Category: American History

I’m welcoming Then Came The Summer Snow by Trisha T Pritikin to the blog #HistoricalFiction #Downwinders #AtomicJustice #1950s #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub 

I’m welcoming Then Came The Summer Snow by Trisha T Pritikin to the blog #HistoricalFiction #Downwinders #AtomicJustice #1950s #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub 

Here’s the blurb

In 1958, Edith Higgenbothum, a housewife in Richland, Washington, downwind of the massive Hanford nuclear weapons production site, discovers that the milk her young son Herbie drinks contains radioactive iodine from Hanford’s secret fallout releases. Radioactive iodine can damage the thyroid, especially in children.

When Herbie is diagnosed with aggressive thyroid cancer, Edith allies with mothers of children with thyroid cancer and leukemia in communities blanketed by fallout from Nevada Test Site A-bomb tests on a true atomic age hero’s journey to save the children.

Praise for Then Came the Summer Snow:

“In Trisha Pritikin’s crisp and sweeping novel, the Cold War comes home to live with a family in Richland, Washington. Not the Cold War of ideologies, but the one that included 2,000+ nuclear tests, and the production of hundreds of tons of plutonium; that contaminated our homes, food and communities; that actually took family members.” 

~ Robert “Bo” Jacobs, Emeritus Professor of History at the Hiroshima Peace Institute and Hiroshima City University, author of Nuclear Bodies: The Global Hibakusha (Yale 2022).

“Then Came the Summer Snow is like an unexpected gift in its surprise and freshness.  Absurdity informs its realism, its poignancy, and its humor. A troubling, hilarious, weird, and wonderful novel.”

~ Mark Spencer, author of An Untimely Frost

Triggers: misogynist culture of 1950s; no violence, but cancers in children are a focus, and thyroid cancer treatment.

Purchase Links

https://books2read.com/u/bOOqKE

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Meet the author

Trisha is an internationally known advocate for fallout-exposed populations downwind of nuclear weapons production and testing sites. She is an attorney and former occupational therapist.

Trisha was born and raised in Richland, the government-owned atomic town closest to the Hanford nuclear weapons production facility in southeastern Washington State. Hanford manufactured the plutonium used in the Trinity Test, the world’s first test of an atomic bomb, detonated July 16,1945 at Alamogordo, NM, and for Fat Man, the plutonium bomb that decimated Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.  Beginning in late 1944, and for more than forty years thereafter, Hanford operators secretly released millions of curies of radioactive byproducts into the air and to the waters of the Columbia River, exposing civilians downwind and downriver. Hanford’s airborne radiation spread across eastern Washington, northern Oregon, Idaho, Western Montana, and entered British Columbia.

Trisha suffers from significant thyroid damage, hypoparathyroidism, and other disabling health issues caused by exposure to Hanford’s fallout in utero and during childhood. Infants and children are especially susceptible to the damaging effects of radiation exposure. 

Trisha’s first book, The Hanford Plaintiffs: Voices from the Fight for Atomic Justice,  published in 2020 by the University Press of Kansas, has won multiple awards, including San Francisco Book Festival, 1st place (history); Nautilus Silver award (journalism and investigative reporting); American Book Fest Book Awards Finalist (US History); Eric Hoffer Awards, Shortlist Grand Prize Finalist; and Chanticleer International Book Awards, 1st Place, (longform journalism). The Hanford Plaintiffs was released in Japanese in 2023 by Akashi Shoten Publishing House, Tokyo. 

Author photo for Trisha Pritikin

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I’m welcoming SR Perricone to the blog with Cobblestones #HistoricalFiction #NewOrleans #TrueEvents #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

I’m welcoming SR Perricone to the blog with Cobblestones #HistoricalFiction #NewOrleans #TrueEvents #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour @cathiedunn
@thecoffeepotbookclub

Excerpt

An editorial from the newspaper introduced the letter. It read:

THE PROVENZANO-MATRANGA CASE.

