Category: New Release

Today, I’m reviewing Maggie In The Middle by Debbie Viggiano #blogtour #newrelease #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

WHEN LIFE FEELS LIKE…
A TEST YOU DIDN’T STUDY FOR

When Maggie King turned sixty, she thought her life complete.

Now she’s sixty-one, and everything has gone horribly wrong.

Husband Greg has abruptly upped and left leaving Maggie bewildered. But there’s no time to question his departure because her ancient parents are all-consuming.

Once fondly referred to as the Golden Oldies, they’re now the BOBs – Bad-Tempered Old Buggers.

Sister Freya is never available to help, and Maggie is rapidly reaching the end of her tether.

She wants her life – and husband – back.

Instead, she’s trapped in what has been coined the Sandwich Generation – supporting both children and parents – except this particular sarnie is in danger of falling apart.

Maggie needs to learn that when life is like a club sandwich, it needs the best ingredients – and that includes lashings of love and some knee-trembling romance!

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maggie-Middle-poignant-moving-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CXQ4WQK4

https://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Middle-poignant-moving-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CXQ4WQK4

My Review

Wow. What a simply charming and delightful tale, not without some harrowing scenes. I’ve read a few of these sorts of novels recently, and this one is by far my favourite to date. Told with genuine warmth, just the right touch of ‘reality’ and real laugh-out-loud moments, I loved Maggie in the Middle.

Our main character, Maggie, is at an unexpected crossroads. No matter what she does, she can’t seem to win the help of her sister or even the respect of her ageing parents. Her adult children are much more understanding. What Maggie needs is a companion of the four-legged variety, and what comes with it is very unexpected.

I don’t want to spoil this delightful story. Instead, I will say that this takes quite a brutal look at the problems of caring for ageing parents, one with dementia and one who is also starting to struggle, leaving Maggie feeling helpless and worried. It very much addresses the guilt of caring for parents and not being able to do more for them, mostly because they won’t accept that assistance. As the author says, she’s embroiled in such a situation and the scenes feel vivid and real – there is, alas, no magic solution. However, interspersed with these difficult scenes are much warmer ones, offering readers hope that not all is as hopeless as we might think.

This is such a genuinely uplifting story. It doesn’t shy away from the realities it describes, but it will still fill you with hope and joy, and the humour will make you giggle out loud. Go and read it.

Meet the author

Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy… apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!

Connect with Debbie

TWITTER:   @DebbieViggiano

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/debbie.viggiano.5/

INSTAGRAM: debbieviggiano

Posts

Today, it’s time for something a little different, I’m reviewing The French Cookery School by Caroline James #fiction #newrelease #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

Mix together a group of mature students:

A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.

Add in:

A handsome host

Season with:

A celebrity chef

Bring to the boil:

At a luxurious cookery school in France!

Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan. 

Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.

But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle? 

Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!

Purchase Link   

https://mybook.to/TFCS

My Review

The French Cookery School is a life-affirming story of second chances for our cast of 50+ characters set in the heat of Franch in the mid-summer, as well as the heat of the kitchen. Our main characters, and there are really four of them (Fran, Sally, Caroline and Waltho), all have their own struggles to overcome or ambitions to achieve, which sets the scene for a story of facing grief and loss and moving beyond the comfort of how lives have been led for so many years.

It is an engaging, quick read that is sure to appeal to fans of cookery, France, and second-chance stories who are looking for a more ‘serious’ take on the genre.

Meet the author

Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.

The French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth novel. Previously, The Cruise, described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.

She likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.

