historical fiction – Page 23

Jorvik/York at the time of the Brunanburh Series, (and before)

Eboracum/Eoforwic/Jorvik

When I first wrote Kings of Conflict, I had very little idea what Jorvik at the time (the 930s/940s) might have looked like. I wrote an entire battle scene and then realised some of my assumptions were very, very wrong (I do this all the time. Don’t feel sorry for me. I should just do the research first instead of giving free rein to my imagination.) I got the fact the settlement was split in two by the River Ouse wrong (and who knew about the Foss). But, most tellingly, what I failed to understand was the true nature of York, from its Roman origins as Eboracum to the age of Jorvik, and most importantly by that I mean its Roman walls and what might, or might not have still been standing at this period.

We don’t (yet) have time machines. We can’t visit York in the 940s, but if there is one thing York is famous for it’s the archaeology, and the Jorvik Viking Centre, which offers a recreation of what those streets on Coppergate might once have looked like, and also much else. And because Jorvik/York has benefitted from so much archaeological work, there are also a series of maps showing York at various times in its lifetime, alas out of print at this time, but which can be accessed via a good library (my thanks to the Great Northern Library at the Hancock museum in Newcastle – if you want to see it then let them know so they can have it ready for you, and make note of their opening hours) or the amalgamation of this work available in An Historical Map of York, available from all good book sellers. And if not, then my favourite ‘go-to’ for recreating this time period, the antiquarian maps by John Speed (which are also much prettier) can also offer some information.

York from the John Speed map opf the West Riding of Yorkshire — York, from John Speed’s West Riding of Yorkshire map (own photo)

This is readily available and amalgamates the information from the actual Atlas.

Roman York

The British Historic Towns Atlas Volume V, York ed. Peter Addyman provides the following information about Eboracum-Roman York.

York’s surviving walls, not far from Micklegate

It might have been occupied under Vettius Bolanus (69-71) but was truly founded under Emperor Vespasian (69-79). However, the ridge of the River Ouse was a routeway from the Neolithic onwards. This was in the territory of the Brigantes although the East Riding of Yorkshire was that of the Parisi. It is possible that Eboracum means ‘the place of the yew trees.’

The stone used in constructing the fortress was Magnesian Limestone from Tadcaster and Millstone Grit from Bramham Park (I love that they know this). To begin with the fortress had a ditch, rampart and timber structures and four gates, with the original towers up to 15 metres high. And here, there is the suggestion that to begin with, crossing the River Ouse (to get to the civilian settlement) was via ferry. The bridge can only be confirmed from the second century onwards. The Foss River was also tidal at this time and the banks sloped sharply. The rampart was widened from 20feet to about 42 feet during a second phase of occupation.

Some ‘old’ bits of Roman York (I think), from the museum in York Minster

The end of Roman York is impossible to pinpoint. Did it cease to exist? Certainly, the last documentary reference was in 314 when York’s bishop, Eborus, attended the Council of Arles, but as with so many of these Roman settlements in Britannia, what happened afterwards is more difficult to determine and we must turn to archaeology and not written records.

I think this is from the exhibition at Micklegate Bar but I could be wrong. It very clearly shows the two ‘halves’ of the walls.

I must admit, all of this information about Roman York makes me somewhat desperate to write a book about it:) (Don’t all groan).

Anglian York – Eoforwic

The creators of this series of maps make the point that this is the most speculative of the series. Put simply, they really don’t know what was happening.

What can be said is that the walls were renovated on the north west side of the fortress with a dry stone wall and cobbled sentry walk while the eastern ramparts were topped with a timble palisade wider than the Roman wall (if I’ve understood that correctly).

Eoforwic first enters the historical record as the place of baptism for Edwin in 627, the king of Northumbria (Deira and Bernicia combined).

‘…the king was baptised at Easter with all his chief men; that Easter was on 12 April. This was done in York, where earlier he had ordered a church to be built of wood.’ ASC E 626 p.25

The archbishopric began from 735, but Eoforwic was not densely settled at this period, although it does seem to have had many, many churches. This includes the Minster, St Michael-Le-Belfrey, Holy Trinity, St Peter the Little, St Martin, St Michael, and many more, all probably founded by 850.

