Tag: historical fiction

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘Imperatrix’ by S.P. Somtow”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

Imperatrix Tour BannerI am pleased to welcome S.P. Somtow to my blog today to share a snippet from his latest novel, “Imperatix.” I would like to thank S.P. Somtow and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

Have another brain,” said the Emperor, feeding me Himself.

“Divinitas,” I said, “how many peacocks does it take to make such a platter?”

“Wonderful!” said Himself.  “Poppaea never takes an interest in how the world runs.  For her, the brains just appear by magic.  The answer to question is — why — we have our own, private little — to coin a word — pavonarium.  Would you like to see peacocks — a veritable ocean of peacocks — more bird-brains than even in the Senate?”  He clapped his hands, dropping a brain onto the grass, though Hercules quickly disposed of it.  “Come!”

He took me by the hand and started to pull me in toward the far side of the garden, where there was a fountain cunningly designed like a pair of dolphins.  I turned to look at the Lady Poppaea, terrified that I would soon be alone with the God.

“This could be your fortune,” she said to me.  “You’ve insulted, you’ve appeased.  Now, Sporus, you must seduce.”

Imperatrix CoverBlurb:

Captured by pirates and sold to a Roman aristocrat as a sex slave, Sporus attracted the attention of no less a personage than the Emperor Nero, ruler of the known world. Would-be poet, patron of the arts, aesthete, and brutal autocrat, the Divine Nero saw in the boy a startling resemblance to the Empress Poppaea – and made him an empress as well.

Suetonius, Tacitus, and other Roman historians have given tantalizing glimpses into the incredible life story of the boy who became twice an empress to two emperors and was condemned to die in the arena by a third.

In this meticulously researched trilogy, World Fantasy Award-winning author S.P. Somtow lays bare the darkest secrets of Imperial Rome – its triumphs and its nadirs, its beauty and its cruelty. Through this chaos, a contorted mirror of our contemporary world, this figure of Sporus moves, all too knowing yet all too innocent, providing a worm’s eye view of one of the wildest periods in ancient history.

Imperatrix, the second volume of the tale, takes us into the heart of the Imperial palace with all its intrigue, depravity, and splendor.

Buy Links:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mV2EaJ

S.P. Somtow authorAuthor Bio:

Once referred to by the International Herald Tribune as ‘the most well-known expatriate Thai in the world,’ Somtow Sucharitkul is no longer an expatriate since he has returned to Thailand after five decades of wandering the world. He is best known as an award-winning novelist and a composer of operas.

Born in Bangkok, Somtow grew up in Europe and was educated at Eton and Cambridge. His first career was in music and in the 1970s, his first return to Asia, he acquired a reputation as a revolutionary composer, the first to combine Thai and Western instruments in radical new sonorities. Conditions in the arts in the region at the time proved so traumatic for the young composer that he suffered a major burnout, emigrated to the United States, and reinvented himself as a novelist.

His earliest novels were in the science fiction field and he soon won the John W. Campbell for Best New Writer as well as being nominated for and winning numerous other awards in the field. But science fiction was not able to contain him and he began to cross into other genres. In his 1984 novel Vampire Junction, he injected a new literary inventiveness into the horror genre, in the words of Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, ‘skillfully combining the styles of Stephen King, William Burroughs, and the author of the Revelation to John.’ Vampire Junction was voted one of the forty all-time greatest horror books by the Horror Writers’ Association.

In the 1990s Somtow became increasingly identified as a uniquely Asian writer with novels such as the semi-autobiographical Jasmine Nights and a series of stories noted for a peculiarly Asian brand of magic realism, such as Dragon’s Fin Soup, which is currently being made into a film directed by Takashi Miike. He recently won the World Fantasy Award, the highest accolade given in the world of fantastic literature, for his novella The Bird Catcher.

Returning to Thailand in 2001, he became artistic director of Opera Siam and has had more than a dozen operas produced around the world including The Snow Dragon and The Silent Prince, which premiered in the United States, Helena Citronova, an opera set during the Holocaust, and the ten-part DasJati: Ten Lives of the Buddha.

In the last few years, he has made a return to writing novels with the Nero and Sporus trilogy and the young adult series, Club X.

In 2021 the film he produced and wrote, The Maestro: Symphony of Terror received over forty awards at international festivals, and in 2023 the Thai government officially elevated him to the status of National Artist.

Read S.P. Somtow’s interview on Literary Titan about Imperatrix at https://literarytitan.com/2024/01/21/the-core-of-innocence/.

Author Links:

Website: www.somtow.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/somtow

Facebook: www.facebook.com/somtow

Instagram: www.instagram.com/somtow

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/s-p-somtow

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APBJXC

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81037.S_P_Somtow

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘Signatures in Stone’ by Linda Lappin

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

Signatures in Stone Tour BannerToday, I am pleased to welcome Linda Lappin to my blog to share a snippet from her novel, “Signatures in Stone.”I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Linda Lappin for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Without inspiration, I could not write. What I needed was a new batch of
signatures, those curious messages our waking life sends us from our own unconscious, which I have come to see as promptings from the muse, and even as a spiritual guide for my own existence.

We are constantly immersed in a network of signs and symbols, whose meaning eludes us, but which, if only we could read them, would reveal every detail of our past and even predict our future.

The mind talks to itself not with words, but with scrambled symbols, pictures, fragments, often severed from any literal meaning. If we wish to learn to read them, we must abandon the rational links of words to thoughts. Signatures are always there waiting for us, like unopened letters slid beneath the front door, accumulating after a long absence, written in a hieroglyphic alphabet we have forgotten.

Signatures in Stone coverBlurb:

Captivating critics and readers, SIGNATURES IN STONE, was the OVERALL WINNER in the DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARDS for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense Writing -Best Mystery of 2013

Rome, Italy – November 2023 – Pleasure Boat Studio is thrilled to announce the release of the second edition of Linda Lappin’s celebrated novel, SIGNATURES IN STONE: A BOMARZO MYSTERY. This captivating suspense tale takes readers on a thrilling journey through the enigmatic Monster Park of Bomarzo, also known as the Sacred Wood, an extraordinary Baroque sculpture garden in Italy. With the 500th anniversary of the park’s creation, this edition is accompanied by a magnificent new cover and a series of Tarot card illustrations by Santa Fe artist Carolyn Florek.