We have very much pleasure in publishing the letter which here follows. In the first place, such a document, with such names attached to it, holds out a strong prospect that, as the frequent undetected assassinations among the Italian community in New Orleans find no manner of sympathy with a large portion of that community, they will in the course of a few years be stamped out altogether for want of moral support. And in the next place, the contents of the letter are calculated to strengthen the hands of the prosecution, and to stiffen the backbone of the witnesses who will be called to give evidence in the Provenzano-Matranga case, which opens today. This is the letter:

                                                            New Orleans, July 14, 1890

To the Editor of the Times-Democrat:

For a reason appreciated by the entire community we have heretofore been reticent with respect to the numerous assassinations charged to our countrymen. But we trust that, with the help of the intelligent and independent press of this city, we may be able to stamp out forever the horrible scenes of cold-blooded murder which are charged against our entire people, under the delusion that we all favor a settlement of troubles through the vendetta.

We desire to place ourselves on record as friends of peace and order, and without meaning to prejudice the case now on trial we trust sincerely that the witnesses will speak, and that those, whoever they many be, who have taken part in this midnight assassination may be tried and, after legal conviction, sternly punished.

Here’s the blurb

The turbulent history of Post-Reconstruction New Orleans collides with the plight of Sicilian immigrants seeking refuge in America.

Antonio, a young man fleeing Sicily after avenging his father’s murder, embarks on a harrowing journey to New Orleans with the help of Jesuit priests expelled from his homeland. However, the promise of a fresh start quickly sours as Antonio becomes entangled in a volatile clash of cultures, corruption, and crime.

In the late 19th century, Italian immigrants in New Orleans faced hostility, exploitation, and a brutal system of indentured servitude. Antonio becomes a witness to history as a bitter feud over the docks spirals into violence, culminating in the assassination of Irish police chief David C. Hennessy. The ensuing trial of nine Italians and the shocking lynching of eleven innocent men ignited international outrage, threatening to sever ties between the United States and Italy.

Caught in the crossfire of prejudice and power struggles, Antonio fights to survive while grappling with his own past and future. His journey weaves a gripping tale of resilience, betrayal, and the enduring hope for justice. Cobblestones: A New Orleans Tragedy is a poignant reminder of the human cost of intolerance and the courage it takes to rebuild a life from ashes.

“A phenomenal epic account of a forgotten slice of New Orleans history for fans of Scorsese / Coppola-type cinematic dramas such as Midnight Vendetta and The Godfather!”
~ HFC Reviews

Buy Link

https://books2read.com/u/mdOKMd

Meet the author

Sal Perricone, a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans with a BA (1975) and JD (1979), has dedicated his career to law enforcement, legal practice, and public service. Beginning as a sergeant with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department, he progressed to detective with the New Orleans Police Department before practicing law privately in New Orleans. In 1985, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Supervisory Special Agent, specializing in financial crime investigations and organized crime.

In 1991, Sal Perricone transitioned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where he served as Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force and Senior Litigation Counsel until retiring in 2012. Over his illustrious career, he prosecuted significant cases involving La Cosa Nostra, public corruption, and white-collar crime. He earned numerous accolades, including multiple Director’s Awards and the Attorney General’s Award for his role in establishing the Katrina Fraud Task Force.

An adjunct professor at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, Sal Perricone has trained law enforcement professionals across the nation. Post-retirement, he has authored two novels with positive Catholic themes, Blue Steel Crucifix and The Shadows of Nazareth. A Brother Martin alumnus, he continues to inspire with his dedication to justice and ethics.

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I’m delighted to welcome Mike Weedall and his new book, Escape to the Maroons, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #AmericanHistoricalFiction #AfricanAmericanHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Mike Weedall and his new book, Escape to the Maroons, to the blog with an excerpt.

Excerpt

Nathanial On Arriving At Maroons Camp

Besides the people waiting here, more are coming. I’m the center of attention. People whisper and point at me. I don’t like what’s going on. No one looks friendly. They must think I’m a white man. Should I say something? Better leave that to Lincoln.

This place looks sizable. The ground is dry. Trees and thick brush are on all sides. We crossed smaller islands like this getting here. Moses called them hummocks. This appears to be much bigger. There must be different ways in and out of here. I’m exhausted and need to sit. Better stand until Lincoln says that’s okay.

How did this day lead me here? This morning, I planned to stand up in court and explain why they should grant me freedom. My stepfather said I’d be a fool to do that and better run if I got the chance. I wasn’t expecting that advice from a minister who preached we should always obey the law. When that lazy deputy got distracted, I took off. What choice did I have other than to flee? I pray they don’t punish my family for raising me as a freeman.

