Debra Brown's Blog, page 5
December 17, 2013
Historical Fiction Excerpt: The Defiant Lady Pencavel
by Diane Scott Lewis
Down another gloomy corridor, Melwyn and her abigail entered a large room that smelled of leather and smoke. The light from the lamp barely touched on the numerous shelves of books. A large walnut desk, a smaller neoclassical desk by Maggiolini, and leather chairs filled out the area.
“Run your hands along the books, to try to find a latch or lever of some type,” Melwyn whispered, the lamp flame flickering in her gush.
“I’m doin’ it, over here in the dark in case ‘ee hasn’t noticed,” Clowenna groused. “Keep your knickers on, m’lady.”
“We don’t wear knickers yet.” Melwyn traced her fingers along the smooth and tooled leather volumes. “Though why is beyond me, and it’s extremely inconvenient at times.” She felt along the shelves, frustrated that she found nothing.
“I don’t feel naught but books an’ more books. Who has time for so much readin’?” Clowenna grumbled, then the sound of tripping and a thud. “La, and damme, I walked into a picture frame.”
“Shhhh. Do you want the wrath of his lordship, or his dragon of a housekeeper down on us?” Melwyn hurried to where she stood, shining light over the maid who rubbed her nose, and a tall portrait of Henry VIII that hadn’t swung on the picture rail. “This seems solidly in place.”
Melwyn pushed on the frame and the picture slid to her left. “Oh, my, I think we’ve found it.” She shone the lamplight on a dark wood panel.
“How do we open it?” Clowenna sniffed loudly, still intent on her nose.
“Find a latch or lever.” Melwyn handed her maid the lamp, and felt along the panel’s grooves and carvings, her fingers dipping into every nook and cranny. Finally, something metallic under her fingertips. She lifted it, and the panel creaked open slowly.
Melwyn grabbed the lamp and shone the light inside a musty, tiny room. “It looks like a priest’s hole. There is even a cabinet where they hid the sacred vessels and vestments.”
“Hope there’s no dead priest in there.” Clowenna gripped her mistress’s shoulder.
“I thought you weren’t a superstitious ninny.” Melwyn stepped in, and soon discovered another latch. The far door squeaked open. The dank smell of earth swept in on her, almost dousing the lamp. “This must be the secret tunnel.”
“Great, we found it. Now we can go home and tell your father.” Clowenna tugged on Melwyn’s arm. “I’m tired; let’s go up to bed afore we’re murdered.”
“I remind you that this was your idea.” Melwyn shook her off and put one foot into the tunnel, her heart racing. She held up the lamp. “This could be a passageway built by a previous ancestor and have nothing to do with Lord Lambrick.”
“That be wishful thinking, m’lady.” The maid tapped her foot in irritation. “Now come back an’ don’t do no too-stupid-to-live act.”
“We need more proof,” Melwyn insisted. She chewed on her lower lip. “How will I take you to the continent if you’re going to be a nervous Nellie?”
The light barely reached down the tunnel with its crude shored-up walls, and the sound of water could be heard farther along. Melwyn shivered in the cooler air. A stack of crates sat a few yards away. She walked toward them, and reached out her hand to touch the top one’s scarred lid.
A shadow moved to her right. A hand grabbed her wrist and she gulped in astonishment, almost dropping the lamp.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Down another gloomy corridor, Melwyn and her abigail entered a large room that smelled of leather and smoke. The light from the lamp barely touched on the numerous shelves of books. A large walnut desk, a smaller neoclassical desk by Maggiolini, and leather chairs filled out the area.“Run your hands along the books, to try to find a latch or lever of some type,” Melwyn whispered, the lamp flame flickering in her gush.
“I’m doin’ it, over here in the dark in case ‘ee hasn’t noticed,” Clowenna groused. “Keep your knickers on, m’lady.”
“We don’t wear knickers yet.” Melwyn traced her fingers along the smooth and tooled leather volumes. “Though why is beyond me, and it’s extremely inconvenient at times.” She felt along the shelves, frustrated that she found nothing.
“I don’t feel naught but books an’ more books. Who has time for so much readin’?” Clowenna grumbled, then the sound of tripping and a thud. “La, and damme, I walked into a picture frame.”