In SIGNATURES IN STONE, readers are transported to the atmospheric setting of the Monster Park of Bomarzo, a sixteenth-century garden adorned with mythical creatures believed to represent a terrifying journey into the realm of nightmares. Against this backdrop, four travelers find themselves intertwined in a fate-driven Italian holiday. Daphne, a British writer of occult mysteries, her down-on-his-luck aristocratic publisher Nigel, the aspiring artist and American gigolo Clive, and the art historian Professor Finestone, all converge in a dilapidated villa near the park. They are attended by rustic servants who harbor secrets of their own.

Professor Finestone has made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing that the garden was designed by one of Italy’s greatest artists as a transformative experience that delves into the shadow side of life. Over the centuries, the park’s meanders continue to influence the minds and destinies of those who venture within. As the group explores their heart’s desires amidst the haunting sculptures, they become entangled in a web of intrigue and danger. When Daphne, renowned for writing cozy murder tales, becomes the prime suspect in a shocking homicide, she must confront her own darkness and rely on her sleuthing skills to uncover the terrifying truth.

Linda Lappin’s gripping tale presents an intriguing exploration of gardens in Renaissance Italy, where they were regarded as tools for altering consciousness and changing destiny. The Monster Park of Bomarzo becomes the backdrop for a “Gothic-in-Wonderland” phantasmagoria, immersing readers in a suspenseful and thrilling journey.

New Edition of Linda Lappin’s Award-Winning SIGNATURES IN STONE: A BOMARZO MYSTERY Commemorates the 500th Anniversary of the Monster Park.

Praise:

“Layers of mystery are woven into Linda Lappin’s beautifully written and atmospheric historical novel set in Bomarzo, Italy’s enigmatic park of stone monsters.”
~ Gigi Pandian, author of The Accidental Alchemist.

“Deftly mixing fascinating art history and murder with an exotic atmospheric setting (the Bomarzo garden actually exists), dramatic historical period (1928 fascist Italy), and fully fleshed characters, Lappin (The Etruscan) has written a hallucinatory gothic mystery in which no one is as they appear. Daphne is a most memorable, if a bit unreliable narrator. Readers looking for an intelligent summer mystery will find much to savor here.”
~ Wilda Williams, Library Journal

Buy Link:

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

Linda LappinAuthor Bio:

Linda Lappin, poet, translator, novelist, and travel writer is the prize-winning author of four novels: The Etruscan (Wynkin deWorde, 2004); Katherine’s Wish (Wordcraft, 2008), dealing with the last five years of Katherine Mansfield’s life; Signatures in Stone: A Bomarzo Mystery (Pleasureboat Studio, 2013,2023), overall winner of the Daphne Du Maurier award for best mystery novel of 2013; and Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne (Serving House Books, 2020), 2021 Daphne Du Maurier award finalist and shortlisted for the 2021 Montaigne Medal for Books of Distinction.

She is also the author of The Soul of Place: Ideas and Exercises for Conjuring the Genius Loci, (Travelers Tales, 2015), winner of a Nautilus Award in the category of creativity in 2015.

A former Fulbright scholar to Italy, she has lived mainly in Rome for over thirty years. She is at work on a second Daphne Dublanc mystery novel, Melusine, set in Bolsena. The second edition of Signatures in Stone (2023) has been issued to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Monster Park.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.lindalappin.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaLappin1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaLappinAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linda_lappin_author/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@linda_lappin_author
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lindalappin.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/linda-lappin
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/lindalappin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1157178.Linda_Lappin

Book Review: “The Twilight Queen” by Teri Westerson

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The Twilight QueenGreenwich Palace is a Tudor palace full of glamour, intrigue, and murder. A musician has been found murdered in the chambers of the current wife of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn. Only one person can solve this crime while protecting the royal family. No, he is not a knight or a lawyer, but a fool. No, an actual fool or jester of the court of Henry VIII, Will Somers. A man who is loyal to his king Henry VIII, but can he save his second wife from the murderer lurking in the shadows? Jeri Westerson’s Will Somers follows the clues to uncover the truth to protect those who are the most important to him in book two of A King’s Fool Mystery series, “The Twilight Queen.”

I would like to thank Severn House and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have not read any of Jeri Westerson’s previous novels, including the first book of the A King’s Fool Mystery series, so I was going into this one completely blind. What caught my eye about this book was the concept that Will Somers, a character who is not featured much in Tudor novels, acts as an armchair detective trying to protect Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

This mystery takes place in April 1536, when Anne Boleyn is nervous that her husband has lost interest in her and has chosen his next bride. To make matters worse, she comes back from a night of revelry to find a dead body in her chambers. What can a queen do but call on a man who recently solved a murder mystery, Will Somers, her husband’s fool.

Will Somers is a complex character. He tries to balance keeping his monarch entertained while speaking his mind about those closest to the king, especially Thomas Cromwell and Anne Boleyn. Will is married to Marion Greene, the illegitimate daughter of the Yeoman of the Records, Lord Robert Heyward, whom he loves, but Somers has his affairs with men at court, like his lover in this book, Nicholas Pachett.

While I did enjoy the characters of Will, Marion, and Nicholas, I felt that the whole love triangle situation distracted me from the actual mystery. I feel like you can do a love story and a mystery together in the same novel, but in this instance, it felt a bit too much. There were a lot of good ideas, but it felt a bit rushed in a 250-page novel. Some elements made it feel a bit too modern than Tudor for my taste. Overall, I think some elements could be better, but I did feel attached to the main characters of Will, Marion, and Nicholas.

I think as my first dive into Westerson’s Tudor world, it was a bit rushed with compelling characters, but I do want to go back and read the first book in this series as well as see what kind of mystery Westerson will come up with next for Somers to solve. I think if you want an unconventional Tudor mystery that has an unlikely sleuth as the protagonist, you should check out “The Twilight Queen” and A King’s Fool mystery series by Jeri Westerson.

Guest Post: “What is an Angel?” by Justin Newland

On By hmalagisiIn guest post2 Comments

The Mark of the Salamander Tour Banner 1I am pleased to welcome Justin Newland to my blog today to discuss his latest book, “The Mark of the Salamander.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Justin Newland for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

My latest historical fiction novel, The Mark of the Salamander, has just been published. It’s the first title in a two-book series, The Island of Angels, which tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era.

