Fabulous New Release from Charlene Newcomb

 

A knight sworn to keep a family secret.

A king who seeks revenge.

A daring plan to save one life…or condemn many.

England 1216AD. Sir Robert Fitzwilliam faithfully serves the English crown, but when the outlaw Allan a Dale, a childhood friend, is captured and thrown in the sheriff’s dungeons beneath Nottingham Castle, trouble is certain to follow.

Allan’s days are numbered. Nothing would please King John more than to see an old nemesis hanged. Nothing except watching Robert’s estranged father, Robin, dangling dead from a rope beside him.

When his father joins forces with the Hood gang to rescue Allan, enlisting the aid of friends and even the girl he loves, Robert must decide where his loyalties lie.

TALES OF ROBIN HOOD

Before there was Robin Hood, there was Allan of the Hood. You know their story – in Sherwood Forest, they rob from the rich and give to the poor. Rogue is a retelling of the origins of the Robin Hood legends set during a time of a rebellion and invasion near the end of King John’s reign. It’s a thrilling adventure of loyalty, love, sacrifice, spies, and intrigue.

Available on Amazon: https://mybook.to/RogueTales

Charlene Newcomb, aka Char, writes historical fiction and science fiction. Her Battle Scars trilogy is set in the 12th century during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. It’s filled with war, political intrigue, and a knightly romance of forbidden love. All 3 books are indieBRAG Medallion honorees; Book II is a Historical Novel Society Editors Choice, a finalist in the Chaucer Awards for pre-1750 Historical Fiction, and received an Honorable Mention from Writer's Digest. 

While medieval historical fiction has her under its spell at the moment, her writing roots are in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now known as Legends) where she published her first short story in 1994 in the Star Wars Adventure Journal. She published a scifi/space opera, Echoes of the Storm, which was awarded 1st in category in the Chanticleer International Book Awards in 2021.

Librarian (retired).

US Navy veteran. 

Mom to 3 grown, amazing people, grandma to 3 adorable boys.

She spends most of the year in Louisiana, but escapes summer heat and humidity visiting family in Washington and Colorado.

Social Media Links: 

Website https://charlenenewcomb.com

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/charnewcomb

Instagram https://instagram.com/charnewc

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00APY2H16

Subscribe to Char’s Newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/p7z5l7

Morag Edwards shares her journey from psychologist to author

I am delighted to welcome Morag Edwards to the blog today. she is going to tell us about her journey from educational psychologist to historial fiction author. Take it away, Morag.

I started my working life as a teacher and then as an educational psychologist, but after finishing an MA in creative writing in 2006, I began to describe myself in informal situations as a ‘psychologist and writer’. Now that my years of paid work are over, I’m simply a ‘writer’ or ‘author’. My path from psychologist to author wasn’t easy since educational psychology involves a great deal of writing. Reports about children spilled over into evenings and weekends to meet deadlines and then there were letters, strategy documents, minutes from meetings, supervision notes and the never-ending demands of email. What I learned was that all writing comes from the same pot and once that pot is empty, there is little creative energy left. I squeezed my own writing into the corners of my life, shaping up the novel I started for my MA dissertation, finishing a historical fiction novel, The Jacobite’s Wife, and starting another contemporary novel. There was never enough time to submit to agents or publishers or enter competitions. 

When writing my first historical fiction novel, I was struck by the similarity with writing a psychological report on a child. First, there was the information gathering, followed by trying to weave a narrative thread through huge amounts of information, held in my head, on scraps of paper or in notebooks. With a child’s report I had to think about whether the child’s personality was visible beyond all the facts and if their story was one the parents would recognise. In historical fiction, the details of events, dress and furnishing had to be accurate but too much information was worthless if it distracted from the plot and the intrigue of relationships. Finding out a fascinating detail can be one of the joys of researching a historical novel but it can be a wrench to leave those behind if they don’t add anything to the story.

Creating characters is where I make most use of my background in developmental psychology. Once I have the child’s background, I can imagine the adult personality. This is always where I start, even in historical fiction. Although much has changed about child-rearing practices and attitudes towards children over the centuries, we can predict that our ancestors’ personalities were shaped by early childhood experiences, much as ours are today. To create Winifred Herbert’s personality in The Jacobite’s Wife, I built upon the known facts. As a child, Winifred was separated from her mother for much of her childhood and had to make weekly visits to the Tower of London, knowing that her mother was at risk of execution. This early vulnerability and lack of a safe childhood helped me to understand why she risked so much to save her husband from execution. I am busy with a follow-on novel to The Jacobite’s Wife, provisionally called Neither Love nor Money. In this novel, a new character called Mary Herbert appears. Less is known about Mary’s early years but it was enough to discover that she felt unloved by her mother and was regarded as ‘different’ within her family and wider society.

