Judith Arnopp's Blog, page 8

Riddle of the Gods

Eric Schumacher

Blurb:

Riddle of the Gods is the riveting fourth novel in the best-selling series chronicling the life and adventures of one of Norway’s most controversial kings, Olaf Tryggvason.

It is AD 976. Olaf Tryggvason, the renegade prince of Norway, has lost his beloved wife to a tragedy that turns the lords of the land he rules against him. With his family gone and his future uncertain, Olaf leaves his realm and embarks on a decades-long quest to discover his course in life. Though his journey brings him power and wealth, it is not until he encounters the strange man in the streets of Dublin that his path to fame unfolds. And in that moment, he is forced to make a choice as the gods look on – a choice that could, at worst, destroy him and at best, ensure his name lives on forever.

This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Eric Schumacher (1968 – ) is a historical fiction author of multiple best-selling novels set in the Viking Age. From a young age, Schumacher was drawn to books about medieval kings and warlords and was fascinated by their stories and the turbulent times in which they lived. It is a fascination that led to the publication of his first novel, God’s Hammer, in 2005, and many subsequent novels thereafter.

Schumacher now resides in Santa Barbara with his wife and two children and is busy working on his next novel.

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Published on March 28, 2024 17:30

The Coffee Pot Blog Tour welcomes: EXSILIUM by Alison Morton

Book Title: EXSILIUM

Series: Roma Nova

Author: Alison Morton

Publication Date: 27 February 2024

Publisher: Pulcheria Press

Page Length: 364

Genre: Historical Fiction

All retailers (including Amazon) Universal Link:

Exsilium

Alison Morton

Blurb:

Exile – Living death to a Roman

AD 395. In a Christian Roman Empire, the penalty for holding true to the traditional gods is execution.

Maelia Mitela, her dead husband condemned as a pagan traitor, leaving her on the brink of ruin, grieves for her son lost to the Christians and is fearful of committing to another man.

Lucius Apulius, ex-military tribune, faithful to the old gods and fixed on his memories of his wife Julia’s homeland of Noricum, will risk everything to protect his children’s future.

Galla Apulia, loyal to her father and only too aware of not being the desired son, is desperate to escape Rome after the humiliation of betrayal by her feckless husband.

For all of them, the only way to survive is exile.

Read an Excerpt

[Walking home with her aunt Honorina from Lucius Apulius’s house and escorted by Lucius’s cousin, Marcellus Varus, whom Lucius suggests she might like to marry, Maelia Mitela is furious.]

Rome, June 389

‘Are you well?’ Varus batted away a beggar with his arm as we walked down the road from Proculus’s parents’ house.

‘Yes, thank you,’ I lied. I was furious with Lucius and now embarrassed by Varus’s offer to escort us home. I glanced at him then looked away. Tall and with a good figure, but I’d always thought of him as from my parents’ generation. He must be fifty at the least. Now Lucius had planted the idea of him as a new husband in my head. There was no doubt of his kindness and for somebody in the circles of power here in Rome, he was said to be honest. But as a husband? No. I blinked hard and resolved to forget Lucius’s stupid remark.

It was only the tenth hour and the sky was still full of glorious June sunshine, warm with a heat haze over the red-tiled roofs below. We crossed in front of Diocletian’s Baths in silence. As we descended from the Quirinal Hill, the warmth and smell of everyday life increased along with shouting, animal noises and clattering of boots and handcart wheels on the street. The Mitelus domus sat on the summit of the Mons Cispius, part of the Esquiline, so it wasn’t too far away. But the climb up the Cispius was steep. The bearers of Honorina’s litter puffed as they navigated the short flight of steps between two curves in the path. A grunt of displeasure came from between the curtains and one was wrenched back.

‘I swear they become clumsier and weaker every day,’ Honorina said.

‘Peace, Aunt.’ I smiled. ‘You know very well we’d need to go round the long way across half the Esquiline otherwise.’

‘I suppose I do, but jaunts like this remind me I’m too old to be thrown around in a litter like a sack of cats for drowning.’

I did laugh at that as she loved the cats we kept in the house to keep the rats and mice away. I’d often found her with at least one on her lap as she read. ‘Only for the warmth,’ she’d say in a neutral voice then set about caressing the cat, making it purr loudly. We arrived shortly afterwards at the large door of Domus Mitela set in between the shop selling fine pottery and the other one smelling heavenly with piles of spices in large bowls on its front counter.

Varus thumped on the door.

