With Clash of Kings being released on 13th January 2024, I thought I’d reintroduce my readers to the main characters.
Here’s Edmund, ætheling and Prince of the English.
Edmund, of the House of Wessex, is the second-youngest halfbrother of the king of the English, Athelstan. His date of birth is not known for sure, but it’s believed to have been in about 921, as he’s said to have been 18 when he became king on Athelstan’s death. His mother is Lady Eadgifu, the third wife of Edward the Elder. He has a full brother, Eadred, even younger than him, and a sister who may have been older than him, and who became a cloistered woman.
Family tree by Boldwood Books
‘And the Ætheling succeeded to the kingdom; and he was then 18 years old.’ (ASC A)
Edmund would only have been very young when his father, Edward the Elder, died in 924. It’s doubtful whether he had any memory of him at all. It’s long been believed that his mother, Lady Eadgifu, was responsible for raising him and his younger brother. What precisely Edmund was doing during the reign of his older half-brother isn’t known for sure. He is said to have fought beside him at the Battle of Brunanburh, but some historians cast doubt on this.
As a character in Kings of War and Clash of Kings, Edmund has become a man throughout the previous books, and developed a close relationship with Athelstan. But, he’s still young. He’s riven with indecision, and while delighted to have been involved in the success of the battle of Brunanburh, he’s happy to let his older brother rule England. There is also an on-going thread which pitches Edmund against the family of Constantin, the king of the Scots. Events in Clash of Kings will have a profound effect on young Edmund.
Clash of Kings is released on 13th January, so time for a little refresh on who the many characters are.
First up, Olaf Gothfrithson, our friendly Norse Viking ruler. I know he’s someone that many readers really enjoy reading about.
Olaf Gothfrithson, is the son of Gothfrith, who King Athelstan of the English, beat to the kingdom of York or Jorvik in King of Kings in about 927.
Olaf, was perhaps a grandson or great-grandson of Ivarr the Boneless (it’s difficult to piece together the family connections, and indeed, in an initial draft I named Olaf’s brothers entirely incorrectly). Ivarr was the famous Viking raider who led part of the Great Heathen Army in the 860s before meeting his death in 870 or 873, depending on which contemporary source you read.
Olaf claimed Dublin following the death of his father , although not without some fighting. In Ireland, he had many enemies, including Olaf Cenncairech (Scabbyhead) of Limerick and Donnchad of the Southern Ui Neill.
Olaf is known to have been one of four brothers. Halfdan, who died in 926, according to the Irish Annals, Blakari and Rognvaldr being the other two, who both play a role in future events.
Affairs in Ireland at this time were complex. Dublin was largely a Norse enclave, involved in almost constant warfare with the Irish clans. Claire Downham has written extensively on this period. ‘The rivalry between Limerick and Dublin marks an important chapter in the history of vikings in Ireland. The number of viking campaigns recorded in these years rivals any other period of Irish history. The influence of the vikings is reflected in the range of their campaigns across the island and in the involvement of Irish overkings in their wars.’ (Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ivarr to A.D. 1014, C. Downham, p. 41)
Affairs in Ireland fall far outside my expertise, but I hope I’ve correctly portrayed what events are known from this period and which concern Olaf Gothfrithson (you’ll find his name also written as Óláfr Gu∂rø∂sson and Amlaib), Olaf Cenncairech – Scabbyhead (a wonderful name for the man – again my thanks to C. Downham for including this in her work) – and Olaf’s brothers and sons.
In Kings of War, Olaf is staunchly determined to claim back ‘his’ lost kingdom of Jorvik. I can’t say things went according to plan at Brunanburh, and our first encounter with Olaf in Clash of Kings is of a man beaten and bruised. Will he exact his revenge against Athelstan and Edmund?
My portrayal of Constantin, the king of the Scots, is of course fictional in the Brunanburh series, but he is based on a historical individual, Constantin (e) II, so who exactly was he?
Constantin is a fascinating character. Again, and as with Athelstan, his exact date of birth is unknown, but it must have been, at the latest, by 877/8, when his short-reigned father died.
