MJ Porter

I’m sharing my review for Lady For A Season by Melissa Addey #regencyromance #blogtour #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

A young duke declared mad. His nurse masquerading as a lady.
One social season in which to marry him off.
What could possibly go wrong?
When foundling Maggie takes a job caring for Edward, she knows him only as a young man declared mad and kept privately under the care of a physician to avoid any scandal for his family.
But Edward is the heir to the Duke of Buckingham and when his father dies his family determine to marry him off to secure the title and the estate. Edward insists that Maggie stay by his side, so she must be passed off as a lady for one social season, during which time a marriage can be arranged.
When a midnight carriage comes for Maggie, is she ready for the makeover of a lifetime? Can she remember all the rules, keep the secrets of Atherton Park… and above all, avoid falling in love?
A delightful Regency romance, full of historical detail and emotional choices, as two downtrodden characters come to know their true worth and what they mean to each other. The Season has begun, the ton is gathered… and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Edward.

Cover image for Lady for A Season by Melissa Addey

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Season-Regency-Outsiders-Melissa-Addey-ebook/dp/B0DFJTSLYB/

https://www.amazon.com/Season-Regency-Outsiders-Melissa-Addey-ebook/dp/B0DFJTSLYB/

My Review

Lady for a Season is a thrilling Regency romance, well-written and with two really intriguing main characters, who allow us to view the period through new eyes; the jaundiced ones of Edward and the wide-eyed ones of Maggie, who should not only not be a part of the whole Ton, but who is able to see the restrictive Regency convenctions for what they are. It is a heady combination, and I can see why the series is called The Regency Outsiders.

Maggie is very much our main POV, and she is a most sympathetic character, able also to offer us an outsiders view of the ‘treatments’ poor Edward is forced to endure as part of his status as a ‘lunatic’ (which are horrifying and based on period-relevant research). Once Edward is recalled to his duties as a highly valuable marriage asset, Maggie is the one to highlight the societal differences and how rigid many of the conventions were. She wins Edward’s regard and those of others who occupy the liminal space between master and servant. It is a fabulous way to teach readers about the period – all told with warmth. The reader is certainly rooting for Maggie as she learns about the many requirements of dressing correctly and conducting herself in the ‘acceptable’ way. As pretty as the dresses might well be, I don’t think any of us would welcome being forced to endure all the contrived elements.

Edward, born to the lifestyle but also a very different individual from what might have been expected of a high-born member of the nobility, has also seen what Maggie has—that there is a very different way of living. He is tested by convention and driven by a real fear that he truly is a lunatic.

Lady for a Season is a most enjoyable tale. Even if we do suspect the eventual ending, as I’ve said before, that is the joy of the genre—how our conflicted characters also reconcile themselves to it. I will certainly be reading more of the series.

Meet the author

Melissa grew up and was home educated on an Italian hill farm. She now lives in London with her husband, two children and a black and white cat called Holly who enjoys the editing process as there is so much scrap paper involved.
She mainly writes historical fiction, inspired by what she calls ‘the footnotes of history’: forgotten stories or part-legends about interesting people and places. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, and enjoys moving from one historical era to another, finding stories to share, like a travelling minstrel. So far she’s been to Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco and 18th century China. Lady for a Season is her first Regency romance, although her books have always had a romantic streak to them. Join her on her travels: browse her books.

Connect with the author
Website: http://www.MelissaAddey.com

Blog tour banner for Lady for a Season by Melissa Addey

Check out my review for From The Ashes, Melissa Addey’s Roman-era historical fiction set around the events of Vesuvius and the building of the Colosseum.

I’m delighted to welcome Heather Miller and her new book ,’Tho I Be Mute, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #CherokeeHistory #AmericanHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Heather Miller and her new book, ‘Tho I Be Mute, a prequel to Yellow Bird’s Song, to the blog with an excerpt.

Excerpt

Chapter 26, “The Cave,” Sarah Northrup Ridge

The Man in the Hat belched and laughed, passing the bottle back and forth to Whitmore and the Pan Man. If the squatters kept drinking at this pace, they might not notice if I was missing from the end of the rope. I smeared dripping blood from one wrist onto the other, wriggling my still-bound hand free. With a spontaneous decision, I released the rope and dashed to slide, feet first, then wiggling into the hole to follow the roots underground.

