tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15477799350649826002024-03-16T11:52:44.996-07:00Judith Arnopp - Historical Fiction AuthorHello, welcome to my blog. My name is Judith Arnopp and I write biographical historical fiction set in the medieval and Tudor period. They are available in paperback, Kindle and some are on audible. I also write historical non-fiction. How to Dress like a Tudor published by Pen&Sword in 2023.
Find out more on www.judithmarnopp.comJudith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.comBlogger402125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-65135038532011384932024-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:002024-03-07T16:30:00.193-08:00 The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour present: Covered in Flour by Charles Presti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD6aT-WNvryCkgESjzy7qTTSQYra-4IMDXnGeENsU1Fzw4ccVf2bjPd4yoscO2ZHd2fy7RJJKmigbAoNwMBIeDjv9zv41iLUQFhrf82QCyJ_Gibedk9yl04pqelUgemH8GrEWUhWIobQzzzPvOBMHDeOeshosNn9N-d0GRe5RrDBZZaYX_kKyXzzdXfqb/s640/Covered%20in%20Flour%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD6aT-WNvryCkgESjzy7qTTSQYra-4IMDXnGeENsU1Fzw4ccVf2bjPd4yoscO2ZHd2fy7RJJKmigbAoNwMBIeDjv9zv41iLUQFhrf82QCyJ_Gibedk9yl04pqelUgemH8GrEWUhWIobQzzzPvOBMHDeOeshosNn9N-d0GRe5RrDBZZaYX_kKyXzzdXfqb/w492-h277/Covered%20in%20Flour%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="492" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Covered in Flour</p><p>Author: Charles Presti</p><p>Publication Date: October 10th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Charles Presti</p><p>Page Length: 220</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-covered-in-flour-by-charles-presti.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYUc044DVMPAL9gOL-sKLbeDKFGKLkcRSEttrZyyt6IbDcIFPdLalwRixNI_PIB3r6lyVjGMbWSDJcJq8j_xIp291DBXkjtXZSVNNpLkSDcOh8YcMmSgFfDvPKYlxFuPX3KN5xykIgxWNKGkHZJkPbkJr2YO9NSCUFoxbP4uzUnt3bYXuK3ApTgUiM5r0/s2000/Covered%20in%20Flour%20book%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYUc044DVMPAL9gOL-sKLbeDKFGKLkcRSEttrZyyt6IbDcIFPdLalwRixNI_PIB3r6lyVjGMbWSDJcJq8j_xIp291DBXkjtXZSVNNpLkSDcOh8YcMmSgFfDvPKYlxFuPX3KN5xykIgxWNKGkHZJkPbkJr2YO9NSCUFoxbP4uzUnt3bYXuK3ApTgUiM5r0/w306-h460/Covered%20in%20Flour%20book%20cover.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Covered in Flour</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Charles Presti</span></p><p>Blurb:</p><p>It's 1968 in Whisper Haven, and 8-year-old Carl Pozzi’s world is about to change. </p><p>For eight-year-old Carl Pozzi, 1968 begins like any other year—playing kickball with friends and enjoying the comforting aroma of Mom's pasta dinners in their predominantly white suburban Whisper Haven home. But when Carl's teacher introduces lessons about racial prejudice and injustice, his worldview cracks wide open.</p><p>How far can innocence stretch before it snaps?</p><p>As Carl flips through the pages of his 3-ring binder, each lesson serves as a gateway to a journey of self-discovery and understanding. It's an expedition that not only changes him but reshapes his whole concept of family and justice—especially as he watches his father put on a police uniform during one of the most fraught periods in American history.</p><p>"Covered in Flour" is not just a heartfelt stroll down memory lane. It's a captivating coming-of-age saga that digs deep beneath the surface of suburban tranquility. It beckons you to reconsider long-held family values and confront the societal norms you've taken for granted. </p><p>Written with genuine love, humor, and a tinge of sorrow, this story blends the nostalgia of tradition with the inevitability of change, offering a stirring mix that leaves you pondering long after the last page is turned. This book isn't just a delightful read; it's a catalyst for introspection, freshly baked and served for your soul.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Read an Excerpt</b></p><p>THE FEAST – PART I</p><p>AUGUST 1968</p><p>Arriving at Aunt Nina's home, anticipation filled me as we descended into the basement kitchen, a sanctuary of culinary heritage. Aunt Nina, with grocery bags in tow, was about to share not just the art of making cannoli but a cherished family tradition. The kitchen, brimming with the aroma of home, was laid out with flour, sugar, ricotta, butter, eggs, and other essentials, setting the stage for a lesson steeped in history and love.</p><p>"First, the dough," Aunt Nina began, guiding me through each step with a blend of instruction and storytelling... She demonstrated how to blend the ingredients meticulously, instilling in me the importance of texture and tradition. As we rolled, cut, and shaped the dough around cannoli tubes, her instructions were punctuated with anecdotes of past generations, embedding the process with meaning.</p><p>When the shells golden and crisp emerged from the fryer, Aunt Nina shifted to the ricotta filling, the heart of the cannoli... She allowed me to add the candied fruit, teaching me that every bite should tell a story. As we filled the cooled shells, Aunt Nina's kitchen transformed into a place of alchemy, where simple ingredients melded into a testament of family, love, and heritage.</p><p>The basement, lit by a serene light, seemed to cast Aunt Nina in a glow of almost celestial brilliance... It was a moment of profound realization for me: miracles manifest in the simple acts of creation. The act of making cannoli transcended mere cooking; it was a ritual of connection, a labor of love that wove our family's past with its present.</p><p>Tasting the finished cannoli, the crunch of the shell giving way to the rich, sweet filling, I understood the true essence of our endeavor. It wasn't just about the ingredients or the technique; it was about the love and legacy that each cannoli represented, a bond between Aunt Nina and me that would endure, one cannoli at a time.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivxlFxsbyCxjCBCNcc5Spo53IrVeHp0EWN8e3uv_9AGUShbsAl7SRcEO0VlaUk70irTMtHICEdfmORbQMz6360NRzRrH3d1_Huscy8YfUC6ZAg2_FCKZS6ySrBlGG_mleRMyW3z78eHG6X2_6sAkcpkOddjbfAGiANTSHtJXfyuyIG-KpSduBWohFbomf/s1080/IG%20banner%20Covered%20in%20Flour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivxlFxsbyCxjCBCNcc5Spo53IrVeHp0EWN8e3uv_9AGUShbsAl7SRcEO0VlaUk70irTMtHICEdfmORbQMz6360NRzRrH3d1_Huscy8YfUC6ZAg2_FCKZS6ySrBlGG_mleRMyW3z78eHG6X2_6sAkcpkOddjbfAGiANTSHtJXfyuyIG-KpSduBWohFbomf/w380-h380/IG%20banner%20Covered%20in%20Flour.png" width="380" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3LdWED" target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsp6swWLLepo9IKH4REDVbGB5UevKmSxIOkrZIsMTnX4SrwKxjhHQzHLHUXCRF7AnWmcTZNQx1l_FAsGuntW1hIiAocKpcsOy35hbjWc4hc1qpqQoaNIYi7rKcM0yDRU6qDG3exZtdmdlB_USzpqjyGxUcc_QYUADy7RUPaS90L3gO8a-VWU2yQ4ZaDzFx/s2304/Charles%20Presti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsp6swWLLepo9IKH4REDVbGB5UevKmSxIOkrZIsMTnX4SrwKxjhHQzHLHUXCRF7AnWmcTZNQx1l_FAsGuntW1hIiAocKpcsOy35hbjWc4hc1qpqQoaNIYi7rKcM0yDRU6qDG3exZtdmdlB_USzpqjyGxUcc_QYUADy7RUPaS90L3gO8a-VWU2yQ4ZaDzFx/s320/Charles%20Presti.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Charles Presti, emerging from the sun-drenched shores of Pensacola, Florida, crafts narratives that echo with the richness of his varied life. His journey from a USF College of Medicine graduate to a storyteller is as unconventional as it is inspiring. Drawing from his days as a physician and informatics specialist, Charles infuses his writing with a rare blend of scientific precision and heartfelt emotion. His debut novel, "Covered in Flour," is a vivid tapestry of his Italian-American heritage, his experiences in the whirlwind era of the 1960s, and his personal journey as a gay man. These elements converge to create stories that not only entertain but resonate deeply with themes of family, discovery, and the delicate dance of life's everyday moments.<p></p><p>Charles's passion for storytelling is paralleled only by his commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. Alongside his husband, Mike Bruce, and their beloved Wheaton Terrier, Zoey, he is a vibrant force and founder of "Sunday's Child," a local charity dedicated to nurturing inclusion and empowering LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities through grants to local charities. A pillar in the Emerald Coast Writers group, he continually explores the nuances of identity, heritage, and a sense of belonging. Discover more about Charles's captivating world and "Covered in Flour" at www.coveredinflour.com, where each story is a window into a life lived fully and authentically.</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="http://www.coveredinflour.com">www.coveredinflour.com</a> </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552112886658">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552112886658</a> </p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckpresti/ " target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckpresti/ </a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/covered_inflour">https://www.instagram.com/covered_inflour</a>/ </p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/covered-in-flour-1968-a-young-boy-s-perspective-on-school-family-and-changing-times-by-charles-presti">https://www.bookbub.com/books/covered-in-flour-1968-a-young-boy-s-perspective-on-school-family-and-changing-times-by-charles-presti</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/charlespresti">https://www.amazon.com/author/charlespresti</a> </p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45201473.Charles_Presti">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45201473.Charles_Presti</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGGZqcNX85qVrNuk9BTEYmhM42acQRmHhP0IbOhJ9GGFWe6C1rD0AkPGxVGF_keET9iiUnxpWOvoLN8SVZrtJUGjz_9p8GvPhWXdh5ojTVAeEVMrwdVJGqhmteqXAaofRT16cf__z6XQqW9f02GuGUh2oImSD-3eXfI4WekChuHm9-CQ5t3NKm1QaZN5V/s640/Covered%20In%20Flour%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGGZqcNX85qVrNuk9BTEYmhM42acQRmHhP0IbOhJ9GGFWe6C1rD0AkPGxVGF_keET9iiUnxpWOvoLN8SVZrtJUGjz_9p8GvPhWXdh5ojTVAeEVMrwdVJGqhmteqXAaofRT16cf__z6XQqW9f02GuGUh2oImSD-3eXfI4WekChuHm9-CQ5t3NKm1QaZN5V/w478-h269/Covered%20In%20Flour%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-67759482176910664132024-02-29T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-29T16:30:00.137-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: Lighten The Load (Ghosts along the Oregon Trail, Book 2) by David Fitz-Gerald<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZm1d06fx1B2Fpo8Kcgqt1fInDRkpXRsvH3-DDcLLoVktR-J4mRAY1mNVfjo9jAMSIe87UXpp6P9-iZ5sZnX22sv2E7Ryn86-MpYDD_NNhbwJzWyeB_ACqza1Y6vvQevDMZHW6_Jmd_sJg22dEv9vCsjoieTOnQWHPzVqKNktuBKOCZzJrdDSabxOGoAT5/s640/Lighten%20The%20Load%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZm1d06fx1B2Fpo8Kcgqt1fInDRkpXRsvH3-DDcLLoVktR-J4mRAY1mNVfjo9jAMSIe87UXpp6P9-iZ5sZnX22sv2E7Ryn86-MpYDD_NNhbwJzWyeB_ACqza1Y6vvQevDMZHW6_Jmd_sJg22dEv9vCsjoieTOnQWHPzVqKNktuBKOCZzJrdDSabxOGoAT5/w516-h290/Lighten%20The%20Load%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="516" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Lighten the Load</p><p>Series: Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail (Book 2)</p><p>Author: David Fitz-Gerald</p><p>Publication Date: January 31, 2024</p><p>Publisher: David Fitz-Gerald</p><p>Page Length: 203</p><p>Genre: Western, Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Series Trailer: <a href="https://youtu.be/sWvp6dtbXvA " target="_blank">https://youtu.be/sWvp6dtbXvA </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/02/blog-tour-lighten-the-load-by-david-fitzgerald.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c8sRNnxrhu8TDMauK5q7YJsC6B6uYu5X0punWhkd-QM_dtAK_h1-mf8-yeA-Ed7Xo5DDPkqR5NIuT_y66tIP5lZBNZj0X9139hhn7UvC0kwH0bd3MOnSiuuT5DN2YLjyIwckPLLzegs_CMm6UD78i2m7sqYbtkaaW1Sq0Ml-rqTpHxqf2XagLXA7t7ft/s1296/Lighten%20The%20Load%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c8sRNnxrhu8TDMauK5q7YJsC6B6uYu5X0punWhkd-QM_dtAK_h1-mf8-yeA-Ed7Xo5DDPkqR5NIuT_y66tIP5lZBNZj0X9139hhn7UvC0kwH0bd3MOnSiuuT5DN2YLjyIwckPLLzegs_CMm6UD78i2m7sqYbtkaaW1Sq0Ml-rqTpHxqf2XagLXA7t7ft/w426-h640/Lighten%20The%20Load%20cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lighten the Load: A Pioneer Western Adventure</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">David Fitz-Gerald</span></b></p><p><br /></p><p>Blurb:</p><p>After a devastating tragedy, Dorcas Moon faces brutal choices in the unforgiving wilderness.</p><p>An unsolved hometown murder casts a foreboding shadow over the journey. Mounting responsibilities weigh heavy on Dorcas' shoulders while navigating the trail along the Platte River. Family, friends, and neighbors can't seem to get along without her help.</p><p>The gruesome trail exacts a heavy toll. A sweeping grass fire blazes across the prairie. A doomed wagon careens down a treacherous hill. A fellow traveler is gored to death while hunting buffalo. Each disaster pushes the pioneers to the brink. Amidst the chaos, Dorcas grapples with the realization that she must dump her precious cook stove and her husband's massive safe. The oxen can no longer haul the heavy weight of unnecessary cargo.</p><p>When her daughter mysteriously disappears while the wagons are at Fort Laramie, Dorcas Despairs. She is desperate to help her daughter when the troubled youth is found in the arms of a Brulé man in Spotted Tail's village.</p><p>Secure your copy of Lighten the Load and delve into an unforgettable saga of empowerment, sacrifice, and the haunting echoes of the American frontier. Rejoin Dorcas Moon on the adventure of a lifetime as she confronts the challenges that shape her destiny.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1O0jaEh0uH0eJhZM2WedVN7CAg6rS7oIWkkp4q9ENQOotdhTOZpxtN7lgK8gQSbCF6qlj6TlEQ9Y0fAEJUqSNWhmts__RdJalZsJKdQ-yRLxHNAWEL6ljCnIfoKGFtRSks5CXmK7VbpbJfFNklKFHVAC2iNM_FnhcNX0p1c1CwLTfMsOPfXCuq3GljQ3/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20Lighten%20The%20Load.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1O0jaEh0uH0eJhZM2WedVN7CAg6rS7oIWkkp4q9ENQOotdhTOZpxtN7lgK8gQSbCF6qlj6TlEQ9Y0fAEJUqSNWhmts__RdJalZsJKdQ-yRLxHNAWEL6ljCnIfoKGFtRSks5CXmK7VbpbJfFNklKFHVAC2iNM_FnhcNX0p1c1CwLTfMsOPfXCuq3GljQ3/s320/IG%20banner%201%20Lighten%20The%20Load.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/lighten-the-load" target="_blank">Universal Buy Link: </a> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQm5pqJa2HgXlrY1JMfwpOAffkVsumqBrCZIEsW8VOK5YMn9K2AzrjCMNt-kkFjIs1IafeNJifO6MsVvQF_VOih_zVRXCKT-gIZ5dzf4MsaxPzoy8DorvoMqTqNKBeYUJLEUmNaRx4bJ0_fWkgk9GoWg24u9T-lOIALK-g-dJxfYdJ5Q_wlFl5jnTP8LO/s1080/David%20Fitz-Gerald%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQm5pqJa2HgXlrY1JMfwpOAffkVsumqBrCZIEsW8VOK5YMn9K2AzrjCMNt-kkFjIs1IafeNJifO6MsVvQF_VOih_zVRXCKT-gIZ5dzf4MsaxPzoy8DorvoMqTqNKBeYUJLEUmNaRx4bJ0_fWkgk9GoWg24u9T-lOIALK-g-dJxfYdJ5Q_wlFl5jnTP8LO/s320/David%20Fitz-Gerald%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.<p></p><p>Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.</p><p>Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.</p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT " target="_blank">https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT </a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG " target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG </a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/</a> </p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald">https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald</a>/ </p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/">https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/</a> </p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald">https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald</a> </p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald " target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald </a></p><p>Linktree <a href="https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald " target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JlRkNEFww1q1t-ULhMltRCsRYEJbbXrs9cHrwtVi0G-BanFJWTO3gND2mAz-BDVEx2G11rqjScYN44p8ynO6hshZhYIKXbMzqSyeBhCBSPk6iXQpJdFHSLUaXa4DUaovkhNLlyjBJwpdyQToAXrSUgCs-HfBBMMi7H64AUd70JxpCoOVE-yToErFQOM7/s640/Lighten%20the%20Load%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JlRkNEFww1q1t-ULhMltRCsRYEJbbXrs9cHrwtVi0G-BanFJWTO3gND2mAz-BDVEx2G11rqjScYN44p8ynO6hshZhYIKXbMzqSyeBhCBSPk6iXQpJdFHSLUaXa4DUaovkhNLlyjBJwpdyQToAXrSUgCs-HfBBMMi7H64AUd70JxpCoOVE-yToErFQOM7/w481-h271/Lighten%20the%20Load%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="481" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-6720088195457699492024-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-27T16:30:00.130-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: Anywhere But Schuylkill by Michael Dunn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXekSEKR-fTvck53O8FGpVNokGvodD4FNtsDodsgbx4vA2SmAUMGOybpYCjVWTw6ZaT5DvasHummAA7P0KR2nMZ_VagjfwNrXqemKp2J8w7WhV_9PxFlVx6Mswr9eAgOnYDvhwGu3R_KYGcaRFCfMjUlyh3OHTPbOOT8Z2zPDcvePDbczuuaQq58vXKRPB/s640/Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXekSEKR-fTvck53O8FGpVNokGvodD4FNtsDodsgbx4vA2SmAUMGOybpYCjVWTw6ZaT5DvasHummAA7P0KR2nMZ_VagjfwNrXqemKp2J8w7WhV_9PxFlVx6Mswr9eAgOnYDvhwGu3R_KYGcaRFCfMjUlyh3OHTPbOOT8Z2zPDcvePDbczuuaQq58vXKRPB/w437-h246/Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="437" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Anywhere But Schuylkill</p><p>Series: The Great Upheaval Trilogy</p><p>Author: Michael Dunn</p><p>Publication Date: September 25, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Historium Press</p><p>Page Length: 301</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/12/blog-tour-anywhere-but-schuylkill-by-michael-dunn.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uWerjz1Ny20j1tbbre7llqY2D7WjKWze1xGKfSFRbHmK-0GtSOw4M__ZeOA0uL2W5ELjNJzwdflurdq7CJb673eLeTDX7XyTKdGQj3QM1kLwn-inonIyWl5oGf4o0S9DyMzis4OO3EAamYImrlmqUMnCoh8783tRqzlpFoy0ldAI84WpN_1W_U9btuQN/s2025/Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="1350" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uWerjz1Ny20j1tbbre7llqY2D7WjKWze1xGKfSFRbHmK-0GtSOw4M__ZeOA0uL2W5ELjNJzwdflurdq7CJb673eLeTDX7XyTKdGQj3QM1kLwn-inonIyWl5oGf4o0S9DyMzis4OO3EAamYImrlmqUMnCoh8783tRqzlpFoy0ldAI84WpN_1W_U9btuQN/w426-h640/Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill%20cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Anywhere But Schuylkill</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Michael Dunn</span></p><p>In 1877, twenty Irish coal miners hanged for a terrorist conspiracy that never occurred. Anywhere But Schuylkill is the story of one who escaped, Mike Doyle, a teenager trying to keep his family alive during the worst depression the nation has ever faced. Banks and railroads are going under. Children are dying of hunger. The Reading Railroad has slashed wages and hired Pinkerton spies to infiltrate the miners’ union. And there is a sectarian war between rival gangs. But none of this compares with the threat at home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVROoVgdr8l_2SptrCkBJl2mJ0e8WRyv_SQchluar0DbzgASMHzrMONsXLBOu8dI1uapC-ruvkb6x_B7j7QIYZnRFf02Q59ZG8XNMtB_4rYRwu57JgwB9SFjWBUaoGpLUSACM8OZO3swuxRpArTNdEnJRjxeIrpzPFQVwhziWtwVJmTQl4bbBnUV_j4gUP/s1080/IG%20banner%20Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVROoVgdr8l_2SptrCkBJl2mJ0e8WRyv_SQchluar0DbzgASMHzrMONsXLBOu8dI1uapC-ruvkb6x_B7j7QIYZnRFf02Q59ZG8XNMtB_4rYRwu57JgwB9SFjWBUaoGpLUSACM8OZO3swuxRpArTNdEnJRjxeIrpzPFQVwhziWtwVJmTQl4bbBnUV_j4gUP/s320/IG%20banner%20Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/496Ag0" target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> <a href="https://www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/it/michael-dunn" target="_blank">Historium Press: </a></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzfZLMNQqoebtV0jV_k_APYY42RHdAo5ShTS7fiDdXBwp1EkqxmXs_AOvAEICcvhra6_zLtrHGStKXpV-2YMRv0LYMhDidadvsS1mblhOUUinJvtqmZ0CvHfIReX7Epi4wkd6CIo_gFHJokQtYNXhQPj8QRb4qeoJvqX4owLH0wmKnBNPSgRP4qJ2gjTA/s635/Michael%20Dunn%20author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="610" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzfZLMNQqoebtV0jV_k_APYY42RHdAo5ShTS7fiDdXBwp1EkqxmXs_AOvAEICcvhra6_zLtrHGStKXpV-2YMRv0LYMhDidadvsS1mblhOUUinJvtqmZ0CvHfIReX7Epi4wkd6CIo_gFHJokQtYNXhQPj8QRb4qeoJvqX4owLH0wmKnBNPSgRP4qJ2gjTA/s320/Michael%20Dunn%20author.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br />Michael Dunn writes Working-Class Fiction from the Not So Gilded Age. Anywhere But Schuylkill is the first in his Great Upheaval trilogy. A lifelong union activist, he has always been drawn to stories of the past, particularly those of regular working people, struggling to make a better life for themselves and their families. <p></p><p>Stories most people do not know, or have forgotten, because history is written by the victors, the robber barons and plutocrats, not the workers and immigrants. Yet their stories are among the most compelling in America. They resonate today because they are the stories of our own ancestors, because their passions and desires, struggles and tragedies, were so similar to our own. </p><p>When Michael Dunn is not writing historical fiction, he teaches high school, and writes about labor history and culture.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://michaeldunnauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeDunnAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter: </a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Michael.Dunn.Fiction" target="_blank">Facebook:</a> <a href=" https://www.instagram.com/michaeldunnauthor" target="_blank">Instagram:/</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michael-Dunn/author/B0CJXGQYZ8 " target="_blank">Amazon Author Page: </a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45063197.Michael_Dunn" target="_blank">Goodreads:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmHx5wCokptbj-rqaVeX8qckXlPO38qEYzSSzc3W_xphr7PbsdHweB5bnDqRczX0jaVl1Jg2pW3kFWa7ORqFewJgJ6Rv3lRcASrqCPte8V3fSQI7sS_32t1l0oTBNEkE4FuxXXwRSGLbqWxegOaHUcwrpgnm2AsSIaxppqXDhAop6NFYa5b6oz4NNRdw4/s640/Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmHx5wCokptbj-rqaVeX8qckXlPO38qEYzSSzc3W_xphr7PbsdHweB5bnDqRczX0jaVl1Jg2pW3kFWa7ORqFewJgJ6Rv3lRcASrqCPte8V3fSQI7sS_32t1l0oTBNEkE4FuxXXwRSGLbqWxegOaHUcwrpgnm2AsSIaxppqXDhAop6NFYa5b6oz4NNRdw4/w437-h246/Anywhere%20but%20Schuylkill%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="437" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-30985031871420235212024-02-26T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-26T16:30:00.133-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog tours present: The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gPKjBi1mGE05n7rifp0jmW7qPrZS4bzl6is5nXNQlm7QmdTwJIUT2_yN4CmgMLYL2CpJzZ8RJA-REqtrmQooe_c_Bp4yDY72Z96UxPBuihcKes_DZxLFYKse-QCFRBoQ4X9sawOvpPUZ47EOTn8b9ygPdz6NhJ8-ZcFnZ1XnkU3iUGyra58jIE7SX4_z/s640/The%20Shadow%20Network%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gPKjBi1mGE05n7rifp0jmW7qPrZS4bzl6is5nXNQlm7QmdTwJIUT2_yN4CmgMLYL2CpJzZ8RJA-REqtrmQooe_c_Bp4yDY72Z96UxPBuihcKes_DZxLFYKse-QCFRBoQ4X9sawOvpPUZ47EOTn8b9ygPdz6NhJ8-ZcFnZ1XnkU3iUGyra58jIE7SX4_z/w480-h270/The%20Shadow%20Network%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: The Shadow Network</p><p>Series: Secret Agent Series (but can be read as a stand-alone)</p><p>Author: Deborah Swift</p><p>Publication Date: 13th February 2024</p><p>Publisher: HQ Digital</p><p>Page Length: 376</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction / WW2</p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter Handle: @swiftstory @cathiedunn </p><p>Bluesky Handle: @deborahswift.bsky.social @cathiedunn.bsky.social</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/12/blog-tour-the-shadow-network-by-deborah-swift.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VmdIvJGijMYswDH2DgdWMMS6d1RHPkO4G4xZ2KJbVoHPFIYT9x9ZKjDnmTpi3Jeq48FylXVXP7QNDfdgyecp_y9UtUieqFZICdqQqhcnMXL_t0WKzYH_jImdtvNvzBkTG6yfdCuD9j0NIwwUu8llpR5fd2K29ZMv53M-igvz_oBYU-Usb8nYL2AjayMO/s767/Cover%20of%20The%20Shadow%20Network.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="500" height="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VmdIvJGijMYswDH2DgdWMMS6d1RHPkO4G4xZ2KJbVoHPFIYT9x9ZKjDnmTpi3Jeq48FylXVXP7QNDfdgyecp_y9UtUieqFZICdqQqhcnMXL_t0WKzYH_jImdtvNvzBkTG6yfdCuD9j0NIwwUu8llpR5fd2K29ZMv53M-igvz_oBYU-Usb8nYL2AjayMO/w337-h515/Cover%20of%20The%20Shadow%20Network.JPG" width="337" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The Shadow Network </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Deborah Swift</span></p><p><br /></p><p>One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel, inspired by the true World War Two campaign Radio Aspidistra…</p><p>England, 1942: Having fled Germany after her father was captured by the Nazis, Lilli Bergen is desperate to do something pro-active for the Allies. So when she’s approached by the Political Warfare Executive, Lilli jumps at the chance. She’s recruited as a singer for a radio station broadcasting propaganda to German soldiers – a shadow network.</p><p>But Lilli’s world is flipped upside down when her ex-boyfriend, Bren Murphy, appears at her workplace; the very man she thinks betrayed her father to the Nazis. Lilli always thought Bren was a Nazi sympathiser – so what is he doing in England supposedly working against the Germans?</p><p>Lilli knows Bren is up to something, and must put aside a blossoming new relationship in order to discover the truth. Can Lilli expose him, before it’s too late?</p><p>Set in the fascinating world of wartime radio, don’t miss The Shadow Network, a heart-stopping novel of betrayal, treachery, and courage against the odds.</p><p>The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijswyOCTKnDrncI8KKFUZNRHXrZujwF3hx7rSjn9WnP6v2xDNj8lfi_GQMSBAtXyB3LzngKqdUu-Wfl5bHzG6U_kMrwPJGJbEvPGH1GEiG4WjgRVIqhhgqYU-qHEYPRRTS_qkD9vvbexro7Gm4QGgAgxVIOI_CVt1Za7vnVww-1DKJv7hfXYT7LVVH7CIg/s640/The%20Shadow%20Network%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijswyOCTKnDrncI8KKFUZNRHXrZujwF3hx7rSjn9WnP6v2xDNj8lfi_GQMSBAtXyB3LzngKqdUu-Wfl5bHzG6U_kMrwPJGJbEvPGH1GEiG4WjgRVIqhhgqYU-qHEYPRRTS_qkD9vvbexro7Gm4QGgAgxVIOI_CVt1Za7vnVww-1DKJv7hfXYT7LVVH7CIg/w503-h283/The%20Shadow%20Network%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="503" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Extract from Chapter 5</u></b></p><p>Brandenburg, Germany, 1941</p><p>Bren Murphy was one of seven men in the hut making explosive devices using sugar, potash, and flour stuffed into a pipe. </p><p>He poured the mix of powder down the funnel, enjoying the sound like sand running into an hourglass. His hands were already reaching for another pipe. Always restless, he relished this training with the Brandenburg commandos, a stiff regime designed to equip them for undercover missions in enemy territory. </p><p>Bren glanced at his fellow commandos, all hard at work for the National Socialist Party. He wished the doubters could see them in training – many Germans looked down on the Brandenburg units with derision because they were mostly ex-pats brought back from Europe. He of course was not an expat, not even German, but an Irishman with a PhD in German. Most Wehrmacht men were too soft – they wouldn’t last five minutes on the tough assault courses the commandos had to tackle. </p><p>Bren flexed his muscles, still stiff from night-time runs through the forest with a forty-pound pack, and continued with his task. He leant into the table, mixing the ingredients with his red India-rubber gloves and using the funnel to get the stuff inside another tube. He tried not to breathe in the dry gunpowder dust that hung in the air. He stood back, ripped off his gloves, and admired his handiwork. A five pounder – it would knock the smile off someone’s face, and half the neighbourhood too. </p><p>Practical tasks had always suited him, and anything with an edge of danger. But now, after three weeks in the camp, he wanted action. He couldn’t wait to get posted.</p><p>‘You done already?’ His friend Alix Hoffnung asked in perfectly accented English. Alix was another English speaker, who’d been educated in Oxford.</p><p>‘Yup. Done it before. I’ve shoved in a little extra. Guess it’ll blow a few people out of their boots.’</p><p>‘God in heaven! Don’t let the Kommandant catch you. Don’t suppose we’ll be allowed to try it out on the testing range,’ Alix said. ‘There won’t be time.’</p><p>‘Yeah, the training’s gone quick.’ </p><p>‘D’you use bombs in Ireland?’ </p><p>Bren nodded. ‘Same sort of thing. Mostly nitro though if we could get it.’ He’d been part of the IRA as long as he could remember, from being a nipper. Brought up on it, like everyone else in his street. The Nazis wanted to crush the Brits, just like the IRA. Difference was, the Germans were better organised and better equipped for it too.</p><p>‘What did you target?’ Alix asked.</p><p>‘Same as the S-plan here. Anything to cause disruption to the English. Electricity sub-stations, trains, government buildings. But one of them went wrong and I had to get out smartish. After that, they upped the surveillance.’ He paused, remembering. ‘Bicycle bomb. Last August, in Coventry – killed five civilians – one hell of a mess. Supposed to make them take us seriously.’</p><p>‘And did it?’</p><p>‘I’ll say. Worked too well. Papers had a feeding frenzy and turned everyone against the IRA. Of course it was all backed by the Abwehr, so that’s how the Gestapo got wind of me. Von Hippel tracked me down in Dublin and asked if I wanted to serve with him.’</p><p>Alix stoppered his metal pipe with the bunch of rag provided, and stripped off his gloves. ‘We should be out of here in a few days,’ he said. ‘Wish I knew where I’d be going.’</p><p>‘I don’t care,’ Bren said, ‘so long as it’s not Ireland. Or the Eastern Front. Hoping for England; get even with the bastards.’</p><p>‘I’ll miss all this.’</p><p>‘What? Five o’clock wake-up calls and sawing through underwater bridges in minus two?’</p><p>‘God yes. That was awful.’ Alix paused. ‘No. I mean having company; like-minded comrades. Out there, we’ll be on our own.’