By 900, Constantin was the king of the Scots (we think – there is some confusion about this). This wasn’t yet quite Scotland, but it was getting there. The ancient kingdoms of Cait, Fortriu, Atholl and Dal Riata, were ruled by one king, Constantin. But, he hadn’t succeeded his father, Aed, but rather a man named Domnall II, his cousin. At this time there were two rival dynasties and they strictly alternated the kingship.
Affairs in the kingdom of the Scots often intermingled with those of the independent kingdom of Bamburgh, Strathclyde, and of course, the Norse, or Viking raiders, if you will. Indeed, the entry recording Constantin’s death in the Annals of Ulster, reads as though there was often strife.
‘Constantinus son of Ed held the kingdom for xl years in whose third year the Northmen plundered Dunkeld and all Albania. In the following year the Northmen were slain in Strath Erenn…And the battle of Tinemore happened in his xviii year between Constantin and Ragnall and the Scotti had the victory. And the battle of Dun Brunde in his xxxiiii year.’ (Alex Woolf, From Pictland to Scotland, 789-1070,p.126)
Constantin, ruling for decades, and I mean decades, seems to have brought much needed stability to the kingdom, as affairs there very much mirrored the emerging ‘England’ to the south.
‘Constantin’s reign has increasingly come to be see as one of the most significant in the history of Scotland. Not only was it very long, at least forty years, but it was also the period during which conflict and diplomatic relations between a kingdom recognisably ancestral to Scotland and one recognisably ancestral to England first occurred.’ (Alex Woolf, From Pictland to Scotland, 789-1070, p.128)
Constantin allied with the rulers of Bamburgh, and York, and also, on occasion, both Æthelflæd of Mercia and Edward the Elder, after her death. But, he seems to have been quite flexible in his thinking, and was prepared to pick and choice as he saw fit.
By the beginning of Clash of Kings, Constantin would have been in his mid-sixties. He was certainly a more than adequate counterpart to Athelstan, king of the English, no doubt helped by his sons and grandsons, as his reign continued, but his participation at the battle of Brunanburh, and its subsequent failure, might well have severely undermined him.
With a successor, Mael Column, desperate to succeed him, and his son, Ildulb, just as keen to succeed Mael, it seems that Constantin is about to enter one of the most turbulent periods of his kingship.
Read Clash of Kings to discover what happens in the kingdom of the Scots.
In 2023, I set myself the task of reading 52 books, or one book a week, but I smashed that, reading/listening to more than double that number. So, what have I been reading?
I’ve taken part in many blog tours, and I also read a lot of fellow Boldwood Books authors, but I also have my favourites that I return to time and time again. I don’t show star ratings on my blog, and that’s intentional. You can always see what I’ve been reading over on Goodreads, where I do tend to give star ratings.
Fantasy
Fantasy was one of my first loves, but I read surprisingly little of it now. Aside from my relisten of all the Terry Pratchett Discworld audiobooks (which I’m loving – I listened to 20 books in the series – and discovered the joy of slowing down the narrator as opposed to speeding them up), I also read the wonderful short story collection, A Stroke of the Pen. I’ve also read Mark Lawrence’s, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, and indulged in the fabulous Advent of Winter, a short story a day throughout Advent. I think this might sway my reading for 2024, as well as Spread, another short story anthology which contained a host of fabulous writers. And, Steve Jones’ Call Time, which I really enjoyed. His main character is a real ass, but it’s intentional, although I think perhaps some people don’t realise that. It’s worth persisting with, and all those of a ‘certain’ age will love the retro mentions.
Historical Fantasy
I indulged in a little bit of historical fantasy, Theodore Brun’s new book, A Savage Moon, which was excellent, and the anthology, Alternate Endings, which I found really enjoyable.
Mystery
I’ve been reading more and more contemporary mysteries, 23 in total. I have a couple of favourite series, that by Helen Golden, and also a series set in contemporary Italy by TA Williams, as well as some other series I’ve discovered, most notably that by EV Hunter. I read the first book in Kate Wells farming mystery series, and How Not to Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh. I also read Pass the Cyanide, a foodie short story collection. The Cozy Craft Mystery series by Mille Ravensworth has also been delightful – short, sharp and snappy. I’m also continuing to read Debbie Young’s series – both the Sophie Sayers series and the St Bride’s series.