“Shhhh. Do you want the wrath of his lordship, or his dragon of a housekeeper down on us?” Melwyn hurried to where she stood, shining light over the maid who rubbed her nose, and a tall portrait of Henry VIII that hadn’t swung on the picture rail. “This seems solidly in place.”
Melwyn pushed on the frame and the picture slid to her left. “Oh, my, I think we’ve found it.” She shone the lamplight on a dark wood panel.
“How do we open it?” Clowenna sniffed loudly, still intent on her nose.
“Find a latch or lever.” Melwyn handed her maid the lamp, and felt along the panel’s grooves and carvings, her fingers dipping into every nook and cranny. Finally, something metallic under her fingertips. She lifted it, and the panel creaked open slowly.
Melwyn grabbed the lamp and shone the light inside a musty, tiny room. “It looks like a priest’s hole. There is even a cabinet where they hid the sacred vessels and vestments.”
“Hope there’s no dead priest in there.” Clowenna gripped her mistress’s shoulder.
“I thought you weren’t a superstitious ninny.” Melwyn stepped in, and soon discovered another latch. The far door squeaked open. The dank smell of earth swept in on her, almost dousing the lamp. “This must be the secret tunnel.”
“Great, we found it. Now we can go home and tell your father.” Clowenna tugged on Melwyn’s arm. “I’m tired; let’s go up to bed afore we’re murdered.”
“I remind you that this was your idea.” Melwyn shook her off and put one foot into the tunnel, her heart racing. She held up the lamp. “This could be a passageway built by a previous ancestor and have nothing to do with Lord Lambrick.”
“That be wishful thinking, m’lady.” The maid tapped her foot in irritation. “Now come back an’ don’t do no too-stupid-to-live act.”
“We need more proof,” Melwyn insisted. She chewed on her lower lip. “How will I take you to the continent if you’re going to be a nervous Nellie?”
The light barely reached down the tunnel with its crude shored-up walls, and the sound of water could be heard farther along. Melwyn shivered in the cooler air. A stack of crates sat a few yards away. She walked toward them, and reached out her hand to touch the top one’s scarred lid.
A shadow moved to her right. A hand grabbed her wrist and she gulped in astonishment, almost dropping the lamp.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
December 10, 2013
Historical Fiction Excerpt: But For the Grace of God
But For the Grace of God
by Ginger Myrick
West Virginia, May 1864
The Confederate soldier galloped his flagging mount through the densely wooded copse, unheeding of the bullets zinging dangerously past his head. He didn’t know how they could see to draw a bead on him in this thick growth so close to the river. They were probably shooting blindly.
Maybe he could lose them. It didn’t really matter. He’d already been hit once and would probably be dead soon, but he wasn’t about to give the bastards the satisfaction of his capture. If he could just hold on long enough to find a hiding place, somewhere he could at least settle down to take a look at his wound and perhaps stem the bleeding. He pressed his hand more tightly to his side, bent lower over the horse’s neck, and rode even harder.
The unfolding drama did not go unnoticed by the residents of a nearby farm. The gunshots drew Hannah Carter to her window, and she pulled back the curtains to scan the dimming twilight for some explanation of the commotion outside. She was about to abandon her vigil when her eye caught movement down by the river’s edge. She saw a horse struggle up from its crossing, and her vision focused just in time to witness its rider’s unceremonious yet oddly graceful slide to the ground. She let out a little cry of surprise as he hit the grassy bank not fifty feet from the house and rolled three times before coming to a stop face down in the dirt.
She reached the door in three swift steps, flung it open, and sprinted down the porch. Halfway across the yard she was joined in her flight by a big bear of a man running from the barn. They reached the soldier at the same time, and Hannah threw herself down at his side to get a better look. As she rolled his shoulder back, she saw that his face was dirty and covered with small abrasions from his tumble. She inhaled sharply as her eyes took in the tattered right side of his uniform and the gaping hole oozing blood in a slow but steady stream.
“Jeb, we have to get him to the house,” Hannah said, looking anxiously up into the big man’s dark brown eyes.
“We can’t,” he said, his face taking on a defiant set. “Have you forgotten about the pick-up tonight?”
“Well, we can’t leave him out here to bleed to death.”
“Why not? It’s what he’d do to me,” Jeb insisted stubbornly.
