Tuesday, November 5, 2024

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Curse of Maiden Scars by Nicolette Croft, narrated by Liz May Brice #HistoricalFiction #GothicFiction #WomensFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @croft_nicolette @cathiedunn

 





A Yorkshire orphan struggling for opportunity against 18th-century odds reluctantly transforms into a Venetian courtesan during the Empire's last days.

Sixteen-year-old Renna Covert toils away in the shadows of a Yorkshire workhouse, her days filled with the mundane task of shelling cotton and the dangerous duty of scouting for punters. One fateful night, she crosses paths with two sailors and finds herself thrust into the heart of a chilling encounter at the local asylum.
 
These harrowing experiences catalyze Renna's journey, promising newfound opportunities and revealing long-buried family secrets. Yet, at every turn, powerful forces conspire to thwart her quest for truth, forcing her to abandon her scullery work and embark on a daring escape to Venice alongside her steadfast companions. 
 
In the labyrinthine alleys of Venice, Renna's fate takes yet another twist. She is ensnared by a cunning Madam who trains her as a Venetian courtesan. But beneath the veneer of luxury lies a world fraught with danger, where Renna must rely on her witts and resilience to navigate the treacherous waters of deceit and betrayal.
 
Set against the backdrop of Venice's tumultuous Napoleonic invasion of 1797, this is a tale of a girl's struggle for survival. It is a story of resilience, defiance in the face of adversity, and, ultimately, one young woman's determination to reclaim her identity. 

THE CURSE OF MAIDEN SCARS is a coming-of-age, women's fiction novel with gothic flair set in the tradition of Victoria Mas' THE MADWOMAN'S BALL, and Sarah Dunant's IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN, with the sensuality of LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER.

Book Title: The Curse of Maiden Scars
Series: Maiden Mother Crone
Author: Nicolette Croft
Publication Date: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 288
Listening Length: 11 hours 50 minutes
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Coming-of-age, Gothic




Nicolette Croft


Nicolette Croft can’t remember a time when she was not creating imaginary worlds inspired by her Hungarian and American ancestors. As a neuro-divergent learner, however, putting those stories to paper proved more challenging than imagining them. Because her determination would not allow her to settle, she pursued an English B.A. to improve her writing.

Young motherhood also brought unexpected challenges, which motivated her to pursue graduate work in twice-exceptional learners and education. She would later add an M.A. degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in neurodivergent people, trauma, and grief. Nicolette uses her natural gift of storytelling as an exploratory method for her clients.

The Curse of Maiden Scars is also an outgrowth of her personal journey and marks her first publication as a novelist, having previously published short fiction. When not at her counseling practice or researching historical facts for her latest story, Nicolette shares treasured time with family, friends, and her husband. Whether writing, cooking, traveling, or learning, the act of creation is always at the center of her colorful life.

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Monday, October 14, 2024

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Vow By Jude Berman #TheVow #AngelicaKauffman #WomenInArt, #HistoricalFiction #ArtHistory #BlogTour #BookBlast #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn

 



Accused of dressing as a boy to study in the prestigious galleries of eighteenth-century Italy, child prodigy Angelica Kauffman has set high goals for herself. She is determined to become a history painter, a career off-limits to women. To ensure her success, she has vowed never to marry. 

Shattering the glass ceiling of her times, Kauffman paints royalty, mingles with illustrious artists, and becomes one of the only female founders of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. But her path is fraught with challenges and eventually she questions if a vow of a different sort is necessary if she is to answer the deepest call of her heart.

Book Title: The Vow
Author: Jude Berman
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pages: 368 pages
Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction

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Jude Berman


Jude Berman has a BA in art from Smith College and an EdD in cross-cultural communication from UMass Amherst. After a career in academic research, she built a freelance writing and editing business and ran two small Indie presses. She lives in Berkeley, CA, where she continues to work with authors and write fiction.

In her free time, she volunteers for progressive causes, paints with acrylic watercolors, gardens, and meditates. The Die, metaphysical speculative fiction about saving democracy, was published in 2024. 

Visit judeberman.com for Jude’s books and judeberman.org for her art.

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Pirate’s Physician: A Thrilling Companion Novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles by Amy Maroney #Renaissance #HistoricalRomance #PirateBooks #SeaAdventure #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @wilaroney @cathiedunn




When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?

The Pirate's Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno's famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly. 

Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea. 

Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?

A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate's Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen's Scribe.

Book Title: The Pirate’s Physician
Series: A Thrilling Companion novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles
Author: Amy Maroney
Publication Date: September 5th, 2024
Publisher: Artelan Press
Pages: 204 Pages
Genre: Historical Romance

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Amy Maroney


Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction.

Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean. 

To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at www.amymaroney.com. 