</p><p>‘Just the way I like it,’ Bren said. </p><p>‘What, no women?’</p><p>‘Only if there are no ties.’ His mind went back to Lilli, to her face when she bumped into him with Hilde when he was supposed to be at football practice. That look of shock and incomprehension. But he couldn’t hang out with her any more, not once he knew her mother was Jewish. It would have tainted him with the Party for good. </p><p>No, she was a pariah. In the end he’d told his PhD supervisor the Bergens were Jewish sympathisers, and it had earned him a bunch of Brownie points with the Gestapo, and consolidated their special interest in him as a trusted member of the IRA.</p><p>‘First thing I’ll do if I ever get to England,’ Alix said, a dreamy expression on his face. ‘Find a screw.’</p><p>‘Make sure it’s a clean one then. I’ve heard dodgy whores are the Brits’ secret weapon.’</p><p>Alix grinned and stuffed more explosive into the pipe.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhmDs4dGnxq5Zze-5MpfJ9H1-09bfISR3gH7dKxLmICOXfNAXNjeDy70Dh5tswO2-TizbvAI7DJ9qGbebKJkGrpvOJmpDiTxzoVNZG8Ua-tw3rboInn2-jguIgIaxMATf1O6ok9USVg8MB07wcksCZ31mYERSI6n9PCTDVCu33ckrKguA-kt1jCNThi7q/s1080/TheShadowNetwork_InstaSquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhmDs4dGnxq5Zze-5MpfJ9H1-09bfISR3gH7dKxLmICOXfNAXNjeDy70Dh5tswO2-TizbvAI7DJ9qGbebKJkGrpvOJmpDiTxzoVNZG8Ua-tw3rboInn2-jguIgIaxMATf1O6ok9USVg8MB07wcksCZ31mYERSI6n9PCTDVCu33ckrKguA-kt1jCNThi7q/w488-h488/TheShadowNetwork_InstaSquare.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mybook.to/RadioLies" target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> <a href="https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-shadonetwork-ww2-secret-agent-series-deborah-swift" target="_blank">Link to bookshop: </a></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamMPpbsxASqJN8aYHPVoNTZV4yjSxV850-UZ2KU8YHNiV5x_jeztrGeaXCSXcSAhmNESTb1xKIx3LPLELN3SNQjPEd7SvHWExx-GEWFcCMpLTXavUhOsABOSSFXqqTVPAn9gLkkesXPgFmEEDf0k9ooVpsY6rNdJlu2nKpPb_Zibl3yKKkhij6qxPXbRq/s400/Deborah%20Swift.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamMPpbsxASqJN8aYHPVoNTZV4yjSxV850-UZ2KU8YHNiV5x_jeztrGeaXCSXcSAhmNESTb1xKIx3LPLELN3SNQjPEd7SvHWExx-GEWFcCMpLTXavUhOsABOSSFXqqTVPAn9gLkkesXPgFmEEDf0k9ooVpsY6rNdJlu2nKpPb_Zibl3yKKkhij6qxPXbRq/s320/Deborah%20Swift.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Deborah Swift is the English author of eighteen historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Lady’s Slipper, shortlisted for the Impress Prize. <p></p><p>Her most recent books are the Renaissance trilogy based around the life of the poisoner Giulia Tofana, The Poison Keeper and its sequels, one of which won the Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code.</p><p>Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.</p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/swiftstory">https://twitter.com/swiftstory</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/">https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/</a></p><p>Website: <a href="http://www.deborahswift.com">www.deborahswift.com</a></p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/">https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/</a></p><p>Amazon <a href="http://author.to/DeborahSwift">http://author.to/DeborahSwift</a></p><p>BookBub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguS7kxXqJrRg7NDH8lOpgrwN9pfZuGOHpUJgcgrIrjjKUSI13hYiiyrd4xDrqkGjOLmlxVRbebAJHTS_zop8017lSz958K7eJNYXHYza4FyrVIjb99uVTezJU9kTz2WNgbvmcGATAqUnFf5B72gTZGjgGisaDegxe_a-k3bDDB6d67kfYlSY50FaTHRgoV/s640/The%20Shadow%20Network%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguS7kxXqJrRg7NDH8lOpgrwN9pfZuGOHpUJgcgrIrjjKUSI13hYiiyrd4xDrqkGjOLmlxVRbebAJHTS_zop8017lSz958K7eJNYXHYza4FyrVIjb99uVTezJU9kTz2WNgbvmcGATAqUnFf5B72gTZGjgGisaDegxe_a-k3bDDB6d67kfYlSY50FaTHRgoV/w480-h270/The%20Shadow%20Network%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-44209751310744254652024-02-21T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-21T16:30:00.139-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog tour presents: Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s by Jerry Madden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVmebcOl0F6EFX2bpJ9IH0LzvLDWNkUOgpawCgFYDplFxLQhsXQIP5b31mn_LoDrU-5ZdIldJkMjXWKq07b0CrV9g0jkJxPwXrQ-OWgjJ_42jHRdnpNxYO1ZtnviRGsyHb0QmBZ5q0gex4DjlpQnSEOwcJu2Ru9MbB-2EcPZ4eBU1O9hxXD0XdtuhCgCr/s640/Steel%20Valley%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVmebcOl0F6EFX2bpJ9IH0LzvLDWNkUOgpawCgFYDplFxLQhsXQIP5b31mn_LoDrU-5ZdIldJkMjXWKq07b0CrV9g0jkJxPwXrQ-OWgjJ_42jHRdnpNxYO1ZtnviRGsyHb0QmBZ5q0gex4DjlpQnSEOwcJu2Ru9MbB-2EcPZ4eBU1O9hxXD0XdtuhCgCr/w468-h263/Steel%20Valley%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="468" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s</p><p>Author: Jerry Madden</p><p>Publication Date: January 20, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Potomac Publishing Company</p><p>Page Length: 350 pages</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0-4-ITz6Dofjo-7Uge_wPZVd162-Xq1ENMU02NgeSQH3y9MpzNsXRXa4bOZyGjocMdIuNlfvtedZvkIv2rQNypO4_Ql0b95aMzWuPdWSSnIW-a4LnC5FTa4KBlkWeqGEGrIJcI2HCh-tEpXpKYIsnbIG4c-RK83xxj6Xg5TA2EJQbVwbxCK_ISqLjje_/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20Steel%20Valley.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0-4-ITz6Dofjo-7Uge_wPZVd162-Xq1ENMU02NgeSQH3y9MpzNsXRXa4bOZyGjocMdIuNlfvtedZvkIv2rQNypO4_Ql0b95aMzWuPdWSSnIW-a4LnC5FTa4KBlkWeqGEGrIJcI2HCh-tEpXpKYIsnbIG4c-RK83xxj6Xg5TA2EJQbVwbxCK_ISqLjje_/w403-h403/IG%20banner%201%20Steel%20Valley.png" width="403" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-steel-valley-by-jerry-madden.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxgq5425q0Nl7H49hm35XTQ1gr_4zj9fTm6visUMbZKmp1FVmxcF08j4RaZ_5T9s7IhKpVlAPmAwAglF9IjNWMHrm9DhJ_eSSy75jQC_Cnu8Z4vLe-5KzUvUirUs_GejNTVbnCL2TU2iovqJBh0iw5Bh7v7ymok1FQW_ZhxyN_2U1KxBclASqv2x_65kU/s445/Steel%20Valley%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxgq5425q0Nl7H49hm35XTQ1gr_4zj9fTm6visUMbZKmp1FVmxcF08j4RaZ_5T9s7IhKpVlAPmAwAglF9IjNWMHrm9DhJ_eSSy75jQC_Cnu8Z4vLe-5KzUvUirUs_GejNTVbnCL2TU2iovqJBh0iw5Bh7v7ymok1FQW_ZhxyN_2U1KxBclASqv2x_65kU/w398-h598/Steel%20Valley%20cover.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Steel Valley: Coming of Age in the Ohio Valley in the 1960s </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jerry Madden</span></p><p><br /></p><p>Blurb:</p><p>For readers of The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni and Last Summer Boys by Bill Rivers</p><p>Love is never easy...even in easier times, like the 1950s and 1960s in the Ohio Valley with the steel industry booming.</p><p>Second-generation immigrant families were reaching for the American middle class. And Catholic schools-made feasible by selfless Catholic nuns-promised bigger lives for everyone, including Jack Clark and Laurie Carmine. As they spent years searching for their separate futures, though, they were also stumbling toward love just as their world came crashing down.</p><p>Steel Valley depicts a story of love longed for, lost, and perhaps still within reach, just as our nation's mythic yesterday became our troubled today, our last summer of innocence.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3nGw5K " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YblGWhlJtcldtbwPpwB4QAi-NWS0ypO-8qSnO7JuwaON8WTw-kWJXKfydJ3n8HURGTcUFiepbLOmlxC35Eoah0FqVo77Vfr4DXojz2ECpT9w1w-kX1b77zMMHuRVTjy9sPOTxNj_j10_vPMp7hC57OWa6YqyqVOA64gLgG4WOwN_cKLFaF0NRL1jGFDn/s256/Jerry%20Madden%20author.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YblGWhlJtcldtbwPpwB4QAi-NWS0ypO-8qSnO7JuwaON8WTw-kWJXKfydJ3n8HURGTcUFiepbLOmlxC35Eoah0FqVo77Vfr4DXojz2ECpT9w1w-kX1b77zMMHuRVTjy9sPOTxNj_j10_vPMp7hC57OWa6YqyqVOA64gLgG4WOwN_cKLFaF0NRL1jGFDn/s1600/Jerry%20Madden%20author.png" width="256" /></a></div><br />Jerry Madden grew up in the Upper Ohio Valley in the 1960s. He holds a B.A. from the College of Steubenville and law degrees from the University of Dayton School of Law and the Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, Jerry served as the sole law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, C. William O'Neill. He served in the United States Marine Corps (R) between 1970 and 1976. <p></p><p>Jerry has practiced law in Washington, D.C., since 1979, including fourteen years at the Department of Justice as a trial and appellate attorney. He is the principal of The Madden Law Group PLLC in Washington, D.C. </p><p>He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Cyndi, a retired educator. They have two children, Kelsey and Jack, both of whom hold M.Ed. degrees. They have one grandchild, Jamie Maclennan. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://steelvalleymadden.com/ " target="_blank">Website: </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMadden1948 " target="_blank">Twitter: </a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jerry-Madden/author/B0BV19VM3F " target="_blank">Amazon Author Page: </a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199752995-steel-valley " target="_blank">Goodreads: </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmi_LJgWnPc2OAtgDIv4VHaYFZqeAc_xLtN4IXJcznNTw1kjyNkQQ0XN2q_QXhfbs8VhF39KcKbuBTfDIMp7mON8LlmwVijtovYI16SjMYRDTFSczFkifG85XGFw1d6fO39EATZutsB8Azn2UuU8ORuYWDhdS-uc3f1dU1hWv1ZLtSBan9KqA0zYjucaQ/s640/Steel%20Valley%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmi_LJgWnPc2OAtgDIv4VHaYFZqeAc_xLtN4IXJcznNTw1kjyNkQQ0XN2q_QXhfbs8VhF39KcKbuBTfDIMp7mON8LlmwVijtovYI16SjMYRDTFSczFkifG85XGFw1d6fO39EATZutsB8Azn2UuU8ORuYWDhdS-uc3f1dU1hWv1ZLtSBan9KqA0zYjucaQ/w463-h260/Steel%20Valley%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="463" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-35376720788572908032024-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-13T16:30:00.124-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: A Grave Every Mile by David Fitz-Gerald <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB_6Vby5ewPA9nN6eSKaNw0EnpORNMxzBKMfJSV3HrpM-kBKsHdI0utVb97kSNVOpekqlJm4xI-W1SgBvZkOxT3JkUc26uCwYh9TIyWGYAA7fsD7ED4TEiIpP31Pi5OzKvWU3nfJEzACYrKpv07vzwMIMmOdKkqaPtfy4DmZJDIflVbzuY4y42KN-KbJO/s640/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB_6Vby5ewPA9nN6eSKaNw0EnpORNMxzBKMfJSV3HrpM-kBKsHdI0utVb97kSNVOpekqlJm4xI-W1SgBvZkOxT3JkUc26uCwYh9TIyWGYAA7fsD7ED4TEiIpP31Pi5OzKvWU3nfJEzACYrKpv07vzwMIMmOdKkqaPtfy4DmZJDIflVbzuY4y42KN-KbJO/w475-h267/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="475" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: A Grave Every Mile</p><p>Series: Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail</p><p>Author: David Fitz-Gerald</p><p>Publication Date: December 24th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: David Fitz-Gerald</p><p>Page Length: 204</p><p>Genre: Western, Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Series Trailer: <a href="https://youtu.be/sWvp6dtbXvA " target="_blank">https://youtu.be/sWvp6dtbXvA </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-a-grave-every-mile-by-david-fitzgerald.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprYkzMSJ6pijvf32GMrIelsXWIlaJrRUWk_UDRFktI7TaqU9xGbjFf92d-3cxNazrtpi_FHrLlvjSCwdgF35yZDOSl9t9p8CDvJUWuZCtByo66rPIggyKo27j0vOuHU5Vb1OcrBN9vseVlit3pVU0jmQj3vTLdZA8mL0dhD0tjAYIoc7bAm99S9dwmvvF/s1296/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprYkzMSJ6pijvf32GMrIelsXWIlaJrRUWk_UDRFktI7TaqU9xGbjFf92d-3cxNazrtpi_FHrLlvjSCwdgF35yZDOSl9t9p8CDvJUWuZCtByo66rPIggyKo27j0vOuHU5Vb1OcrBN9vseVlit3pVU0jmQj3vTLdZA8mL0dhD0tjAYIoc7bAm99S9dwmvvF/w426-h640/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">A Grave Every Mile: A Pioneer Western Adventure</p><p style="text-align: center;">David Fitz-Gerald</p><p>Blurb:</p><p>Embark on a harrowing trek across the rugged American frontier in 1850. Your wagon awaits, and the untamed wilderness calls. This epic western adventure will test the mettle of even the bravest souls.</p><p>Dorcas Moon and her family set forth in search of opportunity and a brighter future. Yet, what awaits them is a relentless gauntlet of life-threatening challenges: miserable weather, ravenous insects, scorching sunburns, and unforgiving terrain. It's not merely a battle for survival but a test of their unity and sanity.</p><p>Amidst the chaos, Dorcas faces ceaseless trials: her husband's unending bickering, her daughter's descent into madness, and the ever-present danger of lethal rattlesnakes, intensifying the peril with each step. The specter of death looms large, with diseases spreading and the eerie howls of rabid wolves piercing the night. Will the haunting image of wolves desecrating a grave push Dorcas over the edge?</p><p>With each mile, the migration poses a haunting question: Who will endure the relentless quest to cross the continent, and who will leave their bones to rest beside the trail? The pathway is bordered by graves, a chilling reminder of the steep cost of dreams.</p><p>A Grave Every Mile marks the commencement of an unforgettable saga. Start reading Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail now to immerse yourself in an expedition where every decision carries the weight of life, death, and the pursuit of a brighter future along the Oregon Trail.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGvEexTz4laFwRutsze2PDlyUJVBoMu8X0l89LyJ2-jTlP37pumJ7nNMz8V-v68UIRpQ7E2cvlA5hGJ4MZ9ZLaou1J1uqNvuOqJfRUy7XiMu1S7JLGxRMn-wTwJuINlfg4F9pWVZbj3xIj7K_RVs77tSN2HKuKB8_L3p4S7Dd4U3hjsJ1x-EO70W_euIc/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGvEexTz4laFwRutsze2PDlyUJVBoMu8X0l89LyJ2-jTlP37pumJ7nNMz8V-v68UIRpQ7E2cvlA5hGJ4MZ9ZLaou1J1uqNvuOqJfRUy7XiMu1S7JLGxRMn-wTwJuINlfg4F9pWVZbj3xIj7K_RVs77tSN2HKuKB8_L3p4S7Dd4U3hjsJ1x-EO70W_euIc/w378-h378/IG%20banner%202%20A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile.png" width="378" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://books2read.com/agem " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpePkCjTKtnIbZ-CeU8_5687sJieA6VBd6sLK8CAI7PnM8xXj3emYjaA9M1jwMJkvnAvXs3USZRueyMIEE4VEmsKZteHNS8KW1N3PLXXI_GmGYWo5qYH_aFCjeQlBzcjWSiLwqVZ0WF-MBm8KoL3DEPmATl8ehnKx3XfB9Jf0gDFmkDFjYuth8hZ9hg2pf/s1080/David%20Fitz-Gerald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpePkCjTKtnIbZ-CeU8_5687sJieA6VBd6sLK8CAI7PnM8xXj3emYjaA9M1jwMJkvnAvXs3USZRueyMIEE4VEmsKZteHNS8KW1N3PLXXI_GmGYWo5qYH_aFCjeQlBzcjWSiLwqVZ0WF-MBm8KoL3DEPmATl8ehnKx3XfB9Jf0gDFmkDFjYuth8hZ9hg2pf/s320/David%20Fitz-Gerald.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.<p></p><p>Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.</p><p>Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.</p><p><b><u>Read an Excerpt </u></b></p><p><br /></p><p>First day on the trail, April 15, 1850</p><p><br /></p><p>Our three teams of oxen, led by Hardtack and Scrapple, stand ready to do their job. It takes a while before it’s our turn to begin pulling, with fifteen wagons ahead of us. When the wheels of the wagon before us begin to turn, Larkin cracks the bullwhip and shouts, “Hi-yah!” He snaps the whip again, and the poor beasts lumber forward.</p><p>The broody hen squawks in her box. Straps hold the cage in place on a shelf on the wagon’s exterior. Ridge, the devil-eyed goat, blats in protest as the rope that ties her to the back left corner of the wagon drags her along. I can’t see Blizzard, tied to the other corner of the wagon. The children and I begin on foot, following closely behind Larkin.</p><p>I hate it when people are cruel to animals. I should hold my tongue, but I cannot. “Must you snap that whip so sharply? It’s barbaric. We should thank the oxen, not whip them.”</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous, Dorcas. I’m not whipping them. I’m whipping the air above them. You know that. We can’t get to Oregon if the oxen don’t move. Don’t carry on like a child.”</p><p>Of course, he's right. Somehow, dressing a deer doesn't phase me. I can snap a chicken's neck and pluck its feathers, but the idea of hurting beasts of burden saddens me. “Couldn’t you just tap them lightly on the rump rather than scare the poor creatures?”</p><p>“Look, see, we’re already falling behind. We need to drive the oxen faster if we want to get to Oregon before winter.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“That’s enough, Dorcas. Don’t pester me anymore.”</p><p>My molars tighten against each other. I know a woman shouldn’t bicker, argue, or nag. Usually, Larkin doesn’t complain about having a garrulous wife. Still, it rankles when he tells me not to pester him.</p><p>After walking alongside for half an hour, Dahlia Jane says she is tired. One mile down, one thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-nine miles to go. I lift the child into the wagon. Fortunately, she is content to play quietly by herself.</p><p>I walk for a while beside Blizzard. He always seems to listen and understand me when I share my troubles, worries, and complaints. His coat is sleek beneath the palm of my hand. I can never resist stroking his neck. "We’ll take a ride together soon. I promise."</p><p>Dahlia Jane hasn’t moved from her nest in the back of the wagon, so I return to walk with the other children. I’m surprised to find Christopher where Larkin was. Larkin is missing. I glance about and don’t see him anywhere. Andrew smiles and says, “Nature calls.” Rose slaps her forehead and looks at her hand to see if she squashed a bug. Christopher seems to have mastered snapping the bullwhip above the oxen, and it makes me cringe even more than when Larkin does it.</p><p>After half an hour, Larkin tells Rose it’s her turn. She had been complaining about boredom and appears to have come alive as Larkin calls out her name. “Alright, Rose. Here is the whip. Hold it high and flick it hard with your wrist so that it snaps in the air above the kine.”</p><p>Rose asks, “What if I accidentally hit them with it?”</p><p>Larkin answers, “Don’t worry. It will not hurt them. They have thick skin and dull nerves.”</p><p>I can’t help but say, “Larkin, how do you know how they feel? Please don’t beat our animals.”</p><p>Larkin replies, “We’ll try, but the children must learn how to drive them. If you can’t bear to watch, may I suggest you visit our neighbors?”</p><p>“Very well, then.” It doesn’t make it any better knowing they whip the beasts while I’m gone, but I pluck Dahlia Jane from her burrow and wander back to the next wagon.</p><p><br /></p><p>Author Links:</p><p><br /></p><p>Linktree <a href="https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald">https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald</a> </p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT">https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT</a> </p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG">https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG</a> </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/</a> </p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/">https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/</a> </p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD">https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD</a></p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald">https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald</a> </p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU1sObrHwB1z8LqkUt3E5MqcvZkHm9NEUwjEtdNkbbFW9lbrKnOjvW3CKZ4snwTEA3odCxQsZVuBpiMk_3tip6Hh4pZN0wbBjfI33wI75kddXwA2r1qbmkIxNU3JiFlv7vjUwPg-QnAUIgimHgNGrDNv6HPDwtA8STJRl3Sre9H-X71DoQ5hWJUDW0Xui/s640/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU1sObrHwB1z8LqkUt3E5MqcvZkHm9NEUwjEtdNkbbFW9lbrKnOjvW3CKZ4snwTEA3odCxQsZVuBpiMk_3tip6Hh4pZN0wbBjfI33wI75kddXwA2r1qbmkIxNU3JiFlv7vjUwPg-QnAUIgimHgNGrDNv6HPDwtA8STJRl3Sre9H-X71DoQ5hWJUDW0Xui/w468-h263/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="468" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-75602264163153548212024-02-11T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-11T16:30:00.145-08:00The Coffee Pot Book club presents: Dude or Die by Lynn Downey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9bHtTep2DA1ofgB8cQMutCst_enA37kdDU6ky_0MK1LV4aJLPSjd9ZFPa4etXHU26bbGDnW-UZQfE-vT0jRpV4bZzOoPH6KC2Ve3z4EovF0_skw-gVOkg6IfQLNbfIkO045Oabt31fK-NxpHK6dyhVYCBM2Opg9uGtTT0EG-CVG5lsfrXUFoczijS1v9/s640/Dude%20or%20Die%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9bHtTep2DA1ofgB8cQMutCst_enA37kdDU6ky_0MK1LV4aJLPSjd9ZFPa4etXHU26bbGDnW-UZQfE-vT0jRpV4bZzOoPH6KC2Ve3z4EovF0_skw-gVOkg6IfQLNbfIkO045Oabt31fK-NxpHK6dyhVYCBM2Opg9uGtTT0EG-CVG5lsfrXUFoczijS1v9/w475-h267/Dude%20or%20Die%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="475" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Dude or Die</p><p>Series: H Double Bar Dude Ranch series</p><p>Author: Lynn Downey</p><p>Publication Date: October 15, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Pronghorn Press</p><p>Page Length: 328</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-dude-or-die-by-lynn-downey.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page</a>: </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFfBECR62pfCmiBsKxEpSC8OxEgEhPYEDc84vwKGCSI7XbPJMvu7xMgEHDsHIGQXKkCRedtldIONci46VGmja0Xn7jV8MaS8kmYeahOKbnb5xo7Xqe-kgGJBh_rJY7CS3rJR7P29zke5XRrz7phehCFoGOeUGrNN9q2rd2FajMFp9DqWVYjGGw15Q_q5p/s2700/Dude%20or%20Die-Lynn%20Downey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFfBECR62pfCmiBsKxEpSC8OxEgEhPYEDc84vwKGCSI7XbPJMvu7xMgEHDsHIGQXKkCRedtldIONci46VGmja0Xn7jV8MaS8kmYeahOKbnb5xo7Xqe-kgGJBh_rJY7CS3rJR7P29zke5XRrz7phehCFoGOeUGrNN9q2rd2FajMFp9DqWVYjGGw15Q_q5p/w336-h505/Dude%20or%20Die-Lynn%20Downey.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dude or Die</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lynn Downey</span></p><p><br /></p><p>Blurb:</p><p>It’s 1954, and San Francisco writer Phoebe Kelley is enjoying the success of her first novel, Lady in the Desert. When Phoebe’s sister-in-law asks her to return to Tribulation, Arizona to help run the H Double Bar Dude Ranch, she doesn’t hesitate. There’s competition from a new dude ranch this year, so the H Double Bar puts on a rodeo featuring a trick rider with a mysterious past. When accidents begin to happen around the ranch, Phoebe jumps in to figure out why, and confronts an unexpected foe. And a man from her own past forces her to confront feelings long buried. Dude or Die is the second book in the award-winning H Double Bar Dude Ranch series. </p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Read an Excerpt of </span><i style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Dude or Die by </span></i><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Lynn Downey</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Synopsis: It’s
1954, and San Francisco writer Phoebe Kelley returns to the H Double Bar dude
ranch in Tribulation, Arizona to help her late husband’s sister Mary, her
husband Sam, and their young son Joe run the ranch for the fall season. Phoebe
and the ranch were introduced in the first book in this series, </span><i style="text-indent: 0cm;">Dudes Rush
In. </i><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">There’s stiff competition from a new guest ranch in town, called the
Desert Grande, run by a powerful woman named Thelma Powell who seems determined
to put other ranches out of business. Phoebe and Mary decide to put on a
“dudeo,” a rodeo for both the ranch’s wranglers and the visiting dudes, to
thwart Thelma’s efforts. They bring in a trick rider from California with a
mysterious past named Eden Williams, and a man from Phoebe’s past also
reappears. When accidents happen around the ranch, Phoebe must confront an
unexpected foe.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Excerpt from
Chapter 12: The “dudeo” events are over, and people are waiting for the trick
rider’s performance.<o:p></o:p></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">The morning had
kept its warm promise, and by noon many of the spectators took off their
jackets and sweaters before they headed toward the food tables, returning with
sandwiches and cups of soda or coffee. The dude and wrangler events were over,
and everyone had been encouraged to get something to eat before Eden’s
performance.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">As they mingled,
people chatted and laughed about how hilarious it was to watch the dudes,
especially in the egg and spoon race. Mary had deputized Joe to clean up all
the spilled eggs, and he had run into the corral and scooped up the splattered
yolks with a short shovel and a bucket like a ball boy at a tennis match. When
Sam questioned Mary about why she wanted the eggs removed, she retorted, “I
don’t care if it is just a dirt corral, I’m not leaving a mess behind.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Jason McIntyre’s
brother Matthew surprised everyone with his riding during the pole bending,
coming in a close second to a girl from the Triple S Dude Ranch. Jacob
Randolph’s little sister Ava Grace jumped and squealed when he won the belt
buckle for the best performance in steer head roping. Chris, the other McIntyre
brother, came in third. A boy from Jim and Laura Stevenson’s Bar K Ranch
astounded the crowd with his egg balancing and easily took first prize for the
event.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">None of the
dudes from the Desert Grande joined the competition, but two wranglers entered
the bucking bronc event. One of them was a very young man whose time on the
horse was just a tick shorter than Gene Bowman’s. Phoebe caught sight of Mary
when that happened and saw her scowl, but it didn’t last long. Lorraine was
bested in the barrel race by Maggie, one of the wranglers at the Bar K Ranch.
The two women were good friends, and Lorraine applauded when Sam announced
Maggie’s winning time.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Phoebe assumed
that Mary or Sam would give out the prizes when the events were over, so she
was surprised when a rodeo clown strutted into the corral dragging a large
black drawstring bag. It took her a few moments to realize that it was Carl. He
wore oversized jeans held up with ragged suspenders, a red-and-white polka dot
shirt, and straw hat. He’d also painted his face and blacked out one of his
teeth. He made funny faces at the kids when he dug into the bag to pull out
their ribbons, stuffed burros, and pins, and did an exaggerated vaudeville bow
to each of the winning wranglers. The crowd’s laughter just spurred him on to
more antics, which included doing a few trick spins with a lariat that he also
had in the bag. Phoebe thought he’d missed his calling, and planned to tell him
so.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Mary watched to
make sure everyone was back in their seats after the lunch break, and once
folks looked settled, she and Sam walked back into the corral, now cleared of
poles, steer head, eggshells, and a few dropped bandannas. Sam turned on the
bullhorn again, and passed it to his wife.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">“Ladies and
gentlemen! We hope you enjoyed the first part of our dudeo, and we congratulate
all of the winners.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">The crowd
applauded enthusiastically and a few people stamped their feet, making Mary
chuckle and smile before she continued.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">“The H Double
Bar is now proud to introduce trick rider Eden Williams and her famous horse,
Berry-Wise, making their first ever appearance in Arizona.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">More and even louder
applause followed this announcement. It was obvious that the audience had been
anticipating the climax of the day’s events.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">“I won’t make
you wait a moment longer. I give you Miss Williams and Berry-Wise!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">All eyes were
aimed toward the barn, but a moment later everyone turned as a horse and rider
burst through the corral’s far gate, which Phoebe had opened while people were
getting their food.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Eden and Berry
stopped in the center of the corral, and the horse reared on its hind legs as
Eden took off her cowboy hat and waved to the crowd, a brilliant smile
illuminating her face as the audience clapped and hooted. Her tight black
riding pants were tucked into short boots, and they were paired with a deep
pink satin shirt with red piping. Embroidered on the back of the shirt, in
shiny black thread, were the words </span><i style="text-indent: 0cm;">Western Pride Berry Farms, Sebastopol,
Cal. </i><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">She also wore a pink bandanna around her neck, tied to the side with a
jaunty bow. Phoebe thought she looked like a summer rosebush. Berry-Wise had
dark pink ribbons braided into his mane and tail.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">The horse
lowered his front legs and suddenly he and Eden began spinning in place. After
a few revolutions, Eden brought him to a halt and with a swift movement she
stood upright in the saddle, her feet tucked into what looked like extra
pockets. Grabbing the reins, she made a slight movement and Berry-Wise began to
gallop toward the open gate. But instead of going through it, the horse turned
and began to run parallel to the corral. As he sped up, Eden bent over into a
full backbend, keeping the position as the horse made one full circuit back to
his starting point.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Plopping back
down into the saddle, Eden acknowledged the cheering crowd, and with barely a
beat, goaded Berry into a gallop again. The crowd gasped when she seemed to
fall off the horse, but she held on to the saddle, bounced on her feet in the
dirt, and then jumped back on. She did the same movement five more times as the
audience continued to cheer.</span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Eden then rode
Berry again toward the corral’s center. Around her arm was a lariat and as she
stood straight up in the saddle Berry-Wise began to trot around in a circle as
before, while Eden twirled the rope around her head. She then made the loop
wider and jumped into the air as she spun the lariat up and around her body.
