The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: Ally Stirling's The Sight of Heather

Book Title: The Sight of Heather 

Author: Ally Stirling

Publication Date: September 15th, 2023

Publisher: Author Ally Stirling

Page Length: 338

Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction / Scottish Folklore

Tour Schedule Page:   

The Sight of Heather

Ally Stirling

For centuries, the fae folk and spae women of Scotland were feared – and persecuted.

Life in the 1800s countryside, with its unforgiving climate, was both magnificent and harsh – testing cultures, beliefs and the loyalties of crofters.

The first in this series, The Sight of Heather, begins a journey of allegiance, sacrifice, and fortitude in a land of bold, resilient women.

Jessie’s ideal life spirals when she learns she is a first daughter in a biological line of ‘spaes’ endowed with unique gifts of spiritual sight and healing, aided by powerful ancestral stones.

Backed by a vindictive priest intent on charging Jessie with murder and witchcraft, the new owner of the Cruachan Manor plots to rout the spaes and destroy their beloved forest.

Despite grave warnings and family conflict, Jessie determinedly pursues her skills and powers, plunging her family and village into danger.

Resolute in uplifting her fellow women, Jessie consults her stones.

Faced with those who deem her evil, she must choose to relinquish her craft, or sacrifice herself to protect her culture and kin – and Lily, the next first daughter – the future of the spaes.

***

“We have warned you. Your sister has gone too far and she will pay the price. If you have any sense, you’ll save yourself.”

His mother’s words rang in his ears: 

“Be careful when you reach for grander things. You may lose your soul along the way. Even the moon has its dark side.”

Universal Link: Barnes and Noble:  Kobo:  iBooks:  

Ally Stirling is a Fiction writer of Scottish origin, currently living in Cape Town with her Braveheart husband, awesome children, the happiest dog in the world, and her menacing cat (aka 'Devil Cat').

An unexpected gift resulting in a prophetic message prompted Ally to give her passion for writing the time it demanded, and in 2018 she joined Cathy Eden's Working with Words writers group. She credits the love, support, and inspiration of this group of talented women, her 'writing tribe' for encouraging her to put words on paper. She also joined (ROSA,) and while Romance is not her genre, this association has been an invaluable source of knowledge and insight into the indie publishing world.

Allowing her imagination freedom to roam resulted in various short stories, before one in particular rooted itself, evolving into her first full-length novel. This book has now become first in a series, with the second and third ready to follow, four and five in the planning stage. Who knew her characters would be so demanding.

Her love of writing fiction stems from her belief that it transports us to magical places when life gets too real. 

Addicted to her friends, coffee, every colour of wine, and any type of chocolate, she describes her clan as the family and friends who have built her castle and keep her sane, without whom she'd be short on humour and drinking games. 

Website: https://www.authorallystirling.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorAllyS 

Facebook: https://facebook.com/authorallystirling 

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-sight-of-heather-a-journey-of-loyalty-sacrifice-and-fortitude-in-the-face-of-persecution-by-ally-stirling 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ally-Stirling/author/B0CG6TJT5T? 

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3P9HmWl 

The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: The Traitor Beside Her by Mary Anna Evans

 

Book Title: The Traitor Beside Her

Series: The Justine Byrne Historical Mysteries

Author:  Mary Anna Evans

Publication Date:  June 6, 2023

Publisher:  Sourcebooks

Page Length:  346

Genre: Historical Mystery

Twitter Handles: @maryannaevans @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: @maryannaevans @thecoffeepotbookclub 

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/06/blog-tour-traitor-beside-her.html 

The Traitor Beside Her

Mary Anna Evans

Audiobook narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell

"Evans's characters are vividly drawn, elevating this story and its revelations about women's little-celebrated contributions to the war effort."— Washington Post

"An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance."— Kirkus Reviews

The Traitor Beside Her is an intricately plotted WWII espionage novel weaving together mystery, action, friendship, and a hint of romance perfect for fans of The Rose Code and Code Name Helene.

Justine Byrne can't trust the people working beside her. Arlington Hall, a former women's college in Virginia has been taken over by the United States Army where hundreds of men and women work to decode countless pieces of communication coming from the Axis powers.

Justine works among them, handling the most sensitive secrets of World War II—but she isn't there to decipher German codes—she's there to find a traitor.

Justine keeps her guard up and her ears open, confiding only in her best friend, Georgette, a fluent speaker of Choctaw who is training to work as a code talker. Justine tries to befriend each suspect, believing that the key to finding the spy lies not in cryptography but in understanding how code breakers tick. When young women begin to go missing at Arlington Hall, her deadline for unraveling the web of secrets becomes urgent and one thing remains clear: a single secret in enemy hands could end thousands of lives.

