Book Review: “The Stolen Crown” by Carol McGrath

The Stolen CrownA nautical disaster has left Henry I of England in a bind. His only legitimate child is his daughter Matilda, the former Holy Roman Empress. Matilda’s path to the throne may seem straightforward as she has the oaths of all the leading men in the kingdom and a new younger husband named Geoffrey of Anjou, but things take a drastic turn when Henry I dies. Chaos reigns supreme as her cousin, Stephen of Blois, is declared King of England. Matilda knows that the throne is rightfully hers, and she will fight tooth and nail to recover what has been lost. Her story is told in Carol McGrath’s latest novel, “The Stolen Crown.”

Thank you, Headline  Publishing and Carol McGrath, for sending me a copy of this novel. I have enjoyed reading about Empress Matilda and The Anarchy, so when I heard about this novel, I jumped at the opportunity to read it.

We begin with the all-important oath ceremony, where the great lords of England pledge their loyalty to Matilda as Henry I’s heir. Matilda is an 18-year-old widow who is headstrong and is willing to fight to become the rightful ruler of England, even though she is a woman and no woman has ever ruled England. She was deeply in love with her first husband, Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, but her father has decided that she must marry again to keep his legacy alive, and the man he has chosen is the young Count of Anjou, Geoffrey. It would be an understatement to say their relationship was rocky initially, but they would have a family, including the future King Henry II.

On top of the typical cast of characters that one would expect in a novel about The Anarchy, McGrath invented new characters, Alice, Xander, Pipkin, and Sir Jacques. Alice, Xander, and Pipkin are performers willing to spy for Matilda, no matter how dangerous the mission, to ensure Matilda sits on the throne. McGrath shows the thrilling back-and-forth struggle between Matilda and Stephen for the throne that lasts for years. This novel has many strong women, not just Empress Matilda and Alice, but Stephen’s wife, Matilda of Boulogne.

McGrath has created an immersive story with strong, independent characters who are not afraid to fight for what they believe is right. The Anarachy was a time in history that is slowly getting more attention, and this novel will entice readers to learn more about this period in English history. A dynamic adventure full of intrigue and emotion, “The Stolen Crown” by Carol McGrath is a thrilling read for anyone interested in the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty and Empress Matilda’s fight for the throne.

Guest Post: “Viking England during the life of Earl Godwine” by Mercedes Rochelle

The Last Great Earls Tour Banner 1I am pleased to welcome Mercedes Rochelle to my blog today to discuss Viking England during the life of Earl Godwine, as part of the blog tour for her novel, “Godwine Kingmaker” of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. I would like to thank Mercedes Rochelle and The Coffer Pot Book Club, for allowing me to be part of this tour.

During Godwine’s rise to power, England lived under Danish rule from 1016-1042, though for some reason we rarely talk about it. That’s a whole generation! Sweyn Forkbeard conquered England in 1013 and was declared king, sending Aethelred the Unready into exile to Normandy along with his sons Edward and Alfred. But mysteriously, Sweyn died after only five weeks on the throne, and the Danelaw immediately declared his second son Canute king of England. However, the southerners had other ideas and recalled Aethelred, who gladly returned and drove the usurper out. This didn’t last long!

By late 1015, Canute came back with a large mercenary army and Wessex submitted to him, although Aethelred was still alive and sulking in London, leaving his son Edmund Ironside to fight his battles. This, too, didn’t last long; King Aethelred took his last breath on 23 April 1016, and London declared Edmund king. Now England had two kings, and so began a treacherous struggle marked by five major battles, men changing sides, a siege of London—where Canute was said to have dug a trench around the city—and many, many dead warriors.

Although Edmund stoutly aided London in its defense against the Danes, he frequently left the city in order to draw Canute away from his siege. It is said Ironside raised five armies that year–one for each battle. The last and most important, the Battle of Assandun took place on October 18 and ended in disaster for the Saxons because of the treachery of Eadric Streona, who took to flight with his forces and turned the tide against Edmund.

This time Canute was determined to end the conflicts. The Saxons withdrew but the Danes followed them up the Severn River into Gloucestershire, finally stopping at an island called Olney (or Alney). There, in deference to the chieftains of the land who had had enough (led by Eadric Streona, who somehow retained the goodwill of Edmund Ironside), the two Kings decided to solve the issue by single combat. This legend comes down to us through the chroniclers, as unlikely as it sounds.

canute the dane
Combat between Canute the Dane and Edmund Ironside, Matthew Paris, Chronica Maiora, Cambridge, Corpus Christi, 26, f. 160 (Wikipedia)

The Saxon King was said to have been the stronger fighter and soon hammered the Dane, breaking his shield and beating him down when Canute called a stop to the fight. “Bravest of youths,” he cried out, “why should either of us risk his life for the sake of a crown?” Edmund paused, considering. “Let us be brothers by adoption,” the Dane continued, “and divide the kingdom, governing so that I may rule your affairs, and you mine.” (Florence of Worcester). 

