tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22888312605804350352024-03-29T00:00:31.796-07:00The Whispering BookwormUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-54700365668159806812024-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-29T00:00:00.134-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Covered in Flour by Charles Presti #HistoricalFiction #coveredinflourjourney #comingofage @cathiedunn<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOyDX7BCADn38TPhicQuDSzd1-zJBrIP8NbTDajsWY_Ec0BCuCbx_jdiOpBztNjRNqVpuEndf4aQhZq0qWCqWpGj_NZeYWPzIay8hxTuEAGQv2EN8eJ-FMSTfaEh-ZZZwueQ6WecO26qPW6M63AOlSCspSvTmAAMFs4VacgwrOJXqph8pPewOEXIwg0g/s1080/IG%20banner%20Covered%20in%20Flour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOyDX7BCADn38TPhicQuDSzd1-zJBrIP8NbTDajsWY_Ec0BCuCbx_jdiOpBztNjRNqVpuEndf4aQhZq0qWCqWpGj_NZeYWPzIay8hxTuEAGQv2EN8eJ-FMSTfaEh-ZZZwueQ6WecO26qPW6M63AOlSCspSvTmAAMFs4VacgwrOJXqph8pPewOEXIwg0g/s320/IG%20banner%20Covered%20in%20Flour.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8YbA8HdkP4ccAKJepC58MSCqyCC6wfaUb7uRlDXkps1_M5aErtqoMikfoShShG7jVMtAtDbrnjiWuEDr1MhbQ9LFQlgJ88vXb5mjucmdyndJPB8KP2oIWlVQPKrhzllmGjqmOvmB-4nde3v0SBd5qi8ca_ttrXwTkXTupUmHiXpSEDqDZsu7ptT1N5B/s640/Covered%20in%20Flour%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8YbA8HdkP4ccAKJepC58MSCqyCC6wfaUb7uRlDXkps1_M5aErtqoMikfoShShG7jVMtAtDbrnjiWuEDr1MhbQ9LFQlgJ88vXb5mjucmdyndJPB8KP2oIWlVQPKrhzllmGjqmOvmB-4nde3v0SBd5qi8ca_ttrXwTkXTupUmHiXpSEDqDZsu7ptT1N5B/w640-h360/Covered%20in%20Flour%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7dLTDOQEmwyhHTvgCkbYp-Gz3WyAdODEhL7zKs_1SkO7M3kzmi83zvLX46uFBIB6aE0emZpG81UiJN7rFaQOErUwW6QNhFTTuoUPEhD58chbIsbTohYCI7zQ4weS2cq63E9mhpUf18yG44Jm_Zd3rXuinqynB-F-gKm0-OEmAFe2u10GQlqQb9KHEmV7/s2000/Covered%20in%20Flour%20book%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7dLTDOQEmwyhHTvgCkbYp-Gz3WyAdODEhL7zKs_1SkO7M3kzmi83zvLX46uFBIB6aE0emZpG81UiJN7rFaQOErUwW6QNhFTTuoUPEhD58chbIsbTohYCI7zQ4weS2cq63E9mhpUf18yG44Jm_Zd3rXuinqynB-F-gKm0-OEmAFe2u10GQlqQb9KHEmV7/w426-h640/Covered%20in%20Flour%20book%20cover.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div><br /></div><div><div><b>It's 1968 in Whisper Haven, and 8-year-old Carl Pozzi’s world is about to change.</b></div><div> </div><div>For eight-year-old Carl Pozzi, 1968 begins like any other year—playing kickball with friends and enjoying the comforting aroma of Mom's pasta dinners in their predominantly white suburban Whisper Haven home. But when Carl's teacher introduces lessons about racial prejudice and injustice, his worldview cracks wide open.</div><div><br /></div><div>How far can innocence stretch before it snaps?</div><div><br /></div><div>As Carl flips through the pages of his 3-ring binder, each lesson serves as a gateway to a journey of self-discovery and understanding. It's an expedition that not only changes him but reshapes his whole concept of family and justice—especially as he watches his father put on a police uniform during one of the most fraught periods in American history.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Covered in Flour" is not just a heartfelt stroll down memory lane. It's a captivating coming-of-age saga that digs deep beneath the surface of suburban tranquility. It beckons you to reconsider long-held family values and confront the societal norms you've taken for granted. </div><div><br /></div><div>Written with genuine love, humor, and a tinge of sorrow, this story blends the nostalgia of tradition with the inevitability of change, offering a stirring mix that leaves you pondering long after the last page is turned. This book isn't just a delightful read; it's a catalyst for introspection, freshly baked and served for your soul.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Book Title: Covered in Flour</div><div>Author: Charles Presti</div><div>Publication Date: October 10th, 2023</div><div>Publisher: Charles Presti</div><div>Page Length: 220</div><div>Genre: Historical Fiction</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclzXrbrA2nag0ElDaHL9AJd-5KzEfeF9pLs3Wr8uMMDrC0QwY5GWIftCllUFaqUJTOk7r_W-Dx-OCsIxmJ8-t2WtKWTmSevVen2wAeDUwXdEpudcS3wD7g88j2DoVuPfP4XJNtPp_wa4aEeL4du8aWubxrutgmlXZLAaV47mFosQah1tvueAwFAeKFU0l/s640/Covered%20in%20Flour%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclzXrbrA2nag0ElDaHL9AJd-5KzEfeF9pLs3Wr8uMMDrC0QwY5GWIftCllUFaqUJTOk7r_W-Dx-OCsIxmJ8-t2WtKWTmSevVen2wAeDUwXdEpudcS3wD7g88j2DoVuPfP4XJNtPp_wa4aEeL4du8aWubxrutgmlXZLAaV47mFosQah1tvueAwFAeKFU0l/w400-h225/Covered%20in%20Flour%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Join me in a cosy chat with author, Charles Presti</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>What inspired you to start writing?</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">The inspiration for "Covered in Flour" came from the people closest to me. They encouraged me to put to paper the stories I'd often share around the dinner table. The setting of the 1960s adds an extra layer of complexity, mirroring a period that was pivotal for me and my generation.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>What was the hardest part about writing this book? </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Translating thoughts to paper was a humbling process. "Covered in Flour" was always there—in my memories, conversations, and personal experiences. The real challenge was giving it structure, making it a story that others could relate to. And as a first-time author, that was daunting.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">I loved all of the characters. The one character that popped into my mind when I first read the question is Aunt Nina. A magical and charismatic personality, she always seems to make me smile. Her warmth, humor, and unconditional love for Carlo make her an unforgettable presence throughout the story. Aunt Nina's character represents the importance of family, resilience, and the power of laughter in the face of life's challenges.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">That’s a fun question! Here are my casting suggestions for the key roles in a movie adaptation of "Covered in Flour":</p><p style="text-align: left;">1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Carlo Pozzi (Protagonist, Narrator) - Jacob Tremblay (as a child), Timothée Chalamet (as a young adult)</p><p style="text-align: left;">2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Nick Pozzi (Dad) - Leonardo DiCaprio</p><p style="text-align: left;">3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Catherine Pozzi (Mom) - Anne Hathaway</p><p style="text-align: left;">4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Nina Enzonino (Aunt Nina) - Maya Rudolph</p><p style="text-align: left;">5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Michelle Franco (Aunt Michelle) - Melissa McCarthy</p><p style="text-align: left;">6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Julia (Aunt Julia) - Margo Martindale</p><p style="text-align: left;">7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stefano Pozzi (Uncle Stefano) - Stanley Tucci</p><p style="text-align: left;">8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Netty Geppeta - Meryl Streep</p><p style="text-align: left;">9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Miss Veezi – Emma Stone</p><p style="text-align: left;">These acclaimed actors would bring depth, nuance and star power to the rich, complex characters in this coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a close-knit Italian-American family in the tumultuous 1960s. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">When I set out to write "Covered in Flour," my deepest hope was that readers would not only be entertained by the story but also find themselves reflecting on their own lives and the world around them.</p><p style="text-align: left;">At its core, this book is about the power of compassion, the danger of prejudice, and the importance of embracing our shared humanity despite our differences. Through Carlo's eyes, we witness the transformative impact that a single teacher, Miss Veezi, can have by encouraging her students to question assumptions, celebrate diversity, and lead with kindness.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I want readers to come away with a renewed sense of the beauty and complexity of the human experience - how each of us is shaped by our unique family histories, cultural backgrounds, and personal struggles. By delving into the Pozzi family's story, with all its joys and sorrows, triumphs and failings, I hope to foster empathy and understanding.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Most of all, I want readers to feel inspired to confront bias in themselves and the world at large. Carlo's journey illustrates that change starts within, by acknowledging and unlearning the prejudices we inherit and unconsciously harbor. It takes courage and humility to challenge the status quo, but as Miss Veezi shows us, small acts of love can create ripples of transformation.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Ultimately, my wish is that "Covered in Flour" leaves readers with a sense of hope - that even in the face of adversity and injustice, the human spirit can rise above, that healing is possible, and that together, we can build a more compassionate world.</p><div style="text-align: left;">Buy this Book<br /><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3LdWED" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNhaX1eB1wPbU4ACfHwF2y4BsOF0GxaS8XhcrqVASgJR9uJ10-0p-jQh3YOrZQ7f-y_yNtl8esBIFjjdVO-2lbOGxTGy1HNnZTlARX3doUuCcElQngCU5Tb-dgGBo60Ao_kk_C5eoBYqr_oOpA4LccTAwlEZTwxSfegMYEUzmbgZfFBE1Hxvgv-JYUjGJ/s2304/Charles%20Presti.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNhaX1eB1wPbU4ACfHwF2y4BsOF0GxaS8XhcrqVASgJR9uJ10-0p-jQh3YOrZQ7f-y_yNtl8esBIFjjdVO-2lbOGxTGy1HNnZTlARX3doUuCcElQngCU5Tb-dgGBo60Ao_kk_C5eoBYqr_oOpA4LccTAwlEZTwxSfegMYEUzmbgZfFBE1Hxvgv-JYUjGJ/s320/Charles%20Presti.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Charles Presti, emerging from the sun-drenched shores of Pensacola, Florida, crafts narratives that echo with the richness of his varied life. His journey from a USF College of Medicine graduate to a storyteller is as unconventional as it is inspiring. Drawing from his days as a physician and informatics specialist, Charles infuses his writing with a rare blend of scientific precision and heartfelt emotion. His debut novel, "Covered in Flour," is a vivid tapestry of his Italian-American heritage, his experiences in the whirlwind era of the 1960s, and his personal journey as a gay man. These elements converge to create stories that not only entertain but resonate deeply with themes of family, discovery, and the delicate dance of life's everyday moments.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Charles's passion for storytelling is paralleled only by his commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. Alongside his husband, Mike Bruce, and their beloved Wheaton Terrier, Zoey, he is a vibrant force and founder of "Sunday's Child," a local charity dedicated to nurturing inclusion and empowering LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities through grants to local charities. A pillar in the Emerald Coast Writers group, he continually explores the nuances of identity, heritage, and a sense of belonging. Discover more about Charles's captivating world and "Covered in Flour" at www.coveredinflour.com, where each story is a window into a life lived fully and authentically.</span></p><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="www.coveredinflour.com " target="_blank">Website </a></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552112886658 " target="_blank">Facebook</a> </div></span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckpresti/ " target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> </div></span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/covered_inflour/ " target="_blank">Instagram</a> </div></span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/covered-in-flour-1968-a-young-boy-s-perspective-on-school-family-and-changing-times-by-charles-presti " target="_blank">BookBub</a> </div></span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/charlespresti " target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a> </div></span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45201473.Charles_Presti" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </div></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-covered-in-flour-by-charles-presti.html " target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-covered-in-flour-by-charles-presti.html " style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY5MlzAERd5HTGENLmUdzlIPzYrFt8T1Gs9CzW7i7WbkorGBTqWh56yxRTRSqDjWf8EOQdWYOUZAO5MBWZYt1uU_Sk6fXpxBzNurJV7wlbs79yfMM7Cr9AzHDls4bfStM0LMwy2J13xtK7KuFzPPwQ9U7Mfzre6NIpo_haGXpLX5CqRgNqXhqlFxPJ1fB/w640-h360/Covered%20In%20Flour%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-91817609824995031322024-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-28T00:00:00.138-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Exsilium by Alison Morton #RomaNovaSeries #EXSILIUM #AlternativeHistoricalFiction @alison_morton @cathiedunn<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome author, </span>Alison Morton<span style="background-color: white;"> onto the Whispering Bookworm.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQbqpxvCZETcS7b8zclcskTlTUD3UF4oxnkqDankqRQDepgAOXXt1rJsDFSXAFp-yElM0Rd2aV7mfPIphd-ltRJqUHjROi8DxRkqXhIilozqkNEwpMMIKst4VAe1fhONgGUwnOANl5rEjSY85ON1t910aO9G3LlfysCiH_P48S4xiAZteuZ-v_Jq2lFY/s1080/IG%20banner%20Exsilium.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQbqpxvCZETcS7b8zclcskTlTUD3UF4oxnkqDankqRQDepgAOXXt1rJsDFSXAFp-yElM0Rd2aV7mfPIphd-ltRJqUHjROi8DxRkqXhIilozqkNEwpMMIKst4VAe1fhONgGUwnOANl5rEjSY85ON1t910aO9G3LlfysCiH_P48S4xiAZteuZ-v_Jq2lFY/s320/IG%20banner%20Exsilium.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZ5P-t2LUJ5kXm4tKhDYvtjyP2kEMgj1mOPqxUSbDRNVwX8wApWKRESlMdg5S_ek9Mnu7YtdBb6C5Mup-y4Dz2Ng9YQWdCz5Z95ugGEvlJl0wPYog-p0qLCi_MaRJrdE14QuYfh6ImMc6mzG58-K21PmMGjX7OBzUvA3sWIYsa2yYrlgpQJ3_a-IrrTg/s640/Exsilium%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZ5P-t2LUJ5kXm4tKhDYvtjyP2kEMgj1mOPqxUSbDRNVwX8wApWKRESlMdg5S_ek9Mnu7YtdBb6C5Mup-y4Dz2Ng9YQWdCz5Z95ugGEvlJl0wPYog-p0qLCi_MaRJrdE14QuYfh6ImMc6mzG58-K21PmMGjX7OBzUvA3sWIYsa2yYrlgpQJ3_a-IrrTg/w640-h360/Exsilium%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEL5hOM6NWitV9z0AIDdI9SC_GE759RZvrqHitTxzlEtF4gYCh8gL7uUW5nw-0mRB2Sqy69RCYGgobi7aylN3BeQdt7FK7RWOayQY2uRjLf1hS3X3gVeNFKf3L5Kaze-zdnpnWtZlup1Pr6sUqdeBsdOygAp2K8v_BcIwmSA6Aew9eIm6Ffra2AYTUYnc/s800/Exsilium_eBcov%208x5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEL5hOM6NWitV9z0AIDdI9SC_GE759RZvrqHitTxzlEtF4gYCh8gL7uUW5nw-0mRB2Sqy69RCYGgobi7aylN3BeQdt7FK7RWOayQY2uRjLf1hS3X3gVeNFKf3L5Kaze-zdnpnWtZlup1Pr6sUqdeBsdOygAp2K8v_BcIwmSA6Aew9eIm6Ffra2AYTUYnc/w414-h640/Exsilium_eBcov%208x5.jpg" width="414" /></span></a></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Exile – Living death to a Roman</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">AD 395. In a Christian Roman Empire, the penalty for holding true to the traditional gods is execution. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Maelia Mitela</b>, her dead husband condemned as a pagan traitor, leaving her on the brink of ruin, grieves for her son lost to the Christians and is fearful of committing to another man.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Lucius Apulius</b>, ex-military tribune, faithful to the old gods and fixed on his memories of his wife Julia’s homeland of Noricum, will risk everything to protect his children’s future.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Galla Apulia</b>, loyal to her father and only too aware of not being the desired son, is desperate to escape Rome after the humiliation of betrayal by her feckless husband.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For all of them, the only way to survive is exile.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div>Book Title: EXSILIUM</div><div>Series: Roma Nova</div><div>Author: Alison Morton</div><div>Publication Date: 27 February 2024</div><div>Publisher: Pulcheria Press</div><div>Page Length: 364</div><div>Genre: Historical Fiction</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDKRrl29g7IGI5C4QoW1oFfhO-uM9JcTuCtPMoVzuWwURgAz0pTqC7212GIoer9IGVUvNnizxh3t7FKuaC8wh1et_x4NDWO-tl1uSutBjWbUmjac97yGzoxuautCw6j8aatfxq9rWqjGd7kv076bKt0JumeFGhZEQIk_4iTcCHY9dEcl6Cj4PylKD3zk/s640/Exsilium%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDKRrl29g7IGI5C4QoW1oFfhO-uM9JcTuCtPMoVzuWwURgAz0pTqC7212GIoer9IGVUvNnizxh3t7FKuaC8wh1et_x4NDWO-tl1uSutBjWbUmjac97yGzoxuautCw6j8aatfxq9rWqjGd7kv076bKt0JumeFGhZEQIk_4iTcCHY9dEcl6Cj4PylKD3zk/w400-h225/Exsilium%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;">Join me in a cosy chat with </span><span style="text-align: center;">Alison</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">.</span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>What inspired you to start writing?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Throughout my working life I’ve written¬ – government papers, PR copy, corporate documentation, economic analyses, military reports, and lastly millions of words as a professional translator – but none of it was fiction. (Unless you count any of the work in the previous categories as made-up!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in 2009, I saw a beautiful but terribly badly scripted film. I thought I could do better, so I started tapping away on my computer and produced 90,000 words in 90 days. It was a rough manuscript hot off the keyboard, but a story that had been brewing in my head for years. A woman hero, Romans, hidden heritage and bags of thrills and twists. After much refinement and me learning how to be a professional writer, INCEPTIO, the first book in the Roma Nova series, was published in 2013. Readers seemed to like it. ;-)</div><div><br /></div><div>The books are set in the 21st and 20th centuries in an imaginary country, Roma Nova, which developed from a remnant of the Roman Empire that struggled its way through to the present. But they live by Roman values of toughness, law and technology, but with a difference ¬– women lead in many areas with an imperatrix at the top.