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I’m delighted to welcome Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard and her new book, The Beauty Doctor, to the blog #historicalfiction #historicalmystery #cosmeticsurgeryhistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard and her new book, The Beauty Doctor, to the blog, with an excerpt.

Chapter 2

On the chance Dr. Rome was still attending to Mr. Kilroy, she lay in wait. He was clearly surprised to find her loitering in front of the Kilroys’ townhome. She explained that she was calling off her engagement and needed to find employment. He seemed interested. It wasn’t until they were sitting across from each other at Café Le Jour on Forty-sixth Street that Abigail began to think she’d made yet another terrible mistake.

“You are a very beautiful young woman,” he said, smiling at her over his coffee cup. “I suppose people tell you that all the time.”

“Not so often, actually.” That he had begun on such a personal note, and with the same overabundance of charm he’d displayed at the Hennessys’ banquet, had an unsettling effect on her. As did his gaze, which was direct and insistent.

“I’m sure you’re only being modest, but you need not be around me. I appreciate beauty for what it is and for the entitlements it brings to those lucky enough to have it.”

\“I’ve never been one to think much about entitlements. I was taught that if you desire something, you work for it. Which is why I wanted to speak with you—”

“There are lots of women who work very hard at being beautiful and still they can’t hold a candle to you. I’d even go so far as to say that you, Miss Platford, are the embodiment of everything I hope to achieve for my patients. That’s why you may actually be the perfect one to assist me with my new practice. You see, what I really need,” he said, the excitement in his voice building, “is a foil. A stunningly beautiful foil.”

“A foil?” She wasn’t sure what the word meant, but didn’t like the way it sounded.

“Yes. Someone to make the rounds with me at parties and events, anywhere we can meet women—the kind of women with both the desire and the means to avail themselves of my services.” This was not what she’d expected, nor was it a welcome development. Her purpose in approaching Dr. Rome was a far more serious one than his words implied. She had imagined herself working at his side, much as she had done with her father, helping to put patients at ease, assisting with their care. And though it was not her favorite duty, she would readily have consented to manage his schedule and fulfill the required paperwork if he were to ask her. But this business of attending parties and events—what did it have to do with doctoring?

“You speak of meeting women in need of your services, but surely you plan to take care of men as well. Mr. Kilroy is your patient, isn’t he?”

“For the moment, yes—though that was only a favor. But let me explain.” He took a hasty gulp of his coffee and set down the cup. “I’m about to embark on a new facet of my career, a new field. Transformative surgery. Have you heard of it?”

“I don’t believe I have.”

“Some call it beauty surgery.”

She instantly recalled splashy advertisements she’d seen in the newspapers for practitioners who claimed to specialize in straightening noses, pinning back ears, and plumping up wrinkles with paraffin. At best, such solicitations had struck her as tasteless. At worst … might Dr. Rome be nothing more than a charlatan?

“Oh—you’re a beauty doctor.” The inflection in her voice no doubt came across as somewhat disparaging. She dipped her head, hoping to obscure the visual evidence of her skepticism beneath the plethora of ostrich feathers on the brim of her blue velvet hat.

“Just imagine it for a moment, Miss Platford,” he said, seeming not to have found anything disturbing in her reaction. “Your mere presence by my side would stimulate, in any average woman, an intense longing for beauty; then, arising quite naturally from that, a burning curiosity. With just a hint, she would be eager to learn what I offer in the way of beautifying procedures. That’s how one goes about building a thriving beauty practice. Stimulate the need, offer the solution. Or, if you prefer, think of it this way: You would be helping to enlighten women about advances that can greatly enhance their lives. No different from selling a product. A product that people would certainly buy if they only knew its benefits.”

So, he wanted her to help him sell the concept of beauty surgery to other women? That was not what a doctor does! To take part in such activities would compromise everything she believed in. “Your idea is to use me as a sort of walking advertisement?”

“I wouldn’t put it like that.”

“Forgive me for being blunt, but are you really a doctor?”

He shoved aside his coffee cup, almost knocking it over. “Would I call myself a doctor if I wasn’t one?”

“I don’t mean to offend you. It’s just that I don’t know any other doctors who are engaged in your kind of work.”

“Because no medical school in this country has the foresight to embrace transformative surgery. That’s why it was necessary for me to receive advanced training in Europe. I returned from Paris only recently.”

“But you did train in medicine? Here in America?”