The single combat story is probably apocryphal, but the ensuing treaty is not. According to their agreement, Canute was to rule Northumbria and Danish Mercia, while Edmund was the ruler of Wessex, Essex, East Anglia, and English Mercia. It’s unclear who was supposed to rule London (I found it stated both ways), but in the end, the Londoners were obliged to come up with their own tribute payment to Canute and permit him to anchor his ships in the Thames for the winter, so I guess the result speaks for itself.

Most importantly, it was stated that this treaty excluded brothers and children of the two Kings; if either was to die, all the possessions would revert to the other. And so when Edmund Ironside died suddenly in the winter of 1016, Canute took the crown and made sure to bring the witnesses forward to confirm the terms of the treaty. An exhausted England accepted his claim without demurring. Canute sent Edmund’s children, Edward and Edmund Aetheling, to the King of Sweden in the hopes that they would be murdered, but instead, they were whisked away to Hungary for safekeeping. Then, in a gesture calculated to appease his new countrymen, Canute married Aethelred’s widow, Emma, making a deal with her that their children from previous marriages would be passed over in favor of any issue of their own. This agreement disinherited Edward and Alfred (safely in Normandy) and Canute’s son Harold Harefoot by his handfasted wife Aelfgifu of Northampton. Emma gave birth to Harthacnut, who was sent to Denmark when he was only eight years old as Canute’s representative under a council led by his brother-in-law Ulf. We don’t see him in England again until 1040.

Godwine Kingmaker CoverBlurb:

They showed so much promise. What happened to the Godwines? How did they lose their grip? Who was this Godwine anyway, the first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask.

He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, and given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen, and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine’s best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn.

Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.

Buy Links:

This series is available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/38VrJZ

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Audio:  https://www.audible.com/pd/Godwine-Kingmaker-Audiobook/B09JFJCY3G

Mercedes RochelleAuthor Bio

Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story.

Born in St. Louis, MO, she received her BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St. Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended!

Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://mercedesrochelle.com/

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/authorrochelle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercedesrochelle.net

Book Bub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mercedes-rochelle

Amazon Author Page:   https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mercedes-Rochelle/author/B001KMG5P6

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1696491.Mercedes_Rochelle

Book Review: “The Girl From Oto” by Amy Maroney

the girl from otoTwo independent women separated by time but united over two compelling portraits and the secrets hidden behind the paint. Mira (Miramonde) is a nun from a Renaissance convent in the Pyrenees who believes she is an orphan who wants to escape her small community and explore the world. Five hundred years later, Zari, an art scholar, begins the journey to discover who Mira is by using the clues she left behind in her works of art that will take her on a journey that will change her life forever. These two tales are woven together in the first book of the Miramonde series, “The Girl From Oto” by Amy Maroney.

I have seen this novel on social media, and it was an intriguing premise. I always look for books that present a fresh new look into the 16th century.

Our story begins with the birth of twins to Marguerite, the baroness of Oto, a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, in the house of Oto, daughters are not allowed to live, so Marguerite gives her daughter named, Miramonde, or Mira for short, to Elena, a mountain woman. Elena decides to make the journey to Belarac Abbey under the supervision of the Abbess Beatrice of Belarac. They make a plan that Mira will never know the truth about who she is and will be raised in the abbey until she is old enough to choose her path, which is her mother’s desire.

Jumping 500 years into the future, we meet Zari Durrell, a young art scholar on the hunt for paintings by a female Renaissance artist, Cornelia van der Zee, the topic of her dissertation. Her topic is well known, but while examining a portrait she believes was painted by Cornelia van der Zee, she discovers that the painting was painted by another artist named Mira. Zari’s journey to discover who Mira is will take her all over Europe as she follows the clues to the truth.

There is just something about a good history mystery mixed with a dual-timeline story that is so much fun to read. Maroney has done extensive research, not just for Mira’s story in the world of the Pyrenees, the wool trade, and life in a convent, but Zari’s adventures in academia and her journey along the Camino de Santiago.

Maroney created a colorful cast of characters, from the Renaissance to the modern day, that will grip the readers with the mysteries they must uncover. I cannot wait to see what other adventures Mira and Zari will go on. If you want a delightfully engaging and thrilling dual-timeline novel about 16th-century Spain, I highly recommend reading “The Girl From Oto” by Amy Maroney.

Book Review: “Marvelous” by Molly Greeley

MarvelousThe tale is as old as time, of beauty and the beast. We know the story from either Disney or retellings. A peasant girl finds herself locked in a castle with a prince who is transformed into a hideous beast. He can only change back into a human if he can learn to love another person. Like many fairy tales, we often ask ourselves whether this story can be based on historical facts. Molly Greeley believes that Beauty and the Beast’s origins could be found in the true story of Pedro and Catherine Gonzales, who lived in the court of Catherine de Medici. She has chosen to tell their love story in her latest novel, “Marvelous.”

I want to thank William Morrow and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite fairy tales growing up, so when I heard this was a historical fiction retelling, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. I had only read a brief mention of Pedro’s daughter Tognina (Antoinette) Gonslavus earlier this year, so I was curious about her father’s tale.

