? Who were you with, Marcus?” Henri asked in the brusque manner they were all accustomed to.
“The Forty-Second out of New York.”
“You’ve been out two years or more, then.”
Mr. Marcus shook his head. “I stayed on at headquarters. There were still records to maintain and some to make public. Inventories and whatnot.”
“And you had a hand in that, Marcus?”
“I did.”
Muireall watched the two men, as did Lucinda. There was some underlying masculine current that she was not privy to. Mr. Marcus held himself as if in a military parade, and Henri, although canny with his observations, was assessing him openly.
“Where are Kirsty and Albert, Lucinda?” Muireall asked.
“An important function at the college that Albert had to attend. There is a rumor that he may be named head of his department, and Kirsty felt it wise to support him in all the social settings.”
“Kirsty says she has made several friends among the faculty wives and some of the female professors from the Philadelphia Female College.”
“Kirsty hobnobbing with professors,” Elspeth said. “It defies logic. She is much more suited to talk business with Henri.”
The women laughed and turned when Henri spoke.
“Come along, then, Marcus. You too, Pendergast. We will withdraw to the library, where my son-in-law keeps—I mean hides—the good whiskey.” He turned and walked toward the door of the room, clearly certain that whomever he’d designated would follow without question.
“Enjoy.” Lucinda smiled.
Mr. Marcus glanced at her with a raised brow. Muireall took the wineglass from his hand as he walked away. “What is that about?”
“I have no idea,” Elspeth said. “Do you, Lucinda?”
“Father is always interested in the stories military men will share. He much admires them, although he would never say that outright.”
Buy Links:
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Holly Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S.in the late 1800’s, in Victorian England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com and on Twitter @hollybushbooks and on Facebook at Holly Bush.
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December 15, 2022
The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: Son of Anger (Ormstunga Saga, Book 1) By Donovan Cook
Book Title: Son of Anger
Series: Ormstunga Saga
Author: Donovan Cook
Publication Date: 12 Nov 2020
Publisher: Self-Published
Page Length: 347 pages
Genre: Viking Historical Fiction
Son of Anger
(The Ormstunga Saga, Book 1)
By Donovan Cook
Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he will destroy everything in his path.
Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being a warrior.
Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord. The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.
Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family. He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour.
The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them. The Son of Anger.
Buy Links:
This book is available on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link Barnes and Noble:
Donovan Cook was born in South Africa but raised in England, and currently works as an English tutor. He is the author of the Ormstunga Saga, which includes his debut novel Son of Anger and the follow up, Raid of the Wolves. His novels come from his fascination with the Viking world and Norse Mythology and he hopes that you will enjoy exploring this world as much as he did writing about it.
When Donovan is not teaching or writing, he can be found reading, watching rugby, or working on DIY projects. Being born in South Africa, he is a massive Springboks fan and rarely misses a match.
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December 12, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: Minotaur's Lair by Luciana Cavallaro
Minotaur’s Lair Series:
Servant of the Gods Book 3
Luciana Cavallaro
Publication Date: December 13th 2022
Publisher: Mythos Publications
Page Length:396
Genre:Historical Fantasy Fiction, Action/Adventure
Blurb
The Minotaur stirs. Evan is drugged to forget the gods’ quest.
Evan and his companions are entrapped by the Amazon Queen Antioche and her warriors.
Memories and allegiances are tested. The Dark Master’s victorious revenge over the gods is
almost complete. The plight of the High Priestess is precarious, her health ailing, and unable
to rescue her brother and fellow Atlanteans.
The last sacred relic, secreted in the lair of the Minotaur, must be recovered or the Dark
Master’s succession plans of a new god are complete. The mystical lands of Krete, the final
stage of Evan’s journey, are within his grasp. He must succeed so his father, Zeus, fulfills his
promise. Then there is Queen Antioche, and the precious gifts she presents him.
Will Evan return home, and what will become of his future?
Minotaur’s Lairis the third and final book in the action packed Servant of the Gods historical fiction
series. If you enjoy well researched landscapes, historic characters, excitement, mythical creatures and
unique settings, then you’ll love Luciana Cavallaro’s heroic odyssey.