“Certainly, but the typical doctor’s training only goes so far. The medical establishment is very set in its ways. It resists anything that might challenge the status quo. And that is exactly what transformative surgery does. The social implications are immense. It represents possibly the greatest force for the empowerment of women in all of human history.”

“Empowerment of women?” Despite her disappointment, she had to smile. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see what your transformative surgery could have to do with the movement for women’s rights.”

“Maybe you’ve never thought of it this way, but beauty is power,” Dr. Rome said, with the calm certainty of a man who knows he speaks the truth. “And with enough power, Miss Platford, a woman can achieve anything.”

Here’s the blurb

A Bone-Chilling Mystery-Suspense-Thriller Set in the Edwardian Era

Finalist, Eric Hoffer Book Award

“Beauty is power,” Dr. Rome told her. “And with enough power, one can achieve anything.”

Straightening noses, trimming eyelids, lifting jowls . . . In the year 1907, his revolutionary beauty surgery is considered daring, perhaps dangerous. Still, women want what Dr. Rome promises. Neither is his young assistant Abigail Platford immune to Dr. Rome’s persuasive charm.

Abigail once dreamed of becoming a doctor, though of a much different sort. That dream ended with her father’s tragic death from a medical error for which she holds herself responsible. Dr. Rome, who proudly displays his medical degree from Johns Hopkins, seems to believe in her. If he were willing to act as her mentor, might there still be a chance to realize her dream of someday becoming a doctor serving New York City’s poor?

But something feels terribly wrong, as though an insidious evil is closing in. Broken promises, lies, and intrigues abound. The powerful are threatening to destroy the weak, and a doctor’s sacred duty hangs in the balance. Abigail no longer knows who to believe; but with Dr. Rome now her mentor and her lover, she desperately wants to trust him.

Even when she discovers that one of their patients has mysteriously disappeared.

From bestselling author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, a suspenseful work of historical fiction grounded in the social and moral issues of the Edwardian era in America. Second Edition with Author’s Preface.

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Meet the author

Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is the author of bestselling historical novels. Her 2023 release, Sisters of Castle Leod, is an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller (Historical Biographical Fiction, Historical Literary Fiction), winner of the 2023 Maxy Award for Historical and Adventure Fiction, and an Editors’ Choice of the Historical Novel Society. Her biographical novel Temptation Rag (2018) was hailed by Publishers Weekly as a “resonant novel . . . about the birth and demise of ragtime . . . in which romance and creative passions abound.” Elizabeth’s 2017 historical mystery-suspense-thriller, The Beauty Doctor, was a finalist for the prestigious Eric Hoffer Book Award. The book’s re-release (Jan. 4, 2024) features a stunning new cover and an Author Preface with insights into social and moral issues of the Edwardian era that frame this shocking fictional story set in the early days of cosmetic surgery. Before becoming a full-time author, Elizabeth was executive editor of an international aesthetic surgery journal, and senior consultant to the National Cosmetic Network in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University’s plastic surgery educational program. Learn more about Elizabeth and her books at www.EHBernard.com.

Meet the author

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    Meet the characters from Clash of Kings, Idwal of Gwynedd.

    Idwal of Gwynedd has long been a character in the Brunanburh series, but it appears I’ve been remiss in not writing a blog about him. So here goes.

    I confess, I’ve had quite a lot of fun with Idwal, pitching him against Hywel. But, I’m not sure that’s actually very wide of the mark.

    Idwal of Gwynedd and Hywel were cousins. Their fathers were both sons of perhaps the second most well-known king of Wales, Rhodri Mawr. Hywel being the first (at least in my mind). Rhodri Mawr had held much of Wales, and was accorded the title King of the Britons. On his death, at the hands of King Alfred of Wessex, the kingdoms fractured back into their constituent parts. Idwal’s father ruled in Gwynedd. Hywel’s in Seisyllwg. Hywel succeeded his father while very young and quickly grew his power base. Idwal became king of Gwynedd in 916.

    We first met Idwal in King of Kings in 927. He was, unwillingly, signing the accord with Athelstan at Hereford after the one agreed with the northern kings at the treaty of Eamont. Idwal visited England on multiple occasions, according to the surviving charter evidence, where he’s shown attesting Athelstan’s charters in 928, 931, 934 and 935. (S400, S413, S416, S417, S425, S407, S1792 and S434 – see the Electronic Sawyer for more information about these charters).

    In my interpretation of him, he’s a very unwilling participant, more likely to look to the Norse for an alliance than the English, or indeed, his cousin, Hywel.