Pedro’s story begins on the small island of Tenerife as an orphan boy who the village fears for his outward appearance. Pedro’s entire body is covered in hair, and he is considered a devil or a monster. One day, Pedro is kidnapped by pirates and sold to the highest bidder as an oddity; the highest bidder is the King of France, Henri II. King Henri II sees potential in Pedro, so he gives him the name of Petrus Gonslavus and an education worthy of a royal.

As a reward for his services to the king, Catherine de Medici grants Pedro a place in her court and a wife, Catherine Raffelin, the daughter of a merchant, who was down on his luck. It would be an understatement to say their marriage was off to a rough start, but Pedro shows her a world full of glamorous splendor and prejudice toward people who were considered “oddities.” With the birth of their children, Antoinette, Madeline, and Henri, we also see how France changes after the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and the fall of the House of Valois. We also get to see how different countries during the 16th century and early 17th century handled people who were considered different.

My favorite historical fiction novels are when famous figures like kings, queens, and princesses take a back seat to lesser-known figures from the past. It breathes new life into historical events and provides a fresh lens into the past. Greeley gives her readers a love story on the level of beauty and beast by following the mysterious Gonzales family.

Greeley does a masterful job of telling Pedro and Catherine’s tales from their perspectives. It was a joy to read this novel, and I hope others will fall in love with the Gonzales family through this book. Suppose you want a stunning historical fiction novel full of love and a protagonist unlike any you have read before set in the reign of Catherine de Medici. In that case, I highly recommend you read “Marvelous” by Molly Greeley.

Five Years of Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

adventures of a tudor nerdI appreciate all the love and support you have all given me over the past five years. I started Adventures of a Tudor Nerd after writing a guest article for Tudors Dynasty. I have always been nervous about sharing my writing with others, but I have always loved history and wanted to share my passion. I took a chance, and I am so glad that I did.

We have gone on so many adventures in the past together. At first, I wanted this blog to focus solely on the Tudor dynasty and the Wars of the Roses, but I wanted to explore more stories of the past. Now, we discuss centuries of stories, both historical fiction and non-fiction, from the Anglo-Saxons to the modern monarchy.

I want to thank all the publishers and authors I have enjoyed working with over the last five years. Thank you for allowing me to read these historical fiction and nonfiction works and share my opinions about these books. I wouldn’t have been able to go on so many historical adventures without your generosity. I look forward to working with you all more in the future.

To my readers and followers, thank you for allowing me to share my passion for the past with you these five years. This has been a wild adventure, and you all have made it so much fun with your recommendations of books and your comments on my posts. I hope you all have had as much fun as I have and will continue to enjoy this historical journey.

When I started this epic adventure, I did not know how much I would grow as a reader, writer, and person. Thank you for making the last five years so much fun and for allowing me to share my passion for history and books with all of you wonderful people.

Here’s to more history adventures!

Heidi

Book Review: “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters” by Wendy J. Dunn

the duty of daughtersA young Spanish princess sits with her close friend, sisters, and brother as their beloved tutor, Dona Beatriz Galindo, tells them a story. As the children of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, they must marry and create alliances to strengthen their kingdoms, while Beatriz must ensure they are ready for the challenge. Childhood ends rather quickly with a holy war against the Moors, the expulsion of the Jews from the kingdom, and death around every corner. In her novel, “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters,” Wendy Dunn transports readers into a world of hope and sorrow, life and death.

After I read the second book in the Falling Pomegranate Seeds series, “All Manner of Things,” I wanted to read the book that started it all. There have not been many Tudor novels about Katherine of Aragon’s childhood, so I was curious what Dunn would bring to her story as a whole.

Our adventure into the house of Trastamara in Spain begins with Dona Beatriz Galindo being called to Isabel’s chambers. The two women deeply connected as Beatriz taught the queen Latin and tutored her children; Isabel, Prince Juan, Juana, Maria, and Catalina. Now, Isabel has given Beatriz the task of teaching her youngest daughter Catalina how to be Queen of England. Alongside Catalina, Beatriz would teach her companion Maria de Salinas, how best to serve Catalina in their new kingdom.

Beatriz’s relationship with her royal students throughout the novel evolves through trials and tribulations. Through the eyes of Beatriz, we get to see the fall of Granada and the treatment of the Jews during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabel. We also get to see Beatriz’s relationship with the love of her life Francisco Ramirez through letters that she writes to him as he is away at war against the Moors. We are also introduced to Cristobal Colon, also known as Christopher Columbus, as he begs permission to travel to the New World.

At the heart of this novel are the children of Ferdinand and Isabel as they grow up and marry, sometimes moving away. Marriage does not always provide happy endings, as we see with Alfonso, Prince of Portugal, and Margaret of Austria. Death and grief run rampant in the once glorious court as the children grow up quickly. Secrets tear the foundations of this family asunder, but love still overcomes sadness.

Dona Beatriz Galindo may have been just a tutor to the royal family, but Dunn has elevated her tale to one of great significance. Beatriz is a strong, independent woman who fights for those she loves. This sensational novel brilliantly gives Tudor readers a better understanding of what Katherine of Aragon’s childhood might have been like through the eyes of her royal tutor. If you want a novel showing how Katherine of Aragon became the strong queen she was and the women who raised her, I highly recommend you read “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters” by Wendy J. Dunn.

