MJ Porter

I’m welcoming Kimberley Adams and her new book, Love Beyond Lindisfarne, to the blog with a fab post about the setting for her new book #blogtour

Northumberland. The last county in England bordering Scotland. The guidebooks will tell you it’s got over 70 castles, some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK (the world in my opinion!), the darkest skies where stars jostle to find a space and the Aurora makes a frequent appearance, Hadrian’s Wall which cuts across some of the most remote areas of Britain with spectacular vistas, and the county is the least populated in England meaning miles of open space. And it’s all true! Northumberland was once one of the best kept secrets, but now it attracts a lot of visitors desperate to find a little peace and tranquillity in our busy world and come to see for themselves if all the hype is true.

When I began thinking about writing a rom-com and where it should be set, it took me all of about ten minutes to decide that I would go for a real location. These days it’s more commonplace than ever before to set books in real places and keep the actual name. From my feedback, readers love reading about places they have visited or want to visit, but they are a discerning bunch and, in my opinion, if you are writing real then keep it as real as possible! I always knew that I should write about where I knew best and that would be somewhere in the north east, but what was more difficult was deciding where in Northumberland the setting should be, I had a multitude of choices of beautiful villages and areas but perhaps the most iconic, and stunning, with a wealth of history and spirituality, had to be The Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Even the most fertile imagination couldn’t come up with anywhere more beautiful to set a winter love story.

I was born in Corbridge in southwest Northumberland and now live just about on top of Hadrian’s Wall, but I’ve visited Lindisfarne since a child and to this day still feel the magic as I cross the causeway. I could never lay claim to being local to the island, but that doesn’t stop me feeling a natural draw to this very special place. The island was home to the birth of Christianity, produced the stunning Lindisfarne gospels now housed in the British Museum, was invaded and pillaged by Vikings – it’s seen everything – and you get a sense of its history when you visit.

Lindisfarne Castle where much of the action in the book takes place, started off life during a time of religious and political upheaval but was very much re-imagined in 1901 when the editor of Country Life magazine refurbished it to his taste. Today the castle is managed by the National Trust and draws in thousands of visitors every year. I have used a little literary licence with the castle setting, but it’s still very recognisable (just don’t be expecting to find the rescue animals!)

If you haven’t visited Northumberland and like the great outdoors, a sense of space, some fantastic history and the famous Geordie warmth then I hope you come and see for yourself – and that you enjoy your bookish trip to Northumberland via the pages of my Lindisfarne books!

Here’s the blurb

Take a spring to summer trip to magical Northumberland and find love and laughter in this feel-good novel, which will transport you to the iconic island of Lindisfarne and beyond…

Ellie, and Zen with the coffee-bean eyes, met at Christmas when she came to Northumberland to look after rescue animals. They are taking their first tentative steps into a love-at-first-sight relationship and all in their spring garden should be wonderful.

When Lady Grace becomes ill, life at the castle changes overnight, and not for the better. The new custodian and his fiancée have plans, and the islanders are far from happy. When the filming of a reality show means the animals must move out of their yard due to the Queen of the Castle production company taking over, it’s the final straw.

Amongst all the drama, Love Beyond Lindisfarne is a story of love, intergenerational friendships, camaraderie, and oodles of the warmth and humour found in this very special corner of the world.

What readers said about Love Lindisfarne…

‘A fantastic read, both moving and hilarious, I wish I could give it more stars.’

‘Absolutely loved every word of this book, didn’t want it to end.’

‘A big warm Northumberland hug of a book.’

‘Can’t wait for the next one – it should be made into a film!’

*Love Lindisfarne featured as one of the highest-rated romcom books on Amazon*

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LOVE-BEYOND-LINDISFARNE-Springtime-Northumberland-ebook/dp/B0CZTRTCJ2

https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-BEYOND-LINDISFARNE-Springtime-Northumberland-ebook/dp/B0CZTRTCJ2

Meet the author

Kimberley Adams released her debut novel, Love Lindisfarne in Autumn of last year. The book, a romantic comedy, is set in her beloved Northumberland and is a heartwarming tale of love and friendship on the small tidal island of Holy Island. Kim was stunned by the way the book took off in the busy Christmas book market and it became one of the highest rated of its genre on Amazon and gained Kim a lot of new friends! Kim hadn’t thought about writing a sequel but demand was there and so Love Beyond Lindisfarne was born. The book features all the favourite characters but can be read as a standalone. Kim’s Lindisfarne books share a special feature as Kim engages with a local artist and between them, they create the covers to match a scene within the book. Kim is also to be published traditionally by Farrago in April 24 in The Book of Witty Women. This was as a result of her being a finalist in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and her story, Go Your Own Way, is a comedy set on urban Tyneside and introduces two of her favourite characters, Donna and her nana Mary!

Connect with the author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kim_adamsWriter

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

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095324844031

Today, I’m welcoming Juliet Greenwood, and her release, The Secret Daughter of Venice to the blog. There’s a competition too #blogtour #newrelease #histfic

I’m delighted to be sharing a guest post by Juliet Greenwood about how she researched the historical elements of her new book, The Secret Daughter of Venice.