    When we return to him, in Clash of Kings, Idwal, is once more, a man aggrieved by the success of the English king. Read Clash of Kings to discover what fate has in store for Idwal.

    He is perhaps one of the most fun characters in Brunanburh – a grouchy man who is happy to do all he can to disrupt the more staid approach of King Athelstan of the English, and who resents his cousin’s influence with the English.

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    Read about all the characters in The Brunanburh Series.

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    My new book, Clash of Kings, has a number of main characters. Meet Lady Eadgifu. #histfic #non-fiction #Brunanburh

    Clash of Kings has a number of characters, and some might be surprised to find Lady Eadgifu amongst them, but she was an incredibly important historical character, and I couldn’t leave her out of the narrative set at the English court.

    Lady Eadgifu was the third wife of Edward the Elder (r.899-924), king of the Anglo-Saxons. Edward the Elder was the father of King Athelstan, and a whole host of daughters, as well as five sons. Lady Eadgifu would, it seems, have been young when she married the aging Edward the Elder, and that meant that she long outlived him, and also, that her three children (possibly four, but I’ve opted for three) were young when their father died. And two of these children were sons, Edmund (born c.921) and Eadred (born c.923). Her daughter, Eadburh, is thought to have been the oldest of the three children, born c.919.

    While Lady Eadgifu, from what’s known (and it isn’t much, as there are few surviving charters from the end of Edward’s reign) perhaps had little role to play while her husband lived, other than wife and mother to the king’s children, following his death, she became increasingly significant. She was the daughter of an ealdorman, who perhaps died just before her birth, and her family are said to have had connections with Kent. Indeed, it’s often stated that she brought her husband Kent with their union. By that, what’s often meant, is the loyalty of the Kentish people. Remember, at this time, we’re still just before the creation of ‘England’ as we would now recognise it.

    Sadly, very little is known about Lady Eadgifu (and she’s not alone in this – many of the royal women ‘disappear’ at points in the historical record, and on occasion, are entirely lost.) We know about a land dispute she was involved in, and also much more information for after Athelstan’s reign.

    Indeed, it has been said that during Athelstan’s reign,

    ‘Nor is it surprising that Eadgifu, as the consort of the previous king, served little role in her stepson’s court.[i]

    [i] Firth, M. and Schilling, C. ‘The Lonely Afterlives of Early English Queens’, in Nephilologus September 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11061-022-09739-4, p.7

    However, Barbara Yorke believes that,

    ‘the enhanced position [of Lady Eadgifu] may also have been developed specifically for the widowed Eadgifu as part of an alliance with her stepson Æthelstan [Athelstan] in which she supported his position and he recognised her sons as his heirs.’[i]

    [i] Yorke, B. ‘The Women in Edgar’s Life,’ in Edgar, King of the English, 959-975 Scragg, D. ed (The Boydell Press, 2008), p.146

    And it is this option that I’ve decided to explore in the Brunanburh series. Lady Eadgifu was wife to a king. She would have known her worth, even when faced with a stepson as the king of the English, and another stepson, and stepdaughters, who perhaps didn’t share any love for their, potentially, younger stepmother.

    Read Clash of Kings to discover her role in the aftermath of the victory for the English at Brunanburh.

    Map design by Shaun at Flintlock Covers

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    My new book, Clash of Kings, has a number of main characters. Meet Hywel, the king of the Welsh.

    My new book, Clash of Kings, is a multi-viewpoint novel telling the story of events in Britain from 937-942. I thought it would be good to share details of the historical people my main characters are based on.

    My portrayal of Hywel, better known as Hywel Dda (which autocorrect is determined should say Dad), and which means ‘good’ (a unique epithet in Wales), is of course, fictional, but who was the historical Hywel? Firstly, it should be noted that this epithet is a later invention, not assigned to Hywel until at least the twelfth century, and perhaps, as Dr. Kari Maund has commented in The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes, a reflection of border events at that period rather than the earlier tenth century. (Dr Maund was one of my university lecturers, so she knows her stuff).

    By Unknown author – This image is available from the National Library of WalesYou can view this image in its original context on the NLW Catalogue, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41427788

    Hywel has no date of birth recorded, and indeed, like Constantin of the Scots, he seems to have ruled for a long time providing much-needed consistency. Hywel ap Cadell was the grandson of the famous Rhodri Mawr, who’d united the kingdoms of the Welsh during his rule. But, this unity fragmented on Rhodri’s death.

    To begin with, Hywel ruled Dehuebarth, probably with his brother, Clydog, (who may have been the younger brother) after the death of their father in c.911. He, his brother, and his cousin, Idwal of Gwynedd, submitted to the English king, Edward the Elder in the late 910s.

