Tag: historical fiction

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘The Duty of Daughters’ by Wendy J. Dunn

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I am pleased to welcome Wendy J. Dunn to my blog today to share a snippet from her novel “The Duty of Daughters” as part of the blog tour for her omnibus “Falling Pomegranate Seeds Duology.” I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Snippet:

“Josefa, you mistake my meaning.” Beatriz stared at the coverlet of Josefa’s bed. “All of us must walk our own roads, but ’tis wrong to prevent women from walking so many roads just because we’re women. Even Plato said, ‘Nothing can be more absurd than the practice of men and women not following the same pursuits with all their strengths and with one mind, for thus, the state instead of being whole is reduced to half.’ I so agree. Our world cuts off its nose to spite its own face by insisting the only purpose for women is to bear children and perpetuate the human race, as also said Plato. Surely ’tis far too hard a view to forever blame women for Eve’s sin.”

Blurb: 

In the Falling Pomegranate Seeds Duology, readers are transported to the rich historical tapestry of 15th and 16th-century Europe, where the lives of remarkable women unfold against the backdrop of political upheaval and personal struggles.  

In the first book, beginning in 1490, Castile, Doña Beatriz Galindo, a passionate and respected scholar, serves as an advisor to Queen Isabel of Castile. Beatriz yearns for a life beyond the constraints imposed on women, desiring to control her own destiny. As she witnesses the Holy War led by Queen Isabel and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon, Beatriz dedicates herself to guiding Queen Isabel’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon, on her own path. Beatriz’s role as a tutor and advisor becomes instrumental in shaping Catalina’s future as she prepares to become England’s queen.  

Fast forward to the winter of 1539 in the second book, where María de Salinas, a dear friend and cousin of Catalina (now known as Katherine of Aragon), pens a heartfelt letter to her daughter, the Duchess of Suffolk. Unable to make the journey from her London home due to illness, María shares her life story, intricately woven with her experiences alongside Catalina. Their friendship has endured through exile and tumultuous times. María seeks to shed light for her daughter on the choices she has made in a story exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, hatred, and forgiveness. Through María’s narrative, the eternal question Will love ultimately triumph? 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bax5n6  

Author Bio: 

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so, she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder.  

Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their own holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally. 

Author Links: 

Website: www.wendyjdunn.com  

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@wendyjdunnauthor  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/wendy-j-dunn  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004FRTZFA  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197156.Wendy_J_Dunn

Book Review: “The Pretender” by Jo Harkin

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The Wars of the Roses are ending, and with it comes uncertainty about who will lead the country. On one side is King Richard III, who many believe killed his nephews to become King of England; on the other is Breton Henry, Henry Tudor, who believes he is the rightful king due to his bloodline. However, there is a third player in this entire debacle. A young farm boy named John Collan may spend his days daydreaming and studying to his heart’s content, but he is destined for more. A path that will lead him to hobnob with nobility and become the enemy of a king who just sat on his throne. Just who is John Collan, and how did this boy go from the farm to a life of infamy? Jo Harkin tells the story of how John Collan became Lambert Simnel in her novel, “The Pretender.”

I would like to thank Knopf and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. As someone who reads a lot about the Wars of the Roses, I tend to gravitate towards the main players and the nobility. However, there was something about a novel all about one of the pretenders, Lambert Simnel, that piqued my curiosity. Plus, the fact that this was the author’s first foray into historical fiction was a nice touch. I wanted to see how well Harkin would do with an obscure figure and her first historical fiction novel.

We begin with John Collan, a son of a farmer who dreams of being a scholar and running away from a rather vicious goat. John’s father, Will Collan, is a pretty wealthy man, but he is also connected to a man named Maister Richard Simons, who agrees to tutor John at Oxford. Such a remarkable turn of luck for a farm boy, but why choose him over others? Maister Simons explains that Will Collan is not John’s father. His name is not even John. He is to be known as Lambert Simnel, and his true father is none other than George, Duke of Clarence, which makes him Edward, Earl of Warwick. It’s a lot to take in, but then John/Lambert is taken to both Burgundy and Ireland so that he can gain powerful allies such as Margaret, Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln, and the Earl of Kildare.

John/Lambert continues to study, falls in love with a girl named Joan, is crowned king, and even goes to war against the Tudor king. But the boy will soon learn the bitter taste of betrayal and the heartache of losing those he loves the most to try and wrest the crown from Henry VII. While the dialogue was at times borderline vulgar, I did enjoy most of the story until the aftermath of the Battle of Stoke Field. It was when John/Lambert was held captive that it fell flat, and it was a bit difficult to follow along for me. I also wish Harkin had included some sort of author’s note or explanation of her research to help those who are new to Lambert Simnel’s story understand why she wrote the novel in the way she did.

Overall, I think this was a decent novel. It is ambitious to tackle an obscure figure like a pretender as a protagonist of a historical novel, but I think Harkin does a good job. It makes you wonder what must have been going on when this young man decided that he was going to take on a crowned king. Such a small footnote in history makes one compelling tale. If you want a novel about someone who does not get enough attention, I recommend you read “The Pretender” by Jo Harkin.