What I’m really enjoying is working out how the authors ‘tell’ their stories – a good mystery is liberally interspersed with ‘tells’ which the reader only realises as the mystery resolves. There’s a lot to be learned from that for historical fiction, although I did find myself veering towards a bit of a mystery in one of the books I’ve written this year, entirely by accident:)
Historical Mystery
Historical mystery, both cozy and a little more not cozy, is one of my favourite genres. I’ve read 18 historical mysteries – The Alewives by Elizabeth R Andersen on audio which is fabulous, the Iris Woodmore series by Michelle Salter, the new Sarah Hawkswood – I do love this series, and the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mysteries by Kelly Oliver. I’ve recently discovered Helen Hollick’s 1970s mystery series, which I’m adoring for all the little details she’s added which really place it in the early 1970s. The notes show that Helen has spent much time arguing with her former classmates over some of those details, and that shows a real desire to ‘get it right,’ which I appreciate. When I was writing my historical mysteries, my Dad was so helpful in offering advice including reminding me that there would have been steam trains in the 1940s. I also really enjoyed Colin Garrow’s historical mystery, Red Snow, set in and around the Newcastle area.
Historical
I read quite a bit of historical – 17 titles. I veered from Renaissance Italy, with Kelly Evans’, Turning The World to Stone to the Roman Empire in the BC years, with both Robert M Kidd and SJA Turney. I’ve already listed a couple of my books of the year over on the Aspects of History website, which included JC Duncan’s Warrior Prince, Donovan Cook’s Odin’s Betrayal and Jane Dunn’s The Marriage Season. I also discovered Melissa Addey’s Roman series, which I’m adoring – such a fabulous idea to tell the tale of the Colesseum when it was being used. And Robert Kidd’s To Kill A Consul, set in the third century BC. I’ve only managed one SJA Turney book this year, which I’m annoyed about. I’m desperate to read his latest Damned Emperor series, but need to find the time. I discovered Gordon Doherty‘s, Legionary series, which I want to read more of, as I started with book 9. I also read the new Dan Jones, and found it very bleak, hopefully, intentionally so, and fellow Boldwood author Peter Gibbons Saxon series. As well as Cathie Dunn’s Ascent. So, I read a fair bit set in and around my era, and also some more distant time periods.
Other Genres
I’ve read a little outside these genres, completing Evie Hunter’s gangland series set in Birmingham, and again, being inspired by the way she tells her story. It was extremely compelling, especially as every character was just horrible and self-involved. I read a couple of historical romances, the odd thriller, and also other tales I might not usually pick up. That is the joy of being a blog host. I can’t say I ever regret my decisions, and it is great to read so widely.
Audio Books
Aside from the new Discworld recordings, I also listened to a couple of other audiobooks. The Alewives by Elizabeth R Andersen is fabulous. I also listened to a historical romance, which I really enjoyed and a short story collection. I am growing my audiobook library and have loads to listen to but need to find the time. I did try an audiobook while on holiday in Scotland, but it was so bloody miserable and bleak, I never listened to the end. I also listened to my own audiobooks, and would like to thank Matt Coles and Sean Barrett for their endeavours this year.
Top Five (okay, Six) Books of the Year – a jumble of genres – the books I enjoyed the most – I’m quite surprised by my selections
I find that reading for me is very much a ‘mood’ thing. I love to find new series which I can devour, but equally, some of my most cherished authors might not get read in any given year if I’m just not feeling ‘it.’ I don’t want to ruin them by trying to read against where my enjoyment is taking me.
From the Ashes by Melissa Addey – such a fabulous idea and so cleverly woven with historical events in first century Rome.
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn – a delightful Regency romance, but with a twist, which fans of Haden from The Last King series will appreciate.
How Not To Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh – not my usual thing but very, very funny and a cleverly woven together tale/mystery. I devoured this title in a day and a half.
The Advent of Winter by various authors, organised by Dom McDermott – a really inspiring collection of fantasy short stories. I will be reading more from many of these authors. I’ve not yet reviewed this book but I highly rate it.