    ‘and the kings of Wales: Hywel and Clydog and Idwal and all the race of the Welsh, sought him as their lord [Edward]’. ASC A 922 corrected to 918 (Swanton, M. trans and edit The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, (Orion Publishing Group, 2000)p.103-4)

    Not long after, Clydog died, leaving Hywel as ruler of Dehuebarth. Hywel had also married Elen, the daughter of Llywarch and niece of Rhydderch, the last king of Dyfed, and he was able to use this alliance to eventually claim Dyfed as well.

    Hywel’s believed to have been highly educated, and some historians suggest he was particularly fascinated with King Alfred, and all he’d achieved and was therefore keen to emulate many of his actions. This could also be why his name came to be associated with the codification of laws in later traditions. What fascinates me most about Hywel is his decision to ally closely with King Athelstan. Certainly, he’s a intriguing figure in early tenth-century Britain, and not just because we know he made a pilgrimage to Rome in 928, and still managed to return back to his kingdom and continue ruling it.

    Hywel seems to have distanced himself from events which led to the battle of Brunanburh in 937, but in my portrayal of him, he still classifies himself as very much Athelstan’s ally. Events in Clash of Kings might well test that allegiance.

    Map design by Shaun at Flintlock Covers

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    Read about all the characters in the Brunanburh series.

    Meet the characters in Clash of Kings, Athelstan the Ealdorman

    Confusingly, Athelstan the Ealdorman shares the same name as King Athelstan of the English, a fact I allow the pair to find amusing because of the uncertainty it causes.

    Athelstan is the son of an ealdorman, and one of four brothers, although one has already died . Athelstan, Eadric and Æthelwald are held in high regard by King Athelstan and all become ealdormen.

    In my version of events, Athelstan is married to Lady Ælfwynn, the cousin of King Athelstan and daughter of Æthelflæd, the lady of Mercia, a suggestion that isn’t widely accepted, but is certainly a possibility, thus making him a member of King Athelstan’s extended family. His epithet, the Half-King could have arisen because he was indeed married to the king’s cousin (under Athelstan, Edmund and Eadred).

    Even if Athelstan Half King wasn’t married to the daughter of Lady Æthelflæd of Mercia, it seems he was married to an Ælfwynn. He was a powerful man, building a dynasty, and also part of a powerful dynasty. Between him and his brothers, they must often have been found at the court of the king in the tenth-century. Athelstan was the ealdorman of East Anglia, his older brother, Ælfstan, one of the ealdormen of Mercia (930-934) before his death, while Eadric was an ealdorman of Wessex (942-949), and Æthelwald was an ealdorman of Kent (940-946).

    Athelstan the ealdorman seemed an obvious choice for me to develop as a character in the series. He’s closely bound to the ruling family, married into it, and he’s also a warrior who fought at the battle of Brunanburh. His influence continues to grow in Clash of Kings. His relationships with his brothers was also fun to explore. Powerful men, with warriors at their command, and fiercely invested in the future of the English kingdom.

    Read Clash of Kings to continue their story.

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    (13th January 2024)

    Check out the Brunanburh Series page for more information about the historical characters featured in the Brunanburh series.

    I’m delighted to welcome RW Meek and his new book, The Dream Collector, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

    I’m delighted to welcome RW Meek and his new book, The Dream Collector, to the blog, with an excerpt.                             

                                                   “Meeting Sabrine”

    The warming, pleasant effects of the cognac had Sigmund sorting through the photographs with greater leisure; he started to savor them as if paintings—until one particular pose troubled him. She was photographed curled into a corner of the bed, her back pressed against the wall, and her head thrust forward with a swollen and distended neck, barring teeth like a vicious animal. It was frightening to behold someone less than human. He gulped what remained of the drink.  

    “She threatens,” Dr. Charcot explained. “I call this attitude, Le Menace.”

    Before Sigmund could respond with a reasonable question, whispering sounds outside the door of the library caused him to turn. He heard quick retreating footsteps, watched the door latch click open and instinctively recoiled at her sudden appearance. She wore a white smock identical to the photograph in his trembling hands and he braced himself for whatever menace she might express.  

    The princess of the hysterics walked forward, wearing a most natural smile, presenting such uncommon composure and confidence that he could not believe that this woman had spent the past five years of her life confined in an institution for the diseased and insane.

    When she offered her hand, specifically to him, he tried to assure himself that she must be in the state Charcot labeled, l’Ėtat Normal. 

