MJ Porter

I’m sharing a fab post from crime novelist Ian Mcfadyen about his writing routine to celebrate the release of Blood Matters #blogtour

Welcome to the blog. I love hearing about author’s writing routines.

My approach to writing

I’m often asked about the process I follow when writing. It isn’t always the same, but the overall approach does tend to follow a similar route. Hopefully by breaking it down into bite sized chunks you’ll get the general idea of how I work – if it’s of interest to you.

The starting gun!

With my books being Murder Mysteries the catalyst for a new book is always the twist or what I refer to as the kernel of the book. When that idea arrives the whole process starts, with next the creation of new main characters and then the main plot; all manufactured to take the reader along a journey that arrives at the twist/kernel.

Thinking time.

In all, I probably spend 90% of the time I devote to the process when I’m working on a Carmichael book, simply thinking about the plot and working out in my head when I’ll introduce new characters, new clues and red herrings to my reader. As the book nears its conclusion my thoughts start to turn towards how the reader will be told who committed the crime, how they did it (if it’s not obvious) and why. This is a critical phase as it’s the time I decide how I’m going to pull together all the loose ends and the false trails I’ve laid in the previous chapters.

I may go for days or even weeks without writing, after the book has been started, but I’m almost always thinking about it.

When and where I write.

Peace and quiet are essential for me when I’m writing. Also being able to gaze aimlessly out of the window at the world while I write is key, too. For that reason, there are just two places I write from, my home office, or a quiet table overlooking our garden in my Norfolk bolt hole. Both are my creative heavens.

Writing sessions.

People are quite shocked when I tell them that I don’t write every day. They are equally surprised when I tell them that I rarely write more than 1000 words in one session: often as little as just 500.

I’m an early bird so I only write in the mornings. It’s my productive time. I can start as early as 5am when I have the urge to write, but by about 1pm I find I’ve had enough of tapping away on my keyboard – so I stop. I keep thinking about the story, though, and what I’ll be writing in the next writing session.

Time it takes to produce a book.

This varies, but on average it takes about 9 -12 months to write the first draft and about 3-6 months to check, proofread and generally hone the novel into its final shape.

Proof reading and checking.

This is a key stage in the writing process but, if I’m honest, the least interesting part of writing for me. But it’s essential. Apart from the obvious need to look for grammatical and spelling mistakes, this is a time for making subtle changes to the work to accomplish as good a novel as I can. I solicit help at this stage as I find a fresh pair of eyes invaluable. They always spot errors I’ve missed and may well continue to overlook, however many times I re-read the book.

When to stop.

This may seem a strange thing to include, but in my view it’s as important as any other stage. A book is the same as a painting or a piece of music. If you so desire, you can carry on forever rewording parts and finely modifying small details. However, there must come a point where you must tell yourself that you’ve polished and honed the work enough and it’s time to publish and let it out into the wide world. Having my next book starting to take over my thoughts is also an excellent sign for me to accept it’s now time to move on.

I hope you’ve found my mini summary of some interest. If not, it’s probably time for you to call time and move on from my ramblings 😊

Here’s the blurb

When the body of Doug Pritchard, an aging music journalist with a history of sensational scoops, is found face down in a dark roadside ditch, DCI Carmichael and his team embark on an investigation that takes them in several directions.
What did Pritchard uncover?
Did that secret bring about his violent demise?
And do the tragic deaths of two local pop idols, twenty years before, have any relevance to his murder?
As DCI Carmichael delves deeper into the case it becomes clear that, despite the outwardly close connections of the residents of the small hamlet of High Maudsey, neither long term friendships nor family ties should be taken at face value.
This the tenth in his series of well-honed detective novels by Ian McFadyen featuring DCI Carmichael, leads the detective and his team through as many twists and turns as the quiet country lane where Doug Pritchard’s body was discovered
As with all McFadyen’s Carmichael novels, this book is packed with a host of intriguing characters and an expertly crafted plot; and once again the author displays his skill as a writer in the great tradition of English crime novels.

