Judith Arnopp's Blog, page 18
March 31, 2022
Thorne Moore joins us with news of a new release!
I am a big fan of Thorne Moore, and always wait in anticipation between publications so I am delighted to learn of her latest novel. Welcome to the page, Thorne, tell us all about your new one!
Adam Winters is killed by a drunk driver. His devastated widow, Nicki, realises she is being stalked.
Offered an escape to a cottage by the sea, she and her daughter Willow arrive on the Pembrokeshire coast.
They settle into the community. But are drawn into troubles they have driven two hundred and fifty miles to avoid: family deceptions, jealousies, lies, a disappearance and a suspected killing.
Struggling to find peace with the past and truth in the present, Nicki discovers there is more than one sort of fatal collision"
Fatal Collision is a story about a woman, Nicki Bryce, trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband, killed by a drunk driver. Her agony is exacerbated by the refusal of the driver to admit his own guilt, which means that Nicki has to wait for months for the case to come to trial. The drunk driver, Denis Anderson, is clearly guilty, and Nicki is left to wonder how she would want him to be punished. Hanged, drawn and quartered? Boiled in oil? Imprisoned for life? Whatever punishment is meted out, it won’t bring her husband back. He will still be dead, those dear to him will still be grieving, and the culprit’s family will have been derailed too. What Nicki really wants is for Anderson to acknowledge his responsibility and tell the truth.Is truth a more effective form of justice than the sort administered by the courts? Nicki comes to think so. Punishment does nothing except spread the pain further. It doesn’t heal people who are already hurting, but maybe truth and understanding will do better. Others have thought the same. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa put acknowledgement of the truth above punishment as a response to the ending of apartheid. It rather depends on whether we think of justice as providing revenge or restitution. At least the truth will serve some purpose when other forms of justice fail. Dr Mengele, whose crimes were unspeakable in Nazi Germany, escaped any form of justice, and probably never felt any remorse, but the detailed truth of what he did is out there, ensuring his name will be reviled forever.
In Fatal Collision, Nicki’s crusade for truth leads her to try and solve mysteries haunting other people. Will they be better off knowing the truth, or will it only hurt? Ignorance is supposed to be bliss, but sometimes the not knowing is a never-ending nightmare. She just wants to help, but she doesn’t always realise what she’s getting into. Dabbling in other people’s lives can be a dangerous business.
Fatal Collision is out now in Kindle and paperback, published by Diamond Crime, available HERE
Thorne was born in Luton and graduated from Aberystwyth University (history) and from the Open University (Law). She set up a restaurant with her sister and made miniature furniture for collectors. She lives in Pembrokeshire, which forms a background for much of her writing, as does Luton.She writes psychological mysteries, or "domestic noir," exploring the reason for crimes and their consequences, rather than the details of the crimes themselves. and her first novel, "A Time For Silence," was published by Honno in 2012, with its prequel, "The Covenant," published in 2020. "Motherlove" and "The Unravelling" were also published by Honno. "Shadows," published by Lume, is set in an old mansion in Pembrokeshire and is paired with "Long Shadows," also published by Lume, which explains the history and mysteries of the same old house. She's a member of Crime Cymru. Her latest crime novel, "Fatal Collision is published by Diamond Crime (2022)
She also writes Science Fiction, including "Inside Out" (2021) and "Making Waves" (2022)
Thorne's author page Blog FB Author page Twitter:
March 30, 2022
The Scribe & The Land of God (The Two Daggers, Book 1 & 2) by Elizabeth R. Andersen
Book Title: The Scribe
Series: (The Two Daggers, Book 1)
Author: Elizabeth R. Andersen
Publication Date: 18th July 2021
Publisher: Haeddre Press
Page Length: 360 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Scribe
(The Two Daggers, Book 1)
By Elizabeth R. Andersen
All Henri of Maron wanted was to stay with his family on his country estate, surrounded by lemon groves and safety. But in 13th century Palestine, when noble-born boys are raised to fight for the Holy Land, young Henri will be sent to live and train among men who hate him for what he is: a French nobleman of an Arab mother. Robbed of his humanity and steeped in cruelty, his encounters with a slave soldier, a former pickpocket, and a kindly scribe will force Henri to confront his own beliefs and behaviors. Will Henri maintain the status quo in order to fit into a society that doesn’t want him, or will fate intervene first?
