Thursday, 31 October 2024

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: The King's Intelligencer by Elizabeth St. John


Book Title:  The King’s Intelligencer

Sub Title: Discovering the Missing Princes in the Tower

Author: Elizabeth St.John

Publication Date: 15th October, 2024

Publisher: Falcon Historical

Pages: 494

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: No


Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-tour-kings-intelligencer-by-elizabeth-stjohn.html 


The King’s Intelligencer

Discovering the Missing Princes in the Tower

by Elizabeth St.John


Blurb:

London, 1674: When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited. 

Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot,  Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.

Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.

In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?

A captivating historical novel of conspiracy, passion, and courage, The King’s Intelligencer is one woman's quest for a truth that could change the fate of a nation. A companion to the critically acclaimed best-selling novels The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, The King’s Intelligencer weaves together beloved characters and actual events to bring a suspenseful mystery to life.



This title is available to read on #Kindle Unlimited.


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


Intelligencers, Spies and Secret Agents

A family tradition portrayed in The King’s Intelligencer

Researching family history can be an immersive and often surprising journey. While working on Written in Their Stars, part of The Lydiard Chronicles, I uncovered a family tradition of spy craft. The novel follows three extraordinary women—Luce Hutchinson, Frances Apsley, and Nan Wilmot—who played active roles in shaping history through rebellion and espionage during the English Civil War. This earlier generation of ancestors involved in intelligence work for King Charles fascinated me, and I knew I wanted to explore it further. Little did I know that I would find the perfect intelligencer protagonist in Franny Apsley, Nan Wilmot’s ambitious young cousin, and a favourite to the future Queen Mary.

The inspiration for The King’s Intelligencer emerged from my research for The Godmother’s Secret, which delves into the story of the missing princes in the Tower of London. During my research, I spent time at Westminster Abbey, particularly in the Chapel of the Innocents, where Sir Christopher Wren’s white marble urn is displayed, just by the glorious tomb of Elizabeth I. Commissioned in 1675 by Charles II, the urn supposedly holds the bones of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York—the two princes who disappeared in the Tower of London. The inscription claims that these brothers, confined in the Tower, were stifled with pillows and buried at the order of their “perfidious uncle Richard the Usurper”. The bones were discovered in the Tower after being buried for 191 years.

But as I stood near the urn, only steps away from where Franny Apsley’s real-life seventeenth-century parents, Sir Allen Apsley and Frances Apsley, are buried, I couldn’t help but question this official story. This curiosity led me to Helen Maurer’s paper Bones in the Tower: A Discussion of Time, Place and Circumstance, which raises doubts about the authenticity of the bones. Further investigation, including Annette Carson’s article The Bones in the Urn, provided even more questions. What if these bones weren’t the princes’ at all, but a politically convenient discovery for Charles II to solidify his claim to the throne? After all, this was a time of intense political intrigue, where religion, power, and royal loyalty were in constant conflict.

Charles’s reign was marked by deep religious divides between Protestants and Catholics, and the political landscape was shaped by these tensions. While the king outwardly practiced Protestantism, he was notably tolerant of Catholics and converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. His brother, James II, was openly Catholic, a fact that led to his short-lived reign before being deposed by his Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange. It was in this atmosphere of religious and political conflict that espionage flourished. The role of “intelligencers” emerged as crucial in gathering information—often through subtle, unofficial means. A friend once joked that intelligencers were the 17th-century equivalent of people who sit in coffee shops eavesdropping on conversations. That description resonated with me and perfectly fit not only the world of historical espionage but also my character, Franny Apsley, who would thrive in such an environment.

In real life, Franny’s family was deeply involved in this secretive world. Her parents, Sir Allen and Frances Apsley, as well as her cousin Nan Wilmot, Countess of Rochester, were involved in espionage during the English Civil War, before Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. Allen was one of the founders of The Sealed Knot, a Royalist spy network, while Nan was known for befuddling Cromwell with her subterfuge to save her home, Ditchley Park, from sequestration. Later, Franny’s brother, Peter Apsley, was listed as an intelligencer for both Charles and his brother, James II, receiving substantial payments for his covert work. These activities formed the backbone of The King’s Intelligencer.



I’ve always enjoyed novels that incorporate historical texts and hidden meanings concealed within paintings. In The King’s Intelligencer, I drew on elements from Lydiard Park’s history, including ancient books and painted monuments. Franny Apsley’s search through family documents and memorials offered rich opportunities for clues to the real mystery of the missing princes, sharpening her investigative skills.