</div><div><br /></div><div>Eight more books in the series followed, then my readers started pushing me to write the origin story of Roma Nova, set back in the late 4th century. I was going to write just one book then leave it, but inevitably, there was too much story. JULIA PRIMA, set in AD 370, focused on the love story of two of Roma Nova’s founders. Now EXSILIUM takes us on the journey, mentally and emotionally, that led a group of Romans, including Julia’s daughters, to leave everything behind and to search for a new home.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What was the hardest part about writing this book?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The first few scenes. I was emotionally wrung out after writing them! </div><div> </div><div><b>Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I loved being in the heads of all three narrators. Maelia has to face grief and the threat of confiscation and being thrown out of her home. She also distrusts her emotions. Even for a strong character, the threat of being alone without a male head of household in the Roman Empire was a daunting one; women had no political or legal power, and financial and economic capacity to act was often limited. Lucius is a confident, but thoroughly nice man, driven by duty although carrying a deep grief in his heart. </div><div><br /></div><div>Galla is the one who stands out. She grows from a girl to a young married woman and mother and on to a capable and clever councillor and ultimately the one who will serve her new community with the highest responsibility.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>If you have Netflix’s number, please let me have it! If there was an unlimited budget for casting, I’d choose Rosamund Pike as Maelia, Anton Lesser as Lucius and Carey Mulligan as Galla. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>An urge to buy the rest of the series! More seriously, a little more knowledge of the Roman Empire in its last decades. Sadly, the late 4th century with its religious and political conflicts and how they impacted on people living at the time is little known. But a story is about the characters, how they manage their lives and make their decisions, so I hope I’ve entertained people as well as provoked a few thoughts about how we make decisions when the world around us can be so difficult.</div></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://mybook.to/EXSILIUM" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuxXgF1udTiaGu_pmB2Zj57MBmbv4DUu-psXHWJDNLm31UWI-y2skCIpfAcYrprfrKHZ-ofNzf-vxSd72qe5pMjEHehnC8TTYk20oLMtDufcfGf9QUtB1AFD2yEmsHXFW2r0GiOp88or9CiR9Sc3QfzTLGEpA_pwgi-Qj9yMTDtBaXQGUIQyDGHtw5_U/s320/Alison%20Morton.jpg" width="271" /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her ten-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but use a sharp line in dialogue. The latest, EXSILIUM, plunges us back to the late 4th century, to the very foundation of Roma Nova.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://alison-morton.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Website, </span><a href="https://alison-morton.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">World of Thrillers</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor " target="_blank">Facebook</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/alison_morton" target="_blank">X</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://alisonmortonauthor.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Alison’s writing blog</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alisonmortonauthor/ " target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Instagram</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.threads.net/@alisonmortonauthor" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Threads</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Alison’s Amazon page</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/alisonmorton.bsky.social" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">BlueSky</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Newsletter sign-up</span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/02/blog-tour-exsilium-by-alison-morton.html " target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharbel6aM2fzt-yHLCN1WNR_D93kBG9OW6soWFfuHR3OEMwy6NP_BiQUYeYRLdiVnwJverKtg3CIZp9zBa58Gi2qFqLevSg_8cI5smUYzx8PD_vi85h3cPF03A_d_Rqib6nP32o-NNPYgwNdUuQ_a9EXxLwYfhV_rHFnNJoj4nvY-6DtcA8jwWYfk0_14/s640/Exsilium%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharbel6aM2fzt-yHLCN1WNR_D93kBG9OW6soWFfuHR3OEMwy6NP_BiQUYeYRLdiVnwJverKtg3CIZp9zBa58Gi2qFqLevSg_8cI5smUYzx8PD_vi85h3cPF03A_d_Rqib6nP32o-NNPYgwNdUuQ_a9EXxLwYfhV_rHFnNJoj4nvY-6DtcA8jwWYfk0_14/w640-h360/Exsilium%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></div></div></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-74708392356817722492024-02-29T23:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T23:00:00.346-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Lighten the Load: A Pioneer Western Adventure by David Fitz-Gerald #HistoricalWestern #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @AuthorDAVIDFG @cathiedunn <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-align: center;">It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome author, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-align: center;">David Fitz-Gerald</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-align: center;">, once again, onto the Whispering Bookworm.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7OB6Ej-KIG_F6AHXzUuox6ivF6Lpvdj9wXlu7CCl8EUUYyki2BjdkvT44OXgNpeGum_UiPN4vNMui-70YHlwI3gc2WXjKlWX5BOsWZzyWfCETfUe1rFWYjT9L1Ow2C-it0VZ8SDvHGKXGh3KWnITXMbKXyi6h7Y9ofZNCD1Pk16w1ZFx_Aptw9Mr3N0/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20Lighten%20The%20Load.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7OB6Ej-KIG_F6AHXzUuox6ivF6Lpvdj9wXlu7CCl8EUUYyki2BjdkvT44OXgNpeGum_UiPN4vNMui-70YHlwI3gc2WXjKlWX5BOsWZzyWfCETfUe1rFWYjT9L1Ow2C-it0VZ8SDvHGKXGh3KWnITXMbKXyi6h7Y9ofZNCD1Pk16w1ZFx_Aptw9Mr3N0/s320/IG%20banner%201%20Lighten%20The%20Load.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Mjbmz_P3tbP27H5dKCsywKaw2Whdc8IvF0NxOLWnlGW1n0xY-xnM2Dsy6gfQvDbjPLnI2JbVbIvinv7wlq0DMaJ3A29UnvUhciTiJ1PgemU8SKR36pyW1JTWo3YpHIdQ2-ZkH2zv2zy_gfdbym1mT4iwVpKuWSL29BKNEvQoUJ8MvDJMQpmp858sX8k/s640/Lighten%20The%20Load%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Mjbmz_P3tbP27H5dKCsywKaw2Whdc8IvF0NxOLWnlGW1n0xY-xnM2Dsy6gfQvDbjPLnI2JbVbIvinv7wlq0DMaJ3A29UnvUhciTiJ1PgemU8SKR36pyW1JTWo3YpHIdQ2-ZkH2zv2zy_gfdbym1mT4iwVpKuWSL29BKNEvQoUJ8MvDJMQpmp858sX8k/w640-h360/Lighten%20The%20Load%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>After a devastating tragedy, Dorcas Moon faces brutal choices in the unforgiving wilderness.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">An unsolved hometown murder casts a foreboding shadow over the journey. Mounting responsibilities weigh heavy on Dorcas' shoulders while navigating the trail along the Platte River. Family, friends, and neighbors can't seem to get along without her help.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">The gruesome trail exacts a heavy toll. A sweeping grass fire blazes across the prairie. A doomed wagon careens down a treacherous hill. A fellow traveler is gored to death while hunting buffalo. Each disaster pushes the pioneers to the brink. Amidst the chaos, Dorcas grapples with the realization that she must dump her precious cook stove and her husband's massive safe. The oxen can no longer haul the heavy weight of unnecessary cargo.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">When her daughter mysteriously disappears while the wagons are at Fort Laramie, Dorcas Despairs. She is desperate to help her daughter when the troubled youth is found in the arms of a Brulé man in Spotted Tail's village.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Secure your copy of Lighten the Load and delve into an unforgettable saga of empowerment, sacrifice, and the haunting echoes of the American frontier. Rejoin Dorcas Moon on the adventure of a lifetime as she confronts the challenges that shape her destiny.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Book Title: Lighten the Load<br />Series: Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail (Book 2)<br />Author: David Fitz-Gerald<br />Publication Date: January 31, 2024<br />Publisher: David Fitz-Gerald<br />Page Length: 203<br />Genre: Western, Historical Fiction</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkQD0GiCfkt_LPJR47qtmnuhg-3d3Q8_17tq2c9TXih7Vp2OIIXYL3NCeqFz6i_6ufh85wP8OkAsyMIzMWRuXdyRna-viVjS-vnzBuw34bYcb4hVEy4IsIaWnR2Fl1KYOC2nRLJBcHz2XX_XxRQ5NcySYtgh2XLUmkzbJWZwdPF1_NVjHGFA3jACkNY0/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20Lighten%20The%20Load.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkQD0GiCfkt_LPJR47qtmnuhg-3d3Q8_17tq2c9TXih7Vp2OIIXYL3NCeqFz6i_6ufh85wP8OkAsyMIzMWRuXdyRna-viVjS-vnzBuw34bYcb4hVEy4IsIaWnR2Fl1KYOC2nRLJBcHz2XX_XxRQ5NcySYtgh2XLUmkzbJWZwdPF1_NVjHGFA3jACkNY0/s320/IG%20banner%202%20Lighten%20The%20Load.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div><a href="https://books2read.com/lighten-the-load" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Website: <a href="https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT " target="_blank">https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG " target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/ " target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/ </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald " target="_blank">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Linktree <a href="https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald">https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald</a> </span></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbABfteZAYL1SE5l0cLZbEzzg5I9ZMwqlSEt6AYDZy81COZx-mxV8HgXmi27EhQAONiGwfsCUD1rZZy4hoLglPfC-w8YIUP1AdtVuO4uB5bFgSZMdCa5YLT6uK4JWM1t2Wzoo2BXkdnK_NoiV7qZ3kK1HZ7cGgEp_axXingk_UU8giqJ1GRdZ7wYbO-9c/s640/Lighten%20the%20Load%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbABfteZAYL1SE5l0cLZbEzzg5I9ZMwqlSEt6AYDZy81COZx-mxV8HgXmi27EhQAONiGwfsCUD1rZZy4hoLglPfC-w8YIUP1AdtVuO4uB5bFgSZMdCa5YLT6uK4JWM1t2Wzoo2BXkdnK_NoiV7qZ3kK1HZ7cGgEp_axXingk_UU8giqJ1GRdZ7wYbO-9c/w640-h360/Lighten%20the%20Load%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-19289005799987050752024-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:002024-02-23T11:54:32.281-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Cinnamon Girl by Trish MacEnulty #HistoricalYA #ComingOfAge #HistoricalFiction @pmacenulty @cathiedunn<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-align: center;">It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome author, </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;">Trish MacEnulty, onto the Whispering Bookworm.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxycPdbmMgyqNHU6RINr5QBPJYjqpPXb4qKwQWq8Qqd3HSWrqO7h38DMvluH1dxVUFEDNI2knYVozvgSUxTsu26_xhyvqUgU73TGvcL-q9JpP1oLlUA6DrOZXHIuNQOYny6qeqvzfOAQD5adxehOWvCZgfB8hE_HlwHF4NcmNDn043fQqCV0anqfN-brs/s1080/IG%20banner%20Cinnamon%20Girl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxycPdbmMgyqNHU6RINr5QBPJYjqpPXb4qKwQWq8Qqd3HSWrqO7h38DMvluH1dxVUFEDNI2knYVozvgSUxTsu26_xhyvqUgU73TGvcL-q9JpP1oLlUA6DrOZXHIuNQOYny6qeqvzfOAQD5adxehOWvCZgfB8hE_HlwHF4NcmNDn043fQqCV0anqfN-brs/s320/IG%20banner%20Cinnamon%20Girl.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIaBn8vDxUg_EDu8fV5Xfrk_05d9pUhM7TgZdFEbEPejN_-JTZJnfTnie7fxFxkNaZvsFaQCIqqrnNHU2b8rYkcpzT9dZIXmoNsRUsVhszQBDBiletAPavxUr4Ot8Hu-hVCsiyFnVVMGQrpDjBaBv-ugrZ8XjDW5lvo-zK7vAbzZHBkA4B-6ysMcKOmg/s640/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIaBn8vDxUg_EDu8fV5Xfrk_05d9pUhM7TgZdFEbEPejN_-JTZJnfTnie7fxFxkNaZvsFaQCIqqrnNHU2b8rYkcpzT9dZIXmoNsRUsVhszQBDBiletAPavxUr4Ot8Hu-hVCsiyFnVVMGQrpDjBaBv-ugrZ8XjDW5lvo-zK7vAbzZHBkA4B-6ysMcKOmg/w640-h360/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%201.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Winner of the Gold Medal in YA Fiction from The Historical Fiction Company!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">When her beloved step-grandmother, a semi-retired opera singer, dies of cancer in 1970, 15-year-old Eli Burnes runs away with a draft-dodger, thinking she's on the road to adventure and romance. What she finds instead is a world of underground Weathermen, Black Power revolutionaries, snitches and shoot-first police.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Eventually Eli is rescued by her father, who turns out both more responsible and more revolutionary than she'd imagined. But when he gets in trouble with the law, she finds herself on the road again, searching for the allies who will help her learn how to save herself.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><i>"The book is a fantastic read: fast-moving, full of smoothly woven historical detail and rich characterizations, all told in Eli's appealing voice."</i> — Sarah Johnson, Reading the Past</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Book Title: Cinnamon Girl<br />Author: Trish MacEnulty<br />Publication Date: September 11th, 2023<br />Publisher: Livingston Press<br />Page Length: 311<br />Genre: Historical YA (but boomers love it, too)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Join me in a cosy chat with <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;">Trish.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Like Eli Burnes, the protagonist of Cinnamon Girl, I loved reading as a child. I’ll never forget reading The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, how I was able to enter a completely different world. I especially loved stories about animals, including Albert Payson Terhune’s books about dogs or the Black Stallion series. I’m pretty sure I always knew I wanted to be a writer because I wanted to give other people that writers gave to me growing up. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">I’m not sure what was the hardest part of writing the book, but I can tell you the most fun part: doing the research on rock concerts. I was able to find dates, places and even playlists for concerts in 1970. I also really enjoyed learning about the advent of FM radio. I remember when it happened, when we started listening to FM stations instead of AM, but I had no idea the impact on the culture of this change in technology. FM stations played songs that you didn’t hear on the AM radio. The DJs had much more freedom in the music they chose as well as the news they delivered. They often served as community forum in a way that AM radio with its strict format couldn’t do. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? </span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">The character of Mattie is especially dear to me. In the book Mattie is the step-grandmother of Eli. I based her in part on my godmother, an elegant woman who had a lovely soprano voice. She had the softest skin of anyone I ever met, and she loved to laugh. She was also quite kind. Even though she was raised to be a southern belle, she was gracious to everyone no matter their status in life. She was quite close to Suzy, the African-American woman who worked as her maid. Nowadays, people might look down on her for even having a fulltime maid. But those were different times. She treated everyone with repect and kindness. I remember there was a big life-size portrait of her in a gorgeous crimson dress with pearls hanging in her living room. I recreated that portrait in my book. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Somewhere out there is the perfect teenage girl to play Eli. I don’t think she’s a celebrity yet. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">I think a lot of people today don’t understand what the counter-culture movements in the late 60s and early 70s were all about. People have forgotten that the lives of young Americans were on the line. These young men (at the time, women weren’t drafted though they did serve) were being asked to kill and to die for a cause they weren’t sure they believed in. The government did not make a good case for the war. It didn’t make sense to many18-year-olds to throw their lives away in a little country on the other side of the globe. To save us from Communism? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Many people also don’t realize how dangerous it was to be a Black activist at the time. I think about what happened to Freddy Hampton who was shot to death in his bed by law enforcement or Angela Davis who was thrown in prison. The Black Lives Matter movement didn’t come out of nowhere. There’s a long history behind it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">There were also so many young people who fought for change. And while it may not seem like it, they had some important successes. The war became so unpopular, the government finally pulled out. The vote was granted to the same young people who were expected to fight for our country. Women and African Americans made strides in all areas. Even education was revolutionized. We’re entering into some pretty turbulent times now, and in some ways it seems like we’re going backwards. I hope young people will take a little bit of that idealism of the past and fight for what they believe is right. Maybe they can also learn from the mistakes of the past. And there were plenty of those. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoAYCyLETUTqU1Phx_yr4MVUcPWtAyjYTATxDgjK1w66FZ3l9fNMygiyzynzxJ9xfab8rReYDHMvmSdHIredHe9e3gD4h346fCNC28VwL1JkhnoV4TZndWiO3zyviMQziHFb-biisDR6CIh-85NfYjpydzo9cLRVUG5IxKbTrgCrKOX9PDIBQaD4Bqq4/s640/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoAYCyLETUTqU1Phx_yr4MVUcPWtAyjYTATxDgjK1w66FZ3l9fNMygiyzynzxJ9xfab8rReYDHMvmSdHIredHe9e3gD4h346fCNC28VwL1JkhnoV4TZndWiO3zyviMQziHFb-biisDR6CIh-85NfYjpydzo9cLRVUG5IxKbTrgCrKOX9PDIBQaD4Bqq4/w640-h360/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Buy this Book</span><div><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3Ldonw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnwb6SwDQpcRhfA6QgjGKIQeTD0_HiZOLYIstKKf5bD2jdzXOLBKgpxk0TB03vxsDWlzukXx4yhM8M2uQYd2Vcg_QoLJcFU82ChT_QyThnoqVtFDoSLEGSuynLRaDtFirFuEQ18yTStQRDXv5QlMmSnVYfiBedEnthBe1Rm6XN7Cs9vNQdamtP-vGmoo/s450/Trish%20MacEnulty.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnwb6SwDQpcRhfA6QgjGKIQeTD0_HiZOLYIstKKf5bD2jdzXOLBKgpxk0TB03vxsDWlzukXx4yhM8M2uQYd2Vcg_QoLJcFU82ChT_QyThnoqVtFDoSLEGSuynLRaDtFirFuEQ18yTStQRDXv5QlMmSnVYfiBedEnthBe1Rm6XN7Cs9vNQdamtP-vGmoo/w200-h200/Trish%20MacEnulty.jpeg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br />Trish MacEnulty is the author of a historical novel series, literary novels, memoirs, a short story collection, children’s plays, and most recently, the historical coming-of-age novel, Cinnamon Girl (Livingston Press, Sept. 2023). She has a Ph.D. in English from the Florida State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida. She currently writes book reviews and features for the Historical Novel Society. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">She lives in Florida with her husband Joe and her two tubby critters, Franco and Tumbleweed. More info at her website: trishmacenulty.com.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Website: <a href="https://trishmacenulty.com">https://trishmacenulty.com</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/pmacenulty">https://twitter.com/pmacenulty</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100055362621397">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100055362621397</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/trishmac_historicalfiction/">https://www.instagram.com/trishmac_historicalfiction/</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/trish-macenulty">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/trish-macenulty</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Trish-MacEnulty/author/B01G4A797G">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Trish-MacEnulty/author/B01G4A797G</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15085884.Trish_MacEnulty">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15085884.Trish_MacEnulty</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYA4cBI4oMK1DhhEX4Vi33Ixgawqf6fDbzDlE1tci8xD_JEIa62Y6e7qV2L9XzOvbg9AjvBdnMJ_B5L-CGiNDVxovD2luJ5ZegHNYTnDDbqT3QA91V_fFlO8aDvxZwhwKx1GNDHjBekc2TLasWE9xlfESiuPl0MBsMP4EMT1tqvjeIH8-WRfzg8bJ6OY/s640/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYA4cBI4oMK1DhhEX4Vi33Ixgawqf6fDbzDlE1tci8xD_JEIa62Y6e7qV2L9XzOvbg9AjvBdnMJ_B5L-CGiNDVxovD2luJ5ZegHNYTnDDbqT3QA91V_fFlO8aDvxZwhwKx1GNDHjBekc2TLasWE9xlfESiuPl0MBsMP4EMT1tqvjeIH8-WRfzg8bJ6OY/w640-h360/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-28992237100431014832024-02-11T23:00:00.000-08:002024-02-11T23:00:00.135-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: A Grave Every Mile: A Pioneer Western Adventure by David Fitz-Gerald #HistoricalWestern #WesternAdventure #BlogTour @AuthorDAVIDFG @cathiedunn <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; text-align: center;">It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome author, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;">David Fitz-Gerald</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;">, onto the Whispering Bookworm.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvNVvdBBORyOYs1DrgAoqbv19jDTdD0-7npUkP6EAX05HibOga6Of-tJbrx5vAZU4ngE9YBbHXgMYnrI5sw7OG6en5aLNQOyahMnvm5-8sLQDAyZN3LMQ5pVPsAG-2RVnIjaLh4XSs471RuqWEtuqPnPIsSstgHEOv96omJt3wc8UpouWhh35fsJ-02o/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvNVvdBBORyOYs1DrgAoqbv19jDTdD0-7npUkP6EAX05HibOga6Of-tJbrx5vAZU4ngE9YBbHXgMYnrI5sw7OG6en5aLNQOyahMnvm5-8sLQDAyZN3LMQ5pVPsAG-2RVnIjaLh4XSs471RuqWEtuqPnPIsSstgHEOv96omJt3wc8UpouWhh35fsJ-02o/s320/IG%20banner%202%20A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPMG5WA44Kcx5-cnWbuM_mbxCPzWsxd7LxEFbuOz-9CzQao6XQk3LEGtZUAWShASjUlNgYvwE_9ZtBhmqUzXKYghY8yiWQi5h4x66IQydXJjEt-tydL1MirFaaIe6Cf67Mq0jZFSjc92rVBEIpG3rH0FjhV3DkNTW4MFTQqzPzaluSjvQ5PrxLgIvgnI/s640/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPMG5WA44Kcx5-cnWbuM_mbxCPzWsxd7LxEFbuOz-9CzQao6XQk3LEGtZUAWShASjUlNgYvwE_9ZtBhmqUzXKYghY8yiWQi5h4x66IQydXJjEt-tydL1MirFaaIe6Cf67Mq0jZFSjc92rVBEIpG3rH0FjhV3DkNTW4MFTQqzPzaluSjvQ5PrxLgIvgnI/w640-h360/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Embark on a harrowing trek across the rugged American frontier in 1850. Your wagon awaits, and the untamed wilderness calls. This epic western adventure will test the mettle of even the bravest souls.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Dorcas Moon and her family set forth in search of opportunity and a brighter future. Yet, what awaits them is a relentless gauntlet of life-threatening challenges: miserable weather, ravenous insects, scorching sunburns, and unforgiving terrain. It's not merely a battle for survival but a test of their unity and sanity.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Amidst the chaos, Dorcas faces ceaseless trials: her husband's unending bickering, her daughter's descent into madness, and the ever-present danger of lethal rattlesnakes, intensifying the peril with each step. The specter of death looms large, with diseases spreading and the eerie howls of rabid wolves piercing the night. Will the haunting image of wolves desecrating a grave push Dorcas over the edge?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">With each mile, the migration poses a haunting question: Who will endure the relentless quest to cross the continent, and who will leave their bones to rest beside the trail? The pathway is bordered by graves, a chilling reminder of the steep cost of dreams.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><i>A Grave Every Mile</i> marks the commencement of an unforgettable saga. Start reading Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail now to immerse yourself in an expedition where every decision carries the weight of life, death, and the pursuit of a brighter future along the Oregon Trail.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Book Title: A Grave Every Mile<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Series: Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Author: David Fitz-Gerald<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Publication Date: December 24th, 2023<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Publisher: David Fitz-Gerald<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Page Length: 204<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Genre: Western, Historical Fiction</span></div><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"></span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAz_sWVjZ6sxJ0IuWtrjJXn7cpvcfALG6Txs2kvTy7AtrheIOcFhXmk7sTGVCJzgPnttAO7j0zbN-cfC7p4EFxFLUgtgSxM71AS_9dyWSWNar8HY7NQefg7-pQFwPK-A5LIvIvL5E1g4bLmTSk06zCzTrVFhR7EJwzmZaz9uObfHGABsF4n_mkXzqOB8/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAz_sWVjZ6sxJ0IuWtrjJXn7cpvcfALG6Txs2kvTy7AtrheIOcFhXmk7sTGVCJzgPnttAO7j0zbN-cfC7p4EFxFLUgtgSxM71AS_9dyWSWNar8HY7NQefg7-pQFwPK-A5LIvIvL5E1g4bLmTSk06zCzTrVFhR7EJwzmZaz9uObfHGABsF4n_mkXzqOB8/s320/IG%20banner%201%20A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;"><span style="font-size: large;">And now for a snippet! </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Independence, Missouri, April 13, 1850</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">It is late afternoon by the time everyone has completed and stowed their purchases. We’re about to climb into our wagons when we notice townspeople scurrying from the streets and boardwalks, taking cover indoors.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">A couple of tough-looking men appear on the street, facing each other, hands hovering at their sides, guns in their holsters. This isn’t like the young men throwing fists a few hours earlier. The air feels thick with tension. I swallow hard and realize that one of the two men is about to die. We hasten around the corner onto Liberty Street just as the sound of gunfire explodes in the air.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">I was the last to make it safely around the bend and the first to peek back around the corner.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">One man stands, leaning backward, arms stretched and laughing menacingly. The other has dropped where he stood, limbs akimbo, in a heap on the muddy street.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">People who had ducked for cover moments earlier return to get a closer look. A thin man in a brown vest steps into the street. Two men follow closely behind him, amble toward the dead body, lift the man from the road, and carry him away like doing so is an everyday occurrence. This town is nothing like the ones back home. Though I don't know them, I'm curious about the quarrel that compelled their duel.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Larkin steps forward, Dahlia Jane in his arms, and says, “Let’s go now. If we survive Independence, the rest of the trail should be easy.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">A shiver halts me briefly, as Larkin’s prediction of smooth sailing ahead disappears into the air. We climb into the wagon and I turn, notice that Rose is missing, glancing about, hoping to spot her. She’s halfway to the place where the gunfighter fell in the mud. I shout for her to come back, but she doesn’t seem to hear me. I leap from the wagon. More mud splatters my dress, but I run to find her.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">When I catch up to Rose, she’s rounding the corner, seemingly following the men who carried the dead body. Where are they now?</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">I’m right beside Rose, yet she still doesn’t happen to hear me. I reach for her shoulders, shake her gently, and repeat her name. She glances at me quickly, then looks back up the street, directly at a building with a sign that reads, “Undertaker.” The foul air reeks of rotten eggs, moldy bread, and hot manure. I guess that’s what decaying human bodies smell like. As the carried corpse disappears within the structure, Rose turns back toward our wagon without a word.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">When I catch up to her again, I ask, “Rose, honey. Is there something the matter? Do you want to talk about it?”</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">She shrugs. “No. Why, Mama?”</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">I’m confused. It’s like nothing has happened, or she has already forgotten about following the cadaver. I shake my head and wonder where her mind goes sometimes.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Usually, we walk alongside the wagon but this evening, we ride as passengers while Larkin walks beside our team of six oxen, in three teams of two, led by Hardtack, our gentle giant, and Scrapple, his partner.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Larkin never rides in the wagon, because he says it makes him seasick. An hour later, we join a dozen wagons, already settled into an encampment.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Our boys, Andrew and Christopher, who are eleven and nine, tend the oxen, and Larkin pitches a tent beside the wagon. It is harder than usual to make sleeping space among our belongings with extra provisions crowding our confined footage. With limited space inside the vehicle, Larkin and the boys will sleep in a tent, while the girls and I slumber under the cover of a canvas wagon bonnet, crowded by cargo.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Last fall, we left our home, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, moving as swiftly as oxen can go, arriving in Missouri before the worst of winter’s weather. We rented a vacant cabin with our friends for a couple of months, living together in tight quarters before striking out again, arriving in Independence early this morning. It's hard to complain about all the things we left behind when everything we own is packed into such a small space. I almost wish we'd left more things behind.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">When I finish tucking the girls in, I nestle myself among sacks of provisions and inhale deeply. The rich, sweet smell of cornmeal fills my nostrils and I close my eyes. I should be thinking about rolling forward into the future with my family, but all I can think about is the dashing assistant wagon master, Agapito Huerta Delgado. What kind of a name is that? Where we’re from, nobody has such musical sounding names.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Even if I were unmarried, it would be foolish to think about such a handsome man. My mother always told me that the good-looking ones are nothing but trouble. I tell myself that I am happily married, but sometimes, I am not a good listener.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;">Buy this Book<br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;"><a href="https://books2read.com/agem " target="_blank">Amazon<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;">This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Cardo;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAiQb1G7v93wlFabJh5FdLNBaYMgbv_b5kOEkMfPNDsVPQ1hbDOMGNKBxKa7TxZJ1j4nCgEhFsgJQR3DP0-iVyftR_8l7-qb3VqZtMDKKu0QIWXGfLSk7x4zC-h32GjonMeFQAKuJ_pyF3ZHa6QpLlCOG5ahJSrkw7glRGOM3jdhSs9O4f_pTaL7p7EU/s1080/David%20Fitz-Gerald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAiQb1G7v93wlFabJh5FdLNBaYMgbv_b5kOEkMfPNDsVPQ1hbDOMGNKBxKa7TxZJ1j4nCgEhFsgJQR3DP0-iVyftR_8l7-qb3VqZtMDKKu0QIWXGfLSk7x4zC-h32GjonMeFQAKuJ_pyF3ZHa6QpLlCOG5ahJSrkw7glRGOM3jdhSs9O4f_pTaL7p7EU/s320/David%20Fitz-Gerald.jpg" width="320" /></b></a></div><b>David Fitz-Gerald </b>writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Linktree <a href="https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald">https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald</a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Website: <a href="https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT">https://www.itsoag.com/GATOT</a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG">https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG</a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/ " target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/ </a></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/">https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/</a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD">https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD</a></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald</a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald">https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald</a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald</a></span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9GgUh2F5GxVFxxzritKKS8T27xhy6NcBdq-ZxOuho2GqCjulcv7L7lg62vU44HJAvUACt1Cst3VfgT9OPKlOOEIrOTO13HnYlVpQISUy5U59HjO1Wb54MS9VjWk2-QMPtagCDpC-L3LJNxVRLB05Q07wO4enwgZnAZK2Rg9X13gmotH6eBqS6TxISvY/s640/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9GgUh2F5GxVFxxzritKKS8T27xhy6NcBdq-ZxOuho2GqCjulcv7L7lg62vU44HJAvUACt1Cst3VfgT9OPKlOOEIrOTO13HnYlVpQISUy5U59HjO1Wb54MS9VjWk2-QMPtagCDpC-L3LJNxVRLB05Q07wO4enwgZnAZK2Rg9X13gmotH6eBqS6TxISvY/w640-h360/A%20Grave%20Every%20Mile%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-29140688023979702562024-01-31T23:00:00.000-08:002024-01-31T23:00:00.146-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Imperatrix by S.P. Somtow #HistoricalFiction #AncientRome #LGBTQ+ @somtow @cathiedunn<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome author, S.P. Somtow, onto the Whispering Bookworm.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQxRXpQSjyAlYmQ-lI9C4RkyBu6YR2vKOxLNVbtWBhJiBFM0p8Wmj4d3a14JB9fdUa8SstubiUASoN-eya17VVhS22rxo4mRG8u7-_NDnTxYhfk7YKuYPaRXVNg1wcajIszQ0Vnmafumsyei987pfTsgTIs7-kuwcvWUlXQmlinvwWobcpaOeXygc4r8/s1080/IG%20banner%201%20Imperatrix.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQxRXpQSjyAlYmQ-lI9C4RkyBu6YR2vKOxLNVbtWBhJiBFM0p8Wmj4d3a14JB9fdUa8SstubiUASoN-eya17VVhS22rxo4mRG8u7-_NDnTxYhfk7YKuYPaRXVNg1wcajIszQ0Vnmafumsyei987pfTsgTIs7-kuwcvWUlXQmlinvwWobcpaOeXygc4r8/s320/IG%20banner%201%20Imperatrix.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgM5O329xm1pIqfE1M6_yhlbTXjPkpikyfCWgrHIiSGlxRBfpmOgjHxxGoLznV7_MwanrMJK3eNOKVutvAi-c056o5FY66-Cs3dE8XZmi4u1wpL8Rbkifj0I4KOuk8AKc8aft1jCa1C60uALRimvrBUyVeCwRb0TU6_9COYICJNAXwUSZB5lANVplu64/s640/Imperatrix%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgM5O329xm1pIqfE1M6_yhlbTXjPkpikyfCWgrHIiSGlxRBfpmOgjHxxGoLznV7_MwanrMJK3eNOKVutvAi-c056o5FY66-Cs3dE8XZmi4u1wpL8Rbkifj0I4KOuk8AKc8aft1jCa1C60uALRimvrBUyVeCwRb0TU6_9COYICJNAXwUSZB5lANVplu64/w640-h360/Imperatrix%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Captured by pirates and sold to a Roman aristocrat as a sex slave, Sporus attracted the attention of no less a personage than the Emperor Nero, ruler of the known world. Would-be poet, patron of the arts, aesthete, and brutal autocrat, the Divine Nero saw in the boy a startling resemblance to the Empress Poppaea - and made him an empress as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Suetonius, Tacitus, and other Roman historians have given tantalizing glimpses into the incredible life story of the boy who became twice an empress to two emperors, and was condemned to die in the arena by a third. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">In this meticulously researched trilogy, World Fantasy Award winning author S.P. Somtow lays bare the darkest secrets of Imperial Rome - its triumphs and its nadirs, its beauty and its cruelty. Through this chaos, a contorted mirror of our contemporary world, this figure of Sporus moves, all too knowing yet all too innocent, providing a worm's eye view of one of the wildest periods in ancient history.