The drop was further than I expected, and I toppled to my knees, propelled forward when my feet splashed in yesterday’s rain. I had not thought about the drop. I had not thought about the fall. I had not thought about the dark. My bleeding hands stopped my fall. I soaked them in the pool of water at my knees and pulled the bloody handkerchief from my pocket to bind the torn skin of one wrist. My knees bled from scrapes and my stockings were bloody to my shins. Inside, the air was like frozen frost. The numb tips of my fingers could still reach the cave’s opening, but the last day’s light was insufficient to light my path any further than a few steps. My hand grazed the rock behind my back. I sat among the puddles, mute, expecting the dreaded eyes and otherworldly voice of Man with the Hat. Silent tears spilled down my cheeks. But for now, I was hidden beyond his reach. Not only cold but wet, I might freeze to death before anyone found me.

The longer the upper hole was quiet, the more I relaxed. I cupped the cold water from the puddle and patted it on my face, down my neck to counter the fever I felt. The longer I remained invisible to my captors, the faster my witness rejoined me. I became whole again. I listened outside this pit of earth. A whippoorwill called the sundown. An owl hooted with melancholy and offered his tender empathies. Their sounds echoed off the rock walls. I warmed from their companionship.

But while I became invisible to the Man in the Hat, I was also invisible to Arch who would be at least a day’s travel behind me. That was the best I could hope for. The worst I could imagine was snowfall, to leave me starving and freezing alone. No. There was a worse outcome—raped, abandoned, found dead. My hands and feet tingled. My breath was too loud. I prayed, Jesus, please light my way for this innocent baby. In that moment of faith, the child inside me spread a hand to mirror mine resting atop my belly. I kept my eyes closed and asked forgiveness for burying us alive in this cave. But I had no choice.

Leaves fell through the opening and feet darted above me. I wriggled, pushing my back against the cavern wall, pulling my feet close to my chest. The Man with the Hat never asked my name, and I never offered it. He had nothing to call, nothing to yell. Recognizing his oversight, he kicked leaves around the cave opening where I hid. I preferred starvation, frozen into a block of ice, than answering his call.

He shouted. “Red . . . You’ll show when you get hungry enough. We’ll camp right here. I ain’t going no further.”

His volume varied, as if he walked in circles, sending his snide voice in differing directions. As he spoke, the tone and bustle above me continued. Men’s voices and horse whinnies became more distinct while they searched for me. I smelled salt pork slung on an iron pan, the same one that clanked in front of me. I salivated while listening to their exchange.

“She ain’t gone far. She just hiding,” The Man in the Hat said.

“I can’t find her. Can you?” Whitmore gave his sarcastic reply as the Pan Man laughed.

“I will.” The Man in the Hat spoke, then he swore after. Leaves crunched under his boots near the bluff’s opening. His legs blocked their firelight. Then, his hand came through the void. I covered my mouth to block the sound of my rapid breathing.

“We still got the extra horse,” Whitmore said, “even if she’s up and climbed a tree.”

The Man in the Hat walked away and said, “She’s pregnant. She couldn’t fit in that hole, and she ain’t up no tree, you drunk bastard.” The Man in the Hat cursed me, knowing that my absence guaranteed the trio’s empty bottles and empty pockets.

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.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

Meet the Author

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.

Connect with the Author

Website:

Follow the ‘Tho I Be Mute blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to welcome Linnea Tanner and her new book, Apollo’s Raven, to the blog #HistoricalFantasy #HistoricalFiction #AncientRome #Britannia #CelticMyth #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Linnea Tanner and her new book, Apollo’s Raven, Book 1 in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series, to the blog with a trailer.

Trailer

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?

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.”

Buy Link

Universal Link:

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

All 4 books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series are available on #KindleUnlimited

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

Meet the Author

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.