She finished with another flourish above her head and looped the rope over her
arm.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">She then slid to
the ground and after whispering something to her horse, Eden and Berry-Wise
bowed in tandem to the audience.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Before the
applause died down, she leaped into the saddle, stood up in the stirrups, and
took off her hat again in tribute to the audience. Berry turned and galloped
toward the open gate, Eden did a final backbend, and they passed through the
opening, a berry-colored blur.</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1iBTEYo9_a1pXo1VLAfyV5Q79MQfWSJeAwaZgCUXGJp_Bz3yroqY9Y8nyb7aeq6FgrSaBCEubN2eefQLDPVkH3JgR56Wi6maiExZkw1cTDiaCft21zF6eI7-QKI6DXIsa3SSqdw2bBiBVZEN_dy2BqAwtLNSdIsSl6-Rf-QchwjhnC-sSm8IZOfx35C1/s1080/IG%20banner%20Dude%20or%20Die.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1iBTEYo9_a1pXo1VLAfyV5Q79MQfWSJeAwaZgCUXGJp_Bz3yroqY9Y8nyb7aeq6FgrSaBCEubN2eefQLDPVkH3JgR56Wi6maiExZkw1cTDiaCft21zF6eI7-QKI6DXIsa3SSqdw2bBiBVZEN_dy2BqAwtLNSdIsSl6-Rf-QchwjhnC-sSm8IZOfx35C1/w402-h402/IG%20banner%20Dude%20or%20Die.png" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/b5BVwp " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgoppjk_e-jBnThWwPTDZz7czGYcEopbDnry6YevbEnZaUjMLBVLmJ387ljX3GezDfWHnJqEk5w6dXCrsM_J3ZLLf3RuxydpRj7oshLKo-3qPUZNc_VO7U0jSVDTNJian_mvyYznGg9mYyU15wY0epkxxg5s_W24XKSU-Myezpg81UWjPFuWQnEO_enho/s640/Lynn%20Downey-Author%20Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgoppjk_e-jBnThWwPTDZz7czGYcEopbDnry6YevbEnZaUjMLBVLmJ387ljX3GezDfWHnJqEk5w6dXCrsM_J3ZLLf3RuxydpRj7oshLKo-3qPUZNc_VO7U0jSVDTNJian_mvyYznGg9mYyU15wY0epkxxg5s_W24XKSU-Myezpg81UWjPFuWQnEO_enho/s320/Lynn%20Downey-Author%20Photo.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />Lynn Downey is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, historian of the West, and native Californian.<p></p><p>She was the Historian for Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco for 25 years. Her adventures as ambassador for company history took her around the world, where she spoke to television audiences, magazine editors, and university students, appeared in numerous documentaries, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She wrote many books and articles about the history of the company and the jeans, and her biography, Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World, won the Foreword Reviews silver INDIE award.</p><p>Lynn got interested in dude ranches during her time at Levi’s. Her debut historical novel, Dudes Rush In, is set on an Arizona dude ranch in the 1950s; Arizona because she’s a desert rat at heart, and the 1950s because the clothes were fabulous.</p><p>Dudes Rush In won a Will Rogers Medallion Award, and placed first in Arizona Historical Fiction at the New Mexico-Arizona book awards. The next book in this series, Dude or Die, was released in 2023. And just for fun, Lynn wrote a screenplay based on Dudes Rush In, which is currently making the rounds of reviewers and competitions.</p><p>She pens short stories, as well. “The Wind and the Widow” took Honorable Mention in the History Through Fiction story contest, and “Incident at the Circle H” was a Finalist for the Longhorn Prize from Saddlebag Dispatches. The story “Goldie Hawn at the Good Karma Café,” won second place in The LAURA Short Fiction contest from Women Writing the West, and is based on her experiences in a San Francisco religious cult in the 1970s. (That will be another book one of these days.) </p><p>Lynn’s latest nonfiction book is American Dude Ranch: A Touch of the Cowboy and the Thrill of the West, a cultural history of the dude ranch. It was reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, True West, Cowgirl, and The Denver Post, and was a Finalist for the Next Generation INDIE Award in Nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews said the book is “…deeply engaging and balances accessible writing style with solid research.”</p><p>When she’s not writing, Lynn works as a consulting archivist and historian for museums, libraries, cultural institutions, and businesses. She is the past president of Women Writing the West, a member of the Western Writers of America, and is on numerous boards devoted to archives and historic preservation. </p><p>Lynn lives in Sonoma, California, where she sometimes makes wine from the Pinot Noir grapes in her back yard vineyard.</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.lynndowney.com">https://www.lynndowney.com</a> </p><p>Tumblereads blog: <a href="https://tumblereadsblog.com/blog-sg/">https://tumblereadsblog.com/blog-sg/</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/WriterLynnD">https://twitter.com/WriterLynnD</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lynndowney/">https://www.facebook.com/lynndowney/</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-downey-b82460249/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-downey-b82460249/</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lynn.downey.historian/">https://www.instagram.com/lynn.downey.historian/</a></p><p>Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/westernhistorygal.bsky.socia">https://bsky.app/profile/westernhistorygal.bsky.socia</a>l</p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/WesternHistoryGal/">https://www.pinterest.com/WesternHistoryGal/</a></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lynn-Downey/author/B001IXQ2N2">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lynn-Downey/author/B001IXQ2N2</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TJjXTLzE9cU3XBun86WiB0oSbeF-L6eIc2XpJZMZSZ6hIernx8gV6je3gD0e0-hfwzE6Z4SoY5lqtodZAX4HaxqnrmQPBlwM0wduR2MckF-Ni-Lwubm3_SycbUmjvNfTdOi5lZzMvjS2WcVzkTgUXS9MHg5Wu6YnGT4VNp_8o_aI11CqihiSYIX3IUYV/s640/Dude%20or%20Die%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TJjXTLzE9cU3XBun86WiB0oSbeF-L6eIc2XpJZMZSZ6hIernx8gV6je3gD0e0-hfwzE6Z4SoY5lqtodZAX4HaxqnrmQPBlwM0wduR2MckF-Ni-Lwubm3_SycbUmjvNfTdOi5lZzMvjS2WcVzkTgUXS9MHg5Wu6YnGT4VNp_8o_aI11CqihiSYIX3IUYV/w479-h270/Dude%20or%20Die%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="479" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-30187032938563577382024-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:002024-02-05T16:30:00.245-08:00The Low Road by Katharine Quarmby <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBG1zPuz2HcPkaaDBfhcZXpP7aGEDzuEtd1HlZFSZmywcDXwwhiVwUWf8RtoJltY5_CEf5izLqgAvp5g8BK1dSOaoLQVmLxq39H88037hjMXZtAiO6L-J-SbhGgeK9p1OyceekRd6wTAcna1G1w0qhBRnRxr44_OeXB9QIqecqJn-OjU6Mc3fwk8Uwao2/s640/The%20Low%20Road%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBG1zPuz2HcPkaaDBfhcZXpP7aGEDzuEtd1HlZFSZmywcDXwwhiVwUWf8RtoJltY5_CEf5izLqgAvp5g8BK1dSOaoLQVmLxq39H88037hjMXZtAiO6L-J-SbhGgeK9p1OyceekRd6wTAcna1G1w0qhBRnRxr44_OeXB9QIqecqJn-OjU6Mc3fwk8Uwao2/w459-h258/The%20Low%20Road%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="459" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: The Low Road</p><p>Author: Katharine Quarmby</p><p>Publication Date: UK: 22nd June 2023. US: 19th September 2023. Australia/NZ: 2nd January 2024</p><p>Publisher: Unbound Publishing</p><p>Page Length: 400</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction / Lesbian Fiction / Women’s Literature</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/12/blog-tour-the-low-road-by-katharine-quarmby.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdkEz_6bTNM9G0yzXX2Ui-ozoHtHawcY40V1azmgszgvI3DOSGYoWG_MKkk9iyqYd1XaBi62ms0PWIYJuvA2OngnktgpJHttYlT2SMrWCO-2ZBRNpEgUVwN77pwugEGRqFI5iJbwDZIrnrXoQIREh6LcdnYvfT6NR_3c-J_sZNa6MHbSJXYEXzbQssXgh/s2622/The%20Low%20Road%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="1630" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdkEz_6bTNM9G0yzXX2Ui-ozoHtHawcY40V1azmgszgvI3DOSGYoWG_MKkk9iyqYd1XaBi62ms0PWIYJuvA2OngnktgpJHttYlT2SMrWCO-2ZBRNpEgUVwN77pwugEGRqFI5iJbwDZIrnrXoQIREh6LcdnYvfT6NR_3c-J_sZNa6MHbSJXYEXzbQssXgh/w398-h640/The%20Low%20Road%20cover.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">The Low Road</p><p style="text-align: center;">Katharine Quarmby</p><p>In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay. Will they ever meet again?</p><p>Norfolk, 1813. In the quiet Waveney Valley, the body of a woman – Mary Tyrell – is staked through the heart after her death by suicide. She had been under arrest for the suspected murder of her newborn child. Mary leaves behind a young daughter, Hannah, who is later sent away to the Refuge for the Destitute in London, where she will be trained for a life of domestic service.</p><p>It is at the Refuge that Hannah meets Annie Simpkins, a fellow resident, and together they forge a friendship that deepens into passionate love. But the strength of this bond is put to the test when the girls are caught stealing from the Refuge's laundry, and they are sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, setting them on separate paths that may never cross again.</p><p>Drawing on real events, The Low Road is a gripping, atmospheric tale that brings to life the forgotten voices of the past – convicts, servants, the rural poor – as well as a moving evocation of love that blossomed in the face of prejudice and ill fortune.</p><p>Buy Links:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguouXk806OXybd0VTP6oW-DayygGK8CB9F02ZDNl4JP_xz0iJxidkd-5ZLn7eAUnouGtDoaOsWoJAmQ7836c79RKL-5wGkbXlp3kRXUPUVWChh0zL2OAxaZWPf5qXj9qnsm_AkU5WC9K3ObBgahzGpQRPBjXFF6ll_wk_kjWbj3RJIyZGaUTU3mjuT5YQ3/s4272/Katharine%20Quarmby%20at%20Hay.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguouXk806OXybd0VTP6oW-DayygGK8CB9F02ZDNl4JP_xz0iJxidkd-5ZLn7eAUnouGtDoaOsWoJAmQ7836c79RKL-5wGkbXlp3kRXUPUVWChh0zL2OAxaZWPf5qXj9qnsm_AkU5WC9K3ObBgahzGpQRPBjXFF6ll_wk_kjWbj3RJIyZGaUTU3mjuT5YQ3/s320/Katharine%20Quarmby%20at%20Hay.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/mg5RAD " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-low-road-katharine-quarmby/7418138?ean=9781800182394" target="_blank">Bookshop: </a> </p><p>Katharine Quarmby has written non-fiction, short stories and books for children and her debut novel, The Low Road, is published by Unbound in 2023. Her non-fiction works include Scapegoat: Why We Are Failing Disabled People (Portobello Books, 2011) and No Place to Call Home: Inside the Real Lives of Gypsies and Travellers (Oneworld, 2013). She has also written picture books and shorter e-books.</p><p>She is an investigative journalist and editor, with particular interests in disability, the environment, race and ethnicity, and the care system. Her reporting has appeared in outlets including the Guardian, The Economist, The Atlantic, The Times of London, the Telegraph, New Statesman and The Spectator. Katharine lives in London.</p><p>Katharine also works as an editor for investigative journalism outlets, including Investigative Reporting Denmark and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.</p><p>Author Links:</p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.katharinequarmby.com " target="_blank">https://www.katharinequarmby.com </a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/KatharineQ">https://twitter.com/KatharineQ</a> </p><p>Facebook:<a href=" https://www.facebook.com/katharinequarmbywriter/ " target="_blank"> https://www.facebook.com/katharinequarmbywriter/ </a></p><p>LinkedIn: Katharine Quarmby - Writer, Journalist, Editor - Self-employed | LinkedIn </p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katharinequarmby_/ " target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/katharinequarmby_/ </a></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Katharine-Quarmby/author/B004GH8LS6">https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Katharine-Quarmby/author/B004GH8LS6</a> </p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2082356.Katharine_Quarmby">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2082356.Katharine_Quarmby</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLIOIV50OA5ragkKR0pjDjQHfFhpf-laFnvZlwDThBijNbegUqn8ceVeBOPXbyaH43LypoR0F0LWomwwKHixuoW_4TJRtShZAtXQjNtKRwEI6FdLckog8zm1NMVgtg1Y_2eVF-UDv-KNaKBKdSO03t05F6kQMEnLgmSus7bR4t_s0N3x1cB1YcPLagBht/s640/The%20Low%20Road%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLIOIV50OA5ragkKR0pjDjQHfFhpf-laFnvZlwDThBijNbegUqn8ceVeBOPXbyaH43LypoR0F0LWomwwKHixuoW_4TJRtShZAtXQjNtKRwEI6FdLckog8zm1NMVgtg1Y_2eVF-UDv-KNaKBKdSO03t05F6kQMEnLgmSus7bR4t_s0N3x1cB1YcPLagBht/w467-h263/The%20Low%20Road%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="467" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-30519076179992957842024-02-02T03:00:00.000-08:002024-02-02T03:00:01.076-08:00Release day of A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the LIght<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkSd7jp7ccSSy7Kw6chWXaE_1004fmjhp3xK3T2I7H0bl973_wAS1adAXejrhPwSSBgkBLfVSpC8WG3TVeYfrgG4XmHhYOKkTfvHEI2acAUoSPWxiB3juu-bUUJp_KQ61IoREy_eDS6cHY0NTsXqyjbc8w6sMijFmRWF2fQvQs5BKd6ke2nurFfkrnVNp/s1518/thc%20green.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1518" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkSd7jp7ccSSy7Kw6chWXaE_1004fmjhp3xK3T2I7H0bl973_wAS1adAXejrhPwSSBgkBLfVSpC8WG3TVeYfrgG4XmHhYOKkTfvHEI2acAUoSPWxiB3juu-bUUJp_KQ61IoREy_eDS6cHY0NTsXqyjbc8w6sMijFmRWF2fQvQs5BKd6ke2nurFfkrnVNp/w512-h256/thc%20green.png" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am thrilled and relieved to see the third and final book in my Henrician Trilogy launched today. I have spent four years in Henry's company.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those of you who write will know that characters encroach on your real life and with Henry, it was sometimes quite difficult to deal with. I had to keep taking breaks from the harrowing tale I was telling and to have him follow was disconcerting, to say the least. He is so much larger, louder and more dangerous than anyone else I've written about, and so much more real.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Written in the first person, Henry's narrative is not always as honest as it could be. He blames others, makes excuses and sometimes just refuses to co-operate. I persuaded him to open up in the end though. I found an angry man, a vindictive man and also a man who is terribly sorry for himself.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">But then, he does have much to be sorry about; there is nothing harder to deal with than self-loathing.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>A Matter of Time, Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light</i> traces Henry's final years, his last three marriages, his wars, his disappointments, his pain, his failure, both as man and king. Written from his perspective, the story reads very differently to that of his wives. I haven't whitewashed him but I have given him the chance to speak.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0ftRVmp1g2-95F0kvN6BO69Pi7RAdLow6wVuPDxew70vF7lB3jX0jE7FPKRWNZF3OP0tBv9Mn-PNVAH8wTVcIWNbqwEX8u6Ls_dxpo5fMu6zE3k8R_3p9-utS87EChXGFA5ttqBKmjU_D6lLSR4kXwnoq52sD89xFwseasoO6kZFSdEVu3CzG_R33bwM/s2032/a%20matterof%20time%20book%202%20300.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2032" data-original-width="1270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0ftRVmp1g2-95F0kvN6BO69Pi7RAdLow6wVuPDxew70vF7lB3jX0jE7FPKRWNZF3OP0tBv9Mn-PNVAH8wTVcIWNbqwEX8u6Ls_dxpo5fMu6zE3k8R_3p9-utS87EChXGFA5ttqBKmjU_D6lLSR4kXwnoq52sD89xFwseasoO6kZFSdEVu3CzG_R33bwM/s320/a%20matterof%20time%20book%202%20300.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;">Available on Kindle, and in Paperback</div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mybook.to/amoc">mybook.to/amoc</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mybook.to/amofaith">mybook.to/amofaith</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mybook.to/amot">mybook.to/amot</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsT2jdSDgXHd6nDyZ68HwTEutLFkSO_qTO5xpIZx9_Erigm9eX6zSnCivG08m6eohMVDSInlRz0lkmyrpqRxdcZxbWG3cnkzKNDNHas4jmLJ55riA7bIix8VvfYkWpZ3blg-ndF6yCpcrdU0NzreDuGgke4vc5UhGwj7fLtqlD6spWbVNlFrCxZArNwJIL/s1518/thc%20bl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1518" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsT2jdSDgXHd6nDyZ68HwTEutLFkSO_qTO5xpIZx9_Erigm9eX6zSnCivG08m6eohMVDSInlRz0lkmyrpqRxdcZxbWG3cnkzKNDNHas4jmLJ55riA7bIix8VvfYkWpZ3blg-ndF6yCpcrdU0NzreDuGgke4vc5UhGwj7fLtqlD6spWbVNlFrCxZArNwJIL/w470-h235/thc%20bl.png" width="470" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiPbO1JdzMQQOw52bp9_L7O2uGRNYd16J3P8UiDqQgPRkPTvuuWi1I7cRjQFsacQo247wgSpq2PV-yi9_dCKd9Vao_mYKwlWgfsiNT0_4QOT-7Yaw37RhDr_FCgQ_0rCUtCCrkeAXIEutP2MYK_DypMHGStQRJmz4z_aajUPLZpNAaes8Qugyl1uOUdiv/s2400/reign%20of%20h8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiPbO1JdzMQQOw52bp9_L7O2uGRNYd16J3P8UiDqQgPRkPTvuuWi1I7cRjQFsacQo247wgSpq2PV-yi9_dCKd9Vao_mYKwlWgfsiNT0_4QOT-7Yaw37RhDr_FCgQ_0rCUtCCrkeAXIEutP2MYK_DypMHGStQRJmz4z_aajUPLZpNAaes8Qugyl1uOUdiv/w440-h440/reign%20of%20h8.png" width="440" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-35538910957799353452024-01-10T16:30:00.000-08:002024-01-10T16:30:00.238-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour is pleased to present: The Dream Collector (Book 1: Sabrine & Sigmund Freud) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2AGc74M5-zvYaYucBZdQvgwbMwTcvUBziRUqKnMAV0MvQgEYvpX6KhohDvI__s3VU81cJJivw7dzcw_9WlmWyVKfQpOSlKuvU3t31JZfd4Dc3aaH039QjeMQVC67ygL5EIr8d6jxkVmIAGUPFXNOcG34FB-XX044K3nvD7g3k9KB7c2-AQCmTzAKanfY/s640/The%20Dream%20Collector%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2AGc74M5-zvYaYucBZdQvgwbMwTcvUBziRUqKnMAV0MvQgEYvpX6KhohDvI__s3VU81cJJivw7dzcw_9WlmWyVKfQpOSlKuvU3t31JZfd4Dc3aaH039QjeMQVC67ygL5EIr8d6jxkVmIAGUPFXNOcG34FB-XX044K3nvD7g3k9KB7c2-AQCmTzAKanfY/w474-h267/The%20Dream%20Collector%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="474" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Book Title: The Dream Collector “Sabrine & Sigmund Freud”</p><p>Series: Book 1 of 2</p><p>Author: R.w. Meek </p><p>Publication Date: December 19th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Historium Books</p><p>Page Length: 723</p><p>Genre: Literary Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/12/blog-tour-the-dream-collector-by-rw-meek.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page</a>: </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid86EazQaBNqXMliWy-mnNAoeInfGlRHYevh0laN_3XZ-iG3IcxxiZtinNvFLli-bXNF-6Rnh3H9lbTxaH2yqxYykxlasbkrjq6a0rmnn_A5uwLMx974Jwa9-qzJq4_KfJO5oHNaeXelAnK4kM3EhOzFm9kU2d1jlb3nIQSzpPapbLFBUxFYZnpw5EcHQ9/s1296/The%20Dream%20Collector%20Ebook%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid86EazQaBNqXMliWy-mnNAoeInfGlRHYevh0laN_3XZ-iG3IcxxiZtinNvFLli-bXNF-6Rnh3H9lbTxaH2yqxYykxlasbkrjq6a0rmnn_A5uwLMx974Jwa9-qzJq4_KfJO5oHNaeXelAnK4kM3EhOzFm9kU2d1jlb3nIQSzpPapbLFBUxFYZnpw5EcHQ9/w426-h640/The%20Dream%20Collector%20Ebook%20Cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">The Dream Collector </p><p style="text-align: center;">“Sabrine & Sigmund Freud”</p><p style="text-align: center;">Book 1</p><p style="text-align: center;">by R.w. Meek</p><p>The Dream Collector immerses the reader into the exciting milieu of late 19th Century Paris when art and medicine were in the throes of revolution, art turning to Impressionism, medicine turning to psychology. In 1885, Julie Forette, a self-educated woman from Marseilles, finds employment at the infamous Salpêtrière, hospital and asylum to over five thousand disabled, demented and abandoned women, a walled city ruled by the famed neurologist and arrogant director, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot. </p><p>Julie Forette forms a friendship with the young, visiting intern Sigmund Freud who introduces her to the altering-conscious power of cocaine. Together they pursue the hidden potential of hypnotism and dream interpretation. After Freud receives the baffling case of the star hysteric, Sabrine Weiss, he is encouraged by Julie to experiment with different modes of treatment, including “talking sessions.” Their urgent quest is to find a cure for Sabrine, Princess of the Hysterics, before Dr. Charcot resorts to the radical removal of her ovaries. </p><p>In Paris, Julie finds a passion for the new art emerging, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and forms friendships with the major artists of the period, including Pissarro, Monet, and Degas. Julie becomes intimately involved with the reclusive Cezanne only to be seduced by the “Peruvian Savage” Paul Gauguin. Julie is the eponymous ‘Dream Collector’ collecting the one unforgettable, soul-defining dream of the major historical figures of the period. </p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><u>READ AN EXCERPT</u></p><p><span style="text-align: center;"> “Meeting Cezanne”</span></p><p>I agreed to take my clothes off under certain conditions. First, Cezanne would give me a dream. What I wanted was the dream that no one forgets. The dream that defies the gravity of common sense, escapes propriety, and trespasses past the boundaries of morality. The dream which opens a door to the most improbable fantasies and desires. I had a theory I hoped to prove—Cezanne’s chosen dream would be the lodestar to explain what led the artist along his path.</p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The second condition was that I would not pose in a recumbent position. I deemed Cezanne too innovative to follow the worn-out pattern of the compliant nude. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lastly, the more elaborate condition, I had to observe his painting method. Cezanne said that he could, through a series of mirrors, set at proper angles, fix it so that everything was visible to me. I would have a view of his palette, the colours he chose, and also a glimpse over his shoulder to watch how his brushstroke was applied.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Your desire to understand the construction of painting,” he admitted, “is impressive.”</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVV9qIdoqHGBVg2OMdk3TUH2AcC7QBTILrY7ATP9qFY90Sv1C9Zfczp11ZXbskMFxPD8tRMQ47KnqWNYJyJmPTtoz8UFrdvvQc3rxIfouG-bNLzDhNUkge-M8azdaEQSKsmfZ32WkZ0KjcGrSt6Yp6SGXwEMU3EhzEvfvxOGKq30Sly0IGyhx1Bqifj0M/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20The%20Dream%20Collector.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVV9qIdoqHGBVg2OMdk3TUH2AcC7QBTILrY7ATP9qFY90Sv1C9Zfczp11ZXbskMFxPD8tRMQ47KnqWNYJyJmPTtoz8UFrdvvQc3rxIfouG-bNLzDhNUkge-M8azdaEQSKsmfZ32WkZ0KjcGrSt6Yp6SGXwEMU3EhzEvfvxOGKq30Sly0IGyhx1Bqifj0M/s320/IG%20banner%201%20The%20Dream%20Collector.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Praise for The Dream Collector: </b></p><p><i>"Meek never fails to stun and impress with his evocation of scenes and events, of sights and dialogue, and of peoples' reactions to them."</i>~ HFC Reviews</p><p><br /></p><p><i>"Tribute must be paid to the obvious and clear literary skills of the author R.w. Meek and to his ability to invoke historic personages and the Belle Époque he so evidently adores."</i>~ Julian de la Motte, award winning author of Senlac.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/4jE52j " target="_blank">Universal Link:</a> </p><p>R.w. Meek has a Master’s degree in Art History from the American University in Washington, D.C., his areas of expertise are Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, with a particular interest in Vincent van Gogh. He has interned and conducted tours at the National Museum of American and the National Gallery of Art. In 2022 and 2023 five of his chapter excerpts from his soon to be published novel “The Dream Collector” were either finalists or published in various literary journals. The author has also won the Palm Beach Book Festival Competition for “Best Writer in Palm Beach’ his manuscript judged by a panel of NYT Best Selling authors. “The Dream Collector” also received gold and silver medals in the Historical Fiction Company literary contest and earned runner-up for the “Best Historical Fiction Novel’ of 2022. </p><p>The author was born in Baltimore, adventured in Europe for many years, and recently moved from Delray Beach, Florida to Santa Clarita, California. His wife is a psychologist, sculptress, playwright and stand-up story teller. His daughter Nora is a story board artist in the animation world and resides in Hollywood, California. His favorite writers are Dostoevsky, John Fowles, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery. </p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.ronmeekauthor.com">https://www.ronmeekauthor.com</a> </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010220437381">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010220437381</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwtNhP7Hr8XX_HI9AUbVXrRG6CrQmX3DARmchzB4lObHGoUFeNigmOr8S4ZQShDY0nlVJJ979keNJNc8ySxlKLt__Z5sPxf_RhDZ3rAx4l6Mqnh4fiRXXdFg06Ph_gPj8Lf6qDBBg0cey07nBVxi6W91JB0rb7oyWFUkxmaucbIxYi3JtN8OjcFEjr-zk/s640/The%20Dream%20Collector%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwtNhP7Hr8XX_HI9AUbVXrRG6CrQmX3DARmchzB4lObHGoUFeNigmOr8S4ZQShDY0nlVJJ979keNJNc8ySxlKLt__Z5sPxf_RhDZ3rAx4l6Mqnh4fiRXXdFg06Ph_gPj8Lf6qDBBg0cey07nBVxi6W91JB0rb7oyWFUkxmaucbIxYi3JtN8OjcFEjr-zk/w471-h265/The%20Dream%20Collector%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="471" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-50436269268546356282023-12-20T00:56:00.000-08:002023-12-20T00:56:23.898-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: Beautiful Ghost by Milana Marsenich<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmJgTp488XU8M2X9AFAGTNh0_D2zZUXUlUK_U9tJ7WzvBk7uvL4THVUjuSg_0kttQAoemNdKaKMkeg8ts0VxgthWN_vwVrRQ-d50HhsTBNcutieiIpf7c2tRDV5lATx4EZMTrRd88d3hpoeaPcbo2lBULgzQvUKj7ENtKJVQgf8-ML95TmcX4nTt-a36g/s640/Beautiful%20Ghost%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmJgTp488XU8M2X9AFAGTNh0_D2zZUXUlUK_U9tJ7WzvBk7uvL4THVUjuSg_0kttQAoemNdKaKMkeg8ts0VxgthWN_vwVrRQ-d50HhsTBNcutieiIpf7c2tRDV5lATx4EZMTrRd88d3hpoeaPcbo2lBULgzQvUKj7ENtKJVQgf8-ML95TmcX4nTt-a36g/w532-h299/Beautiful%20Ghost%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="532" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Book Title: Beautiful Ghost </p><p>Series: Sequel to Copper Sky</p><p>Author: Milana Marsenich</p><p>Publication Date: November 8, 2022</p><p>Publisher: Open Books</p><p>Page Length: 217</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-tour-beautiful-ghost-by-milana-marsenich.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page</a>: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0r8WyjjgQkD35sPxgl1WDBPfS_jswt85EdSV8t5NwScpvFDGNuJ4CD7ZKsRUNxv6WRvxbuNrH8YpHH3i3-4AYzZwxCiVqJrnyWGatft1EhKuvyKiEuwinJqX43VW0FvfSu8aVx5bgDVd72-pSy-zy1ZXLRBVPASogDen6pjV4IgBAu9rZN0Hg19u34CCa/s2400/Beautiful%20Ghost%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0r8WyjjgQkD35sPxgl1WDBPfS_jswt85EdSV8t5NwScpvFDGNuJ4CD7ZKsRUNxv6WRvxbuNrH8YpHH3i3-4AYzZwxCiVqJrnyWGatft1EhKuvyKiEuwinJqX43VW0FvfSu8aVx5bgDVd72-pSy-zy1ZXLRBVPASogDen6pjV4IgBAu9rZN0Hg19u34CCa/w426-h640/Beautiful%20Ghost%20cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Ghost </p><p style="text-align: center;">by </p><p style="text-align: center;">Milana Marsenich</p><p>During the fall of 1918, the influenza pandemic crosses the nation and reaches the mining town of Butte, Montana. </p><p>Marika Jovich, who wants to go to school to become a physician, works menial tasks for Dr. Fletcher. She feels useless as she tries to save friends and neighbors from the ravages of the flu. In the midst of the pandemic, she watches the town shut down, young and old perish, and her medical dreams all but evaporate.</p><p>Kaly Monroe used to be a half-good woman of the night. She left that life to raise her daughter, Annie, and live and work with her long-lost mother, Tara McClane. Kaly waits for her husband, Tommy, to return from the war. Word from the east is that soldiers are dying of influenza and she prays that Tommy is not one of them.</p><p>When an out-of-town woman named Amelia suddenly dies in Dr. Fletcher's office, both women try to learn more about the mysterious woman and the circumstances regarding her death. Is she another casualty of the pandemic, or the victim of manmade foul play? Who is this stranger, and is her demise a portent of the fate that awaits the residents of Butte?</p><p><b>Praise for Beautiful Ghost:</b></p><p><i>“Marsenich doesn't just describe the place and times, she conjures it up like time travel.” </i>~ Amazon Review by Ellen Leahy Howell</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyBYJc6nLnHjFZNLXnTQgqPJhJyY8j2NUZc0LXYr2PcFe2Cn0j_1uef_5xYqDIz-ppTGg5IJK6lA0-5dYcw3AaGekQCAm5Z_mYhFdqHFcwsfcd3r0XkKVwQX0eyLvrlp55cgsryE7ojOsEPf-7ZxTG4CrrXUVBHUcIidOy3jhpL_G61vtBZit7Qwcen8C/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20Beautiful%20Ghost.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyBYJc6nLnHjFZNLXnTQgqPJhJyY8j2NUZc0LXYr2PcFe2Cn0j_1uef_5xYqDIz-ppTGg5IJK6lA0-5dYcw3AaGekQCAm5Z_mYhFdqHFcwsfcd3r0XkKVwQX0eyLvrlp55cgsryE7ojOsEPf-7ZxTG4CrrXUVBHUcIidOy3jhpL_G61vtBZit7Qwcen8C/w394-h394/IG%20banner%202%20Beautiful%20Ghost.png" width="394" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Read a Snippet </b></u></p><p>And then there she was, sitting across from her in the upstairs room at Miss Anderson’s Big House. Rain had poured and the heater clanked through the night, as if nothing had changed. But something had changed. Something in Kaly shifted, bitterness watering the seed she’d kept buried all those years. It sprouted like an angry, tangled bush. </p><p>Tara hadn’t even come for her. And that made it worse. She had come to ask her to talk Danny, her son and Kaly’s half-brother, out of joining the army. The rain had splintered the sky, relentlessly pelting the empty streets, and Kaly felt the chill in her bones. She felt that cold darkness crawl into her chest, a bad rhythm pounding in her head that she’d never quit. </p><p>Later that night, George had slipped into her room and offered to take care of her if her mother wouldn’t. Even a young boy like George knew how wrong her own mother had been. He offered her comfort, a young boy like George had offered comfort where her mother had failed. </p><p>Now, her mother was trying to right the losses of the past. </p><p>Kaly still felt the primal sting of rejection, a cold moss growing on the wrong side of her heart. Tara had told her she’d been poor, with no help, and unable to feed her and her sister. She had feared they’d die in her care. </p><p>Kaly wanted to understand. And she did. After all, she herself had tried to find someone else to raise Annie, knowing that no good life could come from the child living in the tenderloin while her mother tried to eke out a living. The thing was, Tara had raised Danny. That was the part that Kaly couldn’t put right. She had tried to forgive but failed. </p><p>Then everything had changed again.</p><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://books2read.com/u/m06BOJ " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8WpUCgaRV4LMysQ3wQtmfdcgCVQvpQEFnaVKsnR9f92i0vsqDPforLGP2qwc_1GKV55iLbvOlmX0ucNLGU6ikL6NrAraLEa4rU7N09NKKk4hHe95OLY1Lgs7hZgWd51apNcNOX2KFSfMjl5lBpw44WTXWn0brPtY-Hg0dSNQ4BSv__aoedEwkalB7XQV/s2500/Milana%20Marsenich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8WpUCgaRV4LMysQ3wQtmfdcgCVQvpQEFnaVKsnR9f92i0vsqDPforLGP2qwc_1GKV55iLbvOlmX0ucNLGU6ikL6NrAraLEa4rU7N09NKKk4hHe95OLY1Lgs7hZgWd51apNcNOX2KFSfMjl5lBpw44WTXWn0brPtY-Hg0dSNQ4BSv__aoedEwkalB7XQV/s320/Milana%20Marsenich.