My use of psychology in character development is not always successful. There are times when I make a character act or think in a manner entirely consistent with developmental psychology, but readers are unhappy, making comments like, ‘she wouldn’t have done/thought that’. Having beta readers scrutinise the novel is essential to catch such examples of professional over-thinking. If my description of a character’s motives or actions makes no sense to a reader, within their own lived experience, then it doesn’t belong in the novel. 

It is satisfying to use my knowledge of child psychology in fiction, if only because it gives my own narrative more purpose. Amongst many ‘what ifs’ is the one that goes, ‘what if I’d started my life as an author sooner?’ But perhaps I had to be a psychologist first, with enough knowledge and experience from a long career, to be confident about the authenticity of the relationships I describe. In my novels, relationships are everything and perhaps that is how it was meant to be.

The Jacobite's Wife

Morag Edwards

Based on the true story of Lady Nithsdale who smuggled her husband out of the Tower of London

Winifred had a troubled childhood. Her mother, father and brother were all imprisoned for treason due to their support for the Catholic king. When she falls in love with a handsome young Scottish nobleman, the marriage brings happiness. However, she is forced to rebel when her husband takes up the Jacobite cause and vows to restore the Catholic king to the throne.

While Winifred wants to be loyal to her husband, she also wants to protect him from imprisonment – and worse, the scaffold!

Buy it now

Morag Edwards is an educational psychologist and has an MA in creative writing . The story of the Earl of Nithsdale and his escape from the Tower of London has long fascinated her. However, looking further into this story, Morag realised that his wife Winifred was by far the more interesting character. Her motive for attempting to rescue her husband from the Tower remain a puzzle as she stood to lose everything - her home, her children and even her own life if she failed. Morag's knowledge of child development has influenced her attempt to understand Winifred and the forces that drove her to save her husband. However, there remains much scope for conjecture and for readers to reach their own conclusions. 

Introducing The Orphan Train Saga by Sherry A. Burton

Born in Kentucky, Sherry got her start writing by pledging to write a happy ending to a good friend who was going through some really tough times. The story surprised her by taking over and practically writing itself.What started off as a way to make her friend smile started her on a journey that would forever change her life. Sherry readily admits to hearing voices and is convinced that being married to her best friend for thirty-eight plus years  goes a long way in helping her write happy-ever-afters. Sherry is the author of The Orphan Train Saga novels, a planned eighteen book historical fiction saga that revolves around the historic orphan trains. books in the safe include Discovery, Shamelss, Treachery and Guardian. Loyal, the fifth in the saga, is expected to release summer of 2021. Sherry resides in Michigan and spends most of her time writing from her home office, travelling to book signing events and giving lectures on the Orphan Trains

Discovery: The Orphan Train Saga Book One

By Sherry A. Burton 

While most use their summer breaks for pleasure, third grade teacher Cindy Moore is using her summer vacation to tie up some loose ends concerning her grandmother’s estate. When Cindy enters the storage unit that holds her grandmother’s belongings, she is merely looking for items she can sell to recoup some of the rental fees she’s spent paying for the unit. 

Instead, what she finds are secrets her grandmother has taken to the grave with her. The more Cindy uncovers, the more she wants to know. Why was her grandmother abandoned by her own mother? Why hadn’t she told Cindy she’d lived in an orphanage? And how come her grandmother never mentioned she’d made history as one of the children who rode the Orphan Trains? 

Join Cindy as she uncovers her grandmother’s hidden past and discovers the life that stole her grandmother’s love.

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Announcing Betrayal - a FREE anthology of Short stories from your favourite Historical Fiction authors

Betrayal, treachery, treason, deceit, perfidy—all names for the calculated violation of trust. And it’s been rife since humans trod the earth.

A promise broken

A mission betrayed

A lover’s desertion

A parent’s deception

An unwitting act of treason

Betrayal by comrades

Betrayal by friends

https://books2read.com/BetrayalAnthology

Could you resist the forces of misplaced loyalty, power hunger, emotional blackmail, or plain greed? Is there ever redemption, or will the destruction visit future generations and even alter history? These questions are still with us today.

Twelve tales by twelve accomplished writers who explore these historical yet timeless challenges.

AD455—Roman leader Ambrosius is caught in a whirlpool of shifting allegiances

AD940—Alyeva and cleric Dunstan navigate the dangers of the Anglo Saxon court

1185—Knight Stephan fights for comradeship, duty, and honour. But what about love?