Books by Caroline James:

The French Cookery School

The Cruise

The Spa Break

Hattie Goes to Hollywood

Boomerville at Ballymegille

The Best Boomerville Hotel

Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me

Coffee Tea the Chef & Me

Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me

Jungle Rock

Connect with the author

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @CarolineJames12

Facebook: Caroline James Author

Insta: Caroline James Author

Today, I’m sharing my review for The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa #blogtour #histfic #newrelease And there’s a competition too

Here’s the blurb

‘My defloration was talked about in all the courts of Europe. The Prince boasted of his prowess, even as preparations were being made for his wedding, as boldly as if he had ridden across that causeway with bloodstained sheet tied to his lance.’
1584, Italy: Twenty-year-old Giulia expects she will live and die incarcerated as a silk weaver within the walls of her Florentine orphanage, where she has never so much as glimpsed her own face. This all changes with the visit of the Medici family’s most trusted advisor, promising her a generous dowry and a husband if she agrees to a small sacrifice that will bring honour and glory to her native city. 
Vincenzo Gonzaga, libertine heir to the dukedom of Mantua, wants to marry the Grand-Duke of Tuscany’s eldest daughter, but the rumours around his unconsummated first marriage must be silenced first. Eager for a dynastic alliance that will be a bulwark against the threat of Protestant heresy beyond the Alps, the Pope and his cardinals turn a blind eye to a mortal sin. 
A powerful #MeToo story of the Renaissance, based on true events.

Purchase Links 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509

https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509

My Review

Told with the benefit of hindsight by our maiden of Florence, Giulia, The Maiden of Florence is the story of this astounding event and the consequences of it for our fair maiden. The first third of the book is a retelling of what might have befallen Giulia, and events then move on to tell the story of what occurred afterwards, including her eventual marriage. However, the reach of the man behind her involvement is never very far away, despite her resentment of it.

The narrative allows Giulia to have her happily ever after ‘for now’, but events quickly move on, and she finds herself caught up in the battle to protect her oldest son, seeking aid where she would never have thought to do so until desperate.

The story is told with compassion and some insight from her husband. The recreation of Florence and Venice in the late 1500s/early 1600s is intriguing while also reflecting her restricted world view—we see only a small area of Florence and Venice. Giulia is rarely, if ever, not subject to some external force, whether it is the benign influence of her husband or other malevolent forces.

An engaging read, somewhat slower in pace, and sure to delight readers of this era and also narratives featuring strong women who are constrained by the society they live in.

Meet the author

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish writer of mainly historical fiction, currently living in Italy. She has published several novels under pen names with publishers Bonnier Zaffre and eXtasy. She works as a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy. Katherine reviews for Historical Novel Society’s quarterly journal and is one of the organisers of the Society’s 2022 UK conference. In her spare time she volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

Connect with the author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmezzacappa

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

https://katherinemezzacappa.ie

Giveaway to Win a vintage postcard, early 1900s, of the babies from the façade of the Innocenti orphanage. (Open INT)

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494586/?

Happy Release Day to Sleight of Hand, the new book in The Alewives of Colmar historical mystery series by Elizabeth R Andersen #bookreview #newrelease

Here’s the blurb:

In the spring of 1354, all was well in the town of Colmar – until Efi Kleven discovered a hand in her pot of new ale…a hand that was not attached to a body. Now, Gritta, Appel, and Efi, the three alewives of Colmar, must solve the mystery of the severed hand before suspicion falls on them. While they attempt to keep their fledgling brewery afloat, more bodies turn up outside of town – along with more suspects.

With few allies and several powerful men working against them, the alewives find themselves flummoxed: How did the hand of a man from Vogelgrun end up in a cooking pot in Colmar? Why were none of the victims local? And would this most inconvenient ingredient get in the way of Efi’s plans to find herself a new husband?

Book 2 in The Alewives of Colmar mystery series, Sleight of Hand follows the three alewives as they confront life after the Black Death with bravery and wicked humor, showing resourcefulness and determination in the face of poverty, misogyny, and murder.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3xKB49r

My Review

Sleight of Hand is a fabulous follow-up to book 1 in The Alewives of Colmar Series, The Alewives (you can find my review for that here).

In Sleight of Hand we return to our three fabulous characters of Efi, Gritta and Appel and find them once more in a bit of a pickle. The characters of our women, their sort of ‘guardian angel’ and the only one who takes them seriously, Friar Wikerus, and the ‘men’ in Colmar remain as firm as in book 1 – the men are still stupid (aside from Friar Wikerus, although he also causes himself some difficulties) while Appel, Gritta and Efi are fabulous as they circumnavigate the restrictions placed on them by men who think they know better. There is a great deal of gentle humour, and this combined with the strong characterisation ensues the reader is very firmly in favour of the women, and not the men.