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Wednesday, October 2, 2024

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Dragon Tree by Julia Ibbotson #medieval #TimeTravel #Romance #Mystery #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @JuliaIbbotson @cathiedunn

 



A haunting medieval time-slip (#2 in the Dr DuLac series, sequel to A Shape on the Air, but can be read as a stand-alone)

Echoes of the past resonate through time and disturb medievalist Dr Viv DuLac as she struggles with misfortune in the present. She and Rev Rory have escaped to the island of Madeira on a secondment from their posts, yet they are not to find peace – until they can solve the mystery of the shard of azulejo and the ancient ammonite. Viv’s search brings her into contact with two troubled women: a noblewoman shipwrecked on the island in the 14th century and a rebellious nun at the island convent in the 16th century. As Viv reaches out across the centuries, their lives become intertwined, and she must uncover the secrets of the ominous Dragon Tree in order to locate lost artefacts that can shape the future.

Book Title:  The Dragon Tree
Series:  Dr DuLac series #2 (but can also be read as a stand-alone)
Author: Julia Ibbotson
Publication Date:  Nov 2021 
Publisher:Archbury Books
Pages:240
Genre: historical romance / mystery time-slip

Praise

“… an engaging and original time-slip novel that keeps the reader turning the pages…the characters are authentic and the mystery is neatly woven between the centuries … seamless time transitions …”
~ Melissa Morgan 

Buy this Book 
Julia Ibbotson


Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language / literature / history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics.

After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s. She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone.

Her work in progress is a new series of Anglo-Saxon mystery romances, beginning with Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries. Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful storytelling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’ and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’.

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Thursday, September 26, 2024

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: ‘Tho I Be Mute by Heather Miller #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #CherokeeHistory #AmericanHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @HMHFR @cathiedunn

 




Clarinda faces a moment of profound reality—a rattlesnake bite, a harbinger of her imminent mortality—and undertakes an introspective journey. In her final days, she immortalizes not only her own story but that of her parents—a narrative steeped in her family’s insights into Cherokee heritage during the tumultuous years preceding the forced removal of Native communities.

In 1818, Clarinda’s father, Cherokee John Ridge, embarks on a quest for a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut. Amidst sickness, he finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite enduring two years of separation, defamatory editorials, and societal upheaval due to their interracial love affair, the resilient couple weds in 1824. This marks the inception of a journey for Sarah as she delves into a world both cherished and feared—Cherokee Territory. As John Ridge advocates for the preservation of his people’s land and that of his Muskogee Creek neighbors against encroaching Georgia settlers and unscrupulous governmental officials, the stakes are high. His success or failure hinges on his ability to balance his proud Cherokee convictions with an intricate understanding of American law. Justice remains uncertain.

Grounded in a true story, ‘Tho I Be Mute resonates with a compelling historical narrative, giving an intimate voice to those heard, those ignored, those speechless, urging readers to not only hear but to truly listen.

Book Title: ‘Tho I Be Mute (2nd edition)
Series: Prequel to Yellow Bird’s Song
Author: Heather Miller
Publication Date: 09/10/2024
Publisher: Historium Press, Historical Fiction Company
Pages: 345
Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance


Excerpt

Chapter 26, “The Cave,” Sarah Northrup Ridge

The Man in the Hat belched and laughed, passing the bottle back and forth to Whitmore and the Pan Man. If the squatters kept drinking at this pace, they might not notice if I was missing from the end of the rope. I smeared dripping blood from one wrist onto the other, wriggling my still-bound hand free. With a spontaneous decision, I released the rope and dashed to slide, feet first, then wiggling into the hole to follow the roots underground. 

The drop was further than I expected, and I toppled to my knees, propelled forward when my feet splashed in yesterday’s rain. I had not thought about the drop. I had not thought about the fall. I had not thought about the dark. My bleeding hands stopped my fall. I soaked them in the pool of water at my knees and pulled the bloody handkerchief from my pocket to bind the torn skin of one wrist. My knees bled from scrapes and my stockings were bloody to my shins. Inside, the air was like frozen frost. The numb tips of my fingers could still reach the cave’s opening, but the last day’s light was insufficient to light my path any further than a few steps. My hand grazed the rock behind my back. I sat among the puddles, mute, expecting the dreaded eyes and otherworldly voice of Man with the Hat. Silent tears spilled down my cheeks. But for now, I was hidden beyond his reach. Not only cold but wet, I might freeze to death before anyone found me.

The longer the upper hole was quiet, the more I relaxed. I cupped the cold water from the puddle and patted it on my face, down my neck to counter the fever I felt. The longer I remained invisible to my captors, the faster my witness rejoined me. I became whole again. I listened outside this pit of earth. A whippoorwill called the sundown. An owl hooted with melancholy and offered his tender empathies. Their sounds echoed off the rock walls. I warmed from their companionship.