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘The Black Madonna’ by Stella Riley”

The Black Madonna Tour BannerToday, I am pleased to welcome Stella Riley to my blog to share an excerpt from her novel, “The Black Madonna.” Thank you, The Coffee Pot Book Club and Stella Riley, for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

A rescue … and the beginning of a close and unusual friendship.

Richard and Eden turned north through the labyrinthine alleyways of Bridewell in order to cross the Fleet.  It was an insalubrious area and, fully alive to the possibility of robbery, Richard kept a watchful eye around them – which was how he came to notice the savage proceedings, illuminated by fitful moonlight, in a yard off to his left.

What was happening was happening in near-silence – largely due to the gag which had been stuffed into the victim’s mouth while two pairs of hands held him roughly upright to receive the blows of a third.  Richard broke his son’s lethargy with one sharp jab of his elbow and then went plunging in at the assailants with a sort of flying dive that Eden, plunging swiftly in behind him, still found time to admire.

Dropped like a well-roasted chestnut while his captors met the unexpected attack, the victim slithered down the wall into an inert heap on the cobbles.  His fall passed unheeded.

Finding himself bereft of his cudgel without quite knowing how, the first man launched himself at Richard and collided with a fist that broke two teeth and loosened several others.  Eden, meanwhile, in a series of flawlessly executed moves learned in the Hotel de Cazenove (and a couple of effective but less genteel ones picked up in the taverns outside it), laid one man out cold against a water-butt and sent the other into staggering, retching retreat up the lane with Gap-Tooth in unsteady pursuit.

Richard flexed the fingers of his right hand, winced and grinned companionably at his son.

‘Well.  It’s nice to know that your time at Angers wasn’t completely wasted.’

‘And almost as comforting to discover that you’ve still got the hardest fist in three counties,’ retorted Eden with a grin.  Then, in a very different tone, ‘The only satisfaction, I suspect, either one of us will get.  Have you seen who we’ve rescued?’

Richard dropped on one knee, pulled the gag from the victim’s mouth and peered into the battered, unconscious face.

‘Ah.  Didn’t I see him at Far Flamstead last summer?  A money-lender, isn’t he?’

‘Amongst other things,’ came the dry response.  ‘Aside from pegging him up on the bridge, what do you suggest we do with him?’

Richard looked up, his brows lifting in mild surprise.

‘You don’t like him?’

‘Does anyone?’

‘I’ve no idea.  But if they don’t, one presumes they have cause.  Have you?’

‘Only indirectly.  Not as much as whoever ordered this … but enough to understand why they might want to.’  Eden bent to disentangle one wrist from the human wreckage on the cobbles.  ‘He’s not dead, at any rate.’

‘Nor even dying,’ added a thread-like voice with commendable distinctness.  ‘Though I confess it feels like it.’

Slowly and with extreme caution, Luciano del Santi opened his eyes on Richard’s face and achieved the ghost of his usual sardonic smile.

‘Ah.  Mr Maxwell, I believe?’

‘Yes – but never mind that now.  If you’ll tell us where your house is, we’ll endeavour to get you there.’

‘Cheapside.’  The heavy lids fell again, as if in an effort to conserve energy.  ‘The corner of Friday Street.  It’s too far.’

‘Then where?’

‘Malt Lane … near Blackfriars Stairs,’ came the fading response.  ‘The sign of the Heart and Coin.’

Eden met his father’s quizzical gaze with a carefully neutral one of his own.

‘The Heart and Coin?’ he said.  ‘It sounds like a bawdy-house.’

‘The word,’ said Luciano del Santi, ‘is brothel.  Don’t be shy.  Just knock three times and ask for Gwynneth.’

*  *  *

On the mercifully short journey to Malt Lane, the Italian lapsed in and out of consciousness with a frequency that made his bearers greet the sign of the Heart and Coin with profound relief.  It was a modest property but looking more like a comfortable country inn than the stew they had expected and inside, the cosy well-lit room was full of people.

The dark, beak-faced individual that Eden remembered from the hawking party was there, one hand on his knife.  In front of him and involved in heated discussion were a slender, soberly-dressed woman with the whitest skin Eden had ever seen and an expression of desperate anxiety, and a small dynamic person who waved his arms wildly as he talked but still managed to look like a large brown nut with moustaches.  Behind these three and collected into little tearful huddles were the girls.  Girls with skin of every shade from lustrous pearl to ebony, hair of gold and copper and jet … and apparently only one thing in common.  They were all uniquely beautiful.

Eden found that his mouth was open and resolutely shut it.  Luciano del Santi opened his eyes, summoned his dwindling resources and said vaguely, ‘Pardon my intrusion … but if there is a chair, I believe these gentlemen would be glad to put me in it.’  And promptly passed out again.