Map of Britain in the tenth century, showing York (map design by Flintlock Covers).

Viking York – Jorvik

It’s record that the first attack Viking attack on York occured on 1st November 866. The Northumbrians counter-attacked in 867 but this left York under Viking control.

‘Here the raiding-army went from East Anglia over the mouth of the Humber to York city in Northumbria;’ ASC A 867 corrected to 866 p.68 (from my preferred edition edited by Michael Swanton).

And here is where my notes become a little muddled between time periods. The British Historic Towns Atlas Volume V informs that the River Ouse at the time would have been tidal, and much wider than it is now and also with much steeper banks .

The late-eighth-century scholar Alcuin describes York as having high walls and lofty towers (he spent time in York). Asser (Alfred’s late-tenth-century biographer – although I’m curious as to how he’d know as I’m sure he was from one of the Welsh kingdoms and York was not under Alfred’s control) suggests that York’s walls were insecure and there is a suggestion that the Vikings restored the walls. Considering what we know about Asser and his ability to be less than honest, we might suspect this statement. Certainly, the remains of the walls were visible but whether they were defensible is unknown.

The walls survive to this day. To paraphrase from the Atlas, from the western corner of the Roman fortress to fifty metres along its south-west front, parallel to the river, the Roman wall is still visible above ground. Beyond this point, its six projecting interval towers and the Roman south/west gateway leading to the bridge over the Ouse have either been demolished to foundation level or been covered by organic-rich debris of post-Conquest date. The fortress’s south corner tower at Freasgate survives to fifteen foot. It is suggested that the south-west section of the civilian settlement might not have been included in the walled defences.

On the northern banks of the River Ouse, there were plots about 5.5m wide occupied by one or more structures (Coppergate/Ousegate/Pavement) with backyards running downslope towards the River Foss. Hungate also had similar plots. There might have been crossings over the rivers below St Mary Castlegate and Hungate. These rectangular structures of post and wattle had entrances front and back, with centrally arranged hearths and roofs made of turf, reeds or straw. Most settlement was below Coppergate, Ousegate, Pavement, Hungate and Walmgate areas.

Recreating Jorvik?

But what does all this mean when trying to recreate the time period? (Some will know that I’ve already ‘visited’ York earlier in the Brunanburh series, and without all this angst). It is frustrating that some aspects are so clearly defined and others aren’t. Where were the people living – especially the high status people? Where were the kings living? In King’s Square/Kuningesgard? And what’s this about the civilian defences never being completed to the south?

My overwhelming impression is that the remains of the actual Roman encampment (to the north of the Ouse) were in better condition than those to the south of the Ouse surrounding the civilian settlement (there are ‘proper’ terms for this – I’m not using them). But, these remains of the Roman wall at the fort seem to have largely been surrounding the religious centre under the control of the Archbishop of York, Wulfstan I. Were they any use to those in control of Jorvik? And what about the rivers? How navigable were they? Could they be easily blocked? How tidal is tidal? Did it raise and lower the water level by metres or centimetres?

Was there even a bridge over the River Ouse or did they need to use a boat to get across? Perhaps there was only one bridge over the Ouse, and only one over the River Foss.

Having this information to hand and making sense of it are two very different things. How would someone have gone about attacking York? Would they have taken ships, come on foot or tried to steal their way inside through the never completed walls? Who would have protected it? What would our erstwhile holy man, Archbishop Wulfstan have done? If the walls were standing, how many warriors would have needed to protect it?

You’ll have to read Conflict of Kings to see just what I did, and you can from 6th August 2024:)

books2read.com/KingsOfConflict10th

Check out the Brunanburh series page for more information.

Posts

On this day in history, the battle of Maserfield between Northumbria and Mercia, 5th August 641 or 642

On this day in history was fought the second of three famous battles between Penda of Mercia and the Northumbrians kings. This battle was different in two ways to Hædfeld and Winwæd; it took place in the summer, and it occured in Mercia. (Hædfeld was an October battle near the River Don. Winwæd was a November battle fought somewhere in the north of modern-day England, it’s believed).