Researching the experience of women in WW2

I found the hardest part of my research for The Secret Daughter of Venice, as with all my books, was finding events described from the point of view of the women who survived WW2, both in the UK and in Europe. There is getting to be more information now about ‘ordinary’ people, as well as the soldiers, the generals, the heads of state and the politicians who have always been at the centre of the story, but it is still difficult to find first-hand accounts and to really gauge how people lived, how they thought, how they survived.

I can remember as a child instinctively noticing the difference, without being able to put it into words, between the films about the war that generally focused on the heroics of battles, while at the same time hearing my parents and their generation re-living their experiences of everyday life under the shadow of shortages, of the possibility of death at any moment and the fear of what would happen should the UK be invaded. What I remember from the French side of the family, along with my teachers who had arrived in the UK as refugees from France and Germany, is the silence. I think, even then, I understood that all they had lived through, and were still living with, such as family lost in the gas chambers and memories of the firestorm in Hamburg, were too traumatic to express.

That was when I began to feel that I wanted to know more about the invisible, every day, experience of war. That’s not to say that the experience of those fighting evil in any way they could, or surviving the obscenity of concentration camps, is any less vital. It’s just that those have the information readily, and have been written about at length, while the women and children still remain largely silent.

The research I found most challenging involved the experience of women, and children and civilians in Europe during the war. Kate, the heroine of The Secret Daughter of Venice, experiences the war largely in Cornwall where, despite the shortages and the fear, and the anxiety for those at the front, life is ordered and purposeful, focused on growing food and looking after orphaned children in a place safe from the bombing of UK cities. It is only after the war has ended that she sees the utter destruction in Naples, the traumatised children left alone and fending for themselves, vulnerable to anyone wishing to prey on the desperate. Sofia, the second main character in the book, survives the war in Venice, where there is not the physical destruction experienced in the surrounding countryside, but the fear, along with shortages and hardship, seep into all parts of life, particularly once the Italians overthrow the fascist Mussolini and join the allies in the fight against Hitler, leading to Venice being occupied by the German army.

Like with my previous novel for Storm, The Last Train from Paris, I tried to glean from snippets of information what it must have been like to live through such terrifying times. How do you live when your country has been invaded by an alien force, when your existence, and those of your children, is meaningless, to be snuffed out on a whim? The Europe left after WW2 was very similar to the utter destruction we now see on our TV screens, with cities decimated, leaving no housing, no hospitals, no way of making a living, and, even if you have money, no food to buy, not even safe water to drink? I can see why reporters focus on the horrors, but we still have relatively little information of the quiet heroism of surviving day to day, when all the benefits of modern life have been stripped away.

I did find some first-hand accounts that gave me clues, including local newspapers and the oral histories contained in the BBC’s WW2 People’s War. But, in the end, I found myself going back to my memories of those I had heard talk – or not speak at all – of living through such times to try and get under the skin of what it must have been like. I can just hope that, in some measure, it helps to break the silence.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Here’s the blurb

The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.

England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat… warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.

Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…

A gripping, emotional historical novel of love and art that will captivate fans of The Venice Sketchbook, The Woman on the Bridge and The Nightingale.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Daughter-Venice-absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B0CVV7F4N7

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Daughter-Venice-absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B0CVV7F4N7

Meet the author

Juliet Greenwood is a historical novelist published by Storm Publishing. Her previous novel, The Last Train from Paris, was published to rave reviews and reached the top 100 kindle chart in the USA. She has long been inspired by the histories of the women in her family, and in particular with how strong-minded and independent women have overcome the limitations imposed on them by the constraints of their time, and the way generations of women hold families and communities together in times of crisis, including during WW2.

After graduating in English from Lancaster University and Kings College, London, Juliet worked on a variety of jobs to support her ambition to be a full-time writer. These ranged from running a craft stall at Covent Garden to running a small charity working with disadvantaged children, and collecting oral histories of traditional villages before they are lost forever. She finally achieved her dream of becoming a published author following a debilitating viral illness, with her first novel being a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and her first two novels reaching #4 and #5 in the UK Kindle store.

Juliet now lives in a traditional quarryman’s cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales, set between the mountains and the sea, with an overgrown garden (good for insects!) and a surprisingly successful grapevine. She can be found dog walking in all weathers working on the plot for her next novel, camera to hand.

Connect with the author

Storm: https://stormpublishing.co/

Website: http://www.julietgreenwood.co.uk/

Blog: http://julietgreenwoodauthor.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliet.greenwood

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julietgreenwood

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

BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/julietgreenwood.bsky.social

Giveaway to Win 3 x Signed copies of The Secret Daughter of Venice (Open to UK Only)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494587/?

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Today, I’m welcoming Anna Belfrage and her new book, Their Castilian Orphan, to the blog with an excerpt #blogtour #historicalfiction #historicalromance #blogtour

Here’s an excerpt from Their Castilian Orphan

In which Lionel—still hurting after having been told everything he though he knew about his parentage is a lie—and Noor reconcile

Noor had only visited the huge abbey church once before. As she recalled, it had been full of pilgrims and clerics, the sour scent of sweat and grime mingling with that of incense. She’d been too uncomfortable by the press of people to truly take in the magnificence of this huge space consecrated to God, but today, as she followed Father Alain in, the church was relatively empty. It was an hour or so after prime, and she was out of breath after hurrying after the priest, who’d appeared at their little inn, insisting she accompany him.

