On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Fearless Hearts Forbidden Love by Anthea Laurelton

To save her city, she must risk her life.
To fulfil his oath, he must harden his heart.
Together, they stand to lose everything.

Spartan warrior, Diokles, has waited years for the opportunity to right a failure that torments his heart and integrity. Sent to hunt down a threat to Sparta, this campaign may be his final chance to restore his honour and uncover the traitor whose actions blighted his life. Success is at his fingertips, but when duty forces him to take an unwilling accomplice, his plans are challenged in ways he never foresaw.

Leandra, high priestess of Apollysis, stands at the edge of revelation and ruin. Haunted by fragments of a forgotten past, she alone can uncover the truth that will save her city. To do so, she must wear the fabled Coronet of Apollo, a sacred act that could cost her life.

Bound together by necessity and desire, captor and captive race into danger the closer they draw to the shrine of Apollo. With a relentless enemy closing in, one who seeks Diokles dead and Leandra for himself, their growing passion becomes both their greatest strength and their most perilous weakness.

In a time where prophecy, honour, and blood rule, love was never part of the plan.

An epic historical adventure romance of bravery, betrayal, and forbidden desire.

Fully edited, revised version of 'Spartan Quest - Salvation' with extra scenes.

Publication Date: September 8th, 2025

Publisher: Independently published

Pages: 336

Genre: Historical Romance / Historical Fantasy

Praise

"If you enjoy historical romance with strong characters, intriguing mythology, and a touch of adventure, this book is definitely worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!"

Vanda Vadas, Scottish Historical Romance author

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Anthea Laurelton

Anthea Laurelton writes sweeping romances inspired by Ancient Sparta and Greek mythology. Her stories combine historical elements, forbidden love, dangerous quests and emotionally complex heroines for readers of mythological and historical fantasy.

A fan of sword and sandal movies, her plots blend slow-burn romance, dangerous quests, warrior culture and family intrigue for readers who crave epic adventures. Falling in love with Greek mythology at the age of thirteen, her love of the Spartans especially, came after reading Roger Lancelyn Green's THE TALE OF TROY where she cheered on Menelaus to take his queen back!

She left a career in IT to pursue her passion for storytelling and pander to an extremely spoilt German Shepherd whom she refers to as 'The Muse'.

A former equestrian, Anthea enjoys keeping active and has a bucket list of travel destinations waiting to be fulfilled.

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Soldiers of Christ by Jon Byrne

In a land torn by crusade and rebellion, honour is earned in blood.

1205. Richard Fitz Simon has fled England after his title was usurped, joining the Livonian Order of Swordbrothers – a German brotherhood of warrior-monks fighting to bring the word of God to the pagan frontier. After slaying the Lithuanian champion at the Battle of Rodenpois, Richard is celebrated by the Order and their Semigallian allies.

Yet his position remains precarious. Jealous rivals question his right to stand among the brotherhood, and his master, Knight-brother Rudolf, is enraged by Richard’s disobedience. When dark secrets from Lübeck resurface, Richard also finds himself at odds with Bishop Albert, head of the Christian mission in Livonia. As he struggles to reconcile faith, duty and identity, he is drawn into a brutal world of suspicion and bloodshed.

Sent on an expedition to build a castle deep in the wilderness, Richard soon sees tensions erupt – and the path he has chosen threatens to destroy everything he has fought to become.

Publication Date: April 28th, 2026

Publisher: The Book Guild

Pages: 388

Genre: Historical Adventure

An interview with Jon Byrne.

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve been writing in some shape and form for most of my life. But it was when I was living in India about twenty-five years ago that I wrote my first book, a fantasy novel. When I returned home, I attempted to get it published, sending it off to agents and getting the usual rejections.

I then wrote two further fantasy novels, the last being a monster of nearly 200,000 words, neither of which I ever attempted to publish. All of this I consider having been my apprenticeship, but I decided I would rather write historical fiction, having studied medieval history for over twenty years and building up a comprehensive library of books. Soldiers of Christ is the second book in The Northern Crusader Chronicles; the first book, Sword Brethren, was published by The Book Guild in 2024.

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

I found this book considerably easier and faster to write than the first in the series, which took several years. I am not the quickest writer, and I don’t always write every day – contrary to the advice that most authors recommend. But everyone is different, and what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. I write in spurts, mostly in the evenings and weekends because of my day job.