Warrior helms during the early Saxon era (seventh century)

Thanks to some spectacular archaeological finds, we can visualise how a Saxon warrior king might have looked. The reconstructions of the Sutton Hoo helm, and that found with the Staffordshire Horde (as well as a few others), present us with elaborate helmets crested with dyed-horse (or boar) hair in a way very reminiscent of the Roman era. They glitter, and they seem to be festooned in gold and silver work, but whether these were actually worn in battle or not is debatable.

Firstly, they would have made the kings or noblemen very noticeable to their enemy. Secondly, they were so valuable it’s impossible to consider the loss of one of them should they fall and their goods be taken by their enemy. Bad enough for their king and leader to die in battle, but to also lose such precious wealth as well seems unlikely. That said, of course, the Sutton Hoo helm was buried, and the fragments of the Staffordshire Hoard helmet were buried and lost. But the scarcity of such archaeological finds surely points to them being unusual or there would be hundreds of them.

(An image of the Staffordshire Helmet can be found here: https://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag/collections/archaeology/the-staffordshire-hoard/ The monograph on the Staffordshire Hoard is also available for free download from https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/39941)

Were these helmets worn in battle?

But there is another reason why these helmets might have existed, and that’s because they were for ceremonial purposes. Kings, before the reign of Athelstan (925-937) are not known to have undergone consecration with a crown but rather with a helmet. After all, they were warrior kings. Perhaps then, these survivals are more akin to that worn by a warrior-king when appearing before his people or for ceremonial reasons.

What weapons would a ‘normal’ warrior have?

What then might have been the more usual garb for a warrior of the Saxon era, which at nearly six hundred years is bound to offer some variations? Shield, spear, seax, sword and byrnie.

We get a feel for these items and how valuable they were from wills that survive from the later Saxon era, hundreds of years after the events of Pagan Warrior. Ealdormen had horses, both saddled and unsaddled, shields, spears, swords, helmets, byrnies, seax, scabbards and spears.

The will of Æthelmær, an ealdorman in the later tenth century, records that he’s granting his king, ‘four swords and eight horses, four with trappings and four without, and four helmets and four coats of mail and eight spears and eight shields,’^[1] as part of his heriot, a contentious term for something that some argue was an eleventh-century development, and others argue, is merely reflecting earlier practice on the death of a man.

There would also have been thegns and king thegns, who had their own weapons, as well as the men of the fyrd, the free-men who could be called upon to perform military service each year, as and when required. It’s often assumed they would have been less well-armed, although this begs the question of whether kings and their warrior nobility were prepared to sacrifice those they relied on to provide them with food to gain more wealth. They might have found themselves with the money to pay for food but without the opportunity to do so.

There are very few representations of warriors, but the surviving strands of the Gododdin, a sixth-century lament to the fallen of Catraeth gives an idea of how these warrior men thought of one another. There is much talk of killing many enemies, drinking mead, and being mourned by those they leave behind.

Battle tactics

Battle tactics from the period are impossible to determine fully. Before writing my books which are blood-filled and violent, I read a fascinating account, by a military historian, on how he thought the Battle of Hastings might have been won or lost. The overwhelming sense I came away with was that local features, hillocks, streams, field boundaries even perhaps the path of a sheep track might well be the very thing that won or lost a battle for these opposing sides. The land that kings chose to go to war on was incredibly important. Perhaps then, it wasn’t all about the weapons but about where they decided to fight.

Pagan King, the story of the battle of Maserfeld

For Pagan King, the novel that tells the story of the battle of Maserfeld, I made use of some local landmarks I knew well, and for other aspects, well, that’s why I write historical fiction.

You can find out more information on the Gods and Kings page.

^[1] Dorothy Whitelock, Anglo-Saxon Wills 1930, reprinted edition. Cambridge University Press. p27

Posts

I’m delighted to welcome Carolyn Hughes and her new book, Fortune’s Wheel, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #MedievalEngland #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Carolyn Hughes and her new book, Fortune’s Wheel. The First Meonbridge Chronicle, to the blog with a trailer.

Soundcloud Link:

Blurb

How do you recover from the havoc wrought by history’s cruellest plague?