Book Review: “My Lady Jane” by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

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Do you have a favorite historical figure whom you have wondered what would have happened if they survived their dark fate? Have you wondered what would happen if they had fantastical abilities, such as transforming into animals? Maybe the last piece sounds a bit too far-fetched, but it makes for an interesting concept for a novel. What if we took the story of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine-Day Queen of England, and turned the tale into a fantastical comedy full of romance and adventure? Then, you would get the premise of “My Lady Jane” by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

Now I know what you are all thinking: why would you pick up a book that is purposefully fanciful with historical figures sprinkled in? I have always been a fan of YA fantasy novels, and so when I first heard about this book with the announcement of the Amazon show of the same name, it kind of confused me. I mean, there is nothing comedic about the story of Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Gifford Dudley; I wanted to see how these authors approached the Tudors with fantasy elements. I wanted to see how the book was before I decided whether to watch the series or not.

This story is in an alternative version of England where the people are divided not by religious affiliations but rather by whether or not they can transform into animals or not. Those who can transform are known as Edians, and those who believe that humans should stay as humans are known as Verities. For the longest time, the Verities were firmly in control, which meant that the Edians were persecuted, but things are changing. For those of us who study the Tudor dynasty pretty regularly, it is easy to see which side represents the Catholics and which side represents Protestants.

Now that we have that all cleared up, let’s dive into the actual plot of this book. King Edward VI is dying, and to make sure that the Edians are protected, he decides to override his father’s will and declare his cousin Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England, surpassing his sister Mary, who is a Veritie, and his sister Elizabeth, who is pretty neutral on the matter. Under the guidance of Lord Dudley, Edward decides that Lady Jane Grey, an only child in this novel, must marry Dudley’s son, Gifford, known as G in this novel. Marriage between strangers is not uncommon during this time, but the wedding takes place at night because during the day, G turns into a horse. Jane the bookworm must navigate her new married life with a horse husband, learn how to become a queen quickly, and uncover what happened to her beloved cousin Edward.

If you are looking for a historically accurate novel, you need to look elsewhere. This is a novel that is fun, fanciful, and full of adventure, mischief, and romance. It is also a novel that might get young adults interested in the Tudors with a fantasy twist. I think my only real big issue with this novel is that it didn’t feel like Tudor England to me, so it was a bit difficult to be fully immersed in the story. If you want a good novel to escape reality for a while with Tudors and a bit of magic, I recommend you read “My Lady Jane” by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

Guest Post: “What was Life Like in ‘Northwick Priory’” by Carolyn Hughes

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I am pleased to welcome Carolyn Hughes to my blog to share a guest post about her latest novel, Sister Rosa’s Rebellion. I would like to thank Carolyn Hughes and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

The principal location for Sister Rosa’s Rebellion, the latest novel in my Meonbridge Chronicles series, set in medieval Hampshire, is a priory of nuns, although important plot threads in the novel are also, of course, still set in the community of fictional Meonbridge itself.  

However, the central focus of the storyline is the young woman who left Meonbridge at the end of the First Meonbridge Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, to become a nun in Northwick Priory. That young woman was Johanna de Bohun, the daughter of the lord and lady of Meonbridge, Sir Richard and Lady Margaret. The shameful motivation behind Johanna’s decision to sequester herself in the priory as Sister Rosa is the primary thread in the story of Sister Rosa’s Rebellion. For when, after fifteen years of contentment, Rosa’s life in the priory is turned upside down, the reason she became a nun is threatened to be revealed. 

 

In this post, I thought I’d share something of the background I’ve drawn upon to paint the picture of life for Sister Rosa and her sister nuns, discussing how I came up with my vision of Northwick Priory, and something of the daily pattern of life inside it. 

 

Northwick Priory is fictional, but, in my mind, it’s sited more or less where the real monastery of Southwick once stood, about nine miles from “Meonbridge” and six miles north of Portsmouth. In medieval times, Southwick Priory was reasonably well-endowed, with many manors, and was also a place of pilgrimage, until it was closed during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the monasteries. But “Northwick” is relatively poor. Not struggling, as long as the prioress and treasuress can keep on top of their finances, but sufficiently close to the edge that a profligate prioress could easily bring the place to ruin… 

 

Not knowing already how a medieval priory might be laid out, I searched for examples online and found Cleeve Abbey, a ruin in Somerset, destroyed in the Dissolution, that is managed by English Heritage. Cleeve was a monastery, not a nunnery, but, in principle, the layout for both would, or could, be similar. Luckily for me, there’s a plan of the abbey on its web page, which I’ve used very loosely as the model for Northwick. 

 

As at Cleeve, Northwick has two floors, with the more private chambers upstairs and the “day” rooms downstairs. The dorter (the dormitory) is upstairs, with a flight of night stairs leading directly down to the chapel, making it easier for the nuns to access the chapnighttime night time offices. All the sisters, including the prioress, were supposed to sleep in the dorter, although, in Sister Rosa’s Rebellion, the fact that the prioress doesn’t is a matter for great concern! 