The mystery itself is very well-constructed. Everything slowly reveals itself and there are any number of red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

It was so delightful to return to the world of our Alewives of Colmar. I really hope there will be a book 3, and indeed, many more stories for our main characters. If you’ve not yet had the joy of reading The Alewives, then yes, begin there, but only because if not, you’ll be missing out on your first encounter with Efi, Gritta and Appel.

Meet the author

Check out Elizabeth’s website, or click on the link for The Alewives review above, which has all her info.

https://www.elizabethrandersen.com

Happy (US and Kindle) Release Day to The Royal Women Who Made England, my first non-fiction book #newrelease #nonfiction

It feels like I’ve been talking about this book forever, but the day is finally upon us. The Royal Women Who Made England is available in hardback in the UK and US from today, and also in Kind

If you’ve been hiding from me for the last few months, you might be wondering what this is all about. So here goes.

Throughout the tenth century, England, as it would be recognised today, formed. No longer many Saxon kingdoms, but rather, just England. Yet, this development masks much in the century in which the Viking raiders were seemingly driven from England’s shores by Alfred, his children and grandchildren, only to return during the reign of his great, great-grandson, the much-maligned Æthelred II.

Not one but two kings would be murdered, others would die at a young age, and a child would be named king on four occasions. Two kings would never marry, and a third would be forcefully divorced from his wife. Yet, the development towards ‘England’ did not stop. At no point did it truly fracture back into its constituent parts. Who then ensured this stability? To whom did the witan turn when kings died, and children were raised to the kingship?

The royal woman of the House of Wessex came into prominence during the century, perhaps the most well-known being Æthelflæd, daughter of King Alfred. Perhaps the most maligned being Ælfthryth (Elfrida), accused of murdering her stepson to clear the path to the kingdom for her son, Æthelred II, but there were many more women, rich and powerful in their own right, where their names and landholdings can be traced in the scant historical record.

Using contemporary source material, The Royal Women Who Made England can be plucked from the obscurity that has seen their names and deeds lost, even within a generation of their own lives.

https://amzn.to/3OlRydn

https://ww…ck/p/24395

So, who were these royal women? While some of us will know Æthelflæd, the Lady of Mercia, either because I think she is one of THE most famous Saxon women, or because of The Last Kingdom TV series and books, but she is merely one of many.

I’ve fictionalised Elfrida and her contemporaries, Eadgifu, the third wife of Edward the Elder and also some of his daughters, as well as Ælfwynn, the daughter of Æthelflæd. My first non-fiction title is me sharing my research that these stories are based upon.

I’ve also ‘found’ many other women of the period who have left some sort of physical reminder, mostly in charters or because their wills have survived.

In total, I discuss over twenty women directly involved with the royal family, either by birth or marriage, and also a further forty, who appear in the sources. I also take a good look at what these sources are and how they perhaps aren’t always as reliable as we might hope. I make an attempt to ‘place’ these women in the known historical events of the period. And draw some conclusions, which surprised even me.

You can find some of my blog posts about these women below.

Æthelflæd

Lady Eadgifu

Ælfwynn

The daughters of Edward the Elder.

The other daughters of Edward the Elder

A collection of research books I used while writing The Royal Women Who Made England

Listen to me talk about the Chronicon of Æthelweard (about 6 minutes).

Happy publication day to The Mystery of Yew Tree House by Lesley Thomson #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

EIGHTY YEARS OF SECRETS.
1940. At Yew Tree House, recently widowed Adelaide Stride is raising her two daughters alone – but it’s not just the threat of German invasion that keeps her up at night. She is surrounded by enemies posing
as allies and, while war rages, she grows sure that something terrible is about to happen.
A BODY THAT REVEALS THEM ALL.
2023. Soon after Stella Darnell begins her holiday at Yew Tree House, a skeleton is found in a pillbox at
the bottom of the garden. The bullet hole in the skull tells her that the person was murdered.
This triggers the unravelling of a mystery eighty years in the making. Stella will learn that Adelaide was right to worry – the fighting might have been happening abroad, but the true enemy was always much closer to home…

A unique take on the traditional murder mystery from critically acclaimed author, Lesley Thomson, for fans of Elly Griffiths, Val McDermid and Mari Hannah.