Wanting to not only write about family history but also place it in the context of the wider national landscape, I also incorporated into the novel the fascinating discovery of King Charles II’s Secret Treaty of Dover. In this treaty, Charles secretly agreed to declare himself a Catholic in exchange for financial support from King Louis XIV of France. Though I fictionalized some elements of another treaty between James and the French king, it was well-known at the time that Charles and James were deeply involved in secret negotiations with France, hidden from the public for over a century.

The King’s Intelligencer connects these family stories and national events in an immersive historical novel filled with conspiracy, passion, and courage. Following Franny Apsley as she embarks on a dangerous quest for truth, the novel blends fiction with fact, inspired by the hidden history I uncovered in both public records and private archives. This novel is a companion to The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, continuing the exploration of secrets buried in the past.



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

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

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

Elizabeth's works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a trilogy set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother's Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley's perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the sudden discovery of the princes' bones. In Charles II's court of intrigue and deceit, Franny must decide what she’ll risk—for England’s salvation, her family's safety, and her own happiness.


Website: https://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/ElizStJohn     

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/ 

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

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

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-st-john 

Amazon Author Page:     https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn 

Goodreads: https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn 



Tuesday, 15 October 2024

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: The Vow by Jude Berman


Book Title: The Vow

Author: Jude Berman

Publication Date: October 15th, 2024

Publisher: She Writes Press

Pages: 368 

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction


Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-tour-the-vow-by-jude-berman.html 



The Vow 

by Jude Berman

Blurb: In a stunning work of feminist historical fiction for readers who loved Dawn Tripp’s Georgia and Whitney Scharer’s The Age of Light, Jude Berman brings painter Angelica Kauffman to life.


Universal Buy Link:  

Publisher’s Buy Link: 



Jude Berman has a BA in art from Smith College and an EdD in cross-cultural communication from UMass Amherst. After a career in academic research, she built a freelance writing and editing business and ran two small Indie presses. She lives in Berkeley, CA, where she continues to work with authors and write fiction.

In her free time, she volunteers for progressive causes, paints with acrylic watercolors, gardens, and meditates. The Die, metaphysical speculative fiction about saving democracy, was published in 2024. 

Visit judeberman.com for Jude’s books and judeberman.org for her art.


Author Links:


Website: https://judeberman.com/ 

Art website: http://www.judeberman.org/ 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judeberman/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jude.berman/ 

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jude.berman 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jude-Berman/author/B0C9N4GDVJ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50381.Jude_Berman 



Tuesday, 8 October 2024

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: Conquist by Dirk Strasser

Book Title: Conquist

Series: n/a

Author: Dirk Strasser

Publication Date: September 1st, 2024

Publisher: Roundfire Books

Pages: 360

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Twitter Handle: @DirkStrasser @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub 


Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-tour-conquist-by-dirk-strasser.html 


Conquist

Dirk Strasser


Blurb:

Capitán Cristóbal de Varga’s drive for glory and gold in 1538 Peru leads him and his army of conquistadors into a New World that refuses to be conquered. He is a man torn by life-long obsessions and knows this is his last campaign.

What he doesn’t know is that his Incan allies led by the princess Sarpay have their own furtive plans to make sure he never finds the golden city of Vilcabamba. He also doesn’t know that Héctor Valiente, the freed African slave he appointed as his lieutenant, has found a portal that will lead them all into a world that will challenge his deepest beliefs. And what he can’t possibly know is that this world will trap him in a war between two eternal enemies, leading him to question everything he has devoted his life to - his command, his Incan princess, his honor, his God. 

In the end, he faces the ultimate dilemma: how is it possible to battle your own obsessions . . . to conquer yourself?


Universal Amazon Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AM52K 

 

Publisher’s Conquist page: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/roundfire-books/our-books/conquist-novel


Dirk Strasser’s epic fantasy trilogy The Books of Ascension—Zenith, Equinox and Eclipse—was published in German and English, and his short stories have been translated into several European languages. “The Doppelgänger Effect” appeared in the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology Dreaming Down Under. He is the co-editor of Australia’s premier science-fiction and fantasy magazine, Aurealis.

Dirk was born in Germany but has lived most of his life in Australia. He has written a series of best-selling school textbooks, trekked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and studied Renaissance history. “Conquist” was first published as a short story in the anthology Dreaming Again (HarperCollins). The serialized version of Conquist was a finalist in the Aurealis Awards Best Fantasy Novel category. Dirk’s screenplay version of Conquist won the Wildsound Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival Best Scene Reading Award and was a featured finalist in the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the Creative World Awards.