 

I imagine the dorter essentially as a long chamber furnished with rows of beds. Privacy wasn’t usual in any medieval environment, even in the grand homes of the gentry. Nonetheless, I’ve introduced a design aspect to Northwick’s dorter that was almost certainly not common in nunneries or monasteries: the inclusion of “cells” within the dorter chamber. I’ve read that, occasionally, the dorter might be partitioned into cells or cubicles, and it suited my purpose for the story of Sister Rosa’s Rebellion to allow this arrangement in Northwick. However, I’ve imagined Northwick’s cubicles as being separated by the flimsiest of partitions, so all the snuffling and snoring noises of the night-time dormitory would still intrude, even if each nun did enjoy a modicum of privacy. It was apparently really rare for a priory to have cells, in the sense of separate chambers, for monks or nuns to sleep in. 

 ,

At Northwick, I have other chambers upstairs, including the prioress’s own – where, in Sister Rosa’s Rebellion, she sleeps and eats, and also entertains both her favourites and visitors, quite contrary to the Rules of the Benedictine order. 

 

The ground floor of Northwick Priory is laid out more or less as at Cleeve. In the centre is the cloister, the great internal courtyard around which the nuns would take their exercise each day, with the chapel to the north of it and the frater (the refectory or dining hall, where all sisters were expected to eat) to the south. Off the sides of the cloister were various chambers, including the Chapter house, where the nuns met daily to hear readings from the order’s Rule, discuss any day-to-day decisions. 

 

Close to the frater would of course be the kitchens, either within the priory buildings, or perhaps in a separate building, for safety.  

 

Sited close to the chapel’s entrance was the sacristy, the room where the priest prepared for services, and where items used in services were,e kept and was therefore also the “office” of the sacrist. 

 

Outside the priory buildings, I’ve given Northwick a gatehouse much like the one at Cleeve, with upper floors. The infirmary was often sited away from the main buildings, presumably to keep infection confined. And there would be other domestic buildings, such as a bakehouse, a brewhouse, and a laundry, and of course, storehouses for various purposes. 

 

I hope you now have a feel for the layout of Northwick Priory, but what of life inside it? 

 

A nun’s day was very structured, arranged around the holy offices, the chapel services (also called the divine offices or the liturgy of the hours) that they were required to attend. The services, which consisted primarily of psalms, hymns, readings, and prayers, were held at fixed times. These canonical hours were not only the specified times for prayer, but also marked the times of day.  

 

Depending upon the time of year, they were broadly as follows:  

 

  • Matins: Midnight or sometime during the night  
  • Lauds: Dawn or 3 a.m. 
  • Prime: The first hour, about 6 a.m. 
  • Terce: The third hour, about 9 a.m. 
  • Sext: The sixth hour, about noon 
  • Nones: The ninth hour, about 3 p.m. 
  • Vespers: The “lighting of the lamps”, about 6 p.m. 
  • Compline: The last hour, just before retiring, around 9 p.m. 

 

After Prime, the nuns would usually hold their chapter meeting (mentioned above). Otherwise, between the services, they took their meals (breakfast, dinner, and supper), carried out their work, and in theory spent some time in reading and private study. 

 

I imagine meals were generally modest affairs for most (although, in Sister Rosa’s Rebellion, the prioress decides she can no longer stomach “modest” meals and demands more exotic food for herself). That’s not to say the ordinary nuns’ food was necessarily meagre or unappetizing. They had the resources of the home farm to call upon, and if it was well-managed, there was no reason why they shouldn’t have a varied and nourishing diet. In principle, according to the Benedictine Rule to which Northwick’s nuns adhere, meals were taken in silence or near silence, save for the nun who was reading from the Bible. However, it again suited my “authorly” purposes to relax the rule a little, so “quiet” is required in Northwick’s dorter rather than silence. 

 

As I said, in theory, time was set aside for reading scripture and private study. However, I understand that, by the fourteenth century, reading was no longer widespread – I’m not clear why – and even work occupied less time than it once had, as servants tended to do it.  

 

In a small nunnery like Northwick, most of the nuns would probably have a defined role. Although some of the nuns’ work might be menial, say, working in the kitchen, laundry, or garden, I believe it was more commonplace for servants to carry out these tasks, whilst the nuns themselves undertook administrative tasks. If you’d like to know more about the work of medieval nuns, look out for a post of mine called The working lives of medieval nuns, shared by other hosts on this blog tour. 

Blurb: 

How can you rescue what you hold most dear, when to do so you must break your vows?

1363. When Mother Angelica, the old prioress at Northwick Priory, dies, many of the nuns presume Sister Rosa, formerly Johanna de Bohun, of Meonbridge, will take her place. But Sister Evangelina, Angelica’s niece, believes the position is hers by right, and one way or another, she will ensure it is.

Rosa stands aside to avoid unseemly conflict, but is devastated when she sees how the new prioress is changing Northwick: from a place of humility and peace to one of indulgence and amusement, if only for the prioress and her favoured few. Rosa is terrified her beloved priory will be brought to ruin under Evangelina’s profligate and rapacious rule, but her vows of obedience make it impossible to rebel.