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/TMOYTHRRR

Meet the author

Lesley Thomson grew up in west London. Her first novel, A Kind of Vanishing, won the People’s Book Prize in 2010. Her second novel, The Detective’s Daughter, was a #1 bestseller and the resulting series has sold over 800,000 copies. Lesley divides her time between Sussex and Gloucestershire. She lives with her partner and her dog.

Connect with the author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LesleyjmThomson

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

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

Connect with the publisher

Twitter: @AriesFiction

Facebook: Aries Fiction

Instagram: @headofzeus

Website: http://www.headofzeus.com

Happy release day to Enemies of Mercia, book 6 in the tales of young Icel #newrelease #blogtour #histfic

Well, here we are people. Book 6 in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles is released today, and the most important thing I need to do, is not confuse my stories because Book 7 is written and in the hands of my editor:)

It’s hard to believe it’s only just over 2 years since the first book in the series was released. I’d like to thank all my readers for taking a chance on young Icel. And for anyone who still doesn’t know, Icel is a character from The Mercian Ninth Century series, set about 40 years later. Bringing him to life as a younger man has been a fabulous experience, and I hope that those who’ve come to Icel from the older perspective, or have jumped forward in time, appreciate the man he will become/or was. I know some have questioned Icel’s commitment to young Coenwulf and Coelwulf. I do hope everyone now realises why.

Check out some release day posts I wrote.

https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/mappinganglosaxonengland

So, what’s happening in book 6, Enemies of Mercia? Here’s the blurb;

A King’s command. A warrior’s quest for the truth…

Tamworth AD835

Following Icel’s epic rescue of Lord Coenwulf’s children from their almost certain death, King Wiglaf is forced to call upon Icel’s loyal services once more.

Furious that the conspirators behind the audacious move to snatch the children have yet to face justice, he despatches Icel to hunt down the enemy of Mercia and discover who seeks to conspire against the throne.

The dangerous mission will take Icel into the heartland of enemy-held Wessex to Winchester and onto Canterbury. As the web of lies and deceit grows, Icel must battle to discover the truth whilst keeping himself and his allies safe.

But those who conspire against the King have much to lose and will stop at nothing to prevent Icel discovering the truth. 
Once more, Icel’s life is endangered as he tries to protect Mercia from her enemies who threaten Mercia’s kingly line.

https://books2read.com/Enemies-of-Mercia

Enemies of Mercia follows on from events in Book 5, Protector of Mercia. And, no spoilers here, but Book 7, as yet untitled other than in my head, will conclude this ‘mini’ story thread, as the first four books in the series also include a ‘mini’ story thread. But don’t let that stop you from reading Enemies right now – book 7 isn’t scheduled until early 2025 (I know – I’ve finally ‘caught’ up with my writing commitments, and it’s a great feeling).

Enemies of Mercia will take our young hero to the heart of Wessex, and there is a mystery element to the story (I was reading a lot of mysteries at the time, and you all know, I hope, that I’ve also written a few ‘more’ modern mysteries.) It was a lot of fun to mix my genres. I did enjoy ‘visiting’ Winchester and Canterbury in the 830s – as usual, I made the decision to take them there before I realised quite how complex it was to recreate the ancient settlements. You’ll also be pleased to know that after many of the events in Protector saw Icel alone, in Enemies he’s reunited with his allies. I really hope you’ll enjoy Enemies of Mercia.

And, if you’ve not yet tried this series, then the first book, Son of Mercia, will be reduced in ebook format on Amazon UK and Australia throughout April 2024 (and is also available to read with Kindle Unlimited), so it’s the perfect opportunity to try out the series. You don’t need to have met old Icel, or young Icel, to enjoy The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles.

books2read.com/SonOfMercia

Check out The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles for more information.

Follow the blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources and the fabulous blog hosts. I will be sharing links throughout the next week. Thank you to everyone who’s already read the book.