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Award winning author, Milana Marsenich lives in Northwest Montana near Flathead Lake at the base of the beautiful Mission Mountains. She enjoys quick access to the mountains and has spent many hours hiking the wilderness trails with friends and dogs. For the past 20 years she has worked as a mental health therapist in a variety of settings. As a natural listener and a therapist, she has witnessed amazing generosity and courage in others. She first witnessed this in her hometown of Butte, Montana, a mining town with a rich history and the setting for Copper Sky, her first novel. <p></p><p>Copper Sky was chosen as a Spur Award finalist for Best Western Historical Novel in 2018. Her second novel, The Swan Keeper, was a Willa Award finalist in 2019. Her short story, Wild Dogs, won the Laura Award for short fiction in 2020. </p><p>She has an M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling from Montana State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. She has previously published in Montana Quarterly, Big Sky Journal, The Polishing Stone, The Moronic Ox, BookGlow, and Feminist Studies. </p><p>She has three published novels, Copper Sky, The Swan Keeper, and Beautiful Ghost, and one popular history book, Idaho Madams. Her upcoming novel, Shed Girl: A Juliet French Novel, will be released January 2024. Her popular history book, Mary MacLane: Butte’s Wild Woman and her Wooden Heart, will be out sometime in 2025. </p><p>You can find her books and blog posts at <a href="https://milanamarsenich.com/">https://milanamarsenich.com/</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://milanamarsenich.com/ " target="_blank">https://milanamarsenich.com/ </a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/milanamarsenich">https://twitter.com/milanamarsenich</a> </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MilanaMarsenichAuthor " target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/MilanaMarsenichAuthor </a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/milanammarsenich/">https://www.instagram.com/milanammarsenich/</a> </p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/milanamarsenich/ " target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/milanamarsenich/ </a></p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/milana-marsenich">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/milana-marsenich</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Milana-Marsenich/author/B07DTJRR2K/">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Milana-Marsenich/author/B07DTJRR2K/</a> </p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/16544640.Milana_Marsenich">https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/16544640.Milana_Marsenich</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37eEX6ramyWdvPgrXFlHsqAJxojKclFZ6XXN9r-_N9i1ETr94VJ-HwvzDr7yWpHfXkzBuBjJdbOls1o0qxbH9C-0wLTkYE_ud7M0xdTopdWXTdghQptnXq8GpqRfzB5ak5VQQbGf1II1BXABsKWJVeEUITK4ttrTe88WNBtO14fRwkKJ0jCeOpsow4uy8/s640/Beautiful%20Ghost%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37eEX6ramyWdvPgrXFlHsqAJxojKclFZ6XXN9r-_N9i1ETr94VJ-HwvzDr7yWpHfXkzBuBjJdbOls1o0qxbH9C-0wLTkYE_ud7M0xdTopdWXTdghQptnXq8GpqRfzB5ak5VQQbGf1II1BXABsKWJVeEUITK4ttrTe88WNBtO14fRwkKJ0jCeOpsow4uy8/w448-h252/Beautiful%20Ghost%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner%20(1).png" width="448" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-72253681617258437302023-12-17T16:30:00.000-08:002023-12-17T16:30:00.131-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tours welcome Twelfth Cake House by Heidi Eljarbo <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d4784tygf9kNR-TjNPOUH-i4qjXdP1PKfi3XjvYAJCo37R2-xQYD7b-kCoEi4mCpsjnE1_ooQ454waG-G8RIWTJr6fPp_fWehOTCARALI650Fi0fOkWnm2wxKdCsgXNbfeUkgWHSwa3d6DRSF1uR8KaAlnHm6lht5WkuSKY22i1poAx8diO-fNyzPV5V/s640/Twelfth%20Cake%20House%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d4784tygf9kNR-TjNPOUH-i4qjXdP1PKfi3XjvYAJCo37R2-xQYD7b-kCoEi4mCpsjnE1_ooQ454waG-G8RIWTJr6fPp_fWehOTCARALI650Fi0fOkWnm2wxKdCsgXNbfeUkgWHSwa3d6DRSF1uR8KaAlnHm6lht5WkuSKY22i1poAx8diO-fNyzPV5V/w445-h250/Twelfth%20Cake%20House%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="445" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Twelfth Cake House</p><p>Series: Heartwarming Christmas </p><p>Author: Heidi Eljarbo</p><p>Publication Date: December 15th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: independently published</p><p>Page Length: approx. 90 pages</p><p>Genre: Clean Historical Christmas Romance</p><p>Twitter Handles: @HeidiEljarbo @cathiedunn</p><p>Instagram Handles: @authorheidieljarbo @thecoffeepotbookclub</p><p>Bluesky Handle: @cathiedunn.bsky.social </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-tour-twelfth-cake-house-by-heidi-eljarbo.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Link:</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiH3Xq7tRUKW3b8H5TuiXib9VrXWfbwxU_gRvtKNZC9KabzEAyZiMnXNRME7Yt8UOUtG5OHtYCHy1kvV7L4wgzOfQHH5ZsFXTbzNOPcx_VFvklzRG32FYWGxPOwZvs6zcvR2945opfJLqtVXCbfENbCpGSchzyUADVzEPlerCChvSWUmr8ZsgUg0tccHQ/s2550/CAKE%20HOUSE%20Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiH3Xq7tRUKW3b8H5TuiXib9VrXWfbwxU_gRvtKNZC9KabzEAyZiMnXNRME7Yt8UOUtG5OHtYCHy1kvV7L4wgzOfQHH5ZsFXTbzNOPcx_VFvklzRG32FYWGxPOwZvs6zcvR2945opfJLqtVXCbfENbCpGSchzyUADVzEPlerCChvSWUmr8ZsgUg0tccHQ/w414-h640/CAKE%20HOUSE%20Ebook.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Twelfth Cake House</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Heidi Eljarbo</span></p><p><br /></p><p>Blurb:</p><p>Even a clever matchmaker may need a push in the right direction if she’s to find true love. When she’s asked to find a match for herself, it proves to be the most difficult task she’s ever undertaken.</p><p>Mid-December 1796.</p><p>Sixty-year-old spinster Miss Jemima Thurgood has three weeks to finish the preparations for her annual Twelfth Night party. In her position as a matchmaker, for over forty years she has assumed a grave responsibility. Luckily, she’s a shrewd observer of people, and many happy reunions have come about due to her exceptional talent for nudging kindred hearts in the right direction.</p><p>Every year, Jemima invites twelve carefully selected men and women to her festivity, and each guest is assigned a dinner partner. The days before the merrymaking are constantly disrupted by one unforeseen event after another. Jemima must work hard to be ready in time, and more importantly, to provide the kind of celebration her chosen guests deserve.</p><p>But this year, what Jemima doesn’t know is that her life is about to take a sudden change of course—one she could not have predicted or planned for. As the days pass, several gentlemen indicate they are interested in becoming better acquainted with her, but only a very special man can charm a matchmaker.</p><p>A sweet romance novella set during a witty and enchanting Georgian-Era Christmas, Twelfth Cake House is a story about traditions, goodwill, and finding hope and the courage to change and take a chance on finding true love. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JsronIvfbMFCVDEo0cQmkovNojopI8_LiYjXHhBcX9aorqZA6FCGrkigfPveg2UDxtLCnOAmnt0580Wp7uUyTmtuLtMcrpPJDBnRUdpMQEhg5UdJa5Yr7gREW2qWqvuQpZFGG-1mkL7JPbEM-ujOrqJ7FVACEssJBUVUDYxTCcuZw7ZiZ7VXaMId_9o2/s1080/IG%20banner%20Twelfth%20Cake%20House.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JsronIvfbMFCVDEo0cQmkovNojopI8_LiYjXHhBcX9aorqZA6FCGrkigfPveg2UDxtLCnOAmnt0580Wp7uUyTmtuLtMcrpPJDBnRUdpMQEhg5UdJa5Yr7gREW2qWqvuQpZFGG-1mkL7JPbEM-ujOrqJ7FVACEssJBUVUDYxTCcuZw7ZiZ7VXaMId_9o2/w400-h400/IG%20banner%20Twelfth%20Cake%20House.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/b6lWzJ " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0EyZV4U-GpzwfeOxBHC25_QRLAjTJ1oh49tLRVVMDsA9IPELDWADl3_18ZHeag9JPIOgUJR6Xa_ghlV-TdV6gXVWXhVNudYmjueHZ2mfiPb4sfU6I6tU463CFHDrrPfy9cKKlaf-7xmbGqOhY_OGklU3syPf_Ybff44vEXMkLyEl5N5qhjP-2bnUZYSn/s1187/Heidi%20Eljarbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0EyZV4U-GpzwfeOxBHC25_QRLAjTJ1oh49tLRVVMDsA9IPELDWADl3_18ZHeag9JPIOgUJR6Xa_ghlV-TdV6gXVWXhVNudYmjueHZ2mfiPb4sfU6I6tU463CFHDrrPfy9cKKlaf-7xmbGqOhY_OGklU3syPf_Ybff44vEXMkLyEl5N5qhjP-2bnUZYSn/s320/Heidi%20Eljarbo.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br />Heidi Eljarbo is the award-winning author of dual-timeline historical fiction with heartwarming clean romance, wit, and adventurous mystery.<p></p><p>Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and never imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, danced on the BYU Ballroom Dance Team, and still sings in choirs.</p><p>After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, and fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.</p><p>Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.</p><p>Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.</p><p>Sign up for Heidi’s newsletter at <a href="https://www.heidieljarbo.com/newsletter">https://www.heidieljarbo.com/newsletter</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.heidieljarbo.com/">https://www.heidieljarbo.com/</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/HeidiEljarbo">https://twitter.com/HeidiEljarbo</a> </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/">https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/">https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/</a></p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/">https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/</a></p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-eljarbo">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-eljarbo</a></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Eljarbo/e/B073D852VG/">https://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Eljarbo/e/B073D852VG/</a></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AwmjIkYpqUP5hHAccpG3sc7HgUfVcQPYDm9xUk0wriPUy5GP626eiGdI2f6SDrxH5yNt7UZHkW2smrlmtg82rVs6bmWWAaYO2po2GA0l_RxHLQkjx9piiN1Xq8xMfXRVrhIsFhl2TbDQAxuV1RC0__1xAaUBlcpHTfm6zMp7e7n3dThTa7YVAvmE_OMv/s640/Twelfth%20Cake%20House%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AwmjIkYpqUP5hHAccpG3sc7HgUfVcQPYDm9xUk0wriPUy5GP626eiGdI2f6SDrxH5yNt7UZHkW2smrlmtg82rVs6bmWWAaYO2po2GA0l_RxHLQkjx9piiN1Xq8xMfXRVrhIsFhl2TbDQAxuV1RC0__1xAaUBlcpHTfm6zMp7e7n3dThTa7YVAvmE_OMv/w400-h225/Twelfth%20Cake%20House%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-91229905879187227172023-12-13T16:30:00.001-08:002023-12-13T16:30:00.137-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu by Ann Bennett<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIhUy-eUPdUSZY52C5VZJ9q7PNb8OcauDrZB1qKeO7HeaoLK2Y-92pChZZGt9MXOJyie1uPW8y4ViAkgpZvix4aoTN44qJda5YjQZ2jW7b3vlzrF_aW5C_3Y5HXeCW_-nlc2Mrv6YCOJ3ClsSk2ZgAvt-udv7AvZ8S2eG5XYsqjhEI45CwA4HNLOINH8D/s640/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIhUy-eUPdUSZY52C5VZJ9q7PNb8OcauDrZB1qKeO7HeaoLK2Y-92pChZZGt9MXOJyie1uPW8y4ViAkgpZvix4aoTN44qJda5YjQZ2jW7b3vlzrF_aW5C_3Y5HXeCW_-nlc2Mrv6YCOJ3ClsSk2ZgAvt-udv7AvZ8S2eG5XYsqjhEI45CwA4HNLOINH8D/w452-h254/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="452" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu</p><p>Series: Echoes of Empire</p><p>Author: Ann Bennett</p><p>Publication Date: 31st October 2023</p><p>Publisher: Andaman Press</p><p>Page Length: 356</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance / Women’s adventure and romance</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-tour-the-fortune-teller-of-kathmandu-by-ann-bennett.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZUau56RVaKPDxHTmQ263z16ziOCuLbqZC-KERTy-Ck_Hwv62NbrtBRwdH_UVsGhXkziBLBff6iskDmN8VDco8kdWQ-RuxurkKiEB_Ol61M2hCboJr-0yXYcEEtUU4EEoXJ7d_T06rPw0brWlnynvTXmDMWt-OAcVFUY0DjOPXOV9TTah1-qgjqVYWC1o/s2400/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu%20eBook%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZUau56RVaKPDxHTmQ263z16ziOCuLbqZC-KERTy-Ck_Hwv62NbrtBRwdH_UVsGhXkziBLBff6iskDmN8VDco8kdWQ-RuxurkKiEB_Ol61M2hCboJr-0yXYcEEtUU4EEoXJ7d_T06rPw0brWlnynvTXmDMWt-OAcVFUY0DjOPXOV9TTah1-qgjqVYWC1o/w400-h640/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu%20eBook%20cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ann Bennett</span></b></p><p>A sweeping wartime tale of secrets and love, mystery and redemption, moving from the snow-capped Himalayas to the steamy heat of battle in the Burmese jungle.</p><p>Perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries, Victoria Hislop and Rosie Thomas.</p><p>Hampshire, UK, 2015. When Chloe Harper’s beloved grandmother, Lena dies, a stranger hands her Lena’s wartime diary. Chloe sets out to uncover deep family secrets that Lena guarded to her grave.</p><p>Darjeeling, India, 1943, Lena Chatterjee leaves the confines of a strict boarding school to work as assistant to Lieutenant George Harper, an officer in the British Indian Army. She accompanies him to Nepal and deep into the Himalayas to recruit Gurkhas for the failing Burma Campaign. There, she discovers that Lieutenant Harper has a secret, which she vows never to reveal.</p><p>In Kathmandu, the prophesy of a mysterious fortune teller sets Lena on a dangerous course. She joins the Women’s Auxiliary Service Burma (the Wasbies), risking her life to follow the man she loves to the front line. What happens there changes the course of her life.</p><p>On her quest to uncover her grandmother’s hidden past, Chloe herself encounters mystery and romance. Helped by young Nepalese tour guide, Kiran Rai, she finds history repeating itself when she is swept up in events that spiral out of control...</p><p><br /></p><p><i>"A great read"</i> Advance Reader.</p><p><i>" Thank you so much for allowing me to read the advance copy. I could barely put it down!" </i>Advance Reader,</p><p><i>"What a wonderful book... I loved it. The dual time lines were delineated to perfection... the settings were perfectly rendered..</i>" Advance Reader.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHvYYfrFgOlpgB-NjXO8i5deO2oYiLLv002MJSmHCoTSYRU7gAXFec68ZQMMMnsT_SgiFNFP3p9D1Te6x3crTgCxgY44PAKj2UqIr9nOPeGgVlfWqKVIUdUwLtR_BAokVwN4nXwqg1Ou4z4jtexkcZAHSz1M6yYb6h8xST1N7D9QFeLR-mGYlhyphenhyphen8fcz1k/s2000/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Katmandu%20author's%20MOCKUP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1993" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHvYYfrFgOlpgB-NjXO8i5deO2oYiLLv002MJSmHCoTSYRU7gAXFec68ZQMMMnsT_SgiFNFP3p9D1Te6x3crTgCxgY44PAKj2UqIr9nOPeGgVlfWqKVIUdUwLtR_BAokVwN4nXwqg1Ou4z4jtexkcZAHSz1M6yYb6h8xST1N7D9QFeLR-mGYlhyphenhyphen8fcz1k/w399-h400/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Katmandu%20author's%20MOCKUP.png" width="399" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>Read an Excerpt</u></b></p><p>They passed through more tiny villages and farms, all old stone-built houses thatched with reeds and straw and often painted white and terracotta. The road went on for a long way along another steep-sided river valley and at one point they had to cross the river on a narrow bridge. It looked very flimsy to Lena, strung high above the rocky torrent, made of string and bamboo. She started to dismount from the pony, thinking that it would lighten the load.</p><p>‘There’s no need to do that,’ Lieutenant Harper said, kicking his own pony past Lena and onto the bridge. She watched him cross the swaying structure and step off safely on the other side. </p><p>With her heart in her mouth, she kicked Snowy on, and he stepped onto the bridge and began walking across it slowly and deliberately, as if he knew it was important to keep the pace steady. Halfway across, though, he stopped, lifted his head and whinnied, and for a few tense moments, Lena thought he was going to take some persuading to carry on. But with a gentle nudge of the heels, he continued on to join Lieutenant Harper on the other side.</p><p>‘Well done!’ the Lieutenant said to Lena, and they carried on along the stone path, the short distance to the next village, her heartbeat gradually slowing down. </p><p>There, they repeated the ritual established at the first village, this time enrolling eight young men for the tests. Then they were shown by the headman to the house where they were to stay that night. The family greeted them warmly with smiles and a small boy led the ponies off to a nearby stable for the night. </p><p>They ate supper on the front porch, watching the sun go down over the mountaintops.</p><p>‘Have you been up here many times?’ Lena asked the lieutenant. He appeared very comfortable in the surroundings and seemed well known and well-liked by the locals. </p><p>‘I’ve been so many times that I’ve lost count, Miss Chatterjee,’ he said.</p><p>‘Do you think the villages might run out of young men at some point?’ she asked.</p><p>‘The village elders are very careful who they allow to join up. Young men are reaching the recruitment age all the time, but the elders don’t allow all of them to join the army. They need some to stay and farm the land, take care of the villages.’</p><p>‘You seem to have a real rapport with the villagers, Lieutenant Harper,’ Lena remarked. </p><p>‘I hope so. You won’t find more loyal, generous people anywhere in the world.’ </p><p>But then Lena noticed his face take on an awkward look, as if he wanted to tell her something but was holding himself back, or didn’t think it was the right moment.</p><p>‘Was there something you were going to say?’ she asked, but he shook his head and got up to ask for another helping of dahl baht. </p><p>When they had finished eating, the lady of the house, a stout, middle-aged woman dressed in long black robes with a colourful, embroidered waistcoat, showed Lena and Lieutenant Harper upstairs via a ladder to the sleeping quarters. So, there was no chance to ask the lieutenant what had caused him to reflect while they had been speaking about his rapport with the villagers. </p><p>Lena lay down on the lumpy bed, listening to the bleating of goats and the lowing of cattle in the stable beneath her. There were gaps between the floorboards, so if she looked down, she could see goats, cattle and chickens beneath. The family was staying at one end of the house, Lieutenant Harper somewhere in the middle and Lena at the other end, behind a thick curtain and with only a candle for light.</p><p>I am tired now and must get some sleep, although I’m not sure how easy that will be with the animals shifting about underneath me and the ever-present smell of woodsmoke curling up through the floorboards from the cottage fire. I am intrigued by Lieutenant Harper’s reaction when we were talking about the villagers and hope that tomorrow I will be able to get him to speak about it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6I7O_p-7RK4CWqE0kQkJ6A_bcsIUyaW7Aqnya8het5UTI59bml1MhlWZbWxn2vznF6RtF4xvjtxKCFGEsvCA9oVAftMcwsGnJObWbA35OCMdqdeTxgiAZiuL55t8EECIxDnqI7yFs6Z4yvN_UAofJURoYgRZ6LLDNcHaM1JoNg81ZvP-w8IrcZ_IQa3qE/s1080/IG%20banner%20The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6I7O_p-7RK4CWqE0kQkJ6A_bcsIUyaW7Aqnya8het5UTI59bml1MhlWZbWxn2vznF6RtF4xvjtxKCFGEsvCA9oVAftMcwsGnJObWbA35OCMdqdeTxgiAZiuL55t8EECIxDnqI7yFs6Z4yvN_UAofJURoYgRZ6LLDNcHaM1JoNg81ZvP-w8IrcZ_IQa3qE/s320/IG%20banner%20The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br />This title is available to read with #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Universal Buy Link: <a href="https://mybook.to/tftok " target="_blank">https://mybook.to/tftok </a></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieihdW8ip6SeOQDEc0w-eFgYCCKJwLfgAjf_hPPE9sqGcaIu8EEtJiYjeoypk3OdviD-srS0VIvghret5jhJbjpcNUAsfokk-ySZwqQff5Lc7Fa_r7g8TtOMOoxzO6k440foMI6bXJuCD6gYGaYn5sSsRe8mfrkyfaX7mh9ELFGKKQinT2hesw9jGWj8f6/s387/Ann%20Bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieihdW8ip6SeOQDEc0w-eFgYCCKJwLfgAjf_hPPE9sqGcaIu8EEtJiYjeoypk3OdviD-srS0VIvghret5jhJbjpcNUAsfokk-ySZwqQff5Lc7Fa_r7g8TtOMOoxzO6k440foMI6bXJuCD6gYGaYn5sSsRe8mfrkyfaX7mh9ELFGKKQinT2hesw9jGWj8f6/s320/Ann%20Bennett.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br />Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. She was born in Pury End, a small village in Northamptonshire, UK and now lives in Surrey. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter's Quest, was inspired by researching her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway. Bamboo Island: The Planter's Wife, A Daughter's Promise and Bamboo Road:The Homecoming, The Tea Panter's Club and The Amulet are also about the war in South East Asia, which together with The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.<p></p><p>Ann is also author of The Runaway Sisters, bestselling The Orphan House, The Forgotten Children and The Child Without a Home, published by Bookouture.</p><p>The Lake Pavilion, The Lake Palace, both set in British India in the 1930s and WW2, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, set in French Indochina during WW2, make up The Oriental Lake Collection.</p><p>Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and works as a lawyer. For more details please visit www.annbennettauthor.com. </p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.annbennettauthor.com">https://www.annbennettauthor.com</a> </p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/annbennett71">https://twitter.com/annbennett71</a> </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/annbennettauthor " target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/annbennettauthor </a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/annbennettauthor/">https://www.instagram.com/annbennettauthor/</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00D21SJ7A " target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00D21SJ7A </a></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1951323.Ann_Bennet">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1951323.Ann_Bennet</a>t </p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVBCe59J_unqlZ47ZLpanZzumhF0itbs9XFKfXN9qsqbYfCma5hFeRqubE1sB0OHDXAP-iSVbqfqIZ1-eJeRqVgKcBjyj9M2Pgidcl5zCJYpmqdT2IbNw7gncib89CrgYW0vfmuseCCsbsKQ5oG5GbLXKq5n9zqofKXdQhmyvuaLAgK7G88mEq4CGKI_M/s640/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVBCe59J_unqlZ47ZLpanZzumhF0itbs9XFKfXN9qsqbYfCma5hFeRqubE1sB0OHDXAP-iSVbqfqIZ1-eJeRqVgKcBjyj9M2Pgidcl5zCJYpmqdT2IbNw7gncib89CrgYW0vfmuseCCsbsKQ5oG5GbLXKq5n9zqofKXdQhmyvuaLAgK7G88mEq4CGKI_M/w473-h266/The%20Fortune%20Teller%20of%20Kathmandu%20Tour%20Schedule.png" width="473" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-9701376998372462582023-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:002023-12-12T16:30:00.338-08:00Millie's Escape by Marcia Clayton on a Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfaEntC1kE4VqiBiHN7TGAPwZWvSkRYOkYkMPSoTleDbqBG24C39pDMnb3lHNmj6vV6yk_wUhPKe0ui_ZqBdOfukatxHcTNq5OcVaFnmsY6FGI0guvqdYkWCh3EYS9-5etIMi3XsSfuuHindj1BGT5_HjxSIT6cECJh-JlX9zIQMw7cias4qpY85fIwNR/s640/Millie's%20Escape%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfaEntC1kE4VqiBiHN7TGAPwZWvSkRYOkYkMPSoTleDbqBG24C39pDMnb3lHNmj6vV6yk_wUhPKe0ui_ZqBdOfukatxHcTNq5OcVaFnmsY6FGI0guvqdYkWCh3EYS9-5etIMi3XsSfuuHindj1BGT5_HjxSIT6cECJh-JlX9zIQMw7cias4qpY85fIwNR/w400-h225/Millie's%20Escape%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Book Title: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Millie’s Escape</p><p>Series: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Hartford Manor Series</p><p>Author: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Marcia Clayton</p><p>Publication Date: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 November 2023</p><p>Publisher: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sunhillow Publishing</p><p>Page Length: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>348</p><p>Genre: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Historical Fiction/Family Saga/Women’s Literary Fiction</p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter Handle: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>@MarciaC89111861 @cathiedunn</p><p>Instagram Handle: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>@marciaclayton97 @thecoffeepotbookclub</p><p>Bluesky Handle: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>@marciaclayton.bsky.social @cathiedunn.bsky.social<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-tour-millies-escape-by-marcia-clayton.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigidtdHiXqRY5jVEzks2I__UyWjrVS7hNgXWuFaOvb4XL_ucvF_s6lFBJy6NPd6aQJh5DeXq2mujfe9DmNN-LIG7gFGkv8iI0Xmhua8rkhFO-pNm0br7kMEV4AiqNwDShseQ4ujnNqqSK9QxdsZM8_W1_2KT50giOXOKQ95rArn4CZKMAvySzztRBpzbik/s522/Millie's%20Escape%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="362" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigidtdHiXqRY5jVEzks2I__UyWjrVS7hNgXWuFaOvb4XL_ucvF_s6lFBJy6NPd6aQJh5DeXq2mujfe9DmNN-LIG7gFGkv8iI0Xmhua8rkhFO-pNm0br7kMEV4AiqNwDShseQ4ujnNqqSK9QxdsZM8_W1_2KT50giOXOKQ95rArn4CZKMAvySzztRBpzbik/w444-h640/Millie's%20Escape%20cover.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Millie’s Escape</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Marcia Clayton</span></p><p><br /></p><p>1885 North Devon, England</p><p> It is winter in the small Devon village of Brampford Speke, and a typhoid epidemic has claimed many victims. Millie, aged fifteen, is doing her best to nurse her mother and grandmother as well as look after Jonathan, her five-year-old brother. One morning, Millie is horrified to find that her mother, Rosemary, has passed away during the night and is terrified the same fate may befall her granny, Emily.</p><p> When Emily’s neighbours inform her that Sir Edgar Grantley has also perished from the deadly disease, the old woman is distraught, for the kindly gentleman has been their benefactor for many years, much to the disgust of his wife, Lilliana. Emily is well aware that Sir Edgar’s generosity has long been a bone of contention between him and his spouse, and she is certain Lady Grantley will evict them from their cottage at the first opportunity.</p><p> As she racks her brain for a solution, Emily remembers her father came from Hartford, a seaside village in North Devon and had relatives there. Desperate and too weak to travel, she insists Millie and Jonathan leave home and make their way to Hartford before the embittered woman can cause trouble for them. There, she tells them, they must throw themselves on the mercy of their family and hope they will offer them a home.</p><p> With Emily promising to follow as soon as possible, the two youngsters reluctantly set off on their fifty-mile journey on foot and in the harshest of weather conditions. Emily warns them to be cautious, for she suspects Lady Grantley may well pursue them to seek revenge for a situation that has existed between the two families for many years.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQyUJlCs4y5cxNjoMZwRlddbb4kw3ZWQsKYJElR_y-exgzoH7bArbB_GfBZJ2VLyWoV3LW5I_9BeCcDHih4AgRFHRp7r2223TU05TRGqAO8rJojuimvGfePfUUHFq3YSxpLy6dSmmvveW_nW6bfHIL_ROO8YiFOrllNdBOTqYRMI2vH53O3IUm-kWCJTA/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20Millie's%20Escape.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQyUJlCs4y5cxNjoMZwRlddbb4kw3ZWQsKYJElR_y-exgzoH7bArbB_GfBZJ2VLyWoV3LW5I_9BeCcDHih4AgRFHRp7r2223TU05TRGqAO8rJojuimvGfePfUUHFq3YSxpLy6dSmmvveW_nW6bfHIL_ROO8YiFOrllNdBOTqYRMI2vH53O3IUm-kWCJTA/s320/IG%20banner%202%20Millie's%20Escape.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Read a Snippet:</u></b></p><p>One morning, Millie sent the children out to play, intending to clean the kitchen thoroughly. Jonnie had a bad cold, so she let him stay inside with her, and the pair were enjoying a few rare moments alone. Millie was scrubbing the floor when the front door opened, and Liz staggered in, very drunk despite the early hour. Behind her was a plump man with a ruddy complexion, and his eyes gleamed when he surveyed Millie’s shapely bottom as she worked hard on her hands and knees.</p><p>“Why, Liz, you didn’t tell me you had a new maid here, and, no disrespect, love, but I think I might like to explore pastures new, if you know what I mean. What’s your name, my lovely?”</p><p>“No, Ted; yer wasting yer time, there, mate. ‘er’s no prossie, ‘er’s just our cleaner and far too ‘igh and mighty for the likes of ye. Ye’ll ‘ave to make do wi’ me, though I’m not sure I’m willin’ now if yer so picky. I’ve always been good enough for ‘ee before.”</p><p>Millie was embarrassed as the man’s eyes explored every inch of her body, and he held out his hand to help her up.</p><p>“No need to be frightened of me, my love, and if ‘tis your first time, why that’s even better, and I’ll be kind. I know my manners, and I can be a gentleman when I want to be. Whatever this lot is paying you to clean, I’ll pay you far more to spend an hour or two with me. What do you say?”</p><p>“No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I’m happy doing the cleaning. My brother and I aren’t staying here long, just a few days, so that I can earn some money.”</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read with #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mybook.to/MilliesEscape" target="_blank">Universal Buy Link:</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>All the books in The Hartford Manor Series can be ordered from any bookshop.</b></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm-IPWi9i5ZrRXU9CJMNIFoIhnnXHPY2g6qprS12zGHwuH-cjChJ9rRTqeY4w6vHDET_RSjhTS8_J90f5FUW85UYgL7SE6FKfvz-Pici-WEq6fARGej5WAItCivLC4-gsGW7YgY4uNeehGjxwSreSwQvMvHVm7PPV-_67358EppOFT3ZPW_IHbJHnJaUD/s256/Marcia%20Clayton%20Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="247" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm-IPWi9i5ZrRXU9CJMNIFoIhnnXHPY2g6qprS12zGHwuH-cjChJ9rRTqeY4w6vHDET_RSjhTS8_J90f5FUW85UYgL7SE6FKfvz-Pici-WEq6fARGej5WAItCivLC4-gsGW7YgY4uNeehGjxwSreSwQvMvHVm7PPV-_67358EppOFT3ZPW_IHbJHnJaUD/s1600/Marcia%20Clayton%20Photo.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />Marcia Clayton is the author of five books in The Hartford Manor Series, a heart-warming family saga stretching from the Regency period to Victorian times. A sixth book is to be released in 2024.<p></p><p>Marcia was born in North Devon, a rural and picturesque area in the far South West of England. When she left school, Marcia worked in a bank for several years until she married her husband, Bryan, and then stayed at home for a few years to care for her three sons, Stuart, Paul and David. As the children grew older, Marcia worked as a Marie Curie nurse caring for the terminally ill and later for the local authority managing school transport.</p><p>Now a grandmother, Marcia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She’s a keen researcher of family history, and this hobby inspired some of the characters in her books. A keen gardener, Marcia grows many of her own vegetables. She is also an avid reader and enjoys historical fiction, romance, and crime books.</p><p>Author Links:</p><p><br /></p><p>Website:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://marciaclayton.co.uk/">https://marciaclayton.co.uk/</a></p><p>Twitter:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MarciaC89111861">https://twitter.com/MarciaC89111861</a></p><p>Facebook:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008315016582" target="_blank">Marcia Clayton - Author | Facebook</a></p><p>Instagram:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/marciaclayton97/">https://www.instagram.com/marciaclayton97/</a></p><p>Bluesky:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/marciaclayton.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/marciaclayton.bsky.social</a></p><p>Amazon Author Page:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Marcia-Clayton/author/B01A305MI6?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true" target="_blank">Amazon: Marcia Clayton</a></p><p>Allauthor: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://allauthor.com/author/marciaclayton/">https://allauthor.com/author/marciaclayton/</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-jp-4UscoMYsb6Q17EJuXwhS0FWAorqRih3Shr5rPzM6jKbZ6VZsMAKjsKbcRPeMMw0S0KgLG5z-uu8SLrSIumVI9Ww8RjFlozynEjoWo7DxQryyqMDRYE5Do0YmnaWnGdTYpfbnSoX_9rSFnV1Bf3T4TyrVPzlIIMmCY_x1pY38shtJZnjZlkwH2h7v/s640/Millie's%20Escape%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-jp-4UscoMYsb6Q17EJuXwhS0FWAorqRih3Shr5rPzM6jKbZ6VZsMAKjsKbcRPeMMw0S0KgLG5z-uu8SLrSIumVI9Ww8RjFlozynEjoWo7DxQryyqMDRYE5Do0YmnaWnGdTYpfbnSoX_9rSFnV1Bf3T4TyrVPzlIIMmCY_x1pY38shtJZnjZlkwH2h7v/w400-h225/Millie's%20Escape%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-91834072726836362262023-12-03T16:30:00.000-08:002023-12-03T16:30:00.137-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: The Mark of the Salamander by Justin Newland <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMeN21vusaFqUZzf6KWaCCVh2s2U9bRdMg6eqroBPQal4vP77zgbdTzxhtCJl_66QkYObaiZe4UWzDMUiMkYLeolrQh5nsNhdB9v3tY3hcoSqfCfxgZB519cM3ydgZk4yldGUu3F30o1bzDfQtLcjqpw8j8tXetPfY6eKEY9xq67vMNtJZxG_qD5k3_z9/s640/The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMeN21vusaFqUZzf6KWaCCVh2s2U9bRdMg6eqroBPQal4vP77zgbdTzxhtCJl_66QkYObaiZe4UWzDMUiMkYLeolrQh5nsNhdB9v3tY3hcoSqfCfxgZB519cM3ydgZk4yldGUu3F30o1bzDfQtLcjqpw8j8tXetPfY6eKEY9xq67vMNtJZxG_qD5k3_z9/w441-h248/The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="441" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: The Mark of the Salamander</p><p>Series: The Island of Angels</p><p>Author: Justin Newland</p><p>Publication Date: 28th September 2023</p><p>Publisher: The Book Guild </p><p>Page Length: 256</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction </p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter Handles: @JustinNewland53 @cathiedunn </p><p>Instagram Handles: @drjustinnewland @cathiedunn</p><p>Bluesky Handle: @cathiedunn.bsky.social </p><p><br /></p><p>Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #TudorFiction #GoldenHind #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-tour-the-mark-of-the-salamander-by-justin-newland.