‘I will leave you here, Maelia Mitela.’ He bowed to my aunt as the door opened and she stepped down from her litter.

‘Thank you, Marcellus Varus,’ I replied. I kept my tone formal as I still felt awkward. ‘We’re grateful for your escort. My aunt is tired and I must see her to her bed.’

He bowed to me this time but said nothing and left.

‘Well, at least somebody has manners.’ My aunt leant heavily on my arm as I guided her along the vestibule to the atrium. ‘He’s a widower since his wife expired from the coughing sickness. You could—’

‘Don’t, Aunt! I had that heavy hint from Lucius. I do not wish to marry again. I have three children, including a son. The law will therefore not compel me.’

‘Well, I only want to help, child. Don’t jump down my throat.’ She studied my face. ‘Aren’t you ever lonely, though?’

I said nothing. How could I explain? I did like Varus, but as a reliable acquaintance, as he had been this afternoon. Luckily, my aunt’s body slave appeared and making cooing noises, took Honorina off in the direction of her sleeping chamber. I sighed with relief. After a day like this, I needed some peace, so I went to sit in the peristyle and enjoy the evening sun. Even if I did wish to marry Varus, I wouldn’t, as it would mean living under the same roof as his nightmarish sister. That was an end to it.

Universal Amazon Link:

Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but use a sharp line in dialogue. The latest, EXSILIUM, plunges us back to the late 4th century, to the very foundation of Roma Nova.

She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.

Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit.

Author Links:

Connect with Alison on her World of Thrillers site: https://alison-morton.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/alison_morton @alison_morton

Alison’s writing blog: https://alisonmortonauthor.com

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alisonmortonauthor

Alison’s Amazon page: https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/alisonmorton.bsky.social

Newsletter sign-up: https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/

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Published on March 21, 2024 17:30

The Royal Women Who Made England by MJ Porter

Book Title: The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England

Series: n/a

Author: MJ Porter

Publication Date: 30th January 2024 hardback UK/epub direct from publisher/4th April 2024 US and kindle edition

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Page Length: 237

Genre: non-fiction

The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England

MJ Porter

Throughout the tenth century, England, as it would be recognized today, formed. No longer many Saxon kingdoms, but rather, just England. Yet, this development masks much in the century in which the Viking raiders were seemingly driven from England’s shores by Alfred, his children and grandchildren, only to return during the reign of his great, great-grandson, the much-maligned Æthelred II.

Not one but two kings would be murdered, others would die at a young age, and a child would be named king on four occasions. Two kings would never marry, and a third would be forcefully divorced from his wife. Yet, the development towards ‘England’ did not stop. At no point did it truly fracture back into its constituent parts. Who then ensured this stability? To whom did the witan turn when kings died, and children were raised to the kingship?

The royal woman of the House of Wessex came into prominence during the century, perhaps the most well-known being Æthelflæd, daughter of King Alfred. Perhaps the most maligned being Ælfthryth (Elfrida), accused of murdering her stepson to clear the path to the kingdom for her son, Æthelred II, but there were many more women, rich and powerful in their own right, where their names and landholdings can be traced in the scant historical record.

Using contemporary source material, The Royal Women Who Made England can be plucked from the obscurity that has seen their names and deeds lost, even within a generation of their own lives.

Thedaughter of Æthelflæd of Mercia, Ælfwynn

Ælfwynn,the daughter of Æthelflæd of Mercia and her husband, Æthelred, was born at somepoint in the late 880s or early 890s. It is believed that she was an onlychild, although it does appear (in the later accounts of William of Malmesbury)that her cousins, Athelstan, and Edith/his unnamed sister were sent to Merciato be raised by their aunt when Edward remarried on becoming king in 899. Thereis a suggestion that it might have been Alfred’s decision to do this and thatAthelstan was being groomed to become king of Mercia. As such, Ælfwynn mighthave had close links to her Wessex cousins.

Ælfwynn isnamed in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the C text under 919. ‘Here alsothe daughter of Æthelred lord of the Mercians, was deprived of all control inMercia, and was led into Wessex three weeks before Christmas; she was calledÆlfwynn.’

And fromthere, we hear nothing more of Lady Ælfwynn, the second Lady of the Mercians.Even though this is the first record of a ruling woman being succeeded by herdaughter.