Reviewsfeed

Bookish Jottings

Leanne bookstagram

David’s Bookblurg

Sharon Beyond the Books

The Strawberry Post

Ruins and Readings

And don’t forget, Enemies of Mercia will be available in ebook, paperback, hardback, large print and audio versions from today.

I’m really excited to be taking part in today’s blog tour for Race to Novus by RA Clarke #blogtour #newrelease #scifi #review

Here’s the blurb

A daughter’s last chance at redemption on an alien planet. A sweeping secret that could not only end her dreams, but her life as well.

Finn Rucker boards the starship to seek a fresh start as part of a colonizing effort on Joya. The race, sponsored by Governus, yields free land and startup funds for the lucky winners. The number of entrants guarantees someone is going to lose and Finn is determined that she and her bionic horse, Herc, will be among the winners.

Racing through uncharted jungle to the settlement of Novus, Finn and her fellow racers soon discover that not everything is as it seems – and Governus withheld information from the contestants. Strange beasts attack the racers, mechanical equipment begins to fail, and the very air seems out to get them.

When all seems lost, a mysterious people arrive and help the racers, revealing the depth of Governus’ deception. Finn will have to keep her pulse pistols close and her new friends closer – but not too close – as they all race to survive the jungle.

You will love this mashup of Hidalgo and James Cameron’s Avatar as Finn navigates the guilt of her past, the promise of a future, and the imminent dangers of her present.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.ca/Race-Novus-R-Clarke-ebook/dp/B0CSC5YS3P

https://www.amazon.com/Race-Novus-R-Clarke-ebook/dp/B0CSC5YS3P

Publisher’s website: https://www.cloakedpress.com

My Review

Race to Novus is a really fun, action-packed sci-fi read. I’ve not read a great deal of sci-fi of late, but this is the second book in a month, and it’s been very enjoyable.

Our main character, Finn, and her trusty, half-bionic horse, Herc take us quickly to Novus, as the space ship lands on the planet and the race begins. While on board, Finn has already forged some friendships, and I enjoyed that these relationships come to us fully formed, allowing the action to get underway quickly.

But, all is not as it seems on Novus, and every so often, we are treated to a brief interlude where we begin to discover the depth of the subterfuge used to get Finn and her friends to Novus.

As well as the friendships, the galaxy that Finn occupies is also fully-formed. We’re quickly told how things stand, and why some of the different species like one another, while others don’t. There is also a genuine sense that this is ‘every species for themselves’ until things start to go wrong, and then these previous alliances come to the fore, as danger abounds and everyone finds their lives under threat.

This is a really intriguing take on a good-old-fashioned land grab and competition – it has elements of the Hunger Games and indeed, the Avatar description is also applicable. A refreshing read. I’m really glad I decided to try it.

Race to Novus is available now.

Meet the author

R.A. Clarke is a former police officer turned stay-at-home mom living with her family in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Besides raising two rambunctious boys, soaking in lake time, and acting in community theatre, R.A.’s spare time is spent plotting fantastical novels and multi-genre short fiction. Her tales have been featured in various publications, and have won international writing contests, such as Red Penguin Books’ humour contest, the Writer’s Weekly 24-hour contest, The Writer’s Workout: Writer’s Games, and the 2023 Write Fighters 3-Day Novella Challenge. She was also a finalist for both the 2021 Futurescapes Award and the 2022 Dark Sire Awards.

R.A. Clarke writes and illustrates a children’s chapter book series for ages 7-10 as Rachael Clarke as well. The first book in that series, The Big Ol’ Bike—a story about a smaller than average kid with a huge heart—was named a Females of Fiction Award finalist by Hindi’s Libraries in 2021. To learn more, please visit: www.rachaelclarkewrites.com.

Connect with the author

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/raclarkewrites

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

Website: www.rachaelclarkewrites.com

Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/raclarkewrites

Let’s celebrate the book birthday of Maid of Steel by Kate Baker with a competition and an excerpt #bookbirthday #blogtour

Here’s the excerpt

These final paragraphs from the end of Chapter Two show main character Emma trying to escape a burning building and she’s made it to the flat roof. It’s 1911 and firemen have placed a wooden ladder across from the neighbouring building. She is thinking of her dead twin brother as she contemplates her own likely demise. This plot point was inspired by the true story of one woman’s survival from the real Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York in March 1911…

Emma focused on the fireman’s face, beaded with adrenalin, kind yet full of urgency for her to succeed. She searched for strength in arms which raged with pain.