Despite the early hour, Robert and his men had already left for Clerkenwell. Elena was still asleep on the pallet in the room she shared with Noor and Robert, but Noor herself had been up since dawn, unable to sleep. All night, Lionel’s words had gnawed at her, and even if Robert was probably right when he said the lad did not mean them—not really—they still hurt. They hurt even more when she considered that they were still lying to him, still denying him his true lineage. But to tell him was impossible, for his sake as well as theirs.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Father Alain murmured beside her, and she bit back an annoyed remark along the lines that she had other matters preying on her mind—far more important matters. But she reluctantly agreed he was right, amazed by the vivid colours that wound their way up the wooden screens that portioned off the various chapels, the statues in red and blue and gold. She craned her head back to study the ceiling so high up above, and from beyond the rood screen came the sound of singing.

Robes swished as a group of priests passed by. A couple of women stood close together and prayed, and Noor bent her head and clasped her hands. Dearest Lord, keep Lionel safe. Safe from his true past, safe from too much suffering and pain. Help him find his way; help him know that he is so, so loved.

Father Alain’s touch on her arm brought her out of her fervent praying.

“He’s over there,” he said, dipping his head to gesture to a small shape that sat hunched in a corner, knees to his chest. “He was here when I came for prime. I think he has slept as badly as you have.” He gave her a smile. “Go on. He needs his mother.”

“He told me yesterday that I am not his mother.”

Father Alain brushed her cheek. “Of course you are. You have loved him and cared for him since he was a swaddled babe. Who else deserves to be called his mother? Those words, he said them in anger—and he regrets them.”

“Did he say as much?”

“Nay. But it suffices to look at him, don’t you think?”

Noor approached Lionel hesitantly. Once she reached him, she crouched before him, only to realise he was fast asleep, his face streaked with tear tracks. As she’d done so many times in his life, she adjusted his coif, cupping his cheek in the process. Still the downy cheek of a young lad, but when he opened his eyes, he looked far too weary for a lad not yet twelve.

“I am sorry,” he said hoarsely.

“So am I.” She slid down to sit on the floor beside him, ignoring the disapproving tsk from a passing priest. “But it was never my intention to cause you pain. All I wanted was to keep you safe—and with me.”

He nodded. “What was he like, my father?”

She frowned. “Dark hair, dark eyes, shorter than Robert and slim rather than stout. Strong shoulders, though. You could see he was a man accustomed to handling weapons.”

“Do I look like him?”

She studied him. “Maybe. I never knew him as a lad—truth is, I didn’t know him at all. He just rode into Orton Manor and asked me to take care of you.”

“Why?”

Noor sighed. “I do not know. There was so much upheaval at the time: Robert was God knows where helping the king finalise his conquest, there was falling out among the Welsh, far too many Marcher lords eager to claim more land from the defeated Welsh. A veritable quagmire, and I think your father found it hard to navigate through such turbulent times.”

“Do you believe he fought against the English?”

She knew he had. Fought and lost and died so, so bravely that distant day in Shrewsbury.

“I do not know,” she lied. Holy Mother, save her soul! But this lie was for Lionel’s sake, not hers. “I think that had he been fighting against the English, he’d have left you with his Welsh kin. Instead, he left—”

“Kin? You were his kin?”

“His very distant, very English kin,” she replied drily. “My grandmother was Welsh,” she offered.

“So you are my kin as well,” Lionel said, leaning against her. She wrapped an arm round his shoulders.

“I am.”

They sat like that for a while until Lionel began fidgeting. “I must get back,” he muttered. “Wilbur will be most displeased with me for slipping out as I did.” He exhaled. “He’ll likely belt me.”

Noor shot to her feet. “What? Do you want me to talk to him?”

Lionel looked horrified. “No! I can take it. Besides, Wilbur isn’t like Ambrose.”

“How so?” Father Alain asked, rising from where he’d been sunk in his own private devotions.

“Ambrose liked to hurt. Wilbur doesn’t.” Lionel shrugged.

Together, they made for the western doors. When they were some yards away, a clerk came scurrying from the direction of the choir, his sandals clacking on the stone floor. Noor had an impression of someone of a height with her and very thin, his face angular and dominated by shrewd eyes under heavy brows.

The man hurried by. Lionel grabbed hold of Noor’s kirtle. “That’s him,” he hissed. “That’s Humphrey!”

He’d not kept his voice down. The clerk turned, frowning at Lionel before glancing at Noor. He paled, even more so when he caught sight of Father Alain. With a little yelp, he took to his feet, leaping like a hunted hart towards the door.

“Well,” Father Alain said. “That was unfortunate.”

“Do you think he’ll flee?” Noor asked.

“I hope he does, for his sake. I hope he isn’t foolish enough to mention to his lord and master that we might know who he is.” Father Alain looked grim.

“Why would that be foolish?” Lionel asked.

“Eustace might be displeased,” Noor said lightly. “He expects Humphrey to keep to the shadows.” She ushered Lionel outside. “You hurry back to Wilbur and apologise profoundly. Tell him your foster mother desired your companionship for prime.”

Lionel nodded and trotted off.