The first book in The Two Daggers series, The Scribe takes readers on a sweeping adven-ture through the years and months that lead up to the infamous Siege of Acre in 1291 CE and delves into the psyches of three young people caught up in the wave of history.
Book Title: The Land of God
Series: (The Two Daggers, Book 2)
Author: Elizabeth R. Andersen
Publication Date: 8th November 2021
Publisher: Haeddre Press
Page Length: 350 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Land of God
(The Two Daggers, Book 2)
By Elizabeth R. Andersen
(Blurb – The Land of God (Book 2))
Pain. His sister’s screams. And a beautiful face in the jeering crowd. When Henri of Maron woke, he had only a few memories of his brutal flogging, but he knew the world had changed. He had changed.
Now, as he grapples with the fallout from his disastrous decisions, war with the Mamluk army looms closer. To convince the city leaders to take the threat seriously, Henri and the grand master of the Templars must rely on unlikely allies and bold risks to avoid a siege.
Meanwhile, Sidika is trying to find a way to put her life back together. When she is forced to flee her home, her chance encounters with a handsome amir and a strangely familiar old woman will have consequences for her future.
The Land of God weaves the real historical figures with rich, complex characters and an edge-of-seat plot. Readers who enjoyed the Brethren series by Robyn Young and The Physi-cian by Noah Gordon will appreciate this immersive tale set in the Middle East in the Mid-dle Ages.
Trigger warnings: Torture, violence, sexual assault, sexual content.
(The Scribe, Book 1) Universal Link: Kobo:
(The Land of God, Book 2) Universal Link:
Elizabeth R. Andersen's debut novel, The Scribe, launched in July of 2021. Although she spent many years of her life as a journalist, independent fashion designer, and overworked tech employee, there have always been two consistent loves in her life: writing and history. She finally decided to do something about this and put them both together. Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her long-suffering husband and young son. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters. Elizabeth is a member of the Historical Novel So-ciety and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
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March 28, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: The Feathered Nest (The Thornton Mysteries, Book 4) by Ellen Read
Book Title: The Feathered Nest
Series: The Thornton Mysteries, Book 4
Author: Ellen Read
Publication Date: 14th March 2022
Publisher: Crimson Cloak Publishing
Page Length: 372 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Cosy Murder Mystery
The Feathered Nest
(The Thornton Mysteries, Book 4)
By Ellen Read
Murder comes to Norfolk Island, but is the killer after Alexandra Archer’s Tahitian black pearl or a lost illustration of the rare Green Parrot?
The Thorntons, along with a small team of people, mount an expedition to Norfolk Island, a small island in the South Pacific, to study the Green Parrot and set up research programmes to help protect it and other endangered birds.
As a birthday surprise, Alexandra’s father tells her she is to be the official photographer for the expedition. Her father gives her a black pearl brooch that Alexandra’s great-grandfather had bought off a merchant in Hong Kong in the 1850s. The pearls are Tahitian black pearls.
Before they depart Melbourne, they learn that Norfolk Island has had its first murder. It sends ripples of unease through Alexandra. She hoped she could escape murder on this small island paradise.
Alexandra is astonished to learn that the main inhabitants of Norfolk Island are descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Once on the island, she wonders if this is why her Tahitian black pearl brooch causes such interest.
A chain of events is set in motion, commencing with a threat on the life of one of their expedition members, followed by intrigue surrounding bird smuggling and a lost illustration of the Green Parrot. Then two of their team are murdered.
Alexandra is determined to find the answers and nearly loses her life in the process.
