Tag: The Coffee Pot Book Club

Guest Post: “Researching ‘The Traitor’s Son’” by Wendy Johnson

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Wendy Johnson to my blog today to share information about her research for her novel, “The Traitor’s Son.” I would like to thank Wendy Johnson and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

I’ve been fascinated by the period known retrospectively as the Wars of the Roses since childhood, so when I came to write ‘The Traitor’s Son’ I already had a grounding in the history. Over the years, I’ve amassed a number of secondary sources: biographies of the principal figures, battlefield histories, political commentaries, and so on, and these have proved invaluable in forming the backbone of the novel. These days, a great deal of primary sources are digitally transcribed, and can be a valuable means of verifying details which would be more difficult to access. 

My intention was always to underpin my fiction with fact. I didn’t want to invent things for the sake of the story—for me, the events of the fifteenth century are in themselves dramatic and exciting enough without the need for fabrication. But of course, the duty of a historical novelist is to add flesh to the bones, to bring the past to life, and this is essential as the reader has to be able to empathise with the characters and understand their motivation. So, how did I go about researching the lives of Edward IV, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick— and of course, my protagonist, young Richard Plantagenet, the future Richard III? 

I do feel as though I’ve grown up with these figures—the first castle I ever visited as a child was Raby Castle, in County Durham, home to the dynamic Neville family, and a fascination for this remarkable dynasty was formed. My lifelong interest in Richard III himself was kindled during a visit to Middleham Castle, Yorkshire, at the age of eight and has remained with me ever since. I’ve always had a sense of what I feel my characters were really like, but of course, that wasn’t enough: to write a believable novel, I needed to fully research their lives and the events which formed them, before I could consider recreating them on paper. Biographies proved extremely helpful, most providing a clear background to the lives of each individual and helping to form a realistic picture of that particular person, what their personalities may have been, and, in particular, who and what may have influenced them. This was significantly important when it came to Richard himself. 

The frustrating thing about the study of the fifteenth century is that, although some primary sources do survive, they are fewer in number than those of the following century, and those that do survive are mostly official documents. It would be wonderful if we could consult, for example, a greater number of personal letters from those concerned. We do have some, but once again, these tend to be letters composed in an official capacity. Those which remain, however, can help cast small rays of light on the people as individuals, for example, the letter sent by a youthful Edward IV, and his brother Edmund, to the Duke of York, thanking him for the gowns he has sent them and requesting him to deal with ‘the odious rule’ of Richard Croft and his brother, fellow trainee knights, who appear to have been bullying them. Although my novel does not cover this earlier period, the letter is illustrative of the comfortable relationship the sons of York had with their father. Likewise, Richard’s letter to his mother, written as king and signed ‘your most humble son’, requesting her ‘daly blessing to my synguler comfort’ offers a small insight into the affection and respect he bore for her. Although such correspondence is rare, many documents having been destroyed in the following century, letters like these do provide a glimpse of both Edward and Richard’s closeness to their parents. 

The relationships of the York family, one to another, are the focus of ‘The Traitor’s Son’. Rather than a sweeping saga, I very much wanted to keep the action close, concentrating on Richard and his brothers, Edward IV and George, duke of Clarence, their sister, Margaret, mother, Cecily—and the man, whom I believe played a huge part in young Richard’s upbringing, his cousin and mentor, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. Research into the life of Richard III indicates a deep reverence for the memory of his father, the Duke of York. York’s death in battle, when Richard was only eight years old, and the danger in which the family was placed thereafter, must have had a devastating effect on the boy. According to the Centre for Male Psychology…research shows the father-child relationship is an important one. In fact, it can be more influential than the mother-child relationship. This is especially true for the 8-12 year old child as they try to make sense of the outside world…’ i This observation helped confirm my theory that following the death of the Duke of York, it would have been natural for Richard to have searched for a father figure in his life, and that this figure could well have been his cousin, Warwick. 

Regarding locations, I found I could call on personal experience for some, but had to research others. Having grown up close to Middleham, I know the castle inside and out, so it was very easy to imagine the scenes set within its walls. The city of York, which was very familiar to Richard, remains in part unchanged, and again, it was an easy matter to reimagine his time there. Warwick Castle is another fortress I’ve visited in person, although naturally there have been additions since the days of Richard Neville. London needed to be researched carefully, as very little remains from the medieval period. I found an amazing resource on the Internet entitled the Agas Map of Early Modern London, which uses the Civitas Londinium, a detailed woodcut created in 1561. This incredible, interactive tool allows the user to search for particular streets, churches, parishes, gates, and so on. Highlighting these on the map, it becomes possible to visualise the city at a time not too distant from the period in which my novel is set. For Richard’s exile in the Low Countries, both at the age of eight and again at eighteen, I had to rely on published histories and on images and information I found online. A visual recreation of the Bishop’s Palace at Utrecht (where Richard and his brother, George, resided following their father’s defeat) was extremely useful, as was a delightful video I found of the adjacent tower, the Dom Toren, which actually featured the sound of its bells—so different in their melody from the chimes which would have been a constant accompaniment to life in London. 

My favourite element of the writing process will always be the creative part—seeing the characters in my mind’s eye, imagining their emotions and bringing them to life—but my greatest desire with the novel was to create an authentic narrative, and that meant remaining true to the facts and to the people who populate its pages. These were, after all, real people, and I felt I had a duty to portray them with respect and in the most accurate way I could. Therefore, research and facts remain twin components of ‘The Traitor’s Son’. 

Blurb:   

Caught between a king and a kingmaker, young Richard Plantagenet knows he’ll have to choose… 

1461: Richard, Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place. 