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Author Bio: Luciana Cavallaro
Award winning author of The Labyrinthine Journey Nominated
for book awards in the Action/Adventure and Historical Fiction
genres •Drove her first car at the age of three
Luciana Cavallaro’s alter ego is a high school teacher where she
plugs away educating teenagers the merits of reading and
ancient history. She often looks for a brick wall to bang
her head when faced with disinterested looks from her students.
She’s also a historical fantasy and thriller/suspense author, who
creates fast-paced, action-packed series for her readers.
Born and raised in Western Australia, residing in Perth, Luciana
loves to travel and since getting her passport at the ripe old age of twenty-four has toured parts of
Europe, a legacy of her Italian heritage. She enjoys being active, going out with friends, reading and
tries to grow her own vegetables. She dreams of travelling again and visiting the ancient sites that
inspired her stories, that is when she’s not spending time being an unofficial stunt person and
knocking herself out in the process.
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December 4, 2022
The Coffee Pot Book club Blog Tour presents: The Fortune Keeper By Deborah Swift
Book Title: The Fortune Keeper
Series: Italian Renaissance Series
Author: Deborah Swift
Publication Date: 24th November 2022
Publisher: Quire Books
Page Length: 412 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Fortune Keeper
by
Deborah Swift
Count your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb
Winter in Renaissance Venice
Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it will lead her into danger. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret.
Giulia's real name is Giulia Tofana, renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is in hiding from the Duke de Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the death of their brother. Giulia insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. If not, it could threaten them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebels against Giulia, determined to go her own way.
When the two secret lives collide, it has far-reaching and fatal consequences that will change Mia's life forever.
Set amongst opulent palazzos and shimmering canals, The Fortune Keeper is the third novel of adventure and romance based on the life and legend of Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.
'Her characters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf' - Historical Novel Society
NB:This is the third in a series but can stand alone as it features a new protagonist. Other two books are available if reviewers want them.
Trigger warnings: Murder and violence in keeping with the era.
EXTRACT From Chapter 1
Venice - November 1643
Mia unhooked the clasp and swung her cloak off, hanging it on the back of a chair. ‘Here, signor. The new Torah, properly bound at last,’ she placed the book before him like an offering.
‘Ah!’ Signor Bravaggio picked up the top volume and lifted it towards his nose. ‘There’s nothing I like more than the smell of new books. Especially Jewish books!’ He inhaled deeply then turned the book in his hand, weighed it, sniffed it again, then smoothed the surface of the embossing with his thumb. ‘Beautiful. Your father has done another exceptional job with the binding. I hate to see these go, but my client is getting impatient, and won’t wait.’
Bravaggio examined the other volumes and then unlocked the iron bound coffer that lived in the kneehole under the desk. She paced around the room examining it for anything new, but turned at the rattle of coins.
He dropped a jute bag on the table before her. ‘Same as we agreed,’ he said. ‘Be careful carrying that amount around the streets.’ He withdrew a sheaf of unbound paper from the coffer and flapped it at her. ‘The Trickster of Seville by a monk, Tirso de Molina,’ he said. ‘A play in Spanish, but the translation is with it. Tell Herr Weber it’s to be set in print and then bound in red calfskin like the others. And here; the new Haggadà, the rite written in everyday Italian.’ He handed her a slim wooden-bound volume. ‘Space for pictures too, if Herr Weber can find someone brave or foolish enough to carve them.’
‘Not a chance. But Fabio will love binding this Haggadà as much as the play. He reads them all, you know, before he makes the covers. He’s never been in a synagogue but he’s the best-educated Jew in the ghetto.’
Bravaggio laughed. ‘He knows a good idea when he sees one, your father.’
‘I worry he doesn’t go to Mass though; it might raise questions with the Inquisition.’
‘Don’t even speak of the name. Fabio’s always been his own man; he’ll be all right. It’s Weber’s good fortune he took him on, or Weber’d have no print business at all. But here, something else that will interest you.’ He smiled and passed over a hand-copied manuscript. She read the frontispiece and saw it was by Girolamo Cardano — an astrological commentary.
She looked up, to see Bravaggio’s amused eyes.
‘Is this what I think it is?’
He laughed; a dry, parched sound. ‘The one that dares to include a horoscope of Jesus the Galileean? Yes. Cardano lost his professorship over it.’