Universal Buy Link: Publisher Link:

MJ Porter is the author of over fifty fiction titles set in Saxon England and the era before the tumultuous events of 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building and told from a young age that it housed the long-dead bones of Saxon kings, it’s little wonder that the study of the era was undertaken at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Royal Women of the Tenth Century is a first non-fiction title. It explores the ‘lost’ women of this period through the surviving contemporary source material. It stemmed from a frustration with how difficult it was to find a single volume dedicated to these ‘lost’ women and hopes to make it much easier for others to understand the prestige, wealth and influence of the women of the royal House of Wessex.

Website: Twitter: Facebook: LinkedIn: Instagram: Threads:

Bluesky: Pinterest: Book Bub: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads: TikTok: LinkTree:

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Published on March 20, 2024 01:36

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour present: Covered in Flour by Charles Presti

Book Title: Covered in Flour

Author: Charles Presti

Publication Date: October 10th, 2023

Publisher: Charles Presti

Page Length: 220

Genre: Historical Fiction

Covered in Flour

Charles Presti

Blurb:

It's 1968 in Whisper Haven, and 8-year-old Carl Pozzi’s world is about to change.

For eight-year-old Carl Pozzi, 1968 begins like any other year—playing kickball with friends and enjoying the comforting aroma of Mom's pasta dinners in their predominantly white suburban Whisper Haven home. But when Carl's teacher introduces lessons about racial prejudice and injustice, his worldview cracks wide open.

How far can innocence stretch before it snaps?

As Carl flips through the pages of his 3-ring binder, each lesson serves as a gateway to a journey of self-discovery and understanding. It's an expedition that not only changes him but reshapes his whole concept of family and justice—especially as he watches his father put on a police uniform during one of the most fraught periods in American history.

"Covered in Flour" is not just a heartfelt stroll down memory lane. It's a captivating coming-of-age saga that digs deep beneath the surface of suburban tranquility. It beckons you to reconsider long-held family values and confront the societal norms you've taken for granted.

Written with genuine love, humor, and a tinge of sorrow, this story blends the nostalgia of tradition with the inevitability of change, offering a stirring mix that leaves you pondering long after the last page is turned. This book isn't just a delightful read; it's a catalyst for introspection, freshly baked and served for your soul.

Read an Excerpt

THE FEAST – PART I

AUGUST 1968

Arriving at Aunt Nina's home, anticipation filled me as we descended into the basement kitchen, a sanctuary of culinary heritage. Aunt Nina, with grocery bags in tow, was about to share not just the art of making cannoli but a cherished family tradition. The kitchen, brimming with the aroma of home, was laid out with flour, sugar, ricotta, butter, eggs, and other essentials, setting the stage for a lesson steeped in history and love.

"First, the dough," Aunt Nina began, guiding me through each step with a blend of instruction and storytelling... She demonstrated how to blend the ingredients meticulously, instilling in me the importance of texture and tradition. As we rolled, cut, and shaped the dough around cannoli tubes, her instructions were punctuated with anecdotes of past generations, embedding the process with meaning.

When the shells golden and crisp emerged from the fryer, Aunt Nina shifted to the ricotta filling, the heart of the cannoli... She allowed me to add the candied fruit, teaching me that every bite should tell a story. As we filled the cooled shells, Aunt Nina's kitchen transformed into a place of alchemy, where simple ingredients melded into a testament of family, love, and heritage.

The basement, lit by a serene light, seemed to cast Aunt Nina in a glow of almost celestial brilliance... It was a moment of profound realization for me: miracles manifest in the simple acts of creation. The act of making cannoli transcended mere cooking; it was a ritual of connection, a labor of love that wove our family's past with its present.

Tasting the finished cannoli, the crunch of the shell giving way to the rich, sweet filling, I understood the true essence of our endeavor. It wasn't just about the ingredients or the technique; it was about the love and legacy that each cannoli represented, a bond between Aunt Nina and me that would endure, one cannoli at a time.

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/covered-in-flour-1968-a-young-boy-s-perspective-on-school-family-and-changing-times-by-charles-presti

Charles Presti, emerging from the sun-drenched shores of Pensacola, Florida, crafts narratives that echo with the richness of his varied life. His journey from a USF College of Medicine graduate to a storyteller is as unconventional as it is inspiring. Drawing from his days as a physician and informatics specialist, Charles infuses his writing with a rare blend of scientific precision and heartfelt emotion. His debut novel, "Covered in Flour," is a vivid tapestry of his Italian-American heritage, his experiences in the whirlwind era of the 1960s, and his personal journey as a gay man. These elements converge to create stories that not only entertain but resonate deeply with themes of family, discovery, and the delicate dance of life's everyday moments.