As the boy grapples with grief and uncertainty, his elder brother, Edward, defeats the enemy and claims the throne. Dazzled by his glorious sibling, young Richard soon discovers that imperfections lurk beneath his brother’s majestic façade. Enter Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—cousin, tutor, luminary—whose life has given him everything but that which he truly craves: a son. A filial bond forms between man and boy as they fill the void in each other’s lives. Yet, when treachery tears their world asunder, Richard faces an agonizing dilemma: pledge allegiance to Edward—his blood brother and anointed king—or to Warwick, the father figure who has shaped his life and affections. 

Painfully trapped between duty and devotion, Richard faces a grim reality: whatever he decides will mean a fight to the death.  

In “The Traitor’s Son”, Wendy Johnson weaves a tapestry of loyalty, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of England’s turbulent history. Through the eyes of a young Richard III, readers are transported into a world where every choice is fraught with peril, and the bonds of kinship are tested to their limits.   

Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel, Annie Garthwaite, and Sharon K. Penman.

Praise for The Traitor’s Son: 

“Exquisitely written. An evocative and thoughtful retelling of the early life of Richard III.” 

~ Philippa Langley, MBE 

 

“Sometimes the perfect use of the written word takes my breath away. Not very often, but this book is it. A wonderful story written so beautifully that I shall not forget it for a long time. Everything to my mind is perfect. The language, the story, the pacing. Just wonderful.” 

~ Kindle Customer, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“Wonderfully woven story of a young Richard III. Woven with a sure knowledge of the history and a realistic telling of a story about a young boy finding his way through tragedy and triumph, uncertainty, and a legacy he cannot escape.
Brilliant debut which promises more and more.” 

~ Cris, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“I loved this novel, it was beautifully written, extremely atmospheric, the characters’ personalities came through perfectly, can’t wait for the next instalment.” 

~ Linda Hayward, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“Really enjoyed this book. Holds the reader enthralled from the first paragraph to the last. The next volume can’t be released soon enough.” 

~ J.M. Henderson, 5* Amazon Review 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:    https://books2read.com/u/mdJqL5  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

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Author Bio:    

Wendy Johnson has a lifelong passion for medieval history, its people, and for bringing their incredible stories to life. Her specific areas of interest are the fifteenth century, the Wars of the Roses, and Richard III in particular. She enjoys narratives that immerse the reader in the past and tries faithfully to recreate the later Middle Ages within her own writing. She has contributed to a number of historical anthologies and was a runner-up in the Woman and Home Short Story Competition 2008. 

Wendy is also a founder member of Philippa Langley’s Looking for Richard Project, which located the king’s lost grave in 2012. She co-authored Finding Richard III: the Official Account of Research by the Retrieval and Reburial Project in 2014, and in 2019 received the Richard III Society’s Robert Hamblin Award.   

THE TRAITOR’S SON, volume one in a Richard III trilogy, is Wendy’s debut novel, and she is currently working on the sequel. 

Author Links: 

Author’s Page on Publisher’s Website: https://madeglobal.com/authors/wendy-johnson/  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/p/Wendy-Johnson-Author-61558759768505/ 

Book Bub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/wendy-johnson-cf3f97f7-3a8e-46d9-8394-c5a08caa594d  

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0D14SQJP3  

Goodreads:               https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208871994-the-traitor-s-son 

 

Guest Post: “A Medieval Hospital, Ruined Roman Baths and Magnificent Apartments – Locations in ‘The Cameo Keeper’” by Deborah Swift

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I am pleased to welcome Deborah Swift back to my blog today to share information about the real-life locations for her latest novel, “The Cameo Keeper.” I would like to thank Deborah Swift and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Santo Spirito Hospital 

One of my characters, Jacopo Vanelli, is a surgeon, so he spends his time at the Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome. The ‘Holy Spirit’ hospital was founded in the Middle Ages and was recognised as one of Europe’s oldest and most advanced hospitals. Its remit included not only tending to the sick and the poor, but also taking in unwanted babies, abandoned children, and travellers who fell ill within the bustling heart of Rome. 

Within its grand Renaissance walls, was a museum, an apothecary shop, a public operating theatre and an orphanage run by nuns. The operating theatre became an influential centre for medical education — hosting lectures, dissections, and practical training sessions that drew aspiring doctors from across Italy and Europe.  

Here is the octagonal tower of the main building, below.  

 

The architecture of the hospital was striking, with vast wards, airy cloisters, and a famous spiral staircase designed to allow for the swift transfer of patients. Ornate chapels and frescoes adorned the interior, along with stained glass windows. It was seen as an extension of the Church, in what was considered the holiest city in the Western world. 

The Ruined Roman Baths  

By the 17th century, the once-magnificent Roman baths of the city stood as haunting reminders of Rome’s imperial past. Structures such as the Baths of Caracalla and the Baths of Diocletian, though partially collapsed and overgrown, continued to inspire awe with their towering arches and crumbling mosaics. Locals and visitors alike wandered amidst these grand ruins, imagining the bustling social life and sophisticated engineering that had filled these halls centuries before. 

This was an ideal place for lovers to meet, and two of my characters meet at the Baths of Caracalla. Mostly in decay, the stone was pillaged to build new buildings, but there was also a market in trinkets and souvenirs that went on there amongst the ruins. Artists and antiquarians flocked to the baths, sketching their weathered columns and broken statues, and imagining the naked bathers of centuries before. 

The Vatican Apartments 

One of my characters is the Pope’s sister-in-law, Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, a powerful and wealthy woman who dominated Roman life. Many of my scenes take place in the Vatican Apartments, which represent the heart of papal authority and splendour. These lavish chambers were home to the Pope and his closest advisors, serving as both living quarters but also the centre of Rome’s governance. The apartments showcased the best artistry of Renaissance and Baroque craftsmen. Daily life within the Vatican Apartments was a blend of solemn ritual and political intrigue, with cardinals, diplomats, and foreign dignitaries as regular visitors. 