Connect with the Author

Website: BookBub:

Follow Apollo’s Raven blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

A visit to Malmesbury and the Athelstan 1100 celebrations

Another stop off on my roadtrip to Devon and back in September 2024. This time we’re in Malmesbury, on a sunny day (these were quite rare) and meeting King Athelstan in Malmesbury Abbey.

The first three books in the Brunanburh series by MJ Porter

Athelstan was buried in Malmesbury Abbey and although they no longer know ‘exactly’ where he is (no doubt thanks to the Reformation and the Civil War) they have a fabulous memorial to him, and this year, marking the 1100 anniversary of him becoming king of Mercia (and possibly Wessex, but the timeline there is more hazy), they’ve been holding some fabulous events in Malmesbury as a whole, including in the Athelstan Museum. Here’s some photos from within the abbey, and at the bottom, one of my most favourite historical rulers – ‘Athelstan, the first RULER of all England.’ (Love it).

I also took a walk through the town and visited the Athelstan Museum, who have had a replica sword made, and it was stunning, although I forgot to take any photos of it.

Athelstan 1100 bunting outside the shops

And perhaps the best ‘rush’ an author can ever have – finding their books in a brick and mortar book shop. Huge thanks to Barn Owl Books, Malmesbury, for stocking not one, not two, but three of my books featuring Athelstan.

King of Kings and Kings of War, about Athelstan and his fellow kings in the tenth century

Check out the Brunanburh Series

Check out The Royal Women Who Made England

I’m sharing my review for How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner, a funny, twisted thriller #bookreview #thriller

Here’s the blurb

When your boss is at a conference in a city where there’s a suspicious death, it’s unlucky.

If it happens twice, it’s odd.

But when she’s in the same city at the same time as a third unexplained death . . .

Could she be a stone-cold killer?

Millie’s always known her boss Freya is a psycho – the demanding and ever-changing coffee orders, the cryptic instructions, the apparently expected mind reading and don’t even start on the insistence that Millie wears heels . . . All. The. Time.

But it only extends as far as exacting office standards. Right?

As Freya’s assistant, Millie has privileged access to her diary and travel history and when a pattern emerges of men (who seem to have no connection to each other) dying in cities where Freya is travelling, Millie is determined to figure out what’s going on.

After all, a stone-cold killer could be exactly what Millie needs . . .

Cover image for How to Slay at Work by Saeah Bonner

My Review

How to Slay at Work is an entertaining read.

Our first main character, Millie, is very amusing in a slightly ‘put upon way.’ The dynamics between her and Freya, her boss, are amusing and well-portrayed. As Millie’s suspicions grow, it’s almost a shame when our POV shifts and we encounter Freya herself. However, Freya’s perspective definitely adds a whole new dimension to what’s actually going on.

Indeed, the book’s first half passes by very quickly, covering quite a short period. In some ways, the book suffers from having such a fabulous set-up, which can’t quite be maintained throughout the second half as we learn more and more about our characters. The dark, twisty humour does die away a bit—perhaps unsurprising in the face of what the reader learns.

That said, the book’s second half is still good, even if the ending seems a little rushed, as we meet our third POV.

Both of our main characters are untrustworthy narrators, which allows for a few ‘I didn’t see that coming moments’.

It’s a fun and entertaining read. It’s certainly twisty and stuffed with some fabulous dark humour (in the first half).

I visited the ruins of Shaftesbury Abbey in a torrential downpour but it was still beautiful

Shaftebury Abbey is a ruin, in private hands and run by a charity, and I was desperate to visit because it’s where King Alfred’s daughter, Æthelgifu, was an abbess, and where King Edmund’s first wife, Ælfgifu, was buried, (the mother of Eadwig and Eadgar/Edgar) and where the body of King Edward the Martyr was moved to after his murder (the oldest son of Eadgar/Edgar). You can read about these women in my The Royal Women Who Made England non-fiction title. And I’ve fictionalised many of them as well, especially Lady Elfrida, accused of murdering her stepston.