Website: https://www.dirkstrasser.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirkStrasser

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054955883297

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-strasser-1249a949/ 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B00CWMHGHO 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203225407-conquist

Dirk’s blog: https://www.dirkstrasser.com/dirks-blog



Thursday, 3 October 2024

The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: The Pirate's Physician by Amy Maroney


Book Title: The Pirate’s Physician

Series: A Thrilling Companion novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles

Author: Amy Maroney

Publication Date: September 5th, 2024

Publisher: Artelan Press

Pages: 204

Genre: Historical Romance


Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-tour-the-pirates-physician-by-amy-maroney.html 




The Pirate’s Physician: A Thrilling Companion Novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles

by Amy Maroney


When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?

The Pirate's Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno's famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly. 

Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea. 

Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?

A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate's Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen's Scribe.


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


Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction.

Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean. 

To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at www.amymaroney.com. 


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

Twitter: https://x.com/wilaroney

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

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amyloveshistory/

Book Bub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-maroney

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Maroney/author/B01LYHPXEO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15831603.Amy_Maroney



Monday, 30 September 2024

The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: The Dragon Tree by Julia Ibbotson


Book Title:  The Dragon Tree

Series:  Dr DuLac series #2 (but can also be read as a stand-alone)

Author:   Julia Ibbotson

Publication Date:  Nov 2021 

Publisher:  Archbury Books

Pages:   240

Genre:  historical romance / mystery time-slip

 

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-tour-the-dragon-tree-by-julia-ibbotson.html 



The Dragon Tree 

by Julia Ibbotson


A haunting medieval time-slip (#2 in the Dr DuLac series, sequel to A Shape on the Air, but can be read as a stand-alone)

Echoes of the past resonate through time and disturb medievalist Dr Viv DuLac as she struggles with misfortune in the present. She and Rev Rory have escaped to the island of Madeira on a secondment from their posts, yet they are not to find peace – until they can solve the mystery of the shard of azulejo and the ancient ammonite. Viv’s search brings her into contact with two troubled women: a noblewoman shipwrecked on the island in the 14th century and a rebellious nun at the island convent in the 16th century. As Viv reaches out across the centuries, their lives become intertwined, and she must uncover the secrets of the ominous Dragon Tree in order to locate lost artefacts that can shape the future.

For fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, Christina Courtenay.

“The idea of being able to ‘feel’ what happened in the past is enticing … The sense of the island is really wonderful … Julia brings it to life evocatively.”

~ Joanna Barnden

 “Julia does an incredible job of setting up the idea of time-shift so that it’s believable and makes sense.”

~ book tour reviewer

“… an engaging and original time-slip novel that keeps the reader turning the pages…the characters are authentic and the mystery is neatly woven between the centuries … seamless time transitions …”

~ Melissa Morgan 


This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.


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



Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language / literature / history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics.

After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s. She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone.

Her work in progress is a new series of Anglo-Saxon mystery romances, beginning with Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries. Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful storytelling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’ and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’.

Website: https://juliaibbotsonauthor.com 

Twitter:   https://x.com/JuliaIbbotson 

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

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-julia-ibbotson-62a5401a/ 

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

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-ibbotson 

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

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



Friday, 27 September 2024

The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour presents: Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner



Book Title: Apollo’s Raven

Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book #1 (4 books in the series)

Author: Linnea Tanner

Publication Date: January 20, 2020 (3nd Edition)

Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC

Pages: 394 pages

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Myth & Legend


Any Triggers: Sex, Violence, Sacrificial Rituals


Twitter Handle: @linneatanner @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @linneatanner @thecoffeepotbookclub


Hashtags: #HistoricalFantasy #HistoricalFiction #AncientRome #Britannia #CelticMyth #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub


Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-tour-apollos-raven-by-linnea-tanner.html 


Book Title and Author Name:

Book Title: Apollo’s Raven

Series: (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book #1)

Author Name: Linnea Tanner

Audiobook Narrator: Kristin James


Blurb:

A Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people.

AWARD-WINNING APOLLO’S RAVEN sweeps you into an epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.

 Will Catrin overcome and eradicate the ancient curse? Will she be able to embrace her forbidden love for Marcellus? Will she cease the war between Blood Wolf and King Amren and save her kingdom?



Book Trailer of Apollo’s Raven on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSdT5wK4aI


*Apollo’s Raven will be free on Kindle on September 26th – 30th, 2024!*


 https://books2read.com/Apollos-Raven




All four books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series are available on Kindle Unlimited.