The most celebrated rooms, such as the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel—already famed for Michelangelo’s ceiling—were objects of wonder and inspiration for all who visited. The Vatican Apartments thus stood not only as the spiritual and administrative core of the Catholic world, but also as a testament to Rome’s enduring patronage of the arts and its pivotal role in shaping the cultural legacy of the 17th century. 

Rome is a fabulous place to set a novel with many beautiful and atmospheric locations, and I hope I’ve used them all to advantage in The Cameo Keeper. 

Blurb: 

Rome 1644: A Novel of Love, Power, and Poison 

 

Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always ― Dante Alighieri 

 

In the heart of Rome, the conclave is choosing a new Pope, and whoever wins will determine the fate of the Eternal City. 

 

Astrologer Mia and her fiancé Jacopo, a physician at the Santo Spirito Hospital, plan to marry, but the election result is a shock and changes everything. 

As Pope Innocent X takes the throne, he brings along his sister-in-law, the formidable Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, known as La Papessa – the female Pope. When Mia is offered a position as her personal astrologer, she and Jacopo find themselves on opposite sides of the most powerful family in Rome. 

Mia is determined to protect her mother, Giulia Tofana, a renowned poisoner. But with La Papessa obsessed with bringing Giulia to justice, Mia and Jacopo’s love is put to the ultimate test. 

As the new dawn of Renaissance medicine emerges, Mia must navigate the dangerous political landscape of Rome while trying to protect her family and her heart. Will she be able to save her mother, or will she lose everything she holds dear? 

For fans of “The Borgias” and “The Crown,” this gripping tale of love, power, and poison will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. 

Praise: 

‘historical fiction that is brisk, fresh and bristling with intrigue’ 
~ Bookmarked Reviews ★★★★★ 

Buy Link: 

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

Author Bio: 

Deborah Swift is the author of twenty novels of historical fiction.  

Her Renaissance novel in this series, The Poison Keeper, was recently voted Best Book of the Decade by the Wishing Shelf Readers Award. Her WW2 novel Past Encounters was the winner of the BookViral Millennium Award, and is one of seven books set in the WW2 era. 

Deborah lives in the North of England close to the mountains and the sea. 

Author Links: 

Website: www.deborahswift.com  

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

Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/swiftstory 

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/ 

 

 

Guest Post: “Ines de Castro” by Catherine Mathis

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Today, I am pleased to welcome Catherine Mathis to my blog to discuss Ines de Castro, the main protagonist of her novel, “Ines,” the first book in her Queens of Portugal trilogy. I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Catherine Mathis for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Inês resides more in our imaginations than in fact. She lived, had children, and died. 

Her family came from Galicia, in the northwest of Spain, where the famous city of Santiago de Compostela is located. Her father was a powerful noble, Pedro Fernãndez de Castro. Her mother, a noblewoman of Portuguese antecedents, was the mistress of her father. Her birth was illegitimate, which narrowed many of the choices available in her social class. She had kings in her lineage. Her parents also had a son, Alvaro. It is recorded that Alvaro became a good friend of the Pedro in this tale. 

Some accounts say she was raised in Portugal, and others in Castile. Inés could have been a young woman serving in the court of Portugal. But the legend says she came from Castile with Constanza, who married Portugal’s Infante Pedro. Coming with Constanza feels more probable because they were cousins and knew each other. If the legend is true that she and Pedro fell in love quickly, then the odds fall on the side to say their first knowledge of each other was a sudden arrival at court, not her growing up there. 

What comes down in the legend is her blonde hair and long neck, neither particular markers of great beauty in medieval Portugal. Yet, she is held out as a beauty. In those days, a high forehead was greatly prized, so women plucked their hair to make their foreheads taller. Did Inês? Probably – what young woman does not follow current fashion?  

There are no paintings or drawings for most people at this time. Pedro did leave us with an incredible gift, their sarcophagi. He was instrumental in their design. This is how Pedro remembers Inês. 

(Effigy of Inês. © Alcobaça Abbey, Portugal.) 

My underlying belief for Inês is that her beauty stems partly from appearance and partly from personality. I see her as easy to talk with, an attentive listener, and someone who gives you her full attention. She is loyal. She is determined. 

Most of all, Inês is true to herself. She is likely just 14- or 15-years old when she arrives on the scene. We know nothing of her years beforehand. I expect she could read and write as well as stitch and hunt, all skills of a medieval noblewoman. I believe that having suffered the shame of her birth, she desired the life of a legitimately married woman. She would eschew being mistress of any man, even the heir to the throne. Combine her marriage goal with her loyalty to her cousin Constanza, Pedro’s wife, and just sleeping with Pedro was out of the question. When you are marked young with an unfortunate circumstance, the power of motivation to alter the course of your life is strong. She will suffer for her choices, losing the trust of the king and being exiled. Repeatedly, the crown of Portugal throws obstacles in her way, and she perseveres. 

Then comes the day when Pedro plays his part. A widower, he holds out the promise of marriage. No one sees her as fit to be a queen. Of course, there is political intrigue involving her brothers. Life is never simple when you are in the orbit of the royal family. She loves children. She cares for her cousin’s children and her own with recorded affection. 

She is the glue of the story. In the novel, she is caught between two men, one whom she is unworthy to wed and one who repels her. When she rejects the king’s trusted adviser, Gonçalves, his hurt turns to jealous anger. “If I cannot have her, then no man can.” Who will the king trust, his son or his adviser? The choices she makes have dire consequences for our protagonist and antagonist.