Hannah smiled tenderly, amused by his reluctance. Though there was no time for this, she placed her gentle hand on the powerful brown forearm exposed by his rolled-up sleeve. “Jeb,” she said softly, “I know you’re too smart for that petty argument. Besides, it would eat at your conscience to leave him. You wouldn’t sleep for a month.”
He sighed wearily, knowing that she was right. He hefted the considerable mass of the soldier’s long lanky body as if he were a child, threw the man over his shoulder, and made his way up the slight incline to the house, mumbling the entire time that they would all hang for this. Hannah shook her head, chuckling nervously to herself behind his wide sulking back. She grabbed a small leafy branch lying under an oak tree and scraped it along in the dirt behind them, doing her best to erase the evidence. Maybe it’s dark enough they won’t notice, she prayed hopefully, attempting to convince herself.
When she reached the porch, she hurriedly tossed the branch around the corner of the house and jogged up the steps, casting a last worried glance over her shoulder at the dusky horizon before stepping inside and closing the door—and just in time. No sooner had the latch securely clicked home than she heard pounding hoof beats thundering past on the other side of the river. They would have to hurry.
Hannah bustled into the kitchen where Jebediah had already deposited his burden onto the heavy oaken table and begun to cut away the raggedy remnants of the battle-stained coat. Ginny had dropped her supper preparations and had already begun to wash the soldier’s face and the area surrounding his wound.
“The bullet’s going to have to come out before we do anything else,” Jeb said, his earlier reticence forgotten as enemy now became patient.
“We don’t have time to open him up now,” Hannah observed, gathering the gray rags of the uniform and pitching them into the stove. “Those soldiers will be back as soon as they catch up to his horse. Just clean his face and wrap him up tight enough that he won’t bleed all over everything. Then get him upstairs into a bed. I’ll help Ginny clean up this mess.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amazon US
Amazon UKThank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
December 3, 2013
Historical Fiction Excerpt: Walk to Paradise Garden
by John Campbell
(Following a brawl that happened in a military canteen during WWI.)
John lingered in the ethereal comfort of near-oblivion, safe within his mind. Yet despite his resistance, dawning alertness drew him to the surface. He lay on his back, eyes closed. His tongue slid over his teeth, checking and rechecking, searching out any sharp edges that hadn’t been there before. Various sensations began nagging him, each fighting for dominance: upper back, shoulders, neck, jaw and stomach. When he tried to take in a deep breath, another agony joined the ranks, a dull, almost restrictive one, telling him his chest must be badly bruised. Ah yes, he thought. The fracas.
He didn’t regret a word of what had inflamed the testy Manchester bunch, but he cursed himself regardless. When would he learn discretion? He tried to open his eyes, but the glare of the room pressed them closed. The glare and…a silhouette stationed close to his bed. Please heaven, not Evelyne. Not with humiliation stuck to his face like scabs.
He forced his eyes open a slit and saw it was indeed Evelyne in her uniform, her lovely eyes searching for his. Her gaze commanded him to open his. He tried to mask his embarrassment, but in that instant she read him, and he knew she understood. He considered feigning a drift back to unconsciousness, but thought better of it. He tried to smile, but his swollen jawline quickly put a stop to that.
“John.”
In that syllable she communicated a book of sentiments: honesty, understanding, a little judgment, perhaps? Concern, certainly. And could it be…affection? With complete focus, he studied her face, but she averted her eyes toward the small table next to his infirmary cot. Her chair stood next to the mattress, within reach. He sensed movement, then felt her hand settle on his arm. Her cool, soft fingers calmed his jagged breathing, helping him to think more clearly.
“I, uh…” It hurt to move his mouth. His right hand went to his jaw and carefully explored the damage. His puffy skin felt like an overripe tomato. “I, uh, must look a fright.”
She nodded, eyes still locked with his.
“I’d fancy some water.”
“I have some right here. Can I help you sit up?”
“Uh, no, no.” His stomach felt like jelly. He tried to push with his hands against the mattress to raise himself, but could barely clench his teeth to fight the pain. Once up, he needed to catch his breath.
After a moment she said, “Now, as you try to sip, don’t be alarmed if some drips down your chin. You’ll find your lips are clumsy yet.”
He frowned, feeling vaguely pleased that at least he could frown without pain. He couldn’t help but remember all the times Edwina had ministered to him like this.
“I’ll hold it,” she said. “Keep your hands on the bed to steady yourself.”
