Tuesday, October 13, 2026

The Bonnet Brigade by Christy Matheson

 



She needs a husband. He cannot offer his hand. Together, they may lose everything—or find the future they never dared hope for.


When the fortune supporting Celia Westhaven and her cousins disappears overnight, she knows she must secure their future. The spirited Irishwoman needs an income, a home—and, by necessity, a husband. Since the one gentleman she truly wants insists he cannot marry her, she is prepared to wed anyone willing to provide for her family.


Peter Alcott was preparing to propose to Celia when anonymous threats against his sister changed everything. A former military strategist now entangled in dangerous intelligence work, he cannot risk bringing Celia into his uncertain life. To protect both his sister and the woman who secretly holds his heart, Peter must devise the most important strategy of his life.


As pressure mounts from an increasingly determined suitor, Celia's prospects—and her cousins' futures—grow more precarious by the day. Over tea and iced biscuits, Celia and her cousins form The Bonnet Brigade. With a self-appointed Madam General at the helm, they devise a plan to outmaneuver the London marriage mart before financial ruin strikes—or Celia's unwanted suitor makes his next move.


But as danger closes in and society's expectations tighten their grip, Celia and Peter must decide whether duty demands their sacrifice—or if love is worth risking everything.


Devour The Bonnet Brigade, a swoon-worthy Regency romance perfect for fans of Bridgerton's intrigue and Little Women's sisterly devotion. Featuring a secret spy, determined heroines, found family, and a slow-burn romance that sparks into passion, this charming tale of courage, loyalty, and love will capture your heart.


Publication Date: July 11th, 2026
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Pages: 447
Genre: Regency Romance

Praise

" The romantic line has excellent chemistry and tension. The surrounding events and characters create a vivid backdrop. The character building is strong. But what really brings this into 5-star territory for me is the writing, which is outstanding."
 5* Amazon Review

"Carefully crafted and well researched, which is refreshing and appreciated. "
5* Amazon Review

"The Bonnet Brigade is a wonderfully layered Regency Romance. "
 5* Amazon Review




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Christy Matheson


Women who solve problems, men who fall first and fall hard… and endings that are more than a sugar rush.

When Christy Matheson is not throwing ordinary characters into fairy tales, she is busy raising five children. (Very busy.) She writes character-driven historical fiction with and without romance and fantasy elements, and her “fresh, smart, and totally charming” stories have won multiple awards.

Christy is also an embroidery artist, classically trained pianist, and sews all of her own clothes. She lives in Oregon, on a country property that fondly reminds her of a Regency estate (except with a swing set instead of faux Greek ruins), with her husband, five children, three Shelties, one bunny, and an improbable quantity of art supplies.

Monday, October 12, 2026

Learning to Breathe Again: A Novel (The Work of Becoming Trilogy – Book #1) by Tonya Cam

 



Two women. Lives they didn't choose. A friendship that dares them to want more.


Miami, 1933. Mary Simons was supposed to fill her scrapbook with photos of her baby's first smiles, locks of fine hair, and handwritten milestones. Instead, she records respiration rates and temperatures, hoping science can save what love can't. When her baby dies, the future she imagined dies with her.


A thousand miles north, Elena Wagner has spent years trying to bury the girl who nursed her mother and sister through their final days. Silk dresses and a husband who adores her keep the grief at arm's length. But an unplanned pregnancy, and a Depression that won't end, threaten to pull her back into the one role she swore she'd never play again.


A chance encounter at the Chicago World's Fair brings the two women together. When circumstances relocate them both to the sugarcane fields of Depression-era Florida, an unlikely friendship becomes the one thing they can't afford to lose. In a time when women are expected to endure in silence, Mary and Elena must decide: keep performing the lives they're supposed to live, or risk it all for the women they might still become.


A character-driven novel about loss, friendship, and courage. Sometimes the hardest thing isn't holding on. It's learning to breathe again.


For readers of Fiona Davis, Kristina McMorris, Marie Benedict, and Lisa Wingate.


Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Publisher: Hammock Oak Publishing
Pages: 310
Genre: Historical Fiction / 20th Century Fiction / Depression Era


Praise for Learning to Breathe Again:

"...a touching tale of love, loss, friendship, and the painful search for new beginnings."
~ Kirkus Reviews



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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.


Tonya Cam


Tonya Cam is a third-generation Floridian, a lifelong collector of Depression-era memorabilia, and a writer drawn to women who are not only surviving. They are becoming.

Learning to Breathe Again is her debut novel and the first book in The Work of Becoming Trilogy. It's the story of two women whose lives collide at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and whose friendship reshapes them in the sugarcane fields of Clewiston, Florida. It was inspired by her father's memories growing up, and the older brother he lost before he was born.

When she is not writing, she teaches middle school science in Gainesville, Florida. She is also the author of The Complete Guide to Shirley Temple Dolls and Collectibles.

If you love Fiona Davis, Marie Benedict, Lisa Wingate, or Kristina McMorris, you'll love the stories she writes.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

The Roll of the Dice (We Who Endure) by J.A. Quarles

 


As the fires of war spread across a divided nation, three brothers from Louisiana are swept into the storm that will decide the fate of the Confederacy-and perhaps the future of America itself.


In the bloody aftermath of Fredericksburg, young Confederate officer Johan Lutze escapes Union captivity through courage, cunning, and sheer determination. Returning to General Robert E. Lee's army just in time for the Battle of Chancellorsville, Johan performs an act of heroism that saves the life of the legendary General Stonewall Jackson and thrusts him into the inner circle of Confederate power.


Now, with Vicksburg under siege and the Confederacy teetering between survival and collapse, Johan's bold strategic ideas begin to influence President Jefferson Davis himself. But in Richmond, ambition and politics can be as deadly as bullets, and not everyone welcomes the rise of the young officer from Louisiana.


While Johan helps shape daring military campaigns alongside Generals Lee, Beauregard, and Johnston, his brothers wage battles of their own. Paul Lutze Jr., maimed at Shiloh and fitted with a prosthetic leg, enters the shadowy world of Confederate espionage, where secrets and sabotage may alter the course of the war. Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Jacques Lutze marches north with the ferocious Louisiana Tigers, consumed by grief, vengeance, and a burning desire to kill Yankees before they kill him.


From the fields of Pennsylvania to the banks of the Mississippi, from the halls of Richmond to the courts of Europe and the rising empire in Mexico, the war expands into a conflict of global consequence. Armies maneuver. Governments scheme. Brothers bleed.


And as the summer of 1863 approaches its reckoning, the Lutze brothers will stand at the center of history-where triumph and tragedy walk hand in hand.


Publication Date: June 30th, 2026
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 330
Genre: Historical Fiction / Alternate History




Praise 


"The author did a phenomenal job of utilizing historically accurate settings, people and culture that made this story very believable. The battle scenes were probably my favorite due to the accuracy of military knowledge the author has that truly made me feel like I was right there on the battlefield with the characters. I also enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the different characters as the book doesn’t just focus on one main character’s point of view which kept me engaged and ready to turn the next page. I can’t wait to for the next book to come out!"

Amazon 5* Review


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J. A. Quarles


Born and raised in New Orleans, Justin has always had a passion for storytelling. This writing process has always been important to him, a lifelong history nerd, who received a Bachelor’s in History from the University of New Orleans.

After he is done with his day job, Justin loves to come home and play with his two wonderful kiddos and watch movies with his wife.

The Bonnet Brigade by Christy Matheson

  She needs a husband. He cannot offer his hand. Together, they may lose everything—or find the future they never dared hope for. When the f...