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Matters-Ian-McFadyen-ebook/dp/B0DJWGXTSX/

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Matters-Ian-McFadyen-ebook/dp/B0DJWGXTSX/

Meet the author

Ian McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife but spends a great deal of his time writing in his bolthole retreat on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. Blood Matters is the tenth in a series featuring DCI Carmichael.

I’m delighted to welcome Francesca Capaldi and her new book, Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel to the blog. Francesca is sharing a fabulous post about the historical setting #blogtour #histfic

Historical Setting for the Beach Hotel Series

When I came to the end of my Wartime in the Valleys series, I had to consider whether to carry on with the South Wales setting, where my mum had come from, or pick a different location for a new series. A couple of years before, I’d had an idea for a World War One series set in Littlehampton, at the luxury Beach Hotel, and now seemed like a good time to write it.

Why Littlehampton, a seaside town in West Sussex? Because that’s where I was brought up. I was born just up the coast in Worthing, which gets a couple of guest appearances in the series, including in Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel. We moved to Littlehampton when I was three. My dad had a café on Pier Road, opposite the River Arun, so I was often in that part of town, especially as a teenager when I worked as a waitress there. In the evenings, my friends and I would often go to the Butlin’s funfair, between the café and the beach.

The grass common, beyond Butlins, was huge, and taking pride of place on it was the magnificent Beach Hotel. I never stepped inside it, so when it came to writing the first book, I had no idea how it would have been set out. This is where a vivid imagination comes in handy. Looking at where the windows and doors were situated on the various photographs I found, I made a plan of my own version of the interior, which I still use now.

Downstairs, I’ve placed a smart foyer, a lounge for guests and a glorious ballroom. There’s a large dining room next door to a conservatory, both of which overlook the extensive garden. On the photographs, the left side of the hotel looks functional, so this is where I placed the staff rooms and quarters, including the kitchen, storerooms, scullery, stillroom and staff dining room,

The characters from the series are often by the beach, on the riverside, or in town. A combination of old photographs and my own memories enabled me to build up a distinct picture of what the town would have looked like then. Having visited Littlehampton many times since I left at eighteen, I am convinced that the town of my youth was much more like the town of World War One than the town of today, even though there had been many changes even by then.

Butlin’s funfair, which I mentioned earlier, wasn’t there in the time the series is set, but instead the area consisted of two rows of coastguards’ cottages, a windmill and the Casino Theatre. These were all dispensed with in the early 1930s, when Butlins was built. Next to this, the path used to run alongside the River Arun, but this was built up at the same time, so you could no longer walk to the water’s edge. The buildings have changed again in the last twenty years, and all that remains that my characters would recognise now is the old battery mound (from the Napoleonic Wars) and the pier (the place of many trysts in the novels).

Back then the quay, between Pier Road and River Road, was full of workshops and warehouses. Many of these were for shipbuilding. This is where Victor Perryman’s flying boat workshop, Humphrey Wilmot’s, was situated in Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel, though in real life it was called Hubert Williams. All of these have gone, as has the Britannia Public House. The green swing bridge at the end of River Road, occasionally crossed by my characters, has also gone. These were all still there in my youth, so I can at least picture them.

South Terrace, several long terraces of grand houses on the opposite side of the street to the hotel, is still there, almost in its entirety, I’m glad to say. This is where various day guests who visit the hotel live, including the rather prim and disapproving Lady Blackmore. Surrey Cottage, the home of Victor Perryman and his family, still sits at the eastern end of South Terrace, though it has now been separated into flats.

What of the hotel itself? Sadly, it sustained damage in the storm of 1987 and was pulled down in the early 1990s. In its place was built a much less elegant curve of flats called Beach Crescent. The only thing that still exists is part of the original garden wall. I’m just glad that, in my books, I’m able to bring the hotel back to life once more.