A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett – a delight to read some of his earliest tales, especially when I’ve spent much of the last two years listening to the two collections of audiobooks – the older recordings, and the new ones. I can see where many of his ideas came from. As someone who also writes short stories before embarking on longer tales, it was a real eye opener.
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – as usual, he blew my mind with his storytelling. It took me about a month to be able to write a coherent review for this fabulous story. I’m looking forward to book 2 in the trilogy in 2024.
Looking Forward
2024 will see the sequel to Mark Lawrence’s The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (image below – I know Mark wanted to do a ‘proper’ cover reveal, but it has snuck out, and as he seems okish with that, I have included it), as well as Elizabeth R Andersen’s The Alewives two, Sleight of Hand. I will also, at some point, run out of Discworld audiobooks. My plan then is to listen to the Deverry series by Katharine Kerr – I have read all the books but want to listen again – and also the PERN novels by Anne McCaffrey. I’m also looking forward to discovering new books through blogging, and keeping up with the historical and cosy mystery series I already read. And, finding time to read Caracalia by SJA Turney. (I’ve just looked it up and see he also has a new book out next year – Agricola:Invader – that will be going on my TBR as well.) I will set myself the same target of 52 books, and see how I get on with that. So, here’s to another great year of reading, and listening ahead.
My blog has gone from strength to strength in 2023, with traffic increasing by 49%. Thank you to everyone who popped by and read posts I’d written, or from guests on the blog. Here’s to a great 2023.
I’ve just read my 2022 Writing Year in Review post, (you can read it here) and can assure you, I didn’t manage to stick to my carefully thought out first half of the year. Indeed, the only aspect I seem to have stuck is taking it a bit easier in December. I’ve not left myself with a huge looming deadline, although I haven’t accomplished all I might like to have done. But then, I often have unrealistic expectations of myself.
So, what have I been writing/editing in 2023? It’s time to turn to my trusty diary to find out.
In January, I submitted The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England a few days late – I didn’t correctly calculate how long the editing process would take. I was also working on book 2 of the Brunanburh series – this was a massive rewrite, adding 50% more content to the original version, and I was reediting A Conspiracy of Kings, ready for its book birthday in February. On a side note – it also seems that I undertook some much needed TLC on my iMac, which I’ve written down as ‘taking all afternoon.’ I think it might have slightly annoyed me, but the beast has been working much better ever since. But yes, I didn’t understand what I was doing in replacing the SSD hard drive but I’m glad I did. I also took a trip to Gloucester and I know I spent the entire train journey there, and back, editing Kings of War! (The things you remember). I have decided that if I ever struggle with a deadline, I’m just going to hop on a long train journey. It’s the ultimate means of isolating yourself.
In February, I was writing Protector of Mercia – which wasn’t my working title, and so has confused me as I put this together, and also editing Eagle of Mercia, not once but twice (copyedit and proofread), while King of Kings was released on 10th February.
For March, I set myself four pretty huge tasks – I’ve written them down on 1st March. But how did I get on? I finished the proofread for Eagle of Mercia. I worked on the structural edit for Kings of War, AND I was reediting Warrior King ready to have it made into an audio book, narrated by the trusty and fabulous Matt Coles.
While working on Clash of Kings, I discovered, much to my annoyance that Limerick in Ireland was not at all where I ‘thought’ it was, and so had to do a large rewrite. My geography is woeful. I should have taken the time to check before I started writing the scene. I was also editing Protector of Mercia, which I sent to my editor on 31st March. I also went to work for a week in the school AND we moved house. Jeez. What a month. It seems that my fourth project didn’t even get a look in (I’m not surprised). Let’s see what happened in April.
April began with a scramble for my internet connection, having moved house. I was due to present for The History Quill on 4th April. Luckily, the internet worked after a few stupid mistakes on my part. I finally made it back to my missed project 4 in March, which was The King’s Brother, which I edited and continued to write. I also wrote a short story. And, I was working on some form of edits for Protector of Mercia and Kings of War. All the frantic activity of the last few months paved the way for my Summer holiday in Orkney – the temperature peaked on the last day in the middle of May at 13 degrees, and I came home with a burned bright red face. The light is just different in Orkney. It was a glorious two weeks away, very much in isolation on one of the more northerly islands. We fell foul of the ferry running aground, but we managed to book an alternative route home.