Charles's passion for storytelling is paralleled only by his commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. Alongside his husband, Mike Bruce, and their beloved Wheaton Terrier, Zoey, he is a vibrant force and founder of "Sunday's Child," a local charity dedicated to nurturing inclusion and empowering LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities through grants to local charities. A pillar in the Emerald Coast Writers group, he continually explores the nuances of identity, heritage, and a sense of belonging. Discover more about Charles's captivating world and "Covered in Flour" at www.coveredinflour.com, where each story is a window into a life lived fully and authentically.

Website: www.coveredinflour.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552112886658

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckpresti/

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/charlespresti

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45201473.Charles_Presti

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Published on March 07, 2024 16:30

Lighten The Load (Ghosts along the Oregon Trail, Book 2) by David Fitz-Gerald

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Published on February 29, 2024 21:00

The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: Lighten The Load (Ghosts along the Oregon Trail, Book 2) by David Fitz-Gerald

Book Title: Lighten the Load

Series: Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail (Book 2)

Author: David Fitz-Gerald

Publication Date: January 31, 2024

Publisher: David Fitz-Gerald

Page Length: 203

Genre: Western, Historical Fiction

Series Trailer: https://youtu.be/sWvp6dtbXvA

Lighten the Load: A Pioneer Western Adventure

David Fitz-Gerald

Blurb:

After a devastating tragedy, Dorcas Moon faces brutal choices in the unforgiving wilderness.

An unsolved hometown murder casts a foreboding shadow over the journey. Mounting responsibilities weigh heavy on Dorcas' shoulders while navigating the trail along the Platte River. Family, friends, and neighbors can't seem to get along without her help.

The gruesome trail exacts a heavy toll. A sweeping grass fire blazes across the prairie. A doomed wagon careens down a treacherous hill. A fellow traveler is gored to death while hunting buffalo. Each disaster pushes the pioneers to the brink. Amidst the chaos, Dorcas grapples with the realization that she must dump her precious cook stove and her husband's massive safe. The oxen can no longer haul the heavy weight of unnecessary cargo.

When her daughter mysteriously disappears while the wagons are at Fort Laramie, Dorcas Despairs. She is desperate to help her daughter when the troubled youth is found in the arms of a Brulé man in Spotted Tail's village.

Secure your copy of Lighten the Load and delve into an unforgettable saga of empowerment, sacrifice, and the haunting echoes of the American frontier. Rejoin Dorcas Moon on the adventure of a lifetime as she confronts the challenges that shape her destiny.

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.

Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.

Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.

Website: https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG

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

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald

Linktree https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald

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Published on February 29, 2024 16:30

The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: Anywhere But Schuylkill by Michael Dunn

Book Title: Anywhere But Schuylkill

Series: The Great Upheaval Trilogy

Author: Michael Dunn

Publication Date: September 25, 2023

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 301

Genre: Historical Fiction

Universal Buy Link: Historium Press:

Anywhere But Schuylkill

by Michael Dunn

In 1877, twenty Irish coal miners hanged for a terrorist conspiracy that never occurred. Anywhere But Schuylkill is the story of one who escaped, Mike Doyle, a teenager trying to keep his family alive during the worst depression the nation has ever faced. Banks and railroads are going under. Children are dying of hunger. The Reading Railroad has slashed wages and hired Pinkerton spies to infiltrate the miners’ union. And there is a sectarian war between rival gangs. But none of this compares with the threat at home.

Michael Dunn writes Working-Class Fiction from the Not So Gilded Age. Anywhere But Schuylkill is the first in his Great Upheaval trilogy. A lifelong union activist, he has always been drawn to stories of the past, particularly those of regular working people, struggling to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Stories most people do not know, or have forgotten, because history is written by the victors, the robber barons and plutocrats, not the workers and immigrants. Yet their stories are among the most compelling in America. They resonate today because they are the stories of our own ancestors, because their passions and desires, struggles and tragedies, were so similar to our own.

When Michael Dunn is not writing historical fiction, he teaches high school, and writes about labor history and culture.

Website: Twitter: Facebook: Instagram:/ Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:

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Published on February 27, 2024 16:30

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog tours present: The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift

Book Title: The Shadow Network

Series: Secret Agent Series (but can be read as a stand-alone)

Author: Deborah Swift

Publication Date: 13th February 2024

Publisher: HQ Digital

Page Length: 376

Genre: Historical Fiction / WW2

Twitter Handle: @swiftstory @cathiedunn

Bluesky Handle: @deborahswift.bsky.social @cathiedunn.bsky.social

Universal Buy Link: Link to bookshop:

The Shadow Network

by Deborah Swift

One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel, inspired by the true World War Two campaign Radio Aspidistra…

England, 1942: Having fled Germany after her father was captured by the Nazis, Lilli Bergen is desperate to do something pro-active for the Allies. So when she’s approached by the Political Warfare Executive, Lilli jumps at the chance. She’s recruited as a singer for a radio station broadcasting propaganda to German soldiers – a shadow network.