There was a brief silence; and then the occupants of the room surged forward on a tide of exclamation.  Predictably, the fellow with the knife got there first by the simple expedient of brushing the others aside. Nor did he waste time talking but merely removed his master from the hands of Richard and Eden and carried him inside to lay him carefully on the  rug in front of the hearth.

The woman in grey, surrounded by the girls like a dove amongst humming-birds, followed issuing a stream of lilting orders during which

Richard and Eden found themselves sitting on a cushioned settle while a dazzling blonde pressed glasses of brandy into their hands

Kneeling on the hearth and having cautiously examined the unconscious man’s ribs, Gwynneth looked up at the hawk-faced fellow and said, ‘There’s some damage but we’ll need a doctor to say how much.  Certainly it’s worse than last time and I really don’t like the look of him.’

‘And that, as they say, adds insult to injury,’ breathed Luciano del Santi from behind closed lids.  ‘But I forgive you. I’ll even allow Selim to put me to bed.  The only question is – whose?’

A sudden flush stained the lovely skin and Gwynneth lost her calm façade.

‘You fool – you fool!  Why do you do it?  It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.  You promised not to stir after dark without Selim – you promised us all.  One day they’ll kill you.’

The Italian opened his eyes, his mouth twisting with wry amusement.

‘No. Haven’t you realised yet that the devil looks after his own.  I’m indestructible.’

‘Yes.  You look it.’

He managed a long, extremely careful breath.

‘My looks again?  You’re unkind, cara.  Don’t cry.’

‘I’m not crying!  You think I’d waste my tears on you?’  She sniffed and cradled his hand in both of hers.  ‘Don’t think I care what happens to you – I don’t.  But you might spare a thought for what’s to become of the girls and me if you get your throat cut.’

A faint laugh, abruptly checked, caused him to close his eyes again until the pain receded and made Gwynneth reach for the brandy.

‘Here,’ she said roughly. ‘Drink it all.  And, if you must talk, say thank you to the good gentlemen who saved your worthless life tonight.’

Luciano del Santi turned his head to locate Richard and Eden, his brow furrowed with the effort of it.  Then he said, ‘Forgive me.  I thought you had gone.’

Richard crossed to his side, followed more slowly by Eden.

‘Think nothing of it.  The brandy is excellent, so I’ve no complaints.  And I’m sure that – for other reasons entirely – my son has none either.’  He paused briefly and then said, ‘Tell me … does this kind of thing happen to you often?’

‘Not often, no.  Only when I grow careless.’

‘Only when you go out without Selim, you mean,’ said Gwynneth tartly.  ‘There’s scarcely one of those fine gentlemen of the Court who buy their dinners with your money who wouldn’t stick a knife in your back given half a chance.’

‘You talk too much, cara.’  The beautiful voice, though faint, was pleasantly final. ‘There’s no reason why Mr Maxwell should interest himself in my affairs.’

‘None,’ said Richard, ‘save that I’ve already done so.’

‘And thereby placed me under an obligation to you.’

‘Are you suggesting that as my motive?’

The Italian stared inscrutably back at him.

‘No.  I’m saying that if there is anything – either now or in the future – that I may do for you, you have but to name it.’

An arrested expression crossed Eden’s face and he opened his mouth as if to speak, then thought better of it.

Richard said, ‘I appreciate the offer and the fact that it isn’t made lightly.  But not quite everything has to be paid for, signor.’

‘I know it.’  Luciano del Santi’s smile was crooked but oddly infectious.  ‘But you must allow me to observe that you are the first Englishman I have met who knew it also.’

The Black Madonna coverBlurb:

As England slides into Civil War, master goldsmith, and money-lender Luciano Falcieri del Santi embarks on his hidden agenda. A chance meeting one dark night results in an unlikely friendship with Member of Parliament Richard Maxwell. Richard’s daughter, Kate – a spirited girl who vows to hold their home against Cavalier and Roundhead – soon finds herself fighting an involuntary attraction to the clever, magnetic, and diabolically beautiful Italian. 

Hampered by the warring English, his quest growing daily more dangerous, Luciano begins to realize that his own life and that of everyone close to him rests on the knife-edge of success … for only success will permit him to reclaim the Black Madonna and offer his heart to the girl he loves. 

From the machinations within Parliament to the last days of the King’s cause, The Black Madonna is an epic saga of passion and intrigue at a time when England was lost in a dark and bloody conflict.

Buy Links:

*Only £1.95 / $1.95 for the duration of the Blog Tour*

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bPNKpd 

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM/ 

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM/ 

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-black-madonna-stella-riley/1115550936?ean=2940044562431

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-black-madonna-5

Apple:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-black-madonna/id659127225

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/321222

Audio:  https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Black-Madonna-Audiobook/B07SYMJ11G 

Stella RileyAuthor Bio:

Stella Riley

Winner of three gold medals for historical romance (Readers’ Favourite in 2019, Book Excellence Awards in 2020, Global Book Awards in 2022) and fourteen B.R.A.G. 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 seven-book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times newspaper!) and the Brandon Brothers trilogy, are all available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.

Stella enjoys travel, reading, theatre, Baroque music, and playing the harpsichord. She also is fond of men with long hair – hence her 17th and 18th-century heroes.