Meanwhile, in Meonbridge, John atte Wode, the bailiff, is also distraught by the happenings at Northwick. After years of advising the former prioress and Rosa on the management of their estates, Evangelina dismissed him, banning him from visiting Northwick again.

Yet, only months ago, he met Anabella, a young widow who fled to Northwick to escape her in-laws’ demands and threats, but is a reluctant novice nun. The attraction between John and Anabella was immediate, and he hoped to encourage her to give up the priory and become his wife. But how can he possibly do that now?

Can John rescue his beloved Anabella from a future he is certain she no longer wants? And can Rosa overcome her scruples, rebel against Evangelina’s hateful regime, and return Northwick to the haven it once was? 

Buy Links: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bWaYM0  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author 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 centre stage. But why historical fiction? Serendipity! 

Seeking inspiration for what to write for her Creative Writing Masters, she discovered the handwritten draft, begun in her twenties, of a novel, set in 14th-century rural England… Intrigued by the period and setting, she realised that, by writing a novel set in the period, she could 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. 

Seven 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… 

Author Links: 

Website: https://carolynhughesauthor.com  

Twitter: www.x.com/writingcalliope  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarolynHughesAuthor  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/carolynhughes.bsky.social  

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

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

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

Book Review: “Nothing Proved” by Janet Wertman

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A princess born to a king and his second wife lost her title and legitimacy when her father decided that her mother, Anne Boleyn, needed to die. Elizabeth Tudor knows the meaning of resilience as she survived her childhood during her father King Henry VIII’s reign. Now that her father is dead  Elizabeth is at the mercy of her half-siblings Edward and Mary, plus any scheming man who wants to marry her and get closer to the crown. Can Elizabeth survive her siblings’ reigns or is she destined to be locked in the Tower to await her ultimate fate like her mother? Janet Wertman explores the life of Elizabeth Tudor in her latest series Regina and the first novel, “Nothing Proved” explores Elizabeth’s turbulent adolescence. 

I would like to thank Janet Wertman for sending me a copy of this novel. I have always been a big fan of novels about Elizabeth I and so when I heard that Wertman was writing another Tudor series all about Elizabeth I, I jumped at the chance to read it.

From an early age, Elizabeth Tudor swore she would never marry, especially after seeing how her mother Anne Boleyn, and her numerous stepmothers were treated by her father. Now her father King Henry VIII is dead, her brother Edward VI is King of England, and she is separated from the stepmother that she loved Katherine Parr after several unwanted incidents with Katherine’s husband Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth never got to see her beloved stepmother again and Thomas has his eyes on marrying Elizabeth or possibly taking control of the king. Bad mistakes on both parts, but it does not mean that Elizabeth is safe from scandal as Edward’s council believes that Elizabeth was involved in the plot against the king.

Elizabeth may have survived Edward’s reign, but her step-sister Mary’s reign is a different case. Mary is a devout Catholic who does not trust Elizabeth. She believes that Elizabeth is part of the plots to overthrow Mary and become the next queen of England. These accusations are dangerous and will place Elizabeth in the Tower. Luckily, Elizabeth is not alone as she has her ladies in waiting as well as friends like Robert Dudley and William Cecil, who is the second protagonist in this novel. It was a nice touch to add William Cecil’s point of view because he rarely gets a starring role in historical fiction novels so it was interesting to see his perspective on matters leading up to the moment Elizabeth becomes queen.

I found this an enjoyable novel that explored Elizabeth’s adolescent years which were some of her most turbulent. We can see her signature resilience and the formation of her close-knit circle of allies and friends that will become so important during her reign. If you are a fan of Elizabethan novels,  I think you will  thoroughly enjoy, “Nothing Proved” book one in the Regina series by Janet Wertman.

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘Oscar’s Tale’ by Chris Bishop”

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I am pleased to welcome Chris Bishop to my blog today to share a spotlight for his novel, “Oscar’s Tale.” I want to thank Chris Bishop and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Blurb: 

Oscar’s Tale is that of a Saxon boy who sets out to find and rescue his father who has been taken by Viking slavers.  

The story begins in 877, just prior to the Viking attack on Chippenham in which King Alfred was routed. Against this backdrop, Oscar is obliged to set out on his all but impossible quest and quickly becomes embroiled in all that’s going on in Wessex at this turbulent time, culminating in him playing a small but important part in the battle at Edington. 

But this is not just a story about blood thirsty battles and fearsome warriors, it’s about a boy struggling to live up to his father’s reputation as a warrior and trying to find his place in a dangerous and uncertain world. For that, he is forced to confront many dangers and earn the respect of others who are far above his station. Along the way he also finds love – albeit at a cost far higher than most would have been willing to pay. 

 

‘For is it not the wish of every man that his son will achieve more in life than he did?’ 

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bwQQ99  

Author Bio:  

Chris was born in London in 1951. After a successful career as a Chartered Surveyor, he retired to concentrate on writing, combining this with his lifelong interest in Anglo Saxon history. 