“And Lionel,” she called, causing him to stop. She caught up with him. “Stay well away from Eustace—and Humphrey. Promise.”

Here’s the blurb

It is 1294 and Eustace de Lamont is back in England after five years in exile. He will stop at nothing to ruin Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Noor d’Outremer.

Robert’s half brother, Eustace de Lamont, has not mellowed during his absence. He is more ruthless than ever, and this time he targets Robert’s and Noor’s foster son, Lionel.

Lionel is serving King Edward as a page when Eustace appears at court. Not only does Lionel become the horrified witness to Eustace’s violent streak, Eustace also starts voicing his suspicions about Lionel’s parentage. The truth about Lionel’s heritage is explosive—should King Edward find out, all would be lost for Robert and Noor.

In October of 1294, Wales rises in rebellion. Robert must leave his family unprotected to fight the Welsh rebels on the king’s behalf, comforted only by the fact that Eustace too is called to fight.

Except that Eustace has no intention of allowing his duty to his king—or a mere rebellion—come between him and his desire to destroy Robert FitzStephan . . .

Buy Links

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal buy link: https://mybook.to/TCO

Meet the author

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17^th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14^th century England. Anna has just released the final instalment, Their Castilian Orphan, in her other medieval series, The Castilian Saga ,which is set against the conquest of Wales. She has recently released Times of Turmoil, a sequel to her time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding. . .

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

“A master storyteller”

“This is what all historical fiction should be like. Superb.”

Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com

Connect with the author

Website: www.annabelfrage.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abelfrageauthor

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

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/annabelfrageauthor

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-belfrage

Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/ABG

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage

Follow Their Castilian Orphan blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m welcoming Kinley Bryan and her new book, The Lost Women of Mill Street to the blog with a fantastic guest post #histfic

Mill Life in the Antebellum South

In the opening pages of The Lost Women of Mill Street, sisters Clara and Kitty Douglas each work a pair of power looms in a Roswell, Georgia, cotton mill. The Civil War has been raging for more than three years and will soon find its way to their village.

Like (fictional) Clara and Kitty, most mill workers in the antebellum South came from small, struggling farms, and their income was needed to make ends meet. Mill owners often recruited families who could provide several workers, as is the case with Clara and Kitty, whose mother, now deceased, had come with them to the mill years earlier.

At the Roswell mills and others throughout the South, employees went to work at sunrise and labored for ten to twelve hours, six days a week. Working conditions were poor: the noise was deafening, the ever-present dust and lint caused health problems, and the heat and humidity could be overwhelming. Working the rapidly moving spinning frames and power looms was dangerous: fingers, long hair, or clothing could become entangled in the machinery, causing severe injury or even death.

Some antebellum mill owners were slaveowners, and a small number of them put enslaved men to work in the mills doing the heaviest work: moving large bales of cotton, loading wagons with finished goods, and working in the pickers room, where raw cotton was cleaned of dirt and seeds. Black women were generally excluded from mill work.

While a small number of white men were employed by the mills, working as loom fixers or supervisors, the labor of poor white women and children was the cheapest. Women held jobs in the spinning and weaving rooms. Children worked entry-level jobs such as spinner or doffer. The spinner’s job was to move quickly up and down a row of machines, repairing breaks and snags. A doffer removed bobbins holding spun fiber from a spinning frame and replaced them with empty ones.

The mills featured in my novel are owned by the Roswell Manufacturing Company. Founded in 1839, the company became one of the largest textile mill operations in Georgia. Though the mills thrived, the mill workers did not. They were paid in scrip, which they spent at the company store for goods and supplies, after rent for factory housing was deducted from their pay. If they became sick or injured from the hazardous working conditions, there was no employer-provided health care or sick pay.

A source that was invaluable to my research on textile mills of the era, Neither Lady nor Slave: Working Women of the Old South, states that despite the Roswell mills’ success, the owners showed little concern for their employees’ welfare: “When new state legislation required operatives’ working hours be limited to from sunup to sundown, the board members voted that all Roswell employees, the majority of whom were women and children, could either work under the new laws but suffer reduced wages or work the old, longer hours for the same pay.”

During the Civil War, the Roswell mills produced gray woolen cloth for Confederate uniforms, as well as military supplies such as tent cloth, candlewick, and rope. When Federal troops arrived in Roswell during General Sherman’s 1864 advance through Georgia, it wasn’t surprising that they destroyed the mills. What was surprising was that the mill workers, mostly women and children, were arrested and sent hundreds of miles north.

In The Lost Women of Mill Street, Clara and Kitty’s experiences are based on actual events, and their troubles at the mill are just the beginning.

Here’s the blurb

1864: As Sherman’s army marches toward Atlanta, a cotton mill commandeered by the Confederacy lies in its path. Inside the mill, Clara Douglas weaves cloth and watches over her sister Kitty, waiting for the day her fiancé returns from the West.

When Sherman’s troops destroy the mill, Clara’s plans to start a new life in Nebraska are threatened. Branded as traitors by the Federals, Clara, Kitty, and countless others are exiled to a desolate refugee prison hundreds of miles from home.