Universal Buy Links for all Individual Books in Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:


Apollo’s Raven (Book 1): https://books2read.com/Apollos-Raven

Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2): https://books2read.com/Daggers-Destiny-Book2

Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3): https://books2read.com/Amulets-Rapture-Book3

Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4): https://books2read.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Book4



Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. She is particularly interested in the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids.

Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4). She has also released the historical fiction short story Two Faces of Janus. 

A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.


Website: https://www.linneatanner.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/linneatanner

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linnea.tanner

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linnea-tanner-a021932b/

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

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/linneatanner/_created/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linnea-tanner

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linnea-Tanner/e/B01N6YEM04

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16474282.Linnea_Tanner


What AMAZON reviewers say about Apollo’s Raven


“If you mingled the history and romance of Philippa Gregory with the magical fantasy of George R.R. Martin, the result just might be the fascinating Apollo’s Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 1) by Linnea Tanner. Get ready for a journey filled with the desires of star-crossed lovers, the horror of a son polishing his own mother’s skull and the fantasy of humans becoming creatures as a tool to save their very humanity.”


“Sorcery? Mythology? Forbidden love? An ancient curse? Yes, please! I fully enjoyed this epic tale of intrigue, deception, and love. The characters are developed well, while the plot leaves the reader wanting more.”


“What a story! I am a huge fan of "Game of Thrones," and this book grabbed me in much the same way. The author took me inside the world of ancient Romans and Celts. The imagery was compelling. I could see the characters, the weapons, the countryside, the lairs, and the castle. She stayed true to the times.”


“A love story full of intrigue, power struggles, choosing one’s fate and a doomed love, this story reminds me somewhat of an old book called “The Silver Land” by Nancy Harding or even “The Forest House” by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The undercurrents are the same as they are set in similar times, but the finer details are different enough that it only feels the same while still being uniquely its own.”











Monday, 23 September 2024

'The Coffee Pot Book Club presents: 'Tho I Be Mute by Heather Miller


Book Title: ‘Tho I Be Mute (2nd edition)

Series: Prequel to Yellow Bird’s Song

Author: Heather Miller

Publication Date: 09/10/2024

Publisher: Historium Press, Historical Fiction Company

Pages: 345

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance


Twitter Handle: @HMHFR @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @hmillerauthor @thecoffeepotbookclub 


Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #CherokeeHistory #AmericanHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub 


Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-tour-tho-i-be-mute-by-heather-miller.html 



‘Tho I Be Mute

Heather Miller

Blurb:

Clarinda faces a moment of profound reality—a rattlesnake bite, a harbinger of her imminent mortality—and undertakes an introspective journey. In her final days, she immortalizes not only her own story but that of her parents—a narrative steeped in her family’s insights into Cherokee heritage during the tumultuous years preceding the forced removal of Native communities.

In 1818, Clarinda’s father, Cherokee John Ridge, embarks on a quest for a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut. Amidst sickness, he finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite enduring two years of separation, defamatory editorials, and societal upheaval due to their interracial love affair, the resilient couple weds in 1824. This marks the inception of a journey for Sarah as she delves into a world both cherished and feared—Cherokee Territory. As John Ridge advocates for the preservation of his people’s land and that of his Muskogee Creek neighbors against encroaching Georgia settlers and unscrupulous governmental officials, the stakes are high. His success or failure hinges on his ability to balance his proud Cherokee convictions with an intricate understanding of American law. Justice remains uncertain.

Grounded in a true story, ‘Tho I Be Mute resonates with a compelling historical narrative, giving an intimate voice to those heard, those ignored, those speechless, urging readers to not only hear but to truly listen.


Excerpt ‘Tho I Be Mute

Heather Miller

 

 

Read an excerpt from Chapter 5: Laundry, Sarah Bird Northrup

 

As the morning progressed, we continued in quiet through laundry day. Mother joined us when the sun crept over the hill. Absent her customary grace and stature, she stepped in front of the rinse tub and filled it with water from buckets. She gripped the large paddle, smooth from weekly use, and stirred away the clothes’ soapy remnants.

 

With one basket ready to hang on the line, Cornwall woke with people beginning the routine of their daily lives. Some mimicked our ritual. Some hoed in garden beds. Some opened stores of flour and cloth. Some hunched over Bibles and English textbooks. Cornwall was both ordinary and blessed at the same time.