His first novel, Blood and Destiny, was published in 2017 and his second, The Warrior with the Pierced Heart, in 2018 followed by The Final Reckoning in 2019 and Bloodlines in 2020.  Together they form a series entitled The Shadow of the Raven, the fifth and final part of which – The Prodigal Son – was published in 2023. 

 

Chris has published numerous blogs about various aspects of Anglo Saxon history and is a member of the Historical Writers’ Association. 

 

Author Links: 

 

Website:

www.chrisbishopauthor.com  

Twitter:

https://x.com/CBishop_author  

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/207271.Chris_Bishop  

Book Review: “The Tudor Queens’ Midwife” by Brigitte Barnard

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Throughout history, the true defining feature of a good queen was whether or not she could give birth to a male heir and a spare to keep the dynasty going. No dynasty relied heavily on the pregnancy of a queen and a male heir than the Tudor dynasty of England. While we tend to focus on the women who wear the crown and give birth to the potential heir, another stands beside her during the entire process; the royal midwife. Not much attention has been given to the royal midwife until now. Brigitte Barnard explores the life of a royal midwife and her daughter who work to help Queen Katherine of Aragon in her novel, “The Tudor Queens’ Midwife.”

I want to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Brigitte Barnard for sending me a copy of this book. When I read the description of this book for a blog tour that I was invited to join, it was an appealing concept. I like reading novels where the royal family takes a back seat, so seeing a novel about a royal midwife was different and I wanted to read it. 

In the glittering court of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, Sarah Menendez the midwife and her daughter Faith must deal with the dangers of childbirth. Through dealing with miscarriages and stillbirths, Sarah and Faith help the queen in any way they can. But this mother and daughter have a secret. While serving Katherine of Aragon, the Spanish Catholic queen, they are not Catholic or Protestant. They are Jews who were exiled from their native Spain after the Inquisition that was put in place due to Katherine’s mother.

Throughout this novel, we witness Sarah and Faith helping Katherine of Aragon up to the Great Matter and other noble women and working women alike. Some of the women found the joys of motherhood while others paid the ultimate sacrifice to bring new life into the world. We also get to see the bond between Sarah and Faith and how fortune’s wheel continues to turn even for normal men and women. I also enjoyed the fact that we got to experience what life might be like for a Jewish family living in England when religion was a hot topic and the Jews had been banned from England for centuries.

 I enjoyed this novel. It was a fresh take on the Tudor era in England that explores what it might have been like to be a Jewish midwife when Katherine of Aragon was queen. As a debut, I think Barnard does a good job of creating believable characters and great scenarios. I am looking forward to her next novel and I hope she continues telling the story of these midwives. If you want a novel that is full of secrecy, religious conflict, and a loving family, I would suggest you read, “The Tudor Queens’ Midwife” by Brigitte Barnard.

Blurb: 

In the glamorous, glittering, and dangerous court of King Henry VIII and his queen Katherine of Aragon, the desperate desire for a healthy male heir overshadows all. Plagued by a series of miscarriages the queen is left grappling with the weight of her singular duty to provide a son for the Crown. Amidst this turmoil, the queen turns to Sarah Menendez, the most highly skilled midwife in England. Sarah, exiled from her homeland and concealing her true identity must serve the queen and battle her deepest fears. As Sarah strives to save the queen from the perils of childbirth, the specter of her past threatens to unravel the carefully crafted identity Sarah has created for herself and her young daughter. 

  In a world where power, politics, and religion collide, Sarah finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deadly danger. The fate of the queen’s unborn child, the survival of the midwife and her daughter, and the stability of the kingdom hang in the balance. Sarah Menendez must employ all of her skills, cunning, and courage to protect those she holds dear as well as the life of the queen and her unborn child. 

The Tudor Queens’ Midwife is a gripping tale of secrecy, sacrifice, and religious turmoil amongst the most opulent courts the world has ever seen.  

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4jzxyk  

Author Bio: 

Brigitte Barnard is an amateur historian of Renaissance English history and an author of the trilogy The Tudor Queens’ Midwife, of which the first book in the series is available. She is currently writing a non-fiction book about Tudor midwifery for Pen and Sword Publishing House.  

Brigitte is a former homebirth midwife, and she lives at home with her husband and four children. She also raises Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  

Author Links: 

Website: http://thetudormidwife.com/  

Twitter: https://x.com/TheTudorMidwife  

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

Guest Post: “The Spanish Armada” by Justin Newland

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I am pleased to welcome Justin Newland to my blog today to share some background information about his novel,  The Midnight of Eights. I want to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Justin Newland for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

This guest post relates to the historical background of my novel, The Midnight of Eights. The genesis of any single historical event is always multiple, a combine compound of different influences, some obvious, some subtle, So, in this short space, the best I can do is paint some broad brush strokes.  

The novel culminates in the repulse of the Spanish Armada, but what led to King Philip of Spain’s fatal decision to build and dispatch a fleet of 130 warships to invade England in 1588 AD?  