Cut off from all they’ve ever known, Clara clings to hope while grappling with doubts about her fiancé’s ambitions and the unsettling truths surrounding his absence. As the days pass, the sisters find themselves thrust onto the foreign streets of Cincinnati, a city teeming with uncertainty and hostility. She must summon reserves of courage, ingenuity, and strength she didn’t know she had if they are to survive in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming land.

Inspired by true events of the Civil War, The Lost Women of Mill Street is a vividly drawn novel about the bonds of sisterhood, the strength of women, and the repercussions of war on individual lives.

Buy Link

https://books2read.com/lostwomenofmillstreet

Meet the author

Kinley Bryan’s debut novel, Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury, inspired by the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 and her own family history, won the 2022 Publishers Weekly Selfies Award for adult fiction. An Ohio native, she lives in South Carolina with her husband and three children. The Lost Women of Mill Street is her second novel.

Connect with the author

Website: https://kinleybryan.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kinleybauthor

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

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kinley-bryan

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kinley-Bryan/author/B09J5GWDLX

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21892910.Kinley_Bryan

Follow The Lost Women of Mill Street blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to welcome KJ McGillick and her new book, Whispers Through The Canvas, to the blog #blogtour #newrelease #mystery

I always love to hear how authors research their historical characters and events. KJ McGillick shares how she researched for her new book, Whispers Through the Canvas.

Howard Dynasty

To study the powerful Howard dynasty of Tudor England, I consulted a variety of digitized primary sources available online such as wills, letters, court records, and literary works from the era. Searching through these collections, I found references to key Howard figures like the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey and his ill-fated relatives. Contemporary accounts provided glimpses into the scandals, romantic entanglements, and power dynamics playing out at the royal court and aristocratic estates. Family correspondence shed light on inheritance disputes among the duke’s children. Literary pieces like Surrey’s poems and writings by other Howards offered additional perspectives on their remarkable century – chronicling their ascent, arts patronage, and the perils their elite status invited.

Levina Teerlinc
To learn about Levina Teerlinc, one of the earliest professional female artists in Renaissance England, I turned to digitized primary sources and secondary analyses available online. High-resolution images of Teerlinc’s exquisite miniature portraits hosted by museums revealed her skill at capturing likenesses. I searched literature databases for any mentions of Teerlinc from writings of her era, finding scattered records confirming her lifelong court employment. While limited biographical details survive, historians have reconstructed some context about her Flemish origins and artistic training based on fragments of evidence. Scholarly articles also examined her pioneering role as an art tutor to noble pupils.

Witchcraft 16th Century

To investigate 16th century England’s witchcraft accusations and trials, I immersed myself in digitized primary sources and scholarly research available online. This allowed me to examine the social tensions, religious upheaval, and cultural forces behind the deadly persecution of alleged witches. I accessed sensationalized literature published during the witch-hunting frenzy, providing window into the paranoia around women supposedly consorting with the devil. Legal records and transcripts illuminated how flimsy the evidence used to condemn the accused often was – a person’s reputation, a death, or unexplained misfortune could prompt charges. Scholarly journal articles analyzed the complex sociopolitical tensions of the Reformation era that enabled witchcraft hysteria to take hold, from anxieties over female autonomy to ruling elite distrust of the peasantry.

16^th century Occult Symbols

To explore the fascinating world of occult symbols and their place in 16th century English society, I delved into a range of digitized primary source materials and secondary scholarship available online.

One key resource was literature databases containing published works from the era. I examined texts on astrology, alchemy, magic, and esoteric philosophies for insight into the symbolic languages and imagery employed by occult practitioners and their beliefs. Engravings and woodcuts accompanying these works provided a visual catalogue of seals, sigils, and emblems.

I also searched through digitized diaries, letters, and accounts of the time for references to the use of occult symbols and coded markings in both elite and folk traditions. Correspondence between royals, nobles, and scholars sometimes mentioned encrypted communications or arcane symbolic meanings.

Court records, witness depositions, and transcripts from witchcraft trials offered a window into societal suspicion surrounding the perceived nefarious use and misuse of symbols and markings associated with magic and the supernatural. The language and suspicions revealed in these documents shed light on prevailing attitudes.

Additionally, I consulted digitized archaeological reports, inventories of home goods, and material culture studies to trace actual artifacts and objects bearing occult symbols that survived from 16th century England – whether tools, talismans or architecture.

By synthesizing evidence from these various sources, I could begin mapping the complex cosmological, mystical, and coded symbolic vernacular of the Renaissance era and how it manifested in art, writings, personal practice, and dangerous accusations.

Intrigued? Here’s the blurb.

Here’s the blurb

Murder… Across The Fractured Corridors of Time.

Plunged into a centuries-old conspiracy, unconventional art historian Rowan Southeil must race against time to stop an ancient evil from rewriting history. When a young artist is murdered in a chilling echo of medieval violence, Rowan finds herself drawn to a seemingly unrelated clue – a 16th-century painting drenched in arcane symbols. Aided by the victim’s haunting presence, Rowan delves into the painting’s mysterious past, uncovering a dark conspiracy that stretches back generations.

Teaming up with the pragmatic Detective Lancaster, the intuitive Rowan follows a daring journey through time, from the storied halls of 16th-century Tudor London to the secretive 17th-century Vatican. As she awakens powerful elemental forces within herself, Rowan must decipher the painting’s secrets – and the connection to the medieval-style murder – before Lev Rubilov, a dark centuries-old occultist, can harness its magic to rewrite history and restore a twisted vision of the past.