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Imperatrix</i>, the second volume of the tale, takes us into the heart of the Imperial palace with all its intrigue, depravity, and splendor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;">Book Title: IMPERATRIX: The Empress who was once a Slave</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Series: Nero and Sporus Series, Book 2</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Author: S.P. Somtow</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: 24th December 2023</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Publisher: Diplodocus Press</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Page Length: 276</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Genre: Historical Novel, Ancient World, LGBTQ+ Interest</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNy8gnfmL-Zg__4TMVytJLrBVSp43o_FAbgrjxI9QDmhyphenhyphenTmnS9O75AMjrDjQTe68ZByd2FhgoW26Qp2m0zMEfIbkISZY4i6W1nPe2yW_zVfqfOGvqdwpFJBCl2kYDO3y23fF8GsK0krM3RlDbvbB2cfq72q_UB3pv6BKn0AhD4YWoHjmN5J3MyHGmLks/s1080/IG%20banner%202%20Imperatrix.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNy8gnfmL-Zg__4TMVytJLrBVSp43o_FAbgrjxI9QDmhyphenhyphenTmnS9O75AMjrDjQTe68ZByd2FhgoW26Qp2m0zMEfIbkISZY4i6W1nPe2yW_zVfqfOGvqdwpFJBCl2kYDO3y23fF8GsK0krM3RlDbvbB2cfq72q_UB3pv6BKn0AhD4YWoHjmN5J3MyHGmLks/s320/IG%20banner%202%20Imperatrix.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">And now for a snippet! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Can you not posture in such a boyish manner, domine? You’ll ruin the effect.”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">“What effect?”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">“My dear domine, can you turn that wrist more daintily? Can you not stampede about the room like a raging adolescent lad?”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Is that not what I am?”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">“You will play a role, domine. And if you don’t do it well, it will fare badly for us, as well.”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Realizing that their fates as well as mine rested on my performance, I sat still while they padded my hips and chest a little, and while a cosmetician applied painted my face with delicate strokes, and two others teased and piled my hair.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">And presently I found myself looking at my reflection in a mirror of polished bronze and I was transformed. My hair was elaborately coifed and extended with a tall wig. Exotic fabrics caressed my skin, and an outer layer of rich purple left no doubt as to my Imperial status. The fibula I recognized was holding it all together at one shoulder. Lead white gave my face an unearthly pallor and my lips were stained blood-crimson.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I stood taller. Arrogance flecked my lips. I felt ennobled. Entitled, indeed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I was not just the Divine Poppaea Sabina, Mistress of the World. I was an idealized version of the Empress. And I have to admit that, in these garments, my way of moving, my way of walking, shifted towards the feminine. It was instinctive. I never felt beautiful as a boy, but as a woman, as an Empress … </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Perhaps it was just a role, but I was pulling something from deep within myself. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/mV2EaJ " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hUkYZv-tC0ThqCcKJdDDSlVSU-YoPaDm5ZsREg8RptwUZu0YXUoitv9e8z5Yuugu7Zk64uEEMTvmUxOSqZADRYIEbhPguOyrxPQg5V22s0NJnTi37UmmsaEy6YUfWoOtXeUVGEuBy7KF-9Q6_9jNjnpjqGWA-VEX4591t_x-BDB8wyismkwo8PlPOOs/s1094/S.P.%20Somtow%20author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hUkYZv-tC0ThqCcKJdDDSlVSU-YoPaDm5ZsREg8RptwUZu0YXUoitv9e8z5Yuugu7Zk64uEEMTvmUxOSqZADRYIEbhPguOyrxPQg5V22s0NJnTi37UmmsaEy6YUfWoOtXeUVGEuBy7KF-9Q6_9jNjnpjqGWA-VEX4591t_x-BDB8wyismkwo8PlPOOs/s320/S.P.%20Somtow%20author.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Once referred to by the International Herald Tribune as 'the most well-known expatriate Thai in the world,' Somtow Sucharitkul is no longer an expatriate, since he has returned to Thailand after five decades of wandering the world. He is best known as an award-winning novelist and a composer of operas. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Born in Bangkok, Somtow grew up in Europe and was educated at Eton and Cambridge. His first career was in music and in the 1970s, his first return to Asia, he acquired a reputation as a revolutionary composer, the first to combine Thai and Western instruments in radical new sonorities. Conditions in the arts in the region at the time proved so traumatic for the young composer that he suffered a major burnout, emigrated to the United States, and reinvented himself as a novelist.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">His earliest novels were in the science fiction field and he soon won the John W. Campbell for Best New Writer as well as being nominated for and winning numerous other awards in the field. But science fiction was not able to contain him and he began to cross into other genres. In his 1984 novel Vampire Junction, he injected a new literary inventiveness into the horror genre, in the words of Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, 'skillfully combining the styles of Stephen King, William Burroughs, and the author of the Revelation to John.' Vampire Junction was voted one of the forty all-time greatest horror books by the Horror Writers' Association.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the 1990s Somtow became increasingly identified as a uniquely Asian writer with novels such as the semi-autobiographical Jasmine Nights and a series of stories noted for a peculiarly Asian brand of magic realism, such as Dragon's Fin Soup, which is currently being made into a film directed by Takashi Miike. He recently won the World Fantasy Award, the highest accolade given in the world of fantastic literature, for his novella The Bird Catcher. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Returning to Thailand in 2001, he became artistic director of Opera Siam and has had more than a dozen operas produced around the world including The Snow Dragon and The Silent Prince, premiered in the United States, Helena Citronova, an opera set during the Holocaust, and the ten-part DasJati: Ten Lives of the Buddha.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the last few years he has made a return to writing novels with the Nero and Sporus trilogy and the young adult series, Club X.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">In 2021 the film he produced and wrote, The Maestro: Symphony of Terror received over forty awards at international festivals and in 2023 the Thai government officially elevated him to the status of National Artist.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Read S.P. Somtow’s interview on Literary Titan about Imperatrix on <a href="https://literarytitan.com/2024/01/21/the-core-of-innocence/">https://literarytitan.com/2024/01/21/the-core-of-innocence/</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Website: <a href="http://www.somtow.com">www.somtow.com</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/somtow">www.twitter.com/somtow</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Facebook: w<a href="http://ww.facebook.com/somtow">ww.facebook.com/somtow</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/somtow">www.instagram.com/somtow</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Book Bub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/s-p-somtow">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/s-p-somtow</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APBJXC">https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APBJXC</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81037.S_P_Somtow">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81037.S_P_Somtow</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qUMjb8KEULMn55K_W_-RRYjC-MKSrc5DxlUxevznR60q9smgT1guA9a4LYW4XR5ehzKJX7j8gI9v-0-UwpPybMEATKyNeX6hpoQQEzuClxAWVPe3a-yB2lNk2t1uj7X7GqAm9JgyIn8VJ12XBmHI33J0W_nWdgMvJG1jr7HSmDLh4HMaB6c0sXijJHs/s640/Imperatrix%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qUMjb8KEULMn55K_W_-RRYjC-MKSrc5DxlUxevznR60q9smgT1guA9a4LYW4XR5ehzKJX7j8gI9v-0-UwpPybMEATKyNeX6hpoQQEzuClxAWVPe3a-yB2lNk2t1uj7X7GqAm9JgyIn8VJ12XBmHI33J0W_nWdgMvJG1jr7HSmDLh4HMaB6c0sXijJHs/w640-h360/Imperatrix%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-16875052824607204592023-02-27T23:00:00.000-08:002023-02-27T23:00:00.177-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Yanks Are Starving: A Novel of the Bonus Army by Glen Craney #historicalfiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @glencraney @cathiedunn <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVQ9VOUn58kz0SRfUvwdEEXyUIqgM66uZ_ttSifBWUvNpEbJwwlbxmfMmX4F9I17q37GNthgWXMKV4BP3jzoY-yiGbXt5sIc6-kNWuWYqZ7kw6_CnbY02a99sq5rr-f27l5SDDPCyKVdT6lg94eJITuoSqvoPMXh0VqOUT0FgsZo3lzATvnhFGA-E9w/s640/The%20Yanks%20are%20Starving%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVQ9VOUn58kz0SRfUvwdEEXyUIqgM66uZ_ttSifBWUvNpEbJwwlbxmfMmX4F9I17q37GNthgWXMKV4BP3jzoY-yiGbXt5sIc6-kNWuWYqZ7kw6_CnbY02a99sq5rr-f27l5SDDPCyKVdT6lg94eJITuoSqvoPMXh0VqOUT0FgsZo3lzATvnhFGA-E9w/w640-h360/The%20Yanks%20are%20Starving%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">The Yanks are Starving<br />(A Novel of the Bonus Army)<br />by Glen Craney</span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-WNSpTT6clWA7dxND4Z5Mh-1ybTw_Vni7fQ3b-FmymspTm9Gk-_SiaWZvV5eDxryX2d0mx0j5F_nkyElHjXF5qNUHBVev89wkd-BHIMMBfT1R1lvUY5Dngh-_eJKIwi4iZtiyJm4BhDzwRzSbTUEp9d0cQ6A_39-xnTtFDJJ2VxLeiJU3t4Q0VATGA/s2700/TheYanksAreStarvingArt4_final.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-WNSpTT6clWA7dxND4Z5Mh-1ybTw_Vni7fQ3b-FmymspTm9Gk-_SiaWZvV5eDxryX2d0mx0j5F_nkyElHjXF5qNUHBVev89wkd-BHIMMBfT1R1lvUY5Dngh-_eJKIwi4iZtiyJm4BhDzwRzSbTUEp9d0cQ6A_39-xnTtFDJJ2VxLeiJU3t4Q0VATGA/w426-h640/TheYanksAreStarvingArt4_final.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="426" /></span></span></a></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Two armies. One flag. No honor.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">The most shocking day in American history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Former political journalist Glen Craney brings to life the little-known story of the Bonus March of 1932, which culminates in a bloody clash between homeless World War I veterans and U.S. Army regulars on the streets of Washington, D.C.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Mired in the Great Depression and on the brink of revolution, the nation holds its collective breath as a rail-riding hobo named Walter Waters leads 40,000 destitute men and their families to the steps of the U.S. Capitol on a desperate quest for economic justice.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">This timely epic evokes the historical novels of Jeff Sharra as it sweeps across three decades following eight Americans who survive the fighting in France and come together fourteen years later to determine the fate of a country threatened by communism and fascism.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">From the Boxer Rebellion in China to the Plain of West Point, from the persecution of conscientious objectors to the horrors of the Marne, from the Hoovervilles of the heartland to the pitiful Anacostia encampment, here is an unforgettable portrayal of the political intrigue and government betrayal that ignited the only violent conflict between two American armies.</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><b>Awards</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Foreword Magazine Book-of-the-Year Finalist</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Chaucer Award Book-of-the-Year Finalist</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">indieBRAG Medallion Honoree</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><b>Praise for The Yanks are Starving</b></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">"[A] wonderful source of historical fact wrapped in a compelling novel."<br /><i>~ Historical Novel Society Reviews</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">"[A] vivid picture of not only men being deprived of their veterans' rights, but of their human rights as well.…Craney performs a valuable service by chronicling it in this admirable book."<br /><i>~ Military Writers Society of America</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><b>Buy this Book</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yanks-Are-Starving-Novel-Bonus-ebook/dp/B00G8OZ3MM" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G8OZ3MM" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00G8OZ3MM" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00G8OZ3MM" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-yanks-are-starving/id726771775" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Apple Books</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-yanks-are-starving-glen-craney/1117253154" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Barnes & Noble</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-yanks-are-starving" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Kobo</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Glen Craney</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAKg4901FCWiY9Oah3cmIn7tewU5rt0e1rgFlfLUiXYQ0XjcXZlqmSeLJOpLgn3U8zm3jnhUa65_-iSPLEtE9bhm18JW9BC9J5oDz1Mel5fFILEd0sZNfV1j_T0MkIrhD9eKtHbb0iFqUWAdzNGvTbFAqzKMOnC6Mt1jiqm9dfGjQcX3mvVFdsvAj2Q/s900/Glen.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAKg4901FCWiY9Oah3cmIn7tewU5rt0e1rgFlfLUiXYQ0XjcXZlqmSeLJOpLgn3U8zm3jnhUa65_-iSPLEtE9bhm18JW9BC9J5oDz1Mel5fFILEd0sZNfV1j_T0MkIrhD9eKtHbb0iFqUWAdzNGvTbFAqzKMOnC6Mt1jiqm9dfGjQcX3mvVFdsvAj2Q/s320/Glen.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="213" /></span></span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">GLEN CRANEY is an author, screenwriter, journalist, and lawyer. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">A graduate of Indiana University Law School and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he is the recipient of the Nicholl Fellowship Prize from the Academy of Motion Pictures and the Chaucer and Laramie First-Place Awards for historical fiction. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">He is also a four-time indieBRAG Medallion winner, a Military Writers Society of America Gold Medalist, a four-time Foreword Magazine Book-of-the-Year Award Finalist, and an Historical Novel Society Reviews Editor's Choice honoree. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">He lives in Malibu and has served as the president of the Southern California Chapter of the HNS.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><b>Social Media Links</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.glencraney.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Website</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/glencraney" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GlenCraneyAuthor" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/glen-craney" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">BookBub</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glen-Craney/e/B002C1VQZ8" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1516207.Glen_Craney" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Goodreads</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDCNIG7a_6iZfNWX_W6uz_0d35GI-ZVX6WX7NEgDIfRD8WC9CUE8Om2367hpLEBRGRXEKILThRFw1Z1oHm7_GlRIJcrmMUxZvl-A4OnaaA2wmRZAsZVO884p0fGIq1B_ZljeBPOnuiX-B4_e5_RSg5Rmt6U4RHS9Bfd1GkaneeXy3jWKfx-a4OxRY9g/s640/The%20Yanks%20are%20Starving%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDCNIG7a_6iZfNWX_W6uz_0d35GI-ZVX6WX7NEgDIfRD8WC9CUE8Om2367hpLEBRGRXEKILThRFw1Z1oHm7_GlRIJcrmMUxZvl-A4OnaaA2wmRZAsZVO884p0fGIq1B_ZljeBPOnuiX-B4_e5_RSg5Rmt6U4RHS9Bfd1GkaneeXy3jWKfx-a4OxRY9g/w640-h360/The%20Yanks%20are%20Starving%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-324927887026078822023-01-22T23:00:00.000-08:002023-01-22T23:00:00.158-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Flame Tree by Siobhan Daiko #HistoricalFiction #WomensFiction #BlogTour @siobhandaiko @cathiedunn<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gM4uDGkQaANU-FLdz6QYe0Gnqo50YOQdZsNsuwjmXlc4RniKN1GGBRMWkx_mcqPfV3lrHII8AaefZr6IpulQW8IjbMrHuBtuDLE4eKm-qJYh_yibTiuv0reFNzSyz1VNadnPPLDMRWBloT4bP5jT1fqBpzNUhjw4PE9_qhwjgX1nv4ZSD8lW6sF2tA/s640/The%20Flame%20Tree%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gM4uDGkQaANU-FLdz6QYe0Gnqo50YOQdZsNsuwjmXlc4RniKN1GGBRMWkx_mcqPfV3lrHII8AaefZr6IpulQW8IjbMrHuBtuDLE4eKm-qJYh_yibTiuv0reFNzSyz1VNadnPPLDMRWBloT4bP5jT1fqBpzNUhjw4PE9_qhwjgX1nv4ZSD8lW6sF2tA/w640-h360/The%20Flame%20Tree%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Flame Tree</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">By Siobhan Daiko</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicV5OkwPv-_Y0u0sAs40gjo9R1_55_N9heKvFZIoSb-qduTyJiBkAjxVh-w6UtPTeooc1w9_XrOYnLUW-5sqkT9oucK7HHjPwQclEwrzlrJRgH1ES3r9Jz4Yvr9LQmsyHlo3u0yk8CDieL1hZr0kABLR9cQLJyTNm44tJmWSBetlPideABOa9A7lK6fQ/s2700/The%20Flame%20Tree%20Cover%20LARGE%20EBOOK%20.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicV5OkwPv-_Y0u0sAs40gjo9R1_55_N9heKvFZIoSb-qduTyJiBkAjxVh-w6UtPTeooc1w9_XrOYnLUW-5sqkT9oucK7HHjPwQclEwrzlrJRgH1ES3r9Jz4Yvr9LQmsyHlo3u0yk8CDieL1hZr0kABLR9cQLJyTNm44tJmWSBetlPideABOa9A7lK6fQ/w426-h640/The%20Flame%20Tree%20Cover%20LARGE%20EBOOK%20.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="426" /></span></a></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">In the spring of 1939, dashing young William Burton and the beautiful Constance Han set sail from London on the same ocean liner to Hong Kong.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Romance blossoms while they enjoy games of deck quoits and spend sultry tropical evenings dancing under the stars. Connie is intrigued by Will’s talent for writing poetry, and she offers to give him Cantonese lessons to help him with his new job—a cadet in the colonial service.