While The Island of Angels is an intriguing title, this blog explores the question: ‘What is an angel?’ This is the definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary: 

‘A spiritual being serving as a divine messenger and intermediary and often as a special protector of an individual or nation.’

This suggests that any nation has a spiritual protector or guardian. If so, where would these angels live? In the ground, or in places like the lakes, forests, and mountain ranges? Many monasteries, temples, and holy places are located on mountaintops and in remote places like deserts in the expectation that the angelic beings would rise out of the ground and grace their occupants with their presence. 

The definition also mentions the spiritual beings – the angels – as divine messengers. The angels of a nation are then custodial of the divine intention for that land and its people. The angels’ function then becomes to guide the people towards the fulfillment of that intention. 

Then how would the people of a nation know if what they were doing was aligned or natural to that divine intention? 

Well, if they were, the angels would supercharge what they were doing. For example, they would prompt them to greater exploits, exceptional discoveries, and the creation of finer art. They would urge the people to do things and perceive things, that were above and beyond what the people previously thought possible. Angels add charisma and most importantly, they yield a vision of the future. They add grace and offer healing to old wounds and new possibilities. Their presence would feel like a person had a hose pipe of water gushing into their back.  

Francis-Drake-oil-panel-engraving-Jodocus-HondiusIn 1578, Francis Drake set out from Plymouth with five ships to sail around the world. Until that point in history, England was a small, misty isle on the edge of continental Europe. Through Drake’s efforts, in that single voyage, he hauled England out of the dark ages and into a future in which England would become the hub of a new world of trade & communication. He single-handedly changed England’s self-view. 

How was this momentous event achieved? Was it with the added assistance of the Angels of the Island? Where would you look for evidence of angels in the history of a nation? Well, perhaps you’d start with the symbols of the land that have persisted through the ages, their myths and legends, and their constitutional elements, like the color and formation of its flag. In Elizabethan England, the flag was still a red cross on a white background (Scotland had yet to contribute the blue saltire to the Union Jack). 

Then there’s the heraldry of the nation. England’s royal coat of arms features its MedievalTudor Coat of Arms Semper Eadem Always the Same chivalric Order of the Garter. Established by King Edward III in 1348, the motto of the Most Noble Order is, ‘Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense,’ which means, ‘Evil be to he who thinks evil (of me).’

This is a huge clue to the nature and character of the land of England and its angels. It’s a powerful statement of defiance. The motto says that anything that comes into the land, that is not fitting, or of a lower order than the angels of the land, will get sent back to where it came from. In other words, repulse. In modern terms – return to sender. 

The Mark of the Salamander by Justin Newland - Front CoverBlurb:

1575.

Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish Netherlands. Settling in Mortlake outside London, he studies under Queen Elizabeth’s court astrologer, conjuring a bright future – until he’s wrongly accused of murder. 

Forced into the life of a fugitive, Nelan hides in London, before he is dramatically pressed into the crew of the Golden Hind.

Thrust into a strange new world on board Francis Drake’s vessel, Nelan sails the seas on a voyage to discover discovery itself. Encountering mutiny, ancient tribes, and hordes of treasure, Nelan must explore and master his own mystical powers – including the Mark of the Salamander, the mysterious spirit of fire. 

THE MARK OF THE SALAMANDER is the first in The Island of Angels series: a two-book saga that tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era. 

Buy Links:

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

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland/1144122989?ean=2940186006305 

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-mark-of-the-salamander/justin-newland/9781915853271 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-mark-of-the-salamander 

WH Smith: https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-mark-of-the-salamander-the-island-of-angels/justin-newland/paperback/9781915853271.html 

Saxo DK: https://www.saxo.com/dk/the-mark-of-the-salamander_bog_9781915853271 

UK Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland/7448127?ean=9781915853271 

Wordery: https://wordery.com/mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland-9781915853271?cTrk=MjAxNjg3MzE1fDY1NDE4MzM0N2QzYzA6MTo1OjY1NDE4MzE0ZGFjNTA4LjEwMTkzMjgzOjYxZWVjMzJj

Blackwells: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Mark-of-the-Salamander-by-Justin-Newland/9781915853271 

Foyles: https://www.foyles.co.uk/book/the-mark-of-the-salamander/justin-newland/9781915853271 

Justin Newland 1Author Bio:

JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thrillers and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. 

The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. 

The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. 

The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.

The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. 

His work in progress is the second in the series, The Midnight of Eights, charting the uncanny coincidences that led to the repulse of the Spanish Armada. 

Author, speaker, and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, talks to historical associations and libraries, and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. 

Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.justinnewland.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinNewland53 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-newland-b393aa28/

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

Book Bub: https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/4862998/edit 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Justin-Newland/author/B06WRQVLT8 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jnewland

Guest Post: Spotlight for “Historical Stories of Exile”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post3 Comments

IG banner Exile partyI am pleased to welcome the authors of the latest anthology, “Historical Stories of Exile” to my blog today on a spotlight tour. I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and the authors of this anthology for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

EXILE-Cover-flatBlurb:

Exile: a risky defiance, a perilous journey, a family’s tragic choice – or an individual’s final gamble to live. Exile: voluntary or enforced, a falling-out between friends, a lost first love, a prejudiced betrayal – or the only way to survive persecution?

In this historical fiction anthology, thirteen authors (they are not superstitious!) have written exclusive short stories on the theme of exile. Some are based on true history, others are speculative fiction. All mine the depths of human emotions: fear, hope, love, and the fortitude to survive.

Join an inspiring Anglo-Saxon queen of Wales, a courageous Norwegian falconer, and a family fleeing back in time to escape the prospect of a ruthless future. Oppose the law with the legendary Doones of Exmoor, or defy the odds with two brave WWII exiles. Meet a Roman apprehensively planning exile to preserve the ‘old ways’, and a real Swedish prince forcibly expelled in heart-wrenching circumstances. Thrill to a story based on the legend of Robin Hood, sail with a queen of Cyprus determined to regain her rightful throne; escape religious persecution, discover the heart-rending truth behind the settlement of Massachusetts, and experience the early years that would, eventually, lead to the founding of Normandy. Experience the stirring of first love, and as an exclusive treat special guest author, Elizabeth Chadwick reveals a tale about the 12th-century heiress, Isabelle de Clare, and the Greatest Knight of all time – William Marshal.