Aerial of Littlehampton around the time of the books. Beach Hotel is on the common towards the left

Here’s the blurb

Can true love win the day?

Hetty Affleck is working as a maid at the prestigious Beach Hotel in Littlehampton. Her beau, Lorcan, is away at war and has recently stopped replying to her letters but she is determined to keep her spirits up. When she meets wealthy shipbuilder’s son Victor Perryman, they pass the time of day and they both feel a connection but she can’t allow herself to think anything more of it – not only does she have Lorcan to think of, but she and Victor are divided by wealth and class.

Yet they meet again and Hetty is charmed and intrigued by Victor and his openness towards her. It becomes harder to ignore the attachment growing between them.

When Lorcan comes back on leave, Hetty is forced to face her true feelings. Who does she really love, and can that love conquer everything in its path?

Cover image forLove and Loss at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Purchase Links

Amazon Kobo Apple Waterstones

Meet the author

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child. Born in Worthing and brought up in Littlehampton in Sussex, she was largely influenced by a Welsh mother who loved to tell improvised stories. A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into something more in 2006, when she joined a writing class.

Writing as both Francesca Capaldi and Francesca Burgess, she has had many short stories published in magazines in the UK and abroad, along with several pocket novels published by DC Thomson.

Her Welsh World War 1 sagas were inspired by the discovery of the war record of her great grandfather, a miner in South Wales. Heartbreak in the Valleys was a finalist in the Historical Romance category of the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards (RoNAs) in 2021. Her latest series, The Beach Hotel, is set in her own childhood town, where her Italian father had a café on the riverside. The first in that series, A New Start at the Beach Hotel, won the Romantic Saga Award in the RoNAs in 2024.

Francesca is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. She currently lives on the North Downs in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

Author photo for Francesca Capaldi/Burgess

Website & Blog

I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Chase and her new book, Georgia’s Folly, to the blog #HistoricalRomance #AmericanCivilWar #SplitTimeRomance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Chase and her new book, Georgia’s Folly, to the blog.

Here’s the Blurb

For fans of “Antiques Roadshow” and “American Pickers” – this is the one for you!

Beginning at a cluttered flea market and ending at a glittering art auction, Georgia’s Folly tells the compelling story that blends past and present and the search for a valuable and elusive antique. Chloe Bishop grew up in foster care. She loves shopping at flea markets, picking up family heirlooms like old pottery or vintage furniture to fill in for the family and home she never had.

As Chloe walks through the Brooklyn Flea Market, she stumbles upon the diary of Miss Georgia Potter, a young woman who had lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The yellowed pages reveal the impact of the war on daily life and spotlights the role of women including Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton and Louisa May Alcott.

Like Chloe, Georgia Potter was a passionate collector and her diary lists her collection of valuable antiques—including the Holy Grail of 18th century furniture—a Chippendale settee. Well versed in antiques, Chloe is aware that there are only five known examples and a sixth settee would be worth more than $4 million.

Chloe immediately contacts Ben Thompson, the man who sold her the diary. Ben is a picker who drives his RV across America, searching for collectibles to sell to dealers. He is estranged from his wealthy, prominent family who cringe at his chosen career. Ben agrees to take her along to search for the valuable and iconic settee. As Ben and Chloe head to Gettysburg, they are unaware that Gregor Petrov, a shady antiques dealer and Harrison Kent, a respected but unscrupulous art expert are trailing them.

The search for the settee takes Chloe and Ben on fast paced journey from the Gettysburg battlefields to the 18th century street of artisans in Philadelphia to a historic mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Traveling together in the small RV, Ben and Chloe draw closer. In the confines of the RV, embroiled in an unimaginable quest, Chloe confides that she is also in search for the father she never knew while Ben struggles to explain his complicated family to a woman who never had one.