"A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists' Daughter

The Traitor Beside Her

by

Mary Anna Evans

She was face to face with Paul for the first time in weeks. Still in her coveralls and still holding her lunch box, Justine stood in front of his desk, trying and failing to deny that he was part of the reason her heart raced. Even after time apart, she was still drawn to the intelligent blue eyes behind his glasses and to the sly sense of humor that he showed so rarely. His lopsided smile still struck her like a fist. She was still attracted to the lean frame beneath his well-cut suit, long-legged and broad-shouldered but rangy. She wanted him to be pleased with her work, but she wanted more than that. 

There had been a time when she’d thought he wanted more than that, too, but no trace of those feelings showed on a motionless face that was as pale as hers, only without the freckles. From the look of him, this man had no feelings at all, and he never had.

Jerry sat with his wheelchair parked beside Paul’s desk, his white-blond head cocked at an angle that let him meet her eyes almost head-on, but not quite. He had met her at the bus stop with a warm hello and a congratulatory pat on the back, and they’d come up on the elevator together. He’d greeted her with, “Hey, Justine,” then gone silent. 

She’d tried to make conversation, asking, “Have you seen Georgette lately?

All she’d gotten in return was, “Not since New Orleans.”

She’d answered, “Me neither,” and then the elevator doors had opened.

Paul’s office was at the end of a short hall with only one door. That door opened into the office of a middle-aged woman who seemed to be his secretary, since the door behind her desk opened into the larger office where he waited. In Paul’s solemn presence, even Jerry lost his ready smile.

Justine looked around for a chair and saw none, so she stood in silence. If this was how agents were debriefed after successful missions, she’d hate to see what happened when they failed.

Dressed like a banker in a sober gray suit, Paul regarded her through horn-rimmed glasses. She missed the wire-rimmed pair that he’d worn before she’d known that he was a government agent. He barely looked like the same man who had worked with her at a New Orleans munitions plant. His coveralls and working man’s demeanor had vanished. Now, everything about his appearance was completely buttoned down. The stray lock that had always dangled in his eyes had been slicked back with hair cream until his hair was as motionless as his eyes.

“So,” he said, “give me your report.”

She didn’t know what he wanted to hear, so she started at the beginning. “I reported to the Washington Navy Yard and was assigned to work under a man named Danny, just as you told me to expect. I monitored the behavior of my coworkers, looking for someone who might be planning to sell naval plans and someone who might be planning to buy them. I soon identified two men whose behavior concerned me.”

“How so?”

“They had brief, intense conversations periodically—about once a day—but otherwise they ignored each other. It was an odd pattern, as if they were friends, but only sometimes.”

“Were you able to get close to either of them?”

“I tried. They both resisted my efforts to strike up a conversation.”

Jerry finally cracked a smile. “I can’t imagine how they resisted your charm. When you want to be, you’re as appealing as a spring morning.”

Justine rolled her eyes at him. “Maybe they didn’t find me attractive. Or interesting in any way. They didn’t seem to want any friends at all, which I thought was suspicious in itself. I decided to just hang back and watch. Today, that strategy paid off.”

“How so?” 

She was shocked at the complete lack of…anything…in his Paul’s voice. No approval. No note of congratulations. No emotion at all.

“I saw the money change hands with my own eyes. And the plans.” She was humiliated by the note of desperation that she heard in her voice. 

Why was she letting him make her feel this way? She’d successfully identified an enemy spy, just as she’d been told to do. 

“Once the transaction was done, I told Jerry. He hasn’t said that he failed to stop my target from getting away, so I presume they’re in custody now.”

“Jerry, did you take anyone into custody today?”

Jerry hesitated, looking down at his lap. Then he flicked a glance at Justine, and she thought she saw an apology in his eyes. “I did not.”

“Thank you.” There was no apology in Paul’s eyes as they drilled into Justine’s. “Jerry, will you leave us to speak alone?”

Jerry nodded and wheeled himself to the door without looking at her again. She heard the latch click behind her and knew that he was gone.

“What’s happening here?” she asked. “Why are you treating me this way?”

“There was no transaction today. There was no enemy spy trying to get blueprints for Navy ships. There was no traitor willing to sell them to the highest bidder.”

“But I saw—”

“You saw what I wanted you to see. You saw two of my agents passing envelopes back and forth, and that is all.”

He reached in his breast pocket and pulled out two familiar envelopes, green and brown. Opening the green one, he pulled out a sheaf of Monopoly money and riffled it in his hands like a man who had just come into a multicolored fortune. 

Justine felt blood rush to her face, although she couldn’t have told whether it was from humiliation or anger. “Did Jerry know?”