What’s next? Lincoln is waving for me to follow him.

Here’s the Blurb

In 1792, an escaped slave, raised and living as white, is discovered and forced to flee into the Great Dismal Swamp.

Barely escaping a bounty hunter, a Maroons community of fugitive slaves rescues him. Over time, Nathanial comes to accept his true identity while fighting to overcome the suspicions of his new community. Because of his pale skin, he becomes a conductor on the underground railroad, slipping runners onto ships going north. On one of his missions, fate intervenes and places Nathanial’s community at risk.

This little-known chapter in American history tells how escaped enslaved people gave their all to live free while creating a community and economy in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments.

Buy Link

Meet the Author

As the author of three books, Mike’s passion is finding the little-known stories of history and bringing them to life. History in school is too often events and dates. Mike seeks to discover the people who lived those events and reveal why those individuals made the decisions they did. Ultimately, there are stories to be mined, and who doesn’t love a good story?

In his historical novel “Escape To The Maroons,” Mike tells the little-known story of 1791 self-liberated slaves who chose to struggle for survival in The Great Dismal Swamp in their determination to live free. The term Maroons delineates areas where escaped slaves fled and could not be recaptured. It’s estimated that over 2,000 survived deep in the swamp around the turn of that century.

His first book “Iva: The True Story of Tokyo Rose” describes the tragic life of Iva Toguri. Trapped in Japan during World War II, this Japanese American woman was forced to work for Radio Tokyo. Although she never participated in propaganda, the racial animus of post-war America led to her being falsely labelled as Tokyo Rose and prosecuted for treason. Through her incarceration and the ongoing discrimination heaped upon her, Iva never lost her courage and determination.

“War Angel: Korea 1950” was his second book that followed a reservist nurse thrust into the carnage of The Korean War. Serving as an operating room nurse in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, the real MASH and strength of a woman is revealed. 

Mike resides with his family in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy experiencing the outdoors.

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Welcome to the blog tour for Shattered Peace by Julie McDonald Zander #HistoricalFiction #WWI #Timeslip #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Here’s the blurb

A forgotten diary. A century-old secret. A town still haunted by its past.

When former Navy Seabee Colleen Holmes inherits an old house in Centralia, Washington, she sees it as a chance to escape her own ghosts and start anew. But as she peels back layers of history within the home’s walls, she unearths long-buried secrets tied to a dark chapter in the town’s history.

Hidden behind crumbling plaster, a faded diary and a bundle of love letters unveil the struggles of a soldier trapped in the trenches of France and the heartbreak of those left waiting at home. Yet the diary’s brittle pages hold more than just longing—they bear witness to the explosive events of November 11, 1919, when a parade meant to celebrate peace erupted into violence and bloodshed.

As Colleen pieces together the tragic choices that shattered lives and fractured a town, she realizes history is never truly buried. The wounds of yesterday still shape today, and the past is not done with her yet.

Inspired by true events, Shattered Peace is a gripping time-slip novel of love, loss, and the echoes of history that refuse to fade. Perfect for fans of The Alice Network and The Girl You Left Behind, this haunting tale of resilience, redemption, and the pursuit of truth will linger long after the final page.

Triggers: It contains references to date rape, war violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, and faith and redemption

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/4AyWBp

Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlh5nXX9bv8

Meet the author

Julie McDonald Zander, an award-winning journalist, earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science from the University of Washington before working two decades as a newspaper reporter and editor. Through her personal history company, Chapters of Life, she has published more than 75 individual, family, and community histories. 

Her debut novel, The Reluctant Pioneer, won a Will Rogers Medallion and was a finalist for the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award for Best Historical Novel.

She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, where they raised their two children.  

Author image for Jule McDonald Zander

Connect with the author

https://maczander.com

 

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I’m reviewing Esperance by Adam Oyebanjo #newrelease #specfic #mystery

Here’s the blurb

The history-bending speculative fiction from Adam Oyebanji, award-winning author of BRAKING DAY.