For fans of genre-blending thrillers like A Discovery of Witches and Outlander, this captivating novel weaves together mystery, the supernatural, and high-stakes time travel in a race against the clock to stop an ancient evil. Whispers Through The Canvas is a crime story, filled with action and adventure, within a historical fantasy milieu. If you love kick-ass heroines who have a bit of life experience and walk on the wild side of magic, this book is for you.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTHSC2H5/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CTHSC2H5/

Meet the author

From the bustling courtrooms of Atlanta to the vibrant tapestry of 16th-century England, Kathleen McGillick’s life and career have been a captivating blend of legal expertise, artistic passion, and a thirst for adventure.

Fueled by an undergraduate and graduate degree in nursing, Kathleen built a foundation of compassion and care. This dedication to service later led her to pursue a Juris Doctorate, allowing her to navigate the intricacies of the legal system for nearly three decades. Her courtroom experience now breathes life into the intricate details of her legal thrillers, ensuring every courtroom scene crackles with authenticity.

But Kathleen’s story doesn’t end there. A deep fascination with art history led her to delve into the world of renowned artists and captivating eras. Her particular passion for 16th-century British history allows her to transport readers to richly detailed historical settings, immersing them in the culture, politics, and societal nuances of the time.

Driven by an unwavering dedication to her craft, Kathleen has independently published eleven legal thrillers since 2018. Her commitment extends beyond solo creation, as she actively engages with the writing community, honing her skills through workshops and courses led by renowned authors.

And when she’s not crafting captivating narratives, Kathleen embarks on international journeys, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences that further enrich her writing. This global perspective adds another layer of depth and realism to her stories, allowing readers to connect with characters and settings that transcend geographical boundaries.

To delve deeper into Kathleen’s world and explore her captivating legal thrillers, visit her website at kjmcgillick.com.

Connect with the author

kjmcgillick.com

https://www.goodreads.com/kmcgillick

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/

I’m delighted to be sharing my review for Old Girls Behaving Badly by Kate Galley #blogtour #newrelease #comedy

Here’s the blurb

A delightfully heartwarming and funny story that proves it’s never too late to change the habits of a lifetime, perfect for fans of Judy Leigh, Hazel Prior and Maddie Please.

Something old, something new, something stolen…?

Gina Knight is looking forward to the prospect of retirement with her husband of forty-three years. Until, to her surprise, said husband decides he needs to ‘find himself’ – alone – and disappears to Santa Fe, leaving divorce papers in his wake.

Now Gina needs a new role in life, not to mention somewhere to live, so she applies for the position of Companion to elderly Dorothy Reed. At eighty-three, ‘Dot’ needs someone to help her around the house – or at least, her family seems to think so. Her companion’s first role would be to accompany Dot for a week-long extravagant wedding party.

But when Georgina arrives at the large Norfolk estate where the wedding will take place, she quickly discovers Dot has an ulterior motive for hiring her. While the other guests are busy sipping champagne and playing croquet, Dot needs Georgina to help her solve a mystery – about a missing painting, which she believes is hidden somewhere in the house.

Because, after all, who would suspect two old ladies of getting up to mischief?

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/oldgirlssocial

My Review

Old Girls Behaving Badly is a fun read with elements of mystery, which I wasn’t expecting and was very pleased to discover.

Our two main characters (and we get both of their POVs), Gina and Dorothy, are coming to terms (or not) with recent changes in their lives. While neither of them thinks they necessarily need one another, they soon discover that, in fact, they do, and they also like one another.

As the events of Dorothy’s big family wedding swirl around them, Gina and Dorothy are somewhat distanced from it. Both are trying to uncover the truth surrounding Dorothy’s husband’s death about a year ago. With the addition of a more fleet-footed granddaughter, our duo pursues the matter to the bitter end, and yes, it does feature a quad bike ride.

This story is really enjoyable. I read it in two days:)

Meet the author

Kate Galley writes UpLit and Bookclub fiction full of heart and humour. The older generation are at the centre of her stories and are usually wrapped up in a mystery.

She lives with her family in Buckinghamshire and works part time as a mobile hairdresser in the surrounding Chiltern villages.

In her spare time she crochets blankets, knits jumpers and also disappears into her workshop to play with kiln formed glass.

Kate is the author of The Second Chance Holiday Club – which has been optioned for TV – and The Golden Girls’ Road Trip.

Connect with the author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083291782773

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateGalley1

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-galley

Today, I’m reviewing #CrucialBlack by Colin Garrow, a highly- entertaining Scottish thriller set in Inverness

Here’s the blurb

A brace of corpses. A bone-crunching machine. A new recruit.

Now employed by an Inverness organised crime gang, former petty thief Relic Black is teamed up with hitman Ali McKay, the man he almost killed a few weeks earlier. As the team tidy up the loose ends after the shooting, gang member and bent cop DI McKenzie must investigate the disappearance of two people, knowing Relic and Ali have already disposed of the bodies.

Meanwhile, Rebecca’s unpopular colleague DI Swinney, suspects her of involvement in the shooting. Knowing one of the bodies currently taking up space in the mortuary remains anonymous, he discovers the man’s identity. Can Swinney uncover the truth, dig the dirt on McKenzie and regain his former status with the DCI, or will the gang step in to stop him?