May 3rd saw the release of Eagle of Mercia, and I came back to two weeks of very long hours during the summer exam period at my local school. I spent my weekends working on structural edits for Protector of Mercia, and even managed to sneak in a trip to London for the Boldwood Books summer party. I spent the last week in May frantically editing The King’s Brother, which I should have done months before. I didn’t get much writing done in these two months, and I knew I wouldn’t, that’s why March had been such a mad month.
June was another busy month, but not in terms of writing. I participated in Æthelfest at Tamworth and by the end of the month I had (and I’ve not written this down) worked on some edits for Clash of Kings. It also saw the release of The King’s Brother. It had been very hard to return to the world of the Earls of Mercia, but with the help of Lady Godgifu, a character I developed substantially for the book, I felt it worked really well.
July 12th saw the release of Kings of War and I was once more embroiled in editing, both Protector of Mercia and my non-fiction title, as well as the structural edit from hell for Clash of Kings because of a problem when I’d converted it in Vellum, managing to muddle all the chapters. August saw me beginning work on Icel book 6, now Enemies of Mercia, and I really tried to concentrate on the title as I felt I’d done little ‘new’ writing for quite some time.
September saw the release of Protector of Mercia, and I held my first Zoom with readers to celebrate the release. It went really well. I was copyediting Clash of Kings, and also working on the first proof for The Royal Women of the Tenth Century, and producing the index for it. When that was done, I got back to Enemies of Mercia which was nearly finished, but not quite. The index stretched to 13 pages. It was a huge task. Next time I write a non-fiction title, I might miss out everyone’s names.
October saw Enemies of Mercia sent to my editor, and some more work which took me away from my desk. But, never fear readers, November was just around the corner, and that meant it was time for National Novel Writing Month, and a very, very welcome return to the world of Coelwulf from The Last King, but not before the final proofread for Clash of Kings.
In November I wrote, wrote, wrote. Not as much as in the past, but I was determined to get back to a good daily habit, and so I didn’t push myself until I had time to write 5k a day, which wasn’t until later in the month, as I had a structural edit for Enemies of Mercia to work on. And the second proof for The Royal Women also arrived in my inbox.
For December, remember above I said I had to be kinder to myself, I’ve given myself the time to finish writing The Last Viking, the new Coelwulf book, as well as writing a short story on my way home from London, and I’ve also got a final proof for The Royal Women Who Made England to look at. On the whole, a much quieter December to that of 2022, and far more enjoyable. It’s hoped this will recharge my batteries for what I hope will be a busy 2024, with another Coelwulf, Icel, Earls of Mercia and something new in the pipeline.
In terms of words written this year, a very rough tally sets it at about 340k, which is one of my lowest since 2017 – see my little chart below. (I can’t correctly determine all of the words written – I sometimes wish Word tracked how many words I deleted as well as how many I added). This might also be because some of my record keeping has been poor. My most prolific day was March 28th when I wrote 7000 words.
For 2024, I’m determined to work on my planning – not always easy with structural, copyedits and proofreads coming at me from all angles, but I am going to try and ensure I have more periods of time when I can write in a sustained way. I only managed this for three months in 2023. My style of writing means that I have to write quickly, or, quite frankly, I lose the thread of the story. I am, after all, a pantser, not a planner, and my characters very much lead the story. Sometimes, I need to give them a bit of time to decide what it is they intend to do.
Forthcoming releases with be Clash of Kings, The Royal Women Who Made England, The Last Viking and Enemies of Mercia. There will also be the fourth part of The Brunanburh Series later in the year. I had thought 2024 would be a quieter year, but clearly not.
If you want to follow my writing journey, join my newsletter. I update readers each month, and you can also join my Facebook group.
I will be sharing my reading year in review soon – there’s a lot of historical mystery in there:)
I’m sharing a snippet from Milana Marsenich’s new novel, Beautiful Ghost.