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Mark of the Salamander</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Justin Newland</span></p><p>1575.</p><p>Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish Netherlands. Settling in Mortlake outside London, he studies under Queen Elizabeth’s court astrologer, conjuring a bright future – until he’s wrongly accused of murder. </p><p>Forced into the life of a fugitive, Nelan hides in London, before he is dramatically pressed into the crew of the Golden Hind.</p><p>Thrust into a strange new world on board Francis Drake’s vessel, Nelan sails the seas on a voyage to discover discovery itself. Encountering mutiny, ancient tribes and hordes of treasure, Nelan must explore and master his own mystical powers – including the Mark of the Salamander, the mysterious spirit of fire. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8gdKMOXQjTnUfWASe2tCMBq29jbb5Dc49LWgVyYsxk7HP3xQYmWLI7fo4II3F9x90RzfmcXj2cYw95v-pSf-oquK4pK7LqDtB6zj3BgzfBSbiL5cZrDya6ePFkhJvzfZhO6OdWw0qvBYzCHPAuUYN5vWglxSOLuuPFg4lMc894dXOAnRhleNrkMQ0yIT/s2562/The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander%20by%20Justin%20Newland%20-%20Front%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2562" data-original-width="1631" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8gdKMOXQjTnUfWASe2tCMBq29jbb5Dc49LWgVyYsxk7HP3xQYmWLI7fo4II3F9x90RzfmcXj2cYw95v-pSf-oquK4pK7LqDtB6zj3BgzfBSbiL5cZrDya6ePFkhJvzfZhO6OdWw0qvBYzCHPAuUYN5vWglxSOLuuPFg4lMc894dXOAnRhleNrkMQ0yIT/w408-h640/The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander%20by%20Justin%20Newland%20-%20Front%20Cover.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><p>THE MARK OF THE SALAMANDER is the first in The Island of Angels series: a two-book saga that tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era. </p><p>“The constables are here with a warrant to arrest Master Nelan for murder.”</p><p>“Let them in,” Laurens said. “No, don’t!” Nelan cried.</p><p>“Let. Them. In,” Laurens snapped. The footman left the study.</p><p>“Then I must go,” Nelan said.</p><p>“No,” his father replied. “We are visitors here. Refugees. England is renowned for its adherence to the law. You must surrender to the constables.”</p><p>“Quickly, Dr Dee, what do I do?” Nelan asked.</p><p>“There are other significant elements in your horoscope that suggest you have a part to play in the future of this country. That’s why I’m here to help you escape: because you can’t do that while confined within a prison. So, you must run away and avoid capture for as long as possible. Then you can absolve yourself of this unjust accusation. Now, you must go,” Dee said, pointing to the window.</p><p>Nelan opened it.</p><p>“Do not go,” his father said. “You must defend yourself, and my honour.”</p><p>“Father, I must. The constables—”</p><p>Laurens squeezed himself between Nelan and the window. There he stood, legs astride, arms folded, glaring at him. At times, he had a fearsome presence. This was one of them. “You are staying here,” he said through gritted teeth.</p><p>“But, Dr Dee, even if I run, they’ll catch me,” Nelan said. “It’s broad daylight outside.”</p><p>“Not anymore,” Dee murmured, nodding his head. “Look out the window.”</p><p>Outside, a mist as thick as pea soup hung over the river. Where’s that come from? Did it arise naturally, or did Dr Dee conjure it out of the ether?</p><p>“Where is he?” an unfamiliar voice boomed from the corridor. “Nelan, be a man,” his father said, “and account for your actions. If you flee, you will dishonour the Michaels’ family name.”</p><p>Nelan clenched his fists. “Father, I have to find another way to clear my name. I’ll not end my days in Newgate or Marshalsea for a crime I didn’t commit. Besides, if anyone’s guilty, it’s Guillermo. Now, move, please!”</p><p>“I will not!”</p><p>“This time, I’ll not bow to your wishes. I’m innocent and disappointed that you don’t believe me. I beg you, get out of my way.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>The study door burst open, and Laurens glanced towards the intruder. In one swift, agile movement Nelan darted between his father’s legs and came out the other side. He scrambled onto the windowsill and jumped down to the ground outside before his father had time to stop him. Finally, he’d found an advantage to being small. The ground was moist and soft from the mist. A light breeze swirled vapour around him, adding a ghostly effect to the scene. From the study he heard muffled voices: those of the constables, his father, and Dr Dee.</p><p>He knew the paths leading to and from the house like he knew the course of the river. He felt invisible to the world, and in a way, he was. Leaving one life behind and taking the first frightened, tentative steps into a new one, he concentrated on every footstep. He could barely see the path, but he knew that the river flowed by some fifty paces in front of his house.</p><p>There he met an extraordinary sight. He stepped out of the swirling mist and into broad daylight. Apart from his house, everywhere was clear: the north bank of the river in Chiswick, the monastery of Syon Abbey to the west, and to the east the city of London, where filaments of woodsmoke snaked into the dawn skies on the horizon. The mist had settled around his house, but nowhere else. He’d never witnessed such a strange phenomenon in all the years he’d lived there.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/38Yxzr " target="_blank">Universal Link:</a> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland/1144122989?ean=2940186006305" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble:</a> <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-mark-of-the-salamander/justin-newland/9781915853271 " target="_blank">Waterstones: </a> <a href="https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-mark-of-the-salamander " target="_blank">Kobo: </a> <a href="https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-mark-of-the-salamander-the-island-of-angels/justin-newland/paperback/9781915853271.html " target="_blank">WH Smith:</a> <a href="https://www.saxo.com/dk/the-mark-of-the-salamander_bog_9781915853271 " target="_blank">Saxo DK:</a> <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland/7448127?ean=9781915853271 " target="_blank">UK Bookshop: </a> <a href="https://wordery.com/mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland-9781915853271?cTrk=MjAxNjg3MzE1fDY1NDE4MzM0N2QzYzA6MTo1OjY1NDE4MzE0ZGFjNTA4LjEwMTkzMjgzOjYxZWVjMzJj" target="_blank">Wordery:</a> <a href="https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Mark-of-the-Salamander-by-Justin-Newland/9781915853271 " target="_blank">Blackwells: </a> <a href="https://www.foyles.co.uk/book/the-mark-of-the-salamander/justin-newland/9781915853271 " target="_blank">Foyles: </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZweUw4LmYrUkTTd6aZoTfrsAEyHap1yC4C1gckllvtCzx7E6KSMor5D53or4JoGDGNVZhw5OAy6i5G-XNkGdfSfGdLpTEDXzERcilDu-IHWYg4dUgTKupZ_QL7HcatVI6mQNhQMficZMJc5FD9HLvr9WcYjJ9JQWJ7Rj7aPAuNsxBaYqq4Kx6okoOI5UF/s1080/IG%20banner%20The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZweUw4LmYrUkTTd6aZoTfrsAEyHap1yC4C1gckllvtCzx7E6KSMor5D53or4JoGDGNVZhw5OAy6i5G-XNkGdfSfGdLpTEDXzERcilDu-IHWYg4dUgTKupZ_QL7HcatVI6mQNhQMficZMJc5FD9HLvr9WcYjJ9JQWJ7Rj7aPAuNsxBaYqq4Kx6okoOI5UF/w320-h320/IG%20banner%20The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.</p><p>Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. </p><p>The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. </p><p>The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. </p><p>The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.</p><p>The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. </p><p>His work in progress is the second in the series, The Midnight of Eights, the charting of the uncanny coincidences that led to the repulse of the Spanish Armada. </p><p>Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. </p><p>Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Website:<a href=" https://www.justinnewland.com/ " target="_blank"> https://www.justinnewland.com/ </a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinNewland53 " target="_blank">https://twitter.com/JustinNewland53 </a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/">https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-newland-b393aa28/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-newland-b393aa28/</a></p><p>Instagram:<a href=" https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/ " target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/ </a></p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/4862998/edit">https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/4862998/edit</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Justin-Newland/author/B06WRQVLT8">https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Justin-Newland/author/B06WRQVLT8</a> </p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/jnewland">https://www.goodreads.com/jnewland</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyukXOFPMriDAC7p9SM3rInvdraRy4RlCblgvt5rLEyya2IYadMIsPOpTjXayp9mLxnm_GAHCsk0Y-_oKGIcb9DG2_WLvtNaaQQdXF5KN79e7z2IiGvSEhX4so3yUR7T8hSXnczpOgVomk859d-QHYzFLmI7UdSL9JUA31jvAHLABZCPJwqk16UXUkKS6/s640/The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyukXOFPMriDAC7p9SM3rInvdraRy4RlCblgvt5rLEyya2IYadMIsPOpTjXayp9mLxnm_GAHCsk0Y-_oKGIcb9DG2_WLvtNaaQQdXF5KN79e7z2IiGvSEhX4so3yUR7T8hSXnczpOgVomk859d-QHYzFLmI7UdSL9JUA31jvAHLABZCPJwqk16UXUkKS6/s320/The%20Mark%20of%20the%20Salamander%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-360417420331466192023-11-22T16:30:00.000-08:002023-11-22T16:30:00.131-08:00Welcoming author Nancy Bilyeau to the blog<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyibPBgAjvKpmyWKUSXvGgUAke1ZAryLo7QCFHbFktkLzIB58rOvcDXNTwtikpw32nTAQIqpF_gYLpJFbS7Kcbknoe48eoznGMv2LXItTvIdICrkPD0j-ijN0dXDUutjcg4ZH499kGA-IQAkurjSF0p40ecjHUlSpvtaWHmxlkReIw2NEtCCdoik4_rWBc/s2409/The%20Crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2409" data-original-width="1594" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyibPBgAjvKpmyWKUSXvGgUAke1ZAryLo7QCFHbFktkLzIB58rOvcDXNTwtikpw32nTAQIqpF_gYLpJFbS7Kcbknoe48eoznGMv2LXItTvIdICrkPD0j-ijN0dXDUutjcg4ZH499kGA-IQAkurjSF0p40ecjHUlSpvtaWHmxlkReIw2NEtCCdoik4_rWBc/w424-h640/The%20Crown.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nancy Bilyeau, a magazine editor, is the author of seven published historical novels and one novella. Her debut was “The Crown,” set in 1530s England. The main character is Joanna Stafford, a half-Spanish, half-English Dominican novice from an aristocratic family in disgrace. In ‘The Crown’ and its follow-up novels, ‘The Chalice’ and ‘The Tapestry,’ Joanna is up against some of the most ruthless men in England. After writing the Tudor novels, published in the US, the UK and 11 foreign countries, between 2012 and 2015, Nancy wrote two 18th century-set novels with a French Huguenot character. ‘The Blue’ and ‘The Fugitive Colours,’ set in the porcelain workshops and portrait studios of England and France, drew on her own Huguenot descent. Most recently, she wrote ‘Dreamland’ and ‘The Orchid Hour,’ set in New York City in the early 20th century. She moved to the Hudson Valley, just north of NYC, several years ago, and is busy working on her first garden.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vBY_43sGLCvtOtDLARtw2RwaLZlPBmZM6ROkX7yGNdIDsyp1cSgG3YlSk1h-VaZ8qXsupEu8UrNB2XYZW7jDS2IJpFyB7hMCZIqnkbLiU9Jrip2dSdqBIGPe0zkE3iqHvcMVhJsSksq_8AVisp2SGz69Qd2chDM3q_sRvgoRp3iR1GEs2zHaxE801kx4/s4543/Nancy%20Bilyeau%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4543" data-original-width="3570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vBY_43sGLCvtOtDLARtw2RwaLZlPBmZM6ROkX7yGNdIDsyp1cSgG3YlSk1h-VaZ8qXsupEu8UrNB2XYZW7jDS2IJpFyB7hMCZIqnkbLiU9Jrip2dSdqBIGPe0zkE3iqHvcMVhJsSksq_8AVisp2SGz69Qd2chDM3q_sRvgoRp3iR1GEs2zHaxE801kx4/s320/Nancy%20Bilyeau%20photo.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Why are you talking about the Tudors again?</p><p class="MsoNormal">Last year, my UK publisher, Orion, told me that they were re-publishing ‘The Crown’ and ‘The Chalice’ with brand-new covers and jacket material. I was very pleased! It’s been so interesting to see these books with new covers but even more so, to delve back into the period of time that I began my fiction career writing about. I’ve been reading fiction and non-fiction set in the 16th century before, during, and after writing my trilogy. It’s a great interest of mine, I would never want to stop. But it’s different to be a writer of Tudor fiction and to be purely a reader. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Why did you move from the Tudors to the 18th century in your work?</p><p class="MsoNormal">It was a combination of things. By the time ‘The Tapestry’ came out, my U.S. publisher, Touchstone, was not as invested in putting out historical fiction. (Now that imprint of Simon & Schuster is closed.) Some people said that the Tudors were “over.” It didn’t seem that way to me, and obviously authors are continuing to create wonderful Tudor fiction. I looked at it as an opportunity to explore other world. I am a magazine writer and editor and for a while I was a screenwriter—in other words, I am used to jumping around among different periods and styles. I came up with the idea that became ‘The Blue’ while I was touring Hillwood, the Marjorie Merriweather Post estate in Washington, DC. Post owned an amazing collection of Sevres porcelain. The tour guide said, “In the 18th century, the rivalries between the porcelain workshops was like the space race of its time.” I thought that was fantastic! I’d always wanted to write a spy story, and I decided to make it an 18th century spy story set in the porcelain world.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">And then you wrote books set in early 20th century New York. Why that change?</p><p class="MsoNormal">Again, it was because I had an idea for a novel. When I found out that on Coney Island, in the 1910s, there were beautiful resort hotels for the rich and powerful a mile down the beach from “America’s Playground,” the amusement park that was drawing thousands every day, including from the tenements of New York City, I thought it would make for an amazing culture clash story. I created an heiress who falls in love with an immigrant artist—and of course there is a string of murders going on at the same time! After that I wrote a novella, ‘The Ghost of Madison Avenue,’ because I woke up one day feeling, “I MUST write a Christmas ghost story.” So I did, and set it in the Morgan Museum in 1912. And then most recently I wrote “The Orchid Hour,” set in Little Italy and Greenwich Village in 1923, a place and time I am obsessed with. I’d lived in New York City for years, and read a great deal about its history. I am always on the lookout for a historical flourish in a building’s architecture or a stretch of cobblestone where you least expect it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">How do your publishers and your readers feel about your jumping through time and across continents?</p><p class="MsoNormal">The publishers seem fine with it! They want a compelling story, a strong main character, well paced, and lots of conflict. There is a common thread running through each of my novels: a woman solving a crime, launching an investigation, or becoming a spy, in a rich, fascinating time and place. Often there is a romance bubbling away in the background, but it’s rarely the whole point. Neither are these traditional murder mysteries. But there is that similarity among all my books. Everyone knows how much I love to write atmosphere. I try to build a world in each historical novel. So it’s not like I’m showing up with a science fiction story one day or a modern noir plot. I haven’t plunged too far off course.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Now, my readers. I have to say there is a hard core of committed Joanna Stafford readers who would love to see another Tudor book. They usually like ‘The Blue’ and ‘The Fugitive Colours’ as well, but to be honest, they sometimes find the New York City-set books too far from their comfort zone in fiction. While people who enjoy ‘Dreamland’ or ‘The Orchid Hour’ are usually happiest in the 20th century as far as their novels go and not reading a lot of Tudor. So I have two groups, it sometimes seems. I think that’s delightful, actually. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you have readers who want you to return to the Tudor world, why don’t you do that?</p><p class="MsoNormal">That goes back to publishers and who has which series and their editorial mindset. It’s something I am open to. I’ve found myself in an interesting headspace lately. I wrote a short story for an anthology in the last month and it was an opportunity to explore my earlier enthusiasms. I can’t give anything away in this stage, but I’ll share this with you. The name of the short story is “The Reliquary.” That should say a lot.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">To find out more about Nancy’s work, go to<a href=" www.nancybilyeau.com" target="_blank"> www.nancybilyeau.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Crown and The Chalice will be republished by Orion books in the UK on November 23rd. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crown-Joanna-Stafford-Book-ebook/dp/B00713DNC6/" target="_blank">Go here</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZUzKZ0UmmE_Z-2Pbc8Y7UN2-7spoKh3yzVDjeI6UrYH5brKdnPwIz6eud2lEZdA2tZCjVd2-1ToTy7Murlb7KDqTsBt0sDAA2qV-fimP1OkkRIFJK1R5zLlm5sK_FVtq0T0jbPO6Y6fQ9wN0T8A0Rk0HtCKOnhGnke8BxxunkVkZU6XlCGm1TnwI1tvq/s2409/The%20Chalice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2409" data-original-width="1594" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZUzKZ0UmmE_Z-2Pbc8Y7UN2-7spoKh3yzVDjeI6UrYH5brKdnPwIz6eud2lEZdA2tZCjVd2-1ToTy7Murlb7KDqTsBt0sDAA2qV-fimP1OkkRIFJK1R5zLlm5sK_FVtq0T0jbPO6Y6fQ9wN0T8A0Rk0HtCKOnhGnke8BxxunkVkZU6XlCGm1TnwI1tvq/w424-h640/The%20Chalice.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-73897789231275962182023-11-22T01:55:00.000-08:002023-11-22T01:55:13.703-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: The Matchstick Boy by Rowena Kinread<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mGdZ_W2CUPcUP8FGZCJWpIv08z-F-kBr75K5BNmRmxrX4NIPE2GXYW6ICTfl3z1UB3IlQLynWCE_CARn9pKGt9kZju1yvpAOCyQE5O5gxm5ijoACRpamq2lm8ClEBZpZ3yLFqTVrTpE-fVrfpLxgER9ZJakiqNyvWuf5YmR9JZ-8ACLG907pnQMme083/s640/The%20Matchstick%20Boy%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mGdZ_W2CUPcUP8FGZCJWpIv08z-F-kBr75K5BNmRmxrX4NIPE2GXYW6ICTfl3z1UB3IlQLynWCE_CARn9pKGt9kZju1yvpAOCyQE5O5gxm5ijoACRpamq2lm8ClEBZpZ3yLFqTVrTpE-fVrfpLxgER9ZJakiqNyvWuf5YmR9JZ-8ACLG907pnQMme083/w532-h299/The%20Matchstick%20Boy%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="532" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: The Matchstick Boy</p><p>Author: Rowena Kinread</p><p>Publication Date: October 10th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Goldcrest Books</p><p>Page Length: 329 pages</p><p>Genre: Historical Crime / Mystery / Historical Thriller</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-tour-the-matchstick-boy-by-rowena-kinread.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Va37pmfL-V66_6NtloByEq0zG9PoTqEwqGl_e8TmHwn2RN4YOQCVQ8zjw41_zg_uCuKXE9CVBfL-i-0r_5hpE-vy0UPPXDy6I6HgAh1fdMdmGcDL84xQwwimbAgi6DYDjbbtV28YajD82dp7qySSEE92zcaLRTwONvVmEEHj1AeWXUoG-YU-4IgE7rJ6/s1000/The%20Matchstick%20Boy%20-%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="645" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Va37pmfL-V66_6NtloByEq0zG9PoTqEwqGl_e8TmHwn2RN4YOQCVQ8zjw41_zg_uCuKXE9CVBfL-i-0r_5hpE-vy0UPPXDy6I6HgAh1fdMdmGcDL84xQwwimbAgi6DYDjbbtV28YajD82dp7qySSEE92zcaLRTwONvVmEEHj1AeWXUoG-YU-4IgE7rJ6/w412-h640/The%20Matchstick%20Boy%20-%20cover.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The Matchstick Boy</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rowena Kinread</span></p><p>Blurb:</p><p>When his young brother, Josef, is killed by a rock avalanche, Jakob believes it is murder. He had seen someone on the mountain ridge, above the scree, before it began to roll. But who would want to kill a child, and why? Jakob suspects Ramun, the privileged son of the owner of a matchstick factory, but nobody takes him seriously and he is powerless to obtain justice.</p><p>Thirty years later, Jakob’s profoundly deaf daughter is raped by Ramun and becomes with child. Determined to gain justice for his daughter, Jakob unearths a myriad of well-kept secrets in the tight-lipped community, but is anyone willing to tell the truth?</p><p>Just as he thinks he has uncovered all the facts, he realises he has made a vital mistake all along. Nothing is really as it seems.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://mybook.to/MatchstickBoy " target="_blank">Universal Buy Link: </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn8Qk16FcEbE2BY5G8nh_pHedjof7_jE4dEJxXNLLPv2QVvGqWS6IJZ52nuiJXRDzaiou68IugVLVJ6PlXsqSnKyVb8BSVMZOHPA-Sls66KlH0F5uzg_xeObJpH4cVCLhGu-5v11LPQfHP6pGyjXJ-MtTPjGuUAxOQsYt1htIrzJcap6r34_Wcfbgkfb-/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20The%20Matchstick%20Boy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn8Qk16FcEbE2BY5G8nh_pHedjof7_jE4dEJxXNLLPv2QVvGqWS6IJZ52nuiJXRDzaiou68IugVLVJ6PlXsqSnKyVb8BSVMZOHPA-Sls66KlH0F5uzg_xeObJpH4cVCLhGu-5v11LPQfHP6pGyjXJ-MtTPjGuUAxOQsYt1htIrzJcap6r34_Wcfbgkfb-/s320/IG%20banner%202%20The%20Matchstick%20Boy.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Author Bio:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xz3ZOtazlknkFf6TTEDeSj2O8kPeIxSYoiM8XRMis_7b7N2JeaitreEwMAIqUkU7AYP0hk2QK9k8Qg2SmPrGixnRuLd3wDE7iP9qjFWMZvpvrpT1jkFK2DX8vI-_W1yIlaluJqYQoFVCV0_2PqIv-u8HZzxGIVtdUsG3nenB7eBPN9G1Y6f0T-oM8RpB/s736/Rowena%20Kinread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="736" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xz3ZOtazlknkFf6TTEDeSj2O8kPeIxSYoiM8XRMis_7b7N2JeaitreEwMAIqUkU7AYP0hk2QK9k8Qg2SmPrGixnRuLd3wDE7iP9qjFWMZvpvrpT1jkFK2DX8vI-_W1yIlaluJqYQoFVCV0_2PqIv-u8HZzxGIVtdUsG3nenB7eBPN9G1Y6f0T-oM8RpB/s320/Rowena%20Kinread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Rowena Kinread grew up in Ripon, Yorkshire with her large family and a horde of pets. Keen on travelling, her first job was with Lufthansa in Germany.<p></p><p>She began writing in the nineties. Her special area of interest is history. After researching her ancestry and finding family roots in Ireland with the Dalriada clan, particularly this era. Her debut fiction novel titled “The Missionary” is a historical novel about the dramatic life of St. Patrick. It was published by Pegasus Publishers on April 29th, 2021 and has been highly appraised by The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post and the Irish Times.</p><p>Her second novel “The Scots of Dalriada” centres around Fergus Mór, the founder father of Scotland and takes place in 5th century Ireland and Scotland. It is due to be published by Pegasus Publishers on January 26th, 2023.</p><p>The author lives with her husband in Bodman-Ludwigshafen, Lake Constance, Germany. They have three children and six grandchildren.</p><p>Website: <a href="www.rowena-kinread.com " target="_blank">www.rowena-kinread.com </a> </p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/RowenaKinread " target="_blank">https://twitter.com/RowenaKinread </a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rowena.strittmatter " target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/rowena.strittmatter </a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowena-kinread-6b054b228/ " target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowena-kinread-6b054b228/ </a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rowenakinread/">https://www.instagram.com/rowenakinread/</a> </p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rowena-kinread " target="_blank">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rowena-kinread </a></p><p>Amazon Author Page:<a href=" https://author.amazon.de/home/rowenakinread " target="_blank"> https://author.amazon.de/home/rowenakinread </a></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21379391.Rowena_Kinread " target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21379391.Rowena_Kinread </a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8jE1LIByrnylzjmVTvnAbhVJcY6v_VK-RosLE5uLOfBaCCZtFA_pPFwLAKZISnk62jDw0dr0FqkYDtgBDPh_GTQOV-UdwzRJXoq5JhvwrRoeByNgHNP96tMDuAcHCu90yaJ3-6P3AIUNFuzxlxczcuDSj2hujZpAURrFUqYjjLPjAJvkyMtqgPgqL9Yb/s640/The%20Matchstick%20Boy%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8jE1LIByrnylzjmVTvnAbhVJcY6v_VK-RosLE5uLOfBaCCZtFA_pPFwLAKZISnk62jDw0dr0FqkYDtgBDPh_GTQOV-UdwzRJXoq5JhvwrRoeByNgHNP96tMDuAcHCu90yaJ3-6P3AIUNFuzxlxczcuDSj2hujZpAURrFUqYjjLPjAJvkyMtqgPgqL9Yb/w470-h264/The%20Matchstick%20Boy%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="470" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-48812817955399816662023-11-15T16:30:00.089-08:002023-11-15T16:30:00.139-08:00Join the New Release Party for Historical Stories of Exile - an historical fiction anthology <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6vh9GapsFbIaEN5FGLnOizXFL38u1cJ9wbWv17UsxTLckeV9Czf33f-dz7r1nSR6JTKsP5mhRrPafPajZDvY-oEhfvagvJApWMcVUwW4xweeneP3egCSDfFGwgEOlSsYvDqKD68irh5D1Jn3WPZRnVtDTGB3HK1P-ua3k7n7Bnj7cW3fVvsB_hkb-zPe/s640/Exile%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6vh9GapsFbIaEN5FGLnOizXFL38u1cJ9wbWv17UsxTLckeV9Czf33f-dz7r1nSR6JTKsP5mhRrPafPajZDvY-oEhfvagvJApWMcVUwW4xweeneP3egCSDfFGwgEOlSsYvDqKD68irh5D1Jn3WPZRnVtDTGB3HK1P-ua3k7n7Bnj7cW3fVvsB_hkb-zPe/w432-h243/Exile%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="432" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Historical Stories of Exile</p><p>Authors: Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cathie Dunn, J G Harlond,</p><p>Helen Hollick, Loretta Livingstone, Amy Maroney, Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Elizabeth St.John, Marian L. Thorpe, Annie Whitehead.</p><p>With an introduction by Deborah Swift</p><p>OFFICIAL LAUNCH PARTY Date: 16th November 2023</p><p>Publisher: Taw River Press</p><p>Page Length: 323</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction / Short Story Anthology</p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter Handle: @HelenHollick @cathiedunn</p><p>Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub</p><p>Bluesky Handle: @cathiedunn</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Qa2mPwpdagkWdtPW7GDDdPdx7Ibt1-A9vzR4G6E6nq_3W1AUMYTZTWCkmH8EBfXjoMpnY_KW207bL5ih-Fn6wLHpTJmu9tsBWkDCnwID9hnI33C_3hn0Trl1HYTSBxtxc6BI1YLj2zTj7tCxdHhVLXiEbe9IBugs9Dgvx8FMOT0SWu4f1V7m7xJL2BMR/s1080/IG%20banner%20Exile%20party.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Qa2mPwpdagkWdtPW7GDDdPdx7Ibt1-A9vzR4G6E6nq_3W1AUMYTZTWCkmH8EBfXjoMpnY_KW207bL5ih-Fn6wLHpTJmu9tsBWkDCnwID9hnI33C_3hn0Trl1HYTSBxtxc6BI1YLj2zTj7tCxdHhVLXiEbe9IBugs9Dgvx8FMOT0SWu4f1V7m7xJL2BMR/s320/IG%20banner%20Exile%20party.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-historical-stories-of-exile.html " target="_blank"><br />Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEGdPYhWnw-OaKBWKo188wnZMa-zLuSNovIskIduWI_eExwOd3cv5ZbdAVc1pTFvdXhOAos9EVqFTtZ_UcqiJek3UNrtz03EbxvbVR7ZHZfKZNmRFmoKimW1yuqkHoqSGxJfwsNrYDCT55kxTaLZhFBlRFYlLZVffVw1FiaMINBCjj3iw2ZiTk0IkifC_/s960/EXILE-Cover-flat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEGdPYhWnw-OaKBWKo188wnZMa-zLuSNovIskIduWI_eExwOd3cv5ZbdAVc1pTFvdXhOAos9EVqFTtZ_UcqiJek3UNrtz03EbxvbVR7ZHZfKZNmRFmoKimW1yuqkHoqSGxJfwsNrYDCT55kxTaLZhFBlRFYlLZVffVw1FiaMINBCjj3iw2ZiTk0IkifC_/w400-h640/EXILE-Cover-flat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Historical Stories of Exile</span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Contributing Authors:</p><p style="text-align: center;">Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cathie Dunn, J G Harlond,</p><p style="text-align: center;">Helen Hollick, Loretta Livingstone, Amy Maroney Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Elizabeth St.John, Marian L. Thorpe, Annie Whitehead.</p><p style="text-align: center;">With an introduction by Deborah Swift.</p><p> </p><p>Exile: a risky defiance, a perilous journey, a family’s tragic choice – or an individual’s final gamble to live. Exile: voluntary or enforced, a falling-out between friends, a lost first love, a prejudiced betrayal – or the only way to survive persecution?</p><p>In this historical fiction anthology thirteen authors (they are not superstitious!) have written exclusive short stories on the theme of exile. Some are based on true history, others are speculative fiction. All mine the depths of human emotions: fear, hope, love, and the fortitude to survive.</p><p><br /></p><p>Join an inspiring Anglo-Saxon queen of Wales, a courageous Norwegian falconer, and a family fleeing back in time to escape the prospect of a ruthless future. Oppose the law with the legendary Doones of Exmoor, or defy the odds with two brave WWII exiles. Meet a Roman apprehensively planning exile to preserve the 'old ways', and a real Swedish prince forcibly expelled in heart-wrenching circumstances. Thrill to a story based on the legend of Robin Hood, sail with a queen of Cyprus determined to regain her rightful throne; escape religious persecution, discover the heart-rending truth behind the settlement of Massachusetts and experience the early years that would, eventually, lead to the founding of Normandy. Experience the stirring of first love, and as an exclusive treat special guest author, Elizabeth Chadwick, reveals a tale about the 12th-century’s heiress, Isabelle de Clare, and the Greatest Knight of all time – William Marshal.</p><p>With an introduction by multi-award-winning author Deborah Swift, enjoy these tales of exile across the ages. Some are hopeful, some sad, some romantic, some tragic, but all explore the indomitable spirit of resolute, unforgettable characters.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mKgUfBnrvTnIAiRkZJkdqeWXR3WFI9te663Bf9hHwRnWhxsPsC1gw4qt63GXExo94Rv0EUxiYqXEDJWqBVw0085RD0XZvaMibB6-LaUuMC1Sw1NoNyvViQ1HnT01qcC61xiWIP5zlPSR4LPe6vkkAc1rnAFZ6YtEkbVBKLGQ6AluWkjMmgisZ58csuSr/s1200/EXILE-authors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mKgUfBnrvTnIAiRkZJkdqeWXR3WFI9te663Bf9hHwRnWhxsPsC1gw4qt63GXExo94Rv0EUxiYqXEDJWqBVw0085RD0XZvaMibB6-LaUuMC1Sw1NoNyvViQ1HnT01qcC61xiWIP5zlPSR4LPe6vkkAc1rnAFZ6YtEkbVBKLGQ6AluWkjMmgisZ58csuSr/w409-h409/EXILE-authors.jpg" width="409" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://mybook.to/StoriesOfExile " target="_blank">Universal Link:</a></p><p>ALISON MORTON writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but use a sharp line in dialogue. Several of her novels have hit #1 in Amazon US, UK, Canada and Australia. The latest, Julia Prima, plunges us back to AD 370 when the founders of Roma Nova met.</p><p>She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.</p><p>Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.alison-morton.com">https://www.alison-morton.com</a></p><p><br /></p><p>AMY MARONEY studied English Literature at Boston University and worked for many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. She lives in Oregon, U.S.A. with her family. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of The Miramonde Series, a bestselling historical mystery trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s award-winning historical adventure/romance series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, is set in medieval Rhodes and Cyprus.</p><p>An enthusiastic advocate for independent publishing, Amy is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Historical Novel Society.</p><p> Website: <a href="https://www.amymaroney.com/">https://www.amymaroney.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>ANNA BELFRAGE Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna always writes about love and has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. Anna is presently hard at work with her other medieval series, The Castilian Saga ,which is set against the conquest of Wales. The third instalment, Her Castilian Heart, was published in 2022, and the fourth and final one will be out in 2024. She has recently released Times of Turmoil, a sequel to her time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time.</p><p>Website, <a href="http://www.annabelfrage.com">www.annabelfrage.com</a> </p><p><br /></p><p>ANNIE WHITEHEAD is an author, historian, and elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and has written four award-winning novels set in Anglo-Saxon England. She has contributed to fiction and nonfiction anthologies and written for various magazines, has twice been a prize winner in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing Competition, and won First Prize in the 2012 New Writer Magazine's Prose and Poetry Competition. She was a finalist in the 2015 Tom Howard Prize for Nonfiction and was shortlisted for the Exeter Story Prize/Trisha Ashley Award 2021. </p><p>She was the winner of the inaugural Historical Writers’ Association/Dorothy Dunnett Prize 2017 and is now a judge for that same competition. She has also been a judge for the HNS (Historical Novel Society) Short Story Competition.</p><p>Her nonfiction books are Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom (Amberley Books) and Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England (Pen & Sword). She has contributed to a new history of English Monarchs, Kings and Queens: 1200 Years of English and British Monarchs (Hodder & Stoughton) and has signed a contract to write her third nonfiction book, to be published by Amberley books in 2024.</p><p>Website: <a href="https://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk/">https://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>CATHIE DUNN writes historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The focus of her novels is on strong women through time. She has garnered awards and praise from reviewers and readers for her authentic description of the past. A keen Medievalist, she enjoys visiting castles and ruins, and reading about battles and political shenanigans of the times.</p><p>Cathie is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She also now runs The Coffee Pot Book Club, promoting historical fiction authors and their books.</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.cathiedunn.com">https://www.cathiedunn.com</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4QX1zthMKcQheae68hfS786GgkM_x6qwmhXH2TbN8mvsspEdc_yg10m1Z_lk9PlSe8HMU0yBTz6r8qBNPGPPtwbE9lUCtRmpectSBPjW0X3IjVVygmgo9oTjBPfqY_Cgkow6p6bLgo9oTdMWTBkYNe_JVf6c1eaQw1XBmU9OMJABuKdJUhXNwPgGRZ2_/s1080/IG%20banner%20Exile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4QX1zthMKcQheae68hfS786GgkM_x6qwmhXH2TbN8mvsspEdc_yg10m1Z_lk9PlSe8HMU0yBTz6r8qBNPGPPtwbE9lUCtRmpectSBPjW0X3IjVVygmgo9oTjBPfqY_Cgkow6p6bLgo9oTdMWTBkYNe_JVf6c1eaQw1XBmU9OMJABuKdJUhXNwPgGRZ2_/w372-h372/IG%20banner%20Exile.png" width="372" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>CHARLENE NEWCOMB writes historical fiction and science fiction. Her award-winning Battle Scars trilogy is set in the 12th century during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. Her writing roots are in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (aka Legends) where she published 10 short stories in the Star Wars Adventure Journal. Scifi/space opera fans should check out Echoes of the Storm, her original novel published in 2020. She returned to medieval times with her novel Rogue in 2023. </p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://charlenenewcomb.com">https://charlenenewcomb.com</a></p><p><br /></p><p>CRYSSA BAZOS is an award-winning historical fiction author and a 17th-century enthusiast. Her debut novel, Traitor's Knot is the Medalist winner of the 2017 New Apple Award for Historical Fiction and a finalist for the 2018 EPIC eBook Awards for Historical Romance. Her second novel, Severed Knot is a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree and a finalist for the 2019 Chaucer Award. Rebel's Knot, the third instalment of the standalone series, Quest for the Three Kingdoms, is a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree and 2021 Discovering Diamonds Book of the Year..</p><p>Website: <a href="https://cryssabazos.com">https://cryssabazos.com</a></p><p><br /></p><p>DEBORAH SWIFT is a delver into archives, drinks too much tea, and loves antiques and old buildings. Her sturdy, stone-built house used to be the village primary school, and from her window she has a view of a few 17th century cottages, and behind those, green fields dotted with grazing sheep.</p><p>Historical fiction was a natural choice for Deborah as a writer because she always enjoyed the research aspect of design – poking about in archives and museums, not to mention the attraction of boned bodices and the excuse to visit old and interesting buildings.</p><p>She used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, so enjoy the research aspect of creating historical fiction. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. In her books Deborah likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Her first novel was The Lady's Slipper which was shortlisted for the Impress Prize, and her book The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, won the BookViral Millennium Award. She has written eighteen novels to date including two series set in WWII – her latest, The Shadow Network is due for release in early 2024.</p><p>Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, and divide her time between teaching and writing.</p><p>Website: <a href="https://deborahswift.com/">https://deborahswift.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>ELIZABETH CHADWICK New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick lives in a cottage in the Vale of Belvoir in Nottinghamshire with her husband and their four terriers, Pip, Jack, Billy and Little Ted. Her first novel, The Wild Hunt, won a Betty Trask Award and To Defy a King won the RNA’s 2011 Historical Novel Prize. She was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Award in 1998 for The Champion, in 2001 for Lords of the White Castle, in 2002 for The Winter Mantle and in 2003 for The Falcons of Montabard. Her sixteenth novel, The Scarlet Lion, was nominated by Richard Lee, founder of the Historical Novel Society, as one of the top ten historical novels of the last decade. She often lectures at conferences and historical venues, has been consulted for television documentaries and is a member of the Royal Historical Society.</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://elizabethchadwick.com/">https://elizabethchadwick.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>ELIZABETH ST.JOHN’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.</p><p>Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.</p><p>Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.</p><p>Elizabeth's books include her trilogy, The Lydiard Chronicles, set in 17th Century England during the Civil War, and her medieval novel, The Godmother's Secret, which explores the mystery of the missing Princes in the Tower of London.</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/">http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>HELEN HOLLICK and her husband and adult daughter moved from north-east London in January 2013 after finding an eighteenth-century North Devon farmhouse through being a ‘victim’ on BBC TV’s popular Escape to The Country show. The thirteen-acre property was the first one she was shown – and it was love at first sight. She enjoys her new rural life, and has a variety of animals on the farm, including Exmoor ponies, dogs, cats, hens, ducks and geese and her daughter’s string of show jumpers.</p><p>First accepted for publication by William Heinemann in 1993 – a week after her fortieth birthday – Helen then became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am the Chosen King), novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she also writes a pirate-based nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages, where you can read more about Jesamiah Acorne, son of Charles St Croix – and the Doones.</p><p>Despite being impaired by the visual disorder of Glaucoma, she is also branching out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with the Jan Christopher Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working for thirteen years as a library assistant.</p><p>Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of a Smuggler. She also runs a news and events blog and a Facebook page for her village, and supports her daughter’s passion for horses and showjumping – and occasionally gets time to write... </p><p>Website: <a href="https://helenhollick.net">https://helenhollick.net</a></p><p><br /></p><p>J.G. HARLOND Secret agents, skulduggery, and crime that crosses continents.</p><p>British author of historical crime fiction, J.G. (Jane) Harlond writes award-winning, page-turning novels set in the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Each story weaves fictional characters into real events. She describes her WWII Bob Robbins Home Front Mysteries as ‘cosy crime with a sinister twist’. Prior to becoming a full-time author, Jane taught English and World Literature in international colleges. She also wrote school text books for many years using her married name. </p><p>Jane is married to a retired Spanish naval officer and they have a large, grown-up family living in various parts of Europe and the USA. After travelling widely (she has lived in or visited most of the places that feature in her novels) they are now settled near Málaga in Spain.</p><p>J.G. Harlond is a member of the British Crime Writers Association and the Dorothy Dunnett Society.</p><p>Website: <a href="http://author.to/JGHarlond">http://author.to/JGHarlond</a></p><p><br /></p><p>LORETTA LIVINGSTONE had no intention of writing anything but short stories or poetry, and especially not historical fiction. She stated it quite clearly on social media, only to suddenly find herself writing ... historical fiction. Her debut novel, Out Of Time, set in the mythical Sparnstow Abbey, was shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society Indie Award in 2016, which stunned and elated her in equal measures.</p><p>It was supposed to be a one-off. It wasn't. She went on to write two more stand-alone novels in the series; A Promise to Keep and Blossom on the Thorn. She had plans for more but has had ME for many years, and ill health has temporarily reined in her gallop. However, she intends to write again soon... </p><p>Her other books include short story collections and poetry, and can be found on Amazon.</p><p>Loretta is on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/217686418294125">https://www.facebook.com/groups/217686418294125</a></p><p><br /></p><p>MARIAN L. THORPE Taught to read at the age of three, words have been central to Marian’s life for as long as she can remember. A novelist, poet, and essayist, Marian has several degrees, none of which are related to writing. After two careers as a research scientist and an educator, she retired from salaried work and returned to writing things that weren’t research papers or reports.</p><p>Marian’s first published work was poetry, in small journals; her first novel was released in 2015. Her award-winning Empire’s Legacy series is historical fiction of another world, based to some extent on northern Europe after the decline of Rome.</p><p>In addition to her novels, Marian has read poetry, short stories, and nonfiction work at writers’ festivals and other juried venues.</p><p>Her other two passions in life are birding and landscape history, both of which are reflected in her books. Birding has taken her and her husband to all seven continents, but these days she's mostly content to move between Canada and the UK.</p><p>Website: <a href="https://marianlthorpe.com/">https://marianlthorpe.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4PaFyzQejtgjN3qU-8ma7ZKytHd3xndiQWSZLFWYp67ehnG1yxHtSeN2KWlvJ5WSbFGFuoeSYvd8z_MnbQs3RW-rDMgM30wojXFtZ4Y2lial3HZu0tlGYtP8s2xcJktwimbSQytrNadafNJMFFX0fjy7caydRRgTwqLNRze09cgg1V0NkD8A-KTWyQEg/s640/Exile%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4PaFyzQejtgjN3qU-8ma7ZKytHd3xndiQWSZLFWYp67ehnG1yxHtSeN2KWlvJ5WSbFGFuoeSYvd8z_MnbQs3RW-rDMgM30wojXFtZ4Y2lial3HZu0tlGYtP8s2xcJktwimbSQytrNadafNJMFFX0fjy7caydRRgTwqLNRze09cgg1V0NkD8A-KTWyQEg/w475-h267/Exile%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="475" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-23140392712126580372023-11-14T16:30:00.072-08:002023-11-14T16:30:00.149-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour Presents: Twelve Nights by Penny Ingham<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWUhZjQnJaI2VvPFa62z5yJJOLpknyFqH12mi2V3XYBBcDKsdGmv3FXyTVGDlgjY5nYsSh2fndWhbUuGgbHcdId3auxUQrAok9AYWSYxJBIH1Tp6nNejuEqnyjZt5-Te24ZGiHXA29Aig1fwgIVuiNyKjL9QG_E6MDpc6ILI0fsne1Yl9nyPooW5ucver/s640/Twelve%20Nights%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWUhZjQnJaI2VvPFa62z5yJJOLpknyFqH12mi2V3XYBBcDKsdGmv3FXyTVGDlgjY5nYsSh2fndWhbUuGgbHcdId3auxUQrAok9AYWSYxJBIH1Tp6nNejuEqnyjZt5-Te24ZGiHXA29Aig1fwgIVuiNyKjL9QG_E6MDpc6ILI0fsne1Yl9nyPooW5ucver/w448-h252/Twelve%20Nights%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="448" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: Twelve Nights</p><p>Series: The Heavenly Charmers</p><p>Author: Penny Ingham</p><p>Publication Date: April 2022</p><p>Publisher: Nerthus</p><p>Page Length: 360</p><p>Genre: historical fiction/historical mystery</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-twelve-nights-by-penny-ingham.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9f0VxRdXTW4vqulkH_QkdaxRn5rEadqvlXnxr9dkSPnn_Dfy5DPfiFYUzvQL9TuSez8SfeWU58gH_tMqDLa3u9h2BGvZVGXm4s4Gg-ZWKlD5L_-Fvvv90p6yPBWIasalcrpL1xX0T2WW47JJ01U_wKsr8-4aEpxcQLoWx9ta-KsCs4B7tr9sRMqf2eMv5/s2417/Twelve%20Nights%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2417" data-original-width="1555" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9f0VxRdXTW4vqulkH_QkdaxRn5rEadqvlXnxr9dkSPnn_Dfy5DPfiFYUzvQL9TuSez8SfeWU58gH_tMqDLa3u9h2BGvZVGXm4s4Gg-ZWKlD5L_-Fvvv90p6yPBWIasalcrpL1xX0T2WW47JJ01U_wKsr8-4aEpxcQLoWx9ta-KsCs4B7tr9sRMqf2eMv5/w412-h640/Twelve%20Nights%20cover.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Twelve Nights </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">by Penny Ingham</span></b></p><p>1592. The Theatre, London.</p><p>When a player is murdered, suspicion falls on the wardrobe mistress, Magdalen Bisset, because everyone knows poison is a woman’s weapon. The coroner is convinced of her guilt. The scandal-pamphlets demonize her.</p><p>Magdalen is innocent, although few are willing to help her prove it. Only handsome Matthew Hilliard offers his assistance, but dare she trust him when nothing about him rings true?</p><p>With just two weeks until the inquest, Magdalen ignores anonymous threats to ‘leave it be’, and delves into the dangerous underworld of a city seething with religious and racial tension. As time runs out, she must risk everything in her search for the true killer - for all other roads lead to the gallows.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Excerpt from Twelve Nights by Penny Ingham</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Magdalen was beginning to wish she had crept back to Silver Street. Her world had turned upside down and she had no idea how to set it right again. She put her head in her hands, and her obvious distress cast an even greater pall over the gathering. At length, William Kempe’s bulbous eyes slid to the landlord.</p><p>‘Perhaps Francis murdered John? He’s best placed to slip something in his beer.’ </p><p>They all turned to look at Francis Johnson. He was dunking dirty cups into a bucket of equally dirty water before slamming them back onto the board. </p><p>‘It’s possible,’ Burbage replied. ‘But I’ve never taken Johnson for a murderer. And what motive could he have?’</p><p>‘None that I can think of,’ Kempe admitted.</p><p>Magdalen remembered Richard Cowley’s rapier piercing John’s doublet. Could it have nicked John’s skin? If the tip was poisoned, could it have been enough to kill him? She looked up, into Richard’s eyes. </p><p>‘Poison is a woman’s weapon,’ he repeated, seeming to have read her mind. ‘A coward’s game. There’s no honour in it.’</p><p>‘When is there ever honour in murder?’ she shot back but Richard had already turned away, gesturing to a serving girl for more Mad Dog.</p><p>The shadows lengthened. The landlord lit the fire, the serving girls laid out soggy saffron cakes, and the players’ spirits began to lift, warmed by the crackling fire, and by wine and cakes and ale. And with every cup of Rhenish she drank, Magdalen’s spirits lifted a little too. The tavern was starting to fill up. Word spread fast through Shoreditch, and now all the poets and playwrights who had ever felt envious of Burbage’s lauded band of brothers were crawling out of the woodwork to gloat over their misfortune. </p><p>Christopher Marlowe arrived, and the tavern lit up as if the stars had fallen through the thatch. He greeted them all in turn, embracing some, kissing others on the lips. But he offered no kiss to Will. Instead, they simply shook hands like two fencers before a bout. It seemed fitting, for they were presently engaged in an increasingly spectacular play-writing dual, lobbing masterpieces at each other across the Thames. When Marlowe attacked with the gore-fest Tamburlaine, Will struck back with blood-soaked Titus Andronicus. Marlowe lunged with his study of a weak king, Edward the Second, so Will parried with Richard the Second. All of London was waiting to see how Will would respond to Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta.</p><p>‘William.’ Marlowe released Will’s hand, and moved on.</p><p>‘Christopher,’ Will replied and turned back to his beer.</p><p>Magdalen found their relationship hard to fathom, but hidden beneath the jealousy and rivalry, she often suspected a lurking mutual respect. </p><p>Stepping over Robert Greene, who had fallen asleep on the floor, Marlowe sat down beside her. ‘How now, Magdalen?’</p><p>She nodded absently. She had drunk a great deal of Rhenish, but she would never admit her inebriation, not even to Marlowe because it was not seemly. But he must have noticed her glazed expression because that familiar, half-smile was playing on his lips, as if he was enjoying his own private joke at the world’s expense. Although he was fast approaching thirty years of age, there was still a boyish charm to his features; the soft doe-eyes, the beard-less cheeks, the wisps of a moustache above full, generous lips.</p><p>‘I think you’ve had enough of this.’ He picked up her cup of Rhenish, and proceeded to drain it.</p><p>‘Hey!’ she exclaimed but it was a half-hearted protest, for her head was pounding like cannon fire.</p><p>‘You will have heard about the constable?’ she said quietly. </p><p>‘Edmund Stow is highly fed and lowly taught. Pay no heed to him,’ Marlowe replied airily.</p><p>‘But what if the Puritans bribe the coroner to convict me? We all know they are looking for an excuse to close us down.’ </p><p>He shook his head. ‘I won’t let that happen.’ </p><p>She wished she could believe him, but Marlowe was the most unreliable man on earth. He had recently fought in a brawl which had resulted in an inn-keeper’s death. Although it was his friend, Thomas Watson, who had struck the fatal blow, they were both hauled off to Newgate prison to await trial. Marlowe had been released a month later, miraculously without charge. Perhaps he really did believe he was invincible now. In the history books in Will’s room the ancient Greeks had called it hubris, and no good had ever come of it.</p><p>‘You look like Christmas, Magdalen.’ </p><p>‘Christmas?’ she repeated, bemused. </p><p>‘Yes, your green kirtle, your red jacket.’ Marlowe broke into song, ‘the holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown.’ He had a beautiful baritone voice.</p><p>‘And you look -’ she eyed his tawny-orange doublet slashed to reveal yellow satin beneath; the wafer-soft, wide collar falling across his shoulders; the row of shiny buttons marching down his chest and belly. He had come into money recently, of that there was no doubt. ‘You look like a pageant, as always, Marlowe.’</p><p>‘Tawny is the colour of mourning, is it not?’ he asked with feigned innocence. </p><p>Magdalen laughed, but it made her head hurt.</p><p>‘You remind me of my sister,’ he said, suddenly serious.</p><p>‘I didn’t know you had a sister,’ she said, taken aback.</p><p>‘Her laugh sounded just like yours. There was something so joyous about it.’ </p><p>Magdalen noticed he was using the past tense. ‘Is she -’ she began cautiously, but Marlowe spoke over her.</p><p>‘She was married at twelve years old, and she died in childbirth at the age of thirteen.’ </p><p>Magdalen’s heart lurched with pity. ‘Oh! I am so sorry…’ </p><p>He was staring into the distance now, his eyes full of bitterness and remembered grief. Marlowe was a man of bluster and bravado; his every word designed to shock or offend. She had known him for ten years and in all that time, she had never seen his defences down. But now, the window to his soul was open wide and the view was so unexpected and so intimate, she felt obliged to hastily avert her eyes.</p><p>When Marlowe spoke again, he no longer sounded sad but angry. ‘Answer me this. How can you have faith in God when he allowed my sister to die in agony?’</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bpYRlk" target="_blank">Universal Link</a>: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb5Qh2Fela25dchpQMLlExzaJbP1gerVYfaaErvMW_W0FmmRkZhyphenhyphen81tBUgPyog8gECty3xiR5K8PnEKksbKKKfAGIiyN08hMC3RZE8pD15tmWDNEFSNqNwXKjUPwwkLaTqujoIuE4lhpo1ENQ0mPhfmg8C0HOrW8bBXoOysexpL38jxyEmym8it2yc6Do/s755/Penny%20Ingham%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb5Qh2Fela25dchpQMLlExzaJbP1gerVYfaaErvMW_W0FmmRkZhyphenhyphen81tBUgPyog8gECty3xiR5K8PnEKksbKKKfAGIiyN08hMC3RZE8pD15tmWDNEFSNqNwXKjUPwwkLaTqujoIuE4lhpo1ENQ0mPhfmg8C0HOrW8bBXoOysexpL38jxyEmym8it2yc6Do/s320/Penny%20Ingham%202.JPG" width="299" /></a></div><br />Penny has a degree in Classics, and a passion for archaeology – during the summer months, you will often find her on her a ‘dig’ with a trowel in her hand. She has had a variety of jobs over the years, including ice-cream seller, theatre PR, BBC local radio, and TV critic for a British Forces newspaper. <p></p><p>She has written four novels – ‘The King’s Daughter’ is the story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. ‘The Saxon Wolves’ and ‘The Saxon Plague’ are set in the turbulent aftermath of Roman Britain. Her inspiration for Twelve Nights grew from her love of the theatre in general, and Shakespeare in particular. </p><p>Penny has two grown up children and lives with her husband in Hampshire.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://pennyingham.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> Penny Ingham (wordpress.com)</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fpennyingham" target="_blank">Penny Ingham (@pennyingham) / Twitter</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PennyInghamAuthor" target="_blank">Penny Ingham Author Page | Facebook</a></p><p> </p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/penny.ingham/" target="_blank">Penny Ingham (@penny.ingham) • Instagram photos and videos</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Penny-Ingham/author/B00478NKZ8?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk: Penny Ingham: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15403859.Penny_Ingham" target="_blank">Penny Ingham (Author of The Saxon Wolves) | Goodreads</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCGY2HnBfjKaCX9dzg5MylQ8SsJPMroDE0gn8MgyTtaY5FYZCe07RBHHRb6J9rw4JYxQw-8CaoWZ4sWwV09i0fSrGouQ8rQa14vErjzN4_x3zxDBJmbkpFmSRHcSTUaBh5vBb-r3HFUzy8vvse7OIY3YlMk6CREEe1Qfa_ZiF0K0l5xic5O2VExhGS1ks/s640/Twelve%20Nights%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCGY2HnBfjKaCX9dzg5MylQ8SsJPMroDE0gn8MgyTtaY5FYZCe07RBHHRb6J9rw4JYxQw-8CaoWZ4sWwV09i0fSrGouQ8rQa14vErjzN4_x3zxDBJmbkpFmSRHcSTUaBh5vBb-r3HFUzy8vvse7OIY3YlMk6CREEe1Qfa_ZiF0K0l5xic5O2VExhGS1ks/w455-h256/Twelve%20Nights%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="455" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-67806483267939865072023-11-09T16:30:00.087-08:002023-11-09T16:30:00.148-08:00The Coffee Pot Book Blog Tours present: London Tales by Tim Walker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBPwr6nwhh-5X5igV7fx7eLsg_xX8wwOZ6ourgfk88OHkmQkY2rDVds4cIJBxg1ACsalCwTjvN-NjEbvWXDmRwTO9unWiagJSnsyRDA0fAYQHOS2bXVYtFyQSbTDeiwT8XKcRLxdyv6KIRm2Zgr8QQXLQldHPeaRS3DKEsopqwlXXB_m8r06QyA2575no/s640/London%20Tales%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBPwr6nwhh-5X5igV7fx7eLsg_xX8wwOZ6ourgfk88OHkmQkY2rDVds4cIJBxg1ACsalCwTjvN-NjEbvWXDmRwTO9unWiagJSnsyRDA0fAYQHOS2bXVYtFyQSbTDeiwT8XKcRLxdyv6KIRm2Zgr8QQXLQldHPeaRS3DKEsopqwlXXB_m8r06QyA2575no/w466-h262/London%20Tales%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="466" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: London Tales</p><p>Series: Short Stories, Book Two </p><p>Author: Tim Walker</p><p>Publication Date: 8th November 2023</p><p>Publisher: Independently published</p><p>Page Length: 203</p><p>Audiobook: 3 hours</p><p>Genres: short stories; historical fiction; contemporary fiction; dystopian</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-london-tales-by-tim-walker.html " target="_blank">Blog Tour Page: </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW637aD62oTNIYn3ztXn6JcVdpnYrD6HdZuiGP9PTyQVnhGOUAbYy0Do-V44xsj5VHJsd7ZB8HN_KhyEb1FOAOu8W6Nk4BVcfGvAxI8ToACFS8OxEQJp76QH1nTPRsX41qcfLZU35jNiNtSbrrNiH_P97zswhAwtlg7RqomBxxV1M9JXQQPJE9ccpzQBlX/s2000/London%20Tales%20cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW637aD62oTNIYn3ztXn6JcVdpnYrD6HdZuiGP9PTyQVnhGOUAbYy0Do-V44xsj5VHJsd7ZB8HN_KhyEb1FOAOu8W6Nk4BVcfGvAxI8ToACFS8OxEQJp76QH1nTPRsX41qcfLZU35jNiNtSbrrNiH_P97zswhAwtlg7RqomBxxV1M9JXQQPJE9ccpzQBlX/w426-h640/London%20Tales%20cover.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">London Tales</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Tim Walker</span></p><p>This collection of eleven tales offers dramatic pinpricks in the rich tapestry of London’s timeline, a city with two thousand years of history. They are glimpses of imagined lives at key moments, starting with a prologue in verse from the point of view of a native Briton tribeswoman absorbing the shock of Roman invasion. The first story is a tense historical adventure set in Roman Londinium in 60 CE from the perspective of terrified legionaries and townsfolk facing the vengeful Iceni queen, Boudica, whose army burnt the fledgling city to the ground.</p><p>Further historical dramas take place in 1381 during the Peasant’s Revolt, the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the last ice fair on the frozen Thames in 1814. These are followed by a romance set during the Blitz in 1941, then the swinging Sixties and wide-flared seventies are remembered in the life story of fictional policeman, Brian Smith. Moving on, an East End family get a fright from copycat killings that are a throwback to the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders.</p><p>There’s a series of contemporary stories that reference recent events, including the London terrorist bombings of 2005, a literary pub crawl and a daring prison break, building to the imagined death throes of London in a chilling, dystopian vision. These stories are loosely inspired by the author’s personal experiences and reflections on his time living and working in London in the 1980’s and 90’s. Adaptability, resilience, conformity and resolve are recurring themes.</p><p>London Tales evokes the city’s rich history and the qualities that were needed by Londoners at various times to survive and prosper – from the base and brutal, devious and inspired, to the refined and civilized. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eJfMLNwANdyceFPstQvSucHuDM6Sm0RMtjQi30M3ury3hpHSgvzhrEyu0cWUYl7HoIzIemTR8KepSB9Vrt-ZdFekvriPTC7NDAzoTo8M8-YnR9poynVDKy22FwNiDHZhNAeQsSuovMJS3atRNaQXld95LpSwBmfs269ygt8XMwdKt5KJJGab-KkWYrJo/s1080/IG%20banner%20London%20Tales.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eJfMLNwANdyceFPstQvSucHuDM6Sm0RMtjQi30M3ury3hpHSgvzhrEyu0cWUYl7HoIzIemTR8KepSB9Vrt-ZdFekvriPTC7NDAzoTo8M8-YnR9poynVDKy22FwNiDHZhNAeQsSuovMJS3atRNaQXld95LpSwBmfs269ygt8XMwdKt5KJJGab-KkWYrJo/w382-h382/IG%20banner%20London%20Tales.png" width="382" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>Read an Excerpt</u></b> </p><p>Burning Shadows</p><p>An explosion coming from the river caused gasps and glances in that direction. “A warehouse has exploded!” a man next to them exclaimed. “’Tis the Dutch - they are storing gunpowder in our city to attack us!” another shouted.</p><p>The sound urged the harried Londoners to redouble their efforts to escape the pall of black smoke rising from the glowing inferno barely three streets behind them. The fire was spreading quickly in a pernicious, swirling wind.</p><p>Reverend Swallow had removed the tall, black hat that marked him out as a Puritan to wipe the sweat from his brow. “’Tis the end of days as told in the Book of Revelation, in this cursed year bearing the number of the beast, 666.” </p><p>The stern expressions around him showed this was of little comfort to his group of family and fellow believers. Any further revelations were halted by the splintering of wood accompanied by the groan of collapsing buildings as the insatiable fire ate up the flimsy houses in its path. They felt a rush of hot air on their necks as they picked up their carts and guided them down Ludgate Hill towards the Ludgate - the most westerly gate out of the old medieval walled city.</p><p>“We must look for my father amongst the crowd,” Goody Swallow shouted above the noise of braying donkeys, honking geese, clucking hens, and the fretful utterances of the fleeing tide of humanity, most of whom had given up their homes and possessions to the greedy flames. A dog snapped at Ruth who cried out in fear, causing her mother to beat the dog away with her staff. The crowd was bunching together as they approached the entrance to the stone gatehouse that was their route to safety.</p><p>“Over here!” William Say’s firm, commanding voice floated out of the gloom of the gatehouse passage. The Swallows angled their carts towards the damp, brick wall of the ancient archway where William was waiting. He hugged his daughter and granddaughter. “I am much cheered on this miserable day to greet you all,” he muttered, shaking his son-in-law’s hand.</p><p>“Thank the Lord you’re safe, William,” Reverend Swallow said, reluctant to let go of his hand.</p><p>“And thanks to little Ruthie for finding me and warning me off from returning to your house.” He pinched the gleeful girl’s cheek.</p><p>“Aye, but the sheriff’s dogs will no doubt be on our trail. Come, let us hurry to my meeting house beyond the Strand.” They rejoined the throng moving west, crossing a bridge over the River Fleet that joined the Thames just a hundred yards to their left, then uphill along Fleet Street.