But while I became invisible to the Man in the Hat, I was also invisible to Arch who would be at least a day’s travel behind me. That was the best I could hope for. The worst I could imagine was snowfall, to leave me starving and freezing alone. No. There was a worse outcome—raped, abandoned, found dead. My hands and feet tingled. My breath was too loud. I prayed, Jesus, please light my way for this innocent baby. In that moment of faith, the child inside me spread a hand to mirror mine resting atop my belly. I kept my eyes closed and asked forgiveness for burying us alive in this cave. But I had no choice.

Leaves fell through the opening and feet darted above me. I wriggled, pushing my back against the cavern wall, pulling my feet close to my chest. The Man with the Hat never asked my name, and I never offered it. He had nothing to call, nothing to yell. Recognizing his oversight, he kicked leaves around the cave opening where I hid. I preferred starvation, frozen into a block of ice, than answering his call. 

He shouted. “Red . . . You’ll show when you get hungry enough. We’ll camp right here. I ain’t going no further.” 

His volume varied, as if he walked in circles, sending his snide voice in differing directions. As he spoke, the tone and bustle above me continued. Men’s voices and horse whinnies became more distinct while they searched for me. I smelled salt pork slung on an iron pan, the same one that clanked in front of me. I salivated while listening to their exchange.

“She ain’t gone far. She just hiding,” The Man in the Hat said.

“I can’t find her. Can you?” Whitmore gave his sarcastic reply as the Pan Man laughed.

“I will.” The Man in the Hat spoke, then he swore after. Leaves crunched under his boots near the bluff’s opening. His legs blocked their firelight. Then, his hand came through the void. I covered my mouth to block the sound of my rapid breathing.

“We still got the extra horse,” Whitmore said, “even if she’s up and climbed a tree.”

The Man in the Hat walked away and said, “She’s pregnant. She couldn’t fit in that hole, and she ain’t up no tree, you drunk bastard.” The Man in the Hat cursed me, knowing that my absence guaranteed the trio’s empty bottles and empty pockets. 


Buy this Book

 Heather Miller


History is better than fiction.
We all leave a legacy.

As an English educator, Heather Miller has spent twenty-four years teaching her students the author’s craft. Now, she’s writing it herself, hearing voices from the past. Heather earned her MFA in creative writing in 2022 and is teaching high school as well as college composition courses. 

Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Miserables. But by far, her favorite role has been as a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a RN. Alas, there’s only one English major in her house.

Heather continues writing the Ridge Family Saga. Her current work-in-progress, Stands, concludes the Ridge Family Saga. 

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Wednesday, September 25, 2024

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Apollo’s Raven by Linnea Tanner #HistoricalFantasy #HistoricalFiction #AncientRome #Britannia #CelticMyth #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @linneatanner @cathiedunn

 




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 epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.
 
Will Catrin overcome and eradicate the ancient curse? Will she be able to embrace her forbidden love for Marcellus? Will she cease the war between Blood Wolf and King Amren and save her kingdom?

Book Title: Apollo’s Raven
Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book #1 (4 books in the series)
Author: Linnea Tanner
Publication Date: January 20, 2020 (3nd Edition)
Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC
Pages: 394 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Myth & Legend

Book Trailer


Praise

What AMAZON reviewers say about Apollo’s Raven

“If you mingled the history and romance of Philippa Gregory with the magical fantasy of George R.R. Martin, the result just might be the fascinating Apollo’s Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 1) by Linnea Tanner. Get ready for a journey filled with the desires of star-crossed lovers, the horror of a son polishing his own mother’s skull and the fantasy of humans becoming creatures as a tool to save their very humanity.”

“Sorcery? Mythology? Forbidden love? An ancient curse? Yes, please! I fully enjoyed this epic tale of intrigue, deception, and love. The characters are developed well, while the plot leaves the reader wanting more.”

“What a story! I am a huge fan of "Game of Thrones," and this book grabbed me in much the same way. The author took me inside the world of ancient Romans and Celts. The imagery was compelling. I could see the characters, the weapons, the countryside, the lairs, and the castle. She stayed true to the times.”

“A love story full of intrigue, power struggles, choosing one’s fate and a doomed love, this story reminds me somewhat of an old book called “The Silver Land” by Nancy Harding or even “The Forest House” by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The undercurrents are the same as they are set in similar times, but the finer details are different enough that it only feels the same while still being uniquely its own.”


*Apollo’s Raven will be free on Kindle on September 26th – 30th, 2024!*

Buy this Book
All four books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series are available on Kindle Unlimited.

Linnea Tanner


Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. She is particularly interested in the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids.

Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4). She has also released the historical fiction short story Two Faces of Janus. 