An impossible death: Detective Ethan Krol has been called to the scene of a baffling murder: a man and his son, who appear to have been drowned in sea-water. But the nearest ocean is a thousand miles away.

An improbable story: Hollie Rogers doesn’t want to ask too many questions of her new friend, Abi Eniola. Abi claims to be an ordinary woman from Nigeria, but her high-tech gadgets and extraordinary physical abilities suggest she’s not telling the whole truth.

An incredible quest: As Ethan’s investigation begins to point towards Abi, Hollie’s fears mount. For Abi is very much not who she seems. And it won’t be long before Ethan and Hollie find themselves playing a part in a story that spans cultures, continents . . . and centuries.

An extraordinary speculative thriller about the scars left by the Atlantic slave-trade, by a master of the genre.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3Sg1syZ

My Review

Esperance is an enthralling and captivating novel. It is mostly a mystery, and much of it revolves around determining who perpetrated an impossible crime. It is also a story of friendship, family, and a quest for justice.

The story begins quickly, with our impossible crime, introducing us to one of our main characters, Ethan. It is he and Abi, who we meet a little while later, who propel the story onwards, but they both have their own agendas and therefore, the reader is very much left in the dark about some elements. We quickly realise Abi is far from what she seems. We quickly realise Ethan has his own demons, but we’re swept along in the mystery of the entire thing. I adored that Abi spoke with a 1930s flavour. It really gave her character an extraordinary shine. 

I loved the historical elements of the story and how they combined with the otherworldly ones. I found the whole story quite extraordinary and incredibly enjoyable, although, of course, tinged with sorrow for the real-life elements it’s built upon.

The ending, when it came, perhaps felt a little rushed. I would have loved to know more about the otherworldly elements.

That said, readers of quirky mysteries interlaced with otherworldly elements, as well as those who love a good tale of retribution, will devour this novel, just as I did. 

If it’s not quite a five-star read, it so very nearly is that I feel it would be wrong not to give it. Esperance is available now, and it’s well worth checking out. I have to say, the tag line got me for this one, ‘They cried out for justice. Something heard.’ (Shudder).

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I’m sharing an excerpt from Tangled in Water by Pam Records HistoricalFiction #Prohibition #Mermaid #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub 

Excerpt

“Hello there, Nattie, honey,” called Mimi in her honey-sweet voice as she popped out of the door behind the curtains. 

Mimi wasn’t much older than the chorus line girls. She was like a big sister, looking out for them, scolding and nagging, doing her part to make the performances alluring. Mimi liked to say “alluring,” and then she would do a mouth pucker and put one hand on her hip and the other in the air with her wrist cocked like she was holding a bunch of potatoes. Nattie only made the mistake of mocking her once. 

Mimi had been a model when she was very young, or so she said. That was hard to imagine. She walked like a penguin on stubby short legs. And she wore glasses, big round frames that made her look like an owl. If Antonio was around, she took them off, an interesting fact to ponder. Just like the come-and-go French accent. Mimi lack conviction. 

The game’s exhausting, isn’t it, Mimi? You have to breathe it, Mimi. Be it. Look at me. I bleed turquoise. Piss magenta. Fart like a flounder.    

Today, Mimi was carrying a stack of costumes over her arm, all neatly repaired, booze stains laundered, ready to be delivered backstage. Nattie could see long white gloves with buttons and black lace and see-through fabrics with tassels and snaps for flinging off and dropping on the stage. 

Ba-da-boom. Hey, baby. 

Sometimes the girls ripped too hard. Or the men.

Ba-da-boom. Take it off, baby.

Snaps had to be reattached, tears stitched up or patched. Mimi, the penguin seamstress, made the inconvenient flaws go away so they could come back again. And again. Maybe she needed stronger thread, maybe wires reinforced with defiance. Or electricity. Wouldn’t that be a hot, sizzling hoot?

“Nattie, have you brushed that hair of yours this week?” asked Mimi, hand on hip, her mouth all puckered. “My God. And to think I have a new crown for you to wear. A gift. Real jewels. And I have to bobby pin it to that rat’s nest?” The woman shook her head. No accent needed for that. 

Here’s the blurb

1932. Natalia is 16 and a bootlegger’s daughter, playing the mermaid mascot on a rundown paddlewheel used to entertain brewers and distributors. 