</p><p>Authors Note:</p><p>The Great Fire of London started in Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane on the night of 1st September 1666. It was speculated, in a television documentary, that the cause may have been that the oven door was left open and a spark jumped out to ignite a reed mat. The wind direction at the time was east to west, and the dry conditions allied with closely grouped and combustible houses, ensured the fire spread quickly. King Charles II didn’t flee London from the encroaching fire, as William Say suggests in the story. Perhaps on the advice of courtiers, the king and his brother, the Duke of York, took the opportunity to salvage their tarnished reputations by remaining to organise firefighters and the deployment of the cavalry to pull down houses to make fire breaks. Their efforts, perhaps aided by a dying wind, succeeded in stopping the fire’s spread and, on the fourth day, the Great Fire burnt out. The damage caused by the Great Fire was immense: 436 acres of London were destroyed, including 13,200 houses and 87 out of 109 churches. An accurate death toll was not recorded – the official figure was a mere six deaths.</p><p>Lawyer and Member of Parliament, William Say, was one of 59 signatories to King Charles I’s execution order in 1649, and is thought to have drafted the document. He was never captured, and an entry in Wikipedia tells us he is thought to have died in 1666, but where and of what cause, remains unknown. An entry in the biography of William Say on the British Civil Wars website tells us: “He joined [General] Ludlow at Vevey in Switzerland until 1664 and is believed to have been involved in plots against the government of England in 1665-6. He probably died in the Netherlands around 1666.” (www.bcw-project.org). </p><p>Many Regicides were buried in unmarked graves for fear their remains would be exhumed by vengeful Royalists (as were the bodies of Cromwell and Ireton) and their skulls displayed on spikes as traitors. The only other historical figure in the story, apart from Say, is Sheriff of London, Sir William Hooker. It is not known if William Say returned to England during his exile – I picked him for my story because of uncertainty over his fate and the suggestion he lived until 1666.</p><p>Available from Amazon in e-book, paperback, Kindle Unlimited and audiobook formats, London Tales is a companion volume to Thames Valley Tales.</p><p>Book cover designed by Sean McClean, shows elements from stories.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mybook.to/LondonTales" target="_blank">Universal link: </a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFO7gS4T1JI6nryjS765rafpPkhuiSFf7CxfFsVHeCgQnA6e-QX1x6GSYOUDbUdPCxAotuxLe-D5HT6XvI_ne1l9-Z5Q5E48J8yT1ZLyPVTzQGubTcDzVesGJ4ndHUG4Oa4_iUPeH6PXjlWj36NQavBM55mAHGiQe90KRaXjNunzRaOsALsVlmLmjUUMX/s1500/Tim%20Walker%20profile%20photo%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFO7gS4T1JI6nryjS765rafpPkhuiSFf7CxfFsVHeCgQnA6e-QX1x6GSYOUDbUdPCxAotuxLe-D5HT6XvI_ne1l9-Z5Q5E48J8yT1ZLyPVTzQGubTcDzVesGJ4ndHUG4Oa4_iUPeH6PXjlWj36NQavBM55mAHGiQe90KRaXjNunzRaOsALsVlmLmjUUMX/s320/Tim%20Walker%20profile%20photo%203.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Tim Walker is an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. Although born in Hong Kong in the sixties, he grew up in Liverpool where he began his working life as a trainee reporter on a local newspaper. After attaining a degree in Communication Studies he moved to London where he worked in the newspaper publishing industry for ten years before relocating to Zambia where, following a period of voluntary work with VSO, he set up his own marketing and publishing business. He returned to the UK in 2009.<p></p><p>His creative writing journey began in earnest in 2013, as a therapeutic activity whilst recovering from cancer treatment. He began writing an historical fiction series, A Light in the Dark Ages, in 2014, inspired by a visit to the part-excavated site of former Roman town Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester in Hampshire. The series connects the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend and is inspired by historical source material, presenting an imagined historical fiction of Britain in the fifth and early sixth centuries.</p><p>The last book in the series, Arthur, Rex Brittonum, was published in June 2020. This is a re-imagining of the story of King Arthur and follows on from 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum. Both titles are Coffee Pot Book Club recommended reads. The series starts with Abandoned (second edition, 2018); followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); and book three, Uther’s Destiny (2018). Series book covers are designed by Canadian graphic artist, Cathy Walker.</p><p>Tim has also written two books of short stories, Thames Valley Tales (second edition 2023), London Tales (2023); a book of verse, Perverse (2020); a dystopian thriller, Devil Gate Dawn (2016); and three children’s books, co-authored with his daughter, Cathy – The Adventures of Charly Holmes (2017), Charly & the Superheroes (2018) and Charly in Space (2020).</p><p>Tim took early retirement on medical grounds and now divides his time between writing and helping out at a Berkshire-based charity, Men’s Matters.</p><p><br /></p><p>Find out more about the author at his website:<a href=" www.timwalker1666.wixsite.com/website " target="_blank"> www.timwalker1666.wixsite.com/website </a></p><p><br /></p><p>Author Links:</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/678710.Tim_Walker" target="_blank">Goodreads Author Page:</a> <a href="http://author.to/TimWalkerWrites" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page: </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://facebook.com/TimWalkerWrites" target="_blank">FacebookPages:</a> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <a href="https://facebook.com/LondonPostcards " target="_blank">https://facebook.com/LondonPostcards </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/timwalker1666 " target="_blank">Twitter:</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://instagram.com/timwalker1666 " target="_blank">Instagram:</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>Audiobook Narrator:</p><p>London Tales and Thames Valley Tales audiobooks were narrated and produced by actor, author and playwright Richard James who has been appearing on stage and screen for over thirty years. Most recently, he played a guest role in Miss Scarlet & The Duke for PBS and Alibi Films and was nominated for 'Best Supporting Performance' at the Off West End Awards for his roles in A Sherlock Carol at the Marylebone Theatre in 2022. The play will be reprised in winter 2023/4.</p><p>Richard is on Twitter as @RichardNJames </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA33-H_46gcTI9maZuo1q6Yi1xe8Fo6FWQ7vhsV2mt3OqKtX0XernuN0FhT0_Z7KEGYOSR9pghW0Fv_Ca4Lw96IJGlU40Wl7DI9djRGvySSTZl9r0YLKwASQWbzrzFcwy1UcQS8MqRnpaSRzpCLp3VgRwCHu6kbdeUCcUyzCXw0OplB12XPKqGUbbWE01/s640/London%20Tales%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA33-H_46gcTI9maZuo1q6Yi1xe8Fo6FWQ7vhsV2mt3OqKtX0XernuN0FhT0_Z7KEGYOSR9pghW0Fv_Ca4Lw96IJGlU40Wl7DI9djRGvySSTZl9r0YLKwASQWbzrzFcwy1UcQS8MqRnpaSRzpCLp3VgRwCHu6kbdeUCcUyzCXw0OplB12XPKqGUbbWE01/w455-h256/London%20Tales%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="455" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-66186730290412337742023-11-08T16:30:00.052-08:002023-11-08T16:30:00.144-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour Presents: The Warmth of Snow by Heidi Eljarbo <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBn9fmu4mQImMBa-G5NYVUOacNzVwpVprFC8-7D6QXcRZ3yyfNteLVEOJaLge9BZI2G7XBBzykDMJrvDOwbA2T7WifNQBBsFaLfJEa9_u5nqCnmdYHHBVLfNU07Tvchyphenhyphen6M5r_BIJIZ15FVI7IwQi4ryRDYWjj1I5bdEjvYrrFSZ_ZD0VtmKtN4iK7pxjS/s640/The%20Warmth%20of%20Snow%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBn9fmu4mQImMBa-G5NYVUOacNzVwpVprFC8-7D6QXcRZ3yyfNteLVEOJaLge9BZI2G7XBBzykDMJrvDOwbA2T7WifNQBBsFaLfJEa9_u5nqCnmdYHHBVLfNU07Tvchyphenhyphen6M5r_BIJIZ15FVI7IwQi4ryRDYWjj1I5bdEjvYrrFSZ_ZD0VtmKtN4iK7pxjS/w436-h245/The%20Warmth%20of%20Snow%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="436" /></a></div><br /><p>Book Title: The Warmth of Snow</p><p>Series: Heartwarming Christmas</p><p>Author: Heidi Eljarbo</p><p>Publication Date: 24th October 2023</p><p>Publisher: self-published</p><p>Page Length: 212</p><p>Genre: Sweet Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-the-warmth-of-snow-by-heidi-eljarbo.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Joz1HAjafFj1hyphenhyphen5Npd-zLCK2zFjxa1EaqBcwwMSoMTusfYOeeKslF4GfzXSp0gz9ckf4-0G_bOusAItZX5hH7oxAx9f7MzJzc1UJfowrEJ7ErAAPHhTnZLAQSlWSO9lXfiZeQAd2gs0gI47pOt9N_l-0gINZ-ShOEKNEsxnI897A5iMyAT49-D0iLN6g/s2550/WARMTH%20OF%20SNOW%20Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Joz1HAjafFj1hyphenhyphen5Npd-zLCK2zFjxa1EaqBcwwMSoMTusfYOeeKslF4GfzXSp0gz9ckf4-0G_bOusAItZX5hH7oxAx9f7MzJzc1UJfowrEJ7ErAAPHhTnZLAQSlWSO9lXfiZeQAd2gs0gI47pOt9N_l-0gINZ-ShOEKNEsxnI897A5iMyAT49-D0iLN6g/w414-h640/WARMTH%20OF%20SNOW%20Ebook.jpg" width="414" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Warmth of Snow </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Heidi Eljarbo</span></p><p><br /></p><p>There must be a way to thaw a heart long frozen. Can she help him, or does he have other plans?</p><p><br /></p><p>Sweden 1810.</p><p>August Brandell, the count of Linborg, has returned home after four years of war against the French Empire under the direction of Napoléon Bonaparte. Wounded and downtrodden, he is a meager shadow of the man he used to be.</p><p>One day, a lovely young woman comes calling. She’s strong and bright and, unlike the rest, seems unaffected by his wealth and unfortunate disability. He soon discovers he wants more than a sweet friendship, but a life of caring for him would not be fair to such a beautiful soul. Oh, how dearly, deeply he loves her and secretly wants her to stay, but he cannot and will not ask such a sacrifice from her…especially not when it’s out of pity for him.</p><p><br /></p><p>Erica Gustava Ebbesdotter has primarily been left to herself since she was orphaned at an early age. Although grateful to her aunt and uncle for taking her in, they pay her no attention and even keep her in the dark about her parents.</p><p>Hearing about Count Brandell’s unfortunate fate on the battlefield, she knocks on the door at Castle Linborg to leave him a card of encouragement.</p><p>Meeting Count Brandell changes Erica’s entire world. Falling for him is utterly unexpected. Soon, he fills her heart, but he is far above her station. How can a man like him see beyond her less refined clothes and past? Worst of all, he is already betrothed.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a sweet and wholesome historical romance—a hauntingly beautiful tale of two hearts meant to be together.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_me8Tloa3KZcVgY-_IfMa5iWP6ep2HhfBvFU6SAqerfw8FuDNtnuVEqVjW8rFXogG48nuLeQ5-XSVbO0eOI5gG-WepHFyxCfoYVV06_39TeS9jatbKruXF2dQFA1-hPwsKK9F2ZgIUH1KftbTjlW1GJozk_h651CEiSQ47VzGUvueLdc1I-nYLORD5-oR/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20The%20Warmth%20of%20Snow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_me8Tloa3KZcVgY-_IfMa5iWP6ep2HhfBvFU6SAqerfw8FuDNtnuVEqVjW8rFXogG48nuLeQ5-XSVbO0eOI5gG-WepHFyxCfoYVV06_39TeS9jatbKruXF2dQFA1-hPwsKK9F2ZgIUH1KftbTjlW1GJozk_h651CEiSQ47VzGUvueLdc1I-nYLORD5-oR/s320/IG%20banner%202%20The%20Warmth%20of%20Snow.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>READ A SNIPPET</p><p><br /></p><p>TIME IS A PECULIAR thing. The first of November is here. Leafless birch trees stand in silent parade along the allée. The birds of summer have flown south to places only God knows where. Outside, the first snow has painted the garden and fields beyond with an overwhelming whiteness. It comes and goes this time of year…the snow. And time deceives me, makes me believe I’m wiser, older—that I’ve experienced these seasonal changes a hundredfold. Yet, for me—Erica Gustava Ebbesdotter—it has only been twenty-four moments in time.</p><p><br /></p><p>Erica put the quill pen aside and placed her journal in the desk drawer. The knitted shawl had slipped off her shoulders, and she pulled it back into place.</p><p>Even though the maid had lit the wood burning stove in her attic chamber more than an hour ago, the chill of the night still clung to the walls and floor. Erica lifted the latch and opened the door to add another log in the cast iron stove. Mesmerizing orange and yellow flames danced inside, playful yet confident.</p><p><br /></p><p>She had nothing to complain about…not truly. An orphan who’d been taken in by an aunt and uncle who kept her dressed, fed, and somewhat socialized, Erica considered herself more fortunate than most in her situation. But no matter how often her fireplace was stoked or how many summers arrived with days of sun and warmth, nothing made up for the lack of affection and tenderness from her family at Holst Manor. A niece was not the same as a son or daughter—something her aunt had pointed out to Erica on numerous occasions.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available to read with #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bPerOr " target="_blank">Universal Link: </a></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjao_4HFKaqt0ZaksKt4w_X4Lbv_vKUdrcrcbCf3oG3l7apeYFeO6GUd4IhpePD9KCIyHG_YuCOyOghZsVRXW9V-GYfmJq5-UtaAfEX1E29qPDzCc9B9cVBnMwNRuVkOMnGlr_hUOKuyWT4LrM6tcBHF2O2GfvSV81-KCRqsm_5NkDguI5SDUtyM7ui9_0a/s1187/Heidi%20Eljarbo%2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjao_4HFKaqt0ZaksKt4w_X4Lbv_vKUdrcrcbCf3oG3l7apeYFeO6GUd4IhpePD9KCIyHG_YuCOyOghZsVRXW9V-GYfmJq5-UtaAfEX1E29qPDzCc9B9cVBnMwNRuVkOMnGlr_hUOKuyWT4LrM6tcBHF2O2GfvSV81-KCRqsm_5NkDguI5SDUtyM7ui9_0a/s320/Heidi%20Eljarbo%2022.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br />HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of award-winning historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance in the midst of challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking their Wheaten Terrier in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history. </p><p><br /></p><p>Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.</p><p><br /></p><p>Heidi’s favorites are her family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.</p><p><br /></p><p>Author Links:</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.heidieljarbo.com/">https://www.heidieljarbo.com/</a></p><p>Twitter:<a href=" https://twitter.com/HeidiEljarbo " target="_blank"> https://twitter.com/HeidiEljarbo </a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/">https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/">https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/</a></p><p>Pinterest:<a href=" https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/" target="_blank"> https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/</a></p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-eljarbo">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-eljarbo</a></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Eljarbo/e/B073D852VG/">https://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Eljarbo/e/B073D852VG/</a></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlq6fCwE7ka0aOtTJMw9dBipyNroJErpSrdZFAdO4Th2_kbC3n1yiTmKREfLd807ixN4uRz8idrLRB9zN4snBZzNNsP9fa4RS1unsjzUXFAwTacW8jSi2Y68HY__H4JCZhQZnqX4Ccy_jZATQ4aYxWHTmmGbOX7j_Wxw_lVarJzsLqFWx0VIKQ2x-8E6J2/s640/The%20Warmth%20of%20Snow%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlq6fCwE7ka0aOtTJMw9dBipyNroJErpSrdZFAdO4Th2_kbC3n1yiTmKREfLd807ixN4uRz8idrLRB9zN4snBZzNNsP9fa4RS1unsjzUXFAwTacW8jSi2Y68HY__H4JCZhQZnqX4Ccy_jZATQ4aYxWHTmmGbOX7j_Wxw_lVarJzsLqFWx0VIKQ2x-8E6J2/w444-h250/The%20Warmth%20of%20Snow%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-74191723489597514852023-11-07T16:30:00.077-08:002023-11-07T16:30:00.156-08:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: The Moon That Fell From Heaven by N. L. Holmes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGKZr0QUSaRQvgaTuP-w53IFHQON0F-i-Nm_u57ahbpoSz9kyjYc6CiczsCRNIDAGUpsv7iYXDPdX_URC8Snib9CKQKirp3XBFKWeJqe5JPcMtPO2YJT8HKKtE8WZGlnqDihcaVlLpqVFPVJnzJXqoDHdujlKVhWcg4ac-4ASPl6n6PTpUIwM_Lh1tWxe/s640/The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20From%20Heaven%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGKZr0QUSaRQvgaTuP-w53IFHQON0F-i-Nm_u57ahbpoSz9kyjYc6CiczsCRNIDAGUpsv7iYXDPdX_URC8Snib9CKQKirp3XBFKWeJqe5JPcMtPO2YJT8HKKtE8WZGlnqDihcaVlLpqVFPVJnzJXqoDHdujlKVhWcg4ac-4ASPl6n6PTpUIwM_Lh1tWxe/w473-h266/The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20From%20Heaven%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="473" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Book Title: The Moon That Fell from Heaven</p><p>Series: Empire at Twilight</p><p>Author: N.L. Holmes</p><p>Publication Date: September 26th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Red Adept Publishing</p><p>Page Length: 307</p><p>Genre: Historical fiction</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-the-moon-that-fell-from-heaven.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94gu974k4xXcZRkmyYbV3LTeybvomkcnglX0UBDiCEuNEeGU4wFz6ztHQF7XYYDOZA0eGkCW5A8Ts9uxQanDKidga8EblVUFJQ75hF598bMX3_Y4VZZPFf2MUPbAZI2W2vtlRboSgyDD13UPp6sZ5D61a3gaX3yDJNZ_d2Ytk7CLsM5oNLDTlFd4JxTFE/s3000/Cover%20The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20from%20Heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="1877" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94gu974k4xXcZRkmyYbV3LTeybvomkcnglX0UBDiCEuNEeGU4wFz6ztHQF7XYYDOZA0eGkCW5A8Ts9uxQanDKidga8EblVUFJQ75hF598bMX3_Y4VZZPFf2MUPbAZI2W2vtlRboSgyDD13UPp6sZ5D61a3gaX3yDJNZ_d2Ytk7CLsM5oNLDTlFd4JxTFE/w400-h640/Cover%20The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20from%20Heaven.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Moon That Fell from Heaven </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by N.L. Holmes</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p>Ehli-nikkalu, eldest daughter of the Hittite emperor, is married to a mere vassal of her father's. But despite her status, her foreignness and inability to produce an heir drive a wedge between her and the court that surrounds her. When her secretary is mysteriously murdered while carrying the emperor a message that would indict the loyalty of his vassal, Ehli-nikkalu adopts the dead man’s orphaned children out of a guilty sense of responsibility.</p><p><br /></p><p>A young cousin she has never met becomes a pretender to the throne and mobilizes roving armies of the poor and dispossessed, which causes the priority of her loyalties to become even more suspect. However, Ehli-nikkalu discovers a terrible secret that could destabilize the present regime if the pretender ever learns of it.</p><p><br /></p><p>With the help of a kindly scribe, her brave young ward, and an embittered former soldier trapped in debt and self-doubt, Ehli-nikkalu sets out to save the kingdom and prove herself to her father. And along the way, she learns something about love.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbMY2C0Eo1niA9HsWyoK1trkibG0JtVvHOfGHpRgB_D21uw-TnaKHhb6LJsriFbgpXAVXA2pT96HqYxdMtmPIcKt5JhzcCXhlTTTjnbXFMQhDyQYbrIBeLgAszCMtSlO08D0FSstxCVyO4VG75e-0xHOBPaciLaP-ahStY0daI8S06lz1Ql3BW13qKmav/s1080/IG%20banner%20The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20From%20Heaven.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbMY2C0Eo1niA9HsWyoK1trkibG0JtVvHOfGHpRgB_D21uw-TnaKHhb6LJsriFbgpXAVXA2pT96HqYxdMtmPIcKt5JhzcCXhlTTTjnbXFMQhDyQYbrIBeLgAszCMtSlO08D0FSstxCVyO4VG75e-0xHOBPaciLaP-ahStY0daI8S06lz1Ql3BW13qKmav/s320/IG%20banner%20The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20From%20Heaven.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>READ AN EXCERPT</p><p>Ehli-nikkalu closed her eyes and opened her nostrils to the perfume of the woods—the elusive sweetness of bracken and the pungent hint of fir now and again as the hardwoods began to give way to the darker conifers. So rich in memories. Cicadas droned. An occasional animal crashed through the underbrush, but no human voices could be heard. Ehli-nikkalu thought of the black forests that surrounded the city, perched between the high plateau and the higher hills, where she had been born. In her homeland, the mountains themselves were divine. Her father was named for the god of a mountain. Surely anyone could sense the sacredness of the place through which they sailed in the lumbering, rocking barque of their carriage.</p><p>She opened her eyes once more and, in a state of tender nostalgia, watched the passage of age-old trunks, of dense shadow and brilliant clearings, and of the brief flash of wings as a jay or pigeon fluttered from branch to branch. The swaying of the carriage almost lulled her into a state of wakeful dreaming.</p><p>Thus, at first, she wasn’t sure how to react when, much later in the afternoon, Teshamanu appeared at the side of her wheel. He was a bit winded from having bypassed the intervening mules at an uphill trot. To stay abreast of her vehicle, he had to walk carefully sideways to avoid being scraped off the road by the trees, which enclosed them more and more tightly.</p><p>“My lady,” he said with ill-concealed alarm, “I think we’ve taken a wrong turn.”</p><p>“What? What makes you think so?” She became wide-awake.</p><p>“I’ve been to Apsuna many times, my lady. This is certainly not the road. We’re heading east, up the mountainside.” His dark eyes were wide with concern.</p><p>Ehli-nikkalu’s first instinct was to say that that was nonsense—the soldiers had to know the way. And indeed, there seemed to be no contradicting such an obvious fact; the king would never have confided them to guards who didn’t even know the way to their destination. Or at least, the animal drivers must know... Less sure of herself, she said, “What do the muleteers say?”</p><p>“I asked one fellow, and he said it looked to him as if we were off the route, but he wasn’t that clear on where we were heading.”</p><p>She fell silent, a niggling tendril of doubt working its way up her gullet. After a moment, hoping he had an answer, she asked, “How could that be? Perhaps there’s been a detour.” </p><p>He shrugged and said nothing, but his eyes pierced hers and infected her with his doubts. She whispered, “What’s going on, then?”</p><p>The secretary looked around him and said uneasily, “Perhaps nothing, but—” He was cut off suddenly when he had to step back into the woods to avoid striking a tree that crowded the passage of the carriage. </p><p>A moment later, a high-pitched scrape sounded as a wagon barely passed through the narrowing road, and a muleteer let out an outraged cry. “What in the name of all that’s holy! This can’t be the right way!”</p><p>She stuck her head out the window of the litter and called out, “Officer, come here a moment.” </p><p>Beside her, Ba’aluya sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Are we there yet?”</p><p>Ehli-nikkalu waited a decent space of time, measured by the thudding of the mules’ steps, but no one responded. She saw Teshamanu had fallen back to the wagon where the servants rode, and he walked alongside its driver. Shamumanu stuck his head out the front of the wagon. The three of them were talking. </p><p>She called again loudly, “Soldier! You there! Tell your officer to come back here. I want to speak to him.” </p><p>The man was only a few paces in front of her, at the side of the righthand mule. He turned his head, grinned at her, and turned back, never breaking stride. </p><p>Fear fluttered its wings in her heart, a gray dove that saw overhead the shadow of more powerful wings.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>“What’s wrong, my lady?” Amaya asked. </p><p>But Ehli-nikkalu had no answer. She knew only that something was gravely amiss</p><p>Ahead of the carriage, the mule’s driver plodded at its side, flicking it absently with his folded whip. Ehli-nikkalu watched the man’s sweaty back flex with each climbing step, and the appearance and reappearance of his heels in their dirty boots. </p><p>She cried out imperiously, “Muleteer! Stop this vehicle. I want to get out.” But he seemed to be deaf. His steps continued at the same trudging pace. “Do you hear me, man? It’s the queen who commands. Stop the mules.” </p><p>But nothing.</p><p>This is unnatural—like a nightmare where you want to scream for help but can’t make a noise. She called out and called out, and no one seemed to hear. Have I died? Am I nothing more substantial than a ghost, lamenting in a voice no living being can hear? Or is something more physical—and more sinister—taking place?</p><p>Amaya, at her side, asked, “What’s going on?” The girl’s voice seemed to echo, as if she said it again and again. </p><p>Those words hammered in Ehli-nikkalu’s head like a pulse. She calculated her chances of climbing out of the litter as it moved, but the trees, which were little more than saplings, were closely serried, crowding in around the vehicle. The scrapes and curses behind her grew more frequent, but the path had become so steep that she suspected the carters feared to stop their wagons lest they roll backward.</p><p>She looked back at the wagon that followed, where Teshamanu and the muleteer and the chamberlain still appeared to converse heatedly, waving their hands and pointing. She could hear only “wrong road!” and “going on?” and “tell the king.”</p><p>“What’s happening?” she shouted to them. </p><p>Teshamanu slipped into the trees and began to squeeze his way through their slim trunks toward her. </p><p> In an anxious, high-pitched voice, the chamberlain called, “No one is sure, my lady.”</p><p>Her secretary drew level with the carriage and hoisted himself awkwardly into it with his one hand. She drew the girls to the side to make some room before he fell over her legs.</p><p>Amaya caught at him, crying, “Uncle, what’s happening?” </p><p>That seemed to be the only thing anyone could say, the thing that consumed all their thoughts. The younger children awoke and stared open-mouthed, infected by the adults’ fear.</p><p>“What’s wrong with the soldiers? Why don’t they respond to me?” Ehli-nikkalu demanded.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://books2read.com/u/mdqeeX" target="_blank">Universal Link:</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moon-That-Fell-Heaven-ebook/dp/B0CGP7B5ML/ " target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moon-That-Fell-Heaven-ebook/dp/B0CGP7B5ML/ " target="_blank">Amazon US:</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Moon-That-Fell-Heaven-ebook/dp/B0CGP7B5ML/ " target="_blank">Amazon CA:</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Moon-That-Fell-Heaven-ebook/dp/B0CGP7B5ML/ " target="_blank">Amazon AU: </a> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moon-that-fell-from-heaven-n-l-holmes/1143996343?ean=9781958231340 " target="_blank">Barnes and Noble:</a> <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-moon-that-fell-from-heaven" target="_blank">Kobo:</a> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29taqV9WrEI0JvD8drKecvKu8rQ3xJeu8KSmFDYAq35OTvKxRbJzUU-KG0QYyEFgeLnMOOLFosZYtbcjC1eKp5AL9q96oAS22lHYBqDPiIJ2zdMiygo173NhOFcn3qyStdkGCaZlQEMsLhCHM5Lop2QKUt7zcQc5V53qRolrev7QWp-OchrdBTN22nxJg/s2390/N%20L%20Holmes%20author.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2390" data-original-width="2292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29taqV9WrEI0JvD8drKecvKu8rQ3xJeu8KSmFDYAq35OTvKxRbJzUU-KG0QYyEFgeLnMOOLFosZYtbcjC1eKp5AL9q96oAS22lHYBqDPiIJ2zdMiygo173NhOFcn3qyStdkGCaZlQEMsLhCHM5Lop2QKUt7zcQc5V53qRolrev7QWp-OchrdBTN22nxJg/s320/N%20L%20Holmes%20author.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br />N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin used to write stories for fun.</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>These days she lives in France with her husband, two cats, geese, and chickens, where she gardens, weaves, dances, and plays the violin</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Author Links:</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.nlholmes.com">https://www.nlholmes.com</a>/ </p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nlholmesbooks " target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/nlholmesbooks </a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/n-l-holmes/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/n-l-holmes/</a> </p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://www.twitter/nlholmesbooks">https://www.twitter/nlholmesbooks</a> </p><p>Instagram: <a href=" https://www.instagram.com/n l.holmes/" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/n l.holmes/</a> </p><p>Tumblr:<a href=" https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nlholmes " target="_blank"> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nlholmes </a></p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/nlholmesbooks/">https://www.pinterest.com/nlholmesbooks/</a> </p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-l-holmes " target="_blank">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-l-holmes </a></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/N-L-Holmes/e/B0858H3K7S">https://www.amazon.com/N-L-Holmes/e/B0858H3K7S</a></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20117057.N_L_Holmes">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20117057.N_L_Holmes</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHeiWXpINNN3l_CL6Fl09RUCy8tgZJokqMNXLZF1M8FuhLooPAi9ganu7sjStMj3WNRdFq61W2tlaEKCSpiL84S9NQwUdFDXW64qwtZ6WyIrql_ZIi3YmjmHH4Trd6KftHeq2Y6Z6QqcmZ2dY3RwRmhYLhGg9ZXLDbMQFgGNTso90M8u2usq4anWWbYfw/s640/The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20From%20Heaven%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHeiWXpINNN3l_CL6Fl09RUCy8tgZJokqMNXLZF1M8FuhLooPAi9ganu7sjStMj3WNRdFq61W2tlaEKCSpiL84S9NQwUdFDXW64qwtZ6WyIrql_ZIi3YmjmHH4Trd6KftHeq2Y6Z6QqcmZ2dY3RwRmhYLhGg9ZXLDbMQFgGNTso90M8u2usq4anWWbYfw/w440-h247/The%20Moon%20That%20Fell%20From%20Heaven%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="440" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-4937053778730526662023-11-05T16:30:00.028-08:002023-11-05T16:30:00.135-08:00Delighted to welcome Wendy J Dunn to the blog to talk about her latest release. Henry VIII's True daughter.<p><i> </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuiRgkBlJ4H1LL8wUyvsj1oPf54Q-69a4EgNTRYuGkQR5jqC5wXPbW1E5RpeDO2shPY64uAgQ73IPS13ofCpImzUh0EO24KhfJovrpN5D-r3KbOMOZRPbXZt_YxrHhQ6u_BK1k16mtWiSfYFTnMTfGYvFKpCIPv0RadCZch1IVy09kVJp1WTCg6U_n7fm/s640/BookBrushImage-2023-9-11-10-1439.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="640" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuiRgkBlJ4H1LL8wUyvsj1oPf54Q-69a4EgNTRYuGkQR5jqC5wXPbW1E5RpeDO2shPY64uAgQ73IPS13ofCpImzUh0EO24KhfJovrpN5D-r3KbOMOZRPbXZt_YxrHhQ6u_BK1k16mtWiSfYFTnMTfGYvFKpCIPv0RadCZch1IVy09kVJp1WTCg6U_n7fm/w471-h246/BookBrushImage-2023-9-11-10-1439.png" width="471" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><p><i>Hi Wendy, Thank you so much for agreeing to join me on the blog. I cannot wait to read your new book about Catherine Carey. How did you come to write this book and this subject in particular?</i></p><p><i> When Pen and Sword Books included that question as part of their promotional materials, I decided I would take up Judith’s lovely offer of writing something for her blog and provide an answer. </i></p><p><i> I confess. Writing Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey, A Tudor Life hadn’t been on my bucket list of things to do in my life. Yes, sometimes, I had thought of writing a nonfiction book about the Tudors, but my writing passion is to write novels. That gave me plenty to do in my writing life. Yet, in 2020, someone unexpectedly approached me on twitter. Of all things, a commissioning editor for Pen & Sword Books. They asked if I was interested in writing a Tudor non-fiction book for this history publisher.</i></p><p><i> Before I responded in any way, it was my turn to check out this unknown person. Was I being scammed? I asked myself. ‘Tricked?’ To my surprise, I discovered this person was indeed a commissioning editor. I became curious, and asked them, ‘What kind of project?’ They replied to that question by giving me three projects to choose from. They obviously had done their homework in establishing my Tudor interests. All three projects intrigued me, but one more than simply intrigued me. It called for me to discover more about Catherine Carey, one of my favourite Tudor people, the person I gave voice to in The Light in the Labyrinth, my second Anne Boleyn novel. </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtcqg5JIkH-zLUJJUNvxgJW7RIoSxq-GA4Sf3ghIs74BUmygEZBx4zESq28acZ5NKNVgivdTTFSkcklNaY09i8O3uTw-OM1tjOIDLRGcgkYngqi7OfJ60w-FP25h-n5S6o6qbJMLVVHCKqRF8ip2ei0JdDiKsf0Az-hTAzV5WDANWBoOnGmnD4a6IkCPW/s640/DC36B804-4FE0-44E7-AC01-4FF0D873664A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="444" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtcqg5JIkH-zLUJJUNvxgJW7RIoSxq-GA4Sf3ghIs74BUmygEZBx4zESq28acZ5NKNVgivdTTFSkcklNaY09i8O3uTw-OM1tjOIDLRGcgkYngqi7OfJ60w-FP25h-n5S6o6qbJMLVVHCKqRF8ip2ei0JdDiKsf0Az-hTAzV5WDANWBoOnGmnD4a6IkCPW/w444-h640/DC36B804-4FE0-44E7-AC01-4FF0D873664A.jpeg" width="444" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><p><i>Catherine Carey is yet another woman almost forgotten by history. As a writer of fiction, I welcomed that gap. It both invited and gave me the freedom to imagine her as a teenager witnessing the final year of Anne Boleyn’s life. Now offered with the opportunity to return to investigating her life and find the evidence that would offer strong proof for me to argue that she was what I believed; she was Henry VIII’s true daughter, was too hard to resist. I soon signed a contract to begin my research.</i></p><p><i> David Starkey once remarked, ‘We really should stop taking historical novelists seriously as historians. The idea that they have authority is ludicrous. They are very good at imagining character: that’s why the novels sell. They have no authority when it comes to the handling of historical sources. Full stop.’</i></p><p><i>It strikes me that, by approaching me to write this book, Pen and Sword Books must see things differently to Dr Starkey. They must take historical fiction writers seriously to commission them to write nonfiction works. </i></p><p><i>I understand why. Like I said, I am primarily a writer of historical fiction. I have written historical fiction for decades. One reason I have only published four novels is because of the extensive research put into writing each novel. Even my unpublished novel set in 2010 about a woman writing a Tudor novel – a novel I hope to find a good publisher for, if not self-publish it myself – involved extensive research. Yes, Dr Starkey, I handle historical sources, but I use them in my novels in a far different way than in a work of nonfiction.</i></p><p><i> Historical fiction demands a lot from writers. It is not only is a multifaceted genre that uses history for its storytelling, but one involving ethics – simply because we give voice to the dead. I spent many sleepless nights struggling with this. I can only go on with my story knowing I have respected my historical people by all the research I have done to tell my imagined story well. </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGabab8rL2bUsZ_7i_dtWyyg3CxjFJ5POI1g8mW5B0Pdk6JJl3NbsFpaLGZJzZgwIURroSQhQSOGzzJp8CGdGsDE6FATD4Yo3UxEy20PurGAgHvZbtD-JyppLkhWZ4rlMq7erGUQkErJBAKrmuntda2i2SHCXr_6B0Ws0eX3afI55l7KXT-mMP5kUirNp/s481/3D-kindle-render-with-background.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="481" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGabab8rL2bUsZ_7i_dtWyyg3CxjFJ5POI1g8mW5B0Pdk6JJl3NbsFpaLGZJzZgwIURroSQhQSOGzzJp8CGdGsDE6FATD4Yo3UxEy20PurGAgHvZbtD-JyppLkhWZ4rlMq7erGUQkErJBAKrmuntda2i2SHCXr_6B0Ws0eX3afI55l7KXT-mMP5kUirNp/w480-h480/3D-kindle-render-with-background.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><i> I have never met a fellow writer of historical fiction who has not loved research. We all pride ourselves on the research we do. But research is always for the purpose of writing fiction – and to inspire imagination. Kundera (2003, p. 44) writes, ‘…fidelity to history is a secondary matter as regards the value of the novel. The novelist is neither historian nor prophet: he is an explorer of existence’. In other words, research is the means to write fiction that sets out to create the past and its people. Research illuminates that ‘The past is another country; they do things differently there’ (Hartley 2004, p.5).</i><p></p><p><i> I can now say the same of researching a work of nonfiction set in the past. Each of my novels has been a writing adventure I embarked on and successfully accomplished. I did not expect that my nonfiction book would also become a wonderful writing adventure, too. It deepened my knowledge about Catherine Carey, as well as reassured me that my fictional reconstruction of her was still safe in the realms of possibility. It also increased my knowledge about her Tudor world. I love learning more about the Tudors, and having people step out as vivid and powerful personalities. People like the spellbinding Elisabeth Parr, a woman deserving so much more attention by historians. Because of writing this nonfiction book, I even have a new history crush – Dr John Dee. And that’s despite his beard. I am like Katherine of Aragon. Bearded men are not my thing. I knew of Dee before, but now I want to know so much more about him. </i></p><p><i> </i><i>But what really came even more home to me in writing Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey, A Tudor Life was what I see as one of the tragedies of history. History has forgotten far too many women. Women whose lives provide simply footnotes to the lives of their menfolk. History writes of their lives with such brevity that it breathes the appalling nature of our recent past. Being born in the female gender simply resulted in the erasure. If we do not restore the stories of women from the past to recorded history, then half our human story remains hidden in the dark. One reason I signed to new a second nonfiction work on another little-known Tudor woman is that I feel more committed than ever to return women’s stories to where they belong – as an equal part of our shared past. </i></p><p><i> What I hope I have achieved with my first nonfiction work is that readers will see her as I do – a fascinating, intelligent woman with power. True power. Catherine is an important player in the story of Elizabeth I. She helped shape her into the queen England calls Gloriana to this day. Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey, A Tudor Life shows how much Catherine deserves that recognition. </i></p><p><i> </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUR6a1Z5jlpi927icd3_0YfvlMcUQUnzh_zco_BL4ITAkAS9gcVGG5uGVz4on19s-q5nWY7BIIEOkWOy91dwCmQFuhk-Wa2pg9JlZECjoUGeLGHm2OCMblx1qQPydNmvF2EKF1HdSJPiC1JJ_76Mh6yZ3-yYdU88l8CKCxzBLyC2rq9PJRpYgLQ9ThU7X/s640/IMG_0098.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUR6a1Z5jlpi927icd3_0YfvlMcUQUnzh_zco_BL4ITAkAS9gcVGG5uGVz4on19s-q5nWY7BIIEOkWOy91dwCmQFuhk-Wa2pg9JlZECjoUGeLGHm2OCMblx1qQPydNmvF2EKF1HdSJPiC1JJ_76Mh6yZ3-yYdU88l8CKCxzBLyC2rq9PJRpYgLQ9ThU7X/s320/IMG_0098.png" width="240" /></a></div>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. Wendy is married, the mother of three sons and one daughter—named after a certain Tudor queen, surprisingly, not Anne. She is also the grandmother of two amazing small boys. She gained her PhD in 2014 and loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her novels. Wendy also tutors at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia.<br /><i><br /></i><p></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>You can find out more about Wendy and her books <a href="http://www.wendyjdunn.com/about/" target="_blank">HERE</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="http://www.wendyjdunn.com/">http://www.wendyjdunn.com/</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter@wendyjdunn" target="_blank">@wendyjdunn</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wendyjdunnauthor/" target="_blank">@wendyjdunnauthor</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorwendyjdunn">https://www.facebook.com/authorwendyjdunn</a></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197156.Wendy_J_Dunn">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197156.Wendy_J_Dunn</a></p><p>Bookbub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/wendy-j-dunn">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/wendy-j-dunn</a></p><p>Bluesky: <a href="http://@wendyjdunn.bsky.social">@wendyjdunn.bsky.social</a></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-wendy-dunn-6358181a/" target="_blank">Dr Wendy Dunn - Academic Tutor and Lecturer. - LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href=" https://au.linkedin.com › dr-wendy-dunn-6358181a" target="_blank"> https://au.linkedin.com › dr-wendy-dunn-6358181a</a></p><p>Newsletter: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/2sajpkc9">https://tinyurl.com/2sajpkc9</a></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-15481908765581999472023-10-31T17:30:00.098-07:002023-10-31T17:30:00.134-07:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: Who She Left Behind by Victoria Atamian Waterman<p><b> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kb2OdZ6kBmFy2QKy7qVCPQRhnzNDMm94haoO3R6G_xAaRJq8IA_boIpzDmodUZoHhUHaSztzCdgUiPHmX7iMVYkJIqjQGwiGbKFOydrPoJAb3rNroVJFXB2mTCXBXW5oXf9RiOD3uCOR6NQfCWxz6EZ6sD9eRIDcayDljPLZ3hQYHShLHuT3qwL100zD/s640/Who%20She%20Left%20Behind%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kb2OdZ6kBmFy2QKy7qVCPQRhnzNDMm94haoO3R6G_xAaRJq8IA_boIpzDmodUZoHhUHaSztzCdgUiPHmX7iMVYkJIqjQGwiGbKFOydrPoJAb3rNroVJFXB2mTCXBXW5oXf9RiOD3uCOR6NQfCWxz6EZ6sD9eRIDcayDljPLZ3hQYHShLHuT3qwL100zD/w477-h268/Who%20She%20Left%20Behind%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="477" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Book Title: Who She Left Behind</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Author: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Victoria Atamian Waterman</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Publication Date: October 17, 2023</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Publisher: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Historium Press</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Page Length: 230 Pages</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Genre: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Historical Fiction</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-who-she-left-behind-by-victoria-atamian-waterman.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page:</a> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBviawBnBYriVFgvJcMZoIcIt9bI5HuIUTtIHX1WFKKV3mi6Kt9cdqSzl0Suh-SgU-fz8WPX2HVaS7A_jFtYpAhtIaUPAZHW5G8L_3gG48srTuME1I3l40j9CGPCW7y5Gx5eKtvKOQeZT4GYl-zIPkiQOCFCYjwmNBtfbLo28TdFMGWxMlDoWxptrEH666/s2700/Left%20Behind%20Final%20Front%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBviawBnBYriVFgvJcMZoIcIt9bI5HuIUTtIHX1WFKKV3mi6Kt9cdqSzl0Suh-SgU-fz8WPX2HVaS7A_jFtYpAhtIaUPAZHW5G8L_3gG48srTuME1I3l40j9CGPCW7y5Gx5eKtvKOQeZT4GYl-zIPkiQOCFCYjwmNBtfbLo28TdFMGWxMlDoWxptrEH666/w426-h640/Left%20Behind%20Final%20Front%20Cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>WHO SHE LEFT BEHIND</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Victoria Atamian Waterman</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>“Who She Left Behind” is a captivating historical fiction novel that spans generations and delves into the emotional lives of its characters. Set in various time periods, from the declining days of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey in 1915 to the Armenian neighborhoods of Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the 1990s, the novel completely immerses its reader in a lesser-known era and the untold stories of the brave and resilient women who became the pillars of reconstructed communities after the Armenian Genocide.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>It is a story of survival, motherhood, love, and redemption based on the recounted stories from the author’s own family history. The narrative is framed by a mysterious discovery made almost six decades later of a pair of Armenian dolls left at a gravesite. </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_NDKnLaexOQnQ_-rqhZ02Dl1nlupM5EMGaUy-AATRYuRwpn6Zv-1S67jH84qaSFyowD_LImN5rzZhS8KQx3ur1EduPa2QAB5ZiN2t7O-sY1re0_HTXSLlqxtuTzLnbgpWKm_z2QrV9un9mgPrmGUT6LXf5hEgWF-JNc9Sfkr4XKbClROskzsAV_BGc6p/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20Who%20She%20Left%20Behind.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_NDKnLaexOQnQ_-rqhZ02Dl1nlupM5EMGaUy-AATRYuRwpn6Zv-1S67jH84qaSFyowD_LImN5rzZhS8KQx3ur1EduPa2QAB5ZiN2t7O-sY1re0_HTXSLlqxtuTzLnbgpWKm_z2QrV9un9mgPrmGUT6LXf5hEgWF-JNc9Sfkr4XKbClROskzsAV_BGc6p/s320/IG%20banner%201%20Who%20She%20Left%20Behind.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Read an Excerpt</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The village slept uneasily if it slept at all. Even the dogs were quiet, tails and ears low as they slunk along the sidewalks, hoping for scraps from the Turkish soldiers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Further from the village center, the Karadelian house stood pale in the moonlight. The night was mild, the scent of light rain in the air, but Victoria’s palms were clammy where they lay flat against her sheets. Her next-youngest sister Yegsabet had crawled into bed with her an hour before, but Victoria was sure she wasn’t sleeping, either. She heard nine-year-old Mariam crying, her middle sister likely woken by baby Shenorig wailing in the night, and their mother’s steps in the hallway to comfort her. Mariam had already cried herself to sleep once that night. Two-year-old Lucine would sleep through it all, as she always did. She was too little even to be frightened. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Earlier that day, when the soldiers came to draft the men and boys for a special project, they’d pushed their way inside to scour the house for anything the family might have used to defend themselves. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Victoria heard warnings from the soldiers of insurgents and enemies of the state, but she didn’t understand how it applied to a prosperous cloth merchant whose shawls were the envy of every nearby village. She couldn’t understand why her family would need to defend themselves. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Hardcover: <a href="https://geni.us/ze4W9eQ">https://geni.us/ze4W9eQ</a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Ebook: <a href="https://geni.us/XzSFs3 " target="_blank">https://geni.us/XzSFs3 </a></b></span><b style="font-size: 18.6667px;"> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Left-Behind-Victoria-Atamian-Waterman-ebook/dp/B0CHJK7YQX " target="_blank">Amazon UK: </a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Left-Behind-Victoria-Atamian-Waterman-ebook/dp/B0CHJK7YQX " target="_blank">Amazon US: </a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Left-Behind-Victoria-Atamian-Waterman-ebook/dp/B0CHJK7YQX " target="_blank">Amazon CA: </a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Left-Behind-Victoria-Atamian-Waterman-ebook/dp/B0CHJK7YQX" target="_blank">Amazon AU:</a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1144042403?ean=9781962465021" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble:</a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/who-she-left-behind " target="_blank">Kobo:</a> </b></span><b style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><a href=" https://www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/victoria-atamian-waterman " target="_blank">Historium Press:</a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBb33ZG8XorseBQT_eCprp4YgF7KleJ1aBRUA8Dg07uX1NLfXt9uROQLQcqPzQNfZFmbhjH-0O6mEuArMx-to36okMrB0PguJoa7Dry_pSmjW10_QD9gMwK73JUJ2wIJqoKEhEF_pzkO4gMHdmKssurOIpesn-rP1ZzlYJSqFin69g-Nzo5d8yJHUdBhJ/s3600/Victoria%20Atamian%20Waterman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBb33ZG8XorseBQT_eCprp4YgF7KleJ1aBRUA8Dg07uX1NLfXt9uROQLQcqPzQNfZFmbhjH-0O6mEuArMx-to36okMrB0PguJoa7Dry_pSmjW10_QD9gMwK73JUJ2wIJqoKEhEF_pzkO4gMHdmKssurOIpesn-rP1ZzlYJSqFin69g-Nzo5d8yJHUdBhJ/s320/Victoria%20Atamian%20Waterman.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Victoria Atamian Waterman is an Armenian American storyteller and speaker who draws inspiration from the quirky multigenerational, multilingual home in which she was raised with her grandparents, survivors of the Armenian Genocide.</span></b></div></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Her empowerment of today’s women and girls makes her voice ideal for telling the little-known stories of yesterday’s women leaders. Her TED Talk, “Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Leaders” has been seen by thousands of viewers. When she is not writing and speaking, she is reading, puzzle-making and volunteering.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Victoria lives in Rhode Island and is enjoying this next chapter of life with her husband, children, and grandchildren. “Who She Left Behind” is her first novel. </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.victoriawaterman.net/" target="_blank">Website: </a></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/victoria.waterman.9" target="_blank">Facebook:</a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorwaterman/" target="_blank">Facebook Author Page: </a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriawaterman/" target="_blank">LinkedIn:</a> </b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/77096030/admin/feed/posts/" target="_blank">LinkedIn Author Page: </a> </b></span><b style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/victoriawatermanauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram:</a> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvyEZZ2agPrxoKx4ecLzP2S9GIPWLJ2xLZlXVJIEPdMpYCeJY1bhRohLbfYbr220wmKOvRCvaq3yhqboVkZZEdcVYanLFvoSs3flrRNItrQ5h6fzHPxFKKNvhCawgytGYZeJfbOcnKlmG8NGIB3N1rErd-H3NtDo5dG1PZ6dQomE1bffW0Cm5CrpN5x1i/s640/Who%20She%20Left%20Behind%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvyEZZ2agPrxoKx4ecLzP2S9GIPWLJ2xLZlXVJIEPdMpYCeJY1bhRohLbfYbr220wmKOvRCvaq3yhqboVkZZEdcVYanLFvoSs3flrRNItrQ5h6fzHPxFKKNvhCawgytGYZeJfbOcnKlmG8NGIB3N1rErd-H3NtDo5dG1PZ6dQomE1bffW0Cm5CrpN5x1i/w459-h258/Who%20She%20Left%20Behind%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="459" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547779935064982600.post-34890753439510528542023-10-30T17:30:00.055-07:002023-10-30T17:30:00.126-07:00The Coffee Pot Blog Tour presents: Times of Turmoil by Anna Belfrage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMpbtMIjeJdZDggJXUSe-C1WSKLjcwqhDKywddzHAcHtixj1U3rX8prc8U8BTsVoUnV6y2RoGBtXl26eJEDT3DSjDCxgd-lkck5WfpCAX1-8qAwNZPM246JLL9Fm0FSFRN0apV2p65HaXOz9qEC_R9ACRikoW_-avbUtaOHMfA-xLy1cdeI97DZhzTPKV/s640/Times%20of%20Turmoil%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMpbtMIjeJdZDggJXUSe-C1WSKLjcwqhDKywddzHAcHtixj1U3rX8prc8U8BTsVoUnV6y2RoGBtXl26eJEDT3DSjDCxgd-lkck5WfpCAX1-8qAwNZPM246JLL9Fm0FSFRN0apV2p65HaXOz9qEC_R9ACRikoW_-avbUtaOHMfA-xLy1cdeI97DZhzTPKV/w475-h267/Times%20of%20Turmoil%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="475" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Book Title: Times of Turmoil</p><p>Author: Anna Belfrage</p><p>Publication Date: September 29th, 2023</p><p>Publisher: Timelight Press</p><p>Page Length: 382 pages</p><p>Genre: Historical Fiction / Time Travel Romance</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-tour-times-of-turmoil-by-anna-belfrage.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule Page: </a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKJLj9ieFdjMqxfISmb9OdL2DFztD6Y4t64nYbkg3eu8aoWy1HD9i3F4avpM2pXMlft5ef91FYoqpPks2_Ts0qosWfUM2YRFtE3Q51V8EHiX45jfcUA0cJBGkMSggkUjzftdqkQ2dzFxGPfdQj6RrAnYVXQVxWOr40R4MQPpFT3FH0cT-Zz5O4pkPfC72/s3150/Times%20Of%20Turmoil_Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKJLj9ieFdjMqxfISmb9OdL2DFztD6Y4t64nYbkg3eu8aoWy1HD9i3F4avpM2pXMlft5ef91FYoqpPks2_Ts0qosWfUM2YRFtE3Q51V8EHiX45jfcUA0cJBGkMSggkUjzftdqkQ2dzFxGPfdQj6RrAnYVXQVxWOr40R4MQPpFT3FH0cT-Zz5O4pkPfC72/w426-h640/Times%20Of%20Turmoil_Ebook.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br />Times of Turmoil</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Anna Belfrage</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p>It is 1718 and Duncan Melville and his time traveller wife, Erin, are concentrating on building a peaceful existence for themselves and their twin daughters. Difficult to do, when they are beleaguered by enemies.</p><p>Erin Melville is not about to stand to the side and watch as a child is abused—which is how she makes deadly enemies of Hyland Nelson and his family.</p><p>Then there’s that ghost from their past, Armand Joseph Chardon, a person they were certain was dead. Apparently not. Monsieur Chardon wants revenge and his sons are tasked with making Duncan—and his wife—pay. </p><p>Things aren’t helped by the arrival of Duncan’s cousin, fleeing her abusive husband. Or the reappearance of Nicholas Farrell in their lives, as much of a warped bully now as he was when he almost beat Duncan to death years ago. Plus, their safety is constantly threatened as Erin is a woman of colour in a time and place where that could mean ostracism, enslavement or even death.</p><p>Will Duncan and Erin ever achieve their simple wish – to live and love free from fear of those who wish to destroy them?</p><p>Excerpt 4 – Times of Turmoil</p><p><br /></p><p>Erin had her arms deep in one of the hives, a cloud of irritated bees around her, when the distinctive high voice of her housekeeper called her name. Erin winced. Even when draped in layers of sheer veils with an old hat pulled down low over her head, Mrs Andersson’s agitated voice tore at her poor ears. </p><p>“Mistress Erin!” Klara Andersson came trotting towards her, her face bright red, her hand pressed to her heaving chest. </p><p>“Wait!” Erin ordered. The bees around her buzzed, swarming round her head. She pulled out the last of the honeycombs and placed them in the large bucket beside her. She always felt like a thief doing this, but once they’d calmed down, the bees would turn their industrious nature into building new combs on the clean wooden bars she’d inserted into the basket hives to replace the ones she’d lifted out.</p><p>She grabbed hold of the buckets and made her way towards where Mrs Andersson was waiting for her. </p><p>“Best hurry,” she said. </p><p>“Why?” Erin pulled off the heavy leather gloves she’d been wearing, took off her hat and shook out her hair before bundling up the veils. She undid the worn coat she used as yet another protective layer and added it to the pile. </p><p>“Mr Lloyd,” Klara Andersson said. </p><p>“He’s here?” Erin gestured for Tim to pick up the full buckets. The boy just nodded, a lock of fair hair tumbling over his forehead. “Thank you,” she said, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. He stiffened. He always did when anyone touched him, even if it was getting better. </p><p>“Quite the harvest,” Mrs Andersson commented. </p><p>“Yes.” Had someone told Erin three years ago that one day she’d be puffed up with pride on account of her beekeeping efforts, she’d have laughed out loud. Not her, no, not Erin Barnes, newly minted journalist with her eyes set on one day winning a Pulitzer. Instead, life had thrown her the mother of all curveballs, which was how she’d ended up here, in Colonial Pennsylvania several decades before the American Revolution. Joseph Pulitzer wouldn’t be born for another hundred years and some. </p><p>She tugged at her sleeve. There were days when she wanted nothing more but to wake up back in her own time and find that these last three years were nothing but a complex dream. She’d thought a lot about her lost life over the last few months, the incidents with the Nelsons leaving her with nightmares and a permanent sense of insecurity. Not that she’d be much safer in the twenty-first century: there was a reason she’d ended up here, and that reason was Jacqueline Wilkes and her determined efforts to kill Erin Barnes. She shivered.</p><p>“And hopefully we’ll get as much come autumn,” Mrs Andersson said. “Such industrious creatures, our little bees.” </p><p>“Yeah,” Erin said, rubbing at a bee sting. The honey and the beeswax candles brought in a nice little extra income. Not that they truly needed it, but she enjoyed contributing so directly to the household. Her other private income—the proceeds of the two ships Duncan had bought on her behalf—never felt as hers: the investment had been financed by the generous gift Duncan’s uncle, David Graham, had given them after they’d saved him from dying in the Scottish Highlands. Duncan had insisted she should consider that money her dowry—his way of trying to redirect society’s focus from the colour of her skin to her purported wealth. Didn’t always work, the Nelsons being case in point.</p><p>“Mistress?” </p><p>Erin straightened up, jolted out of her thoughts by Mrs Andersson’s voice. “Yes?”</p><p>“I was just saying that Mr Lloyd seemed somewhat agitated.”</p><p>“Well, if he’s hoping for Duncan to help him . . .” Erin began.</p><p>“He wanted to see you.” </p><p>He did? Erin gnawed her lip. That sounded ominous. Usually, the very busy Lloyd would ride out to their home from Chester, greet her politely and drag Duncan off into his study, there to spend hours discussing legalities. </p><p>“Let’s hope his business won’t take too long,” Erin said. “Daniel is coming over later.”</p><p>Mrs Andersson’s face clouded. “Hmph!”</p><p>“He’s bringing me some new tools,” Erin went on, suppressing a little grin at Mrs Andersson’s responding grimace.</p><p>“It’s not seemly,” the housekeeper said, stooping to collect Erin’s makeshift beekeeper outfit. “For a woman to dabble in carpentry . . .”</p><p>“I enjoy it,” Erin replied. </p><p>“Carpentry is men’s work!” Mrs Andersson said.</p><p>“Is it? And where exactly does it say that?”</p><p>“Hmph! The Lord himself was a carpenter, and he was a man, not a woman!”</p><p>“He was? I thought he was a preacher,” Erin said, mainly to get a rise out of her. Mrs Andersson was a devout member of the Lutheran Church and would make her way to Chester at least every other Sunday to listen to the weekly sermon and join her voice to the mandatory singing of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” </p><p>“He started out as a carpenter. His earthly father taught him the trade,” Mrs Andersson said. She narrowed her eyes. “But I have never heard of a female being apprenticed to a carpenter. Never!”</p><p>“I wasn’t apprenticed. My grandfather taught me,” Erin said. Dangerous ground, this, because it was so easy to forget she couldn’t share just who her grandfather had been. A black US Army veteran who’d married a British half-Afghani and proceeded to build a good life with her, including a handsome son who’d fathered Erin and died four years later. She shivered: a bad, bad death at the hands of Jacqueline Wilkes.</p><p>“. . . sewing,” Mrs Andersson said.</p><p>“Eh?” Erin asked.</p><p>“I said, it would be better if you set a good example to your two little girls by practising your sewing instead of covering yourself in sawdust and wood-shavings.”</p><p>“I don’t like to sew,” Erin said.</p><p>Mrs Andersson snorted. “That’s not true. You don’t know how to sew, which in itself is a right mystery: what woman grows up without knowing how to make a shirt?” </p><p>“One that spent her time with her carpenter grandfather?” she retorted.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This title is available on #KindleUnlimited.</b></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://myBook.to/ToTABG " target="_blank">Universal link: </a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ7FYQVL" target="_blank">Amazon US: </a> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CJ7FYQVL" target="_blank">Amazon UK:</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CJ7FYQVL" target="_blank">Amazon CA: </a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CJ7FYQVL " target="_blank">Amazon AU:</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPXF7BTM-QwZEzlV66gD0ShlMQBszHTFT_LK4It1uMppW44mPT-Og3HMtCkeCsGZktwENO9Xeeq1R_nbzGIV-vrdunb9wSSkqaSfouR8JgshHys7ALmBdxUmucnUe3Mpg71Noxe0ARGR2qWisdR7AN2DeISdiev8uaWP8tbsQEjzazHnnFTPHWAWYkdaZ/s1080/IG%20banner%20Times%20of%20Turmoil.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPXF7BTM-QwZEzlV66gD0ShlMQBszHTFT_LK4It1uMppW44mPT-Og3HMtCkeCsGZktwENO9Xeeq1R_nbzGIV-vrdunb9wSSkqaSfouR8JgshHys7ALmBdxUmucnUe3Mpg71Noxe0ARGR2qWisdR7AN2DeISdiev8uaWP8tbsQEjzazHnnFTPHWAWYkdaZ/s320/IG%20banner%20Times%20of%20Turmoil.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Author Bio:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP518Dhz52JoWMGADRTTproUuLRZI-g8HSOTYicTYwoTaDIU9YJ-AwFXb66uW3of9UymUjxCmWFs4GbXHLVy1t4_lVojjK7YBpANhc0LeGoUt_jHC-E34audROIA7LCg5My-2HZWqe0pKkFbi5nPUqIDErJeLZeZTQwXmYwsvzXkELNS4r9fI612B2GXiH/s1300/Anna%20Belfrage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP518Dhz52JoWMGADRTTproUuLRZI-g8HSOTYicTYwoTaDIU9YJ-AwFXb66uW3of9UymUjxCmWFs4GbXHLVy1t4_lVojjK7YBpANhc0LeGoUt_jHC-E34audROIA7LCg5My-2HZWqe0pKkFbi5nPUqIDErJeLZeZTQwXmYwsvzXkELNS4r9fI612B2GXiH/s320/Anna%20Belfrage.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. <p></p><p><br /></p><p>Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. </p><p><br /></p><p>More recently, Anna has been hard at work with her Castilian series. The first book, His Castilian Hawk, published in 2020, is set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love. In the second instalment, The Castilian Pomegranate, we travel with the protagonists to the complex political world of medieval Spain, while the third, Her Castilian Heart, finds our protagonists back in England—not necessarily any safer than the wilds of Spain! The fourth book, Their Castilian Orphan, is scheduled for early 2024.</p><p><br /></p><p>Anna has recently released Times of Turmoil, the sequel to her 2021 release, The Whirlpools of Time. Here she returns to the world of time travel. Where The Whirlpools of Time had Duncan and the somewhat reluctant time-traveller Erin navigating the complexities of the first Jacobean rebellion in Scotland, in Times of Turmoil our protagonists are in Colonial Pennsylvania, hoping for a peaceful existence. Not about to happen—not in one of Anna’s books! </p><p><br /></p><p>All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.</p><p><br /></p><p>Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Author Links:</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="http://www.annabelfrage.com">www.annabelfrage.com</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/abelfrageauthor">https://twitter.com/abelfrageauthor</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/annabelfrageauthor">https://www.facebook.com/annabelfrageauthor</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/annabelfrageauthor">https://instagram.com/annabelfrageauthor</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-belfrage">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-belfrage</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Amazon Author Page: <a href="http://Author.to/ABG or http://amazon.com/author/anna_belfrage " target="_blank">http://Author.to/ABG or http://amazon.com/author/anna_belfrage </a> </p><p><br /></p><p>Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJAyQOfHcaEvfCnSPIdGlLkvg2gHLyiKi4sY5zem_98L0ES3FmwyDbBrE105attyGALjsQvDHhyht3tKomVHSb46EnMCTaZqf35aidwNJvXRl9KwuHWcgX194NUJSG5_S0g2GVpCYrEgMmK3NSECX2YMnLO0A_6Wc9SmOHFX3o1fWgmRcHTvv7WEwHxdm/s640/Times%20of%20Turmoil%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJAyQOfHcaEvfCnSPIdGlLkvg2gHLyiKi4sY5zem_98L0ES3FmwyDbBrE105attyGALjsQvDHhyht3tKomVHSb46EnMCTaZqf35aidwNJvXRl9KwuHWcgX194NUJSG5_S0g2GVpCYrEgMmK3NSECX2YMnLO0A_6Wc9SmOHFX3o1fWgmRcHTvv7WEwHxdm/w471-h265/Times%20of%20Turmoil%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="471" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Judith Arnopphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10734149908148034800noreply@blogger.com2