In a thrilling ending, the rare Chippendale settee is not Chloe’s only valuable discovery.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

Meet the Author

Deborah Chase grew up in a family filled with art and antiques. On the high end, her uncle, William Lincer, lead violist at the New York Philharmonic, was an art lover whose collection was sold at Sotheby’s. On the low end, her father, writer Allen Chase took her to flea markets and estate sales. He sparked a lifelong fascination with tales of lost treasures that ranged from plundered Egyptian tombs to trainloads of art stolen by the Nazis. It was this love of history and antiques that inspired her first novel, Georgia’s Folly

She was a founding editor of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter and the author of 12 books including The Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book (Alfred Knopf), Extend Your Life Diet (Pocket Books), Fruit Acids for Fabulous Skin (St Martin’s Press), Every Bride is Beautiful (Morrow), and with her husband Dr Neil Schachter co-author of Life and Breath (Doubleday) and The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds and Flu (Harper). The books have been a selection of the Book of the Month Club and her articles have appeared in Ladies Home Journal, Self, Glamour, Redbook, Family Circle, Parents and Good Housekeeping.

She is a graduate of Bronx High School of Science and a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. A graduate of New York University she earned a degree with a duel major in journalism and history.

A native New Yorker, Deborah like to spend her weekends at an upstate home where a big kitchen and an endless supply of estate sales indulge her duel passions for cooking and collecting.

Connect with the Author

Website:

Follow Georgia’s Folly blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

Happy publication day to Carla Luna and her festive read, Santa Maybe. #blogtour #romance

Here’s the blurb

Have yourself a merry little fauxmance—with a dashing Santa who just might make it real.

Rosie Gonzalez isn’t having a wonderful Christmas time. Not when she’s at risk of losing her job as assistant manager of the Duchess—Victoria’s oldest boutique hotel. If she and her team can’t bring in more guests by the end of December, she’ll be let go. Adding to her stress is a calendar filled with family gatherings where her mom will inevitably nag her for still being single.

Drew Richardson isn’t faring much better. As if working alongside his ex at Northlife Fitness wasn’t bad enough, now she’s invited him to her December wedding. And since all his coworkers will be there, bailing isn’t an option. To get through it, he’ll need a plus-one for moral support.

So, when Rosie recruits him to play Santa for her hotel’s activities, he also proposes a fake-dating scheme to benefit them both. Just for the holidays—nothing more. But as things between them turn from nice to naughty, they’ll have to decide whether a real relationship could be the best Christmas gift of all.

Cover image for Santa Maybe by Carla Luna

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/bMB0Z8

Meet the author

Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories. Her books have been called “escape reads,” ideal for perusing during a beachside vacation, a long flight, or a relaxing weekend at the lake. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, baking, and taking long walks while listening to pop culture podcasts. Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Vancouver Island, she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her feisty Siberian cat.

Website

BookBub Page

I’m reviewing Afua by Karl Drinkwater and Christoffer Petersen #blogtour #scifi #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Afua is a promising acolyte of the Shanta Order, on the densely forested planet of Nuafri.

She volunteers to educate orphans – her lively ophanti – every ninth day. When one of her wards goes missing in a dangerous area full of sinkholes and deadly fauna, Afua knows the authorities won’t do anything about a single lost child.

Luckily for the orphan, Afua will.

She is armed only with her knowledge of wildlife, and implanted augmentations that can sometimes deter attacks. But she is not alone. The sentient, insect-like Dooga she has bonded with, named Akalie, will follow her anywhere, despite being heavily pregnant.

An unforgettable Amazofuturist adventure about compassion, courage, and finding your way in life.

Cover image for Afua by Karl Drinkwater and Christopher Petersen

Purchase Links

https://books2read.com/b/Afua

https://www.thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk/collections/vendors?q=Organic%20Apocalypse

My Review

Afua is a fabulous sci fi tale set in the Lost Solace universe. The reader is treated to a strange new world in dazzling glory, and to a strong-willed and determined main character in Afua.

