Wednesday, July 22, 2026

The Duty of Daughters – El Deber de las Hijas – by Wendy J. Dunn



Publication Date: November 17th, 2019
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Pages: 310
Genre: Historical Fiction / Tudor Fiction



Spanish Version:
Publication Date: June 1st, 2026
Publisher: Libros de Seda S.L.
Pages: 320


Castile, 1490.


Doña Beatriz Galindo is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A holy war pushing the Moors out of territories ruled by them for centuries.


Beatriz does not want a life like other women. She desires power over her own destiny. Even if this means walking a far harder road.


A passionate and respected scholar, Beatriz serves her friend Queen Isabel of Castile as her advisor. She also tutors the queen’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon.


Dedicated to Queen Isabel and her children, Beatriz guides the young Catalina of Aragon to walk her own hard life road.


But can she prepare Catalina to be England’s queen?


Finalist in the 2020 CHAUCER Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.



Praise for The Duty of Daughters:

"This is a captivating read, written with heart, significance and sensibility. Dunn is a careful writer. She doesn't exploit her characters; rather, she explores them and brings us along for the journey. This is a novel researched with integrity, and Dunn reaches out and lands beautifully in the winner's circle."
~ Historical Novel Reviews

"This profoundly moving story helps us appreciate today's more enlightened world. The Duty of Daughters is historical fiction at its best!"
~ Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Buy this Book

Wendy J. Dunn


Award-winning Australian author of Tudor historical fiction, specialising in Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon novels.

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author, playwright and poet fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of her first Anne Boleyn novel narrating the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their own holdings. It seems likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

Her second novel, The Light in the Labyrinth, set during final days of Anne Boleyn's life, revisits the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of her niece Catherine Carey. The Duty of Daughters and All Manner of Things tells the story of Katherine of Aragon. Shades of Yellow tells the story of a woman writing a novel about Amy Robsart.

All Dunn's award-winning works weave together the lyricism of poetry with the pulse of history, creating stories of love, loss, and the endurance of the human spirit.


 

at No comments:

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

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


Buy this Book
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.






at 1 comment:

Thursday, July 16, 2026

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.
 





Buy this Book

Universal Buy Link





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.


Social Media Links:



at 2 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

The Duty of Daughters – El Deber de las Hijas – by Wendy J. Dunn

Publication Date: November 17th, 2019 Publisher: Poesy Quill Pages: 310 Genre: Historical Fiction / Tudor Fiction Spanish Version: Publicati...