The two books written so far keep very much to historical events – and this helps with planning because the Northern Crusades are particularly interesting. Many of the characters actually lived during the period depicted, although there is very limited information about their lives apart from what is written in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia – the principal firsthand source.   

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

I think if I had to choose a favourite character, it would be Otto, Richard’s (the protagonist) best friend and sidekick. Tall, broad, and blond-haired, he was a favourite of the ladies in Lübeck. Otto is good-natured and fiercely loyal to Richard, naturally deferring to him in decisions despite being a couple of years older. He shares most of the same aims, and, like Richard, he also finds the constant praying tedious. Neither of them are members of the Order of Swordbrothers out of choice. Both are noble-born and always wanted to be knights, but they fled Lübeck under a dark cloud (in Sword Brethren) to become sergeant-brothers in Livonia.

In short, Otto is a good man with a strong sense of right and wrong. Although he is incredibly superstitious, a bigger-hearted friend would be harder to find. 

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

I really have no idea – I’m a little out of touch as I hardly watch films anymore. There would need to be two actors playing Richard, one of approximately sixteen to twenty years old for the younger youth in the main narration and another in his early fifties for the scenes as a prisoner of Prince Alexander of Novgorod in the frame, so perhaps a father and son combo? 

Unfortunately, most of the time that books are turned into films, the writer gets no say in who plays who anyway. Sorry I can’t be more specific.

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

The book is a medieval adventure, so first and foremost its primary aim is to tell an exciting story that entertains the reader. But like most (all?) historical fiction writers, immersing the reader in a different period of history is also extremely important. In this difficult world, readers want escapism, and historical fiction is well placed to deliver this, allowing readers to get distracted from their normal lives and become engrossed in a particular period in history.

Soldiers of Christ is Book 2 of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, telling the medieval history of what is now Latvia and Estonia from a German perspective as they fight to bring Christianity to the pagans of the Baltic. Many books have been written about the crusades in the Holy Land, but the Northern Crusades have been largely forgotten, despite being just as fascinating and rich in drama and conflict. Most people have never heard of them. 

This is what makes it so fresh to write a series set in this location and at this time. I only hope that readers think likewise.

 

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Jon Byrne

Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack. He has studied the medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive personal library and a particular interest in the often-overlooked Northern Crusades.

Soldiers of Christ is Book Two of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.

Written for readers who value authenticity and atmosphere over romanticised adventure, the novel explores a largely forgotten crusading frontier, culminating in the first of many confrontations in a harsh wilderness of forest and swamp.

Readers who enjoy the historical detail of authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, or Ben Kane may find familiar ground here.

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Via Malorum by G.G. MacLeod

 

In the shadows of Rome power bleeds red.

In the shadowed streets of ancient Rome, 37 CE, power is a blade that cuts both ways. Agrippina, a towering enigma of ambition, slips from Caligula’s gilded cage with her newborn son, Domitius, her mind a labyrinth of cold calculation. At her side prowls Messalina, a siren in scarlet, her seductive cunning as deadly as her blade. Together, they navigate a city teeming with decadence and deceit, pursued by whispers of treachery and the emperor’s wrath.

Their journey leads to the Temple of Fortuna where the enigmatic Prophet Cassandra unveils a cryptic fate – one that demands sacrifice and promises blood. As alleys echo with violence and forbidden passions ignite, Agrippina’s quest for dominion collides with Messalina’s ruthless desires. In a night where every step drips with danger, who will rise and who will fall?

VIA MALORUM is a visceral plunge into the heart of Roman darkness, blending historical intrigue with the chilling allure of giallo. Prepare for a tale where power bleeds red, and trust is a luxury none can afford.

Publication Date: October 3rd, 2025

Publisher: independently published

Pages: 216

Genre: Historical Fiction / Psychological Thriller / Dark Romantasy

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G.G. MacLeod

G.G. MacLeod is a 59-year-old Canadian male based in Calgary.

The author has always had a tendency of combining genres like horror and action along with drama, psychological thrillers, giallo, and sometimes even comedy.

It really depends on how the author feels from moment to moment as they write because the author likes to entertain themselves first and then hope that a smattering of other people out there in the world will like it as well.

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