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FATE: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic featuring Annie Whitehead, Jean Gill, Marian L Thorpe, Helen Hollick, Alison Morton, Elizabeth St.John, R. Marsden, Anna Belfrage, J. P Reedman, Debbie Young. Here's the blurb If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you leave the future to the…
https://amzn.to/443P5MS If you've been with Coelwulf, Rudolf, Icel, Edmund and Pybba since the beginning, then you're probably with me in trying to work out how five years have gone by since the release of The Last Warrior, which from memory has a bit of a shocking ending (but no other spoilers here). There are now…
I'm delighted to welcome Heidi Eljarbo and her new book, The Dutch Muse, A Fabiola Bennett Mystery, to the blog. Here's the Blurb A ruthless thief leaves a private Dutch gallery with a coveted seventeenth-century painting. The owner lies unconscious on the floor. Art historian Fabiola Bennett is on vacation in Holland and takes on…
I'm delighted to welcome S.P. Somtow and his book, Nero and Sporus, to the blog with an excerpt. Excerpt “Can you not posture in such a boyish manner, domine? You’ll ruin the effect.” “What effect?” “My dear domine, can you turn that wrist more daintily? Can you not stampede about the room like a raging…
Here's the blurb A daring young lady and dashing lord At Prebbles Flying Circus, the daring Eliza Gray captivates audiences with her breathtaking feats on horseback. Yet beyond the applause, she harbours a longing to find the family she lost as a child and discover who she truly is. Fate, however, takes an unexpected turn…
I'm delighted to welcome Amanda Roberts and her new book, Lady of the Quay, Book 1 in the Isabella Gillhespy Series, to the blog with a snippet. Snippet ‘Drink?’ I asked, gesturing towards the cabinet. He removed his hat, threw it onto a chair, and shook his head. ‘I’m here on business.’ That had never…
Here's the blurb Don't get angry. Get rich. 1922. Twenty-four-year-old Eleanor Mackridge is horrified by the future mapped out for her - to serve the upper classes or find a husband. During the war, she found freedom in joining the workforce at home, but now women are being put back in their place. Until Eleanor…
Here's the blurb Tragic true story of a radium girl. Catherine's life is set on an unexpected course when she accepts a job at Radium Dial. The dial painters forge friendships and enjoy their work but soon discover that an evil secret lurks in the magical glow-in-the-dark paint. When she and her friends start falling…
It's happy release day to Men of Iron, the first book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy #newrelease #MenOfIron #histfic Listen to me waffle about it.
I'm delighted to welcome Deborah Swift and her new book, Last Train to Freedom, to the blog with Researching Last Train to Freedom and the Sugihara Story. Researching Last Train to Freedom and the Sugihara Story Last Train to Freedom is set in WW2 during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, and with the threat of…
I'm delighted to welcome Paul Bernardi and his new book, Uprising, book 2 of the Rebellion series, to the blog. Here's the Blurb Summer 1067.Northumbria.Oslac, thegn of the village of Acum, feels cheated - having been robbed of the chance to kill his enemy by his own kinsman.Instead, Gundulf, the erstwhile Lord of Hexham and…
Here's an exciting excerpt from Death and the Poet Ovid gives a recital July 2, or 6 days before the Nones The recital took place in the late afternoon at the town’s main square on top of the hill overlooking the harbour. Entertainment in Tomis was infrequent and modest, with maybe a serious theatre performance…
Here's the blurb Edinburgh, 1936. People are disappearing. The police are clueless. Can Finlay MacBeth track down the perpetrator before someone else goes missing? Haunted by his recent past, Professor Finlay MacBeth returns to his home town to take up a new post at the university. Within hours, his reputation for solving the occasional murder…
The book birthday's keep coming in 2025 On this day in history..... Pagan Warrior, then titled Hædfeld first hit the 'shelves,' as it were. Until the release of Men of Iron earlier this year, Pagan Warrior had been the furthest back in time I'd written about. So, what prompted me to write about Penda, the…
Thanks to some spectacular archaeological finds, we can visualise how a Saxon warrior 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 hair in a way very reminiscent of the Roman era. They…
Excerpt “Hello there, Nattie, honey,” called Mimi in her honey-sweet voice as she popped out of the door behind the curtains. Mimi wasn’t much older than the chorus line girls. She was like a big sister, looking out for them, scolding and nagging, doing her part to make the performances alluring. Mimi liked to say…
Here's the blurb The history-bending speculative fiction from Adam Oyebanji, award-winning author of BRAKING DAY.An impossible death: Detective Ethan Krol has been called to the scene of a baffling murder: a man and his son, who appear to have been drowned in sea-water. But the nearest ocean is a thousand miles away.An improbable story: Hollie Rogers doesn't…
Historical research for BOY WITH WINGS Boy With Wings is set mostly in northern Florida, where I’ve lived all my life, and as such I had some familiarity with the historical predicate of the story, but not all of it. I knew almost nothing about sideshows, or “freaks,” which necessitated quite a bit of research on…