It’s June 1349. In Meonbridge, a Hampshire manor, many have lost their lives to the Black Death, among them Alice atte Wode’s beloved husband and Eleanor Titherige’s widowed father. Even the family of the manor’s lord and his wife, Margaret de Bohun, has not entirely escaped.

But, now the plague has passed, the people of Meonbridge must work together to rebuild their lives. However, tensions mount between the de Bohuns and their tenants, as the workers realise their new scarceness means they can demand higher wages and dictate their own lives.

When the tensions deepen into violence and disorder, and the men – lord and villagers alike – seem unable to find any resolution, the women – Alice, Eleanor and Margaret – must step forward to find a way out of the conflict that is tearing Meonbridge apart.

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Audible Links

Meet the Author

Carolyn Hughes has lived much of her life in Hampshire. With a first degree in Classics and English, she started working life as a computer programmer, then a very new profession. But it was technical authoring that later proved her vocation, word-smithing for many different clients, including banks, an international hotel group and medical instruments manufacturers.

Although she wrote creatively on and off for most of her adult life, it was not until her children flew the nest that writing historical fiction took centre stage. But why historical fiction? Serendipity!

Seeking inspiration for what to write for her Creative Writing Masters, she discovered the handwritten draft, begun in her twenties, of a novel, set in 14th century rural England… Intrigued by the period and setting, she realised that, by writing a novel set in the period, she could learn more about the medieval past and interpret it, which seemed like a thrilling thing to do. A few days later, the first Meonbridge Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, was under way.

Six published books later (with more to come), Carolyn does now think of herself as an Historical Novelist. And she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Connect with the Author

Website: Bluesky: BookBub:

Follow Fortune’s Wheel blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

MJ Porter’s Saxon Stories Order and Series Pages | Infographic

Confused? You’re not alone

Trying to keep tabs of the chronology of my series set in Saxon England is difficult, even for me. It doesn’t help that I often work backwards, and sometimes have a tendency to skip backwards and forwards, and sometimes don’t finish things either. This might help.

The Dark Age Chronicles

There are no character crossovers for this series because we’re right back at the very beginning. But, there will be some Easter Eggs moving forwards.

Gods and Kings

Character crossovers – no one specific but there is sometimes reference to these earlier battles in later books.

The House of Mercia

This is my current project and I have no more information to share just yet but keep checking back.

The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles

Character crossovers – Icel and Coelwulf (as a very young child) from The Mercian Ninth Century

The Mercian Ninth Century (AKA The Last King/Coelwulf books)

Character crossovers – Icel from The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles

The Tenth Century Royal Women (The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter and Kingmaker)

Character crossovers – Athelstan and Ealdorman Athelstan (before becoming an ealdorman) from The Brunanburh Series.

The Brunanburh Series

Character crossovers – Lady Ælfwynn (briefly) and Lady Eadgifu from Kingmaker (a central character to The Brunanburh Series).

The First Queen

Character crossovers – Ealdorman Leofwine from The Earls of Mercia series as a very young man. Lady Eadgifu from both The Tenth Century books, and The Brunanburh series in book 1.

The Earls of Mercia Series

Character crossover – Lady Elfrida from The First Queen of England.

Lady Estrid

Character crossover – Cnut, Ealdorman Leofwine, Leofric and others from The Earls of Mercia series – this book is a side-story to the main series but can be read as a standalone.

And don’t forget my non-fiction title, which is a perfect counterpart for The Tenth Century, and The Brunanburh Series, The Royal Women Who Made England

Posts

I’m delighted to welcome Debra Borchert and her new book, Her Own War, to the blog #HerOwnWar #DebraBorchert #ChateauDeVerzatSeries #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Debra Borhert and her new book, Her Own War, Book 3 in the Château de Verzat Series, to the blog with the historical aspect of the novel.

Historical Aspect of the Novel: Enslavement in Eighteenth-Century France by Debora Borchert

“I survived enslavement. I know where they look.” — Aurélia, Her Own War

In the first book in my Château de Verzat series, the brother-sister protagonists flee France aboard a slaver. As I further researched the slave trade, I knew I would not be able to adequately convey the horrors of their voyage. Consequently, that story lives only in my mind.