    Here’s the blurb

    The Dream Collector immerses the reader into the exciting milieu of late 19th Century Paris when art and medicine were in the throes of revolution, art turning to Impressionism, medicine turning to psychology. In 1885, Julie Forette, a self-educated woman from Marseilles, finds employment at the infamous Salpêtrière, hospital and asylum to over five thousand disabled, demented and abandoned women, a walled city ruled by the famed neurologist and arrogant director, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot.  

    Julie Forette forms a friendship with the young, visiting intern Sigmund Freud who introduces her to the altering-conscious power of cocaine. Together they pursue the hidden potential of hypnotism and dream interpretation. After Freud receives the baffling case of the star hysteric, Sabrine Weiss, he is encouraged by Julie to experiment with different modes of treatment, including “talking sessions.” Their urgent quest is to find a cure for Sabrine, Princess of the Hysterics, before Dr. Charcot resorts to the radical removal of her ovaries.  

    In Paris, Julie finds a passion for the new art emerging, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and forms friendships with the major artists of the period, including Pissarro, Monet, and Degas. Julie becomes intimately involved with the reclusive Cezanne only to be seduced by the “Peruvian Savage” Paul Gauguin.  Julie is the eponymous ‘Dream Collector’ collecting the one unforgettable, soul-defining dream of the major historical figures of the period. 

    Praise for The Dream Collector: 

    “Meek never fails to stun and impress with his evocation of scenes and events, of sights and dialogue, and of peoples’ reactions to them.”

    ~ HFC Reviews

    “Tribute must be paid to the obvious and clear literary skills of the author R.w. Meek and to his ability to invoke historic personages and the Belle Époque he so evidently adores.”

    ~ Julian de la Motte, award winning author of Senlac

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    Meet the author

    R.w. Meek has a Master’s degree in Art History from the American University in Washington, D.C., his areas of expertise are Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, with a particular interest in Vincent van Gogh.  He has interned and conducted tours at the National Museum of American and the National Gallery of Art. In 2022 and 2023 five of his chapter excerpts from his soon to be published novel “The Dream Collector” were either finalists or published in various literary journals. The author has also won the Palm Beach Book Festival Competition for “Best Writer in Palm Beach’ his manuscript judged by a panel of NYT Best Selling authors. “The Dream Collector” also received gold and silver medals in the Historical Fiction Company literary contest and earned runner-up for the “Best Historical Fiction Novel’ of 2022. 

    The author was born in Baltimore, adventured in Europe for many years, and recently moved from Delray Beach, Florida to Santa Clarita, California.  His wife is a psychologist, sculptress, playwright and stand-up story teller.  His daughter Nora is a story board artist in the animation world and resides in Hollywood, California. His favorite writers are Dostoevsky, John Fowles, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery. 

    Meet the author

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    Meet the characters in Clash of Kings, Olaf Gothfrithson, King of Dublin

    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?

    Read Clash of Kings to find out.

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    ( releasing 13th January 2024 – preorder now)

    To find out about the characters who also appeared in King of Kings and Kings of War, please visit my The Brunanburh Series page.

    Map by Flintlock Covers

    My new book, Clash of Kings, has a number of main characters. Meet Constantin, the king of the Scots.

    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.

    Map design by Shaun at Flintlock Covers

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    (13th January 2024)

    Read about the historical characters in the Brunanburh Series.

    I’m delighted to welcome a returning Helen Golden to the blog with her new book, A Cocktail to Die For. #bookreview #cosymystery

    Here’s the blurb:

    Cocktails, chaos, and an unexpected twist. Can Perry and his hens unveil the truth before time runs out?

    Death at Prestigious Hotel and Spa, Chasingham House

    We are hearing reports that a young woman has been found dead at Chasingham House, the exclusive venue in the Cotswolds. She has not been named, and the cause of death is unknown at this time. This will no doubt cast a cloud over the bachelor weekend being hosted there by Lady Beatrice (36), the Countess of Rossex, for her business partner Perry Juke (34) ahead of his wedding to bestselling author and celebrity chef Simon Lattimore (40). Also staying at Chasingham House are top models Camile Redmaine (35) and Mel Parks (35), who are celebrating newly-single Cammy’s birthday with a group of friends.

    When one of the birthday girls is found dead in her room, it’s clear Bea plans for her, Perry, and their friends to chill around the pool, have a few treatments, and generally relax, seem to have gone down the drain. When the local police are quick to dismiss the death as an accident, Bea is determined to help investigate anyway, along with the rest of Perry’s party.