Available on #KindleUnlimited
Universal Link:Amazon UK: Amazon US: Amazon CA: Amazon AU:
Ellen Read is the author of The Dragon Sleeps, The Inca’s Curse and The Amber Trap—historical murder mystery romance novels.Ellen was born in Queensland, Australia.
She loves to read fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She particularly loves history and stories of ancient myths and legends. Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, and Victoria Holt, the latter of whom wrote gothic mystery/romances, have influenced her own work.
Other interests include photography, painting, music and musical theatre, and dance. Ellen was a ballroom dancing teacher for many years and has also worked in Performing Arts administration.
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March 25, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: The Virgin of the Wind Rose: A Conspiracy Thriller by Glen Craney,
Book Title: The Virgin of the Wind Rose: A Conspiracy Thriller
Author: Glen Craney
Publication Date: January, 2014
Publisher: Brigid's Fire Press
Page Length: 407 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery-Thriller
The Virgin of the Wind Rose: A Conspiracy Thriller
By Glen Craney
A Templar cryptogram has confounded scholars for centuries.
Is it a ticking cipher bomb just hours away from detonating a global war?
Rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane was never much good at puzzles. But now, assigned to investigate a ritual murder of an American in Ethiopia, she and a shady stolen-art hunter must solve the world's oldest palindrome—the infamous SATOR Square—to thwart a religious conspiracy that reaches back to the Age of Discovery and an arcane monastic order of Portuguese sea explorers.
Separated by half a millennium, two espionage plots dovetail in this breakneck thriller, driven by history's most elusive mystery....
... the shocking secret that Christopher Columbus took to the grave.
Praise:
"If you love Steve Berry, Dan Brown or Umberto Eco, you may have a new author favorite in Glen Craney." -- BESTTHRILLERS.COM
"An exciting journey across time, with more twists and turns than a strawberry Twizzler." -- QUARTERDECK MAGAZINE
Amazon UK: Amazon US: Amazon CA: Amazon AU: Barnes and Noble: Waterstones: Kobo:
A graduate of Indiana University School of Law and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Glen Craney practiced trial law before joining the Washington, D.C. press corps to write about national politics and the Iran-contra trial for Congressional Quarterly magazine. In 1996, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences awarded him the Nicholl Fellowship prize for best new screenwriting. His debut historical novel, The Fire and the Light, was named Best New Fiction by the National Indie Excellence Awards. He is a three-time Final-ist/Honorable Mention winner of Foreword Magazine’s Book-of-the-Year, a Chaucer Award winner, and a Military Writers Society of America Gold Medalist. His books have taken read-ers to Occitania during the Albigensian Crusade, the Scotland of Robert Bruce, Portugal during the Age of Discovery, the trenches of France during World War I, the battlefields of the Ameri-can Civil War, and the American Hoovervilles of the Great Depression. He has served as presi-dent of the Southern California Chapter of the Historical Novel Society.
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March 13, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours are pleased to host The Last King (The Ninth Century, Book 1) by M J Porter
Book Title: The Last King
Series: (The Ninth Century, Book 1)
Author: M J Porter
Publication Date: 23rd April 2020
Publisher: M J Publishing
Page Length: 338 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Thrillers
The Last King
(The Ninth Century, Book 1)
By M J Porter
From author MJ Porter comes a thrilling new hero.
They sent three hundred warriors to kill one man. It wasn’t enough.
Mercia lies broken but not beaten, her alliance with Wessex in tatters.
Coelwulf, a fierce and bloody warrior, hears whispers that Mercia has been betrayed from his home in the west. He fears no man, especially not the Vikings sent to hunt him down.
To discover the truth of the rumours he hears, Coelwulf must travel to the heart of Mercia, and what he finds there will determine the fate of Mercia, as well as his own.
Trigger Warnings: Excessive foul language, gruesome injury and battle detail
This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited.
Amazon UK: Amazon US: Amazon CA: Amazon AU: Waterstones: Audio: Amazon Series Link:
M. J. Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author's writing destiny was set. MJ Porter has also written two twentieth-century mysteries.