She placed the tin cup against his bottom lip and tilted it. He tried desperately to sip without mishap, but water came around and over his lame lips, dribbled down his chin and onto his lap. He almost cursed. She could easily read his frustration in his face, but he was relieved she didn’t change her facial expression or say a word. What he could swallow refreshed his throat.
He took a shaky breath. “I feel like a baby.”
“That’s rather appropriate.”
Ah, there was judgment after all.
“Sorry.” Her expression pinched with remorse. “That was unattractive. I know you were only trying to be true to your ideals.” She smiled for reassurance. “Ideals that I agree with, by the way.”
After setting the cup down, she took his hand in both of hers. This time it was his turn to look away, away from this married woman.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
(Following a brawl that happened in a military canteen during WWI.)
John lingered in the ethereal comfort of near-oblivion, safe within his mind. Yet despite his resistance, dawning alertness drew him to the surface. He lay on his back, eyes closed. His tongue slid over his teeth, checking and rechecking, searching out any sharp edges that hadn’t been there before. Various sensations began nagging him, each fighting for dominance: upper back, shoulders, neck, jaw and stomach. When he tried to take in a deep breath, another agony joined the ranks, a dull, almost restrictive one, telling him his chest must be badly bruised. Ah yes, he thought. The fracas.He didn’t regret a word of what had inflamed the testy Manchester bunch, but he cursed himself regardless. When would he learn discretion? He tried to open his eyes, but the glare of the room pressed them closed. The glare and…a silhouette stationed close to his bed. Please heaven, not Evelyne. Not with humiliation stuck to his face like scabs.
He forced his eyes open a slit and saw it was indeed Evelyne in her uniform, her lovely eyes searching for his. Her gaze commanded him to open his. He tried to mask his embarrassment, but in that instant she read him, and he knew she understood. He considered feigning a drift back to unconsciousness, but thought better of it. He tried to smile, but his swollen jawline quickly put a stop to that.
“John.”
In that syllable she communicated a book of sentiments: honesty, understanding, a little judgment, perhaps? Concern, certainly. And could it be…affection? With complete focus, he studied her face, but she averted her eyes toward the small table next to his infirmary cot. Her chair stood next to the mattress, within reach. He sensed movement, then felt her hand settle on his arm. Her cool, soft fingers calmed his jagged breathing, helping him to think more clearly.
“I, uh…” It hurt to move his mouth. His right hand went to his jaw and carefully explored the damage. His puffy skin felt like an overripe tomato. “I, uh, must look a fright.”
She nodded, eyes still locked with his.
“I’d fancy some water.”
“I have some right here. Can I help you sit up?”
“Uh, no, no.” His stomach felt like jelly. He tried to push with his hands against the mattress to raise himself, but could barely clench his teeth to fight the pain. Once up, he needed to catch his breath.
After a moment she said, “Now, as you try to sip, don’t be alarmed if some drips down your chin. You’ll find your lips are clumsy yet.”
He frowned, feeling vaguely pleased that at least he could frown without pain. He couldn’t help but remember all the times Edwina had ministered to him like this.
“I’ll hold it,” she said. “Keep your hands on the bed to steady yourself.”
She placed the tin cup against his bottom lip and tilted it. He tried desperately to sip without mishap, but water came around and over his lame lips, dribbled down his chin and onto his lap. He almost cursed. She could easily read his frustration in his face, but he was relieved she didn’t change her facial expression or say a word. What he could swallow refreshed his throat.
He took a shaky breath. “I feel like a baby.”
“That’s rather appropriate.”
Ah, there was judgment after all.
“Sorry.” Her expression pinched with remorse. “That was unattractive. I know you were only trying to be true to your ideals.” She smiled for reassurance. “Ideals that I agree with, by the way.”
After setting the cup down, she took his hand in both of hers. This time it was his turn to look away, away from this married woman.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Fourteen Years Overseas for Stealing Two Sheep
Victorian era punishment for crime quite baffles us today. What might be a misdemeanor in our court systems now could have meant a devastating change in a person's life then if not death, and often for merely trying to keep from starvation. Read the post HERE (on my other blog) by Prue Batten which is found in the book Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors.Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
November 20, 2013
HistFic Cover Reveals 11/20
Twelfth Night at Longbourn
Given Good Principles Vol. IV
Maria Grace
Her youngest sister’s outrageous behavior has left Kitty Bennet a social outcast. Abandoned by her friends and the man who she thought cared for her, Kitty has all but given up hope when an unexpected Christmastide invitation promises the chance to start a new. Can the wonder of Twelfth Night bring life to her dreams?