A sequined costume hides her scarred and misshaped legs, but it can’t cover up the painful memories and suspicions that haunt her. An eccentric healer who treats patients with Old Country tonics, tries to patch wounds, but only adds to the heartache. A fierce storm threatens to destroy everything, including a stash of stolen jewels. 

1941. Prohibition is over, but the same henchmen still run the show. Nattie’s new mermaid act is more revealing, with more at risk. When the dry-docked paddlewheel is bought by the US Navy for training exercises, the pressure escalates further. 

Can Nattie entice a cocky US Navy officer to help her gain access to the ship for one last chance to confront her past, settle scores, and retrieve the hidden loot? Is there a new course ahead?

Buy Links

Ebook

Paperback

Hardcover

Meet the author

Pam and her husband, Mark, recently uprooted from the Midwest to move to Savannah, Georgia, the perfect place for enjoying the beach, historic architecture and Spanish moss. 

She’s recently retired from writing content for software companies and now focuses on writing fiction, camping, and exploring historic cities.

Pam is the author of three historic novels. 

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I’m delighted to welcome T.F. Troy and his new book, The Absolution of Mars, to the blog #TheAbsolutionOfMars #HistoricalFiction #AmericanHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome T.F. Troy and his new book, The Absolution of Mars, to the blog, with an excerpt.

Excerpt

Lafayette Baker steps behind Stanton at his desk, between him and the cipher room. Stanton looks up at Baker, his visage now blurred and out of focus over the top of his glasses.

“You keep that boy of yours off my ass this time,” Baker says, almost as if giving an order. But he knows that he has the Secretary over a barrel, especially if he wants his help. “I heard he was

already out to the 10th VRC talking with Cobb. That boy is a natural born hound dog.

“Come to think of it, I just may need him,” Baker adds. “Do I have authorization?”

“Sure, but he’ll be off on Tuesday chasing Captain Boyd from Gautier’s up to Canada,” Stanton says. “I sent the newly commissioned Lieutenant Henry with him to keep him in line. That should keep them both busy, and it might even give us more information on what’s going on up in Canada.”

“They are way too smart,” Baker says. “Besides, these two may both wind up dead. Especially, if they run into Burley.”

“He’s incarcerated,” Stanton says.

“Where?!” Lafayette asks disbelieving, as he steps from behind the desk.

Stanton looks down and picks through some papers, before he reads from the proper document, just to be sure he has the city right.

“Civilian Jail in Port Clinton, Ohio,” Stanton says, looking up and talking off his spectacles. “Ashley the master from the passenger ferry swore out a complaint, and Canada threw him back to us.”

“What?” Baker says again in disbelief, trying not to laugh out loud. “Sent him back for a petty robbery?”

“I know, I know,” the Secretary says chuckling along with him. He starts cleaning his glasses, which were perpetually dirty, even when immaculate.

“Do they even know who they have?!”

“I doubt it,” Stanton says.

“He’ll be escaping soon,” Baker says.

“And when he does, I’ll instruct Jemm and the good Lt. Henry to follow him back to Montreal, keeping their distance…”

“And what if they find out too…”

“Relax Lafayette, I’ll simply instruct them to track a fugitive.” Baker smiles. He likes the sublime nature of the plan.

“So who will you want?” Stanton askes, finally.

“I want my cousin Luther and his team to be a part of the party, with maybe Lt. Dougherty in charge of the actual military detail,” says Lafayette.

“And I want Sergeant Corbett to be a part of the detail as well,” says Stanton.

“But he espouses bizarre ideologies…his poor bedeviled mind is poisoned and lacks critical thinking skills,” says the Colonel. “He scares me because he’s unbalanced, a religious fanatic.”

“But do you doubt his devotion?”

“No…no I don’t. Who can?” Baker asks rhetorically. “But I want to be able to call Jemm back here—his work with the coloreds and the Secret Line could be very helpful if we run into a jam.”

“You know they’ll be headed for Cox, and then…

“Yeah, but they’ll need a good guide through the swamps down there, and Jemm has contacts that know them roads and paths better than anybody.”

“Call him back only if you have to then.”

Here’s the Blurb

Politics, Friendship, or Greed? Which of these was the true author of the Confederate conspiracy to decapitate the Union? 