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February 28, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours presents: Waking Up Lost – A Mystical Fantasy Adventure (The Adirondack Spirit Series) by David Fitz-Gerald,
Book Title: Waking Up Lost – A Mystical Fantasy Adventure
Series: The Adirondack Spirit Series
Author: David Fitz-Gerald
Publication Date: December, 2021
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Page Length: 263 Pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Waking Up Lost – A Mystical Fantasy Adventure
(The Adirondack Spirit Series)
By David Fitz-Gerald
Traveling without warning. Nights lost to supernatural journeys. Is one young man fat-ed to wander far from safety?
New York State, 1833. Noah Munch longs to fit in. Living with a mother who communes with ghosts and a brother with a knack for heroics, the seventeen-year-old wishes he were fearless enough to discover an extraordinary purpose of his own. But when he mysteriously awakens in the bedroom of the two beautiful daughters of the meanest man in town, he real-izes his odd sleepwalking ability could potentially be deadly.
Convinced that leaving civilization is the only way to keep himself and others safe, Noah pursues his dream of becoming a mountain man and slips away into the primeval woods. But after a strong summer storm devastates his camp, the troubled lad finds his mystical wanderings have only just begun.
Can Noah find his place before he’s destroyed by a ruthless world?
Waking Up Lost is the immersive fourth book in the Adirondack Spirit Series of historical fiction. If you like coming-of-age adventures, magical realism, and stories of life on the American frontier, then you’ll love David Fitz-Gerald’s compelling chronicle.
Buy Waking Up Lost to map out destiny today!
Trigger Warnings: Rape, torture, cruelty to animals, sex, violence.
Available on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
David Fitz-Gerald writes fiction that is grounded in history and soars with the spirits. Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he cre-ates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the super-natural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adiron-dack 46-er, which means he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing.
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February 19, 2022
Tudor Dance by Carol McGrath
As part of the blog tour for her forthcoming book Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England, Carol McGrath has joined us today talk about Tudor dancing which had a significant role in courtship.
Kathryn Howard, King Henry VIII’s fifth queen, loved to dance and was so adept that Anne of Cleves asked her for dance lessons during the short period when Kathryn was a maid of honour at Anne’s court. Henry VIII, when he was younger, was also a lover of music and dance, a desirable skill at court. Kathryn Howard first caught his eye, it is said, while dancing for him, an occasion set up by her Uncle Thomas, the Earl of Norfolk. She had, as was revealed later, permitted her dancing master privileges with her person when she was barely into her teens and living with her grandmother, the earl’s mother.
Dancing was one way for the sexes to meet each other; not surprising then that it has always been so popular throughout history. Young men wishing to socialise with prospective wives could easily do so through dancing. It allowed them to show off their grace and good health and to get physically close to someone of the opposite sex in a way unpermitted otherwise.
Whether poor or wealthy, most people enjoyed music and dance. Dancing steps varied between upper and lower classes. Tudor court dances were complicated and stately. They possessed intricate steps favoured by the nobility and wealthy whereas in towns and villages medieval English country dances were simpler and great traditional favourites, similar to country dances today.
Court dances were performed as couples. The dance named the Volt was the most suggestive of courtly dances and allowed couples to closely embrace. Other popular dances with the wealthy were the Pavan, Gilliard, the Gavotte, and the Almain, or variations of these. Tudor courtiers travelled abroad and returned with new dances from Spain, Italy and France, and since such dances all had to be learned, dancing masters were popular and easily gained employment. There’s a rather amusing and delightful YouTube video with Danny Dyer showing this (and, as an aside, selecting his codpiece for his venture into the ways of the Tudor Court). Dance manuals emphasised the social role of dance. One contemporary dance master wrote that dancing was practised to reveal whether lovers were in good health and limb, after which they were permitted to kiss their mistresses in order that they may touch one another to ascertain ‘if they are shapely or omit an unpleasant ordour of bad meat.’