However, I was there on a day so biblically wet a few weeks ago, that sadly, they had to close (i.e. this is the first time I’ve been kicked out of a historical monument), but the volunteers were absolutely lovely and I’m grateful they let me look for as long as possible before making sure they got home safely on roads that were very, very wet. And, it made the whole experience very atmospheric. If you pop over to their website, there are fab images of it being sunny. https://www.shaftesburyabbey.org.uk I hope to be able to return on day when it’s not raining.

Taking photos of all the plants in the herbal garden

The lettering by the monument to Edward the Martyr

From memory, this is where it’s believed Edward the Martyr was originally buried when the abbey was in use

I’m sharing an excerpt from Ships of War-Murky Water by Bradley John #blogtour #HistoricalFiction #NavalFiction #NavalAdventure #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Here’s the blurb

1791 — England’s cannon remain ever silent as her shipping is ruthlessly preyed upon, a detestable state of affairs, though soon to be remedied…

England is ill prepared, Europe is in turmoil and the French Revolution is readying to sweep across the continent. A tedious uneasy peace poises on a knife’s edge. Brittana rules the waves, yet as more and more ships mysteriously vanish, it is rightly thought an act of war. However, England needs more time, or all could be lost.

With war looming, Lieutenant Hayden Reginald Cooper, Royal Navy, awaits in Portsmouth braving a bitter cold winter with half pay, beached in a constant state of penury. With little prospects, little “interest” and no chance of promotion or advancement, he is the perfect choice for the Admiralty: unknown, unimportant and wholly dispensable.

As so it begins, a turbulent action-packed naval adventure within the murky waters preceding war, the French piracy soon to discover the grit of a lowly Lieutenant, one who has very little to lose…

Cover image for Ships of War: Murky Waters by Bradley John

Buy Link

https://books2read.com/u/br2gDZ

Check out this excerpt from Murky Water

Bradley John ©

Chapter 6

Captain Cooper, in the fashion of any seasoned naval officer, waited quietly and patiently, assessing the situation. His eyes drew down upon his target, a split second to weigh the most likely, indeed the most advantageous method of its destruction. The possibilities brewed within his mind’s eye, infusing a furious broth of wild notions as he carefully played out the encounter. He raised his hand, the blade within professionally poised, glistening. His grip held firm, his aim true, the sharpened edge hovering for one last moment before down it came. This was likely the best acting rabbit he had seen for some time he thought. He was salivating to be sure. With the tip of his knife, he carefully flipped off the awning, or what some might call the clagger or the clakker, those being the curious names with which a seaman commonly accounted for the pastry top of a baked meat pie. The flakes melted in his mouth, forcing his eyes shut as he swilled the juices. It weighed as a rare moment, one a poor naval officer might eternally savour.

Cooper usually tended to judge eating and drinking as tantamount to some unnecessary distraction, even an annoyance. But not this time, for within all his planning had he foremost selected this particular inn for this very reason. And now he could afford it. Apart from a handsome meat pie, a delicious ale and a comfy berth, it was here he might furtively base his operations. The first order of business was to properly acquaint the situation with his particular friend. To that end had a vague note to Spencer been dispatched, encrypted in his own personal way, but nonetheless official. Forthwith was the Lieutenant required and directed to attend the Crispin & Crispianus, an inn on London Road, exactly at eight bells in the afternoon watch. For a seaman in the Royal Navy that would amount to the start of the first dogwatch which, for a landsman, would be exactly four o’clock in the afternoon.

Meet the author

Bradley John Tatnell (aka “Bradley John”) is an Australian novelist whose ancestry can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in England. His forbears lived mostly in Kent, Hertfordshire and the Isle of Thanet. Some were mariners and some were even of the aristocracy. His direct ancestors arrived in Australia soon after its colonisation in the late 1700’s, most of which were proud country folk. James Squire, a notable character in history, who arrived on the first fleet in 1788, was his (sixth) great grandfather.

Bradley John graduated from the Church of England Grammar School at age 16 and the Queensland University of Technology at age 19. His early life was spent mainly in the arena of law.

Bradley John has a love of all things ancient and historical, including golf, to which he plays with ye old hickory shafted clubs including the original heads from pre-1935. He also studies the ancient art of Korean sword, having attained master level. His love of language, in all its forms, now extends to the pursuit of conquering Hangul, the language of the Korean people.