Warning – strong language and adult situations throughout.

Crucial Black is book #2 in the Relic Black Thriller series set in Inverness, Scotland.

NB book #2 is not a standalone – the series must be read in order.

Purchase Links

AMAZON https://geni.us/gXeQFS

SMASHWORDS https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1345380

My Review

Crucial Black is book 2 in Colin Garrow’s hard-hitting adult-themed thriller (that just means it’s violent and sweary), reuniting us with Relic Black from book 1 (check out my review below).

As ever, Colin takes us on a thrilling journey, using Inverness and its surrounding area as a canvas upon which to paint the violence and double-dealing of the tale.

It’s a quick, fast-paced read, pitting our bent coppers against our slightly less bent coppers, almost making our gang of violent thugs seem more civilised. Relic is our eyes on all this, fairly innocent of everything that’s happening, he is slowly becoming embroiled within the group and has a few ideas of his own that involve some piggies.

There are any number of bodies to dispose of in weird and wonderful ways, as well as a great deal of misdirection.

A really well-devised plot ensures the story passes by quickly, and the reader is left wondering just who is going to surprise them next.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Colin excels in the many genres he writes in, and this is no exception. An entertaining, if violent and slightly-twisted tale complete with authentic Scottish accents, you ken.

Check out my reviews for Colin’s other stories.

Terminal Black (Book 1 in the series)

Sherlock Holmes

Geordie Crime -Blood on the Tyne

Shadow of the Witch – historical horror

Meet the author

Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate.

His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, Word Bohemia, Every Day Fiction, The Grind, A3 Review, 1,000 Words, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. He currently lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.

He also makes rather nice vegan cakes.

Connect with the author

Twitter https://twitter.com/colingarrow

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

Website https://colingarrow.co.uk/

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow

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

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@colingarrowauthor

Today, I’m delighted to welcome Becky Papworth and her new book #JanetJacksonSuperhost to the blog. #authorinterview #newrelease #blogtour

I’m always fascinated to discover the secrets of how authors write their stories. I asked Becky some questions about her writing routine. Read on to find out more.

Can you tell me about your writing process, please – do you have a set routine?

Unfortunately not, I’m still balancing writing around work and family so it can a bit ad hoc…definitely prefer mornings if I can grab them though.

Are you an earlier morning writer, or do you prefer writing late at night?

See above – morning, that hazy phase where you can tune in to other worlds before the day’s obligations take hold.

Do you have a writing drink/food of choice?

Tea. Earl Grey. Strong, not a lot of milk.

Do you write with a pen or on a laptop/desktop?

Laptop. Though I will do desktop too if I’m not in bed.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

With Janet, it’s being a bit of a magpie, certain real life incidents that stick with me because they’re unusual or funny or tough, that I think others might relate too. Other bits are pure imagination once you get writing it’s surprising what arrives.

Do you find the humour comes easily or is it more difficult? (I always worry that I have a very strange sense of humour)

Humour is definitely subjective, however I’ve worked in comedy on Tv for a long time and you do learn to recognise jokes and ways of constructing stories that leads toward punchlines or reveals I suppose. I’m surprised by what people find funny sometimes, it’s all good, as long as people are enjoying it.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to write humour?

Can you make the people around you laugh? That’s an indication that you can construct stories, one liners etc that will give you confidence about what works and watch great comedy – learn from the masters – how are they doing it?

Perhaps most importantly, are you a pantser, a plotter or in between?

I have loose direction and have scenarios/ notes that loosely plot out 3 chapters ahead – lots of room manoeuvre once the characters get chatting.

What are you working on next?

Something darker, set in Yorkshire with a fantastical element.

Thank you so much for answering my questions. Good luck with the new book.

Here’s the blurb

Lavender Cottage, Yorkshire’s finest B&B, is owner Janet Jackson’s pride and joy. Now, after a year of running it and coming out alive, she’s set her heart on becoming a Superhost. For that Janet will need a bloomin great tsunami of 5 star reviews- despite the many obstacles that stand in her way.

Number one, of course, is the guests themselves. Their strange requests, habits and lasting damage to her garden, the cottage and her sanity, are a non- stop challenge.

Add in the piles of laundry, sleepless nights, scary spreadsheets, sneaky neighbours, and sex with no strings . . . and her goal seems far away.

Yet despite an endless run of dramas, and thanks to her passion for hospitality and home baking, Janet may find she is just a Lemon Drizzle cake or two away from a 5-star life.

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Janet-Jackson-Superhost-gorgeous-reinvent-ebook/dp/B0CW1FS2W1/

https://www.amazon.com/Janet-Jackson-Superhost-gorgeous-reinvent-ebook/dp/B0CW1FS2W1/

Meet the author

Becky Papworth has been writing since she was seven, when she won a prize for her Mother’s day poem from Bradford’s Telegraph & Argus. With further writing credits on CBBC and BBC Radio. Her play ‘Miscreant Mothers’ for BBC Radio 3 was nominated for the prestigious Tinniswood award. She has an MA with distinction in Scriptwriting from Salford University. Her career as a TV Exec has kept her busy over the last few years, working on shows like; ‘Citizen Khan’, ‘Rab C Nesbitt’, ‘Gavin & Stacey’, ‘The Royle Family’ and ‘I love the 80’s’.