    Can Perry and his hens catch the killer before the weekend is over and the trail goes cold?

    Purchase Links 

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cocktail-Right-Royal-Investigation-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CP97NP6S/

    https://www.amazon.com/Cocktail-Right-Royal-Investigation-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CP97NP6S/

    My Review

    A Cocktail to Die For is a fabulous addition to the Right Royal Cozy Mystery series.

    Taking us away from any of the more usual ‘royal’ residences, we are in the Cotswolds, attending Perry’s stag do. But of course, our intrepid gang don’t seem to be able to go anywhere without someone turning up dead.

    Bea, Perry and Adler try to solve the mystery of who and how our victim might have been murdered while contending with an officious and ineffectual local detective.

    As always, these stories are well-plotted and engaging. While a few of the main characters might be missing from this tale, Adler as a main character more than compensates. It’s also reassuring to know that now the ‘big’ mystery has been solved which has rumbled through many of the previous books, this series has still go ‘legs’, and I hope there will be many more books.

    Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

    Check out my reviews for the other books in this fabulous series.

    Spruced Up For Murder

    For Richer, For Deader

    Not Mushroom For Death

    A Dead Herring

    Meet the author

    Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.

    I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.

    It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes

    Connect with the author

    I’m delighted to be reviewing Odd Mom Out by Sandy Day on the blog #womensfiction #chicklit #blogtour

    Here’s the blurb

    Life just got life-y…

    On the night that Trudy Asp discovers her ex is engaged to the same dental hygienist who’s been picking at her teeth for ten years, her daughter, Madison, suddenly announces that she too is getting married, in Europe.

    Frumpy, floundering, and forced to live with her martini-swilling mother, Trudy is swamped by these revelations. And on top of it all, she’ll be wearing the second most scrutinized gown at the wedding.

    Having packed on the pounds during the demise of her marriage, the idea of being eyeballed by her ex and his scrawny fiancée Zelda, is truly horrifying. To make matters worse, there’s the paralyzing fear of a transatlantic flight — something Trudy has avoided for decades.

    When Zelda offers to stand in for her, Trudy is forced to confront the forces that stole her marriage and threaten to steal her daughter’s wedding too. With three months until the ceremony, Trudy must get to Europe, squeeze herself into a gown, and claim the role she wants more than anything: Mother-of-the-Bride.

    Will this Odd Mom Out sink or swim? Or will she drown in a sea of humiliation?

    Purchase Links

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP1GB4V2

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CP1GB4V2

    My Review

    Odd Mom Out is not my usual read, but wow, I’m so glad I picked it up and gave it a go.

    Our main character, Trudy, is quite frankly a mess. Recently divorced, massively unhappy, all but estranged from her daughter and forced to live with an overbearing mother, she’s also deeply unhappy with her weight and general well-being, not helped by the fact she runs and bakes for the local bakery. Our first meeting with her reveals a woman often angry with every one else, but not necessarily herself. To be honest, I didn’t really connect with her to begin with, but she certainly grows and develops into a very likeable character.

    Determined to do something different when she hears her ex-husband is about to get remarried, while her daughter is also about to marry, Trudy eventually decides to turn her life around. It takes a while. For about 30% of the book, she isn’t prepared to face her demons, and she doesn’t want to do anything about it. 

    But from 30% in, Trudy is a woman transformed, all be it, one who still struggles. Her battles are very relatable, and while the reader might be a little frustrated with the lack of information concerning her daughter’s upcoming wedding, Trudy presses on with her plans to be the best Mother of the Bride she can be. Along the way, she makes some new friends, and reconnects with some old ones, and even her relationship with her mother improves, as does her business. She comes to terms with her husband’s decision to divorce her, and reconnect with her daughter, eventually.

    The story has some unexpected twists and turns, which all build into it being a relatable story, and I powered through the last 50%, keen to know how everything would work for our main character.

    A really engaging story. It will certainly appeal to fans of the genre, and those who wouldn’t usually read something like this, like me:)

    Meet the author

    Sandy Day is a recovering chatterbox and writer of riveting slice-of-life poetry, memoir, and fiction. She has authored five books to date, with two in the works. A graduate of Glendon College, she studied creative writing under Michael Ondaatje and bp nichol. A lover of cheese, coffee shops, and illustrations, she lives on the shore of Lake Simcoe in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. You can find and follow her on Substack and sandyday.ca – it rhymes!

    Connect with the author

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