With an introduction by multi-award-winning author Deborah Swift, enjoy these tales of exile across the ages. Some are hopeful, some sad, some romantic, some tragic, but all explore the indomitable spirit of resolute, unforgettable characters.

Buy Links: 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Universal Link: https://mybook.to/StoriesOfExile 

ALISON MORTON writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution, and heartache but use a sharp lines in dialogue. Several of her novels have hit  #1 in Amazon US, UK, Canada and Australia. The latest, Julia Prima, plunges us back to AD 370 when the founders of Roma Nova met.

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

Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.

Website: https://www.alison-morton.com

AMY MARONEY studied English Literature at Boston University and worked for many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. She lives in Oregon, U.S.A. with her family. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of The Miramonde Series, a bestselling historical mystery trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s award-winning historical adventure/romance series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, is set in medieval Rhodes and Cyprus.

An enthusiastic advocate for independent publishing, Amy is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Historical Novel Society.

Website: https://www.amymaroney.com/

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 three absorbing interests: history, romance, and writing. Anna always writes about love and has authored the acclaimed time-traveling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th-century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. Anna is presently hard at work with her other medieval series, The Castilian Saga, which is set against the conquest of Wales. The third installment, Her Castilian Heart, was published in 2022, and the fourth and final one will be out in 2024. She has recently released Times of Turmoil, a sequel to her time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time.

Website, http://www.annabelfrage.com 

ANNIE WHITEHEAD is an author, historian, and elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and has written four award-winning novels set in Anglo-Saxon England. She has contributed to fiction and nonfiction anthologies and written for various magazines, has twice been a prize winner in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing Competition, and won First Prize in the 2012 New Writer Magazine’s Prose and Poetry Competition. She was a finalist in the 2015 Tom Howard Prize for Nonfiction and was shortlisted for the Exeter Story Prize/Trisha Ashley Award 2021. 

She was the winner of the inaugural Historical Writers’ Association/Dorothy Dunnett Prize 2017 and is now a judge for that same competition. She has also been a judge for the HNS (Historical Novel Society) Short Story Competition.

Her nonfiction books are Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom (Amberley Books) and Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England (Pen & Sword). She has contributed to a new history of English Monarchs, Kings, and Queens: 1200 Years of English and British Monarchs (Hodder & Stoughton) and has signed a contract to write her third nonfiction book, to be published by Amberley Books in 2024.

Website: https://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk/

CATHIE DUNN writes historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The focus of her novels is on strong women through time. She has garnered awards and praise from reviewers and readers for her authentic description of the past. A keen Medievalist, she enjoys visiting castles and ruins, and reading about battles and political shenanigans of the times.

Cathie is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She also now runs The Coffee Pot Book Club, promoting historical fiction authors and their books.

Website: https://www.cathiedunn.com 

CHARLENE NEWCOMB writes historical fiction and science fiction. Her award-winning Battle Scars trilogy is set in the 12th century during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. Her writing roots are in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (aka Legends) where she published 10 short stories in the Star Wars Adventure Journal. Sci-fi space opera fans should check out Echoes of the Storm, her original novel published in 2020. She returned to medieval times with her novel Rogue in 2023. 

Website: https://charlenenewcomb.com

CRYSSA BAZOS is an award-winning historical fiction author and a 17th-century enthusiast. Her debut novel, Traitor’s Knot is the Medalist winner of the 2017 New Apple Award for Historical Fiction and a finalist for the 2018 EPIC eBook Awards for Historical Romance. Her second novel,  Severed Knot is a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree and a finalist for the 2019 Chaucer Award. Rebel’s Knot, the third installment of the standalone series, Quest for the Three Kingdoms, is a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree and 2021 Discovering Diamonds Book of the Year.

Website:  https://cryssabazos.com

DEBORAH SWIFT is a delver into archives, drinks too much tea, and loves antiques and old buildings. Her sturdy, stone-built house used to be the village primary school, and from her window, she has a view of a few 17th-century cottages, and behind those, green fields dotted with grazing sheep.

Historical fiction was a natural choice for Deborah as a writer because she always enjoyed the research aspect of design – poking about in archives and museums, not to mention the attraction of boned bodices and the excuse to visit old and interesting buildings.

She used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, so enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. In her books, Deborah likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Her first novel was The Lady’s Slipper which was shortlisted for the Impress Prize, and her book  The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, won the BookViral Millennium Award. She has written eighteen novels to date including two series set in WWII – her latest, The Shadow Network is due for release in early 2024.

Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District and divides her time between teaching and writing.

Website: https://deborahswift.com/

ELIZABETH CHADWICK New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick lives in a cottage in the Vale of Belvoir in Nottinghamshire with her husband and their four terriers, Pip, Jack, Billy, and Little Ted. Her first novel, The Wild Hunt, won a Betty Trask Award and To Defy a King won the RNA’s 2011 Historical Novel Prize. She was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Award in 1998 for The Champion, in 2001 for Lords of the White Castle, in 2002 for The Winter Mantle, and in 2003 for The Falcons of Montabard. Her sixteenth novel, The Scarlet Lion, was nominated by Richard Lee, founder of the Historical Novel Society, as one of the top ten historical novels of the last decade. She often lectures at conferences and historical venues, has been consulted for television documentaries, and is a member of the Royal Historical Society.

Website: https://elizabethchadwick.com/

ELIZABETH ST.JOHN’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.

Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.

Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.

Elizabeth’s books include her trilogy, The Lydiard Chronicles, set in 17th Century England during the Civil War, and her medieval novel, The Godmother’s Secret, which explores the mystery of the missing Princes in the Tower of London.

Website: http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/

HELEN HOLLICK and her husband and adult daughter moved from north-east London in January 2013 after finding an eighteenth-century North Devon farmhouse through being a ‘victim’ on BBC TV’s popular Escape to The Country show. The thirteen-acre property was the first one she was shown – and it was love at first sight. She enjoys her new rural life, and has a variety of animals on the farm, including Exmoor ponies, dogs, cats, hens, ducks, and geese, and her daughter’s string of show jumpers.