Bradley John has been privately writing novels since 2003. “Ships of War — Murky Waters”, his first publication, births a series of naval adventure fiction intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars. This of course is the much loved genre which includes the thundering Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian and the popular “Master and Commander” blockbuster by Peter Weir. Owing to Bradley John’s English heritage, no guesses are needed to determine which side the book’s heroes will sail upon…

Connect with the author

Website: https://www.bradleyjohnauthor.com

Ships of War by Bradley John blog tour banner — Follow the Ships of War blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I finally visited Deerhurst, my fictional home for Ealdorman Leofwine in the Earls of Mercia series.

Back in the summer of 2011 (I think), I spent every evening when my children were in bed, trying to plot the possessions of the Earls of Mercia as revealed by the entries in Domesday Book (which I think is a totally normal thing to do).

It was a tedious process, which could be achieved much more quickly these days with Google Maps, but it was what I had available to me. Somewhat frustrated with the process because by that period many of the possessions of the Earls of Mercia and their family were not located in the original area of the Hwicce (roughly Gloucestershire), and aware that Deerhurst (which is in Gloucestershire) has a long history back to the Saxon period, I eventually plonked by ealdorman, Leofwine, (of the Hwicce) close to that location, and indeed, readers of the books will know that I have his family burials there. But, I’d never actually visisted Deerhurst before. Until now.

It is a beautiful location, and I’m sharing some photos from my visit, including The Angel, a surviving piece of Saxon sculpture, outside on the walls (my photos aren’t the best but it’s at a very awkward angle and quite high up the side of the building. You can find a much clearer image here https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulodykes/41119170111).

The font – not original to the church – but found in the 19th century and placed there. It is stunning.

Deerhurst hosts an annual lecture each year (indeed, it’s on 21st September 2024 this year), and is also open for visitors, for anyone else who fancies visiting. If you can’t make it, you can visit their website, and also order printed copies of the lectures, which I’ve done before now. https://deerhurstfriends.co.uk

And, just around the corner is Odda’s Chapel, another Saxon survivor. I will also share photos from Odda’s Chapel in a few days.

Check out the Earls of Mercia series page.

Posts

I’m delighted to welcome Laura Rahme and her new book, The Signare of Gorée, to the blog #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Laura Rahme and her new book, The Signare of Gorée, to the blog with The Last Waalo Queen: Ndaté Yalla Mbodj.

The Last Waalo Queen: Ndaté Yalla Mbodj

One of the historical figures that I feature in my novel, The Signare of Gorée, is Senegal’s last warrior queen, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj. Her origins are generally accepted to be a blend of Serer and Lebou, two of the main cultural groups in Senegal. She held the title of lingeer of the Waalo kingdom of Senegal. She appears only briefly in my book and does not play a direct part in the mystery, yet her presence looms large and hints at key events that would change Senegal’s destiny in the upcoming decade.

During the 1840s, Senegal consisted of independent kingdoms. The Waalo kingdom which extended along the northwest of Senegal, sharing a border with Mauritania, comprised the island of Saint-Louis, settled by the French since 1659. South of Waalo lay the kingdom of Cayor which engulfed today’s capital, Dakar, then a Lebou village. Only a short pirogue trip away was the island of Gorée, ceded to Europeans, and a center for commercial and slave trade for centuries.

The Signare of Gorée is set in a period when concessions by Waalo rulers allowed the French to trade in Senegal, but during which French figures were not sovereign. Europeans had to pay custom taxes to continue to trade freely in the Waalo. Over the years and leading into 1854, the French encountered increasing opposition, and what they saw as nuisances, arising from Waalo or Cayor rulers, but also from the Trarza Moors who dwelled across the Mauritanian border. Frustrated in their desire for economic gain, French entrepreneurs aspired to conquest as the means to secure the flow of resources and merchandise. As such, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj was not only the sole female ruler of Senegal, but she was to be the last queen of non-colonized Senegal. Her fight would be bitter and determined.