Let’s start in 1556. That was when Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, abdicated and passed his territories to his son, Philip, who inherited the Netherlands. The Dutch were mostly Protestant but were now under the control of a Catholic monarch. Philip sent the Duke of Alba to suppress any revolt and impose Catholic rule.  

In England in 1570, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth suppressed the Catholic-inspired Northern rebellion and for her troubles was excommunicated by Pope Pius V. In a Papal Bull entitled Regnans in Excelsis, he declared her to be a heretic and “the pretended Queen of England and the servant of crime.” Significantly for English Catholics, the Pope released all of her subjects from any allegiance to her and excommunicated any that obeyed her. 

In December 1585, Elizabeth and the Privy Council finally responded to the Dutch call for help, and the Queen sent English troops and vessels to support their resistance.  

The Papal Bull persuaded many English Catholics to plot against Elizabeth. One was Sir Francis Throckmorton, a Catholic noble. He planned to depose Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary, the Queen’s cousin, was Catholic, and a distant heir to the English throne. Francis Walsingham, the Queen’s spymaster, with the help of Nelan Michaels, the hero of the novel The Midnight of Eights, uncovered his plot and had Throckmorton executed at Tyburn in London in July 1584. The Tyburn Tree, a nickname for the gallows at Tyburn, was a prominent site for public executions in London and was given the chilling epithet, ‘the tree that was never green.’ 

Anthony Babington was the next English Catholic noble to attempt to depose Elizabeth and replace her with Mary. But when her letters to Babington were intercepted by Walsingham’s spies, proving her involvement to depose Elizabeth, Mary, Queen of Scots, was tried and executed in 1587. For King Philip, Mary’s death was the tipping point. He decided to despatch the Armada and bring England and its heretic Queen to heel once and for all.  

During the fleet preparations in Cadiz, Philip ordered his admirals to search for women on board the ships and remove them, so that God’s will prevailed.  

In April 1588, the Pope blessed the Armada emblem, the Madonna, and all the Spanish mariners watched in holy awe as it fluttered high on the masts of the galleons, galleasses, and supply ships.  

The Armada was not just a fleet of ships. As far as the Spanish were concerned, it was primarily a holy instrument to remove evil from the world.  

Justin Newland  

18th March 2025 

Photo #1: Pope Pius V, courtesy of Wikipedia  

Photo #2: The Tyburn Tree, courtesy of Wikipedia  

Blurb:

1580-Nelan Michaels docks at Plymouth after sailing around the world aboard the Golden Hind. He seeks only to master his mystical powers – the mark of the salamander, that mysterious spirit of fire – and reunite with his beloved Eleanor.  

After delivering a message to Francis Walsingham, he’s recruited into the service of the Queen’s spymaster, where his astral abilities help him to predict and thwart future plots against the realm. 

But in 1588, the Spanish Armada threatens England’s shores. 

So how could the fledgling navy of a small, misty isle on the edge of mainland Europe repulse the greatest fleet in the world? 

Was the Queen right when she claimed it was divine intervention, saying, ‘He blew with His winds, and they were scattered!’? 

Or was it an entirely different intervention – the extraordinary conjunction of coincidences that Nelan’s astral powers brought to bear on that fateful Midnight of Eights? 

Buy Links: 

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/TheMidnightofEights  

Author Website (where buyer can enter a dedication): https://www.justinnewland.com/the-midnight-of-eights~193  

Wordery (for free UK delivery): https://wordery.com/the-midnight-of-eights-justin-newland-9781835740330   

Barnes and Noble (US): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-midnight-of-eights-justin-newland/1146325263?ean=2940185990643  

Waterstones (UK): https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-midnight-of-eights/justin-newland/9781835740330  

Kobo (International): https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-midnight-of-eights  

Saxo (DK): https://www.saxo.com/dk/the-midnight-of-eights_bog_9781835740330  

Kindle Unlimited:  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnight-Eights-Justin-Newland-ebook/dp/B0D9Y7YRDG   

Author Bio: 

Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism.  

Undeterred by the award of a Maths Doctorate, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (ISBN 9781789014860, Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.  

His second book, The Old Dragon’s Head (ISBN 9781789015829, Matador, 2018), and is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.  

Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation (ISBN 9781838591885, Matador, 2019) speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.  

The Abdication (ISBN 9781800463950, 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 (ISBN 9781915853271, Book Guild, 2023), is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it tells the epic tale of England’s coming of age.  

The latest is The Midnight of Eights (ISBN 9781835740 330, Book Guild, 2024), the second in The Island of Angels series, which charts the uncanny coincidences of time and tide that culminated in the repulse of the Spanish Armada.  

His work in progress is The Spirit of the Times which explores the events of the 14th Century featuring an unlikely cast of the Silk Road, Genghis Khan, the Black Plague, and a nursery rhyme that begins ‘Ring a-ring a-roses’.  

Author, speaker, and broadcaster, Justin gives talks to historical associations and libraries, appears on LitFest panels, and enjoys giving radio interviews. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. 