First accepted for publication by William Heinemann in 1993 – a week after her fortieth birthday – Helen then became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am the Chosen King), novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she also writes a pirate-based nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages, where you can read more about Jesamiah Acorne, son of Charles St Croix – and the Doones.

Despite being impaired by the visual disorder of Glaucoma, she is also branching out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with the Jan Christopher Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working for thirteen years as a library assistant.

Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of a Smuggler. She also runs a news and events blog and a Facebook page for her village supports her daughter’s passion for horses and showjumping – and occasionally gets time to write… 

Website: https://helenhollick.net

J.G. HARLOND Secret agents, skulduggery, and crime that crosses continents.

British author of historical crime fiction, J.G. (Jane) Harlond writes award-winning, page-turning novels set in the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Each story weaves fictional characters into real events. She describes her WWII Bob Robbins Home Front Mysteries as a ‘cozy crime with a sinister twist’. Prior to becoming a full-time author, Jane taught English and World Literature in international colleges. She also wrote school textbooks for many years using her married name. 

Jane is married to a retired Spanish naval officer and they have a large, grown-up family living in various parts of Europe and the USA. After traveling widely (she has lived in or visited most of the places that feature in her novels) they are now settled near Málaga in Spain.

J.G. Harlond is a member of the British Crime Writers Association and the Dorothy Dunnett Society.

Website: http://author.to/JGHarlond

LORETTA LIVINGSTONE had no intention of writing anything but short stories or poetry, and especially not historical fiction. She stated it quite clearly on social media, only to suddenly find herself writing … historical fiction. Her debut novel, Out Of Time, set in the mythical Sparnstow Abbey, was shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society Indie Award in 2016, which stunned and elated her in equal measures.

It was supposed to be a one-off. It wasn’t. She went on to write two more stand-alone novels in the series; A Promise to Keep and Blossom on the Thorn. She had plans for more but has had ME for many years, and ill health has temporarily reined in her gallop. However, she intends to write again soon… 

Her other books include short story collections and poetry and can be found on Amazon.

Loretta is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/217686418294125

MARIAN L. THORPE Taught to read at the age of three, words have been central to Marian’s life for as long as she can remember. A novelist, poet, and essayist, Marian has several degrees, none of which are related to writing. After two careers as a research scientist and an educator, she retired from salaried work and returned to writing things that weren’t research papers or reports.

Marian’s first published work was poetry, in small journals; her first novel was released in 2015. Her award-winning Empire’s Legacy series is historical fiction of another world, based to some extent on northern Europe after the decline of Rome.

In addition to her novels, Marian has read poetry, short stories, and nonfiction work at writers’ festivals and other juried venues.

Her other two passions in life are birding and landscape history, both of which are reflected in her books. Birding has taken her and her husband to all seven continents, but these days she’s mostly content to move between Canada and the UK.

Website: https://marianlthorpe.com/

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘Twelve Nights’ by Penny Ingham”

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Twelve Nights Tour BannerToday, I am pleased to welcome Penny Ingham to my blog to share an excerpt from her novel, “Twelve Nights.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Penny Ingham for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Excerpt

‘Poison,’ Stow mused. ‘A woman’s weapon, is it not?’ He turned, fixing his piggy eyes upon Magdalen. “Tell me, why did you poison John Wood?’

Magdalen felt suddenly ice-cold as if she had plunged into the Thames in January as if every last gasp of air had been driven from her lungs. All around her, the players erupted in cries of outraged indignation.

‘I – I did not poison John!’ Magdalen stammered. ‘He is – he was, like a brother to me.’

‘You knew him well?’

‘Well enough, sir.’

‘You were intimately acquainted?’

‘No! I swear on my life!’

But the constable had a bit between his teeth. ‘Was it a lover’s quarrel? Did he spurn you for another? What do they say? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’

Magdalen was sinking deeper into the icy water, the glimmers of daylight above her head becoming fainter as she drifted down into the darkness. The players’ protests were growing louder and angrier by the minute but they sounded very far away. The constable banged the tip of his staff upon the boards, once, twice, three times, dragging her back to the surface of her unfolding nightmare.

‘I will have silence!’ Edmund Stow bellowed. ‘Tell me, Mistress Bisset, as his sister then, who were his enemies? Who bore him a grudge?’

Magdalen thought of Richard Cowley’s brawl with John earlier that day, the hatred in his eyes. Did he hate John enough to kill him? But she had no proof, and she knew she would never forgive herself if she falsely accused him. ‘Everyone liked John, sir. He didn’t have any enemies.’

‘Everyone has enemies,’ Stow replied. ‘You came to London from Hampshire, did you not?’ he added, eyeing her appraisingly. ‘You were raised on a farm. You understand plants, which will heal, and which will harm?’

Magdalen dug her fingernails into her palms, focussing on the pain rather than the panic threatening to overwhelm her. ‘I left Hampshire when I was eight years old. I have no knowledge of such things, sir.’

‘Don’t lie to me.’

‘I swear I am innocent, sir.’

‘Believe me, girl, the truth will be out.’ Edmund Stow glared at her for a long moment, perhaps hoping he might see into her very soul. She found herself staring back at him, held fast by his malevolent spell. When at last he released her from his gaze, her legs felt as wobbly as marrow jelly.

Stow’s eyes were sweeping across the stage, seeking a new target. They settled on Burbage and narrowed, taking aim. ‘It seems most likely John Wood was poisoned here at the Theatre.’

‘That is an outrageous accusation!’ Burbage shot back indignantly. ‘You cannot seriously believe one of us killed John?’

‘I believe whatever the evidence suggests, Master Burbage,’ Stow replied haughtily. ‘Tell me, what refreshments do you provide for the players?’

‘We have a pitcher of Malmsey in the ‘tiring house, and one cup.’ Burbage was visibly fighting to remain calm. ‘Before every performance, we share the cup and raise a toast. If someone had poisoned the wine, we would all be dead.’

‘Bring me the pitcher and the cup.’

Burbage glanced at Magdalen, but Stow shook his head. ‘No. She stays here. Send the boy.’

Peter soon returned with the pitcher and cup. Stow sniffed them both cautiously. ‘You have all drunk from this cup?’

The players nodded.

‘But you gave John a second drink, after the play had begun, didn’t you, Magdalen,’ Peter said brightly.