Yet, the male protagonist, Henri, falls in love with a formerly enslaved woman, Aurélia, who was forced onto the same ship. In America, they cannot marry, and people treat Aurélia as an enslaved woman. Eager for her freedom, Henri brings Aurélia to France, after the new government abolished enslavement. The August 1793 decree for the abolition of slavery ended all slave-trade activity across all French territories in 1794.

In the second book, Her Own Revolution, Henri, Aurélia, and their son, Charles, depart America and arrive in France in late 1796, where Henri believes Aurélia and their son will be safe.

Although slavery was illegal in France, people, like Thomas Jefferson, brought their “property” to France, and France respected his and others’ rights to own enslaved people.

The irony of these laws caused me to wonder about the formerly enslaved, and whether people of color had rights in France in 1796. They did not. In my work as a historical fiction writer, I attempt to focus light on historic injustices.

For research, I traveled to Nantes, which was the largest slave-trading port in France from 1707-1793. The city has created a Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery, dedicated to the thirteen million Africans who were deported during the transatlantic slave trade.

The Memorial’s underground gallery was created to enable visitors to imagine what it might feel like to exist in the hold of an 18^th century ship. Sounds of flapping sails, splashing waves, creaking ropes and wood, clanking chains and shackles, human groans and cries, echo in the shadows.

At that moment I knew my character Aurélia would be mute, caused by the trauma she had endured. I also knew she would not be safe in France, for, although Henri did not know it, I knew she had no rights.

The third book, Her Own War, opens with a hailstorm that threatens the vineyard, and is followed by a declaration that all noble émigrés must leave France or face the guillotine. Henri, a noble émigré, must leave, and, as Aurélia is pregnant, she is unable to travel with him. He must leave her under the protection of the four hundred families who live on the estate. However, no one, not even Henri, could have protected her from history.

During the eighteenth century the recapture of freed, formerly enslaved people was terrifyingly common, and many were enslaved in the sex trade. France had a robust demimonde, a polite name for the business of prostitution, catering to tastes for the exotic. These facts threatened Aurélia’s safety. But, as Aurélia had survived enslavement, she proved to be a courageous character who risks her life to save the lives of her children.

As Napoleon Bonaparte gathers power at the end of Her Own War, I know the plot of the next book of in the series will be affected by his re-establishment of slavery in1802, which revived slave-trade activity for another fifteen years.

Having learned that even today human beings are enslaved, I chose to bring light to the historical facts of the 18^th century, sadly reflected in the crimes against humanity in this century.

Artwork that inspired the character Aurélia.

*Bust of an African Woman* by Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier. Courtesy The Walters Art Museum, Creative Commons License.

Blurb

As Napoleon Rises from the Ashes of The French Revolution, One Woman Dares to Spy Against Him

Sentenced to eight months in an insane asylum for the crime of impersonating a man, Geneviève LaGarde fears giving birth in a filthy cell will mean certain death for her and her unborn child. Desperate for her release, her husband, Louis, trades his freedom for hers and must join Bonaparte’s army in Egypt.

As Geneviève wages her own war against the tyrannical general, she not only risks her own life but also those of her children and the four hundred families who depend on the Château de Verzat estate. Knowing her desperate actions could cause the government to confiscate the entire vineyard, she sacrifices everything to save her husband and protect the people who become her family.

A captivating tale of the power of love, hope, and courage, and the strength of community.

Reviews

“Fans of historical fiction will find this novel a most captivating read.” —Kirkus Reviews

“For fans of Stephanie Dray’s The Women of Chateau Lafayette.” —Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick “A compelling story of love, war, and fierce family loyalty. While the narrative stays true to the social mores of the French Revolutionary era, Borchert gives her readers powerful and active female characters who often cunningly use conventional gender expectations to conceal their real motives and actions. Fans of historical fiction will find this novel a most captivating read.” —Kirkus Reviews

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This title will be on #KindleUnlimited for the first 90 days

Meet the Author

Debra Borchert has had many careers: clothing designer, actress, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently.

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. She has been honored with a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice, Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick, and many other five-star reviews.