The Absolution of Mars by T.F. Troy is a masterful blend of historical fiction, human drama and moral exploration. Set against the backdrop of a racially fraught period in American history, the story does not back away from the harsh realities or racial biases of the day. 

The narrative introduces Jemm Pender, a former slave with a superior intellect, who rises to become a key agent in the National Detective Police Force. Jemm is tasked to trace the movements of J. W. Boyd, a Confederate spy working out of Canada.

From its intriguing opening scene, where playful dialogue among children hints at deeper mysteries, the story captivates with a blend of vivid detail and emotional depth. Jemm’s quest intertwines with his wife Marnie and Aunt Cordelia, both blessed with remarkable capabilities that are being lost to the scientific thought of the day.

Troy tackles difficult topics with honesty and precision, creating moments that are as painful as they are profound. The prose is rich and evocative, with dialogue that breathes life into the characters and their struggles. The Absolution of Mars is a poignant, thought-provoking exploration of history, identity, and humanity, recommended for readers seeking depth and nuance.

Buy Link

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Meet the Author

A student of the American Civil War, T.F. Troy has an award-winning journalism career spanning more than 40 years. He currently serves as Executive Editor of Cleveland Magazine’s Community Leader as well as the Editor of Ohio Business Magazine. He also writes features for Northern Kentucky Magazine and Dayton Magazine, among other regional publications. His work with those publications has won him numerous awards, taking first, second and third place in Ohio for Magazine Feature Writing. Troy’s work has appeared in major metropolitan daily newspapers including the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

In addition to the previously mentioned publications, Troy also held positions as a Senior Editor for both ABC/Capital Cities and ICD Publications in New York. His work has appeared in numerous national consumer and trade periodicals throughout his career. In his first book Cleveland Classics: Great Tales from the North Coast, Troy interviewed local and national Cleveland celebrities such as: Jim Brown, Bob Feller, Patricia Heaton and Arsenio Hall among others. The Absolution of Mars, set just after the Civil War, is his first novel, but third book.

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

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

Here’s the Blurb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buy Link

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Meet the Author

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

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

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

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

Connect with the Author

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I’m welcoming MK McClintock’s festive short story collection, A Home for Christmas, to the blog ChristmasRomance #HistoricalWesternRomance #ChristmasSpecial #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Here’s the blurb

Will six strangers find hope, love, and family at Christmas? A collection of three historical western short stories to inspire love and warm the heart. 

“Christmas Mountain” 

In search of family she barely knows and adventure she’s always wanted, Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had in mind was a new beginning for them both. 

“Teton Christmas” 

Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise, and there is no greater gift than love. 

“Lily’s Christmas Wish” 

Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes, can she give it up so someone else’s wish can come true? 

If you love inspirational romance and heartfelt holidays, then you’ll enjoy this trio of stories as we remember the true meaning of love any time of the year.

Praise for A Home for Christmas:

“Ms. McClintock has a true genius when writing beauty to touch the heart. This holiday treat is a gift any time one needs to remember the true meaning of love!” 

~ InD’tale Magazine on A Home for Christmas

“The cold nips at your face and delicious Christmas cake leaves you wanting more.”

~ M. Ann Roher, author of Mattie on A Home for Christmas

A Home for Christmas by MK McClintock book cover

Buy Links

This title is available in e-book, paperback, large print, and audio, and on #KindleUnlimited.

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Meet the author

MK McClintock is an award-winning author of historical romantic fiction about chivalrous men and strong women who appreciate chivalry. Her stories of romance, mystery, and adventure sweep across the American West to the Victorian British Isles with places and times between and beyond. 

MK enjoys a quiet life in the northern Rocky Mountains. You can find her online at www.mkmcclintock.com.​

Her works include the Montana Gallagher, Crooked Creek, British Agent, and Whitcomb Springs series. She has also written A Home for Christmas, a heartwarming collection set in 1800s Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, and The Case of the Copper King, a romantic and adventurous western mystery set in 1899 Colorado. 

Connect with the author

Website: https://www.mkmcclintock.com

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mk-mcclintock

A Home for Christmas blog host schedule
Check out the A Home for Christmas blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

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.
 

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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