To be released December 16, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Lost Duchess
Jenny Barden
An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World. The Lost Duchess explores what might have happened to the ill-starred 'Lost Colony of Roanoke'.
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Disinherited
Helena Page Schrader
Mercenary Sir Gerard receives an unexpected summons from a dying monk, his father. The encounter sets him on a journey to the castle of his birth and a confrontation with the man who has stolen his family’s lands and titles.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfiditas
Alison Morton
Falsely accused of conspiracy, 21st century Praetorian Carina Mitela is forced to flee into the criminal underworld. As she struggles to overcome the desperate odds and save her beloved Roma Nova and her own life, she faces the ultimate betrayal…
Amazon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God's Daughter
Heather Day Gilbert
Almost five centuries before Columbus, Viking women sailed to North America with their husbands. God's Daughter, Book One in the Vikings of the New World Saga, offers an expansive yet intimate look into the world of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please let us know what you like about these covers!
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Given Good Principles Vol. IV
Maria Grace
Her youngest sister’s outrageous behavior has left Kitty Bennet a social outcast. Abandoned by her friends and the man who she thought cared for her, Kitty has all but given up hope when an unexpected Christmastide invitation promises the chance to start a new. Can the wonder of Twelfth Night bring life to her dreams?To be released December 16, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Lost Duchess
Jenny Barden
.jpg)
An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World. The Lost Duchess explores what might have happened to the ill-starred 'Lost Colony of Roanoke'.Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Disinherited
Helena Page Schrader
Mercenary Sir Gerard receives an unexpected summons from a dying monk, his father. The encounter sets him on a journey to the castle of his birth and a confrontation with the man who has stolen his family’s lands and titles. Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfiditas
Alison Morton
Falsely accused of conspiracy, 21st century Praetorian Carina Mitela is forced to flee into the criminal underworld. As she struggles to overcome the desperate odds and save her beloved Roma Nova and her own life, she faces the ultimate betrayal… Amazon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God's Daughter
Heather Day Gilbert
Almost five centuries before Columbus, Viking women sailed to North America with their husbands. God's Daughter, Book One in the Vikings of the New World Saga, offers an expansive yet intimate look into the world of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir.Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please let us know what you like about these covers!
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
November 15, 2013
Americanisms and British Equivalents
An American's debut novel,The Companion
of Lady Holmeshire.
Go for it. Americans (like myself) and others writing British novels can make some enemies. Or at best receive constructive criticism when we use a term foreign to the British ear. You are invited to comment below on Americanisms and inform us losers of the proper terminology. Most will be added to the list. The following terms are not of my research but are brought to you by my British friends and enemies. ;) Amazon reviewers are also welcome to chip in. This post is the result of a discussion amongst Facebook friends.
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
November 13, 2013
HistFic Cover Reveals 11/13
The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland's Black Douglas
Glen Craney
Brutal Edward Longshanks schemes to steal Scotland. But a boy, James Douglas, defies three kings for his friend, Robert the Bruce, to lead armies to the bloody field of Bannockburn. A thrilling saga of love and sacrifice during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Newfound Land – book 4 in The Graham Saga
Anna Belfrage
Tired of strife, Alex and Matthew Graham have left Scotland and hope for a new start in 17th century Maryland. Unfortunately, the past has a nasty tendency to resurface – and their new life comes with dangers & adventures.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shattered Moments
Irina Shapiro
Murder, blackmail, long buried secrets, and a tender new romance take center stage in Shattered Moments, the final installment of The Hands of Time Series as the Whitfields and Sheridans face their toughest challenges yet.
Shattered Moments will be available the first week of January.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What She Left Behind
Ellen Marie Wiseman
Merging the past and present, this haunting story follows a young museum worker as she discovers a decades old journal inside a shuttered state asylum and is compelled to piece together the journal owner's fate—with shocking and unexpected results.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gang Petition
Peter St. John
The Women’s Land Army is taking over the Widdlington allotments, stirring up trouble in the village, particularly for the children. But who committed the midnight act of wartime sabotage? Everything turns on a secret visit to bomb-menaced London.