Blurb:     

An heir to the throne, a gorgeous blonde lady-in-waiting, the king’s trusted advisor. When a father and son don’t understand each other, the son pays an outrageous price. 

Love, jealousy, loyalty, and revenge roil the court of 14th-century Portugal. 

In this engrossing launch to the Queens of Portugal trilogy, Catherine Mathis gives a fresh take on the tale of Pedro and Inês, Portugal’s real-life Romeo and Juliet. Pedro’s father would not have been king if not for his trusted advisor, Gonçalves. Once king, he wants no part in neighboring Castile’s royal convulsions, though his son, Pedro, befriends powerful Castilians. 

The all-consuming drive of the king is to ensure his line rules Portugal for centuries to come. He needs legitimate, strong heirs. The Infante Pedro loves a woman not deemed worthy to wear the crown as queen. Between father and son is Gonçalves, the king’s powerful, unquestioned counselor, who is a mentor to the son. Both Gonçalves and Pedro seek the attention of Inês. 

There is a horrific cost to winning the love of Inês. She will not release her grip on Pedro until he keeps the two sworn oaths he made to her. Can Pedro do the impossible to satisfy Inês? 

Inês is based on real people and events, exploring a cultural touchstone of Portuguese history. 

Praise for Inês: 

“Mathis masterfully weaves emotional depth into the narrative, creating a deeply engaging experience that leaves a lasting impression and invites readers on an unforgettable journey through the grandeur and intrigue of Portugal’s past.”
~ Mary Anne Yarde, The Coffee Pot Book Club 5* Review 

“This exciting start to the Queens of Portugal trilogy describes the legendary love story of Pedro and Inês, and I was amazed at the excellent storytelling and how the author brings the courts to life. There is a lot of drama and intrigue, and the characters’ emotions are beautifully captured in this engrossing tale.”
~ Readers’ Favorite 5* Review 

 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:   https://books2read.com/u/br8OBY  

Author Bio: 

Catherine Mathis was born in Berlin, the daughter of an American spy. As she grew up in Washington, D.C., her spy father turned into a drug enforcement agent. His career change wrecked any chance at high school popularity. She graduated from Sewanee | The University of the South with a degree in history focused on the medieval period. After a career in finance, she returned to her first love of medieval history to ‘Share Iberian Tales.’ Outside of writing, spare time joys are family, friends, reading, collecting folk/outsider art, and travel. 

Author Links: 

Website:  www.catherinemathis.com  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007239702480  

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

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Catherine-Mathis/author/B0F7FZHJ9T  

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6987876.Catherine_Mathis 

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘The Boat on the Lake of Regret’ by Christy Matheson”

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I am pleased to welcome Christy Matheson to my blog today to share a snippet from her novel, “The Boat on the Lake of Regret.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Christy Matheson for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Snippet

Conversation with Morálta: 

But Morálta just shakes her head. “How should I know? I told you, I just work here.” 

“What has happened to Mór and Nuala?” The words burst out of me. 

She shrugs again. “I’m not in contact with the giants, so I don’t really have details. Last I saw, Red-beard was hoisting Nuala onto his pillion, and Mór was in Black-beard’s cart.” 

“Are they safe?” 

She gives me a strange look. “Safety is an illusion, Hannah.” 

“But”—I wave my hands around this room—“any more danger than we are in, here?” Which might be considerable. 

Morálta rolls her eyes. “It’s not like they are man-eating giants or anything. Black-beard really doesn’t care for those who don’t do their fair share of the work, so I dare say that Mór is going to be doing some scrubbing, and from what I’ve seen of her she’s not going to enjoy it. But hopefully you all have some true loves signed up to come and fetch you home again, right?” 

“Maybe…”  

Morálta does a double-take. “Three princes, three princesses, et cetera, and you couldn’t even fall in love?” 

“We didn’t have enough time,” I protest. “They just arrived last night.” Except me. 

Morálta sighs, sounding put-upon. “And you couldn’t manage it in one evening? Young people these days. I don’t know why the Seven-Inch-Man didn’t give you three days, which would have fit better anyhow. I’ll put it in my Exit Survey when I finish up here. Now, did you want tea or did you not?” 

We both murmur politely that we would like tea, thank you, and Morálta whisks away again. 

That was possibly the strangest conversation I’ve ever had. Exit Survey?  

Blurb: 

He has one last chance to be a fairy tale hero.  

But she didn’t agree to be the damsel in distress. 

When her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly slides a ring on her finger, Hannah is whisked from her everyday bedroom to a medieval ball. Hannah knew that Dylan would do anything to prove to her parents that he’s husband material, including going into the Fae world—but she never agreed to go through the Veil herself. 

Now one of three princess sisters, Hannah is paired with now-Prince Dylan. But, homesick and blindsided, she pretends the Veil has wiped him from her memory. 

As her prince scrambles in vain to be the right kind of hero, Hannah ignores her instincts and follows her new sisters onto a mysterious boat—which promptly sails them into a land of giants, magical traps, and enchanted pianos…and away from Dylan. 

Read now to journey back to medieval Ireland, complete with the Fae and mythological monsters, in this fairy tale adventure and sweet “it was always you” romance. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/hzxiszq79z 

Author Bio: 

Characters you connect with. Adventure. Love. Family… And endings that are more than a sugar rush.  

When Christy Matheson is not throwing ordinary characters into fairy tales, she is busy raising five children. (Very busy.) She writes character-driven historical fiction with and without fantasy elements, and her “fresh, smart, and totally charming” stories have won multiple awards. 