 

The wind continued until late afternoon after Jane and Mother returned inside. The final basket overflowed with wrung and twisted heaps. I bent over, grabbed a tangled sheet, and flipped it into the wind. I tossed it two more times to unfurl its length and crossed the hem over the line. Mother insisted I use the pegs on the sheets, so the crease would be at the seam rather than down the middle.

 

Under the amber afternoon, a walking silhouette approached from behind already dry, sheeted walls, fluttering, stretching in the breeze. The shadow’s gait was slow but steady, rising on its left side, aided by a single crutch. It wore boots that clung to thin, tall legs. The fitted frock coat tails lifted and cast an unusual shape, as if it had tail feathers. The silhouette’s head rode atop its neck, grand, chin pronounced, and short, wavy hair brushed away from his forehead. John’s eyes found me, separated by the hanging sheets.

 

I spoke to his shadow. “You’re early. Are you unwell?” I stretched from the waist, grabbed more pegs, and stepped down the line. I avoided his gaze, but his gravity made my arms heavier.

 

“Doctor Gold is coming by this afternoon, so I must be well,” he replied, with a hint of tiredness. He often spoke of his family’s expansive farm, so I imagine he was bored, sitting in class studying crop rotations when he wanted to read philosophy.

 

“Good.” It was all I managed to say, mispronouncing the word with clothes pegs between my lips. I unfurled another sheet. If Doctor Gold was coming, that explained why Jane and Mother made their premature departure from the washboard and tub.

 

I paralleled the line, and John pantomimed my movements with a moment’s delay. Pulling the peg from my mouth, I sighed and trapped the right end of the sheet, frustrated with the endless work.

 

John looked at me inquisitively. “What’s troubling you, Miss Sarah?”

 

“Nothing more than washing day.” My impatience hid the truth. “Mother and Jane still think I am younger than I am.”

 

“So, you’re ready to fly the nest?” he asked with a measured pace and chuckled.

 

“Not necessarily, I just do not wish their constant reminders of things I do by habit.” He did not deserve my short temper.

 

He hummed a single note and replied, “Since I have been from home, I have taken care of myself a great deal. But when I return, it’s the same for me. My mother reminds me to cork the ink and to take off my boots before falling asleep. I can hear her say it now as if she stood here among the drying.” 

 

We saw one another again in the absent space on the line. I said, “You must miss home. Your mother and father wish for your return. Your father said so when he was here.”

 

“I miss them, but Elias eases my loneliness. He is my father’s brother’s son.”

 

“Yes, I remember. He’s your cousin?” Surely John knew the word.

 

“Yes,” he said. “But we are as close as brothers, and my father is his in many ways, as his father is mine. Therefore, that is a better description. Elias plans to leave soon to attend Andover Theology School. Here, he has more friends than I do, but I am a better student. He is witty and personable, a wonderful storyteller, a skill I do not have.”

 

John smile straightened, saddened by Elias’ pending departure. His expression brought lonely thoughts to my mind. Affirming what I already knew to be true, I said, “. . . and you want to make people think. Your talents are a gift from God. It is a noble weight you look to carry.”

 

“It is why I was sent here: to study, to learn the ways of your lives. It is what our elders insist must happen. Thomas Jefferson warned the Cherokee to learn what it meant to be American. My people must seek the education provided to us. Now, Cherokee land carries my people, but in the future, we may have to learn to carry it with us.”

 

“Made any discoveries?” I asked.

 

He answered, “How hurried everyone seems. Except you.” Then, he paused mid-thought, speaking with a younger expression on his face, one more reminiscent of his age. He seemed to catch the memory of his home in the wind, squinting against the fading sun. “Light. I miss the light. I miss running my horse along the edge of the Oostanaula River in the morning’s glow. I miss the green haze above acres of grass bordered by trees as far as one can see. I miss council meetings with enormous fires under starry skies in autumn. Mountains and coves pebbled with spectrums of color. . . I miss . . .”

 

I interrupted his musings, sensing his sadness, and changed the subject. “Have you slept with your boots on?” My mind imagined him doing so, and I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my grin.

 

“Only when my mother cannot see.” 


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***



History is better than fiction.

We all leave a legacy.

As an English educator, Heather Miller has spent twenty-four years teaching her students the author’s craft. Now, she’s writing it herself, hearing voices from the past. Heather earned her MFA in creative writing in 2022 and is teaching high school as well as college composition courses. 

Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Miserables. But by far, her favorite role has been as a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a RN. Alas, there’s only one English major in her house.

Heather continues writing the Ridge Family Saga. Her current work-in-progress, Stands, concludes the Ridge Family Saga. 


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