Social Media 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/50913323-the-black-madonna 

Book Review: “Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History” by Tracy Borman

Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth IThe year is 1536. A young woman climbs the scaffold for her execution while her three-year-old daughter is miles away, not knowing what will happen to her mother. Never speaking about her mother in public for decades, it would seem that the bond between mother and daughter broke that fateful day. Still, Elizabeth I kept the memory of her influential mother, Anne Boleyn, close to her heart. How did Anne prepare her beloved daughter for the complex nature of the Tudor court, and how did Elizabeth keep the memory of her mother alive? This bond is explored in depth in Tracy Borman’s latest book, “Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History.”

I want to thank Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for a new approach to telling these two women’s life stories, so when I heard about this book, I was fascinated to see what Borman would bring to the table.

Borman specifies that this differs from your typical joint biography of Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. We get information about the lives of Anne Boleyn and her only daughter Elizabeth I, but the focus is on their relationship. It may be hard to imagine any relationship being established between this mother-daughter duo when Anne Boleyn died when Elizabeth was only three years old.

Borman begins her book by examing this dynamic between a mother and a daughter separated by death with a single ring, the Chequers Ring. This stunning ring is essential to understanding how Elizabeth I felt about her mother, even if she couldn’t speak about it publicly. The first portion of this book focuses on Anne Boleyn, her life, her religious affiliations, and how she prepared for Elizabeth to succeed in life even after she was gone. After Anne’s death, we see Elizabeth as a young princess trying to navigate the treacherous world of the Tudor court while keeping her mother’s memory close to her heart. The little tributes, declarations, who she put in her household, her love of fashion and music, and tokens dedicated to Anne that Elizabeth created when she became queen show how much she loved her mother.

I have read many books about Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, but this book breathed new life into this topic for me. I have always wondered what this relationship between mother and daughter was like, how Elizabeth dealt with her mother’s death, how she felt about her father, and how her mother’s influence affected Elizabeth’s reign.

Borman delivered an exquisitely heart-wrenching account of the mother and daughter duo who radically changed England forever. Some parts were so emotional to read that I had to take breaks and reflect on the impact of Anne and Elizabeth. This is one of my top books so far for 2023. If you want a book that packs a punch and breaths new life into the story of Anne and Elizabeth, “Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History” by Tracy Borman is a must-read.

Guest Post – Introducing Matthew Graham by Anna Belfrage

A Rip in the Veil Banner 2Today, I am pleased to welcome Anna Belfrage to my blog to discuss her book, “A Rip in the Veil,” and her character Matthew Graham. I want to thank Anna Belfrage and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Date of Birth: March 31 in the year of our Lord 1630.

Astrological sign: Aries (but he scoffs at such nonsense)

Education: None from a formal perspective; he knows his letters, has a knack for complex ciphering and has most of the Catechism down by heart. (He grins and mimes an aching backside as he explains his Da was most insistent on this.) An intuitive horseman (said with pride), an excellent swordsman – no choice, had he not learned to wield the sword, he’d have died well before his twentieth birthday given the unrest of the times. Quite the marksman with a musket. Pistols, he says, are unreliable things. He has gone unbeaten in chess since his Da died, enjoys singing, and has a secret passion for John Donne’s poetry – not something he talks all that much about.

Favorite dish: Food, he says with something of a frown. As long as there’s something to eat daily, what does it matter what it is? He admits to a fondness for pork cracklings – and Alex’s spice cake when I push.

Favorite pastime: Long winter mornings spent in bed. (He winks)

He is most reluctant. Matthew ducks his head as he enters the room but remains by the door, hat in hand. Outlined against the square of light that is the open door, he stands tall – inordinately tall given the times – and with a pleasing width to chest and shoulders. A strong man is accustomed to physical work, as seen from his forearms and hands, at present rather dirty after a full day out in the fields.

“I don’t see the point,” he mutters, slapping his hat against his thigh.

“It’s called PR,” I say. After all, he’s the protagonist of A Rip in the Veil, my book presently on tour. To be correct, he stars in the entire The Graham Saga.

Matthew squirms at the “stars in” part and rolls his eyes at PR. I’ve tried to explain this concept to him over and over again, but as far as he’s concerned, this is all a waste of time.

“I just want to introduce you to my readers,” I say.

“Hmm.” Someone laughs in the yard, and he turns towards the sound, exposing a strong jaw and straight nose. As he turns back towards me, sunlight strikes him full in the face, and his hazel eyes lighten into golden green.

“Some background, no more,” I wheedle.

With a sigh, he comes over to join me by the table, sitting down on one of the stools. He leans back against the wall, extends his long legs, and crosses them at the ankle. His thighs bunch and relax under the coarse homespun of his breeches. Too tight, these breeches, too worn – not that I mind, not at all.  I pour him some beer, leaning close enough to catch his scent, a fragrance of morning dew on a mossy moor, overlaid by the riper tones of wood smoke and male sweat. He needs a shave, his cheeks covered by dark stubble that is highlighted by the odd streak of deep chestnut.  Matthew clears his throat, and I retake my eyes. It makes him smile.