Christy is also an embroidery artist, classically trained pianist, and sews all of her own clothes. She lives in Oregon, on a country property that fondly reminds her of a Regency estate (except with a swing set instead of faux Greek ruins), with her husband, five children, three Shelties, one bunny, and an improbable quantity of art supplies. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://christymatheson.com  

Twitter / X: https://x.com/CMathesonAuthor  

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091887100897 

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/christy-matheson.bsky.social 

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christy-matheson 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christy.matheson.author 

Amazon Author Page:https://us.amazon.com/stores/Christy-Matheson/author/B0D6J2KRLS 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49771827.Christy_Matheson 

Substack: https://unspokenstoriesofwomanhood.substack.com/  

 

 

Guest Post: “Researching Renaissance Italy” by Ken Tentarelli

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Today, I am pleased to welcome Ken Tentarelli to share information about his research into Renaissance Italy for his novel, “The Blackest Time.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Ken Tentarelli for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Readers expect historical fiction to be authentic, and that aligns well with my passion for research. Often, I spend more time doing research than writing. The fun comes in discovering little-known bits of history. As an example, when you look at maps of Renaissance Italy, you’ll find brightly colored drawings showing the Republic of Florence, the Duchy of Milan, and the other major city-states, but those simplifications ignore the small independent jurisdictions. 

Prepping for my fourth book, Conspiracy in Bologna, I came upon an item describing how the border was established between the Papal States and the Republic of Florence. Both agreed to use the course of a stream as their border, and both sent out teams of surveyors to create maps. As luck would have it, the two teams of surveyors identified different streams, leaving land and a town between the two streams unclaimed by either side. The land and the town became the Republic of Cospaia, which remained an independent republic for four hundred years. You’d be hard pressed to find a map of Renaissance Europe showing that tiny republic or the many other independent jurisdictions sprinkled throughout Italy. 

We are blessed today with the internet, where we can find copies of original source documents written a thousand years ago. Many have been translated into English. I’m fortunate that I can read the ones that are still available only in Italian. One helpful resource for my latest book, The Blackest Time, was a journal written by Giorgio Villani, a banker in Florence. He wrote about life in Florence at the time of the Black Plague until he finally succumbed to the plague. His writings are available on the Internet in Italian. 

Though extensive, the internet is not all-encompassing. In one of my books, a group of men was following an ancient Roman road through central Italy. The road ran alongside the Tiber River—the same river that flows through the center of Rome, but the story is set close to its source in the Apennine Mountains. The men wanted to cross the river to a town on the opposite bank, and for them to get across, I needed to know how they could cross the river. Today, a bridge spans the river, but nowhere on the internet could I find whether a bridge or a ferry was used during the Renaissance, so I emailed the town’s historical society asking whether their records held the answer. They kindly responded with information saying that not only was there a bridge during the Renaissance, but the Romans had built the first bridge at that site nearly two thousand years ago. I could have just picked one of the possibilities, bridge or ferry; after all, the book is fiction, but I felt better knowing the story accurately reflected the history. 

Tidbits I found while doing research for a book in my Renaissance mystery series are what led me to write a book set during the time of the Black Plague. Although the mysteries are set during the 1400s, I got carried away at one point, looked further back in time, and came upon three significant events: a triple conjunction of planets, which was taken as an ill omen by astrologers, two years of incessant rain that destroyed farm crops and caused famine in the cities, and the Black Plague. Those three events happening within a brief span of time convinced me there had to be a story worth telling. 

Blurb:   

Set in the 1300s during the devastating black plague, The Blackest Time is a powerful tale of compassion, love, and the human spirit’s ability to endure immense adversity. 

Gino, the central character, is a young man who leaves his family’s farm to find work in a pharmacy in Florence. His experiences show us how people coped in the most horrific time in history. 

Shortly after Gino arrived in the city, two years of incessant rain destroyed crops in the countryside, leading to famine and despair in the city. Gino offers hope and help to the suffering— he secures shelter for a woman forced to leave her flooded farm, rescues a young girl orphaned by the plague, and aids others who have lost everything. 

The rains had barely ended when the plague hit the city, exposing the true character of its people. While some blamed others for the devastation, the story focuses on the compassionate acts of neighbors helping each other overcome fear and suffering. Doctors bravely risk infection to care for their patients. A woman healer, wrongly accused of witchcraft and driven from the city, finds a new beginning in a village where her skills are appreciated.  

Despite the hardships, love blossoms between Gino and a young woman he met at the apothecary. Together they survive, finding strength in each other and hope in a world teetering on the edge. 

The Blackest Time is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in overcoming unimaginable tragedy. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:  https://books2read.com/u/bPO08J  

Author Bio: 

Ken Tentarelli is a frequent visitor to Italy. In travels from the Alps to the southern coast of Sicily, he developed a love for its history and its people. 

He has studied Italian culture and language in Rome and Perugia, a background he used in his award-winning series of historical thrillers set in the Italian Renaissance. He has taught courses in Italian history spanning time from the Etruscans to the Renaissance, and he’s a strong advocate of libraries and has served as a trustee of his local library and officer of the library foundation. 

When not traveling, Ken and his wife live in beautiful New Hampshire. 

Author Links: 

Website:   https://KenTentarelli.com  

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ken.tentarelli.3/  

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

Book Bub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ken-tentarelli  

Amazon Author Page:   

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ken-Tentarelli/author/B07PDYZ34Q  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18920645.Ken_Tentarelli  

 

Book Review: “Shades of Yellow” by Wendy J. Dunn

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Have you ever wondered what it might be like for a historical fiction writer during their writing process? How do they balance both their own lives and the lives of their characters? While we can read author interviews to find out what goes on in an author’s mind, why not take a fun twist of a historical fiction author writing about a historical fiction writer writing her first historical fiction novel? Meet Lucy Ellis, a new writer who is writing her first novel about the death of Amy Robsart while recovering from cancer and going through a divorce. Can Lucy finish her novel about Amy Robsart before her life and her health come crashing down? Wendy J. Dunn tells the tale of two women betrayed in her latest novel, “Shades of Yellow.”