Stow’s beady eyes fixed upon Magdalen again. ‘Is this true?’

Magdalen opened her mouth but no words formed. Peter was right. She had offered John another drink, but only because he had looked so unwell. Will Kempe glared at Peter and rolled his eyes in disgust. Several other players shook their heads despairingly. Peter, suddenly comprehending the gravity of his careless words, fought back tears.

‘So, you do not deny giving the player another drink, Mistress Bisset?’ There was a gleam of triumph in the constable’s eye.

Twelve Nights coverBlurb:

1592. The Theatre, London.

When a player is murdered, suspicion falls on the wardrobe mistress, Magdalen Bisset, because everyone knows poison is a woman’s weapon. The coroner is convinced of her guilt. The scandal-pamphlets demonize her.

Magdalen is innocent, although few are willing to help her prove it. Only handsome Matthew Hilliard offers his assistance, but dare she trust him when nothing about him rings true?

With just two weeks until the inquest, Magdalen ignores anonymous threats to ‘leave it be’, and delves into the dangerous underworld of a city seething with religious and racial tension. As time runs out, she must risk everything in her search for the true killer – for all other roads lead to the gallows.

Buy Links:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/bpYRlk

Penny Ingham 2Author Bio:

Penny has a degree in Classics, and a passion for archaeology – during the summer months, you will often find her on her ‘dig’ with a trowel in her hand. She has had a variety of jobs over the years, including ice cream seller, theatre PR, BBC local radio, and TV critic for a British Forces newspaper.

She has written four novels – ‘The King’s Daughter’ is the story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. ‘The Saxon Wolves’ and ‘The Saxon Plague’ are set in the turbulent aftermath of Roman Britain. Her inspiration for Twelve Nights grew from her love of the theatre in general, and Shakespeare in particular.

Penny has two grown-up children and lives with her husband in Hampshire.

Author Links:

Website: Penny Ingham (wordpress.com)

Twitter: Penny Ingham (@pennyingham) / Twitter

Facebook: Penny Ingham Author Page | Facebook

Instagram: Penny Ingham (@penny.ingham) • Instagram photos and videos

Amazon Author Page: Amazon.co.uk: Penny Ingham: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

Goodreads: Penny Ingham (Author of The Saxon Wolves) | Goodreads

Book Review: “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel

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Wolf HallThe 1520s in England were a raucous time. As the years pass, King Henry VIII’s desire for a legitimate son grows and his resentment towards his wife Katherine of Aragon increases. Henry has decided to divorce his wife of over 20 years to marry a new fling, Anne Boleyn, who would surely give him the son and heir. All of Europe, especially the Pope, is horrified at the direction Henry is taking, but one man stands firmly on the side of the King. Thomas Cromwell rose through the ranks to become Henry VIII’s right-hand man, even though he had rather humble origins. Can Thomas Cromwell help the man who made him and survive the king’s wrath? Hilary Mantel explores the origins of Cromwell’s rise and The Great Matter in the first book in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy, “Wolf Hall.”

“Wolf Hall” is a novel that I have meant to read for a while now. I have heard from the Tudor community how great this novel is plus I saw the advertisements for the television show of the same name. I just never picked it up until I went into a used bookstore, saw it on a shelf, and decided to give it a try.

We are introduced to our main protagonist Thomas Cromwell, getting beaten bloody by his father, a drunkard blacksmith, Walter Cromwell. His childhood is harsh, but his sister Kat and her husband Morgan Williams convince Thomas to run away from his home. Thomas becomes a soldier fighting for the French and spends some time in Italy before he goes back to his native England to become a lawyer, working his way up to work with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Thomas Cromwell married Liz Wykys and had three children; Gregory, Anne, and Grace. The first part of the book focuses on Cromwell’s service to Wolsey, Wolsey’s fall from grace, and the tragic deaths in his family.

The majority of this novel focuses on Cromwell’s rise in power to become King Henry VIII’s right-hand man. The main issue that Cromwell must focus on is The Great Matter, the divorce of King Henry VIII from his first wife Katherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. It is a taboo topic, but Henry realizes that the Pope will not go with his plan. While navigating the tumultuous Tudor court and his home life, Cromwell also has to come up with a plan to make Anne Queen of England and Henry the Supreme Head of the Church of England. A tall task for anyone, but this is Cromwell, a man who will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Reading this particular novel was a struggle for me, not because of the contents, but rather Mantel’s unique writing style. It took me a long time, almost 200 pages, to get into this novel and become invested in the story. There were points in reading this novel where I wanted to give up and wait until I had access to the audiobook to try again, but I chose to keep reading. Once I did get invested in Cromwell’s tale and the ones who surrounded the powerful figure, I was hooked. I think if the beginning was not so convoluted, this would have been an almost perfect novel, except for how she portrayed figures like Mary Boleyn, Jane Rochford, and George Boleyn, which I did not agree with, but that is my own opinion.

This novel is an arduous adventure, but it almost mirrors the same rigorous journey Cromwell took from the son of a drunkard blacksmith to one of the most powerful men in Tudor England. I think I need to take a break from this trilogy to truly digest what I have read before tackling the other two books, but I understand why Mantel and this novel are so beloved in the community. If you want to tackle this book, I would suggest taking your time in the first two hundred pages of this novel before you dive in completely. “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel is a uniquely complex yet unforgettable look at Thomas Cromwell and the Tudor era that will make you question if you know the truth of Cromwell’s story.

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘The Merchant’s Dilemma’ by Carolyn Hughes”

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The Merchant's Dilemma Tour Banner

I am pleased to welcome Carolyn Hughes to my blog today to share an excerpt from her novel, “The Merchant’s Dilemma.” I would like to thank Carolyn Hughes and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

From Chapter 2

Riccardo had found himself distracted most of the morning, even when in conversation with his client. It was fortunate there had been only one so, once they had shaken hands on an agreement, he was able to spend some time alone, walking and thinking through the situation, and what and how to tell Bea.

His heart swelled whenever he thought of her. It had never done so at the thought, or even sight, of Katherine. She was not an unattractive woman, but her nervous nature and seeming lack of interest in him discouraged him from even trying to love her. Even when he was lying next to her in bed, he had to steel himself to turn to face her. When he put out a hand to touch her breast, she would flinch, then when he rolled on top of her to complete the task – for “task” it did seem to be – Katherine would whimper, not with pleasure, he was certain, but with urgent longing for it to be over. It was scarcely surprising the so-called act of love with his wife was one he came to dread and even balk at. In truth, it was a wonder little Oliver had ever been conceived.