“Come back to the bakery with me and you can see for yourself. Annie doesn’t even know I exist when you are around. You can stay with us. You’ll be safe there.” Kaly heard herself echoing a sentiment Beth had once professed to Kaly. “Come stay at Miss Lottie’s,” her friend had said. “You’ll be safe there.”
This was different. Kaly looked at the ground. “Besides, we talked about it. You can’t work the line now.” Beth had agreed. The syphilis would infect others, eventually killing them. “Maybe Tara would put you to work.”
Kaly worked hard in the bakery. At first, she’d waited tables, but soon learned to cook good wholesome food. She cleaned tables and swamped the place at night, shopped, and stocked supplies. Still, she would not be able to make ends meet without Tara’s help and Tommy sending home his army money.
Beth shook her head. “You know I can’t live on that kind of money. I’ve got a scheme brewing and as soon as it’s ready, you’ll be the first to know.”
Kaly couldn’t help but feel that she had betrayed and abandoned her friend. So many didn’t have the means to retire that profession. Old prostitutes often died cold and sick on the streets, or at one of the hog ranches for old whores. Those with syphilis did even worse.
She couldn’t stand to think of that fate for Beth. Beautiful, bold, vivacious Beth. Kaly missed their camaraderie. Beth had been her best friend since she was fourteen. If Kaly had her way, she’d never give her up. But Beth had distanced herself from Kaly since she’d moved in with Tara McClane, and there seemed to be nothing Kaly could do about it.
Here’s the blurb
During the fall of 1918, the influenza pandemic crosses the nation and reaches the mining town of Butte, Montana.
Marika Jovich, who wants to go to school to become a physician, works menial tasks for Dr. Fletcher. She feels useless as she tries to save friends and neighbors from the ravages of the flu. In the midst of the pandemic, she watches the town shut down, young and old perish, and her medical dreams all but evaporate.
Kaly Monroe used to be a half-good woman of the night. She left that life to raise her daughter, Annie, and live and work with her long-lost mother, Tara McClane. Kaly waits for her husband, Tommy, to return from the war. Word from the east is that soldiers are dying of influenza and she prays that Tommy is not one of them.
When an out-of-town woman named Amelia suddenly dies in Dr. Fletcher’s office, both women try to learn more about the mysterious woman and the circumstances regarding her death. Is she another casualty of the pandemic, or the victim of manmade foul play? Who is this stranger, and is her demise a portent of the fate that awaits the residents of Butte?
Praise for Beautiful Ghost:
“Marsenich doesn’t just describe the place and times, she conjures it up like time travel.” ~ Amazon Review by Ellen Leahy Howell
Award winning author, Milana Marsenich lives in Northwest Montana near Flathead Lake at the base of the beautiful Mission Mountains. She enjoys quick access to the mountains and has spent many hours hiking the wilderness trails with friends and dogs. For the past 20 years she has worked as a mental health therapist in a variety of settings. As a natural listener and a therapist, she has witnessed amazing generosity and courage in others. She first witnessed this in her hometown of Butte, Montana, a mining town with a rich history and the setting for Copper Sky, her first novel.
Copper Sky was chosen as a Spur Award finalist for Best Western Historical Novel in 2018. Her second novel, The Swan Keeper, was a Willa Award finalist in 2019. Her short story, Wild Dogs, won the Laura Award for short fiction in 2020.
She has an M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling from Montana State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. She has previously published in Montana Quarterly, Big Sky Journal, The Polishing Stone,The Moronic Ox, BookGlow, and Feminist Studies.
She has three published novels, Copper Sky, The Swan Keeper, and Beautiful Ghost, and one popular history book, Idaho Madams. Her upcoming novel, Shed Girl: A Juliet French Novel, will be released January 2024. Her popular history book, Mary MacLane: Butte’s Wild Woman and her Wooden Heart, will be out sometime in 2025.
I’m delighted to welcome Heidi Eljarbo and her Christmas romance, Twelfth Cake House, to the blog
Here’s the blurb
Even a clever matchmaker may need a push in the right direction if she’s to find true love. When she’s asked to find a match for herself, it proves to be the most difficult task she’s ever undertaken.
Mid-December 1796.