“Jerry knew.”

Justine had never failed at anything, not at work and certainly not at school, but she was about to be fired before she even figured out who she was working for. She was going to have to get herself home to New Orleans, find a sad little boarding house room like the one she’d left, and start her life over. Again. 

“Come here.”

Justine didn’t like Paul’s tone, and she figured that he was only going to be her boss for another thirty seconds or so, so she stood firm. All he got from her was an angry shake of the head.

“Come here, please.”

His voice wasn’t noticeably warmer, but the “please” softened his commanding tone enough for her to be willing to comply. Her work boots clomped on the dull linoleum floor as she walked slowly around his gray-painted steel desk.

He waved a hand that said, “Closer,” so she moved even nearer to the desk chair where he sat. She was so close that she would have been able to feel the heat coming off any other man’s body, but Paul seemed to be operating at room temperature. Nothing radiated from him, nothing at all. 

Buy Links:

Universal Link:  https://books2read.com/u/4XwxG1 

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Traitor-Beside-Her-Novel/dp/1464215588

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGYPLMTH

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Traitor-Beside-Her-Novel/dp/1464215588

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Traitor-Beside-Her-Novel-ebook/dp/B0BGYPLMTH

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-traitor-beside-her-mary-anna-evans/1143344440

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-traitor-beside-her/mary-anna-evans/9781464215582

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-traitor-beside-her

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-traitor-beside-her-mary-anna-evans/18743820

Audio Buy Links:

Audiobooks.com: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/672506/

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Traitor-Beside-Her-Audiobook/B0BVDLCL7J

Mary Anna Evans is an award-winning author, a writing professor, and she holds degrees in physics and engineering, a background that, as it turns out, is ideal for writing her Justine Byrne series, which began with The Physicists’ Daughter and continues with her new book, The Traitor Beside Her. She describes Justine as “a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker.” 

Mary Anna’s crime fiction has earned recognition that includes two Oklahoma Book Awards, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards Gold Medal, and the Benjamin Franklin Award, and she co-edited the Edgar-nominated Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie. 

Website: https://www.maryannaevans.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryannaevans 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-anna-evans-a7642810/

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-anna-evans

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Anna-Evans/author/B001JP9ZY2

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12395.Mary_Anna_Evans 

How to Dress like a Tudor

 

I don't always dress like a Tudor lady but you could if you wished. My first attempt to sew  my own was laughable but luckily I made it from an old pair of curtains – curtains I quickly realised were far too small for the purpose. Undaunted, I bought more fabric and began again with better results this time, but it wasn’t until my third gown that I finally came up with a wearable and reasonable HA garment. 

By this time we were both into dressing up for Tudor events so I began to make clothes for my husband. He now has almost as many different outfits as me. Then I made a set of clothes for Henry VIII and dragged my son along to play the part of the king. Unfortunately, he can’t come out with us very often but when he does, he makes the perfect king.

Before long I’d met a fellow Tudor enthusiast who was keen to join me and we started a small group, The Fyne Companye of Cambria, and now in the summer we haunt the castles of  Wales. There are four main members now with others who come out with us when they can. We don’t take ourselves very seriously; we believe re-enactment should be fun and if our costumes are not quite right, they are close enough to convince the visitors to the castles. We enjoy adding to their experience and sometimes the caste throws in a free lunch – what could be better than that?

My first few projects were challenging, but I learned quickly and am still learning. I will never be an expert, but the most important lesson was not to be afraid of it. I now know how to construct a stiffened bodice, how to pleat miles and miles of skirt into a tiny (well, it seems tiny) waistband. My methods are not always authentic, but I manage to produce French hoods, gabled hoods, coifs, and bags for fellow re-enactors and have also sewn a couple of medieval houppelande gowns, shifts and kirtles, and several more Tudor gowns. I used to have an Etsy shop but couldnt keep up with demand and there was a danger of my hobby becoming a chore.

I do not and never will rank among the best sewers so I was surprised to be asked to write a book about my journey for Pen and Sword publishing. I did explain that there are far more accomplished historical sewers out there, but as I said before, I like a challenge. In the book I cover the history of Tudor fashion from the reign of Henry VII to Elliabeth I but mainly concentrate on  my main area of interest which is Henry VIII. I also offer tips for those considering taking the plunge an dmaking their own Tudor inspired clothing. 

I think (hope) the book, which will be published on 30th September 2023 illustrates that with research, patience, determination and sometimes a little bit of cheating, anyone can dress like a Tudor.

How to Dress like a Tudor

Judith Arnopp

Have you ever hankered to dress like a Tudor lord or lady, or perhaps you prefer the status of goodwife, or costermonger, or even a bawd? 