It had not been that way in those few months before his marriage when Bea had lived here with him. Their love-making had been full of delight and pleasure for them both. In that short time, he had grown to love her deeply. When he was obliged to marry Katherine, and effectively abandon the woman he adored, he had been distraught. He blamed himself, both then and now, for being the cause of Bea leaving Winchester. And, therefore, of the terrible events in Meonbridge that at length brought her back to the city, but as a homeless beggar. 

These past three months had been the happiest he could remember for a long while. His worry about Bea’s health aside, their easy, loving relationship – albeit they were sleeping apart until she was fully well – made each day one to look forward to. And to make his happiness complete surely Bea should no longer continue as his mistress, but become his wife.

Yet, marrying her would not be easy. For, if his father learned of Bea’s former life, he would refuse to sanction marriage to her and would almost certainly deny him his inheritance.

Finding himself in the cathedral precinct, Riccardo slipped into the building. At the main west entrance, scaffolding had been raised, and masons were dismantling some of the ancient stonework. He had heard that Bishop Edington had plans to alter the west end of the building, from the ancient Romanesque original to a more modern style. He looked forward to seeing their fine cathedral transformed into an even more magnificent monument to God, albeit he regretted the dust and noise that was the inevitable result. A result that would continue for many years.

But, despite the noise outside, inside was peaceful enough, if chilly, in stark contrast with the gentle warmth of the April day. He was not entirely alone: a few people, mostly aged women, were standing or kneeling before the high altar, mumbling prayers. He approached the altar too, but kept a distance. He dropped down onto one knee for a moment, then stood up again and, with bowed head, muttered a few prayerful words himself, asking for some sort of guidance in the awkward conversation he had ahead of him.

In truth, he did not feel he received an answer to his entreaty but hoped it might come to him if he thought the matter over a little further. Despite the coldness of the vast, high building, he made his way to the south transept, where there was a stone bench he could sit on for a while. 

He returned to thinking about his father. Would it matter if he was deprived of his inheritance? As the elder of the two Marchaunt sons, he was entitled to the principal Marchaunt estate and the greater proportion of his father’s wealth. Yet the money was not important, nor even the artifacts his father had acquired over the years, magnificent as many of them were. He had made such a success of his own business, he was more than prosperous enough to maintain a wife and family.

No, what really mattered had nothing to do with money.

His first concern was a matter of the heart. He really wanted to own Chilcumbe Hall, the splendid manor house a few miles outside the city. He had been looking forward to the time when he could raise his own children in the place where he and his brother spent such a happy childhood. How disappointing it would be if he lost that opportunity!

But the second concern was even more important. His father was much admired and respected amongst Winchester’s great and good. He had been a master of the guild, several times a city alderman, and was once elected mayor. Riccardo’s own success as a businessman was due partly to being his father’s son. If he was not his father’s principal heir – if he was known to have been cast aside – he would be disgraced, his standing in society ruined. 

There was so much to lose: not just the legacy, and his status as his father’s heir, but everything he had worked for, and even his authority to continue his career.

He closed his eyes a moment, contemplating what such a loss might mean. If all that happened, he supposed he could leave Winchester, and try to establish himself again elsewhere. But the prospect of doing that, at his age, was daunting. And not what he wanted.

Until three months ago, he had presumed he would at length find another wife, a woman from another respectable city family. Hopefully one with a pleasanter disposition than poor Katherine. But he had not been in any hurry. He had expected to find his bride himself, and would not approach his father for advice. Although he might have asked Mama if she knew of any suitable young women looking for a husband.

But that was all before he discovered Bea collapsed on his doorstep. Now, the only woman he wanted as his wife, and the mother to his children, was her. Yet, either marrying her or living with her in a sinful state, accepting their children would be illegitimate, would surely enrage his father. He would simply consider it unacceptable for his heir to sire children upon a woman such as Bea, whether or not they were legitimately man and wife. 

Riccardo sat upright and flexed his shoulders. His back was aching from the cold seeping from the stone bench up through his clothes. He pushed himself to his feet, ready to go home.

So, what was the answer? 

In truth, it was obvious, if disagreeable. He refused to give up Bea, but the consequences of losing his father’s favour were so serious, the only answer was to wait until the old man was no longer able to cast him aside.

He had to wait until his father died.

TMD-CoverBlurb

1362. Winchester. Seven months ago, accused of bringing plague and death from Winchester, Bea Ward was hounded out of Meonbridge by her former friends and neighbors. Finding food and shelter where she could, she struggled to make her way back to Winchester again.

Yet, once she arrived, she wondered why she’d come.

For her former lover – the love of her life – Riccardo Marchaunt, had married a year ago. And she no longer had the strength to go back to her old life on the streets. Frail, destitute, and homeless, she was reduced to begging. Then, in January, during a tumultuous and destructive storm, she found herself on Riccardo’s doorstep. She had no plan, beyond hoping he might help her, or at least provide a final resting place for her poor body.

When Bea awakes to find she’s lying in Riccardo’s bed once more, she’s thankful, thrilled, but mystified. But she soon learns that his wife died four months ago, along with their newborn son, and finds too that Riccardo loves her now as much as he ever did, and wants to make her his wife. But can he? And, even if he can, could she ever really be a proper merchant’s wife?

Riccardo could not have been more relieved to find Bea still alive when he thought he had lost her forever. She had been close to death but is now recovering her health. He adores her and wants her to be his wife. But how? His father would forbid such an “unfitting” match, on pain of denying him his inheritance. And what would his fellow merchants think of it? And their haughty wives?

Yet, Riccardo is determined that Bea will be his wife. He has to find a solution to his dilemma… With the help of his beloved mother, Emilia, and her close friend, Cecily, he hatches a plan to make it happen.

But even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry. And the path of love never did run smooth…

The Merchant’s Dilemma is a companion novel to the main series of MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLES, and continues the story of Bea and Riccardo after the end of the fourth Chronicle, Children’s Fate. It is a little more romantic and light-hearted than the other Chronicles but, if you’ve enjoyed reading about the lives of the characters of Meonbridge, you will almost certainly enjoy reading The Merchant’s Dilemma too!