Connect with the Author

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Follow the Her Own War blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to welcome Carol McGrath’s new historical fiction novel, The Lost Queen, to the blog #newrelease #histfic #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . .
It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina.

There are hazards along the way – vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus. England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . .

The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.

Acclaim for Carol McGrath’s ROSE trilogy:
‘Powerful, gripping and beautifully told’ KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose
‘A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters’ NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose
‘A beautifully narrated novel’ K J MAITLAND on The Damask Rose

The cover for The Lost Queen book by Caol McGrath.

Purchase Link

https://tinyurl.com/5n8ab2xv

My Review

The Lost Queen is partly the story of Richard the Lionheart’s wife before and during her marriage. However, it doesn’t take place in England, as Richard is so largely absent, and his focus is on the Third Crusade, so our heroine never visits England.

There are also two other main characters: a fictional woman seeking her husband and Blondel, a troubadour. The author uses different tenses for these characters, which I always struggle with, although I know others don’t. The narrative is also moved forward by a collection of letters written to England.

The story itself is rich with period detail, from food to clothes to journeys and all those they encounter on their journey. The historical political landscape is abundant with those who are loyal to or disloyal to King Richard.

Fans of the genre will enjoy meeting Berengaria and visiting the period so meticulously brought to life by the author.

Meet the author

Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London. The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy. Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020. The Silken Rose, first in a medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022. Carol is writing Historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022. The Stolen Crown 2023 and The Lost Queen will be published 18^th July 2024. Carol lives in Oxfordshire, England and in Greece.

Find Carol on her website: www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk.

Follow her on amazon @CarolMcGrath

https://twitter.com/carolmcgrath

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/carol0275/the-handfasted-wife/

https://scribbling-inthemargins.blogspot.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-mcgrath-906723a/

https://www.facebook.com/CarolMcGrathAuthor1/

I’m delighted to welcome Luv Lubker and her new book, Under A Cloud, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #VictorianFiction #VictorianEra #GermanHistory #UnderACloud #LuvLubker #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Luv Lubker and her new book, Under A Cloud, from The Rival Courts series, to the blog, with an excerpt.

Excerpt 1

On the 24^th they had arrived in Palermo. Fritz had been emotionally excited to show them this place, where he had been the year before his and Vicky’s engagement. They had visited the place where he had stayed at the time, and also an old monastery, leaving with bits of beautiful mosaic in their pockets.

Most of the buildings here were of very Eastern architecture. The orange groves, aloes, cactuses, fig trees, heliotropes, date palms, all the vegetation was such as Vicky had never seen before outside of a hot house. They often stopped to breathe in the sweet, almost overpowering scent of the brightly colored flowers, and to watch the swarms of butterflies and bees. The gaudily painted donkey and mule carts, embellished with red dyed feathers and harnesses covered with glittering, jingling bells were also very striking. In the towns, they often met these carts, driven by boys or young men who were dressed for the heat – or rather so nearly undressed Vicky felt shy of looking at them.

She had begun to take sketches of the views which were most striking to her eye.

“You are sure you do not need more time?” Fritz had asked her. She had only been sitting a few minutes when she put her sketchbook away.

“Oh, no, that is plenty. I can finish them later,” she had assured him. “You remember my pictures from Balmoral. Most of those were done this way.”

“How do you remember the details? Every color is perfect, and the shadows, the drops of water. How do you do it?”

Vicky smiled up at him, meeting his gaze. He stood looking down at her, his eyes expressing his admiration, just as they had when she first showed him her artwork at Balmoral, a few days before he proposed. She shrugged and shook her head.

“It is so easy. I don’t know what the fuss is.” She laughed. “Bertie, I didn’t think you knew so much about art as you do. You knew every artist at the galleries we saw.”

Bertie shrugged, turning his face away. He had always professed ignorance and boredom when Papa and Mama had attempted to speak with him about such things. “I know. I – I don’t usually find it so interesting, though I do know it quite well. But you make it so interesting,” he said to Fritz.

“No, it is she who makes it interesting,” Fritz said, smiling at Vicky. “I know so little myself, my company could not possibly make it interesting.”