Dancing was condemned in certain circles as encouraging immorality because of the link between dance and love. Most courtiers could point to how the Bible approved dancing (King David danced before the Ark). Others said it upheld the intellectual humanist theory that the harmonious movements of dance echoed the movements of the stars. Men and women dancing together represented perfect harmony since men’s fiercer natures were tempered and balanced by a woman’s gentler virtues. Arbeau, the above dance master, claimed women were not permitted the same freedom as men and therefore their opportunities for exercise were limited. It was acceptable for women to partner another woman. Anne of Cleves, for instance, danced with Queen Kathryn Howard at the Christmas festivities of 1540 when King Henry retired early. Dancing was connected to courtship and good dancing illuminated good breeding, so dancing masters taught deportment and etiquette as well as the moves to the dances listed below.
The Pavane was a stately processional dance. Tudor couples paraded around the hall lightly touching fingers. Pavane means ‘peacock’ so the dance title derives from the sight of women’s gowns trailing over the floor like a peacock’s tail. The aim of the Pavane was to demonstrate dancing skills, but in addition to show off fine clothes to the best advantage. The dance was made up of a pattern of five steps. Another name used for the Pavane was Cinque Pas. It was popular for court masques.
The Galliard was a lively dance that originated in the fifteenth century. It followed and complimented The Pavane. A similar dance that originated in France was the Satarella.
The Volt was another suggestive dance when women were lifted high by a male partner.
The Gavotte was basically an amusing kissing game associated with love. It originated as a French folk dance from the south east. The kissing was later replaced by the presentation of flowers. The Gavotte was stately with a lifting step. It was danced in a line or circle to music in double time with little springs and steps borrowed from the Galliard.
Love was a theme that permeated Tudor dance. Many court dances mixed a variety of steps based on the theme of love. The ups and downs of a courtly love affair were represented by movements with complicated floor patterns that were committed to memory. A good performance meant an impressive courtier. A poor performance suggested just the opposite.
In order to ask a lady to dance a man was expected to remove his hat with his left hand and offer his right hand to lead her out to dance. The right side during the sixteenth century was the side of honour. It was also bad manners to wear gloves while dancing. Ladies were allowed to ask men to dance in a quiet manner and to make it apparent whom they were asking. Moreover it was bad manners for a man to decline an invitation.
Dancing was something everyone could enjoy no matter their social status. Different dances were accompanied by appropriate forms of music. New musical instruments were invented during the sixteenth century. This opened up new sounds and in turn dance adaptations or new dances to go with the music. Upper-class dancers might dance to the lute, the guitar or the sound of louder instruments like shawns and sackbuts, which were hired to play at weddings. The poor, on the other hand, favoured less expensive, much-loved traditional instruments such as bagpipes and hurdy gurdies, along with pipes and tabours.
The Tudor age positively echoed with beautifully romantic music, ballads, song and dance.
Sex and Sexuality in the Tudor Era
Publisher : Pen & Sword History (28 Feb. 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 232 pages
ISBN-10 : 1526769182
ISBN-13 : 978-1526769183
The Tudor period has long gripped our imaginations. Because we have consumed so many costume dramas on TV and film, read so many histories, factual or romanticised, we think we know how this society operated. We know they ‘did’ romance but how did they do sex? In this affectionate, informative and fascinating look at sex and sexuality in Tudor times, author Carol McGrath peeks beneath the bedsheets of late fifteenth and early sixteenth-century England to offer a genuine understanding of the romantic and sexual habits of our Tudor ancestors.
Find out the truth about ‘swiving’, ‘bawds’, ‘shaking the sheets’ and ‘the deed of darkness'. Discover the infamous indiscretions and scandals, feast day rituals, the Southwark Stews, and even city streets whose names indicated their use for sexual pleasure. Explore Tudor fashion: the codpiece, slashed hose and doublets, women’s layered dressing with partlets, overgowns and stomachers laced tightly in place. What was the Church view on morality, witchcraft and the female body? On which days could married couples indulge in sex and why? How were same sex relationships perceived? How common was adultery? How did they deal with contraception and how did Tudors attempt to cure venereal disease? And how did people bend and ignore all these rules?