‘Keep looking at me. Slowly does it…’

Her breathing faltered and she shuddered. The wooden rungs gave a little and bounced when she moved. Her thighs started to wobble and she felt lightheaded.

‘Not far now, keep coming.’

The fireman’s hand was reaching out to her.

‘You’re nearly halfway, good girl.’

She focused on the soot-smudged fingers and inched herself closer. Clouds of smoke closed in, wrapping their warmth around her, not wanting to let her escape. Snapping and crackling behind found her digging deep for a final effort John would have been proud of.

‘Don’t look back. I’ve nearly got you.’

She saw the fireman’s sooty hands, the sweat on his own face, felt her lungs pulling life from the tiny breaths she was taking. It hurt, and she thought about giving up and letting her body fall.

‘Hey!’

She gritted her teeth and pulled her aching body once more along the ladder. When he could finally reach her, the fireman pulled her from the lifeline and wrapped her in a blanket, supporting her body when she collapsed. She turned in time to see the flames crackle towards them and watched the ladder as it fell away like a box of lit matches.

A few minutes later, she was led out of the building and onto the street. Her left arm had blistered, little weeping domes of red flesh. The slash on her right wrist where she’d forced her hand through the door had stopped bleeding, but splinters stuck out at crude angles, embedded in muscle. The pain was pulling her towards death, of that she was sure.

The policeman steered her past bodies, charred limbs twisted.

‘Oh, my God… I saw these people jump.’ Emma covered her mouth with her hand.

‘Don’t look.’ He was taking her to where the horse-drawn ambulances were queuing across the end of the alley, waiting to take the injured to hospital. ‘Poor things jumped, but some are from the fire escape.’

Emma stopped walking. ‘The fire escape?’

‘That mangled mess.’ He pointed to a skeleton of bent and twisted metal. Torn fabric pieces hung from spikes of broken steel. ‘It broke under the weight of too many people.’

Physicians and nurses were busy covering bodies with blankets as police tried to keep the crowds back. The cries and sobbing which filled the air were testament to the unfolding horror. Emma scanned the walking wounded, praying.

Then she stopped.

Strands of hair stuck to her face and she had to drag it away from her eyes three times before she could be sure that the skirt was that of Martina. It lay in ripples across unmoving legs, one of which no longer had a foot. Use the window! Emma had told her, convinced it was the safest route out of the fire.

They had a lifetime of shared memories yet to make: the vote to win, husbands to find, children to bring into the world.

How could this be the truth?

Emma slumped to her knees, but the policeman pulled her back to her feet. Even the nurse’s kind attentions could not console her or stop the howling sobs. Life wasn’t life without Martina in it. Her presence had made the loss of John more bearable – she couldn’t possibly have lost her too.

Here’s the blurb

It’s 1911 and, against her mother’s wishes, quiet New Yorker Emma dreams of winning the right to vote. She is sent away by her parents in the hope distance will curb her desire to be involved with the growing suffrage movement and told to spend time learning about where her grandparents came from.

Across the Atlantic – Queenstown, southern Ireland – hotelier Thomas dreams of being loved, even noticed, by his actress wife, Alice. On their wedding day, Alice’s father had assured him that adoration comes with time. It’s been eight years. But Alice has plans of her own and they certainly don’t include the fight for equality or her dull husband.

Emma’s arrival in Ireland leads her to discover family secrets and become involved in the Irish Women’s Suffrage Society in Cork. However, Emma’s path to suffrage was never meant to lead to a forbidden love affair…

Purchase Links 

Publisher’s link: https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/book/486/maid-of-steel-SMwd/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/191535269X/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/191535269X/

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/maid-of-steel/kate-baker/9781915352699

Meet the author

Maid of Steel is Kate’s first full length novel to be published. She also writes short stories and is presently drafting a second novel.