Gang Petition will be released November 15, 2013. It is available for preorder:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please let us know what you like about these covers!
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Glen Craney
Brutal Edward Longshanks schemes to steal Scotland. But a boy, James Douglas, defies three kings for his friend, Robert the Bruce, to lead armies to the bloody field of Bannockburn. A thrilling saga of love and sacrifice during the Scottish Wars of Independence.Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Newfound Land – book 4 in The Graham Saga
Anna Belfrage
Tired of strife, Alex and Matthew Graham have left Scotland and hope for a new start in 17th century Maryland. Unfortunately, the past has a nasty tendency to resurface – and their new life comes with dangers & adventures.Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shattered Moments
Irina Shapiro
Murder, blackmail, long buried secrets, and a tender new romance take center stage in Shattered Moments, the final installment of The Hands of Time Series as the Whitfields and Sheridans face their toughest challenges yet.Shattered Moments will be available the first week of January.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What She Left Behind
Ellen Marie Wiseman
Merging the past and present, this haunting story follows a young museum worker as she discovers a decades old journal inside a shuttered state asylum and is compelled to piece together the journal owner's fate—with shocking and unexpected results.Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gang Petition
Peter St. John
.JPG)
The Women’s Land Army is taking over the Widdlington allotments, stirring up trouble in the village, particularly for the children. But who committed the midnight act of wartime sabotage? Everything turns on a secret visit to bomb-menaced London.Gang Petition will be released November 15, 2013. It is available for preorder:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please let us know what you like about these covers!
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
November 7, 2013
Cover Reveals for New Historical Fiction
I am going to be doing cover reveals here. I am a lover of good art, and many of the covers are really well done. I hope you enjoy looking them over as I do!
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The Kiss of the Concubine
Judith Arnopp
Henry VIII lies on his deathbed. A little boy snivels into his sleeve; he is about to become King. Candles flicker shadows in the room. Someone has come to tell her husband it is time to pay his dues.
A Novel of Anne Boleyn
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Staymaker - The Downfall of Thomas Kingsmill and the Hawkhurst Gang
Andy Millen
Gritty and violent from the start, this novel follows the Hawkhurst and Chichester Smuggling gangs and the attempts to bring them to justice in the final years of the 1740’s.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Girl Who Came Home - A Novel of the Titanic
Hazel Gaynor
A retelling of the Titanic disaster through the experiences of a young Irish woman, travelling in steerage. Blending fact and fiction, the novel explores the tragedy’s impact on survivors and their families.
April 1, 2014 by William Morrow Books (HarperCollins)
Preorder US
Preorder UK
What do you like about these covers?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Kiss of the Concubine
Judith Arnopp
Henry VIII lies on his deathbed. A little boy snivels into his sleeve; he is about to become King. Candles flicker shadows in the room. Someone has come to tell her husband it is time to pay his dues.A Novel of Anne Boleyn
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Staymaker - The Downfall of Thomas Kingsmill and the Hawkhurst Gang
Andy Millen
Gritty and violent from the start, this novel follows the Hawkhurst and Chichester Smuggling gangs and the attempts to bring them to justice in the final years of the 1740’s.Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Girl Who Came Home - A Novel of the Titanic
Hazel Gaynor
A retelling of the Titanic disaster through the experiences of a young Irish woman, travelling in steerage. Blending fact and fiction, the novel explores the tragedy’s impact on survivors and their families.April 1, 2014 by William Morrow Books (HarperCollins)
Preorder US
Preorder UK
What do you like about these covers?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
November 6, 2013
New Release
Moonless
Crystal Collier
Moonless is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural
Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.
Purchase
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | TumblrThank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Crystal Collier
Moonless is Jane Eyre meets SupernaturalAlexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.
Purchase
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | TumblrThank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
October 1, 2013
Historical Fiction Enticements 10/02
The Patterer
Larry Brill
In 1765 London, Leeds Merriweather is scratching out a living as a common street performer, a patterer, using his wit and storytelling skills to draw crowds and sell newspapers. Although he aspires to be a respected journalist and start his own publishing house, he is relegated to pattering by a handsome face, strong voice and straight teeth.
Inspired by a drunken chance encounter with Benjamin Franklin, Leeds assembles a zany cast of characters to become history’s first celebrity newscaster. But at the peak of his meteoric rise to fame and fortune, Leeds risks it all for the love of a conniving wench in this Dickensian comedy.