Buy Now
Carol McGrath is the author of the acclaimed She-Wolves Trilogy, which began with the hugely successful The Silken Rose and continues with the brand new The Damask Rose. Born in Northern Ireland, she fell in love with historical fiction at a young age, when exploring local castles, such as Carrickfergus, and nearby archeological digs- and discovering some ancient bones herself. While completing a degree in History, she became fascinated by the strong women who were silenced in record. Her first novel, The Handfasted Wife, was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards, and Mistress Cromwell was widely praised as a timely feminist retelling of Tudor court life. Her novels are known for their intricacy, depth of research and powerful stories.
For more news, exclusive content and competitions, sign up to Carol’s newsletter at: www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk.
Follow her on Facebook: CarolMcGrathAuthor1 and on Twitter: @CarolMcGrath
February 10, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: Under the Emerald Sky (The Irish Fortune Series, Book 1) by Juliane Weber
Book Title: Under the Emerald Sky
Series: The Irish Fortune Series, Book 1
Author: Juliane Weber
Publication Date: 23rd October 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 468 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Romance
Under the Emerald Sky
(The Irish Fortune Series, Book 1)
By Juliane Weber
He’s come to Ireland to escape his past. She’s trying to run from her future.
It's 1843 and the English nobleman Quinton Williams has come to Ireland to oversee the running of his father’s ailing estate and escape his painful past. Here he meets the alluring Alannah O’Neill, whose Irish family is one of few to have retained ownership of their land, the rest having been supplanted by the English over the course of the country's bloody histo-ry. Finding herself drawn to the handsome Englishman, Alannah offers to help Quin com-municate with the estate’s Gaelic-speaking tenants, as much to assist him as to counter her own ennui. Aware of her controlling brother’s hostility towards the English, she keeps her growing relationship with Quin a secret – a secret that cannot, however, be kept for long from those who dream of ridding Ireland of her English oppressors.
Among the stark contrasts that separate the rich few from the plentiful poor, Under the Emerald Sky is a tale of love and betrayal in a land teetering on the brink of disaster - the Great Famine that would forever change the course of Ireland's history.
Trigger Warnings: Violence, sexual content.
An excerpt from Under the Emerald Sky
“Good night, sir,” said the youth Quin had addressed as Mr O’Reilly, shooting me a quick glance while the others echoed the send-off. They turned away jovially, and we continued along the path back to the house.
“Oh,” Quin exclaimed suddenly and stopped, “I’ve forgotten my jacket.—Wait here while I fetch it quickly.” He gave my hand a brief squeeze and was off, loping towards the barn before I’d uttered a word. I laughed as I watched him go, coming to stand next to one of the torches at the edge of the path. The flame flickered in the breeze and I shivered. Outside the warmth of the barn the night was getting cold.
“Winter is on its way,” I murmured to myself, rubbing my upper arms briskly as the wind picked up. While I had been sweating with the exertion of dancing only a short time before, the thin fabric of my dress was doing little to keep out the growing chill now, long-sleeved though it was, and I was feeling the absence of my shawl, which I had left inside the house—not to mention the absence of Quin, who always seemed to be warm, no matter the weather.
I looked up at the sky, where a sheet of clouds was billowing, hiding the stars. It was a new moon, and the night was dark, the grounds lit only by the torches that had been placed at regular intervals around the estate. A good night for ghosts, I thought with a shudder, my mind flitting briefly to Martin Doyle. Despite what I had told Quin about the benevolent nature of the night’s visitors, there were also plenty of tales of evil spirits coming to Earth on the night of Samhain to exact their revenge, and fairies looking for offerings and sacrifices to appease them and ward off their wrath. A sudden gust of wind blasted into my face, snuffing out the torch that stood beside me. I hugged myself in the cold air. Looking at the tendril of smoke rising from the extinguished flame, an overwhelming feeling of premonition came over me, making my scalp prickle and a cold shiver run down my spine. I shook myself, trying to shrug off the sense of evil that had come over me so abruptly.