She writes at a desk covered in to-do lists and lights candles in the hope the lists disappear in the shadows.

She lives in East Anglia in the UK with her husband where they attempt to look after farmland for generations to come.

A small, very small, dog can be frequently found on Kate’s lap. Otis is her first miniature dachshund.

Connect with the author

https://twitter.com/katefbaker

https://www.instagram.com/KateFrancesWrites

https://www.facebook.com/KateBakerAuthor

https://katefrancesbaker.com

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Maid of Steel, candle and lipsil (Open to UK Only)

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494583/?

I’m delighted to welcome Adrienne Chinn and her new book, In The Shadow of War, to the blog #blogtour #historicalfiction

Adrienne has written a fabulous post about her new book, In The Shadow of War. Welcome Adrienne.

Down on the Farm in 1930s Canada

In 1921, my grandfather, Frank Chinn, who had spent five years fighting in France in the British infantry – surviving shrapnel wounds and mustard gas – told his wife, Edith née Fry, that he’d had enough of Britain and Europe and had applied for them to emigrate to either Canada, Australia or South Africa on the Soldiers’ Land Settlement Scheme for British war veterans. 

Edith Adelaide Fry Chinn and Staff Sargeant Frank Thomas Chinn, British Infantry 1914-1919

They had two young children, my Aunt Betty who had been born in 1918, and my father, Geoffrey, who was only two. Frank was allocated virgin land in Alberta, Canada to make into a farm, so off to Canada they went. My grandmother would never see her family in Britain again.

Edith in England in 1920 with my Aunt Betty (2) and my father Geoffrey (not yet 1)

As I grew up, my father and aunt told me and my brothers and sisters many stories about their early lives on a wheat farm in the small farming community of Westlock, Alberta during the years of the Great Depression in the 1930s. 

Westlock, Alberta, Canada 1930s

Edith in front of the Chinn farmhouse, Westlock, Alberta, 1930s

Edith in front of the farmhouse – the inspiration for Sweet Briar Farm.

As it turned out, my auctioneer grandfather from Nuneaton, England was no wheat farmer. In 1935, after 14 years of struggle, the bank foreclosed on the farm and they lost everything. They moved into a small shack by the railway which my grandfather called the Chicken Coop, and managed to scrape out an existence until my grandmother had squirreled away enough money for them to move to Victoria, British Columbia where she ran a boarding house with my aunt; my father became an apprentice butcher; and my grandfather gardened and joined the local veteran’s association. In 1939, both my aunt and father enlisted – Aunt Betty as a nurse and my father in the Royal Canadian Air Force – and their lives changed forever.

The “Chicken Coop”, Westlock, Alberta, 1935.

I wanted to explore the experiences and resilience of people like my grandfather’s family trying to eke out a living on farms in North America during the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, so I placed eldest Fry sister Celie, her war veteran husband Frank, and their young daughter Lulu on Sweet Briar Farm in the fictional West Lake, Alberta, which was very much inspired by family stories and photos. 

Wow, thank you for sharing such a fabulous post. The photos are fabulous.

Here’s the blurb

One war may be over, but their fight for survival continues…

For sisters Etta, Jessie and Celie Fry, the Great War and the hardships of the years that followed have taken a heavy toll.

Determined to leave her painful past behind her, Etta heads to the bright lights of Hollywood whilst Jessie, determined to train as a doctor and use her skills to help others, is hampered by the men who dominate her profession. On the vast, empty plains of the Canadian prairies, Celie and her small family stand on the brink of losing everything.

As whispers of a new war make their way to each sister, each must face the possibility of the unthinkable happening again…

Purchase Links

https://shorturl.at/adhX5

https://shorturl.at/giHL3

https://shorturl.at/COPZ6

Meet the author

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. When not up a ladder or at the computer writing, she often can be found rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk. Her second novel, The English Wife — a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland — was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second in the series, The Paris Sister, was published in February 2023, and the third book in the series, In the Shadow of War, was published in March 2024.

Connect with the author

https://www.adrienne-chinn.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/adriennechinnauthor

https://www.instagram.com/adriennechinn