But Lilli’s world is flipped upside down when her ex-boyfriend, Bren Murphy, appears at her workplace; the very man she thinks betrayed her father to the Nazis. Lilli always thought Bren was a Nazi sympathiser – so what is he doing in England supposedly working against the Germans?

Lilli knows Bren is up to something, and must put aside a blossoming new relationship in order to discover the truth. Can Lilli expose him, before it’s too late?

Set in the fascinating world of wartime radio, don’t miss The Shadow Network, a heart-stopping novel of betrayal, treachery, and courage against the odds.

The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift

Extract from Chapter 5

Brandenburg, Germany, 1941

Bren Murphy was one of seven men in the hut making explosive devices using sugar, potash, and flour stuffed into a pipe.

He poured the mix of powder down the funnel, enjoying the sound like sand running into an hourglass. His hands were already reaching for another pipe. Always restless, he relished this training with the Brandenburg commandos, a stiff regime designed to equip them for undercover missions in enemy territory.

Bren glanced at his fellow commandos, all hard at work for the National Socialist Party. He wished the doubters could see them in training – many Germans looked down on the Brandenburg units with derision because they were mostly ex-pats brought back from Europe. He of course was not an expat, not even German, but an Irishman with a PhD in German. Most Wehrmacht men were too soft – they wouldn’t last five minutes on the tough assault courses the commandos had to tackle.

Bren flexed his muscles, still stiff from night-time runs through the forest with a forty-pound pack, and continued with his task. He leant into the table, mixing the ingredients with his red India-rubber gloves and using the funnel to get the stuff inside another tube. He tried not to breathe in the dry gunpowder dust that hung in the air. He stood back, ripped off his gloves, and admired his handiwork. A five pounder – it would knock the smile off someone’s face, and half the neighbourhood too.

Practical tasks had always suited him, and anything with an edge of danger. But now, after three weeks in the camp, he wanted action. He couldn’t wait to get posted.

‘You done already?’ His friend Alix Hoffnung asked in perfectly accented English. Alix was another English speaker, who’d been educated in Oxford.

‘Yup. Done it before. I’ve shoved in a little extra. Guess it’ll blow a few people out of their boots.’

‘God in heaven! Don’t let the Kommandant catch you. Don’t suppose we’ll be allowed to try it out on the testing range,’ Alix said. ‘There won’t be time.’

‘Yeah, the training’s gone quick.’

‘D’you use bombs in Ireland?’

Bren nodded. ‘Same sort of thing. Mostly nitro though if we could get it.’ He’d been part of the IRA as long as he could remember, from being a nipper. Brought up on it, like everyone else in his street. The Nazis wanted to crush the Brits, just like the IRA. Difference was, the Germans were better organised and better equipped for it too.

‘What did you target?’ Alix asked.

‘Same as the S-plan here. Anything to cause disruption to the English. Electricity sub-stations, trains, government buildings. But one of them went wrong and I had to get out smartish. After that, they upped the surveillance.’ He paused, remembering. ‘Bicycle bomb. Last August, in Coventry – killed five civilians – one hell of a mess. Supposed to make them take us seriously.’

‘And did it?’

‘I’ll say. Worked too well. Papers had a feeding frenzy and turned everyone against the IRA. Of course it was all backed by the Abwehr, so that’s how the Gestapo got wind of me. Von Hippel tracked me down in Dublin and asked if I wanted to serve with him.’

Alix stoppered his metal pipe with the bunch of rag provided, and stripped off his gloves. ‘We should be out of here in a few days,’ he said. ‘Wish I knew where I’d be going.’

‘I don’t care,’ Bren said, ‘so long as it’s not Ireland. Or the Eastern Front. Hoping for England; get even with the bastards.’

‘I’ll miss all this.’

‘What? Five o’clock wake-up calls and sawing through underwater bridges in minus two?’

‘God yes. That was awful.’ Alix paused. ‘No. I mean having company; like-minded comrades. Out there, we’ll be on our own.’

‘Just the way I like it,’ Bren said.

‘What, no women?’