Buy Links:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3RY7Yj 

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merchants-Dilemma-Meonbridge-Chronicles-Companion-ebook/dp/B0CJJKJFT6/ 

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Merchants-Dilemma-Meonbridge-Chronicles-Companion-ebook/dp/B0CJJKJFT6/ 

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Merchants-Dilemma-Meonbridge-Chronicles-Companion-ebook/dp/B0CJJKJFT6/ 

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Merchants-Dilemma-Meonbridge-Chronicles-Companion-ebook/dp/B0CJJKJFT6/ 

Carolyn Hughes authorAuthor Bio:

Carolyn Hughes has lived much of her life in Hampshire. With a first degree in Classics and English, she started working life as a computer programmer, then a very new profession. But it was technical authoring that later proved her vocation, word-smithing for many different clients, including banks, an international hotel group, and medical instruments manufacturers.

Although she wrote creatively on and off for most of her adult life, it was not until her children flew the nest that writing historical fiction took center stage. But why historical fiction? Serendipity!

Seeking inspiration for what to write for her Creative Writing Masters, she discovered the handwritten draft, beginning in her twenties, of a novel, set in 14th-century rural England… Intrigued by the period and setting, she realized that, by writing a novel set in the period, she’d be able to both learn more about the medieval past and interpret it, which seemed like a thrilling thing to do. A few days later, the first Meonbridge Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, was underway.

Six published books later (with more to come), Carolyn does now think of herself as a Historical Novelist. And she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Carolyn has a Master’s in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.

You can connect with Carolyn through her website http://www.carolynhughesauthor.com and social media.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.carolynhughesauthor.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writingcalliope 

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carolyn-hughes 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carolyn-Hughes/e/B01MG5TWH1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16048212.Carolyn_Hughes 

Book Review: “The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn” by Wendy J. Dunn

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The light in the labyrinthThe year is 1535 and a young girl whose mother was a shining light at court, dreams of getting away from her family and joins her aunt at court. Her name is Kate Carey, the daughter of Mary (Boleyn) Carey, and her aunt is Queen Anne Boleyn. Little does Kate know that the court life she desires is full of danger and enemies around every corner. In the labyrinth of court life, Kate must navigate it successfully to come out alive, even as her aunt’s reign is coming to an end and a secret is revealed that will radically change her life forever. Wendy J. Dunn tells Kate Carey’s story in her young adult novel, “The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn.”

I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn for sending me a copy of this novel. I do love a good young adult novel and so when I heard about Wendy Dunn releasing a new edition of a young adult Tudor novel that she had written previously, I knew I wanted to read it.

We begin with a dispute between Kate and her mother Mary. Kate is upset with her mother after she remarries William Stafford when her father William Carey dies. She wants to get away from home and go to the court of Henry VIII where her aunt, Anne Boleyn, sits as queen. Reluctantly, Mary agrees to Kate’s request and allows Kate to join her brother Harry Carey in court.

Kate’s entrance to the glittery Tudor court comes at a crucial point. Anne Boleyn is pregnant with what she hopes will be the son she and Henry desire. Kate is surrounded by her cousins including Meg Lee, her uncle George, and of course her aunt Anne. Along the way, Kate falls head over heels in love with Francis Knollys and learns a secret about her father that will rock her small world forever. However, Kate learns that love in court is a double-edged sword that can have deadly consequences.

When King Henry VIII had his jousting accident, Anne suffered a miscarriage and lost her son who would have been her savior. The fall of Anne Boleyn was nothing short of tragic, but to see it from her young niece Kate’s perspective added layers of depth and emotion that I was not prepared to read. I have read so many different accounts of the death of Anne Boleyn, both fiction and nonfiction, but Kate Carey’s version hit me emotionally that I was almost in tears by the end.

Dunn has not only shown that she is a brilliant author of historical fiction but also a fantastic young adult historical fiction writer. It is not just the main story, but the poetry and the two short stories that show how much love Dunn has for Kate Carey. A true triumph of a novel that I did not want to end. I do hope she will write more young adult historical fiction novels set in the Tudor era. If you want a heartbreakingly spectacular novel set in the Tudor age, I highly suggest you read, “The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn” by Wendy J. Dunn.

Book Review: “The Lady Rochford Saga- Part 1: Into the Ranks of the Deceived” by Danielle Marchant

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Into the Ranks of the DeceivedThe tragedies of the Boleyns and the Howards left many with scars and heartache, none more so than Jane Parker. The daughter of Henry Parker, Lord Morley, Jane is seen to be destined for a great marriage and a successful career at court. As one of the ladies to serve Queen Catherine of Aragon, Jane witnesses the splendor, glam, and intrigue needed to survive in the court of Henry VIII. Danielle Marchant has taken inspiration from what she has studied about Jane Parker to create “The Lady Rochford Saga- Part 1: Into the Ranks of the Deceived.”

I would like to thank Danielle Marchant for sending me a copy of this novel. I have wanted to read more about Jane Parker/Jane Boleyn since reading “The Raven’s Widow” by Adrienne Dillard.

The novel begins with Henry Parker and his wife Alice Parker attending the Tudor court of Henry VIII and Katherine Parr during Christmas. Their daughter Jane recently died, but now they must pick up the pieces while keeping their daughter’s memory alive. We then jump back to when Jane first enters the court of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon as a shy, naive girl.

As an audience we see Jane grow from a girl into a woman in love with the debonair George Boleyn. Jane gets close to Mary and Anne Boleyn as they move from the French court to Henry VIII’s court, trying to navigate scandals and typical court drama. Marchant chooses to show the glamorous Field of the Cloth of Gold and the identity of Henry VIII’s “Mistress Parker” from Jane’s perspective, which was a unique twist to the tale.

I think it is a decent start to a trilogy about Jane Boleyn, but I do wish it was a single long novel instead of three short books, so the audience can be more immersed in the story. I think Marchant does have a passion for the Tudor dynasty and I think her stories will get better the more she writes. If you want a series about Jane Boleyn written by an independent author, you should check out, “The Lady Rochford Saga- Part 1: Into the Ranks of the Deceived,” by Danielle Marchant.