“No, that is not true,” Vicky and Bertie both said. Vicky took their hands, smiling up at them. “You have both learned so much about art, I am proud of you.”

Here’s the blurb

Vicky’s father, Albert, the Prince Consort, has just died, leaving her and her family under a heavy cloud of grief, without their dearest friend and advisor, at a most critical time: The political horizon grows dark with storm clouds at the entry of Bismarck to Germany’s political stage in 1862.

Will Fritz’s courage stand the test as he confronts the spider in its web? Is Prussia really fighting for the rights of the Schleswig people, or is so much blood being shed for the sake of Prussia’s aggrandizement?

Join Vicky and Fritz on their journeys under the blue cloudless skies of the Mediterranean to the peaceful heather-clad hills of the Highlands of Scotland; to the burning heat of the North African desert to the raging blizzards of a winter war in Denmark.

When Vicky’s closest friend disappears, will she be able to keep the secret? Will old enemies prove to be friends, and old friends prove to be enemies?

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Meet the Author

Luv Lubker has lived in the Victorian era half her life, making friends with the Brontë sisters and the extended family of Queen Victoria. Now she knows them quite as well as her own family.

Born in a cattle trough in the Appalachian mountains, Luv lives in Texas – when she comes to the modern world.

When she isn’t living in the Victorian era, she enjoys being with her family; making and eating delicious raw food, riding her bike (which she only learned to ride at 25, though she has ridden a unicycle since she was 7), and watching animals – the passion of her childhood.

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Follow the Under A Cloud blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m sharing my review for Toby Clements new historical fiction tale, A Good Deliverance, the story of Thomas Malory, author of Le Morte D’Arthur #histfic

Here’s the blurb

From the author of the Kingmaker series, an epic and intimate tale of adventure, myth and the creation of one of literature’s greatest stories.

Warwick, 1468. One drowsy summer afternoon, Sir Thomas Malory – politician, courtier, renowned author of Le Morte D’Arthur – is seized from his garden and dragged to Newgate Prison for reasons unknown.

Shivering in his foul-smelling, filthy old cell, Malory mourns his misspent life as he awaits the execution bell. But when the locking bar lifts, he is greeted by a boy of about twelve winters: the gaoler’s son. Giddy with relief, Malory seizes the opportunity to recount his deeds to an audience.

So begins a prison confession of a perilously exciting life full of sieges, battles and court intrigue. A Good Deliverance is the captivating tale of a man at odds with his past and the events that inspired him to write the first great work of prose fiction in English.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3S5WtB2

My Review

A Good Deliverance is a fictional account of Thomas Malory, the man who wrote the famous Le Morte D’Arthur and, in doing so, perpetuated the myths of Arthur and his knights, queen, and, of course, Lancelot.

Our Thomas Malory, as presented by Toby Clements, is a man of his time, living a life that even he questions for his feelings of inadequacy. He doesn’t fight at Agincourt, and indeed, his deeds of martial glory come from a battle few remember. Locked up for a crime we, the readers, never truly understand, he finds a willing listener to his life’s tales in the son of his prison guard.

This is an intriguing tale, told in an unconventional way. Wary of losing the interest of his audience, much of the tale is told as an aside, the parts that his young listener won’t be interested in hearing. It does make the story a little disjointed, but it also allows us to sweep through some of the more mundane details and focus on what Thomas Malory (and the author) thinks is important to the reader. Perhaps very much as the Arthurian Legend, it focuses on brave daring-do (or not) and not so much on matters of the heart or Malory’s less honourable actions.

It is somewhat of a rambling tale – indicative of a man fearing for his life and determined to ensure someone knows his story before his death. It is also thoroughly enjoyable – fans of the period will delight in seeing the glories of Agincourt and the hot mess of politics and bickering kingship played out in a very different way – through the eyes, not of a common man, but through the eyes of one for whom everything is still very much out of his control. Thomas Malory must do as he’s bid to make his way in the world.

The ending of this tale is very abrupt – too abrupt – no doubt because I as the reader was hoping for some redemption for our main character.

In a genre where the legends of Arthur have always been so alluring for authors and readers alike, I admire this fresh attempt to tackle where much of our knowledge of the legend comes from. The book might have its faults, but in revealing even our scribe’s biases, it sheds a whole new light on the tales.