‘Only if there are no ties.’ His mind went back to Lilli, to her face when she bumped into him with Hilde when he was supposed to be at football practice. That look of shock and incomprehension. But he couldn’t hang out with her any more, not once he knew her mother was Jewish. It would have tainted him with the Party for good.

No, she was a pariah. In the end he’d told his PhD supervisor the Bergens were Jewish sympathisers, and it had earned him a bunch of Brownie points with the Gestapo, and consolidated their special interest in him as a trusted member of the IRA.

‘First thing I’ll do if I ever get to England,’ Alix said, a dreamy expression on his face. ‘Find a screw.’

‘Make sure it’s a clean one then. I’ve heard dodgy whores are the Brits’ secret weapon.’

Alix grinned and stuffed more explosive into the pipe.

Deborah Swift is the English author of eighteen historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Lady’s Slipper, shortlisted for the Impress Prize.

Her most recent books are the Renaissance trilogy based around the life of the poisoner Giulia Tofana, The Poison Keeper and its sequels, one of which won the Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code.

Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

Twitter https://twitter.com/swiftstory

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

Website: www.deborahswift.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/

Amazon http://author.to/DeborahSwift

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift

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Published on February 26, 2024 16:30

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog tour presents: Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s by Jerry Madden

Book Title: Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s

Author: Jerry Madden

Publication Date: January 20, 2023

Publisher: Potomac Publishing Company

Page Length: 350 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s

Jerry Madden

Blurb:

For readers of The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni and Last Summer Boys by Bill Rivers

Love is never easy...even in easier times, like the 1950s and 1960s in the Ohio Valley with the steel industry booming.

Second-generation immigrant families were reaching for the American middle class. And Catholic schools-made feasible by selfless Catholic nuns-promised bigger lives for everyone, including Jack Clark and Laurie Carmine. As they spent years searching for their separate futures, though, they were also stumbling toward love just as their world came crashing down.

Steel Valley depicts a story of love longed for, lost, and perhaps still within reach, just as our nation's mythic yesterday became our troubled today, our last summer of innocence.

Website: Twitter: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:

Jerry Madden grew up in the Upper Ohio Valley in the 1960s. He holds a B.A. from the College of Steubenville and law degrees from the University of Dayton School of Law and the Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, Jerry served as the sole law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, C. William O'Neill. He served in the United States Marine Corps (R) between 1970 and 1976.

Jerry has practiced law in Washington, D.C., since 1979, including fourteen years at the Department of Justice as a trial and appellate attorney. He is the principal of The Madden Law Group PLLC in Washington, D.C.

He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Cyndi, a retired educator. They have two children, Kelsey and Jack, both of whom hold M.Ed. degrees. They have one grandchild, Jamie Maclennan.

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Published on February 21, 2024 16:30

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: A Grave Every Mile by David Fitz-Gerald

Book Title: A Grave Every Mile

Series: Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail

Author: David Fitz-Gerald

Publication Date: December 24th, 2023

Publisher: David Fitz-Gerald

Page Length: 204

Genre: Western, Historical Fiction

Series Trailer: https://youtu.be/sWvp6dtbXvA

A Grave Every Mile: A Pioneer Western Adventure

David Fitz-Gerald

Blurb:

Embark on a harrowing trek across the rugged American frontier in 1850. Your wagon awaits, and the untamed wilderness calls. This epic western adventure will test the mettle of even the bravest souls.

Dorcas Moon and her family set forth in search of opportunity and a brighter future. Yet, what awaits them is a relentless gauntlet of life-threatening challenges: miserable weather, ravenous insects, scorching sunburns, and unforgiving terrain. It's not merely a battle for survival but a test of their unity and sanity.

Amidst the chaos, Dorcas faces ceaseless trials: her husband's unending bickering, her daughter's descent into madness, and the ever-present danger of lethal rattlesnakes, intensifying the peril with each step. The specter of death looms large, with diseases spreading and the eerie howls of rabid wolves piercing the night. Will the haunting image of wolves desecrating a grave push Dorcas over the edge?

With each mile, the migration poses a haunting question: Who will endure the relentless quest to cross the continent, and who will leave their bones to rest beside the trail? The pathway is bordered by graves, a chilling reminder of the steep cost of dreams.

A Grave Every Mile marks the commencement of an unforgettable saga. Start reading Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail now to immerse yourself in an expedition where every decision carries the weight of life, death, and the pursuit of a brighter future along the Oregon Trail.

This title is available on #KindleUnlimited.