She ascended the throne in the palace of Nder on 1 October 1846 upon the death of her sister, Njembot Mbodj. While still young, both women had witnessed their mother’s tragic self-immolation during a battle with the Trarza moors. The Waalo army consisted of fiercely animist male warriors called tieddos, but the Waalo women were also trained in combat. Since then, and despite French military intervention to thwart it, a marital alliance between Njembot Mbodj and the Trarza ruler had smoothed discords between the Waalo kingdom and the Trarza emirate. But during her rule, Ndaté Yalla was forced to fight both the French and the Trarzas.

From the time she stepped on the throne, Ndaté Yalla made it clear that the French were to obey tithe and land boundary agreements. She wrote them letters and signed them – the only female ruler to do so – and defied them, asserting her rulership over the Waalo. In short, she bothered them.

Ndaté Yalla Mbodj et her husband Marosso Tassé Diop
An engraving by Jules Gaildrau (1816-1898)
Public domain image

Together with her husband, Marosso Tassé Diop, who was prince of Cayor, Lord of Koki, and commander of the Waalo’s tieddo army, Ndaté Yalla fought regularly with the French and Moors.

But the French would have the last word. They called upon Louis Faidherbe, a poly-engineer and French general, to quell both the Trarzas and the Waalo kingdom. In 1854, the Bordeaux entrepreneur, Hilaire Maurel, who appears in The Signare of Gorée, would end up playing a decisive role, along with his nephew, Marc Maurel, in General Faidherbe’s mind-blowing ascension as governor of Senegal. They worked behind the scenes to ensure that the like-minded Faidherbe and his military strategies would clear the path for their already thriving enterprises and future economic ambitions.

Rallying an army that included coerced local troops, Faidherbe defeated Ndaté Yalla Mbodj in 1855, spelling the collapse of the kingdoms of Waalo and Cayor. The fall of the lingeer was powerfully symbolic. The other male-led kingdoms of Senegal would fall soon after, marking the start of France’s colonization of Senegal. During his 1855-1864 campaign, General Faidherbe employed a scorched-earth policy, burning through fertile plains and razing villages. He not only burned Ndaté Yalla Mbodj’s palace in Nder but took away her son, Sidya Diop. The afflicted lingeer would die in 1860, in Dagana, where her commemorative statue stands today.

I was born in Dakar fifteen years after Senegal regained its independence from France. Colonial education must have lingered a while as I never learned about Ndaté Yalla Mbodj at school. I also suspect the Senegalese values of soutoura (discretion) and muñ (to tolerate) encouraged a long silence on the sufferings and injustices of the past. But in the last twenty years, in the name of historical accuracy, and as more African voices are given due weight, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj’s name has resurged. Publications that tell of her important story now exist in multiple languages. I am not the first to mention her, but it was important for me to feature her in The Signare of Gorée.

Blurb

1846. In the heat of West Africa, the French navy uncovers the corpses of two French soldiers. Inspector Maurice Leroux arrives at the island of Gorée. It seems death has come to this small colonial outpost off the Senegal coast, home to the prosperous mixed-blood women known as the signares.

The navy suspects that the Bambara people, emboldened by approaching emancipation, may be out for blood. While confronted by the locals’ strange magical beliefs, Maurice remains skeptical. Does malevolence play a part, or are these deaths accidental, brought upon by the brutality of nature in an island known as the white man’s grave?

But when murder strikes, it becomes clear that a killer is stalking Gorée.

Swept by a mystery unlike any he has known, Maurice meets Signare Angélique Aussenac. The proud métis, deserted by her wealthy Bordeaux lover, casts her spell upon Maurice.

But beyond the throbbing sounds of the tam-tams and the glittering signare soirées, danger lurks. Someone is watching. And the deaths go on.

Could the killer be one of the rich Bordeaux merchants? Or are they hiding among the powerful signares?