Author Links: 

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

Twitter: https://x.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://www.bookbub.com/authors/justin-newland  

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

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

Book Review: “Bitter Greens” by Kate Forsyth

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

For centuries, fairy tales have entertained and taught lessons to those young and young at heart. One of the most memorable stories was the tale of Rapunzel, the maiden a witch kidnapped because her parents stole a Rapunzel plant from her while Rapunzel’s mother was pregnant. For years, Rapunzel languished in a Tower, her hair growing exponentially until a rogue/ prince climbs her hair and rescues the damsel in distress. The witch dies and Rapunzel and her hero live happily ever after. At least, that is how the story has been passed down to us throughout the centuries, but where did the story come from and how are the stories of three women from different generations and countries connected? Kate Forsyth weaves together the stories of three women and their fates into one delightful novel called, “Bitter Greens.”

I want to thank Allison & Busby and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. When I am not reading historical fiction or nonfiction, I do enjoy reading fairy tales retold, so when I heard about this novel and how it would explore the origins of the story of Rapunzel, it was intriguing to me.

Forsyth breaks down her novel into three separate narratives based on the lives of three women. We begin with Charlotte-Rose de la Force, a woman who weaves stories on a whim at the court of the Sun King Louis XIV. Charlotte is the person who gave the Rapunzel story some of the main characteristics that we are familiar with from the Italian origin story by Giambattista Basile. Her life choices have caused the king to send Charlotte to exile in a convent. It is in the convent that Charlotte meets Soeur Seraphina and she learns the story of Margherita and Selena Leonelli.

Margherita is the daughter of a mask maker and his wife. When she turns 7, a sorceress named La Strega Bella tells her parents that it is time to pay for their crime of stealing bitter greens. La Strega Bella wants to raise Margherita as her child, so she kidnaps Margherita, changes her name to Petrosinella, and places her in a convent. When Margherita turns 12, she is taken from the convent, placed in a tower, and given her characteristically long hair.

The question is why did La Strega Bella take Margherita from her parents just to put her in a tower with such long hair? It is through Selena Leonelli’s story that we can discover the truth about La Strega Bella. A woman who had to survive in the dark days of the plague in the early 16th century when her family died, she learned how to use spells and the power of plants from a woman named Sibillia. Life was not always fair for Selena, but then she met a man named Tiziano, who we know as Titian, and she inspired his art. Selena is afraid of growing old and wants to stay young forever, so she comes up with a dark and twisted plan.

This novel is dark and full of tragedies, love, and adventures. While I did enjoy reading it, there were a few historical inaccuracies, such as the plague doctor uniform was not introduced until the 17th century, not the 16th century. If you want a dark version of a fairy tale retold with a historical twist, I think you will enjoy “Bitter Greens” by Kate Forsyth.

Guest Post: “Research of the Locations Featured in Sword Brethren” by Jon Byrne

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Jon Byrne to my blog today to share information about his research for the locations in his novel Sword Brethren.  I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Jon Byrne for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Detailed research is important for all writers – but for those writing historical fiction, it is vital. While much can be gained by researching information on the internet or reading books on the subject, one of the best things for me is the chance to visit the locations depicted in the book. Sometimes it is only by going to a place that you can really get a feel for how it might have been. Having said that, all of the places depicted in Sword Brethren have changed so much over the last 800 years that it is still difficult to imagine how a location would have looked so long ago, especially as there is so little remaining from this period. 

The story begins in Cranham, a fictional village in East Anglia in England, located somewhere between Bury St Edmunds and Thetford. I traveled the area a few years ago, visiting the local castles like Framlingham and Orford, as well as the village of Lavenham – one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England. This helped to get an idea of what the area might have been like in the High Middle Ages, but even here most of the buildings date from the late medieval and Tudor periods.  

One of the places that I found particularly helpful was Eye Castle – originally a motte and bailey fortress built during the reign of King William I. This is even earlier than the timeframe of the book, which made it far more relevant, but the castle is ruined, and a house was built on the motte in 1844, which has since decayed and collapsed. Nevertheless, the fictional village and castle of Cranham would not have been dissimilar. 

Lübeck, in northern Germany, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location for approximately a third of the book. I spent a very satisfying weekend walking the cobbled streets and visiting the historical sites it has to offer – made considerably easier for me because at the time I lived in Berlin, which is only 280 km (approx. 170 miles) away.  

  

Caption: The Holsten Gate in Lübeck (built between 1464 to 1478). On the right can be seen some of the buildings of the Salzspeicher – a row of historic salt warehouses. On the left, the spires of St Mary’s Church (Marienkirche) pokes above the trees. 