A fabulous take on the fifteenth century and the man behind the Le Morte D’Arthur (even if so much of it is fictional as we know so little about him).

I’m delighted to welcome Anna Chant and her book, Courage of the Conquered, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #medieval #BlogTour #BookBlast #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Anna Chant and her book, Courage of the Conquered, from the Quest for New England series, to the blog.

Blurb

All the wonders of the Mediterranean have not prepared the English for the splendours of Constantinople. As Siward of Gloucester settles into the city, he is grateful to have finally found what he was looking for: A fine, god-fearing lord he is proud to serve and a safe place where he and Oswyth can await the birth of their child.

But as the months pass, doubts creep in. Emperor Michael proves to be a weak ruler, continually threatened with rebellion. Determined to keep the English army close, his promises of reward grow increasingly vague.

With tension in the city rising, Siward and his friends are caught up in the power struggle. While Bridwin maintains his loyalty to the emperor and Siward continues to trust in the friendship of the cunning Alexios Komnenos, Frebern grows close to John Bryennios, a man whose ambitions may include the imperial throne itself. With the friends drawn in different directions, Siward fears they could find themselves fighting on opposing sides.

Desperate to escape, he renews his efforts to find the home the English have so long craved. But the beauty of Constantinople conceals dangers that go far beyond Siward’s fears as sordid secrets and ruthless betrayal stalk the lives of those he holds dear.

As the English prepare for battle yet again, will Siward’s quest for New England end in heart-breaking tragedy?

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Meet the Author

Anna Chant grew up in Essex, with her first home a tiny medieval cottage. Aged 18 she moved to Yorkshire to study history at the University of Sheffield. In 2015, inspired by her love of medieval history and her Scottish ancestry, Anna started writing her first book with Kenneth’s Queen, the tale of the unknown wife of Kenneth Mac Alpin, published the following year. Taking inspiration from both history and legend, she particularly enjoys bringing to life the lesser known people, events and folklore of the past. When not writing, Anna enjoys walking the coast and countryside of Devon where she lives with her husband, three sons (if they’re home) and a rather cheeky bearded dragon.

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Follow the Courage of the Conquered blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to welcome Gina Buonaguro and her book, The Virgins of Venice, to the blog #TheVirginsofVenice #HistoricalFiction #Venice #Renaissance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Gina Buonaguro and her book, The Virgins of Venice, to the blog.

Blurb

In sixteenth-century Venice, one young noblewoman dares to resist the choices made for her

Venice in 1509 is on the brink of war. The displeasure of Pope Julius II is a continuing threat to the republic, as is the barely contained fighting in the countryside. Amid this turmoil, noblewoman Justina Soranzo, just sixteen, hopes to make a rare love marriage with her sweetheart, Luca Cicogna. Her hopes are dashed when her father decides her younger sister, Rosa, will marry in a strategic alliance and Justina will be sent to the San Zaccaria convent, in the tradition of aristocratic daughters. Lord Soranzo is not acting only to protect his family. It’s well known that he is in debt to both his trading partners and the most infamous courtesan in the city, La Diamante, and the pressure is closing in.

After arriving at the convent, Justina takes solace in her aunt Livia, one of the nuns, and in the growing knowledge that all is not strictly devout at San Zaccaria. Justina is shocked to discover how the women of the convent find their own freedom in what seems to her like a prison. But secrets and scandals breach the convent walls, and Justina learns there may be even worse fates for her than the veil, if La Diamante makes good on her threats.

Desperate to protect herself and the ones she loves, Justina turns to Luca for help. She finds she must trust her own heart to make the impossible decisions that may save or ruin them all.

Buy Link

Universal Link: One: Two:

Meet the Author

Gina Buonaguro is the co-author of The Wolves of St. Peters, Ciao Bella and The Sidewalk Artist, as well as several romance titles under the name Meadow Taylor. The Virgins of Venice is her first solo novel.

She has a BA in English from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and earned an MA in English from the University of British Columbia while on a Fulbright Scholarship. Born in New Jersey, Gina Buonaguro lives in Toronto.