While a novella length story, this is deeply engrossing and I was disappointed to reach the end. It certainly made me want to know more about the Lost Solace universe (I’ve read the first book. Check out my review here). Much is hinted at, and some things are made very clear to the reader. It really does feel as though I’ve stepped into a fully-formed and functioning location. It is enthralling, and not a little ‘weird.’

I thoroughly enjoyed Afua and look forward to reading more of the Lost Solace books.

About Karl Drinkwater

Karl Drinkwater writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you’re in the right place.

Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.

Website / Newsletter

About Christoffer Petersen

Christoffer Petersen lives in a small forest in Jutland, in southern Denmark. He hasn’t always been Danish; in fact, he borrowed his pseudonym surname from his Danish wife, Jane. Chris writes all kinds of stories in different genres, but is best known for his crime books and thrillers set in Greenland.

While living in Greenland, Chris studied for a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Falmouth University. Chris graduated with a distinction in 2015. He has been writing full-time since January 2018.

Website / Newsletter

I’m spotlighting Murder at the Crooked Horse by Lesley Cookman #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

After learning of a suspicious attempt to burn down a beloved old pub, The Crooked Horse, Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran reluctantly agree to investigate.

But when a local antiques dealer mysteriously disappears after apparently taking out his boat, it appears there are dark and sinister forces at play.

Can Libby and Fran uncover a connection between the fire and the missing man? And will unravelling a deadly case put them in terrible danger?

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Crooked-Horse-whodunnit-countryside-ebook/dp/B0DBPC7RX8

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Crooked-Horse-whodunnit-countryside-ebook/dp/B0DBPC7RX8

Meet the author

Lesley Cookman writes the Libby Sarjeant Murder Mysteries and the The Alexandrians, an Edwardian Mystery Series. She lives on the south east coast of England, and is a former model, actor, and journalist. Her four adult children are all musicians and writers.

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I’m reviewing the fabulous Arden by GD Harper, an intriguing story of Shakespeare’s earliest years #blogtour #histfic #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Alice Arden, idealistic and wealthy beauty, burnt at the stake for killing her husband, the former mayor of Faversham in Kent. But was she really the one responsible for the most scandalous murder of the sixteenth century?

William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, born thirteen years after Alice’s execution. Why does his first-ever play, written about this murder, not bear his name?

This is a story of two people – one reviled, one revered – whose fates become linked in a tale of corruption, collusion and conspiracy. Based on historical documents and recently published academic research, Arden unveils shocking new evidence about the murder of Thomas Arden and reveals, for the first time, a remarkable new theory about Shakespeare’s early years.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arden-astonishing-untold-story-Shakespeares-ebook/dp/B0DFBV9YSB

https://www.amazon.com/Arden-astonishing-untold-story-Shakespeares-ebook/dp/B0DFBV9YSB

My Review

Arden by GD Harper is a beautifully crafted tale of two individuals, separated by forty years, with the one entirely unaware of the other, that reimagines the hows, whats and ifs of Shakespeare’s earliest efforts to become a playwright and the story that ‘called’ to him to enable him to do so.

Offering us two points of view, that of Alice Arden, and Shakespeare himself, we travel through the years that lead to Alice’s crisis and see how Shakespeare was himself plagued by her story. To begin with, Alice is the most likeable character. Young, bright, and vivacious, she pulls the reader along through the years when Shakespeare is not at all the man we might expect him to be. His life is difficult (perhaps because he makes it so, to be honest), but soon his dreams of being an actor and writing plays becomes his driving force. At the same time, Alice’s life is blighted by her marriage to a man of ambition but no regard for the life of his wife, who is deeply unhappy. Shakespeare’s life improves as events rumble towards their awful conclusion for Alice. But he is still somewhat haunted by the tale of Alice Arden, and I adored how her final narrative is teased from those who have knowledge of it that isn’t known by all. It is horrific.

This was such an engaging narrative. I liked neither character at points, but they both had endearing qualities that made it a joy to read this fictionalised account of what might have been.

It’s a fabulous story.

Check out my review for The Maids of Biddenden.