A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Signare of Gorée by Laura Rahme #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn




1846

In the heat of West Africa, the French navy uncovers the corpses of two French soldiers. Inspector Maurice Leroux arrives at the island of Gorée. It seems death has come to this small colonial outpost off the Senegal coast, home to the prosperous mixed-blood women known as the signares.

The navy suspects that the Bambara people, emboldened by approaching emancipation, may be out for blood. While confronted by the locals’ strange magical beliefs, Maurice remains skeptical. Does malevolence play a part, or are these deaths accidental, brought upon by the brutality of nature in an island known as the white man's grave?

But when murder strikes, it becomes clear that a killer is stalking Gorée.

Swept by a mystery unlike any he has known, Maurice meets Signare Angélique Aussenac. The proud métis, deserted by her wealthy Bordeaux lover, casts her spell upon Maurice.

But beyond the throbbing sounds of the tam-tams and the glittering signare soirées, danger lurks. Someone is watching. And the deaths go on.

Could the killer be one of the rich Bordeaux merchants? Or are they hiding among the powerful signares?

A historical mystery spanning France and Senegal, THE SIGNARE OF GORÉE explores a world of magic, murder, and passion.

Book Title: The Signare of Gorée
Author: Laura Rahme
Publication Date: 9th September 2024
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 301 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery / Historical Fiction

Join me in a cosy chat with Laura.

What inspired you to start writing?

After writing the Victorian gothic mystery, Calista, I wanted to bring back Inspector Maurice Leroux but in a different geographic and cultural setting. I liked the idea that my 19th century detective could travel to an unusual location like Gorée island. I had long toyed with setting a novel in my birth country. The year 1846 seemed like the right time to bear witness to significant events in Senegal. 

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

The Signare of Gorée contains distressing slave-trading passages. My early years of schooling in Senegal exposed me to the transatlantic trade at a young age but this was the first time I delved in details into the logistics and the psychology of its actors. There was immeasurable human suffering and debasement, but it was more confronting than that. Knowing that one of my ancestors had been a slave ship captain, I could now picture just exactly who the man was and what he did. It was painful to realize. Another sad facet of all this research is that the cruelty is far from ended. Consider that today, according to the UN, there are 49.6 million people in modern slavery worldwide, and 12 million of them are children. UNICEF indicates that human trafficking is a $150 billion industry. The reality is that slavery and the trafficking of humans are not confined to the past. They continue today. 

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

The character Lieutenant Leopold Candeau was actually my adventurous 19th century ancestor, but he lived too long ago for anyone to have any idea about his personality. I ended up drawing from traits I had observed in his direct descendant: my beloved grandfather. When my grandfather was a young man, he was slight of frame, dutiful yet courageous, and by all accounts showed wit in unexpected circumstances. Throughout his life, he loved food, remained open to learning, and demonstrated a genuine interest in travel and in meeting people from different cultures. He was very advanced for his time, and he dwells in my heart. 

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

This is so hard, but I love this question!
Inspector Maurice Leroux reminds me of a younger Michael Shannon, but I’ll go for a bearded James McAvoy. Nikki Amuka-Bird could be a fantastic Anna Colas Pépin. She’s a strong actress with a penchant for theatrics.
 
Other cast members would include: 

✦ Pierre Niney as Lieutenant Leopold Candeau
✦ Jérémie Laheurte as the Bordeaux merchant, Jacques La Plante
✦ Jessica Lucas (with curls) as Signare Angélique Aussenac
✦ Danny Glover as Mayor Armand Laporte
✦ Djimon Hounsou as the Lebou marabout (he often plays magicians so I think he would love that!)
✦ Last, Tahar Rahim with longer locks as André Aussenac, and I hope he forgives me. 

What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

My primary aim was to entertain with a puzzle unfolding in a unique setting. I also sought to fill a gap in literature because maybe there are others like me who might wish to read a detective mystery set in 1840s Gorée. Beyond these aims, it would be wonderful, of course, if The Signare of Gorée could inspire further interest in the island, in Senegal, and in the Senegalese people and their history. I would personally like to return to Senegal one day.

Buy this Book
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.


Laura Rahme


Laura Rahme is the author of seven historical novels. Born in Dakar, Senegal where she spent her early childhood, she moved to Australia at the age of ten. A graduate of two Honors degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Psychology, she has worked over two decades as an IT professional. Her greatest joy comes from travel, researching history, and penning historical mysteries. She now lives in France with her screenwriting husband.

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Curse of Maiden Scars by Nicolette Croft, narrated by Liz May Brice #HistoricalFiction #GothicFiction #WomensFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @croft_nicolette @cathiedunn

  A Yorkshire orphan struggling for opportunity against 18th-century odds reluctantly transforms into a Venetian courtesan during the Empire...