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">But once in Hong Kong, Connie is constrained by filial duty towards her Eurasian parents, and their wish for her to marry someone from her own background. She can't forget Will however and arranges to meet him in secret under the magnificent canopy of a flame of the forest tree—where she fulfils her promise to teach him to speak Chinese.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Before too long, trouble looms as Japanese forces gather on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. Will joins a commando group tasked with operating behind enemy lines, and Connie becomes involved in the fight against local fifth columnists.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">When war breaks out, they find themselves drawn into a wider conflict than their battle against prejudice. Can they survive and achieve a future together? Or do forces beyond their control keep them forever apart?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Based on a little-known true story, <i>The Flame Tree</i> is a tale of love and survival against all the odds.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Praise</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">"Siobhan Daiko will tug at your heartstrings, and leave you desperate for more..." </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"> Ellie Yarde, The Coffee Pot Book Club</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">"Daiko is an author you’ll want to add to your historical fiction favourites." </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"> Netgalley Reviewer</span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3VWaWzI" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3VX4iJy" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3SrD6Qj" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3VWbUMm" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Siobhan Daiko</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pk-Ad69ndIaNbgj2EOXXj8J3XY4vKQMtwNQJCIYZ-u74QNCehQj5P8Fk3M3ssvu1UiExnjmTQFmMMXgvmw33ti8pPyeyBePXDgac_JRqvZSEMZuGqScYlU5od_tDm-vcOE0c3qA_7dBaK6g8EP0-TjY6HCj5aNo7X1aIG-o5b3HoGHWfaqEWNgrpZw/s1500/Author%20Pic%202.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pk-Ad69ndIaNbgj2EOXXj8J3XY4vKQMtwNQJCIYZ-u74QNCehQj5P8Fk3M3ssvu1UiExnjmTQFmMMXgvmw33ti8pPyeyBePXDgac_JRqvZSEMZuGqScYlU5od_tDm-vcOE0c3qA_7dBaK6g8EP0-TjY6HCj5aNo7X1aIG-o5b3HoGHWfaqEWNgrpZw/s320/Author%20Pic%202.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a rescued cat. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK—where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh comprehensive school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and enjoying her life near Venice. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart. You can find more about her books on her website <a href="http://www.siobhandaiko.org/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.siobhandaiko.org</a>.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://siobhandaiko.org/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Website</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/siobhandaiko" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AsolandoBooks" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/siobhan.daiko" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Facebook Profile</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.it/SiobhanDaiko/_saved/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Pinterest</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/siobhandaiko_asolandobooks/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Instagram</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://author.to/SiobhanDaiko" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">BookBub</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091256.Siobhan_Daiko" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Goodreads</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhan-daiko-74993651/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizR1qseC4DxKOzHyRSMsAnfUfpZ6_OUYwmO5co9sdyn-fU9aPV_EvPZ_IJXR8t3oaxY8Bct19zy8isrpadgT4eq9srHR_MuFUqBLycpYBBWzHP6o_9Fz0B67BC3bMZyLzeqqP2QJCoRd18PK_lqLHb3SxgjpN6nSAyHYD7FM-gknVECbHDD4NNab6yEw/s640/The%20Flame%20Tree%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #a1230d; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizR1qseC4DxKOzHyRSMsAnfUfpZ6_OUYwmO5co9sdyn-fU9aPV_EvPZ_IJXR8t3oaxY8Bct19zy8isrpadgT4eq9srHR_MuFUqBLycpYBBWzHP6o_9Fz0B67BC3bMZyLzeqqP2QJCoRd18PK_lqLHb3SxgjpN6nSAyHYD7FM-gknVECbHDD4NNab6yEw/w640-h360/The%20Flame%20Tree%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-68893277907375695332023-01-18T23:00:00.001-08:002023-01-18T23:00:00.176-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Caledon (Caledon, Book #1) by Virginia Crow #Interview #HistoricalFantasy @DaysDyingGlory @CrowvusLit @cathiedunn<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75a_JCPDfJV2CckLA1bZDkr8m2eh0izU92g7oe9gxU8huFl8YOdmsoLu5P84I3Syt7-6tMk0ICwfTVzPIPVJ06Bf8f-yA9Wcm3wssueXXQXN_JNZq2lkvaVvPUZLc9rdKxByuavNtFTSyPZ30nTOL3sqBUBoNG_fAjQ3pTd95q59I7k6bSKsbKWO_wA/s640/Caledon%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75a_JCPDfJV2CckLA1bZDkr8m2eh0izU92g7oe9gxU8huFl8YOdmsoLu5P84I3Syt7-6tMk0ICwfTVzPIPVJ06Bf8f-yA9Wcm3wssueXXQXN_JNZq2lkvaVvPUZLc9rdKxByuavNtFTSyPZ30nTOL3sqBUBoNG_fAjQ3pTd95q59I7k6bSKsbKWO_wA/w640-h360/Caledon%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2S7GZgq6w3EB-ZQYe4Od2q_QXkynAV7XBQXtnSVY8KDoXuOhAesjL3k2WTyireHRJGhVI0XYR2Ore8mwSskKosdvLFyUcSQ0qJVqnwWLnbZHSipfh54eBWwe45GBLXaFDzeYuBgNqsQJrTOSCtRBwinwL4W0Dn4PgkmDa2ESatAKwRcM1K7KVDKTDw/s2700/Caledon.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2S7GZgq6w3EB-ZQYe4Od2q_QXkynAV7XBQXtnSVY8KDoXuOhAesjL3k2WTyireHRJGhVI0XYR2Ore8mwSskKosdvLFyUcSQ0qJVqnwWLnbZHSipfh54eBWwe45GBLXaFDzeYuBgNqsQJrTOSCtRBwinwL4W0Dn4PgkmDa2ESatAKwRcM1K7KVDKTDw/w426-h640/Caledon.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="426" /></span></span></a></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">"Go out and tell all those you meet, Caledon has risen. Caledon will be protected and defended. And to you who would cause her harm, be prepared. A new fight has come."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">After the destruction of the Jacobite forces at Culloden, Scotland is divided, vulnerable and leaderless, with survivors from both sides seeking to make sense of the battles they have fought against their fellow Scots.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">James Og flees Drumossie, seeking the protection of his uncle's house in Sutherland. It is here that James learns that the Northern Highlands hold a secret power only he can wield: Caledon. When Ensign John Mackay begins hunting Og's family, James realises he must harness this power to defeat the enemies of Scotland.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">But, as the ageless Caledon awakes, so too does an ancient evil. When it allies with Mackay, the small Clan of Caledon faces enemies at every turn, discovering that even those closest to them may seek to destroy them.</span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Interview</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">I’ve been writing for many years, and I still have a very early story which involved a creature which was a strange hybrid with a pig, a bird, and a monkey. Not my finest work of literature, but I’m glad I’ve kept it! I’ve always been surrounded by books – my parents decided never to discard a book – and I suppose being surrounded by them, they seeped into my psyche!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">The inspiration for Caledon came from a visit to The Big Burn in Golspie. I was feeling a little despondent that day but I found The Source there exactly as it runs in the book. It was an inspiration I had not been prepared for, but it is the one which will stick with me forever.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">When I wrote Caledon, I shared it with my sisters who are my primary readers, both of them commented on its ending. Originally, the book ended after Part Six. I really liked the ambiguity of the ending, but both of them objected to it! The book is the first of six, so I pulled the storyline for the second book forward, introducing the next new character and going part of the way towards resolving the massive conflict which I had originally had as the book’s ending. This seemed to appease my readers!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">I love writing an ensemble cast and, because I write from multiple points of view, I often find myself connecting with each one of them. It’s the only way I can keep my characters individual!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">That said, I have a definite soft spot for Donald Mackenzie in Caledon. I really admire the way he continues to try to protect the people around him, but ultimately finds himself falling victim to his own loyalties. I appreciate that and love him for it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">I actually began writing Caledon in the mould of a TV series, which is why it’s written in parts. But, despite that, I’m not sure who I’d cast. My one stipulation would be that there were no phoney Scottish accents – I’ve seen so many movies where I visibly recoil from the attempts at that one! I like to think that, because the six members of The Clan of Caledon are all slightly wet behind the ears, any attempt at casting would reflect this and give new talent the chance to shine.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Primarily, I hope they enjoy it! It was written to be an adventure, and I want readers to be swept away on it. Writing fast-paced fiction is a little out of my comfort zone, as I tend to go for sumptuous language, but Caledon changed all that.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">The other thing I hope readers will realise is that each one of us can make a difference. We live in uncertain times– though thankfully less bloodthirsty than the setting for Caledon – and each voice deserves to be heard. If Caledon inspires one person to speak out on beliefs which had previously remained buried, I would be a very happy author.</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083JNL9NK" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083JNL9NK" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B083JNL9NK" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B083JNL9NK" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Virginia Crow</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX3LvdyYvzZv9ID5RXeCwfLXo0RVkq93T-Botw86wVX6jsrN-1vXlvUyq_IldTTzxQ26MunU4ji_TBojuCSDtZhJhFy33r34r0pLjkmUcGdQ3jeIF-xsw2ze66_ZSxCY4Zvz4Nb_o6KljYui5f-61lVVdyQyXlL8HfIsXbhwszhlWwhBmsjrnF7Du/s400/Virginia%20Crow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX3LvdyYvzZv9ID5RXeCwfLXo0RVkq93T-Botw86wVX6jsrN-1vXlvUyq_IldTTzxQ26MunU4ji_TBojuCSDtZhJhFy33r34r0pLjkmUcGdQ3jeIF-xsw2ze66_ZSxCY4Zvz4Nb_o6KljYui5f-61lVVdyQyXlL8HfIsXbhwszhlWwhBmsjrnF7Du/s320/Virginia%20Crow.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Virginia grew up in Orkney, using the breath-taking scenery to fuel her imagination and the writing fire within her. Her favourite genres to write are fantasy and historical fiction, sometimes mixing the two together. She enjoys swashbuckling stories such as The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and is still waiting for a screen adaption that lives up to the book!</span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">When she's not writing, Virginia is usually to be found teaching music. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration. She also helps out with the John o' Groats Book Festival which is celebrating its 4th year.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">She now lives in the far-flung corner of Scotland. A doting spaniel-owner to Orlando and Jess, Virginia soaks up in inspiration from the landscape as she ventures out with her canine companions.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">She loves cheese, music, and films, but hates mushrooms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://stompermcewan.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Website</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DaysDyingGlory" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/stompermcewan/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Virginia-Crow/e/B078QBNYFB/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/virginia-crow" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookBub</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16049964.Virginia_Crow" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0dRXpNHFyxm-jZMNNrzJAdK_R7hft07QpFnF54Q5_PQEaiuILdXiuvUU-7GWTUrxbFVqE7HdRHr5KWJXDqLdMw3y1iKrVESUCZJxczjXOWNb_RHlX_66KogGQZz6rpr2V86hpXWQgMpPsew8bnxU6CptsixwOFbqe1uDC7eVAweueLvPFSY4Exog4A/s640/Caledon%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0dRXpNHFyxm-jZMNNrzJAdK_R7hft07QpFnF54Q5_PQEaiuILdXiuvUU-7GWTUrxbFVqE7HdRHr5KWJXDqLdMw3y1iKrVESUCZJxczjXOWNb_RHlX_66KogGQZz6rpr2V86hpXWQgMpPsew8bnxU6CptsixwOFbqe1uDC7eVAweueLvPFSY4Exog4A/w640-h360/Caledon%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-5481495208923466152023-01-17T23:00:00.001-08:002023-01-17T23:00:00.164-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Pilot Who Knows the Waters (The Lord Hani Mysteries, Book 6) by N. L. Holmes @nlholmesbooks @cathiedunn <p><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSk98qlqzDtgy4fj9cjFzzFFxk4RiknY55KA2PO2nUkkEg8bRLweltQdVtuyqvB1eTfjPGtEczV0Q4u6nDpbmkBNplBqimQRbLRv1DZ73HFLQgzNldqGb3pPduSxbADJuKqxkdNdfiT2pmdS4LAdUH9qr8tS7ckWQT8_e_KDhdp8VGdQRS0FnXLGOqg/s640/Pilot%20Who%20Knows%20the%20Waters%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSk98qlqzDtgy4fj9cjFzzFFxk4RiknY55KA2PO2nUkkEg8bRLweltQdVtuyqvB1eTfjPGtEczV0Q4u6nDpbmkBNplBqimQRbLRv1DZ73HFLQgzNldqGb3pPduSxbADJuKqxkdNdfiT2pmdS4LAdUH9qr8tS7ckWQT8_e_KDhdp8VGdQRS0FnXLGOqg/w640-h360/Pilot%20Who%20Knows%20the%20Waters%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgou_FKOeDUsX6rhAWQMSmop_wCIEvS6prMa4UXqvUyVZYus87TLdEheFpaANnV-6YB2JriF_LJLalIheoSiOeSFnnx51bYJiiZn40-N0z1oMBK3EOJ6GnVRVTT1D4bvc6TAGF2_969BZq5_izIHAdDhRLIUMfNWGRrwZJT7zM66Au2rmqJ979noiGUA/s800/Pilot-who-knows-waters-500x800-Cover.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgou_FKOeDUsX6rhAWQMSmop_wCIEvS6prMa4UXqvUyVZYus87TLdEheFpaANnV-6YB2JriF_LJLalIheoSiOeSFnnx51bYJiiZn40-N0z1oMBK3EOJ6GnVRVTT1D4bvc6TAGF2_969BZq5_izIHAdDhRLIUMfNWGRrwZJT7zM66Au2rmqJ979noiGUA/w400-h640/Pilot-who-knows-waters-500x800-Cover.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Hani must secretly obtain a Hittite bridegroom for Queen Meryet-amen, but Ay and the faction behind Prince Tut-ankh-aten are opposed--to the point of violence. Does the death of an artisan have anything to do with Ay’s determination to see his grandson on the throne? Then, another death brings Egypt to the brink of war… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Hani’s diplomatic skills will be pushed to the limit in this final book in<i> The Lord Hani Mysteries</i>.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Interview</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">A few years before my retirement, I was teaching a course called Ancient Near Eastern Empires. One of the assignments I gave to the students was to look at the (very few) documents we had related to a certain ancient divorce case, to evaluate them, and to describe for me what happened. It became pretty obvious that almost anything we could say was so speculative that it could almost be considered historical fiction, not historiography. So, as soon as I found myself retired, with no more papers to grade, I decided to turn the story into a novel!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">This isn’t true of every book, but it happened that I had a big problem laying out the clues and facts in the right order. If certain facts were known too soon, it lessened the tension. Or if clues dropped too late, the reader had already figured it out. This timing is an issue with any novel, but especially with mysteries. I think the problem was that I had, as usual, written certain scenes out of order, just because I knew well how I wanted that scene to go—and then stitched them together later. And somehow, I had made the wrong choices about what went here. I had to do a major restructuring of my first draft.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">This is one of those series where there are lots of lovable characters. Hani is solid, loving, humorous, intelligent, and a man of principle—I wish I were such a person. Neferet is a young woman who doesn’t let the world tell her what she must do—a model for us all. She’s getting her own series soon. But as an older person, I think I like the complexity of Lord Ptah-mes. He’s chilly and formal on the outside, never shows what he feels or suffers, plays the rôle of a rich, always-in-control aristocrat, but is really a man of deep feeling and moral courage, despite his sense of insufficiency. I have especially liked the books where he plays a larger rôle. With him, what you see isn’t often as good as what you get.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">People ask this so often, and I’m utterly incompetent to answer! I have no television and rarely see movies. All the actors I know are too old now for the parts. But I can say this: except for the Hittites, they need to be people of color, whether light or dark. Hispanics, Arabs, Indians. How about real Egyptians? It’s a shame Omar Sharif is dead. And of course, Maya is a dwarf. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">If I have a goal, it would be to convince readers that the people of ancient cultures were human beings just like us. They may have had different langages and clothing and world views, but their emotional responses to life were deeply and utterly familiar.