Meet the author

I have written four novels in the last eight years under the penname GD Harper.

My last novel, The Maids of Biddenden, the imagined biography of real-life conjoined twins born in 12th-century Kent, was featured on BBC TV News and was the winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the historical fiction category, shortlisted for the 2022 Selfie Award at the London Book Fair, and shortlisted or longlisted for five other awards.

It has over a thousand ratings on Amazon UK and Goodreads, with an average score of 4.3. Across the major Amazon markets, it reached number sixteen in overall paid-for e-book sales, number two in historical fiction and number one in medieval historical fiction.

Blog banner for the Arden by GD Harper blog tour

I’m sharing my review for The Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker, the second book in her The Village Detectives series #blogtour #cosycrime #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

We regret to announce the tragic death of Phoebe Fredericks…

When crime novelist Phoebe opens the post and receives an invitation to her own funeral, she’s horrified. Not least because the date of her death is marked as tomorrow.

Deciding it’s nothing more than a prank from an enemy from her past, she determines to put it to the back of her mind.

But the next morning, when her completely infuriating postman (who likes to think himself her no.1 literary critic) rings her doorbell, a parcel of poisoned pen-nibs explodes in his face. Forced to confront the fact her correspondence is more RIP than RSVP, Phoeve realises someone must want her dead.

Together with the newly-formed Village Detectives – Juno, Mil and Felix – Phoebe resolves to find out who is behind the poison pen letters before they strike again and her fate is signed, sealed and delivered!

An totally hilarious, modern cozy crime mystery, from million-copy bestselling author Fiona Walker, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janet Evanovich and Janice Hallett.

Cover image for The Village Detectives and the Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/poisonpensocial

My Review

The Poison Pen Letters is the second book in The Village Detective Series (or the VDs, as Juno somewhat unwittingly terms them). I’ve read book one and really enjoyed it. Book two is even stronger, perhaps because I know the characters, but also, I think because the plotting is even more secure. I genuinely had no idea who the real culprit was, which was fabulous.

Book 2 sees our intrepid foursome tackling the problem of who murdered the local postie on Phoebe’s doorstep with the use of a poison pen letter – a crime that, even though you know it’s coming at some point, is still quite shocking. While Pheobe’s husband is determined it’s someone outside the village from their past, Pheobe has other ideas. But of course, she is once more penning one of her crime novels (the little additions of that novel are delicious) and has no real time to focus on what’s happening. Juno is as outrageous as ever, and her mother is such a fun character as she dips in and out of the narrative, as does her creaky car.

The personalities of a small village are lovingly brought to life, and I appreciated all the N gauge model railway comments, as I once spent some time selling off a set. It was also good to see @VeryBritishProblems mentioned as part of the social media universe that makes up a large part of the novel.

The Poison Pen Letters is brimming with fabulous characters and a perplexing crime, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Meet the author

Fiona Walker is the million copy bestselling author of joyously funny romantic comedies. Most recently published by Head of Zeus, she will be turning to cozy crime for Boldwood. The first in her new Village Detectives series, The Art of Murder, will be published in May 2024.

Connect with the author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/FionaWalkerNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/fiona-walker

Blog banner for The Poison Pen Letters blog tour

I’m sharing my review for the thoroughly atmospheric, The Crash by Kate Furnivall #newrelease #histfic

Here’s the blurb

If you were given the opportunity to disappear and start your life again, would you take it?

Paris 1933. Four people’s lives are dramatically torn apart by a single terrifying event. Two days before Christmas the express train to Strasbourg crashes into a local train in the winter darkness outside Paris. On board is Gilles Malroux, a man with a shady past and a strong reason to avoid the police. In the mayhem of the crash he is badly injured but to avoid capture by the police he swaps identity papers with one of the other victims of the impact. Gilles tries to flee in the dark but finds himself taken to the house of a woman he doesn’t know but who calls him Davide. She nurses him. But is the bitter medicine in the spoon she puts to his lips healing him or harming him?