The Patterer is the first release in a trilogy.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sisters of The Bruce
Jeanette Harvey
Sisters of The Bruce is a captivating work of fiction that weaves family history with a gripping narrative through the social and political landscape of medieval Scotland, Norway and Orkney.
Late 13th century Scotland is a wild and perilous place. Against a background of cataclysmic events, the adventurous lives of Robert the Bruce and his five sisters come to life through their own words in a series of letters. Courage and tenacity are often associated with Scotland’s great hero, but few appreciate the enormous challenges experienced by these remarkable sisters.
As a young girl, Isa leaves her home and family to sail to the land of the Vikings to become Queen of Norway whilst her sister, Kirsty, finds herself Countess of Mar: chatelaine of the great Kildrummy Castle in Scotland’s far northeast. Danger shifts and swirls about them. With assistance from Isa, younger sisters, Mathilda and Margaret, escape north.
As Scotland spirals into war, the Bruce kinfolk face the wrath of King Edward I of England, whose murderous vengeance wrought the brutal death of William Wallace some years earlier. Kirsty is incarcerated in solitary confinement in an English nunnery whilst Mary languishes within a cage on the walls of Roxburgh Castle. Only a Scottish victory at Bannockburn can save them.
Under Robert’s kingship, old wounds heal and his committed fighting force achieves a miracle. Eight years on, the fragile women return home to rebuild their shattered lives. Such an intimate account of love, loss and hope still resonates today.
Sisters of The Bruce is due out September/October in book and ebook form. Available through Amazon and Troubador Publishing UK or order through your local bookstore.
Blog: www.sistersofthebruce.wordpress.com
Websites: sistersofthebruce.com; robertthebruce.info
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roan Rose
Juliet Waldron
More like a gangland war for turf and loot than chivalry, the War of Roses disrupted the life of commoners for hundreds of years. Roan Rose is the story of one of them, Rose Whitby, born on the Yorkshire dales. When the Countess of Warwick, decides to take the sturdy, gentle child to Middleham Castle to be companion and bed-time poppet for her youngest daughter, Rose’s fate is changed forever.
Rose bonds strongly with Anne Neville, her young mistress. She also meets a delicate royal boy enduring his knightly training—Richard of Gloucester, King Edward’s youngest brother. The noble children suffer illness and accidents as they grow, but Rose is a constant, always there to nurse and serve.
Rose bears intimate witness to betrayals, murders, battles and all the abrupt reversals of fortune which will shape Anne’s life--and her own. When Anne and Richard are at last free to marry, Rose is given a husband, too. From now on, she will live in the village at Middleham, work as a herbalist, raise her children and watch while her friends travel among their many castles. When King Edward unexpectedly drops dead, the hitherto loyal Richard surprises everyone by declaring his nephews illegitimate and seizing the throne. Rose’s beloved Anne will briefly become a Queen, while Richard’s name will become synonymous with evil. After he, the last Plantagenet King, is betrayed and slain on the field of battle, Rose returns to her humble existence on the Dales. She has one last service to perform.
Roan Rose will be available next week on Amazon.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraiser - Mother Jones: An Historical Novel
Jerry Ash
"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience." — George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and co-founder of the London School of Economics.
Hellraiser —Mother Jones: An Historical Novel brings Irish American Mother Jones back to renew the lessons of her history, to understand and compare the economic injustices of her time with the economic inequalities of contemporary life and to enable Mother Jones to once again call her people to action.
In history, Mary Harris Jones faces threats and jail terms, bullets and bombs to defend the American worker, the underclass — men, women and children — against the greed of robber barons like Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan and Vanderbilt.
In the end, the spirit of Mother Jones returns to find an America where economic servitude has shifted from the coal mines and sweatshops of her day to the fast food chains, big box retailers and even the high tech industries of ours. Where capitalism has robbed the people of the promises of justice, equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in what was supposed to be a democratic society. Just as she warned 100 years ago.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Hellraiser website
Barnes & NobleThank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
Larry Brill
In 1765 London, Leeds Merriweather is scratching out a living as a common street performer, a patterer, using his wit and storytelling skills to draw crowds and sell newspapers. Although he aspires to be a respected journalist and start his own publishing house, he is relegated to pattering by a handsome face, strong voice and straight teeth. Inspired by a drunken chance encounter with Benjamin Franklin, Leeds assembles a zany cast of characters to become history’s first celebrity newscaster. But at the peak of his meteoric rise to fame and fortune, Leeds risks it all for the love of a conniving wench in this Dickensian comedy.