‘You’d trust me with this?’
‘As long as you’re careful. It’s not for binding, just for reading. And I want it back when I return. ’ He tapped his nose. ‘Like the others, it’s on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. If anyone catches you with it, the Inquisitors will want to know. But knowing your interest in the heavens, I know you’ll be careful.’
‘I wish you’d reconsider and take me as a student, teach me what you know, signor.’
‘I’ve told you, I’m too old for teaching now. And you know it’s not possible. Fabio says that your mother doesn’t hold with anything that even whiffs of a dispute with the church.’
Mia put everything into her calico shoulder bag, along with the money. ‘Yes, these days Giulia forbids nearly everything.’ She sighed. ‘It makes things hard. But there’s nowhere else I can go. Only the convent. She frowns every time I get out my charts. When shall I tell Fabio these others must be finished?’
‘For when I return. I’ll be gone a month, but you understand it’s not for my benefit, but for the benefit of my Armenian client, and those awaiting the new thoughts from Madrid. But to some, it’s heresy. So be careful.’
‘So what’s new? Everything you give me is heresy. You’d have no business without it.’
Bravaggio chuckled, and wagged his finger at her. ‘Why do you think I wear gloves? To keep the stink of it off my hands.’
She grinned at him. They understood each other. He knew she loved coming here, to his library, full of shelved books from floor to ceiling, and the drawers full of old parchments from antiquity and the fresh printings of new ideas, like new shoots coming up from the earth. Only to him could she explain her restless mind, and her obsession with the stars and the night sky.
This book is available to read on Kindle Unlimited
Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. She divides her time between writing and teaching. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.
Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Readers Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal, and The Cipher Room set in WW2 and due for publication by Harper Collins next Spring.
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November 10, 2022
The continuing adventures of Jesamiah Acorne in Gallows Wake by Helen Hollick !
I am delighted to welcome Helen Hollick and Jesamiah Acorne to the blog today. Take it away, guys!
Welcome aboard the Sea Witch – swashbuckling adventure in the Golden Age of Piracy!
A new Sea Witch Nautical Adventure has recently been launched!
GALLOWS WAKE
The Sixth Voyage of Captain Jesamiah Acorne
By Helen Hollick
Where the Past haunts the future...
Damage to her mast means Sea Witch has to be repaired, but the nearest shipyard is at Gibraltar. Unfortunately for Captain Jesamiah Acorne, several men he does not want to meet are also there, among them, Captain Edward Vernon of the Royal Navy, who would rather see Jesamiah hang.
Then there is the spy, Richie Tearle, and manipulative Ascham Doone who has dubious plans of his own. Plans that involve Jesamiah, who, beyond unravelling the puzzle of a dead person who may not be dead, has a priority concern regarding the wellbeing of his pregnant wife, the white witch, Tiola.
Forced to sail to England without Jesamiah, Tiola must keep herself and others close to her safe, but memories of the past, and the shadow of the gallows haunt her. Dreams disturb her, like a discordant lament at a wake.
But is this the past calling, or the future?
From the first review of Gallows Wake:
“Hollick’s writing is crisp and clear, and her ear for dialogue and ability to reveal character in a few brief sentences is enviable. While several of the characters in Gallows Wake have returned from previous books, I felt no need to have read those books to understand them. The paranormal side of the story—Tiola is a white witch, with powers of precognition and more, and one of the characters is not quite human—blends with the story beautifully, handled so matter-of-factly. This is simply Jesamiah’s reality, and he accepts it, as does the reader.”
Author Marian L. Thorpe.
CHAPTER ONE
August 1719 – Gibraltar
“Rot? How could there be rot? Master John Benson, back at Appledore several months ago, checked and repaired everything needing checking and repairing.” Captain Jesamiah Acorne stood, legs spread, arms folded, chin tucked to his chest, his leather three-corner hat pulled well forward over his eyes against the glare of Gibraltar’s late afternoon summer sun. He was seething with frustrated anger and failing to keep his annoyance under control.
“Benson? I do not know him. Good chap, is he? And where is Appledore when it’s at home? Never heard of it.” The master shipwright, an English Kentish gentleman by his accent, pulled the stub of a worn graphite pencil from behind his ear and scribbled a few more calculations on the wedge of crumpled paper he held in his hand. Frowned myopically at what he’d written, then said: “It will take us several weeks to find and fit a new mainmast.”
