A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 103

Release Blitz – Fluffy – Romance

Out Now—Fluffy by Julia Kent (@jkentauthor) #romance #romcom

 

FLUFFY

Author: Julia Kent

Release date:  April 30, 2019

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer:  Hang Le

Editor: Elisa Reed

Audiobook narrator: Erin Mallon

 

Description:

An all-new STANDALONE from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent

It all started with the wrong Help Wanted ad. Of course, it did.

I’m a professional fluffer. It’s NOT what you think. I stage homes for a living. Real estate agents love me, and my work stands on its own merits.

Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter. Go ahead. Laugh. I’ll wait.

See? That’s the problem. My career has used the term “fluffer” for decades. I didn’t even know there was a more… lascivious definition of the term.

Until it was too late.

The ad for a “professional fluffer” on Craigslist seemed like divine intervention. My last unemployment check was in the bank. I was desperate. Rent was due. The ad said cash paid at the end of the day.

The perfect job!

Staging homes means showing your best angle. The same principle applies in making a certain kind of movie. Turns out a “fluffer” doesn’t arrange decorative pillows on a couch.

They arrange other soft, round-ish objects.

The job isn’t hard. Er, I mean, it is — it’s about being hard. Or, well… helping other people to be hard.

Oh, man…

And that’s the other problem. A man. No, not one of the stars on the movie set. Will Lotham – my high school crush. The owner of the house where we’re filming. Illegally. In a vacation rental.

By the time the cops show up, what I thought was just a great house staging gig turned into a nightmare involving pictures of me with an undressed naked star, Will rescuing me from an arrest, and a humiliating lesson in my own naivete.

My job turned out to be so much harder than I expected. But you know what’s easier than I ever imagined?

Having all my dreams come true.

Buy links:

 

AmazonUS: http://mybook.to/fluffy

AmazonUK: http://smarturl.it/fluffyAMZuk

AmazonCA: http://smarturl.it/fluffyAMZca

AmazonAU: http://smarturl.it/fluffyAMZau

Nook/BN: http://bit.ly/2CGtnBE

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2RmE159

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2BjWvxL

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2COKLmQ

Audible: https://adbl.co/2KRgFGR

Print: http://mybook.to/fluffy

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2TjDjqS

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2ThoLrZ

[image error]

Excerpt:

“You’re changing the subject.”

“How do you know that’s what I’m doing?”

“Because you have this thing you do when you get nervous. You did it in high school and you’re doing it now.”

“What’s that?”

“You start cracking your knuckles. One by one.”

He halts mid-crack on his ring finger. His bare ring finger.

Will looks down. A slow smile pulls at his lips. “You’re right. I do.” Our eyes meet. “How did you know?”

“I sat behind you in nearly every honors class, Will. I’ve watched you answer countless questions from teachers. And every time you didn’t know the answer, you cracked your knuckles. One”–I crack my index finger–“by”–I crack my middle finger–“one.” My ring finger won’t snap.

He waits.

“You spent a lot of time paying attention to me, Mallory.”

“I sat behind you. It’s not like I could stare at your ass all day. I had to have something else to look at.”

“You stared at my ass?”

“It was two feet in front of me! Four classes a day!” I start to sweat. The memory of him in football uniform pants. Oh, sweet ice cream fairy, deliver me from evil.

“You okay? You look,” he says, stepping closer, “a little disturbed.”

“I’m fine.”

“Hot, even.” The rise and fall of his chest pauses after those words, as if he’s holding his breath, too.

[image error]

 

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://jkentauthor.com/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Newsletter:  http://bit.ly/2PIBi9n

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

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-kent

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3238619.Julia_Kent

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Julia-Kent/e/B00A99V268/

 

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Surprise

Here’s another Eclectica author interview:)

creative barbwire (or the many lives of a creator)

And after the Easter break, here’s another Eclectica author! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Donald J. Bingle, Writer on Demand !

Where do you live and write from?

I currently live in Illinois and either write there or while vacationing in Hawaii.

Why do you write?

Well, certainly not for the fame or the money! I like to be read and if you don’t write, submit, and publish, no one will ever read your work.

When did you start writing?

I played a lot of role-playing game tournaments twenty-five to forty years ago (I was the world’s top ranked player of classic RPGA tournaments for the last fifteen years of the last century) and that led to running games, then writing tournament scenarios, then writing for game companies like TSR, the my own stories, then novels, screenplays, and the rest.