A historical mystery spanning France and Senegal, THE SIGNARE OF GORÉE explores a world of magic, murder, and passion.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Meet the Author

Laura Rahme is the author of seven historical novels. Born in Dakar, Senegal where she spent her early childhood, she moved to Australia at the age of ten. A graduate of two Honors degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Psychology, she has worked over two decades as an IT professional. Her greatest joy comes from travel, researching history, and penning historical mysteries. She now lives in France with her screenwriting husband.

Connect with the Author

Website:

Follow the Signare of Goree blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m sharing an excerpt from Bandy by Craig R Hipkins, a YA hist fic novel #HistoricalFiction #Adventure #YA #BlogTour #Snippets #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Here’s the blurb

Isaac’s only friend is a passenger pigeon named Bandy. He deludes himself in believing the bird talks to him. Bullied, he is resigned to a life of being the misunderstood bookworm by neighboring boys until a disastrous fire kills his parents and little sisters, sparing only his younger brother, Thomas. He and Thomas are taken in by their Uncle Raymond, an abolitionist, who plans to send Isaac to Virginia to buy Joy, a young slave with debilitating health, from her slave owner, Wil Jericho. Shortly after arriving in Virginia, Isaac learns the ugly truth. The butler who accompanied him on the journey killed his uncle before leaving and plans to do the same to Isaac to steal Raymond’s estate.

Isaac, with Joy, escape into the backwoods of Virginia. Discovering passages of the Underground Railroad, stowing away in carriages, hiding in churches, and outwitting the mercenaries hired by Jericho, the two teens fight tooth and nail to make it to Boston before they’re caught. Will Joy be taken from this life by sickness before she’s found freedom? On their journey, they learn a lot about each other. Isaac promises to bring Joy to Bandy’s pond, a heavenly place where peace and serenity reign.

Cover image for Bandy by Craig R Hipkins

Buy Link

This novel is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

https://books2read.com/u/m27zQr

Enjoy this excerpt

Isaac was poking at the fire with a stick, causing a shower of sparks to fly up into the sky. “I hope you are right, Joy. Moses has lived there his whole life. Perhaps he can talk his way out of it, even if Lucias does rat him out.”

For a short time, they sat in silence watching the flames lick up the wet smoky wood, each one caught in their own reveries. Finally, Joy broke the silence.

“Isaac?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s it like? I mean, how is it where you live? I have never left Virginia. This life is all I have ever known.”

He gazed at her, sitting, bent over, with her head resting on her knees. “Well, it’s a lot colder up there, but you wouldn’t know it from what we are feeling today. I am an orphan like you. Never really had any friends. Well, I…I do have one friend.”

She looked interested. “You do? A boy or a girl?”

He shrugged and the hint of a smile crossed his face. “Well, you won’t believe me if I told you.”

She sat up and shuffled closer to him. “Tell me. I want to know.”

He tilted his head back. “All right, but don’t laugh at me. You promise?”

She nodded, leaning forward with her chin resting on her hands.

Isaac cleared his throat. “Well, I have this place… I go there often. Been going there since I was little. It’s a pond. The water is always cold and clear. Sometimes it almost shines like God has polished it or something.”

He made a motion with his hand as if he had a cloth and was shining the air. He continued, “There is wildlife in abundance, Joy. I see deer, wild turkey, fox, turtles, and birds everywhere. I know all the trees, lots of maples and oaks, hemlocks, and white pine and even an old chestnut. Sometimes I climb up into its branches, almost to the top!”

She interrupted him. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

He shook his head. “Oh no. You see, it might sound strange, but I never worry about falling because the tree seems to protect me. If I slip, a branch is there to grab me. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it has always been like that. This…this pond is sort of my own little sanctuary. Everything is peaceful. We are all friends. It is like…like my own little heaven.”

Joy became animated. “But your friend? Tell me about your friend?”

He smiled, a carefree look, his mind traveling back to the place. He then turned to her. “Bandy is his name. He is gray, with a pink belly and black spots with a band around his neck… He…he is a passenger pigeon,” he blurted out. “I know you won’t believe me. I never tell anyone. In fact, you are the first person I have ever told, though a few people have seen me talking to Bandy, but they just made fun of me. They think I am crazy.”

Meet the author

Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018) He is an avid long distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.