I'm delighted to welcome Janet Wertman and her new book, Nothing Proved, to the blog with a guest post. Guest Post Thank you for having me on your blog to talk about my historical research, though I feel a little guilty given how much more information I have available to me than you do! The…
Here's the blurb A gripping saga of courage, resilience and fractured dreams, set in Victorian London. Life on the river has never been easy for Tilly and Sam, but through hard work and determination, they’ve built a home filled with love. Joey, Tilly’s eldest son, has lived between two worlds—cherished as her child but granted…
Here's the blurb As winter draws to a close, something suspicious lurks outside the walls of Colmar.Appel, Gritta, and Efi, the three alewives of Colmar, are enjoying a calm month of brewing and friendship after solving the deeply unsettling riddle of the severed hands. But peace is not destined to last for long. The disappearance…
Here's the blurb Foul play at the sheep show… Tensions are high at the Three Counties Show when accusations of cheating add fuel to a longstanding feud. For Jude Gray, whose only hope was to not make a fool of herself showing her Kerry Hill sheep, farming life has never been so dramatic. When a…
Here's the blurb Evy Miller thinks a summer with her grandparents in sleepy Dorset will be painfully dull. Her suspicions are confirmed when Juby, a wild-haired, lanky old man, strolls through her grandparents' doorway. At first, she thinks he’s nothing more than an odd duck who charms her grandmother and annoys her grandfather. The last…
Here's the blurb This, the fourth and final selection of stories, completes the Seasonal Paths series created by a consortium of best-selling and award-winning North Atlantic writers. In this anthology you will encounter unintentioned consequences, love in later life, the pull of family dynamics, misguided assumptions and murderous soulmates. These yarns will take you to…
I'm delighted to welcome Wendy J.Dunn and her new book, Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Katherine of Aragon Story, to the blog with a snippet. Snippet Furious, Ahmed bounded up from the cushions and stood over her. “Why doesn’t she write and tell me that now? My father writes to me but my mother, never.” Beatriz…
I'm delighted to welcome Linnea Tanner and her audiobook, Apollo's Raven, Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series, to the blog with a book trailer. Book Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSdT5wK4aI Here's the Blurb A Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people. AWARD-WINNING APOLLO'S RAVEN sweeps you into an…
The working lives of medieval nuns In this post, I’m going to share something of what I’ve learned about the life of medieval nuns, and the other people who lived and/or worked in or for the priory. To paint a picture of how life might have been for Sister Rosa and her sister nuns, I’ve…
I'm delighted to welcome Jane Hunt and her new book, The Finding, to the blog. Here's the Blurb This poignant novella is a tale of forbidden love, resilience, and the human cost of war. In the quiet fields of Wiltshire during World War II, Eveline, a sheltered young woman, stumbles upon a life-altering discovery: a…
Caerleon and a Roman legion/legionary in AD 80 Here in the UK we are very lucky to have quite a few Roman sites to explore, which is very helpful when writing a story set during that era. The Romans were here for nearly 400 years, so they have left a lot of traces behind. My…
Here's the blurb 1346. France. King Edward III is restless. Despite earlier victories the French crown remains intact. Determined to bring France under his own rule, Edward has devised a new plan of attack – one which he believes will finally bring the French army to its knees: a final, cataclysmic battle ... Berenger Fripper, Vintener…
I'm delighted to welcome Katherine Mezzacappa and her book, The Ballad of Mary Kearney, to the blog with an excerpt. Excerpt The Revd. Samuels Regrets Much but Tells Only his Diary 20th June 1766 I have this day done myself much harm, more than at other times, and the good Lord knows that I do…
I'm delighted to welcome Andrea Matthews and her book, The Cross of Ciarán, to the blog. Here's the Blurb When a fifth century pagan priest is unearthed in Ireland fifteen hundred years after being entombed, archaeologist Caitlin O’Connell is convinced it’s the find of the century. The body is in perfect condition, right down to…
books2read.com/u/31RBva If you've been with Coelwulf, Rudolf, Icel, Edmund and Pybba since the beginning, then you're probably with me in trying to work out how five years have gone by since the first book's release. There are now ten books in all, as well as a short story collection, Coelwulf's Company, and the prequel series…
I'm delighted to welcome Susan Lanigan and her new book, White Feathers, to the blog with guest post. Guest Post My Research Process By Susan Lanigan When I was constructing the narrative of White Feathers, I needed an outline, but I was not sure in advance of everything that would occur. The advantage of writing…
Here's the blurb Oscar’s Tale is that of a Saxon boy who sets out to find and rescue his father who has been taken by Viking slavers. The story begins in 877, just prior to the Viking attack on Chippenham in which King Alfred was routed. Against this backdrop, Oscar is obliged to set out…