What genre(s) do you write?

I write in the…

View original post 322 more words

Book Spotlight – Portal Bundles

Basic Book Spotlight

Title: Fantasy Portals

Author: VV.AA.

Genre: Fantasy

Main character description (short). This is a collection of short stories, so there’s no main character.

Synopsis: Whether you’re sucked in, you fall into it or you see it and decide to explore what’s beyond, a portal is always an opening to a great adventure. From our world to others, alone or in good company, our heroes and heroines reach “somewhere” down the rabbit hole and meet strange creatures. Sometimes those creatures are the protagonists and help humans. Sometimes the other world is not as shiny as it first looks. 10 stories of fantasy portals.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Since I can’t pick and choose even if I’m the curator, I shall put the Table of Contents, so you can see who’s in it – all great writers!

“A Flat Above the Wynd” by Alexandra Brandt

“The Earthbloods of Carapet” by Joe Cron

“The Faerys Choice” by Jamie Ferguson

“A Walk With Georgia” by Debbie Mumford

“A Chance to Escape” by Laura Ware

“Queen of the Mouse Riders” by Annie Reed

“The Portal” by Barbara G.Tarn

“The Traveler” by C.A. Rowland

“Wolf Warlock” by Meyari McFarland

“The Dancer at the Red Door” by Douglas Smith

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

Award-winning stories and brand new ones sitting side by side

Cover Art (add as attachment please)

 

Title: More Portals

Author: VV.AA.

Genre: SFF

Main character description (short). This is a collection of short stories, so there’s no main character.

Synopsis: More portals coming your way, with aliens and mythical creatures mingling with us. You’ll be transported all over the world and beyond, or even between worlds with some time-travel and some archeology thrown in for good measure. 10 stories of portals.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Since I can’t pick and choose even if I’m the curator, I shall put the Table of Contents so you can see who’s in it – all great writers!

“And Then There Are Cats” by Jamie Ferguson

“The Avalon Pub” by Barbara G.Tarn

“What We’re Going To Do Next” by Jennifer Rachel Baumer

“The Angle Between Worlds” by Stefon Mears

“Sideways” by Lana Ayers

“Tethering the Sun” by C.A. Rowland

“Beneath and Beyond” by Debbie Mumford

“Ten Escher From Here” by Fulvio Gatti

“Nite 2 Remember” by Pati Nagle

“My Julie” by Ron Collins

 

Fantasy Portals eBook universal link and paperback.

More Portals eBook universal link and paperback.

More portals, including science fiction ones that either take to other worlds, aliens, back in time or other dimensions. With some traditional portal fantasy and a couple of weird tales of passages between worlds. 10 portal stories of discovery that sometimes lead to love.

“And Then There Are Cats” by Jamie Ferguson

“The Avalon Pub” by Barbara G.Tarn

“What We’re Going To Do Next” by Jennifer Rachel Baumer

“The Angle Between Worlds” by Stefon Mears

“Sideways” by Lana Ayers

“Tethering the Sun” by C.A. Rowland

“Beneath and Beyond” by Debbie Mumford

“Ten Escher From Here” by Fulvio Gatti

“Nite 2 Remember” by Pati Nagle

“My Julie” by Ron Collins

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

BundleRabbit Series page: https://bundlerabbit.com/s/curated-anthologies

Curator’s website: http://www.unicornproductionsbooks.com/curated-anthologies/

 

 

[image error]

[image error]

 

Swift Six Author Interview – Felicia Fredlund – Fantasy/Eclectica

Name: Felicia Fredlund

[image error]

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?

I write in several genres, but I mostly write fantasy. When I write I want to go on an adventure, to somewhere different and interesting, and perhaps a bit dangerous. Wonders like magic can exist. I love the idea of going on an adventure.

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?

Entertain yourself / have fun. Keep the fun and when it starts to go away, cut away the worries and fears and keep seeking the fun. Writing as a way of making a living means a lot of work with no guarantee of money at the end of all that effort. So to make the effort always worth it, fun is the needed ingredient.

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?