Sixty-year-old spinster Miss Jemima Thurgood has three weeks to finish the preparations for her annual Twelfth Night party. In her position as a matchmaker, for over forty years she has assumed a grave responsibility. Luckily, she’s a shrewd observer of people, and many happy reunions have come about due to her exceptional talent for nudging kindred hearts in the right direction.
Every year, Jemima invites twelve carefully selected men and women to her festivity, and each guest is assigned a dinner partner. The days before the merrymaking are constantly disrupted by one unforeseen event after another. Jemima must work hard to be ready in time, and more importantly, to provide the kind of celebration her chosen guests deserve.
But this year, what Jemima doesn’t know is that her life is about to take a sudden change of course—one she could not have predicted or planned for. As the days pass, several gentlemen indicate they are interested in becoming better acquainted with her, but only a very special man can charm a matchmaker.
A sweet romance novella set during a witty and enchanting Georgian-Era Christmas, Twelfth Cake House is a story about traditions, goodwill, and finding hope and the courage to change and take a chance on finding true love.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Heidi Eljarbo is the award-winning author of dual-timeline historical fiction with heartwarming clean romance, wit, and adventurous mystery.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and never imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, danced on the BYU Ballroom Dance Team, and still sings in choirs.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, and fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
Hello readers. I had to share this because The Alewives is such a fantastic read. Do please snap it up. (Over night it’s been riding very high in the UK top 100 overall chart which is AMAZING). I’ve read the book and listened to the audio, and if you know me by now, that is very rare! So, yes, my love for this story is very genuine.
Here’s the blurb
Colmar, 1353 CE
Gritta, Appel, and Efi managed to survive the Black Death, only to find that they are in desperate need of money. With limited options and lots of obstacles, they band together to become alewives – brewing and selling ale in the free Alsatian town of Colmar. But when an elderly neighbor is discovered dead in her house, the alewives cannot convince the sheriff and the town council that her death wasn’t an accident, it was murder. As the body count piles up, the ale flows and mystery is afoot!
Set in the tumultuous years after the most devastating pandemic the world has ever experienced, The Alewives is a playful romp through a dark time, when society was reeling from loss and a grieving population attempted to return to normal, proving that with the bonds of love, friendship, and humor, the human spirit will always continue to shine.
The Alewives is a fantastically well-written murder mystery set in the immediate aftermath of the Black Death, with delightful characters and a sinister murderer and thief, at the heart of all the problems. Set in the tannery area of Colmar, something smells bad.
The three main characters of Gritta, Appel, and Efi are all glorious creations – Grita with her useless husband and horde of children (she had 12, you see), Appel with her mysterious nighttime activities, and young Efi, who has the sense of a young kid goat at the beginning of the tale.
This story is immersive and filled with just enough tension and humour to make even a story about those who survived the Black Death an absolute delight to read. The humour is well constructed, the antics of the three women, acting a little outside the ‘law’ in a deeply patriarchal society that doesn’t allow women to brew their own ale for profit, artfully created, and even the Friar, Wikerus, is a sympathetic character, in the end. The three women are put upon. Society is against them, as is the sheriff (all the male characters are dismissive of the women, but they get on with it, doing all they can to circumnavigate the obstacles placed in their path), and the church, and just about everyone else, but they triumph.
The mystery itself is really well constructed, as are the red herrings. I didn’t know who the culprit(s) (no spoilers here) were until the big reveal.
A short, sharp, snappy, hugely entertaining, medieval mystery that portrays the realities of life at the time, with just the right amount of humour to make it thoroughly entertaining. A well-deserved 5/5 from me!
Meet the Author
Elizabeth R. Andersen’s debut novel, The Scribe, launched in July of 2021. Although she spent many years of her life as a journalist, independent fashion designer, and overworked tech employee, there have always been two consistent loves in her life: writing and history. She finally decided to do something about this and put them both together.
Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her long-suffering husband and young son. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters.
– Join Elizabeth’s monthly newsletter and receive the first two chapters of The Scribe for free. Sign up at https://www.elizabethrandersen.com
– Find photos of hikes and daily author life at Elizabeth’s Instagram: @elizabethrandersen
– Follow Elizabeth on Twitter for nerdy medieval history facts: @E_R_A_writes
I’m delighted to welcome Justin Newland to the blog with a guest post about his new book, The Mark of the Salamander.