I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn and The Coffee Pot Book Club for sending me a copy of this novel. I am a fan of Dunn’s writing style, especially when it comes to her novels, so when I heard she was writing a new novel, I knew I wanted to read it before I knew the premise. The idea of a novel about writing a historical fiction novel was very intriguing, and to throw in the story of Amy Robsart in the mix adds to the complexity of this idea, which I love.

We begin with Lucy Ellis about to leave Australia for a research trip to England. Her mother does not want her to go because Lucy’s doctor found something concerning. Lucy is a survivor of breast cancer and is on the verge of a divorce from her husband, Ben, and she is nearing her 30th birthday. Life is hitting her hard, but along the way, she found a historical figure that she resonates with: Amy Robsart. She wants to tell the story of what really happened to Amy in her first novel, so she has to do research in England to make it more authentic.

Once in England, Lucy meets up with her aunt Jo, her cousin Max, and her grandpa, who is a blind author. We get to see her novel-writing process and bits of the novel while Lucy deals with a whole host of family drama. While the main focus of this book is Lucy’s story, sprinkled within are flashes of Amy’s life, how she felt about her husband Robert Dudley, and her rival in love, Elizabeth I. It is by studying Amy’s life that Lucy learns how to embrace life’s challenges and realize that she has people around her who love her. 

It takes a lot of skill to write not just one novel, but a novel within a novel, but Dunn nails it perfectly. I would love to read the finished novel about Amy Robsart one day. This novel takes the aspects of a dual timeline novel and flips it on its head in such an innovative way. If you want a contemporary novel about healing between two women centuries apart and their strengths to keep fighting when life throws so many obstacles their way, I highly recommend you read “Shades of Yellow” by Wendy J. Dunn. 

Blurb: 

During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage. 

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death. 

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed

Buy Link: 

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

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio: 

WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-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 Dear Heart, How Like You This, 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 holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally. 

Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books.  

Author Links: 

Website: http://www.wendyjdunn.com/ 

Newsletter: https://wendyjdunn.substack.com/ 

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

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

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

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyjdunn  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wendy-J.-Dunn/author/B004FRTZFA  

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-wendy-dunn-6358181a  

Guest Post: “Historical Setting for ‘The Herb Knot’ by Jane Loftus”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Jane Loftus to my blog today to share a guest post about the historical setting of her novel, “The Herb Knot.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Jane Loftus for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

The historical setting for the Herb Knot is mainly Winchester, where I live (which makes things a lot easier!).  The early chapters were set in Ghent, where I used maps, drawings, pictures, and the history of the Flanders cloth trade as a guide, but tried hard to focus on people and their interactions rather than straying too far into descriptions of Ghent itself. I’ve never been to Ghent, although, as it happens, I will be there at the end of August. 

Winchester, however, is within walking distance of my house, and its medieval layout and industry have been extremely well documented. The city itself was the former capital of England and seat of King Alfred, but compared to many other cities – Salisbury, for instance, which is also mentioned in the novel – it is quite small.  This gives the author fewer opportunities for geographical variety – you’re not going to get docks, as you would in Southampton, or mazes of streets to get lost in, as you would in London.  However, this does have advantages. 

When Rafi looks out the window in Joan’s turret, it is perfectly feasible for him to have seen all the way down the high street to where his enemies were having a menacing huddle. When he runs from Stefan and gets stuck at the bottom of Hammond’s passage, there really isn’t anywhere else for him to go. He can’t wander unseen through Seven Dials or hide in a Southampton dock warehouse. Unless you leave the city and hide out in the marshes or woods, you’ll probably get caught.  

It does make Rafi’s attempts to hide from Roger as he goes about his business that much more difficult, and, ultimately, futile.  Roger could stand in any number of places on the High Street and see absolutely everything. It does eventually bite Roger on the backside when Rafi is able to see him leg it up Blue Boar Hill and follow him, but we all know that incident doesn’t end particularly well. 

In terms of comparisons with then and now, the castle gate is still there, although the castle itself is long gone. The Guildhall has moved, the inns are now shops, and the Helle Tavern is somewhere beneath Montezuma’s chocolate shop and Occitane, the beauty shop. Not sure either of these would appeal to Adam as much as a large, frothy ale. St Maurice’s, where the curfew bell was rung, is just a tower now, with a flower market underneath. The Abbey has completely gone, bar a few stone tombs near the Tourist Information Board, and the charnel chapel is (probably) under the public toilets in Abbey Gardens. 

The cathedral, of course, is still there.  There are no markets in the immediate environs anymore; they’re on the High Street. It is not, as Rafi observes, as graceful and elegant as Salisbury Cathedral. It’s squat, it’s square, it’s a bit in your face. But it’s quite lovely and I’m very fond of it even though it was put there by the Normans and I’m not much of a fan of theirs. The top cathedral they built there, though. Gotta give them credit for that. 

St John’s is still there, on the hill in the east, overlooking the city. As with many churches, it’s rarely open. It is outside the soke, so not within the city proper, and as you climb, it’s as if you’re in a completely different world. It’s suddenly quieter; there are usually very few people around. If you decided to do a Stefan and hurl someone at a hawthorn tree, you probably wouldn’t be seen (please don’t do this). The frieze is still there and is quite remarkable. 