So I’d have different answers depending on what I’d want to achieve with the dinner! For just a fun and interesting time, I’d probably pick Aly from the Tricksters series by Tamora Pierce. As a fine spy, I bet she knows all kinds of interesting things. But, I guess she might not be famous. Ops!

The writer Nora Roberts would be another pick. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her but I think it would be fun and I could learn a lot from her. I really love her In Death series under her open pen name J.D. Robb.

Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?

For the genre I write (fantasy) and the mainly female main characters I create, I guess I can thank Tamora Pierce and her book Alanna: The First Adventure, which is the book that made me fall in love with reading and featured a girl want to be a knight. I loved that book as a kid. As an adult I favor the last book in series more (Lioness Rampant).

Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?

Considering we are about a decade into the revolution and print is still strong? Probably not for a while yet. Do I think we will always have print books like we do now? Probably not, we don’t use papyrus much anymore. My point being that technology do change over centuries and millenniums.

But do I think print will disappear anytime soon? It doesn’t seem likely at the moment, but that could change tomorrow.

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?

Only 3 books? Does my kindle count as one book? Because I’d take that, haha.

The Deeds of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon, because it is an excellent fantasy adventure book (trilogy that is always sold as one book nowadays so I’m counting it as one!). It just hits all the notes for me to make a great fantasy book and it goes dark without going into horror.

Eat. Pray. Love. by Elizabeth Gilbert (I’m sensing a trend in author names…). I didn’t read it for the first time when it got famous. I read it a few years later when it showed up on my radar for some reason I can’t remember. I love Gilbert’s writing, what I’ve read of it I mean. It is a story of a physical, emotional, and mental journey that I already know I’ll want to come back to periodically (I’ve reread it once so far).

The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings. Constraining me to three books means I have to make different choices than I might otherwise. I wanted another fiction book on the list, another meaty one preferably, but since it could only be one, I couldn’t choice any of my favorite series that I might have chosen otherwise. This is still a great choice. Another fantastic adventure, with a lot of humor this time, so more light-hearted than Paksenarrion. A more comfortable ride, which is what is needed when life throws too many hard balls.

Author bio and book synopsis

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Felicia Fredlund writes fiction about entertaining adventures and emotional journeys of interesting people. She currently lives in Japan after a period of traveling.

She writes one series, a dark fantasy series called Sorceress Islands. Her short stories have appeared in several Fiction Rivers.

She also edits. She edited Fiction River: Last Stand with Dean Wesley Smith.

Learn more about her on her website www.FeliciaFredlund.com, and join her newsletter for up-to-date information about all her books.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

Dear Brother is a contemporary short story about dealing with grief. A young man has lost his brother and is trying to come to terms with it.

(Side note: I assumed you asked about my story in the bundle, if you meant to ask more generally, I can add more about other stories/books of mine.)

Links: www.FeliciaFredlund.com, https://www.feliciafredlund.com/newsletter/

Social media (I don’t use it).

[image error]

Sunday Surprise

A great Eclectica interview

creative barbwire (or the many lives of a creator)

And it’s a guest! From the Eclectica bundle, please meet Harvey Stanbrough! And check out An Eclectic Dinner Party at Jackie Keswick’s!

Character Interview – Madam Giry – Tears and Crimson Velvet/Eclectica

Name: Madam Lise Giry

Which book/world do you live in? Tears and Crimson Velvet.

Tell us about yourself: I am a wardrobe mistress at the Opera House in Paris. I have been here many years – M. Giry died not many years after our marriage and the children from his first marriage ensured I was left with very little. I have a daughter – Meg – the only one of our children to survive and thus at first my life was hard.

How do you see your world? A friend, I suppose that is the correct term, arranged for my employment here. I have been seamstress, box-keeper, ballet mistress, and almost every role open to a woman in this grand establishment. I am eternally grateful to Erik, through his kindness my daughter has been educated, danced and we have had, if not a life of luxury then at least more comfortable than otherwise. Once I was an innocent girl with dreams. Now I am an old woman with arthritis, a heart that loved unwisely and memories of an angel in cage.

I have a kind benefactor – perhaps the greatest, but most unhappy and tragic of men. I could have a life so much worse.

What part do you play in this tale? This is my story, our story. The tragedy of the Phantom of the Opera is well known; the deaths, the disappearances, the music, the Opera Ghost. I knew the man behind them when we were both barely out of childhood. I suppose you might say I saved his life, and he changed mine.

Do you consider yourself a good person? I have tried to live a good life, a life to please God, and in that, I may have failed.

He could have left me to starve, or eke out my living in the slums, but he did not. He remembered me, and he repaid the debt he thought he had – and more. Women of my status and situation have very little on offer without a husband or money and I have seen many sell everything, including themselves. I could have, should have been one of those unfortunate women.

There was something about that young man, a caged songbird filled with despair, hatred and the most exquisite song, and marvellous tricks, even then. There is not another such as Erik, no do I believe there ever will. But that haunted, twisted face still appears in my dreams. An angel damned to wear the face of a monster and be shunned by man and god alike. I am not surprised he lived apart from men, and the tragedy of his misguided love happened. My heart broke that day. Now my friend is gone and the world is thus emptier.

Should I have told what I knew? Should I have turned in the man I suspected to be a murderer? Probably. Do I regret that I did not? No. Not for one single day. I should have told the authorities where he was, who he was and yet I perpetuated his legends and his secrets. Yet I have heard him sing, and seen the tragedy and the curse in his eyes. And I have been part of that curse.

Do you follow any religion? I was raised a Catholic. Do I still believe? I pray, but mostly it is out of habit. The prayers are hollow. I have seen, and been complicit in too much to believe I will be forgiven. Once I may have thought that, but many years have passed.

What is your favourite music? I love Opera – the glory of the human voice and the excitement. One cannot work here without that love.

[image error]

Eclectica A Short Story Bundle

From fantasy to space adventure, pirates, mystery, horror, historical fiction, romance and coming of age you’ll find short, snappy reads herein. There is something for everyone in this lucky dip.

19 short stories and collections from multiple authors.

https://books2read.com/EclecticaBundle

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NWQ4YTP/?tag=kydala-20

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NWQ4YTP/?tag=kydala-20

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/eclectica-1

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1458246383

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131078746?ean=2940161178102

https://bundlerabbit.com/b/eclectica

Blown – Diana Deverell

Socks and Pins and Aliens – Thea Hutcheson

Tales of Blood and Ink – Kate MacLeod

Tales of Tomorrow – Debbie Mumford

Shaken, Not Stirred: A Dawna Shepherd Short Story – Diana Deverell

City Shadows – Chuck Heintzelman

Outside the Walls – A.L. Butcher and Diana L. Wicker

Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam – Donald J. Bingle

Dear Brother – Felicia Fredlund

The Cache and Other Stories – Sherry D Ramsey

Sword Oath – Jackie Keswick

The Hooded Man – Barbara G. Tarn

S F & H – Harvey Stanbrough

Resonant Bronze – J.M. Ney-Grimm

Hitomi’s Path – M.L. Buchman

Children – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Jhyoti Planetside – Marcelle Dube

Petra and the Blue Goo – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tears and Crimson Velvet – A. L. Butcher

Eclectica – Short Story Bundle – On Preorder Now

Eclectica A Short Story Bundle

On Preorder – available from 13th April 2019.

From fantasy to space adventure, pirates, mystery, horror, historical fiction, romance and coming of age you’ll find short, snappy reads herein. There is something for everyone in this lucky dip.

19 short stories and collections from multiple authors.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NWQ4YTP/?tag=kydala-20

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NWQ4YTP/?tag=kydala-20

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/eclectica-1

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1458246383

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131078746

https://bundlerabbit.com/b/eclectica

Blown – Diana Deverell

Socks and Pins and Aliens – Thea Hutcheson

Tales of Blood and Ink – Kate MacLeod

Tales of Tomorrow – Debbie Mumford

Shaken, Not Stirred: A Dawna Shepherd Short Story – Diana Deverell

City Shadows – Chuck Heintzelman

Outside the Walls – A.L. Butcher and Diana L. Wicker

Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam – Donald J. Bingle

Dear Brother – Felicia Fredlund

The Cache and Other Stories – Sherry D Ramsey

Sword Oath – Jackie Keswick

The Hooded Man – Barbara G. Tarn

S F & H – Harvey Stanbrough

Resonant Bronze – J.M. Ney-Grimm

Hitomi’s Path – M.L. Buchman

Children – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Jhyoti Planetside – Marcelle Dube

Petra and the Blue Goo – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tears and Crimson Velvet – A. L. Butcher

Review – Green Men and White Swans – The Folklore of British Pub Names

3.5 Stars.

This book is a potted history and folklore of some of the names of British Pubs, past and present. Not every pub name is included – it depends on the origin of the name (and the ability to find out what it means).