Camille Malroux is Gilles’ sister. She works for the French Civil Service and is trying to climb the ladder of respectability after a childhood in poverty. When she is informed by police that her brother is seriously injured in hospital, she rushes to his bedside, only to discover it is not Gilles. It is a heavily bandaged stranger. He is unconscious and has her brother’s identity papers in his locker. Only by digging to discover the true identity of the bandaged man in the hospital bed can she hope to trace Gilles.

But Gilles is sinking into further danger. He is drugged. A priest and a doctor hover over him, as if waiting for him to die, and constantly the woman who calls him Davide is at his side. What is it she wants from him?

The Crash is thrilling historical fiction about identity, revenge and survival.

Cover image for The Crash by Kate Furnivall

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3AAfiXE

My Review

The Crash by Kate Furnivall is a thrilling historical mystery set around Christmas 1933 in Paris, and follows the events after a horrific train crash in which Camille fears her brother has died. What ensues is a thrilling investigation to uncover what exactly her brother, Gilles, was involved in, taking many unexpected twists and turns along the way (no spoilers here).

It is thoroughly atmospheric, the chill seeping into my bones.

It’s always nice to get a little ‘reader quote’ box over on the ‘Zon:)

I’m delighted to welcome Nicolette Croft and her new book, The Curse of Maiden Scars, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #GothicFiction #WomensFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Nicolette Croft and her new book, The Curse of Maiden Scars from the Maiden Mother Crone Series, to the blog with an audio clip.

Audio Clip: Chapter 16

Here’s the Blurb

A Yorkshire orphan struggling for opportunity against 18th-century odds reluctantly transforms into a Venetian courtesan during the Empire’s last days.

Sixteen-year-old Renna Covert toils away in the shadows of a Yorkshire workhouse, her days filled with the mundane task of shelling cotton and the dangerous duty of scouting for punters. One fateful night, she crosses paths with two sailors and finds herself thrust into the heart of a chilling encounter at the local asylum.

These harrowing experiences catalyze Renna’s journey, promising newfound opportunities and revealing long-buried family secrets. Yet, at every turn, powerful forces conspire to thwart her quest for truth, forcing her to abandon her scullery work and embark on a daring escape to Venice alongside her steadfast companions.

In the labyrinthine alleys of Venice, Renna’s fate takes yet another twist. She is ensnared by a cunning Madam who trains her as a Venetian courtesan. But beneath the veneer of luxury lies a world fraught with danger, where Renna must rely on her witts and resilience to navigate the treacherous waters of deceit and betrayal.

Set against the backdrop of Venice’s tumultuous Napoleonic invasion of 1797, this is a tale of a girl’s struggle for survival. It is a story of resilience, defiance in the face of adversity, and, ultimately, one young woman’s determination to reclaim her identity.

THE CURSE OF MAIDEN SCARS is a coming-of-age, women’s fiction novel with gothic flair set in the tradition of Victoria Mas’ THE MADWOMAN’S BALL, and Sarah Dunant’s IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN, with the sensuality of LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER.

Buy Links

Universal Link:

Meet the Author

Nicolette Croft can’t remember a time when she was not creating imaginary worlds inspired by her Hungarian and American ancestors. As a neuro-divergent learner, however, putting those stories to paper proved more challenging than imagining them. Because her determination would not allow her to settle, she pursued an English B.A. to improve her writing.

Young motherhood also brought unexpected challenges, which motivated her to pursue graduate work in twice-exceptional learners and education. She would later add an M.A. degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in neurodivergent people, trauma, and grief. Nicolette uses her natural gift of storytelling as an exploratory method for her clients.

The Curse of Maiden Scars is also an outgrowth of her personal journey and marks her first publication as a novelist, having previously published short fiction. When not at her counseling practice or researching historical facts for her latest story, Nicolette shares treasured time with family, friends, and her husband. Whether writing, cooking, traveling, or learning, the act of creation is always at the center of her colorful life.