Doesn’t feature top of the list of things to do in Winchester, but it’s top of my list. If it’s open, go in; you won’t be disappointed. 

Try not to hide under any tombs, though. 

Blurb:   

The Hundred Years’ War comes to life in this spellbinding tale of love, betrayal, and conspiracy …  

A quest born on the battlefield will change a young boy’s destiny…  

Rafi Dubois is five years old when his mother is murdered after the Battle of Crecy in 1346. Alone and lost, Rafi is given a token by the dying Englishman who tried to save his mother’s life: a half-broken family seal which he urges Rafi to return one day to Winchester.  

Years later, when Rafi saves a wealthy merchant’s wife from a brutal robbery, he is rewarded with the chance to travel to England, taking the seal with him.  

But when he reaches Winchester, Rafi finds himself in a turbulent world full of long-held allegiances, secrets, and treachery. His path is fraught with danger and with powerful enemies working against him, Rafi falls in love with Edith, a market apothecary. But in doing so, Rafi unleashes a deadly chain of events which threatens to overwhelm them both…  

The Herb Knot is a sweeping and passionate novel set in one of the most tumultuous times in English history, from a powerful new voice. 

Buy Link:  

Universal Buy Link:  https://books2read.com/u/bzN6Z2  

Author Bio:  

Jane Loftus gained a degree in 16th-century European and British history from Surrey before taking a postgraduate degree in modern political history. As a lone parent, she worked in Winchester Waterstones before returning to IT once her son was older. 

Hugely passionate about the Middle Ages, she drew inspiration for this novel from the medieval layout of Winchester, which has been painstakingly documented. 

Jane is originally from London but has lived in Winchester for over twenty years. When not writing, she is usually out walking or watching costume dramas on Netflix – the more medieval the better. She also plays far too many RPGs. 

Author Links:  

Website: https://janeloftus.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577760507961 

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

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0F3Q52X9Y  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29357528.Jane_Loftus  

 

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘The Will of God’ by Julian de la Motte”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Julian de la Motte to my blog to share an excerpt from his novel, “The Will of God.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Julian de la Motte for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Excerpt:

And so there had been, far more than a ‘little something’ in fact. Grandesmil was carrying in his panniers documents that entitled him to vast swathes of new lands in the Cotentin, and he was carrying in his head visions of the likely reaction to William’s death of certain of his more immediate family. And thus, to Robert, his eldest son: The boy had been with the King of France for four years now. Kept on a short leash and harboured by William’s greatest enemy, a boy caught in rebellion and open defiance of his father. To Robert, then, full pardon and restitution and the bestowing of the Duchy of Normandy for himself, but no Crown of England.

And thus, to Odo, his half-brother. A man so steeped in sin and villainy and treachery that he could no longer personally enjoy his former high estate. While he languished under close but comfortable confinement for his unchurchly crimes, the bounty of Kent, his bishopric of Bayeux, and a score of other properties and estates had gone, untasted by him and savoured by others. To Odo, then, forgiveness and a return of all his former glories and previous estate. To his problematic and scandalous second son William, called Rufus for his red hair and high complexion, the great prize of the Kingdom of England itself and all that it brought, good and bad. To Henry, his youngest and avaricious son, the sum of the weight of five thousand pounds of silver, to make of it what he would.

It was ever the fate of younger sons to make of themselves what they could. That, after all, was what the wild lands of Spain, of Italy, and Sicily and the possessions of the Byzantines were for, so that determined men with horses and swords could take and make of them what they could. But the strange and cold and calculating boy would not embark upon the world empty-handed.

Blurb: 

“Deus Lo Vult!” 

Gilles is the natural son of the Earl Waltheof, executed by William the Conqueror for supposed treachery. Raised in Normandy by Queen Matilda of England, Gilles is a young servant of Robert, Duke of Normandy, when the first call for a Holy War against the infidel and the liberation of Jerusalem is raised in Christendom. Along with thousands of others, inspired by a variety of motives, intense piety mixed with a sense of adventure and the prospects of richness, Gilles becomes a key and respected follower of the Duke of Normandy and travels through France and into Italy to the point of embarkation for Constantinople and the land of the Greeks. 

In this epic first phase of a long and gruelling journey, Gilles begins to discover a sense of his strengths and weaknesses, encounters for the first time the full might and strength of the Norman war machine and achieves his much coveted aim of knighthood, as well as a sense of responsibility to the men that he must now lead into battle. 

The Will of God is the literal translation of the Latin phrase “Deus Lo Vult,” a ubiquitous war cry and a commonly offered explanation of all the horrors and iniquities unleashed by the First Crusade of 1096 to 1099, when thousands of Europeans made the dangerous and terrifying journey to the Holy Land and the liberation of Jerusalem. It is the first of two books on the subject. 

Praise for The Will of God: 

“De la Motte has superpowers as a writer of historical fiction; he’s a warhorse of a writer bred to stun and trample the literary senses. You won’t stop turning the pages of The Will of God.”  

~ Charles McNair, Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of Land O’Goshen 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:  https://geni.us/uXe6u  

Author Bio: 

Julian de la Motte is a Londoner. He graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in Medieval History. He was further awarded a Master of Arts qualification in Medieval English Art from the University of York.  

 

He studied and taught in Italy for nearly four years before returning to the U.K. and a career as a teacher, teacher trainer, and materials designer before taking up a new role as the Director of Foreign Languages and of English as a Foreign Language. 

 

Married and with two grown-up children, He is now extensively involved in review writing and historical research, primarily on medieval history. 

 

”The Will of God” [the first of two books on the subject of the First Crusade] is his third novel. 