Founded in the mid-12th century, Lübeck became known as the Queen of the Hanseatic League (originally a powerful trading network of merchant communities in Northern Germany) and was the main point of departure for the Northern Crusades. Unfortunately, most of the late medieval buildings that the city is famous for – the Holsten Gate (Ger. Holstentor), St Mary’s Church (Ger. Marienkirche), St Peter’s Church (Ger. Petrikirche), the Salzspeicher (salt warehouses) and the famous brick-built gable houses – were not constructed at the time of this book. Only the cathedral that still stands (Ger. Dom zu Lübeck) existed in the early 13th century, and it was under construction, although it has been modified many times since and was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War. Much of the half-island that today makes up the old town was undeveloped and prone to flooding in the period of the book. The Holstenbrücke (Holsten Bridge) was first mentioned in 1216 but it is conceivable that a bridge existed beforehand. This would have been constructed from wood. 

One of the highlights of researching Sword Brethren was a week-long trip I spent in Latvia with my family. We were based in Riga, which is a fascinating city that I would recommend anyone visit. Again, most of the architecture is later than the events in my book. In the early 13th century, Riga was made almost entirely of wood (including the churches), and despite being the largest city in the eastern Baltic at this time, it was little more than a village when compared to cities in Western and Central Europe. 

One of the first buildings made of stone in Riga was the original St George’s Castle, the first headquarters of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, an order of warrior-monks, similar to the Knights Templar, who were formed to protect the fledgling German colony. It is the oldest surviving stone building in Riga. The only part still surviving is the chapel, now used by the Latvian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. 

(Wikimedia Commons):  

Caption: St George’s Chapel – the oldest stone building in Riga and the original headquarters of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword.  

Outside of Riga, the only buildings that still remain from the period of the book are the stone castles built by the Brothers of the Sword and the Livonian Order of the Teutonic Knights that followed them. Most of these are either ruins or in various states of repair. Many of these castles were built on the banks of the River Daugava (Ger. Düna) by the German settlers and crusaders, using the river to improve their defenses. Sadly, today many are submerged beneath the waters of the Daugava that engulfed them when the Riga Hydroelectric Power Plant was built. 

Nevertheless, two castles that remain in good condition lie northeast of Riga, only 23 miles or so from each other. The first is at Sigulda (Ger. Segewold), which was first constructed in 1207 and later rebuilt into a convent-type fortress. From its elevated position on a steep slope above the Gauja River, you can see another castle at Turaida across the water, built on the remains of an old pagan hillfort. It is a beautiful location, with the thick forest around it, and it gives a good flavor of how it might have felt to live here in the early 13th century. 

 

 Turaida castle (Ger. Treiden) (taken by author):  

Caption: The view from Sigulda castle. 

The second castle, one of the best preserved in all of Latvia, is at Cēsis (Ger. Wenden). This is a huge castle, much of it still complete, with several relatively intact towers and walls. This is the castle that later became the main seat of the Brothers of the Sword and the Teutonic Order afterward. It is an impressive fortress that features more in the next book of the series, Soldier of Christ. 

 (taken by author):  

Caption: Cēsis castle – probably the best-preserved castle in Latvia from the early 13th century 

However, it is only possible to learn a certain amount from visiting sites in the book personally. The bulk of research – for me at least, is reading some of the excellent books and research papers concerning the Northern Crusades. 

The principal first-hand source is The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, which was written by a priest, Henricus des Lettis, probably around 1229. The chronicle deals with events in the eastern Baltic between 1180 to 1226. Hardly surprisingly, it is written from the German point of view and describes the role of the Latin Church in colonizing and spreading Christianity to the local pagan tribes.  

His chronicle is a highly detailed account, rich in human history, and he provides eye-witness testimony of the events at this time, depicting not only the military campaigns but interesting facts about the local people themselves. This is particularly valuable as there is practically no other first-hand evidence of the events of the early Christian settlement in what is now Latvia and Estonia. 

Blurb:

1242- After being wounded in the Battle on the Ice, Richard Fitz Simon becomes a prisoner of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Alexander, intrigued by his captive’s story, instructs his scholar to assist Richard in writing about his life. 

Richard’s chronicle begins in 1203 when his training to be a knight is disrupted by treachery. He is forced to flee England for Lübeck, where he begins work for a greedy salt merchant. After an illicit love affair, his new life is thrown into turmoil, and he joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword as they embark on imposing the will of God on the pagans of the eastern Baltic. Here, he must reconcile with his new life of prayer, danger, and duty – despite his own religious doubts, with as many enemies within the fortified commandery as the wilderness outside. However, when their small outpost in Riga is threatened by a large pagan army, Richard is compelled to make a crucial decision and fight like never before. 

Buy Links:  

Universal Ebook Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/boVKlV  

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sword-brethren-jon-byrne/1146519606?ean=2940184429601 

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/sword-brethren/jon-byrne/9781835740798 

Author Bio: 

Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack.  

He has always been fascinated by history and has studied the Medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive library of books. In his research, he has traveled to all of the locations mentioned in the book (East Anglia, Bremen, Lübeck, Latvia, etc).  

Sword Brethren (formerly Brothers of the Sword) made it to the shortlist of the Yeovil Literary Prize 2022 and the longlist of the prestigious Grindstone International Novel Prize 2022. It is the first book in The Northern Crusader Chronicles. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.jonbyrnewriter.com/ 

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Jon-Byrne/author/B0DJC6PL8D 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52458339.Jon_Byrne