Jesamiah swallowed down a bellow of outrage.
“You can have rot and not know it, Cap’n,” Chippy Harrison said, looking as grim-faced as Jesamiah.
“You’re my ship’s carpenter. You should have known about it,” came the unjustified response.
The answering retort was as tart. “I told you about it as soon as I did know. ’Tis not easy to spot when rot’s starting to take hold at the mast partners or the hounds supporting the crosstrees. There were no sign of anything back in Devon. Benson, as good as he is, would not have found it. Nor would I. As I recall, I advised you to look further, but you were in a hurry to sail.”
“All right, I get the gist,” Jesamiah answered, muttered churlishly, “You still should have seen it.” He knew, as well as anyone, that discovering rot, especially where it was well hidden, was nigh on impossible even to an experienced eye. Plus, he had indeed said no to further investigation; Chippy was right, so the blame, in the end, was his own. However, knowing facts did not help ease the frustration or annoyance.
The shipwright sniffed loudly and, tucking the pencil stub back behind his ear, announced, “From our first quick look, it has not too badly taken hold, but bad enough. We will know more when we strip her down. We will need to strike the t’gallants and topmasts and all the yards, rigging and such, then pull the mast and put a new one in.” He sniffed again and squinted at his rough notes and calculations. “A lot of work. Could easily eat up four, five, maybe six weeks if we have trouble getting a replacement mast.”
“Six weeks!” Jesamiah spluttered. “I can’t wait around here for six weeks! Ain’t you got a suitable mast in that warehouse of yours over there?”
“I might have. I will not know until I look.”
“Well go and look, then!”
The shipwright, refusing to match Jesamiah’s foul temper – the situation was nothing new to him – scratched at the stubbled whiskers on his chin. “I cannot be doing that, Captain, not until the morrow. A few hours ago, I might have had a chance for a quick rummage, but,” he withdrew a gentleman’s gold watch from his waistcoat pocket, squinted at it, “I am about to lock up for the night. My wife will have my guts for her stocking garters if I arrive home late for supper.”
Jesamiah swallowed a few choice words about wives and what they could do with their garters, stockings and suppers. Said instead, “A few hours ago I was clearing my hold ready for your inspection.” Added, “What’s it going to cost?”
The shipwright looked again, more solemnly, at the scribblings on the top sheet of his notes. Made a few adjustments. “This is only a rough tally. I will get a more accurate estimate to you tomorrow morning.” He made another adjustment and showed the result to Jesamiah, who whistled incredulously.
“’Struth! And they call honest seamen pirates! For that much,” he said, thrusting his face closer to the shipwright’s, “I expect the work to be done in no more than three weeks.”
“I’ll do my best, Captain, but we have several frigates in harbour; any Royal Navy vessels requiring my attention will take precedence.”
The thought, blow the bloody Navy, ran through Jesamiah’s mind, but judiciously he only said, “Help him look for a mast first thing tomorrow, Chippy.” He nodded a curt dismissal to both his ship’s carpenter and the Gibraltar shipwright, turned on his heel, thrust his hands deep into the pockets of his old buckram coat and strode away, not trusting himself to glance along the wharf towards where his beloved Sea Witch was moored.
THE VOYAGES
SEA WITCH Voyage one
PIRATE CODE Voyage two
BRING IT CLOSE Voyage three
RIPPLES IN THE SAND Voyage four
ON THE ACCOUNT Voyage five
WHEN THE MERMAID SINGS A prequel to the series
(short-read novella)
And just published...
GALLOWS WAKE voyage six
BUY LINKS:
Amazon Author Page (Universal link)
Where you will find the entire series waiting at anchor in your nearest Amazon harbour – do come aboard and share Jesamiah’s derring-do nautical adventures!
(available Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and in paperback)
Or order a paperback copy from your local bookstore!
ABOUT HELEN HOLLICK
First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen 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/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She is now also branching out into the quick read novella, 'Cosy Mystery' genre with her Jan Christopher Murder 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.
Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon and occasionally gets time to write...
Website: Newsletter Subscription: Blog: Facebook: Twitter: @HelenHollick