“Background, aye?” And with that, he begins to talk.

Okay, so I’m not going to bore you with his detailed description of his childhood. At times I think he forgets I’m sitting there, so sunk is he in his memories of his Mam. He describes a very religious home, a place where having regular conversations with God about just about everything was the norm. But his mother laughs and sings; she berates God loudly when he’s inconsiderate enough to let it rain on her drying laundry and blows kisses to the heavens when the harvest is bountiful. His father is another matter; Malcolm Graham practices a stern faith, and as a consequence, so do his children – and, in particular, his eldest son.

“As it should be.” Matthew shrugs. He shifts on his stool, drumming his fingers against the tabletop.

His speech slows when he tells me of his years in the Commonwealth Army. A boy growing to a man amongst so much violence—it makes me shudder, but he speaks of his comrades and officers with warmth and respect. I have realized just how much these men have shaped him into what he is today, a man with a deep-seated belief in every man’s right to have a say in how he’s governed.

He breezes over the details of the battles he took part in, which is equally brief as he recounts his courtship of Margaret, his first wife. He says her name carefully as if his mouth fills with thorns when he pronounces it. And as to Luke . . . Matthew refuses to say a word about his brother – well, beyond cursing him for being the misbegotten treacherous pup that he is.

“Three years,” he says. “That’s what yon miscreant has cost me. Three years of non-life, of one endless day after the other, so alike there was no way of knowing if it was Sunday or Thursday, March or October. Well, mayhap the Sunday part is not correct; there’d be a minister come to visit us every now and then, long sermons about our duty to the Realm and its Lord Protector, very little about Our Lord’s mercy.” Matthew smiles crookedly and fiddles with his belt. “It wasn’t as if I had betrayed the Commonwealth, but no matter what I said, no one believed me. So I stopped talking – beyond the necessities.” He has twisted his hands together and spends some minutes studying the way his fingers braid around each other.

I wait. Talking about the years spent in prison due to the false testimony of his younger brother becomes difficult for Matthew.

“Sometimes . . .”

“What?” I prompt.

“I . . . they had me flogged, aye? For being obstructive. But I wasn’t – no more than all of us were.” He spits to the side. “It was Luke, I reckon.”

“You think?”

“Gold buys you favors everywhere,” Matthew says. “And he paid them well enough that they found reason to flog me on a regular basis, aye? Hoped I’d die of it, I reckon.” His shoulders tense under the linen of his shirt. His back is decorated with scars courtesy of those floggings, and he’s terribly self-conscious about his broken skin.

“But you didn’t die,” I say.

“I would have –had I not escaped.” A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Took them some time to realize I’d run – if not, they’d have caught me before I made it over the Trent. As it was, I was well away by dark. But the next day—”

“What?” I lean forward. I’ve not heard these details before.

“Persistent man, yon commander. He’d had his men out looking for me all night, and at dawn, they had me neatly cornered.” Matthew laughs, and his eyes crinkle together for an instant or two. “It makes you right weak livered to sit on a roof and watch your pursuers come closer and closer. I had no choice; it was either leap off the roof and run for it or . . .”

“Or what?”

“The chimney.” He shakes his head. “Near on falling down it was, and with so many rooks’ nests crammed down inside it, it’s a marvel it hadn’t caught fire before. Part of the upper ledge crumbled when I clambered inside and no sooner was I out of sight, but the entire thing toppled.”

Not only the chimney, but the roof as well, and he’d fallen to land in a bed atop a woman – an old crone of a woman with no teeth and a grimy, oversized nightcap crammed down on her head. Fortunately, she’d been alone in the bed that took up most of the little garret room.

“I’m not sure who was the most frightened, me or her, but she kept her wits about her, and when the guards came storming up the stairs, she shoved me under the quilts while screaming like a banshee. About the roof, her imminent death, and the terror of having unknown men invade her bedroom.” He chuckled. “She didn’t mention the unknown man squished against her bosom.”

“Ah.” I can imagine that hadn’t been too much of a sacrifice. A man like Matthew Graham in your bed . . .

“She was old! Like Methuselah!  And she stank, aye? The whole bed stank, and it sagged so badly in the middle her arse must have been resting on the floor, with me on top.” He makes a face. “She wiggled her hips, the dirty old trollop, and all the while the men were in the room, she had me pressed so close to her chest I near on swooned with lack of air.”

“Ah,” I repeat. 

He looks at me from under his lashes – long, dark lashes – and smiles, his generous mouth curving in a way that makes me feel a ridiculous urge to giggle. I don’t.

“So why did she hide you?” I ask.

“A royalist helping another royalist, I reckon. And I saw no reason to correct her perception of me. Not even when she gave me her late son’s shirt, saying he’d died at Naseby. She saved my life,” he says, sounding serious. “Had that old lady handed me over, I’d have been dead and buried long since, and Alex—”

“Would never have met you – or you her.”

“Nay.” He looks away at absolutely nothing. “That would have been a great loss.”

“For her or you?” I ask, somewhat touched by his tone.