1330—The powerful Edmund of Kent enters a tangled web of intrigue

1403—Thomas Percy must decide whether to betray his sovereign or his family

1457—Estelle is invited to the King of Cyprus’s court, but deception awaits

1483—Has Elysabeth made the right decision to bring Prince Edward to London?

1484—Margaret Beaufort contemplates the path to treason

1577—Francis Drake contends with disloyalty at sea

1650—Can James Hart, Royalist highwayman, stop a nemesis destroying his friend?

1718—Pirate Annie Bonny, her lover Calico Jack, and a pirate hunter. Who will win?

1849/present—Carina must discover her ancestor’s betrayer in Italy or face ruin.

“I read this anthology from start to finish in a matter of days…. Each story is gripping.”– Discovering Diamonds Reviews

Betrayal is available as a FREE ebook on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple and more FROM 17 November 2020.

Welcoming Mercedes Rochelle to the page!

I am excited to welcome Mercedes Rochelle to my blog with news of The King’s Retribution: Book 2 of The Plantagenet Legacy. I thoroughly enjoyed A King Under Seige and The King's Retribution is on my tbr list!

If you read A KING UNDER SIEGE, you might remember that we left off just as Richard declared his majority at age 22. He was able to rise above the humiliation inflicted on him during the Merciless Parliament, but the fear that it could happen again haunted him the rest of his life. Ten years was a long time to wait before taking revenge on your enemies, but King Richard II was a patient man. Hiding his antagonism toward the Lords Appellant, once he felt strong enough to wreak his revenge he was swift and merciless. Alas for Richard, he went too far, and in his eagerness to protect his crown Richard underestimated the very man who would take it from him: Henry Bolingbroke.

Here is an excerpt to whet your appetite:

 Funeral of Robert de Vere

There was another matter weighing heavily on Richard's mind. Sparing no expense, the king had brought Robert de Vere's embalmed body back from Belgium. Exactly three years after his beloved friend had been killed in a boar hunt, Richard put him to rest in his family crypt at Colne Priory, in Essex. He staged an elaborate funeral, though many of the great lords were conspicuously absent. The Lords Appellant—with the exception of Mowbray—harbored rancor toward Robert de Vere that extended far beyond his death. Richard's uncles chose to ignore the king's eccentric loyalty toward a declared traitor. Even Thomas Arundel, his own chancellor, had sent his apologies. There was no mistaking the disrespect: the king noted the absence of every one of them. 

On a late November evening, services began just at the cusp of twilight. Church bells tolled and swirling black clouds threatened rain. Two by two the funeral procession wended its way through the narrow streets of Earl's Colne, spaced perfectly in a seemingly endless column. Each man wore a black robe with a black hood drawn forward to cover his face. Every one of them carried a torch with a tiny shield bearing de Vere's arms below each flame. The torches cast a soft glow as the mourners walked past silent citizens lining the street. Finally the Archbishop of Canterbury and six other bishops brought up the end of the cavalcade, swinging incense burners that filled the air with sweet-smelling smoke. Their appearance signaled the presence of the king, also robed in black, though instead of a hood he wore a gold crown. He was followed by five knights: his nephew Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent, his cousin Edward Earl of Rutland, his half-brother John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, Thomas de Mowbray Earl of Nottingham, and John de Montacute Earl of Salisbury. These five supporters of the king were worthy of note; they were destined to be among his closest advisors and friends, carefully marshaled to help support his throne. Never again would Richard be accused of elevating unworthy favorites; only earls and dukes would grace his inner chamber.

The silent participants filed into the church where the cypress coffin lay on its bier next to an open grave in the floor near the altar. A row of candles on tall iron stands threw a circle of light onto the deceased. An unseen choir, placed behind a curtain, filled the space with soft tones. 

As the king entered the church the tolling ceased. He took his place in a stall topped by a crown and listened while Archbishop Courtney began the services, echoed by his bishops. The Matins for the Dead were followed by Nocturnes and Lauds. Then there was the Prayer for Absolution and the Celebration of the Mass. The candles had burnt to a nub and the air of the church was cold before Richard was finally able to approach the funeral bier. 

With an expression of tenderness, Richard looked down on his dear friend. The king had paid for the best embalmer in Brittany, and Robert seemed to be sleeping before him, his face betraying no evidence of his violent death. The king gazed at Robert for a long time, toying with a sapphire ring on his own hand. Blinking rapidly, Richard drew off the ring and lifted Robert's wrist, pushing the band gently onto his friend's finger. He bent over the coffin and whispered something for Robert's ears alone.