</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-Knows-Waters-Lord-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09ZQWK45J/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Knows-Waters-Lord-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09ZQWK45J/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Pilot-Knows-Waters-Lord-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09ZQWK45J/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Pilot-Knows-Waters-Lord-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09ZQWK45J/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6442831285" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Apple Books</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pilot-who-knows-the-waters-nl-holmes/1141493258?ean=2940166467379" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Barnes and Noble</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/pilot-who-knows-the-waters/n-l-holmes/9781735291673" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Waterstones</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/pilot-who-knows-the-waters" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Kobo</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">N. L. Holmes</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzAcOnihsTwUUHZZ-Czf618DB5-fJNUz5_fkjwHuYQWOaHoXpEW-V7LplfU-ctPFy3V5ykkCZZ7mIZfJVE7StDLMVFoffFMt-a-R8UiFcPgxZfgOUEFAr2rieX6y6e0XPKcJ0vNkhy2qgAcidQds0krcGU3F2Dsz0_78MX7FUj8rCE1yPvRhQymLDHQ/s2390/N%20L%20Holmes%20author.jpeg" style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2390" data-original-width="2292" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzAcOnihsTwUUHZZ-Czf618DB5-fJNUz5_fkjwHuYQWOaHoXpEW-V7LplfU-ctPFy3V5ykkCZZ7mIZfJVE7StDLMVFoffFMt-a-R8UiFcPgxZfgOUEFAr2rieX6y6e0XPKcJ0vNkhy2qgAcidQds0krcGU3F2Dsz0_78MX7FUj8rCE1yPvRhQymLDHQ/w384-h400/N%20L%20Holmes%20author.jpeg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="384" /></span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Today, she and her husband live in France with their chickens and cats, where she weaves, plays the violin, gardens, and dances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Social Media Links</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.nlholmes.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Website</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/nlholmesbooks" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nlholmesbooks" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/n.l.holmes/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Instagram</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/nlholmesbooks/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Pinterest</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/N-L-Holmes/e/B0858H3K7S" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/n-l-holmes/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20117057.N_L_Holmes" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Goodreads</span></a></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/10/blog-tour-pilot-who-knows-waters.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8e72XFbNMmrctjeTR4dxr0RHUXWaYPFEMkBVYGsBzy9q_OCgFvp1J9uDHVUD_09yC-wNs4Z4UNJ0cn3VDrfCjiSeFCm8ECZX5C3WhOwE8ogWZzkZZwBPiN7WlCvM_p4lmLHZ_5_GFivLeDqFosfZ4BhRy1QRYdF42V7FOAHgTNBSnAF8IZvls89TZQ/s640/Pilot%20Who%20Knows%20the%20Waters%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8e72XFbNMmrctjeTR4dxr0RHUXWaYPFEMkBVYGsBzy9q_OCgFvp1J9uDHVUD_09yC-wNs4Z4UNJ0cn3VDrfCjiSeFCm8ECZX5C3WhOwE8ogWZzkZZwBPiN7WlCvM_p4lmLHZ_5_GFivLeDqFosfZ4BhRy1QRYdF42V7FOAHgTNBSnAF8IZvls89TZQ/w640-h360/Pilot%20Who%20Knows%20the%20Waters%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-5612725813987307362022-12-06T23:00:00.003-08:002022-12-06T23:00:00.200-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Fortune Keeper by Deborah Swift #Interview #HistoricalFiction @swiftstory @maryanneyarde <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMS5_NygoK9X6fFXDlXqhmIgANkyM2F8ZHxhtV-I0YvhZ9NnPHS2W0_-LUuIuvLhdLaCKIKY8_CWXOG0hUsJ8jgdt1lUDvrOxgJ5ct-iP7lWsxEVuI0NdvhjCEXYIvZDhcIisZx-7umSm2mpvuq0wNCQysS6sNZolAqmF59lfZsLAbptdaPk5vWlz/s1600/Tour%20Banner%20The%20Fortune%20Keeper.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMS5_NygoK9X6fFXDlXqhmIgANkyM2F8ZHxhtV-I0YvhZ9NnPHS2W0_-LUuIuvLhdLaCKIKY8_CWXOG0hUsJ8jgdt1lUDvrOxgJ5ct-iP7lWsxEVuI0NdvhjCEXYIvZDhcIisZx-7umSm2mpvuq0wNCQysS6sNZolAqmF59lfZsLAbptdaPk5vWlz/w640-h360/Tour%20Banner%20The%20Fortune%20Keeper.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_-rUVlZlMIwG6X_OHC_MIZqEdIbcyZgi_THYmoA9dx4EwpewkXbEYEjd4JhrtackENK5efLsBm0IB8KBnUca4H0KplKQkHxNWBLFlVHteA_KNH6qyxFFJOwk9qYmMkxqWGan0P5H2st6bm6G_MqWHuayuJ3HuhX4X8VTewmKF8T23PPhCtdbrNK0/s2397/TFK%20eBook%20Deborah%20Swift,%20The%20Fortune%20Keeper%20b3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2397" data-original-width="1576" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_-rUVlZlMIwG6X_OHC_MIZqEdIbcyZgi_THYmoA9dx4EwpewkXbEYEjd4JhrtackENK5efLsBm0IB8KBnUca4H0KplKQkHxNWBLFlVHteA_KNH6qyxFFJOwk9qYmMkxqWGan0P5H2st6bm6G_MqWHuayuJ3HuhX4X8VTewmKF8T23PPhCtdbrNK0/w420-h640/TFK%20eBook%20Deborah%20Swift,%20The%20Fortune%20Keeper%20b3.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Count your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Winter in Renaissance Venice</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it will lead her into danger. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Giulia's real name is Giulia Tofana, renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is in hiding from the Duke de Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the death of their brother. Giulia insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. If not, it could threaten them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebels against Giulia, determined to go her own way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">When the two secret lives collide, it has far-reaching and fatal consequences that will change Mia's life forever.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Set amongst opulent palazzos and shimmering canals, The Fortune Keeper is the third novel of adventure and romance based on the life and legend of Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><b>'Her characters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf' - Historical Novel Society</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><i>This is the third in a series but can stand alone as it features a new protagonist. Other two books are available if reviewers want them.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Trigger warnings: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Murder and violence in keeping with the era.</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Interview</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I’ve always loved history, but first started writing as a poet because I hadn’t much spare time, and poems could be short snippets reflecting on every day life. Once my daughter left home, I was able to concentrate on longer form fiction, and that’s when my love of history came to the fore and when I wrote my first novel. I had no idea then that I would write fifteen more! Things that inspire me to write are often events in history where wonder, ‘What would it be like to have lived through THAT?’ In this case, Venice, a place built not on the earth, but on water, inspired me with its setting, and with its shifting allegiances to religion and the new sciences.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The hardest part was when the history changed. Yes, we think we know about history, but it is always subject to change as new research comes to light. In this case, new archival research revealed that my protagonist had been married twice, (before that I didn’t know she’d been married at all!) and that her daughter was actually a step-daughter, not a blood daughter. I had to incorporate these changes into a book I’d already planned, but it was an exciting discovery and one that led to a whole new plot. Often we don’t realise that history is changing, but the past is always changing, not least because our attitudes towards it have changed. For example, in the last fifty years there has been much more interest in women’s history, and women from the past who would have been ignored are now being platformed by novelists.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Giulia Tofana, the poisoner who features in these books, must have been a woman of strong mind to be able to do what she did, and get away with the deaths of so many people, and to have so many stories handed down about her. In this book she takes second place to her daughter Mia, who is much more outgoing, curious and lively. Mia is left with the burden of her mother’s mis-deeds, although at the beginning of the book she doesn’t yet know it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I also really like the character of Zaneta. She is a woman that lives outside society and cares far more for animals than for people. She provides a down-to-earth view of life in a city where everyone is obsessed by wealth and position, and with abstract notions of God and the universe. She provides the grounding element in a world where nothing and no-one can be trusted. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I have no idea. I don’t follow celebrity culture as I’m more often reading than watching TV or films. I’m such a bookworm! So instead I’ll mention my favourite books which are also set in Italy, like The Fortune Keeper. They are Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant, The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato, and The Giant: a novel of Michelangelo’s David by Laura Morelli.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I think the real star of the book is Venice – a city unlike any other.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I really hope people will be intrigued by the fact that Venice in the 17th Century was full of female astrologers, and that the city itself in that era is such a fascinating place – a city where a whole melting pot of cultures met. I hope they will also come to see that often your true family is not your blood relations, but the friends who are there for you when you need them most.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/4EJBOz" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">#KindleUnlimted</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Deborah Swift</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTSq-wfBHl8QbR20_CxoSseMBr9uNG9CuL0ftUe6HNObz-ptwxqjXjS2FtJZ-nM0RHrpYcDC5TWvlqZIeDSY0Yd9Im3HtA7KfJSpE_jdQiZN5Rq8suERJnY4a_4Zz36W1I5zDLkyW8FPs0QRRozDlo0XdxMhs6iFMkyRXwxc4y_E42aD_rFabDV5V/s314/03_Deborah%20Swift.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="314" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTSq-wfBHl8QbR20_CxoSseMBr9uNG9CuL0ftUe6HNObz-ptwxqjXjS2FtJZ-nM0RHrpYcDC5TWvlqZIeDSY0Yd9Im3HtA7KfJSpE_jdQiZN5Rq8suERJnY4a_4Zz36W1I5zDLkyW8FPs0QRRozDlo0XdxMhs6iFMkyRXwxc4y_E42aD_rFabDV5V/s1600/03_Deborah%20Swift.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. She divides her time between writing and teaching. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Readers Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal, and The Cipher Room set in WW2 and due for publication by Harper Collins next Spring.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><a href="https://twitter.com/swiftstory" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><a href="www.deborahswift.com " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Pinterest</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift" target="_blank">BookBub</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://author.to/DeborahSwif" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/08/blog-tour-her-castilian-heart-by-anna.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYa4Mxk8nMMIkAmghcW3f5btvYTh2w_CAAUq7N8jDwzKd2VqwPPJ6oT7BbALVokae1cKckBuLRwmljaHbN6NJ0y6D5GtJdywpocPlGwcjU3zRoo6sUBy3vtT4Jio-XD5IpiQsqX7OoRObOXVpWewUX51P4avK7nYvjF4J7q2Sn377pNDg-dmedyCI/s1600/Tour%20Schedule%20Banner%20The%20Fortune%20Keeper%20copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYa4Mxk8nMMIkAmghcW3f5btvYTh2w_CAAUq7N8jDwzKd2VqwPPJ6oT7BbALVokae1cKckBuLRwmljaHbN6NJ0y6D5GtJdywpocPlGwcjU3zRoo6sUBy3vtT4Jio-XD5IpiQsqX7OoRObOXVpWewUX51P4avK7nYvjF4J7q2Sn377pNDg-dmedyCI/w640-h360/Tour%20Schedule%20Banner%20The%20Fortune%20Keeper%20copy.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-42919814441415320722022-12-05T23:00:00.001-08:002022-12-05T23:00:00.182-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Hearts of All on Fire (The Guid’Antonio Historical Mysteries) by Alana White @alanawhite1480 @cathiedunn<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLny7mHnosNBuKVzhMKm-_SUGYktwzjWiuoDV1sAdpSYfdOFU3dROSe-fIHAsvY8rn7cyW30Q3EDperwijPOvGYKZbEPPd5LHbMqD6xuIphY5WNn7w7Ww7jo223AgXV0vXOhXTs4R4rEekYPVehe8otOSRyRx6-hAbGULILvdKyE0BOd7mToqMPf0O6w/s640/The%20Hearts%20of%20All%20on%20Fire%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLny7mHnosNBuKVzhMKm-_SUGYktwzjWiuoDV1sAdpSYfdOFU3dROSe-fIHAsvY8rn7cyW30Q3EDperwijPOvGYKZbEPPd5LHbMqD6xuIphY5WNn7w7Ww7jo223AgXV0vXOhXTs4R4rEekYPVehe8otOSRyRx6-hAbGULILvdKyE0BOd7mToqMPf0O6w/w640-h360/The%20Hearts%20of%20All%20on%20Fire%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Hearts of All on Fire<br />(The Guid’Antonio Historical Mysteries)<br />By Alana White</span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR76ZYPPPlQtJnmDFkfKnUvjaO3LTdSnkfDZQ2yTBilsUeeBgz496bKh_OeG9Yv1PBAn1fAyZiPY0-MTb-agpCk0KVfI5xp46nMRnp-Ky4Og7Nz2RpH6k86tCBszxQtWas1lY5x91M_4831K8f7JCczsLa8AsS3l3MMo2DMyw4LOG-cwgV6V1P5EIoDw/s640/The-Hearts-of-All-on-Fire_V2.jpeg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="420" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR76ZYPPPlQtJnmDFkfKnUvjaO3LTdSnkfDZQ2yTBilsUeeBgz496bKh_OeG9Yv1PBAn1fAyZiPY0-MTb-agpCk0KVfI5xp46nMRnp-Ky4Og7Nz2RpH6k86tCBszxQtWas1lY5x91M_4831K8f7JCczsLa8AsS3l3MMo2DMyw4LOG-cwgV6V1P5EIoDw/w420-h640/The-Hearts-of-All-on-Fire_V2.jpeg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="420" /></a></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><div><div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Florence, 1473. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">An impossible murder. A bitter rivalry. A serpent in the ranks.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Florentine investigator Guid’Antonio Vespucci returns to Florence from a government mission to find his dreams of success shattered. Life is good—but then a wealthy merchant dies from mushroom poisoning at Guid’Antonio’s Saint John’s Day table, and Guid’Antonio’s servant is charged with murder. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Convinced of the youth’s innocence and fearful the killer may strike again, Guid’Antonio launches a private investigation into the merchant’s death, unaware that at the same time powerful enemies are conspiring to overthrow the Florentine Republic—and him. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">A clever, richly evocative tale for lovers of medieval and renaissance mysteries everywhere, The Hearts of All on Fire is a timeless story of family relationships coupled with themes of love, loss, betrayal and, above all, hope in a challenging world.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hearts-All-Fire-Alana-White-ebook/dp/B0BGJ1XHXS/" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hearts-All-Fire-Alana-White-ebook/dp/B0BGJ1XHXS/" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hearts-All-Fire-Alana-White-ebook/dp/B0BGJ1XHXS/" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hearts-All-Fire-Alana-White-ebook/dp/B0BGJ1XHXS/" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hearts-of-all-on-fire-alana-white/1141662345?ean=9781639884216" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Barnes and Noble</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-hearts-of-all-on-fire/9781639884216" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Bookshop</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-hearts-of-all-on-fire/alana-white/9781639884216" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Waterstones</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781639884216" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Parnassus Books</span></a></span></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Alana White</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHdXHjDyBL1mOajigb_X5tNlfh1z3_aFX1s27evwobzeg-Ozmdb38jNUdlZO-qMhg-iwO_HgQdjq8GqLgGCsPbmpL7YqN2SX2HY3i51d0uAcbn02cLTUNBFYYRTjcQfWuokUMNfMBWHq_gUQVqD0gKOR0BiSFi4ditih1Li0e-En1Q9bU5eIF18Jxqw/s636/Alana%20White%20author%20photo.jpeg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="636" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHdXHjDyBL1mOajigb_X5tNlfh1z3_aFX1s27evwobzeg-Ozmdb38jNUdlZO-qMhg-iwO_HgQdjq8GqLgGCsPbmpL7YqN2SX2HY3i51d0uAcbn02cLTUNBFYYRTjcQfWuokUMNfMBWHq_gUQVqD0gKOR0BiSFi4ditih1Li0e-En1Q9bU5eIF18Jxqw/s320/Alana%20White%20author%20photo.jpeg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Alana White’s passion for Renaissance Italy has taken her to Florence for research on the Vespucci and Medici families on numerous occasions. There along cobbled streets unchanged over the centuries, she traces their footsteps, listening to their imagined voices, including that of her protagonist, Guid’Antonio Vespucci and his friends, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo, Lorenzo de’ Medici. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Alana’s first short story featuring real-life fifteenth-century lawyer Guid’Antonio Vespucci and his favorite nephew, Amerigo Vespucci, was a Macavity Award finalist and led to the Guid’Antonio Vespucci Mystery Series featuring "The Sign of the Weeping Virgin" (Book I) and "The Hearts of All on Fire" (Book II). </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">She is a member of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, among other organizations. She loves hearing from readers, and you can contact her at her website, <a href="http://www.alanawhite.