I am pleased to welcome Stella Riley to my blog today to share an excerpt from her novel, “A Splendid Defiance.” I would like to thank Stella Riley and the Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.
Abby storms the castle
Considering that he had left his bed to dress hurriedly and come straight downstairs, the Captain’s room was remarkably tidy. A lot tidier, thought Abigail, with a faintly shocked sideways glance, than he was himself. It was also larger than she had expected, being situated at the top of the south-east turret and reached by means of a narrow spiral stair.
I shouldn’t be here, thought Abigail, in sudden panic. Jonas will kill me if he finds out.
Justin deposited his sword in a corner. Then, turning to pull the bedclothes into some semblance of order, he told her to sit down and demanded again to be informed what she wanted of him.
Abigail hovered and hesitated.
‘For God’s sake!’ exclaimed Justin, dropping irritably upon the bed and regarding her with acute disfavour. ‘Sit down and stop being coy. I’m not in the mood for it.’
She obeyed him rather quickly. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be sorry. Just come to the point.’
His tone made this difficult but she did her best.
‘It’s my brother. He was arrested in the Market Place this afternoon – but he didn’t do anything. I mean, he wasn’t involved in the fighting in the way that others were. So I came to ask you to please let him come home.’
Comprehension dawned slowly and the blurred gaze registered astonishment.
‘You mean he was taken for rioting? No, no. It’s too good to be true.’
Abigail stiffened. ‘I’m afraid I don’t find it funny.’
The dark brows soared and his reply was deliberately blighting.
‘My dear child, I’d be amazed if the members of your household found anything funny. Quite apart from your religious persuasion, your appalling brother and his sour-faced wife are enough to kill anyone’s sense of humour. However, if you’ve hauled me out of bed just to ask a favour for Jonas, I can only say that your nerve outstrips your intelligence. To put it bluntly, I don’t care if he rots.’
Abigail dissected this remarkable speech before brushing it aside.
‘What has Jonas to do with it? It isn’t him you’ve got.’ And then, staring at him, ‘Is that what you thought?’
‘Not being on intimate terms with your entire family, what else was I to think?’ he asked acidly. ‘Well?’
‘I’m sorry. I thought you’d realise …’ She paused. ‘If it was Jonas, I wouldn’t be here.’
‘And I am supposed to know that because …?’ Captain Ambrose leaned back, brooding on her overfolded arms. ‘Mistress Radford. My patience, as you may have noticed, is extremely limited and diminishing by the second. Will you please tell me, in plain language, just who the hell it is you came to rescue?’
Blurb:
For two years England has been in the grip of the Civil War. In Banbury, Oxfordshire, the Cavaliers hold the Castle, the Roundheads want it back and the town is full of zealous Puritans.
Consequently, the gulf between Captain Justin Ambrose and Abigail Radford, the sister of a fanatically religious shopkeeper, ought to be unbridgeable.
The key to both the fate of the Castle and that of Justin and Abigail lies in defiance. But will it be enough?
A Splendid Defiance is a dramatic and enchanting story of forbidden love, set against the turmoil and anguish of the English Civil War.
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bPzVNd
Author Bio:
Winner of four gold medals for historical romance and sixteen Book Readers’ Appreciation Medallions, Stella Riley lives in the beautiful medieval town of Sandwich in Kent.
She is fascinated by the English Civil Wars and has written six books set in that period. These, like the 7-book Rockliffe series, the Brandon Brothers trilogy, and, most recently The Shadow Earl, are all available in audio, performed by Alex Wyndham.
Stella enjoys travel, reading, theatre, Baroque music, and playing the harpsichord. She also has a fondness for men with long hair – hence her 17th and 18th-century heroes.
Author Links:
Website: https://stellarileybooks.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RileyStella
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellariley.books
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellarileybooks/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/riley9631/stella-riley-books/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stella-riley
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stella-Riley/e/B0034PB7UU/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40487661-a-splendid-defiance
I am pleased to welcome Malve von Hassell to my blog today to share a spotlight for her novel, “The Falconer’s Apprentice.” I want to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Malve von Hassell for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.
Blurb:
Author Bio:
The Wars of the Roses, a conflict that engulfed English politics for over 30 years and heralded a new dynasty, the Tudors. While there were battles and political intrigue galore during this period of unrest, there were also births, marriages, and deaths of powerful figures. Each day during the Wars of the Roses holds significance to nobles and commoners alike. Dan Moorhouse has compiled his years of research into this conflict into his book, “On This Day in the Wars of the Roses.”
Like many other countries, England has been through growing pains when it comes to reforming its political, military, and judicial systems. None more so than the pains of the medieval period, specifically from 1199 to 1399. In those two centuries, there were six Plantagenet kings, each with a different style of being king and a different way of changing England with each reign. We often think that the biggest change to England’s political history during this time was the Magna Carta, but in fact, that was only just the beginning. Caroline Burt and Richard Partington have combed the archives to do a deep dive into each reign of these Plantagenet kings, examining the political and judicial changes that happened in a short period. Their comprehensive book is entitled, “Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State.”
The 16th century was known for its dramatic changes in religious issues. None more so than during the late Tudor dynasty especially during the reign of Elizabeth I. However, France also saw the religious pendulum swing between Protestantism and Catholicism. Many families from all walks of life were caught in religious squabbles, like the Montgomery family. Lady Gabrielle Roberda Montgomery found herself in the middle of the drama and was forced to marry into a prominent Devon family in Elizabethan England, far from her native France. Roberda’s extraordinary story is told masterfully in Rosemary Griggs’ latest novel, “The Dartington Bride.” 
Blurb:
Author Bio:
England is in the midst of chaos in a conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. The Yorkist cause is formulating a case to take the throne’s power from Henry VI and the Lancastrians and replace the king with Richard, Duke of York, whose claim to the throne is a bit stronger. Caught in the middle of the Wars of the Roses was one strong and courageous woman who would fight tooth and nail for her family and the Yorkist cause. Her name was Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and her story is masterfully told in Anne O’Brien’s novel, “The Queen’s Rival.”
I am pleased to welcome Eric Schumacher to my blog today to share a spotlight for his novel, “Riddle of the Gods.” I would like to thank Eric Schumacher and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.
Blurb:
Author Bio
When we think about the Tudor dynasty, we often think about the famous men and women who defined the era. An era full of change in all aspects of life, from religious and political, to the arts and literature. Throughout these changes, we tend to focus on how they affected the lives of Tudor men, but there is a growing field of interest in the lives of the average Tudor women and how their lives were affected. In her latest book, “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era,” Amy McElroy explores women’s life stages in 16th-century England and how their roles changed.
The final wife, the one who survived. These words are what people think about when it comes to Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. However, before she even met Henry VIII, she had already lived quite a life, being married twice before meeting the king. She was a scholar, reformer, daughter, stepmother, wife, and mother. A woman who lived a rather intriguing life and happened to marry the King of England, Kateryn Parr’s life has been told in numerous mediums for centuries. Now, Laura Adkins has chosen to write about this famous Tudor wife in the biography, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife.”
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 