"Mine eyes have longed to see your face," he said. "I will never forget you, nor will I rest until we are avenged on those who drove you from my side. Fear not, dear Robert. My resolve is firm and I would have you rest in peace."

Although everyone nearby strained to hear what Richard said, no one—even his closest friends—could decipher the words. But it didn't take a great leap of faith to guess the meaning of his gestures. Richard's enemies would later dismiss the legend that had grown from Robert de Vere's funeral services, but those who witnessed it were never able to shake a sense of foreboding. 

All the king lacked was a pair of wings to complete the picture of an avenging angel.

You can find the books here: 

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Retribution-Book-Plantagenet-Legacy-ebook/dp/B085ZGL7SK

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kings-Retribution-Book-Plantagenet-Legacy-ebook/dp/B085ZGL7SK/

Mercedes Rochelle

Born in St. Louis MO with a degree from University of Missouri, Mercedes Rochelle learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. A move to New York to do research and two careers ensued, but writing fiction remains her primary vocation. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.

If you'd like to connect with Mercedes here are her social media links: Website • Blog • Facebook • Twitter

An interview with author Elizabeth A. Martina

     

Hi Elizabeth, thank you for joining us this morning. I shall sit back and drink my coffee while you tell us about yourself.      

  

   

I am from upstate New York and live in the mountains with my husband and two Bernese Mountain dogs, Max and Hansel. I went to college forever, getting a doctorate in health care. I am now retired, and started a hobby of genealogical research. While not writing or running after the dogs, we travel to Alaska, Canada and the southern US.

              

When I was little, my grandmother told me stories about the Italian immigrants who had come to America before the Depression. I learned to love her stories. And I began to write my own. While being in health care practice for years, I began to write my grandmother’s stories. My first published book, The Ragman Murders, is based on what I learned as a child. Now I have a chance to write. The stories I have found in my genealogical research have expanded my source of plots and characters. What struck me in all my research is that the men did things and the women stayed home, or at least, that is how history has been presented. I have learned differently.

              

Who is your favourite writer and why?

               By the time I got into my teens, I was reading Jane Austen, Dickens, the Bronte sisters and Taylor Caldwell, my favorite writer for years. At first I read to learn history, since high school history I found very boring. Thomas Costain, and Brock and Bodie Thoene, all historical fiction writers, came later. Costain had the ability to take straight fact and make it read like a novel. The Thoenes have the techniques to make me cling to the book using the smallest of details to bring a scene to life.  Currently, I have read my way through most of Anne Perry and Diana Gabaldon. Again all historical fiction. Now, I read for character development and writing style. For excitement, I have read Carmen Amato’s Emilia Cruz mystery series, a police procedural genre, not for the faint-hearted. I admit, I know Carmen.

What attracted you to your special genre?

I am sure it was my grandmother’s story-telling that got me interested in family and, then, history. My genealogical work simply cemented the interest.

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Who is your favourite character you have created?

My characters are real. So far, my favorite character is Giuseppe Amato, the POV of “The Ragman Murders”.  He is trying to do the best for his family. He is trying to be well-accepted in the community. He is trying to make money as fast as he can. But things get in the way. And his understanding of economics is not very good. He makes poor decisions, jumps into scenarios where he has no understanding. And in the end, he does not accomplish what he sets out to do. I like him because he is trying. I don’t like him because I disagree with his techniques and lack of patience.

How do you develop your story?

I like true stories. Most of the story line is researched. In The Ragman Murders, that meant looking at the old newspapers of the time, reading books on the Mafia in Italy and America of the early 20th century and doing research on the places where the story occurred.  That means Calabria, Italy and New England. Since there are three timelines I had to follow for the book, this took a while. I interviewed people involved, peripherally, with the story to get an idea of the personalities of the characters. Then I had to put it all together. I started with the main event and worked backwards to find the causes of the final events.

In my new trilogy, Virginia Legacy, I am doing the reverse, starting at the beginning and working my way forward. This is the story of a very political family, so politics is center-stage. Research about early Virginia politics and families is sparse.

Upcoming project or advice?

My advice to authors is do anything you can to market. I give talks occasionally to groups about my book The Ragman Murders. It is interesting for many because I live in an area with many of Italian descent and stories about Italians intrigue them. Find a niche of interest and fill it.

Thank you so much for joining us, Elizabeth. I hope you will come back again soon and keep us updated on your progress with Virginia Legacy.