Some of the names are odd, not obvious and many are reminiscent of attitudes long gone (Such as Quiet Woman – depicting a woman with no head, or wearing a scold’s bridle; or Nags Head – could also be sexist; Saracen’s Head or Black Boy – now viewed as racist.) In many cases the signs or names have been altered in our more enlightened times. Some of the pubs are old – they show which side a local landholder was on in the English Civil War, or whether they supported the Catholics or Protestants during the Reformation.

There are many mythical references – Unicorn, Green Man, Dragon, George and Dragon, Phoenix, etc. Not all in a locale directly related to that creature or hero – and some are named after ships, for example.

The snippets of local history and pride in that history are the most interesting aspect – and some of the references would be largely unknown outside a particular area.

A lot of research has been done for this book, and that shows.

The cons – there were a lot of formatting/typo errors, including a duplicate paragraph and the way certain aspects were laid out with specific topics interspersed did not work well as an ebook, as the formatting was all over the place.

Subject – 4 stars

Technical side – 3 stars.

 

Adventures in Self-Publishing – Reviews -Part 2

I remember the first ‘bad’ review I got for my first book. It was 2-star review on Goodreads, and I was angry, upset and lots of negative emotions.  How dare someone think that! Of course, now I have moved on, and I realise it is just one reader’s views, nothing more, nothing less.

My point is – for new writers a bad review feels terrible. Someone who doesn’t care how much time you spent writing, what sacrifices you made etc. Correct – the reader doesn’t give a damn about that. He or she just wanted a good experience with the book they spent money on. If you go to a restaurant and order a meal, it arrives and it’s not what you expected, or you think it’s too cold, or too hot, or has garlic in then you will complain. You don’t care that the chef has a headache, or his car broke down on the way in. You want a nice meal. It’s the same principle.

I have a mix of ratings on my books from 1 star to 5 stars, some great comments and some… less than great comments. The books I write are NOT mainstream. Light Beyond the Storm features violence against women, murder, sex, slavery and other contentious topics. I’ve been told it can be difficult to read. Am I going to change it? No. The issues therein are part of the story and the world of Erana: Elves are slaves, Dii (the main female character) is an Elven woman who is not only a slave but a magic user. She has no rights in that society – and her very existence is illegal. The poor girl is at the bottom of the social heap. Olek and Archos are the good guys (and I use that term relatively), but they aren’t nice. Olek is a thief and an assassin – he kills, he steals, he blackmails. Archos is a sorcerer and he deceives, he kills, he flouts the law, and he is, essentially, a crimelord. There are very few really ‘good people’ – except Dii and Ozena. I can understand why readers might be shocked by what happens, or upset by the violence. Some folks are. But then again some aren’t.

Books are a varied as the authors – everyone is different. Readers are different.

So how to deal with ‘bad’ reviews.

DO NOT COMMENT – Really just don’t. It’s unprofessional, it’s likely to backfire. A few years ago there were some individuals on Goodreads who had rated a particular author’s book with a low rating and unfavourable review; said author then started bitching about these reviewers. There was name calling, trolling and general nastiness. No one came out well, least of all the author. Such behaviour tarnishes other authors (and readers) who don’t behave like that and indie author suffers.
ANALYSE THEM – is the reader just unhappy because the story didn’t fulfil their expectations? Or are they reporting technical issues? The first you as the author can’t do much about, but technical issues can and should be fixed.
DO NOT GO BITCHING ON YOUR BLOG – this relates back to 1. Yes, you might be annoyed or upset but venting online will not help. People forget what is said online can be deleted but not removed. By that I mean if someone sees it, then it’s ‘out there’ – it can be copied, or shared. If you feel you must vent do it privately.
MOVE ON – pretty much every book from Shakespeare’s plays to Game of Thrones will have a bad review. It happens.
KEEP WRITING – don’t give up. Writing is a craft, and it takes practice, and commitment. One or two bad reviews can knock your confidence – but just shrug and keep writing. Look for how you can improve – which is pretty much the same as in everything.
DO NOT COMMENT. Yep it’s that important I am saying it twice.