For beginner historical reenactors, the path to authenticity can be bewildering and sometimes intimidating. Judith Arnopp uses her own experience, both as a historian and a medieval/Tudor lady, to make your own journey a little easier.

The author traces the transition of fashion from the relatively subtle styles popular at the court of Henry VII, through the carefully constructed royal grandeur of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I to the pinnacle of majesty and splendid iconography of Elizabeth I. 

In contrast to the magnificence of court come the ordinary folk who, subject to sumptuary laws and regulations, wore garments of a simpler cut and cloth – a strata of society that formed the back bone of Tudor England.

This brief history of 16th century fashion examines clothing for both rich and poor, adult and child, and offers tips and tricks on how to begin to sew your first historically inspired garment, this book is aimed at helping the beginner learn How to Dress like a Tudor.

How to Dress like a Tudor is available for pre-order now

http://mybook.to/howtodress

The Coffee Pot Blog Tours present: The London Forgery by Heidi Eljarbo

Book Title: The London Forgery

Series: A Fabiola Bennett Mystery

Author: Heidi Eljarbo

Publication Date: 29th August 2023

Publisher: self-published

Page Length: about 252

Genre: Historical Mystery / dual timeline historical fiction

Twitter Handles: @HeidiEljarbo @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: @authorheidieljarbo @thecoffeepotbookclub

Tour Schedule Page: Follow the Tour

The London Forgery

A Fabiola Bennett Mystery

Heidi Eljarbo

Blurb:

1973. Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete.

A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble.

Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are.

1750. Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come.

Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promise a troublesome future.

This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.

Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rhys Bowen, Kathleen McGurl, Kate Morton, and Katherine Neville will love this cozy historical art mystery, which takes the readers back to the nostalgia of the groovy seventies and the classical Georgian era of the eighteenth century.

An Excerpt from The London Forgery

“Pippa? It’s me, Fabiola.”

 

A loud squeal sounded on the other end of the line. “Fabsi? Are you in London?”

“Yes, I arrived this morning.”

“Awesome. When are you off work? I gather you’re here for work, or you wouldn’t have popped up out of the blue like this. You can’t survive without your calendars and planners. I’m the unpredictable one.”

“Ha-ha…you’re perceptive as always, Pippa. But listen, I’m in town for a few days—perhaps weeks—and need a place to stay. Could you ask your landlady if she has a spare room? I’d rather stay there than at a hotel.”

“Of course. I get off in half an hour. I’ll go straight home and ask her. Where can I reach you? Are you at the National Gallery?”

“Yes, Director Wilson gave me the spare office to use. I need another hour or two, but you can reach me here.”

“Sounds good. Let me grab a piece of paper and jot down your number.”

A few seconds later, Pippa returned, and Fabiola gave her the number to the office she’d be using for the duration of her stay.

“Thanks, sweetie. I’ll call you back as soon as I’ve talked to Mrs. Birdwhistle. But tell me, are you there with that gorgeous Detective Inspector Cary Green?”

Fabiola glanced over at Cary. Leaning with his back against the wall and his arms folded, he appeared totally relaxed and at ease.

“You’re talking to Pippa, aren’t you?” he said, grinning.

Fabiola nodded before turning her attention back to the call. “Yes, Pippa, he’s here. A grave matter has come up, a catastrophe. I’ll tell you later.”

“Zoinks! I can’t wait to hear all about it but take all the time you need. Meanwhile, thinking about that handsome bloke will get me through the rest of my day here at the bookstore. Cheers, Fabsi.”

As Fabiola hung up the phone, Cary stepped away from the wall. He leaned over and placed his hands on the table.

Eyebrows raised, he smiled and said, “Pippa is still on the prowl, is she?”

Fabiola rolled her eyes. “She’s incorrigible when it comes to men. Put a handsome man in front of her and she melts. But to me, Pippa is the most wonderful and loyal friend. I wouldn’t change her one bit.”

“I agree. Everyone should have a Philippa Yates in their life.”

Fabiola pushed an open art catalog across the desk and pointed to a picture on the left page.

Cary picked up the booklet. “So, this is the famous Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. I’ve seen this before.”

“Yes, it’s essentially a double or even triple portrait. It portrays Robert Andrews and his wife, but it also depicts the English countryside, and those were Gainsborough’s two main themes…portraits of people and landscapes. I find it a fresh and inviting way to tell the story of British gentry in 1750.”

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Universal Link: Amazon CA: Amazon AU: 

Author Bio:

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.

Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter. 

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiEljarbo 

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

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

Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/ 

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-eljarbo 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Eljarbo/e/B073D852VG/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo