I’m delighted to welcome Amy Maroney and her new book, The Pirate’s Physician, a thrilling companion novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles, to the blog.
Blurb
When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?
The Pirate’s Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno’s famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly.
Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea.
Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?
A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate’s Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen’s Scribe.
Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction.
Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean.
To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at http://www.amymaroney.com.
A Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people.
AWARD-WINNING APOLLO’S RAVEN sweeps you into an epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.
Will Catrin overcome and eradicate the ancient curse? Will she be able to embrace her forbidden love for Marcellus? Will she cease the war between Blood Wolf and King Amren and save her kingdom?
What Amazon reviewers say about Apollo’s Raven
“If you mingled the history and romance of Philippa Gregory with the magical fantasy of George R.R. Martin, the result just might be the fascinating Apollo’s Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 1) by Linnea Tanner. Get ready for a journey filled with the desires of star-crossed lovers, the horror of a son polishing his own mother’s skull and the fantasy of humans becoming creatures as a tool to save their very humanity.”
“Sorcery? Mythology? Forbidden love? An ancient curse? Yes, please! I fully enjoyed this epic tale of intrigue, deception, and love. The characters are developed well, while the plot leaves the reader wanting more.”
“What a story! I am a huge fan of “Game of Thrones,” and this book grabbed me in much the same way. The author took me inside the world of ancient Romans and Celts. The imagery was compelling. I could see the characters, the weapons, the countryside, the lairs, and the castle. She stayed true to the times.”
“A love story full of intrigue, power struggles, choosing one’s fate and a doomed love, this story reminds me somewhat of an old book called “The Silver Land” by Nancy Harding or even “The Forest House” by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The undercurrents are the same as they are set in similar times, but the finer details are different enough that it only feels the same while still being uniquely its own.”
Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. She is particularly interested in the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids.
Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4). She has also released the historical fiction short story Two Faces of Janus.
A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.
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.
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.
I’m delighted to welcome Laura Rahme and her new book, The Signare of Gorée, to the blog with The Last Waalo Queen: Ndaté Yalla Mbodj.
The Last Waalo Queen: Ndaté Yalla Mbodj
One of the historical figures that I feature in my novel, The Signare of Gorée, is Senegal’s last warrior queen, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj. Her origins are generally accepted to be a blend of Serer and Lebou, two of the main cultural groups in Senegal. She held the title of lingeer of the Waalo kingdom of Senegal. She appears only briefly in my book and does not play a direct part in the mystery, yet her presence looms large and hints at key events that would change Senegal’s destiny in the upcoming decade.
During the 1840s, Senegal consisted of independent kingdoms. The Waalo kingdom which extended along the northwest of Senegal, sharing a border with Mauritania, comprised the island of Saint-Louis, settled by the French since 1659. South of Waalo lay the kingdom of Cayor which engulfed today’s capital, Dakar, then a Lebou village. Only a short pirogue trip away was the island of Gorée, ceded to Europeans, and a center for commercial and slave trade for centuries.
The Signare of Gorée is set in a period when concessions by Waalo rulers allowed the French to trade in Senegal, but during which French figures were not sovereign. Europeans had to pay custom taxes to continue to trade freely in the Waalo. Over the years and leading into 1854, the French encountered increasing opposition, and what they saw as nuisances, arising from Waalo or Cayor rulers, but also from the Trarza Moors who dwelled across the Mauritanian border. Frustrated in their desire for economic gain, French entrepreneurs aspired to conquest as the means to secure the flow of resources and merchandise. As such, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj was not only the sole female ruler of Senegal, but she was to be the last queen of non-colonized Senegal. Her fight would be bitter and determined.
She ascended the throne in the palace of Nder on 1 October 1846 upon the death of her sister, Njembot Mbodj. While still young, both women had witnessed their mother’s tragic self-immolation during a battle with the Trarza moors. The Waalo army consisted of fiercely animist male warriors called tieddos, but the Waalo women were also trained in combat. Since then, and despite French military intervention to thwart it, a marital alliance between Njembot Mbodj and the Trarza ruler had smoothed discords between the Waalo kingdom and the Trarza emirate. But during her rule, Ndaté Yalla was forced to fight both the French and the Trarzas.
From the time she stepped on the throne, Ndaté Yalla made it clear that the French were to obey tithe and land boundary agreements. She wrote them letters and signed them – the only female ruler to do so – and defied them, asserting her rulership over the Waalo. In short, she bothered them.
Ndaté Yalla Mbodj et her husband Marosso Tassé Diop An engraving by Jules Gaildrau (1816-1898) Public domain image
Together with her husband, Marosso Tassé Diop, who was prince of Cayor, Lord of Koki, and commander of the Waalo’s tieddo army, Ndaté Yalla fought regularly with the French and Moors.
But the French would have the last word. They called upon Louis Faidherbe, a poly-engineer and French general, to quell both the Trarzas and the Waalo kingdom. In 1854, the Bordeaux entrepreneur, Hilaire Maurel, who appears in The Signare of Gorée, would end up playing a decisive role, along with his nephew, Marc Maurel, in General Faidherbe’s mind-blowing ascension as governor of Senegal. They worked behind the scenes to ensure that the like-minded Faidherbe and his military strategies would clear the path for their already thriving enterprises and future economic ambitions.
Rallying an army that included coerced local troops, Faidherbe defeated Ndaté Yalla Mbodj in 1855, spelling the collapse of the kingdoms of Waalo and Cayor. The fall of the lingeer was powerfully symbolic. The other male-led kingdoms of Senegal would fall soon after, marking the start of France’s colonization of Senegal. During his 1855-1864 campaign, General Faidherbe employed a scorched-earth policy, burning through fertile plains and razing villages. He not only burned Ndaté Yalla Mbodj’s palace in Nder but took away her son, Sidya Diop. The afflicted lingeer would die in 1860, in Dagana, where her commemorative statue stands today.
I was born in Dakar fifteen years after Senegal regained its independence from France. Colonial education must have lingered a while as I never learned about Ndaté Yalla Mbodj at school. I also suspect the Senegalese values of soutoura (discretion) and muñ (to tolerate) encouraged a long silence on the sufferings and injustices of the past. But in the last twenty years, in the name of historical accuracy, and as more African voices are given due weight, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj’s name has resurged. Publications that tell of her important story now exist in multiple languages. I am not the first to mention her, but it was important for me to feature her in The Signare of Gorée.
Blurb
1846. In the heat of West Africa, the French navy uncovers the corpses of two French soldiers. Inspector Maurice Leroux arrives at the island of Gorée. It seems death has come to this small colonial outpost off the Senegal coast, home to the prosperous mixed-blood women known as the signares.
The navy suspects that the Bambara people, emboldened by approaching emancipation, may be out for blood. While confronted by the locals’ strange magical beliefs, Maurice remains skeptical. Does malevolence play a part, or are these deaths accidental, brought upon by the brutality of nature in an island known as the white man’s grave?
But when murder strikes, it becomes clear that a killer is stalking Gorée.
Swept by a mystery unlike any he has known, Maurice meets Signare Angélique Aussenac. The proud métis, deserted by her wealthy Bordeaux lover, casts her spell upon Maurice.
But beyond the throbbing sounds of the tam-tams and the glittering signare soirées, danger lurks. Someone is watching. And the deaths go on.
Could the killer be one of the rich Bordeaux merchants? Or are they hiding among the powerful signares?
A historical mystery spanning France and Senegal, THE SIGNARE OF GORÉE explores a world of magic, murder, and passion.
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited
Meet the Author
Laura Rahme is the author of seven historical novels. Born in Dakar, Senegal where she spent her early childhood, she moved to Australia at the age of ten. A graduate of two Honors degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Psychology, she has worked over two decades as an IT professional. Her greatest joy comes from travel, researching history, and penning historical mysteries. She now lives in France with her screenwriting husband.
London 1918: Is Fiona Figg ready to exchange her sleuthing cap for a bridal veil?
Fiona is set to tie the knot with her dashing captain, Archie Somersby. But, while Fiona is busy planning her happily ever after, side-kick Kitty Lane and a group of judo-chopping suffragettes are kicking up trouble at the Piccadilly Jujitsu Club.
When Kitty is found unconscious in the locker room during a high-stakes competition, Fiona must forsake her bouquets and bridal gown to investigate. Her sleuthing leads to a posh lady’s luncheon where a mysterious death crashes Fiona’s wedding plans.
To make matters worse, the arch-nemesis of all things matrimonial Fredrick Fredricks is up to his old tricks, attempting to put the brakes on Fiona’s journey down the aisle. Will he succeed in tripping up Fiona’s wedding vows? Or will she finally say “I don’t” to the charming devil?
Poison in Piccadilly is the latest Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane mystery. I’ve read them all.
Told with its tongue-in-cheek humour and with Fiona’s penchant for fake moustaches never far away, this story is set mostly in London, with a quick trip to Ireland, and in a role-reversal, sees Kitty requiring Fiona’s help. All the while, Fiona is supposed to be preparing for her wedding. As ever, torn between the man she’s supposed to trail as he’s suspected of being a spy and her soon-to-be husband, Fiona is never entirely sure who to trust as she investigates the latest mystery to fall in her lap.
With all of the series favourites and many unexpected twists and turns, Poison in Piccadilly is a fun read. For all its humour, I do adore the way this series effortlessly weaves a fictional narrative featuring historical people and events.
You’re missing a treat if you’ve not tried a Fiona Figg ad Kitty Lane story yet.
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee
Abandoned by his people and destined for Valhalla, do not stand in the way of his fury.
Ribe is lost, its hall burnt, and Charles is still missing. Sven must once more sail into dangerous waters to rescue his grandson.
King Louis of East Francia, the man who took Sven’s son from him almost twenty years ago, has Charles captive and uses him to force Sven to do his bidding and create chaos raiding his brothers Kingdom of West Frankia.
The long awaited meeting of Charles and his mother, Abbess Hildegard, is not what Charles dreamed it would be and soon it becomes clear that Charles is in even more danger. Torn between the heathen gods and his Christian god, Charles must decide where his future lies.
Sven must fight if he wants to see Charles again and keep the Cross of Charlemagne out of the hands of the Frankish kings. The only thing that Sven knows is that to save Charles, innocent people must die.
Valhalla’s Fury is the final book in the Charlemagne’s Cross Series, bringing to an end this enthralling series set in the 800s, pitching the Danes against the Franks, or certainly, some of them. I’ve read all of the books and you can check out my reviews below.
All seems impossible in this final book as Sven desperately wishes to rescue Charles from the clutches of the Franks, whereas Charles is something of a pawn in the hands of his Frankish grandfather.
The storyline quickly separates Charles and Sven once more, and we see glimpses of life in a Frankish town as well as in a Viking encampment deep in the heart of West Frankia, through the eyes of our two main characters. The narrative builds as the reader is left wondering how on earth the two can possibly be reunited, or if all will end in disaster, I don’t want to say either way, but it is a solid ending for this enthralling tale.
Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series and the Charlemagne’s Cross series, both of which combine fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world and are inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. Donovan was born in South Africa but raised in England.
I’m delighted to welcome D.C.Wilkinson and his new book, Devin’s Dreams, to the blog.
Blurb
Devin Sharp, a gentle-natured boy, has trouble sleeping. Recurring visions of strangers moving among shadows in his bedroom keep waking him at night. He swears that what he sees and hears is real. To no avail. No one believes him. An older sibling taunts him. “Silly dreams,” she says. But are they?
Coming of age as a gay teen in the seventies, Devin’s sleep issues are just one more secret safely locked up in his closet. But not for long. Freshman year in college brings a measure of freedom and a chance to explore well beyond the boundaries of stifling social molds.
Experimenting with a powerful drug, Devin’s quirky visions resurface. This time, however, something is different. A rabbit hole materializes out of nowhere. Thrust into it by a mysterious force, Devin is hurled into another world centuries before his own. There, awaiting, a host of strangers appear to know him…
D. C. Wilkinson’s passion for historical fiction, portal fantasies and cappuccinos inspired him to write “Devin’s Dreams,” his debut novel. A lifelong voyager of inner and outer realms, he began his career in the Midwest as a student of Language Arts and the Humanities before relocating to the East Coast in his early twenties. A graduate of Columbia University and former New York City public school teacher, he now calls Connecticut his home, where he resides with his spouse and their beloved beagle.
Operation Tulip – The Hunger Winter in Holland During WW2
My novel, Operation Tulip, takes place in The Hague in the final year of the Second World War, during the Hunger Winter, called the Hongerwinter in Dutch. This was the brutal famine of 1944-1945 during the final year of the Nazi occupation. The Netherlands was invaded in May 1940, and for the first few years, the occupation was relatively mild compared to other parts of Europe. However, as the war dragged on, conditions for civilians worsened. By 1944, the Allied forces had landed in Normandy and were making their way through Europe, leading to a renewed sense of hope among the Dutch people. In September 1944, the Allies made an ambitious plan to capture key bridges in the Netherlands and pave the way for an invasion of Germany and an end to the war. This plan was called Operation Market Garden, and was made famous by the film, ‘A Bridge Too Far.’ Unfortunately, the operation ultimately failed, leaving the northern and western parts of the Netherlands cut off from the rest of Europe and still under German control.
British POWs at Arnem
Famine bites Dutch railway workers organised strikes to prevent Jews from being deported, and in retaliation the Germans blocked food and fuel shipments to the western provinces. The blockade, combined with already depleted food supplies, led to a catastrophic famine. Added to this, the winter that year was one of the harshest in memory, with freezing temperatures and little fuel available. The black market became the only means for many to obtain food but prices were high and few could afford to buy anything. The daily calorie intake for many Dutch citizens plummeted to as low as 400-800 calories, way below the minimum needed for survival. People scavenged for anything edible, from tulip bulbs to sugar beets. Audrey Hepburn, who was living in Holland with her Dutch mother, survived the last months of the war with a diet that included eating nettles and tulip bulbs.
Dutch Children being fed soup
The impact of the famine on health was devastating. Malnutrition and starvation led to a significant increase in mortality rates. The most vulnerable, including the elderly, the sick, and young children, were particularly affected. Hospitals were overwhelmed with cases of starvation, and diseases such as tuberculosis, typhus, and pneumonia spread rapidly among the weakened population. If it all sounds very depressing, it was also a period where people were courageous and took enormous risks to help other survive. The penalties for hoarding or selling food outside official channels were severe. Nevertheless, many residents of The Hague made perilous journeys by bicycle to rural areas in search of food, and I use these journeys in Operation Tulip. The Role of Women in the Resistance
Dutch Women transporting food
Amid the suffering, the Dutch Resistance, including people like Nancy in my novel, continued their efforts to undermine the German occupation, bring hope to the starving, and assist those in need. Resistance groups, especially the women, organized clandestine food distribution networks, forged ration cards, and provided aid to those most affected by the famine, despite the constant threat of arrest, torture, and execution. Estimates suggest that approximately 20,000 people died as a direct result of the Hunger Winter, although the indirect toll was likely much higher. The most vulnerable, including the elderly, the sick, and young children, were particularly affected. Hospitals were overwhelmed with cases of starvation, and diseases such as tuberculosis, typhus, and pneumonia spread rapidly among the weakened population. Many who survived were left with long-term health problems due to prolonged malnutrition. Children born during or shortly after the Hunger Winter were found to have worse health outcomes throughout their lives, a phenomenon later studied extensively by researchers. As things became desperate at the end of the war, British and American airmen in conjunction with the Dutch Resistance, arranged airdrops of food, an event that still lingers in the memories of the Dutch people.
Operation Manna airdropping food
Here’s the blurb
Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.
England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home.
But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?
Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don’t miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice.
Triggers: mild violence associated with the era.