“On we go.”
I jumped at Quin’s voice. I hadn’t heard him come up behind me and turned towards him, holding a hand over my pounding heart.
“Are you alright?” he asked with a look of concern, reaching out to stroke my arm. Noticing me shivering, he placed the jacket he was carrying around my shoulders.
“Yes, of course,” I said with a slight nod. “You just startled me.” I gave him a small smile. “On we go,” I repeated his statement, making an effort to sound cheerful.
With Quin’s solid presence by my side, my unease soon abated. By the time we had reached the welcoming lights of the house I was once more thoroughly composed, laughing under my breath at my ridiculous fancies.
This novel is available to read for free with #KindleUnlimited subscription.
Juliane is actually a scientist. She holds degrees in physiology and zoology, including a PhD in physiology. During her studies she realised, however, that her passion lay not in conducting scientific research herself, but in writing about it. Thus began her career as a medical writer, where she took on all manner of writing and editing tasks, in the process honing her writing skills, until she finally plucked up the courage to write her first historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky. The book is the first in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.Juliane lives with her husband and two sons in Hamelin, Germany, the town made famous by the story of the Pied Piper.
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January 27, 2022
The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: Heart of a Hussar (The Winged Warrior Series, Book 1) by Griffin Brady
Book Title: The Heart of a Hussar
Series: (The Winged Warrior Series, Book 1)
Author: Griffin Brady
Publication Date: 12th September 2020
Publisher: Trefoil Publishing
Page Length: 434 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Heart of a Hussar
(The Winged Warrior Series, Book 1)
By Griffin Brady
Poland is at war. He must choose between his lifelong ambition and his heart.
Exploiting Muscovy’s Time of Troubles, Poland has invaded the chaotic country. Twenty-two-year-old Jacek Dąbrowski is an honorable, ferocious warrior in a company of winged hussars—an unrivaled, lethal cavalry. When his lieutenant dies in battle, Jacek is promoted to replace him, against the wishes of his superior, Mateusz, who now has more reason to eliminate him.
Jacek dedicates his life to gaining the king’s recognition and manor lands of his own. Con-sequently, he closely guards his heart, avoiding lasting romantic entanglements. Unscathed on the battlefield, undefeated in tournaments, and adored by women eager to share his bed, Jacek has never lost at anything he sets out to conquer. So when he charges toward his goals, he believes nothing stands in his way.
Upon his return from battle, Jacek deviates from his ordinarily unemotional mindset and rescues enemy siblings, fifteen-year-old Oliwia and her younger brother, Filip, from their devastated Muscovite village. His act of mercy sets into motion unstoppable consequences that ripple through his well-ordered life for years to come—and causes him to irretrievably lose his heart.
Oliwia has her own single-minded drive: to protect her young brother. Her determination and self-sacrifice lead her to adopt a new country, a new religion, and a new way of life. But it’s not the first time the resilient beauty has had to remake herself, for she is not what she appears to be.
As Jacek battles the Muscovites and Tatars threatening Poland’s borders for months at a time, Oliwia is groomed for a purpose concealed from her. All the while, Mateusz’s treach-ery and a mysterious enemy looming on the horizon threaten to destroy everything Jacek holds dear.
This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited
Griffin Brady is a historical fiction author with a keen interest in the Polish Winged Hussars of the 16th and 17th centuries. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. The Heart of a Hussar took third place in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2018 Colorado Gold Contest and was a finalist in the Northern Colorado Writers’ 2017 Top of the Mountain Award.The proud mother three grown sons, she lives in Colorado with her husband. She is also an award-winning, Amazon bestselling romance author who writes under the pen name G.K. Brady.
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January 25, 2022
The Coffee Pot Blog Tours is pleased to host John Brown's Women: A Novel by Susan Higginbotham
Book Title: John Brown's Women: A Novel
Author: Susan Higginbotham
Publication Date: 7th December 2021
Publisher: Onslow Press
Page Length: 402 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
John Brown's Women: A Novel
By Susan Higginbotham
As the United States wrestles with its besetting sin—slavery—abolitionist John Brown is growing tired of talk. He takes actions that will propel the nation toward civil war and thrust three courageous women into history.
