Author of Saxon historical fiction and non-fiction, 20th-century historical mysteries, and Norse-inspired historical romantasy. Book reviewer and blog host.
My fabulous publishers are working together and offering a hardback edition of King of Kings and The Royal Women Who Made England (UK only). To enter you will need to access one of the original posts from Boldwood on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. I will add links here. (Closing date 6th Feb 2024. T &Cs apply).
Check out the Brunanburh Series page on my blog for my information about my fiction.
And, because I never tire of making a slight fool of myself, here’s me talking about some more of the research I undertook for the book and trying to explain the family tree of Otto I, King of the East Franks. Who knows how successful I’ve been.
I’m delighted to welcome Katherine Kayne and her new book, Bound in Roses, to the blog.
Here’s the blurb
A red-hot Hawaiian romance blooms for a buttoned-up botanist who must learn to let go and embrace the ancient voice within her.
After a failed engagement to a high-society suitor in San Francisco, Lokelani “Lucky” Letwin returns home to Hawaii, leaving her beloved rosebushes behind. She’s desperate to establish a life of her own-a daunting task for any unmarried female in the early twentieth century but particularly for one passionate about the science of plants. A stubborn, song-filled girl now grown into an accomplished woman Lokelani is haunted by a family tragedy. She is as reluctant to acknowledge her past as she is to accept the supernatural force building inside her, strong and inevitable. She is a mākāhā, a Gate, ever connected to the power of the islands . . . if only she will admit it.
In her quest to retrieve her roses, Lokelani is reunited with Artemus Chang, a childhood friend, who’s now a handsome and successful lawyer. As the spark between them grows, Artemus agrees to help her recover her roses, only to discover her kisses leave him literally breathless. When a mystical teacher enters her life, Lokelani’s embrace of the voice of ancient power bubbling up within her takes on new urgency and new apprehensions.
Will Lokelani continue to be bound by guilt and fear? Or will she learn to reconcile her gifts – as both a practical botanist and a mystical Gate – to sing once more and claim her love?
Buy Link:
This title is also available to read on #KindleUnlimited
Award winning author Katherine Kayne writes deeply romantic historical fantasy set in old Hawaii. Her critically acclaimed debut novel BOUND IN FLAME delivers myth, magic and all the sparks promised by the title. The next installment in her Hawaiian Ladies’ Riding Society series, BOUND IN ROSES, is available for preorder now.
Katherine’s novels are filled with horses and history and happily ever after . . . and heroes strong enough to follow their heroine’s lead. She spends a part of each year on Hawaii Island immersing herself in Hawaii’s past. Aided of course by the occasional mai tai. Katherine created the world of the Hawaiian Ladies Riding Society to tell the stories of the fearless horsewomen of the islands’ ranches. Because who doesn’t love a suffragist on horseback? With a bullwhip? Wearing flowers?
If you come along for the ride, be prepared for almost anything to happen. Katherine can promise you fiery kisses, charming cowboys, women who ride like the rainbow to save the day, and that rarest of beasts-handsome men who like to dance.
I do appreciate that it’s not exactly a bad problem to have, but I am sometimes concerned that readers are not altogether sure where to go after finishing one of my series and hopefully, enjoying it. Never fear, for I have put together a handy little guide, hopefully picking out the elements that readers might have enjoyed in one particular series, and applying them to other ones.
So, for readers interested in what happened before King of Kings, The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter and its sequel, A Conspiracy of Kings, offer a retelling of the Lady Ælfwynn’s life. The books also feature a younger Athelstan, and there may be a few other figures from the Brunanburh series in there as well.
For those interested in England before it was England, or rather the idea of Five kingdoms, then the Gods and Kings trilogy, starting with Pagan Warrior, is really where you want to be. Step back to the seventh century, a time before Viking raiders, but with just as many ambition and brutal warrior kings.
And if it is the conflict and band of warriors that interests you, then the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles might well be where you could go next. Follow young Icel as he realises he must become a warrior, not a healer if he is to protect Mercia from her enemies beginning with Son of Mercia, set nearly a hundred years before the events of Brunanburh.
If you want books with a very healthy dose of violence, (and swearing), then The Mercian Ninth Century is the series for you, beginning with The Last King. Also set before the events of Brunanburh, (in the 870s) this series is all about warriors, violence, and overcoming (hopefully) all the odds.
I hope you find something you like, and don’t forget, to sign up for my mailing list to keep up to date with all things Saxon England and to receive a free ebook download via Bookfunnel.
I’m delighted to share details of the A Slice of Medieval Podcast I’m featured on this week. I hope you enjoy the discussion about Brunanburh, King Athelstan and not forgetting, Olaf Scabbyhead.
I’ve added the map below so you can see where I’m talking about during the podcast.
‘Angelica had always known her lack of high birth, fortune or influence debarred her from being presented as an eligible young woman worthy of marriage. To cap it all, being an actress assured she was utterly beyond the pale of respectability.’
Nightly at the Covent Garden Theatre in London, an enchanting actress is wowing the crowds with her affecting portrayal of Ophelia. Preyed on by rakes and opportunistic young bucks, feted by dukes and earls, even the Prince Regent himself, Angelica Leigh is a sensation.
But in Regency England, beauty and talent are not enough to be considered marriage material, so when the eminently eligible Lord Charles Latimer sets his heart on Angelica, his uncle is sent to intervene.
As a highly respected, hard-working and wealthy lawmaker, The Honourable Ivor Asprey, is himself seen as desirable husband material, but widowed with an eleven-year-old daughter Elinor, he has forsaken all thoughts of romance. Lord Latimer’s mother, the Duchess of Arlington, despairs of her son, despite being reassured by Ivor that his infatuation with the actress will pass. But there is something about Angelica Leigh that demands attention, and even the austere and upstanding Mr Asprey isn’t immune to her charms.
Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Dunn brings the Regency period irresistibly to life. Perfect for fans of Jane Austen. Janice Hadlow, Gill Hornby, and anyone with a Bridgerton-shaped hole in their lives.
A Scandalous Match returns us to Jane Dunn’s wonderful reimagining of Regency England. Our heroine this time is Angelica, our hero Ivor. Both of them are very different characters. The chemistry between them takes some time to develop, but when it does, it is quite explosive.
A Scandalous Match contains all the elements of a Regency romance we would expect, including the stubborn heroine and equally stubborn hero, their failure to speak plainly, and the reach of society that endeavours to keep them apart. But, as with Jane’s previous books, there is the fascinating element of ‘other’ in there as well. The servants aren’t faceless and nameless. The conventions of the times are laid bare, and the peripheral characters also ‘buck’ against the trends we might expect. It all adds a delicious quantity to the books, which I adore, from the ‘cant’ of the servants to the slightly risqué relationship of Angelica’s mother and her ‘keeper.’ I also adore how the obsession with horses is constantly explored, just as in today’s day and age, we might brag about our high-end cars.
Another thrilling and enthralling read. Readers of Regency Romance, and romance in general, will delight in travelling to Jane’s Regency England.
Jane Dunn is an historian and biographer and the author of seven acclaimed biographies, including Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters and the Sunday Times and NYT bestseller, Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. She comes to Boldwood with her first fiction outing – a trilogy of novels set in the Regency period, the first of which is to be published in January 2023. She lives in Berkshire with her husband, the linguist Nicholas Ostler.