There are blogs offering reviews – and they can be useful. But don’t buy a good review – it will show and many sites (such as Amazon) will remove ‘fake’ reviews. This also goes for review swaps (I read your book and rate it high if you do mine).  Indies don’t have the best reputation and behaviour like that doesn’t do anyone any good.

Don’t get your mum/brother/cat to post a review. They may indeed like your work but the review will be biased. Again most review sites will remove those, and in some places, your publishing account can be revoked.

Wait. Reviews will come. Not every reader reviews.

Good reviews are nice to have, but it’s not the end of the world if they are few.

As I said in my previous article you can’t please everyone. There will always be someone who doesn’t enjoy your work, and that’s fine. Move on. Keep writing.

 

Book Spotlight – His Red Eminence – Historical/Biography/Historical Romance – Laurel A. Rockefeller

 

Title: His Red Eminence, Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu

Author: Laurel A. Rockefeller

Genre: Biography, historical fiction, historical romance

Main character description.

His Excellency, Armand-Jean du Plessis, the Bishop of Luçon (1608). Trailblazing bishop and the first French bishop to bring his diocese into compliance with the Council of Trent. Enters government service in 1615 following his rock-star performance representing the clergy of Poitou at the États-Généraux (1614-1615). Invested a cardinal in 1622. Elevated to First Minister of France in 1624. Made Duc de Richelieu by King Louis XIII in 1631. Died of consumption 4 December, 1642. Creates modern France.

Synopsis:

Priest. Lover. Statesman. Cardinal Armand-Jean du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu is one of the most famous — or infamous politicians of all time. Made a villain in the popular Dumas novel, “The Three Musketeers,” the real man was a dedicated public servant loyal to king and country. A man of logic and reason, he transformed how we think about nations and nationality. He secularized wars between countries, patronized the arts for the sake of the public good, founded the first newspaper in France, and created France as the modern country we know today.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Excerpt one – La Rochelle

“21st of April, 1628. Dear Anne, At long last everything is ready. The fortifications begun before my departure from Paris in August are now at very long last complete, as is the new seawall designed by Jacques-Clément Métezeau. What began with only four thousand men and a few horses and cannon has grown to over thirty thousand men manning entrenchments nearly seven- and one-half miles long and with eleven forts total. Huguenot commander Henri duc de Rohan attempted to raise a rebellion in the countryside near here, but was unsuccessful due to the loyalty of the overwhelming number of protestants. Likewise, our new seawall has already proven its value against England’s Duke of Buckingham and his fleet. Thanks to the perfection of Métezeau’s design, Buckingham has lost the support, both moral and financial, he needed to continue his opposition against us. As of this moment it is likely England is no longer a threat to any Frenchman nor is likely to be for some time, depending of course on its queen, the king’s sister Henrietta-Marie.  More than these things, all of them public knowledge here and likely to become even more so as news spreads across France and beyond, I dare not tell you in writing. Instead, I must wait until I am able to return to Paris at the completion of this siege to share with you the details, both those of a personal and political nature.

“Know that despite the months of silence you remain in my thoughts often. The gift you gave me I keep close to me at all times, especially when I am at prayer and in those quiet times when I am able to be alone to reflect and listen to the voice of God. Your wisdom often flows through my memory, as does the beautiful cadence of your voice when you sing. God grant I may hear your music again soon for yours is one of the most beautiful sounds to ever touch my ears.

“God keep you safe, Anne. Now and always. Armand, Cardinal de Richelieu.”

Why should readers buy this book?

Priest. Lover. Statesman.

Based on Richelieu’s “Political Testament,” this very slightly fictionalized, narrative biography showcases the kind, thoughtful, and dedicated public servant who transformed our concept of nations and international relationships. A delightful historical romance that brings you back to the vibrant court of King Louis XIII.

 

[image error]

 

Links etc.

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NTKF4RV

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130522188

IBook: https://itunes.apple.com/mt/book/his-red-eminence-armand-jean-du-plessis-de-richelieu/id1451645762?mt=11

 

Website: http://www.laurelarockefeller.co.uk

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Laurel-A.-Rockefeller/e/B008YVJJFE

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurelworlds

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

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-213198671

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiAQRKQ2lTxdNx9quqtorA