Praise for Deborah Swift:
‘A well crafted tale… this book did not disappoint’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘There is action, mystery and romantic entanglements stirred into the story for a fantastically entertaining read’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Deborah Swift never disappoints’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author of twenty books who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com.
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.
Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Her most recent books are The Silk Code and The Shadow Network both set in the Second World War.
I’m delighted to welcome Lily Style and her new book, A Most Unsettled Man, to the blog with an excerpt.
Excerpt
On the 6th of November 1805, the ring of church bells, near and far, grew and grew like a storm that must soon break. Then did.
George’s copy of the Gazette Extraordinaire bore news that rocked his whole family to the core. Britain’s navy had annihilated the French and Spanish fleets at Cape Trafalgar, off the southern tip of Spain, but Horace’s resounding victory had cost him his life.
Kitty collapsed and, after this, George junior noted that the news of Horace’s death had made his mama very ill.
Details of Horace’s last moments flew around England with great gusto. Brave Lord Nelson had ignored the tradition by which naval officers saved their skins by leading from behind. He’d instead insisted on wearing his full Royal Navy admiral’s uniform on HMS Victory’s open deck, complete with his array of medals and sun-catching gewgaws. Bold and bright, leading from the front, Horace’s uniform had made him an easy mark for a sniper perched on a French tall ship’s mast.
George later reflected that, from Horace’s physical frailty and proneness to melancholy, “it might have been imagined that he was ill-fitted for war & hardship. But … He went a willing victim to his country’s safety and renown”.
George, Kitty and Susanna Bolton, distraught themselves, sped to Merton to support the heart-broken Emma.
Blurb
George Matcham, dubbed the most unsettled man alive, was born in East India Company controlled Bombay and undertook three epic overland treks between Asia and England before marrying the favourite sister of the not yet famous Horatio Nelson. Intimate details about George’s life have been preserved because of his close relationship with Nelson and his famous paramour Emma Hamilton, whose rises and falls he observed first-hand.
Packed with period press clippings and eyewitness accounts, A Most Unsettled Man provides an unprecedented glimpse into the private life of a modest 18th century English gentleman, as well retelling the enduring love story of Nelson and Emma from an entirely new perspective.
Lily Style is the direct descendant of famed lovers Admiral Lord Nelson and Emma Hamilton and also Nelson’s sister, Kitty Matcham (because their grandchildren married).
Lily is the founder of Emma Hamilton Society and writes regularly for Nelson-related publications. She is also a keen genealogist with an interest in piecing together real human stories lying behind dry facts.
One of these stories is of her 4th great-grandfather, George Matcham, whose story she’s traced from his mid eighteenth-century birth in East India Company controlled Bombay through to his intimate involvement with Nelson and Emma’s rise and fall.
When a pantomime turns deadly, Iris investigates a cast of killers…
Christmas, 1923. When reporter Iris Woodmore is sent to cover the Prince of Wales’ visit to historic Winchester, she discovers more than just royal gossip.
The leading lady in Winchester Cathedral’s charity pantomime is found dead in mysterious circumstances. And the chief suspect is Cinderella’s handsome prince, played by Percy Baverstock’s younger brother, Freddie.
For the sake of the Baverstocks, Iris must investigate the murder, even though it means confronting an old enemy. And as the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously, she’s ensnared by someone she hoped she’d never see again…
Everyone’s favourite amateur sleuth returns for a Christmas mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, Claire Gradidge and Emily Organ.
I love a new Iris Woodmore 1920s mystery, and A Corpse in Christmas Close is as well-plotted and deeply grounded in the historical events of the day as the previous books in the series.
Iris is a great main character. She is tenacious and outspoken, aware of society’s conventions but often keen to ignore them. She and her fellow cast members are all well-drawn and believable.
I almost always determine how much I love a mystery by whether I work out the culprit or not, and once more, I was caught out by the resolution for A Corpse in Christmas Close.
The pacing is great. I’m looking forward to Iris’ next adventure.
Michelle Salter writes historical cosy crime set in Hampshire, where she lives, and inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. Her Iris Woodmore series draws on an interest in the aftermath of the Great War and the suffragette movement.
MJ Porter 