Rebecca was the first woman to produce ‘Have I Got News For You’ and is responsible for ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’, Channel 4’s landmark daytime series.

In her spare time Rebecca kills houseplants and attempts to control two teenage daughters.

Connect with Becky

www.beckypapworth.com

https://twitter.com/beckypapworth1

I’m delighted to welcome V P Felmlee and her new book, Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion, to the blog #YoungAdultFiction #NewAdultFiction #Mustangs #WildHorses #AbandonedAnimals #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

I’m delighted to welcome V P Felmlee and her new book, Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion, book 3 in The Abandoned Trilogy, to the blog with an excerpt.

Excerpt

As one, Becky, Autumn, and Silver Moon looked up just in time to see a tower of water coming over the top of the canyon, right towards them.

Autumn turned to run.

Becky turned to run.

Silver Moon was still coming down the trail, watched as waves hit the ground, then rose up like a living thing several feet in the air before crashing down first on Autumn then on the girl.

More water was coming from above, splashing and crashing, ramming its way from canyon wall to canyon wall, shoving anything in its way forward, relentless and unstoppable.

Without thinking, Silver Moon jumped in.

Becky looked back, trying to see Autumn, swallowing ice-cold water in the process. She spat it out, then saw the palomino struggling to get her footing. The water was too deep, and was forcing them along at an incomprehensible speed.

Becky grasped a large boulder. She couldn’t hold on to it. Her body banged against an outcrop, driving the air from her lungs.

I have to watch where I’m going, she thought, don’t look back, look forward.

The filly was trying hard to get to Becky, who was just ahead of her. The water pushed her against the canyon walls, forcing her to one side, then another. Instinct took over, her legs began to move. I have to keep my head up.

She was now whale-eyed, growing more terrified with each second. She couldn’t avoid the boulders and slammed into them time and again.

She began to panic.

Silver Moon was strong and big but he was almost no match for the churning maelstrom the canyon had become.

Just ahead, he saw Autumn losing the fight to keep her head up. He saw her disappear, briefly emerge, then disappear.

Here’s the Blurb

An abused, neglected filly is abandoned on a remote country road, left to die.

A young woman grieves the loss of her best friend, the champion horse she had built

her life and future around.

The heir to one of the largest ranches in Wyoming comes home to face the ire and

disappointment of his grandfather.

A world-renown scientist clashes with the U.S.government over a brutal,

decades-long war to decide the fate of thousands of

mustangs, a beloved icon of the American West.

Autumn and The Silver Moon Stallion is their story of love, hatred, and death.

Will their struggles give them hope to fight for their beliefs, or tear them forever apart?

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Meet the Author

V P Felmlee is the author of The Abandoned Trilogy: Price Tadpole & Princess Clara; Good Boy Ben; and the third book in the series, Autumn and the Silver Moon Stallion. A former newspaper reporter and editor, she has a degree in geology, and has been active in historic preservation and animal welfare issues. Her articles have appeared in several magazines and she has won numerous awards.

She will be the 2025 president of Women Writing the West and lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with her husband, two dogs, and six cats.

Connect with the Author

Website:

Follow The Autumn and Silver Moon Stallion blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to welcome Ann Bennett and her new book, A Rose In The Blitz, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #WorldWarII #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Ann Bennett and her new book, A Rose In The Blitz of the Sisters of War series, to the blog.

Here’s the blurb

Escape into the dramatic world of London during the Blitz in this sweeping family saga of love, war and betrayal.

Northamptonshire: 1980: Wealthy landowner, Hadan Rose, is dying. His daughter, May, rushes to his country estate, Rose Park, with her daughter, Rachel, to nurse him through his final days.

In the afternoons, while Hadan sleeps, May tells Rachel about her wartime experiences.

In 1940, Three of the four Rose sisters leave Rose Park to serve the war effort. May, the youngest is left behind. But she soon runs away from home to join an ambulance crew in London. She experiences the horrors of the Blitz first-hand but what happens to her there has remained secret her whole life.

In 1980, at Rose Park, Rachel wanders through the old house, looking at old photographs and papers, uncovering explosive family secrets from ninety years before. Secrets that her grandfather wanted to take to his grave. At the local pub, Rachel meets Daniel Walters, a local journalist and musician who takes an interest in her. But can she trust him, or does he have an ulterior motive for seeking her company?

As the secrets of the past gradually reveal themselves, both Rachel and May realise that their worlds are forever changed.

Fans of Lucinda Riley, Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop will love this escapist wartime saga, Book 1 in the Rose Park Chronicles.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is available to read on #KinldeUnlimited

Meet the Author

Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter’s Quest, was inspired by researching her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own travels in South-East Asia. Since then, that initial inspiration has led her to write more books about the second world war in SE Asia. Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife, A Daughter’s Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter’s Club, The Amulet and her latest release The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu are also about WWII in South East Asia. All seven make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.

Ann is also the author of The Lake Pavilion, The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, both set in French Indochina. The Runaway Sisters, bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture.

Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details please visit www.annbennettauthor.com.