Author Links: 

Website: www.historiumpress.com/julian-de-la-motte  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julian.delamotteharrison.3  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XWMRPYK  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20873400.julian_de_la_Motte  

 

 

Book Review: “Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury” by Judith Arnopp

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Judith Arnopp for sending me a copy of this novel. I have enjoyed her novels about Margaret Beaufort, so when I heard that she was writing a novel about Margaret of Anjou, I was intrigued to see what she could add to her story.

Arnopp begins with Marguerite on the verge of leaving her beloved France to become the new Queen of England. She is to be the bride of the son of King Henry V, King Henry VI. She imagines that her new husband will be similar to his father, a warrior, and that Marguerite will be able to stop the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. Instead, she is married to Henry VI, a man who is extremely devout to his faith, and lives in an England that hates Marguerite. It’s not the picture-perfect situation, but Marguerite tries to make the best of it, including falling in love not only with her husband but also with Somerset and Exeter, men loyal to her husband.

In time, Marguerite does indeed become a mother to Prince Edward, the Lancastrian heir, but it is then that her life truly begins to fall apart. A few months before, King Henry VI fell ill and remained that way for the rest of his life. Marguerite tried to become the Protector of the Realm, but the position went to Richard, Duke of York. Rivalries would turn deadly, and the Lancastrians would face the Yorkists on the battlefield. With the king incapacitated, Marguerite must be a mother, wife, queen, and general to make sure that the Lancastrian cause survives and her family can live to fight for the crown that is rightfully theirs.

This was a very good novel about a woman who was trying to keep her family and her country together while finding love. Arnopp does a great job exploring what life must have been like for Marguerite in a turbulent time. If you want a novel that explores what life was like for the Lancastrian queen during the Wars of the Roses, I recommend you read “Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury” by Judith Arnopp. 

Blurb: 

Marguerite: Queen of England 

From the moment Henry VI’s new queen, Marguerite of Anjou, sets foot on English soil, she is despised by the English as a foreigner and blamed for the failures of the Hundred Years’ War in France. 

 Her enemies impede her role as the king’s consort, and when Henry sinks into apparent madness, her bid to become regent is rejected. Marguerite must fight, not only for her position but to maintain Henry’s possession of the crown.  

The ambitious Duke, Richard of York, seizes control of the country, thrusting Marguerite aside and inflating the mutual hatred between the houses of York and Lancaster. But the queen refuses to relinquish power and fights determinedly for the rights of her son, Edward of Lancaster. 

The long and bitter civil conflict, which come to be known as the War of the Roses, commences. 

Buy Link: 

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

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio: 

A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English / Creative Writing and a Master’s in Medieval Studies. She lives on the coast of West Wales, where she writes both fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novels set in the Medieval and Tudor period, focusing on the perspective of historical women, but recently she has written a trilogy from the perspective of Henry VIII himself. 

Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria, which is where and why she began to experiment with sewing historical garments. She now makes clothes and accessories both for the group and others. She is not a professionally trained sewer but, through trial, error, and determination, has learned how to make authentic-looking, if not strictly historically accurate, clothing. A non-fiction book about Tudor clothing, How to Dress like a Tudor, was published in 2023 by Pen and Sword. 

She runs a small seaside holiday let in Aberporth and when she has time for fun, likes to garden and restore antique doll’s houses. You can find her on most social media platforms. 

Her novels include: 

A Song of Sixpence: The Story of Elizabeth of York 

The Beaufort Chronicle: the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three-book series) 

The Henrician Chronicle: comprising: 

A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years (Book One of The Henrician Chronicle) 

A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the Days of the Phoenix (Book Two of The Henrician Chronicle) 

A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light (Book Three of The Henrician Chronicle) 

The Kiss of the Concubine: A Story of Anne Boleyn 

The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII 

Intractable Heart: The Story of Katheryn Parr 

Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace 

The Heretic Wind: The Life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England 

Peaceweaver 

The Forest Dwellers 

The Song of Heledd 

The Book of Thornhold 

A Daughter of Warwick: The Story of Anne Neville, Queen of Richard III 

Marguerite: Hell Hath no Fury! 

Author Links: 

Website: http://www.judithmarnopp.com/ 

Blog: http://www.juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot.co.uk/  

Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/JudithArnopp  

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

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

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

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jarnopp/  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judith-arnopp  

Amazon Author Page: http://author.to/juditharnoppbooks  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4088659.Judith_Arnopp  

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘A Shape on the Air’ by Julia Ibbotson”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

Today, I am pleased to welcome Julia Ibbotson back to my blog to share a blurb for her novel, “A Shape on the Air.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Julia Ibbotson for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Blurb: 

Can echoes of the past threaten the present? They are 1500 years apart, but can they reach out to each other across the centuries? One woman faces a traumatic truth in the present day. The other is forced to marry the man she hates as the ‘dark ages’ unfold.

How can Dr Viv DuLac, medievalist and academic, unlock the secrets of the past?  

Traumatised by betrayal, she slips into 499 AD and into the body of Lady Vivianne, who is also battling treachery. Viv must uncover the mystery of the key that she unwittingly brings back with her to the present day, as echoes of the past resonate through time. But little does Viv realise just how much both their lives across the centuries will become so intertwined. And in the end, how can they help each other across the ages without changing the course of history? For fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. 

Buy Link:  

Universal Buy Link: https://myBook.to/ASOTA 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio: 

Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries.  

Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/literature/history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s. 

She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels, The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest novel is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual-time mysteries, Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.  

Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful storytelling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’, and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://juliaibbotsonauthor.com 

Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/@juliaibbotson 

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julia.ibbotson 

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/juliai1 

Amazon Author Page: https://Author.to/JuliaIbbotsonauthor 

Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/juliaibbotson