Wealthy Brown, married to John Brown's oldest son, eagerly falls in with her husband's plan to settle in Kansas. Amid clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, Wealthy's adventure turns into madness, mayhem, and murder.
Fifteen-year-old Annie Brown is thrilled when her father summons her to the farm he has rented in preparation for his raid. There, she guards her father's secrets while risking her heart.
Mary Brown never expected to be the wife of John Brown, much less the wife of a martyr. When her husband's daring plan fails, Mary must travel into hostile territory, where she finds the eyes of the nation riveted upon John—and upon her.
Spanning three decades, John Brown's Women is a tale of love and sacrifice, and of the ongoing struggle for America to achieve its promise of liberty and justice for all.
Trigger Warnings:
Deaths of young children through illness or accidents (not graphically described); implied heavy petting involving a willing minor.
Read an excerpt
Introducing herself as Miss Gedney, a young black lady showed her in. Shortly after, a boy led in Dr. Ruggles, a handsome, though somewhat frail-looking man in his late thirties who wore the dark glasses of a blind person. He held out his hand, which Mary grasped. “Mrs. Brown, I understand?”
“Yes. I do hope you can do me some good. I realize I should have written ahead, but I felt that I could wait no longer.”
“Well, we have space for you, but I won’t accept you if I don’t feel I can do you any good. How is Mr. John Brown, Jr. doing?”
“He appeared quite well.”
“Good, good! Let us go into my office, and I will examine you. Miss Elizabeth Gedney will be present. Should you take the cure, she and her sister Sophia will be giving you your treatments.”
Mary nodded, remembering too late that Dr. Ruggles could not see her do so, and followed him and the boy into another room, which was fitted up with books. Miss Gedney stood there chatting with an older woman with a turban upon her head. “Ma’s here, Dr. Ruggles. Do you want her to leave?”
“She can stay if Mrs. Brown doesn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” Mary said. In truth, she was rather relieved to have the older woman present. She reminded her of the many midwives who had attended her over the years.
Miss Gedney waved her behind a screen, where Mary stripped to her shift. When she presented herself in front of Dr. Ruggles, he said, “I imagine you’ve read that I diagnose by touch. If the lungs, stomach, and wrist are in an electro-positive state, the water cure will benefit a person. If they are not, I can do nothing and will not waste your time or money by pretending otherwise.”
“I understand.”
Frowning in concentration, Dr. Ruggles conducted his examination. “I do believe we can help you, Mrs. Brown. You have neuralgia, it appears, and the cure is good for it.”
“So, I am in an—electro-positive state?”
“Indeed, you are. So, will you be staying? If you do, we can get your treatment started today, although some patients like to settle in a little.”
“Might as well get it started now,” said the older lady. She had a rich, deep voice as redolent as Dr. Ruggles’. “Faster you start, the faster you’ll be out of here. Dr. Ruggles gave me the cure too. I hated every moment of it, but it did me good.”
“My friend Mrs. Sojourner Truth speaks the truth,” Dr. Ruggles said. “The treatment, provided that you follow it rigorously, will progress to a crisis—”
“Oh, the crisis,” said Mrs. Truth—for what else could Mary call her? “You’ll want to be put out of your misery then.”
“Now, now,” Dr. Ruggles said. “Don’t scare Mrs. Brown away.”
“Scare? She don’t look like one who scares easily.”
Susan Higginbotham is the author of a number of historical novels set in medieval and Tudor England and, more recently, nineteenth-century America, including The Traitor's Wife, The Stolen Crown, Hanging Mary, and The First Lady and the Rebel. She and her family, human and four-footed, live in Maryland, just a short drive from where John Brown made his last stand. When not writing or procrastinating, Susan enjoys traveling and collecting old photographs.
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