“For us both.” He grins and stands up. “But mostly for her. How would that daft lass have survived had I not found her?”

By the door, he turns to look at me. “She’s made it all worthwhile again.”

“Made what worthwhile?”

“Life,” he says, covering his dark, wavy hair with his hat. “Alex?” he shouts as he steps into the yard.

“Over here,” I hear her call back.

I rise to peek at them through the little window. Two people walk off towards the moor, so synchronized they walk like one. By the time they’ve crossed the yard, she is fused to his side, her arm around his waist, his arm around her shoulders.

“Lucky girl,” I say out loud. Or is she? After all, I haven’t quite made up my mind as to how this story will end. I chew on my pencil and watch them out of sight.

A Rip in the Veil CoverBlurb:

 On a muggy August day in 2002, Alex Lind disappears. On an equally stifling August day in 1658, Matthew Graham finds her on a Scottish moor.  Life will never be the same for Alex – or Matthew.

Alexandra Lind is thrown three centuries backward to land at the feet of escaped convict Matthew Graham.

Matthew doesn’t know what to make of this strange woman who has seemingly fallen from the skies—what is she, a witch?

Alex is convinced the tall, gaunt man is some sort of hermit, an oddball, but she quickly realizes the odd one out is she, not he.

Catapulted from a life of modern comfort, Alex grapples with her new existence, further complicated by the dawning realization that someone from her time has followed her here—and not exactly to extend a helping hand.

Potential compensation for this brutal shift in fate comes in the shape of Matthew, a man she should never have met, not when she was born three centuries after him. But Matthew comes with his baggage, and on occasion, his past threatens them both. At times Alex finds it all excessively exciting, longing for the structured life she used to have.

How will she ever get back? And more importantly, does she want to?

Buy Links:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: http://myBook.to/ARIV1

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071VP9V5F

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VP9V5F

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071VP9V5FClub

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B071VP9V5F

Anna Belfrage authorAuthor Bio:

Anna Belfrage

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time traveler. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time-traveling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th-century Scotland and Maryland, and the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy, set in 14th-century England. 

Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients.

Her Castilian Heart is the third in her “Castilian” series, a stand-alone sequel to her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales; His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love. In the second installment, The Castilian Pomegranate, we travel with the protagonists to the complex political world of medieval Spain. This latest release finds our protagonists back in England—not necessarily any safer than the wilds of Spain!

 Anna has also authored The Whirlpools of Time, in which she returns to the world of time travel. Join Duncan and the somewhat reluctant time-traveler Erin on their adventures through the Scottish Highlands just as the first Jacobite rebellion is about to explode!

Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals and has won various Gold, Silver, and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

Find out more about Anna and her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com

Social Media Links:

Website: www.annabelfrage.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abelfrageauthor

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/annabelfrageauthor

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-belfrage

Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/ABG

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage

Book Review: “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England” by Tracy Borman

MatildaOne of the most critical years in English history was 1066, when William Duke of Normandy invaded England in the Norman Conquest. Known as William the Conqueror, his strength and ruthlessness made him a legend, but William would not have been the Duke or King of England without his equally formidable wife. Matilda of Flanders stood her ground, became the Duchess of Normandy, had a large family with William, and would become the first crowned Queen of England. Although much has been written about William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest, Matilda of Flanders has not received the same attention until now. Tracy Borman has written the first biography dedicated to this remarkable woman entitled, “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England.”

I enjoyed reading her previous book about Henry VIII and the men who made him, and I wanted to read more books by Tracy Borman. When I heard about this book, it drew me in because I did not know much about Matilda of Flanders and her time, so I wanted to learn more.

Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders and his wife, Adela, was one of the prominent women in 9th-century Europe. Borman shows how Flanders grew from a lawless society to a significant court that drew the attention of the dukedom of Normandy. Normandy was the home of William, the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I and his mistress Herleva. William shocked Europe when he became his father’s heir as Duke of Normandy and chose Matilda as his wife. To say they had a rocky start was an understatement, but Matilda and William had a large family and solidified Normandy as a powerhouse of Europe.

With the death of Edward the Confessor, William and Matilda saw their opportunity to take a bigger prize, the crown of England. While William had the military know-how to win the crown, it was Matilda who was able to help William with his conquest financially and took care of Normandy while he was taking care of his new kingdom. In return, William had Matilda crowned Queen of England.

However, not everything was perfect for William and Matilda. When their eldest son, Robert Curthose, was fed up with not getting the chance to become the Duke of Normandy as was his birthright, he rebelled, and Matilda decided to support her son over her husband. Matilda was not afraid to speak her mind, even if it felt like she was going beyond what was expected of a woman during that time. Matilda’s death in 1083 impacted the rest of William’s reign as King of England as the king mourned for the woman who could stand toe to toe with the great conqueror.

Borman has taken on the arduous task of telling the tale of Matilda of Flanders, and she absolutely smashes it. This biography is engaging and thought-provoking, revealing who Matilda was when you remove the myths surrounding her life. If you want a delightful biography about the first crowned Queen of England, I highly suggest reading “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England” by Tracy Borman.