The Mark of the Salamander is the first part of a two-book series entitled The Island of Angels, which tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era.
Queen Elizabeth of England and King Philip II of Spain opposed each other in a religious war in the late 16th century. Even as enemies, they shared plenty in common.
Elizabeth was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married. King Philip II of Spain was known as ‘the Prudent’ because he was frugal with his money.
Process El Escorial Monastery
She too was a spendthrift, and was exceedingly careful with money, and so in the same way as Philip, she was prudent too. For many years, Philip lived in the castle- monastery of El Escorial near Madrid. There he was surrounded by Hieronymite monks, who lived an austere life in the image of the their founder, the biblical scholar, St Jerome. Living like a monk, study, austerity and discipline were Philip’s daily fare.
Elizabeth on the other hand, moved around using the River Thames to head from her favourite palace at Richmond to her other royal estates at Whitehall and Greenwich.
She also went on royal progresses to visit the estates of her senior courtiers, like Kenilworth, Osterley and Theobalds.
Elizabeth I
Astrologically, Elizabeth was a Virgo, actually a double Virgo, because her rising sign was also Virgo. Curiously, Virgo means virgin. The coincidences don’t end there. Because the flag that the Spanish Armada flew had, on one side of it, an image of Madonna, Mary, the mother of Jesus who was herself a virgin.
Philip was himself a Taurus, the bull, and bullish he was in defiance. Stubborn as a mule, he sent several Armadas to invade England, but none of them succeeded. Taurus and Virgo are both Earth signs; Elizabeth and Philip shared that in common too.
King Philip II of Spain
The boundaries between the two nations would not have been as explicit had England and Spain been at war today. Today there would be sanctions on trade between the warring nations. In the 16th Century, things were not as cut and dried.
For example, it would have been quite normal for the Queen, Drake and the other English aristocrats to enjoy a glass of Spanish wine and sherry. The other irony to this is that one of the major exporters of said Spanish wine was from the estates of the Duke of Medina Sidonia. Said Duke was the commander of the Spanish Armada sent to invade England’s shores in the summer of 1588.
Elizabeth’s personal motto was ‘Semper Eadem’ which means ‘Always the Same.’ But what was ‘the same’ where she was concerned? She saw herself as married and in service to the people and land of England, and that never varied. She saw herself as protector of the realm, and that never varied either. She too was always fierce in her defiance against the Duke of Parma, who had invaded the Netherlands on behalf of King Philip. This resolution is enshrined in the words from her famous Tilbury speech:
“… I think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm.”
By comparison, King Philip’s motto was Orbis non Sufficit, which means the World is Not Enough. If the world is not enough, what is? The solar system? The universe? This motto reeks of hubris, or excessive pride. Perhaps this is what led King Philip to miss out certain orders to his naval commander, the Duke of Medina Sidonia.
Two opponents. One a man, who rested in one place, static. The other a woman, who moved from place to place, ever mobile. One led the life of a scholarly monk. The other danced her way into the hearts of the English people and gave her name to an era.
Here’s the blurb
1575.
Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish Netherlands. Settling in Mortlake outside London, he studies under Queen Elizabeth’s court astrologer, conjuring a bright future – until he’s wrongly accused of murder.
Forced into the life of a fugitive, Nelan hides in London, before he is dramatically pressed into the crew of the Golden Hind.
Thrust into a strange new world on board Francis Drake’s vessel, Nelan sails the seas on a voyage to discover discovery itself. Encountering mutiny, ancient tribes and hordes of treasure, Nelan must explore and master his own mystical powers – including the Mark of the Salamander, the mysterious spirit of fire.
THE MARK OF THE SALAMANDER is the first in The Island of Angels series: a two-book saga that tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era.
Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.
Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.
The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.
The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.
The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.
The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age.
His work in progress is the second in the series, The Midnight of Eights, the charting of the uncanny coincidences that led to the repulse of the Spanish Armada.
Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts.
Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
MJ Porter 