The Patterer is the first release in a trilogy.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sisters of The Bruce
Jeanette Harvey
Sisters of The Bruce is a captivating work of fiction that weaves family history with a gripping narrative through the social and political landscape of medieval Scotland, Norway and Orkney.Late 13th century Scotland is a wild and perilous place. Against a background of cataclysmic events, the adventurous lives of Robert the Bruce and his five sisters come to life through their own words in a series of letters. Courage and tenacity are often associated with Scotland’s great hero, but few appreciate the enormous challenges experienced by these remarkable sisters.
As a young girl, Isa leaves her home and family to sail to the land of the Vikings to become Queen of Norway whilst her sister, Kirsty, finds herself Countess of Mar: chatelaine of the great Kildrummy Castle in Scotland’s far northeast. Danger shifts and swirls about them. With assistance from Isa, younger sisters, Mathilda and Margaret, escape north.
As Scotland spirals into war, the Bruce kinfolk face the wrath of King Edward I of England, whose murderous vengeance wrought the brutal death of William Wallace some years earlier. Kirsty is incarcerated in solitary confinement in an English nunnery whilst Mary languishes within a cage on the walls of Roxburgh Castle. Only a Scottish victory at Bannockburn can save them.
Under Robert’s kingship, old wounds heal and his committed fighting force achieves a miracle. Eight years on, the fragile women return home to rebuild their shattered lives. Such an intimate account of love, loss and hope still resonates today.
Sisters of The Bruce is due out September/October in book and ebook form. Available through Amazon and Troubador Publishing UK or order through your local bookstore.
Blog: www.sistersofthebruce.wordpress.com
Websites: sistersofthebruce.com; robertthebruce.info
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roan Rose
Juliet Waldron
More like a gangland war for turf and loot than chivalry, the War of Roses disrupted the life of commoners for hundreds of years. Roan Rose is the story of one of them, Rose Whitby, born on the Yorkshire dales. When the Countess of Warwick, decides to take the sturdy, gentle child to Middleham Castle to be companion and bed-time poppet for her youngest daughter, Rose’s fate is changed forever. Rose bonds strongly with Anne Neville, her young mistress. She also meets a delicate royal boy enduring his knightly training—Richard of Gloucester, King Edward’s youngest brother. The noble children suffer illness and accidents as they grow, but Rose is a constant, always there to nurse and serve.
Rose bears intimate witness to betrayals, murders, battles and all the abrupt reversals of fortune which will shape Anne’s life--and her own. When Anne and Richard are at last free to marry, Rose is given a husband, too. From now on, she will live in the village at Middleham, work as a herbalist, raise her children and watch while her friends travel among their many castles. When King Edward unexpectedly drops dead, the hitherto loyal Richard surprises everyone by declaring his nephews illegitimate and seizing the throne. Rose’s beloved Anne will briefly become a Queen, while Richard’s name will become synonymous with evil. After he, the last Plantagenet King, is betrayed and slain on the field of battle, Rose returns to her humble existence on the Dales. She has one last service to perform.
Roan Rose will be available next week on Amazon.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraiser - Mother Jones: An Historical Novel
Jerry Ash
"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience." — George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and co-founder of the London School of Economics.Hellraiser —Mother Jones: An Historical Novel brings Irish American Mother Jones back to renew the lessons of her history, to understand and compare the economic injustices of her time with the economic inequalities of contemporary life and to enable Mother Jones to once again call her people to action.
In history, Mary Harris Jones faces threats and jail terms, bullets and bombs to defend the American worker, the underclass — men, women and children — against the greed of robber barons like Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan and Vanderbilt.
In the end, the spirit of Mother Jones returns to find an America where economic servitude has shifted from the coal mines and sweatshops of her day to the fast food chains, big box retailers and even the high tech industries of ours. Where capitalism has robbed the people of the promises of justice, equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in what was supposed to be a democratic society. Just as she warned 100 years ago.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Hellraiser website
Barnes & NobleThank you for reading my blog! I am always eager to hear back from you.
Debbie Brown
Author of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire