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;">www.alanawhite.com</a>.</span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Social Media Links:</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.alanawhite.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Website</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AlanaWhite1480" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Twitter</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoralanawhite/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Facebook</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/writerawhite/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Pinterest</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alanawhiteauthor/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Instagram</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B000APQ176" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alana-white" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">BookBub</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/338557.Alana_White" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Goodreads</span></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-white-8a661430/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">LinkedIn</span></a></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/10/blog-tour-hearts-of-all-on-fire.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSd1ZxM7H3yAc4Q-NcGe1XR2wFm1lCTsC0-CO6LX4l6288HCTGzWsXMOJpDoTtForn4mdQP-oxlVQ3o0KYPfcMZ6bohrgnmQQYqAZy1AtpGLOwi3wFWnW93r1WQPwQ05f_-4xZjv7sQj8M_-YUZwi0veSifqxk036efkKv9Ky-mnBTcvSG1zINWtylg/s640/The%20Hearts%20of%20All%20on%20Fire%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="color: #a1230d; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSd1ZxM7H3yAc4Q-NcGe1XR2wFm1lCTsC0-CO6LX4l6288HCTGzWsXMOJpDoTtForn4mdQP-oxlVQ3o0KYPfcMZ6bohrgnmQQYqAZy1AtpGLOwi3wFWnW93r1WQPwQ05f_-4xZjv7sQj8M_-YUZwi0veSifqxk036efkKv9Ky-mnBTcvSG1zINWtylg/w640-h360/The%20Hearts%20of%20All%20on%20Fire%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-77176875052090997432022-12-04T23:00:00.000-08:002022-12-04T23:00:00.165-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Son of Anger (The Ormstunga Saga, Book 1) by Donovan Cook #BookReview #HistoricalFiction @DonovanCook20 @maryanneyarde<p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2MuMPY8WLzW7IN7UNCaVJCcprdK2whxMpVm2H3-ZkVL-UWEdjPMfuZH2wy8gjhzRaIX3iu2J1splF7bnzeW4ks3wzDb2_d7Ev9T0VSNlwNspEJbU29bFoujZDWhhiCDXnliLjozAVGRgVW9EXv7UJQnzoRSz7os5PEjl9NV4H9_tWRGG_sBnpOqk/s1600/Son%20of%20Anger%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2MuMPY8WLzW7IN7UNCaVJCcprdK2whxMpVm2H3-ZkVL-UWEdjPMfuZH2wy8gjhzRaIX3iu2J1splF7bnzeW4ks3wzDb2_d7Ev9T0VSNlwNspEJbU29bFoujZDWhhiCDXnliLjozAVGRgVW9EXv7UJQnzoRSz7os5PEjl9NV4H9_tWRGG_sBnpOqk/w640-h360/Son%20of%20Anger%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePlD_AmjhDwafN3hvuv7cRrOznW2AFH7IN9WupbpaGFk053eZRO1mZ3v7jpyDSSWiIi0usZNQnpHpwITxgtxinz7ZX8qpB8-dY1yNvEbiHm_hynbYtV52qKNuiUfs9KzkbyoiwDas_G43CniIYBGGjbXwjBd627joBgxpBvAtN7bkNOdtnqEJh1xt/s639/Son%20of%20Anger%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="412" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePlD_AmjhDwafN3hvuv7cRrOznW2AFH7IN9WupbpaGFk053eZRO1mZ3v7jpyDSSWiIi0usZNQnpHpwITxgtxinz7ZX8qpB8-dY1yNvEbiHm_hynbYtV52qKNuiUfs9KzkbyoiwDas_G43CniIYBGGjbXwjBd627joBgxpBvAtN7bkNOdtnqEJh1xt/w412-h640/Son%20of%20Anger%20cover.jpg" width="412" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he will destroy everything in his path.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being a warrior.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord. The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family. He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them. The Son of Anger.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I have always enjoyed Norse fiction, although I don’t get to read it nearly as much as I would like. When I became aware of this book, I just knew I had to read it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ulf may come from a long line of warriors, but he is not one. He grew up on a farm with his aunt, uncle and cousins, and what little fighting he can do is only because he has practiced with his uncle. The arrival of a stranger at the farm destroys everything Ulf has ever known when he bests Ulf’s uncle, and murders the entire family. Ulf miraculously survives with only an injury to his side, and swears that he will avenge his family.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ulf’s revenge takes him on quite the journey, and he meets many people along the way. Although he never intended to return, he finds himself back in Thorgilsstad, the place he left with his family after his father was killed. And yet, although he never wanted to return, he becomes friends with Snorri, the son of the jarl, and begins to fight alongside him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ulf is not a character without issues. He has been angry since his father’s death when he was just a boy, and the deaths of the rest of his family simply give him a purpose to channel that anger into. These were violent times, and the friends he makes don’t try and quell his anger, but encourage it, building him into a warrior so he will be ready when he faces the man he has sworn to kill.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This is not a book with just good world-building, but one that has brought the past back to life. The characters live and breathe within the pages, and I was completely drawn in. This is the kind of book you don’t want to stop reading, and makes you happy to sacrifice sleep in order to continue turning the pages. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Buy this Book</b></span></div><div><a href="https://books2read.com/u/m2dMOr" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This novel is available to read on #KindleUnlimited</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Donovan Cook</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXatWvQrhN657M2fQ7Bkw7PStzfUdpSbf1qrkx7B1NdrCgdJwiH47KFY0E1XKBoD7T6pGIG1KN71WQYNXgGjbTbRd74Ef15pvXgK-YV1E4KtdEupZitwLImLILNW9EHbBC1FKHr77lybKMIePaV0ru3v3ro8VvjgU6sKKgWlj_-_eRiLzyudhEpYT/s320/Donovan%20Cook%20profile%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXatWvQrhN657M2fQ7Bkw7PStzfUdpSbf1qrkx7B1NdrCgdJwiH47KFY0E1XKBoD7T6pGIG1KN71WQYNXgGjbTbRd74Ef15pvXgK-YV1E4KtdEupZitwLImLILNW9EHbBC1FKHr77lybKMIePaV0ru3v3ro8VvjgU6sKKgWlj_-_eRiLzyudhEpYT/s1600/Donovan%20Cook%20profile%20photo.jpg" width="263" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br />Donovan Cook was born in South Africa but raised in England, and currently works as an English tutor. He is the author of the Ormstunga Saga, which includes his debut novel Son of Anger and the follow up, Raid of the Wolves. His novels come from his fascination with the Viking world and Norse Mythology and he hopes that you will enjoy exploring this world as much as he did writing about it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">When Donovan is not teaching or writing, he can be found reading, watching rugby, or working on DIY projects. Being born in South Africa, he is a massive Springboks fan and rarely misses a match.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><a href="https://www.donovancook.net/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div><a href="https://twitter.com/DonovanCook20" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DonovanCookAuthor" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donovan-cook" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">BookBub</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Donovan-Cook/e/B08PC3BDRX" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20887374.Donovan_Cook" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/09/son-of-anger-ormstunga-saga-book-1-by.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-abrPUKv-I4xk8iQ8tekdlASqVNOj1Nq7tGHKnH6qQsTt8z0cjXu9hOoLG9-W1mHMRZJgSAJLGbBimQeG4z4xXeEhiJLkpJMmJ1pYuFftlpTCxERgbeVoRceCadWcOG1BpLgmDfBtby1lpBTkFtFLq2q_fNtRpbiRR8J39YJKpelnP7rxf7_QpCQ/s1600/Son%20of%20Anger%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner%20copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-abrPUKv-I4xk8iQ8tekdlASqVNOj1Nq7tGHKnH6qQsTt8z0cjXu9hOoLG9-W1mHMRZJgSAJLGbBimQeG4z4xXeEhiJLkpJMmJ1pYuFftlpTCxERgbeVoRceCadWcOG1BpLgmDfBtby1lpBTkFtFLq2q_fNtRpbiRR8J39YJKpelnP7rxf7_QpCQ/w640-h360/Son%20of%20Anger%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner%20copy.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-81874972133217512562022-11-30T23:00:00.003-08:002022-11-30T23:00:00.193-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Captain’s Woman (The Thompsons of Locust Street) by Holly Bush #HistoricalRomance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @hollybushbooks @cathiedunn <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPh893E4LbuVzZcixDpGTVZRookU4JQNRBMoFO86zxbnI_13kgJ9TtGBUvg90hjSqrn1DhOXOLCKcQ6WERkCIuRyWRTc8xUHCzN22AoXS--IGRy3KRYftbhgAVvrdIg0DZroaywAZoAMDpsjUyMP0wK-3cl9lt83yjtWtmfHgV_G8UML1ba2rtUZ-/w640-h360/The%20Captain's%20Woman%20Tour%20Banner%20with%20Cover.png" width="640" /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Captain’s Woman<br />(The Thompsons of Locust Street)<br />By Holly Bush</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAclYkPk6K37-Nd5KxVho996c_7FAP-haEyswoNV2HZp5J6uArGgoGJhLb6i1J3WETewuqJuhefsxNTDH5GiMk_l9eNiYFYS9ZRayT3dS0u6dGiwl8sMitH4RDYmab41cJgSnQVeHXDczDvWCvbGMhs5QZQ584wj4f509P4x0pfc5b0kvb2zfp-v1/s2453/Captain's%20Woman%20eBook%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="1635" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAclYkPk6K37-Nd5KxVho996c_7FAP-haEyswoNV2HZp5J6uArGgoGJhLb6i1J3WETewuqJuhefsxNTDH5GiMk_l9eNiYFYS9ZRayT3dS0u6dGiwl8sMitH4RDYmab41cJgSnQVeHXDczDvWCvbGMhs5QZQ584wj4f509P4x0pfc5b0kvb2zfp-v1/w426-h640/Captain's%20Woman%20eBook%20Cover.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><b><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">1870. Muireall Thompson takes her duties seriously as the eldest sibling after her parents die on their family’s crossing from Scotland to America in 1854. Their death made her responsible for her remaining family and left little time for her to grieve her beloved parents. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">But now her brothers and sisters are adults, even the youngest Thompson is nearly ready to face the world on his own. What would she do, she wondered, when she was alone, other than care for an elderly aunt and volunteer at the Sisters of Charity orphanage? Had all the chances for a family of her own, children, a husband, passed her by?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Widower Anthony Marcus, recently Captain Marcus of the Union Army, is a man scrapping the bottom of his dignity and hanging on to his honor by the barest thread. Reduced to doing odd jobs to keep a roof over his dear daughter Ann’s head, he often leaves her with the Sisters of Charity, who run an orphanage nearby, while he is out seeking steady work with a decent salary that will allow him to move from their single room living quarters. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">At the Orphanage the Sisters inform Muireall that Ann’s father was several hours late and that the girl had refused to eat a meal with the other children. Muireall promised to return the child quickly and takes her to her Locust Street home for a hot meal. Anthony Marcus interrupted their family dinner shortly after, panicked that his daughter was with strangers. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This begins a friendship held together by their own growing respect for one another and the charm of Ann Marcus. But disaster lurks again for the Thompson family just as Muireall and Anthony’s regard for each other has grown into something much more.</span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/b6zwwZ " target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Holly Bush</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42sX0QmuvoxIAM7om7kkdcpvoVZaXmyenTztulErTNxcHMZv2yC2rbsLIUFb05Bmgn98do9OxAYah75C3GHQpb4u7BMoHP7EYYoRippV5MlU6QGjltCXZAxo-FLiC7G2DsKJi5bHjTqQE64aVx4TB74SRJypsPY4yrEQMwvN57Exvw-iUOYvfK6wr-g/s478/Holly%20Bush%20author.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42sX0QmuvoxIAM7om7kkdcpvoVZaXmyenTztulErTNxcHMZv2yC2rbsLIUFb05Bmgn98do9OxAYah75C3GHQpb4u7BMoHP7EYYoRippV5MlU6QGjltCXZAxo-FLiC7G2DsKJi5bHjTqQE64aVx4TB74SRJypsPY4yrEQMwvN57Exvw-iUOYvfK6wr-g/s478/Holly%20Bush%20author.jpg" style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNX6Lk1j0ut421ki0HET7XBbCIZHlOCku3B_ozbW1T5Bp4T77k_VPKkjUQMd-4mBbTImqNUgWIdvani5GKQfwfyKQeY3e3aAAjyCnToJI5UY53ZT6NMs_JvGekEW2ZMjGKGFbyCYbOMtB7b468mxgtxxyRf5k-dWUWAo_W40EkHerwlOhnDsX18h5/s478/Holly%20Bush%20author.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNX6Lk1j0ut421ki0HET7XBbCIZHlOCku3B_ozbW1T5Bp4T77k_VPKkjUQMd-4mBbTImqNUgWIdvani5GKQfwfyKQeY3e3aAAjyCnToJI5UY53ZT6NMs_JvGekEW2ZMjGKGFbyCYbOMtB7b468mxgtxxyRf5k-dWUWAo_W40EkHerwlOhnDsX18h5/s320/Holly%20Bush%20author.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br />Holly Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S.in the late 1800s, in Victorian England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://hollybushbooks.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/hollybushbooks" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/holly.r.bush" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Bush/e/B006ZDTQ1A/" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/holly-bush" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">BookBub</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3378392.Holly_Bush" style="color: black; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zSi2mRsfzbwbvPUD47PjoVA2AlZr45By87wdC2qSfLhsdZ9y77jQ0GPOU0-FMBU-gYCRmvVXFbpCqKB0nKLoLw5Tv_eIEampjW10Cuh-ROjhrkU92rBO-bE2uDEbqHzxXog9WuDLE3wkw-tnSWo3Uyp8m0jj5ZThgzC71Ai-RS_XMtfO7jB2Q7A4sA/s640/The%20Captain's%20Woman%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zSi2mRsfzbwbvPUD47PjoVA2AlZr45By87wdC2qSfLhsdZ9y77jQ0GPOU0-FMBU-gYCRmvVXFbpCqKB0nKLoLw5Tv_eIEampjW10Cuh-ROjhrkU92rBO-bE2uDEbqHzxXog9WuDLE3wkw-tnSWo3Uyp8m0jj5ZThgzC71Ai-RS_XMtfO7jB2Q7A4sA/w640-h360/The%20Captain's%20Woman%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-7212880769618214972022-11-29T23:00:00.001-08:002022-11-29T23:00:00.194-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Founding (Across the Great Divide, Book #3) by Michael L. Ross #historicalfiction #biographicalfiction #BlogTour @MichaelLRoss7 @cathiedunn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjum2G5DorIRpJpHCPe9RyKad4xrR6tr0H7bYhTZT9IaxxXEszI4TCbk3jazQuQ-oktwxg1gtEHAcMIfGYlN_IFI9SNSddmWwVfQ5yk_UwzdD8UoHzHrgeIV0GAUP0TH-BqeqgBFUrCX_l5PW9xBe34Xv02TSNwBXV1ZK7yFxGEc4Eud2MejWYwu14MyQ/s640/The%20Founding%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: times; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjum2G5DorIRpJpHCPe9RyKad4xrR6tr0H7bYhTZT9IaxxXEszI4TCbk3jazQuQ-oktwxg1gtEHAcMIfGYlN_IFI9SNSddmWwVfQ5yk_UwzdD8UoHzHrgeIV0GAUP0TH-BqeqgBFUrCX_l5PW9xBe34Xv02TSNwBXV1ZK7yFxGEc4Eud2MejWYwu14MyQ/w640-h360/The%20Founding%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><p> </p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Founding<br />(Across the Great Divide, Book #3)<br />By Michael L. Ross</span></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRYalk1tsxU2Uj7L7JqLk18OpKo8B0W5sZfgKismAbpaEp3pDl1WsL5u2Cy8S5UE4uDnK2khLCbrKzrJ3if3W_i7dL9FELFI5ET4EZffdZwOKsgtS663LIqye477TpOHP28f6hncw8LLw_R1tpaQPhZadLP-YHI-4Ch9P8jtyKILDaJcpwwqyzp8vxA/s2453/The%20Founding%20eBook%20Cover%20Amazon%20XL.jpg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="1635" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRYalk1tsxU2Uj7L7JqLk18OpKo8B0W5sZfgKismAbpaEp3pDl1WsL5u2Cy8S5UE4uDnK2khLCbrKzrJ3if3W_i7dL9FELFI5ET4EZffdZwOKsgtS663LIqye477TpOHP28f6hncw8LLw_R1tpaQPhZadLP-YHI-4Ch9P8jtyKILDaJcpwwqyzp8vxA/w426-h640/The%20Founding%20eBook%20Cover%20Amazon%20XL.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="426" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><b>Two men, two dreams, two new towns on the plains, and a railroad that will determine whether the towns—one black, one white—live or di</b>e. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Will Crump has survived the Civil War, Red Cloud’s War, and the loss of his love, but the search for peace and belonging still eludes him. From Colorado, famed Texas Ranger Charlie Goodnight lures Will to Texas, where he finds new love, but can a Civil War sharpshooter and a Quaker find a compromise to let their love survive? When Will has a chance to join in the founding of a new town, he risks everything—his savings, his family, and his life—but it will all be for nothing if the new railroad passes them by.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Luther has escaped slavery in Kentucky through Albinia, Will’s sister, only to find prejudice rearing its ugly head in Indiana. When the Black Codes are passed, he’s forced to leave and begin a new odyssey. Where can he and his family go to be truly free? Can they start a town owned by blacks, run by blacks, with no one to answer to? But their success will be dependent on the almighty railroad and overcoming bigotry to prove their town deserves the chance to thrive.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Will’s eldest sister, Julia, and her husband, Hiram, are watching the demise of their steamboat business and jump into railroads, but there’s a long black shadow in the form of Jay Gould, the robber baron who ruthlessly swallows any business he considers competition. Can Julia fight the rules against women in business, dodge Gould, and hold her marriage together?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The Founding tells the little-known story of the Exodusters and Nicodemus, the black town on the plains of Kansas, and the parallel story of Will’s founding of Lubbock, Texas, against the background of railroad expansion in America. A family reunited, new love discovered, the quest for freedom, the rise of two towns. In the end, can they reach Across the Great Divide? The Founding is the exciting conclusion to the series.</span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Praise for The Founding:</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">“Michael is an excellent storyteller and has done a wonderful job depicting Luther, and the other black characters in this book. He has done his homework and depicts many historical facts about Nicodemus in a most enlightening and creative way. It has been a pleasure working with someone who has made a concerted effort to get things right. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>~ Angela Bates</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Nicodemus Descendant/Historian</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Executive Director</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>The Nicodemus Historical Society and Museum</i></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Interview </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;">What inspired you to start writing?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I started writing short stories at fourteen, back in 1968. I wanted to tell stories that would make people think, and perhaps influence the world for good. My mother was a curriculum coordinator for one of the largest school systems in the country, and dealt with publishers often. She was my first writing teacher and editor. She showed one of my stories to an editor for Random House, and they bought it, wondering if I had any more. She didn’t know, but that was my first encouragement to write.</span><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">There were so many difficult parts – marketing it had to be the hardest. I learned a great deal from my editor, Jenny Quinlan about craft and the industry. The Historical Novel Society has been a great teacher. The research was difficult, since my main character was not a famous person, though real. Much of what I knew came from personal contact with his family, and dusty archives that aren’t digitalized. I ended up writing an article about him for the Texas Historical Society, which is published in Texas State Historical Association Online William Dorsey Crump. Keeping the timeline straight and in sync for Will and the supporting cast was quite a trick. The Founding, in particular, covers a large span of time, with three threads. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">That’s rather like choosing between your children. Will Crump, the star of the series certainly does hold a special place, since I knew his family, though he died before I was born. Will’s story, after all, was what inspired me to write the books. Luther also has a special spot, because though fictional, he taught me so much about black culture, the history of blacks in America, and how to surrender hate and anger. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Truthfully, I wouldn’t cast all celebrities. I suppose that’s why I’m not in the film business. I do community theatre and directed in high school, with pretty good success. I would cast my narrator Josh Young, who is a Broadway actor, as Will Crump. Josh has a face and voice that could be 15 or 35, and some of the best acting skills I’ve seen. Probably Kirk Cameron for older Will. I’d cast Tyler James Williams as adult Luther, and Lonnie Chavis as young Luther. For Will’s father Robert, I’d love to get Christopher Walken. Marsai Martin as Luther’s wife Ruth. Claire Holt as Will’s sister Albinia. Elle Fanning as Will’s oldest sister, Julia. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Cardo; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Prejudice is alive and well, unfortunately.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Prejudice and forgiveness are both choices, and have consequences.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Reaching out to others can bridge the divide between races and cultures.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BL9438XP/" style="color: black; font-size: x-large; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL9438XP/" style="color: black; font-size: x-large; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BL9438XP/" style="color: black; font-size: x-large; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BL9438XP/" style="color: black; font-size: x-large; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087JSMHY4" style="color: black; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Series Link Amazon US</span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087JSMHY4" style="color: black; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Series Link Amazon UK</span></span></a></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Michael L. Ross</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1DCgvQxnNdlprTIMgQCIyV1LlJ92fqdxjVPw_tBU6qgI1HtFO8fEDNNShfkKv6gNpbQ9Y9mKsUhmudJIV0222DZSWEusgE1n9T8rxoyofEzhfwNh2wnUAU6OpiKd9IaaET9qnKQSxNQtPh1FW20Mf6AE1VPA3SrlhVBiFwIlWVMbj3xm_3r6OCPYxg/s400/Michael%20L%20Ross.jpeg" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1DCgvQxnNdlprTIMgQCIyV1LlJ92fqdxjVPw_tBU6qgI1HtFO8fEDNNShfkKv6gNpbQ9Y9mKsUhmudJIV0222DZSWEusgE1n9T8rxoyofEzhfwNh2wnUAU6OpiKd9IaaET9qnKQSxNQtPh1FW20Mf6AE1VPA3SrlhVBiFwIlWVMbj3xm_3r6OCPYxg/s320/Michael%20L%20Ross.jpeg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">He’s a retired software engineer turned author, with three children, and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of 39 years. Michael graduated from Rice University and Portland State University with degrees in German and software engineering. He was part of an MBA program at Boston University. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Michael was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas. He’s written short stories and technical articles in the past, as well as articles for the Texas Historical Society. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Across the Great Divide now has three novels in the series, "The Clouds of War", and "The Search", and the conclusion, "The Founding". "The Clouds of War" was an honorable mention for Coffee Pot Book of the Year in 2019, and an Amazon #1 best seller in three categories, along with making the Amazon top 100 paid, reviewed in Publisher's Weekly. "The Search" won Coffee Pot Cover of the Year in 2020, and Coffee Pot Silver Medal for Book of the Year in 2020, as well as short listed for the Chanticleer International Book Laramie Award. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://historicalnovelsrus.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelLRoss7" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://facebook.com/HistoricalNovelsRUS" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Ross/e/B07PTB7WMK" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/michael-l-ross" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">BookBub</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19005014.Michael_Ross" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div></div><div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/11/blog-tour-founding-by-michael-ross.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkQXE_O6xjkpMF5CaPp_PKIzBfzGKV8xZb79FVL03QfsBZkIqLMuT8L9EwPHtoWgHYoSSF76YVKEAYNgY8gzwHqMrAESs-BMiExTi2AfUdVDnAhAQMK5zHL0WZJDgGqjerXU6sMM_Qxdimbic_ksL1XjWgo4MfLjpSBvobIKYfp3F31tMyZkuTkQcRA/s640/The%20Founding%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #a1230d; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkQXE_O6xjkpMF5CaPp_PKIzBfzGKV8xZb79FVL03QfsBZkIqLMuT8L9EwPHtoWgHYoSSF76YVKEAYNgY8gzwHqMrAESs-BMiExTi2AfUdVDnAhAQMK5zHL0WZJDgGqjerXU6sMM_Qxdimbic_ksL1XjWgo4MfLjpSBvobIKYfp3F31tMyZkuTkQcRA/w640-h360/The%20Founding%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-54548698544971405162022-11-10T23:00:00.000-08:002022-11-10T23:00:00.205-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Skull’s Vengeance (Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book 4) by Linnea Tanner #AncientRome #AncientBritannia #BlogTour @linneatanner @maryanneyarde <p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvXpHsUiZma5AHogqEkD80S-wIG6je5OPUUIkSPru0fEuqmGTjGC1raRDsK0PzsbZxWIGA5nSsgB2IBWriy-e-NULnBV3WejdkB-zf_x3eIbWcslO_QYSS9Lijqy2rdtS8H7NxzSUtO3i-jslixa8lnRQJZXbqgF69izdoDNje3lBl_XCltuzH46Z/s1600/Skull's%20Vengeance%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvXpHsUiZma5AHogqEkD80S-wIG6je5OPUUIkSPru0fEuqmGTjGC1raRDsK0PzsbZxWIGA5nSsgB2IBWriy-e-NULnBV3WejdkB-zf_x3eIbWcslO_QYSS9Lijqy2rdtS8H7NxzSUtO3i-jslixa8lnRQJZXbqgF69izdoDNje3lBl_XCltuzH46Z/w640-h360/Skull's%20Vengeance%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">Skull’s Vengeance</span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">(Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book 4)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">By Linnea Tanner</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div></div></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uMcoqgiCot5fNyFugQBNC5nFKaKDYDF8Z3SYfdPZxQ_YbEVhRes8HCcqGajwHnp6EJ_aRmWiMpIir1WunSeidX8NATMTDQ88ku2LZNt0pDnpENG9LwN9a3I60ruwoYFc9Bf1qIWrwfY5jUQ24LA2zPNMIcueYU8AWPDEXwRVjMx9PklwyBIwPC2d/s2775/Skullsvengeance_eBook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1835" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uMcoqgiCot5fNyFugQBNC5nFKaKDYDF8Z3SYfdPZxQ_YbEVhRes8HCcqGajwHnp6EJ_aRmWiMpIir1WunSeidX8NATMTDQ88ku2LZNt0pDnpENG9LwN9a3I60ruwoYFc9Bf1qIWrwfY5jUQ24LA2zPNMIcueYU8AWPDEXwRVjMx9PklwyBIwPC2d/w424-h640/Skullsvengeance_eBook.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">A Celtic warrior queen must do the impossible—defeat her sorcerer half-brother and claim the throne. But to do so, she must learn how to strike vengeance from her father’s skull.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">AS FORETOLD BY HER FATHER in a vision, Catrin has become a battle-hardened warrior after her trials in the Roman legion and gladiatorial games. She must return to Britannia and pull the cursed dagger out of the serpent's stone to fulfill her destiny. Only then can she unleash the vengeance from the ancient druids to destroy her evil half-brother, the powerful sorcerer, King Marrock. Always two steps ahead and seemingly unstoppable, Marrock can summon destructive natural forces to crush any rival trying to stop him and has charged his deadliest assassin to bring back Catrin's head.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">To have the slightest chance of beating Marrock, Catrin must forge alliances with former enemies, but she needs someone she can trust. Her only option is to seek military aid from Marcellus—her secret Roman husband. They rekindle their burning passion, but he is playing a deadly game in the political firestorm of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to support Catrin's cause.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Ultimately, in order to defeat Marrock, Catrin must align herself with a dark druidess and learn how to summon forces from skulls to exact vengeance. But can she and Marcellus outmaneuver political enemies from Rome and Britannia in their quest to vanquish Marrock?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Trigger warnings:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Sex, Slave trafficking and abuse, Violence, Childbirth.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Interview</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">When I was a child, my mother filled our shelves with a variety of books. I loved to read Greek, Roman, and Nordic myths and legends in which goddesses and women played major roles in the stories. It triggered my imagination to create a female warrior similar to the Amazons. Also, during this time, I became fascinated with Roman history and created her Roman love interest. Imagining “larger than life” stories in my head helped me to meet challenges throughout my life. Yet, I never wrote these stories down until later in life.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">The inspiration for writing the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series began when I first beheld the statue of the ancient warrior queen, Boudicca, and her daughters in a horse-drawn chariot in London. The Roman historian Cassius Dio described her as being, “in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh: a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace.” Boudicca symbolizes how a determined woman can unite factions to rise up against tyranny and seek their freedom. My primary character, Catrin, is inspired by Boudicca’s legacy and her Celtic world, which later inspired Arthurian legend. </div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">Catrin’s love interest, Marcellus, was inspired by the legacy of Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) and his relationship with Cleopatra. After their tragic death, Mark Antony’s son, Iullus, rose politically in the imperial court of Emperor Augustus Caesar. Tragically, Iullus was accused of treason for having an affair with the emperor’s daughter and was forced to fall on his sword. Iullus’s eighteen-year-old son, Lucius, voluntarily exiled to Gaul to avoid political repercussions. </div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">I asked myself, “What would Lucius do if his son followed the destructive pathway of his forefathers whose liaisons with powerful women doomed them.” And thus, the character of Marcellus crystallized in my mind.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">Ultimately, the characters I imagined as a child evolved into star-crossed lovers in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. My journey as a writer began in earnest to bring these characters to life when I semi-retired in 2010.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4 in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings) had to provide sufficient backstory to refresh readers’ memories of the previous books in the series or for them to read it as a standalone novel. This book is more epic as Marcellus and Catrin are swept into the political firestorm of the Julio-Claudian imperial court of Tiberius. I had to do more extensive research on the historical backdrop of Tiberius and the key Roman players vying for political power. I also tackled the difficult topic of slave trafficking and its abuses in the Roman society. </div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">Ultimately, I had to listen to my characters tell their stories. New characters and plotlines were added, requiring several chapters of my original draft to be rewritten or replaced.</div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">Catrin holds a special place in my heart because she symbolizes what women have to overcome to pursue their dreams. She undergoes trials to prepare herself in the quest of overthrowing her half-brother, Marrock. An evil shapeshifter, Marrock has brutally overthrown their father’s kingdom with the aid of the Romans. Although Catrin is “bigger than life,” she faces challenges to which modern women can relate: pursuit of love, motherhood, and overcoming challenges unique to their gender. She must learn how to balance love versus duty to her people.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">This is a difficult question to answer. What comes to mind are celebrities from historical and fantasy series made for television. Actresses Morfydd Clark from Rings of Power and Katheryn Winnick from the Vikings embody Catrin’s resilience, strength, and athleticism. </div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">When I began writing the series in 2010, I envisioned Marcellus looking like Andy Whitfield, who originally played Spartacus in the original Starz series but tragically died of cancer. James Purefoy, who played Mark Antony from the 2005-2007 television series, Rome, embodied Marcellus’s audacity and recklessness with love. However, a younger actor with these stars’ qualities would need to play Marcellus. </div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">I hope readers are entertained and inspired by the story of a young woman who evolves into a formidable warrior queen. Further, I hope they learn more about the political backdrop of ancient Rome under the reign of Tiberius and the abuses slaves suffered in their society. The fall of Rome from within is a reminder that history repeats if we don’t learn from it. </div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;">Finally, I hope the central themes of love versus duty, free will versus fate, and power and corruption will resonate with readers after they finish reading the novel.</div></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qiqoK2lxtu1d_X968--HeIS_kObuGU-Ftztry335PsTjQCftEcEFeTMEnywYAaE2MBhc1t3qOuuLo6oDqd_TY2eEXVf7tDU_2dQ_hVnf6Vt4l13QYcBFA2Nh9czg9aZ9BRpZ7mTAcuhAJBrda5SFLwIKt1VUU_W-x3fLOR3QRPiFClPz7ijDpFMO/s1600/Apollo's%20Raven%20Series%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qiqoK2lxtu1d_X968--HeIS_kObuGU-Ftztry335PsTjQCftEcEFeTMEnywYAaE2MBhc1t3qOuuLo6oDqd_TY2eEXVf7tDU_2dQ_hVnf6Vt4l13QYcBFA2Nh9czg9aZ9BRpZ7mTAcuhAJBrda5SFLwIKt1VUU_W-x3fLOR3QRPiFClPz7ijDpFMO/w640-h360/Apollo's%20Raven%20Series%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><span>Buy the Series</span><span> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848QHHK4/" target="_blank">Apollo’s Raven </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G3G4G55/" target="_blank">Dagger’s Destiny</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amulets-Rapture-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B07Y8SS2B2" target="_blank">Amulet’s Rapture</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;">Skull’s Vengeance</span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Linnea Tanner</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDqzIrMVCwOHvje2-t-N1YmGlHBpOhs11eKZb_Ck1QPjq_N-GDAhiVaf8lwud-13oaqCtB09rg6UUiX8rraQ8Lbkl1t3UU-BdPP4qwM3XrW_t6RSUH_W2JQVDU02dYZ5cFX8C35KZl9UXIaZEJj-EOmPviVzWKVsT6Ii6Udo4Egfd7LVsLRZVYCdU/s1200/Linnea%20Tanner%20Head%20Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDqzIrMVCwOHvje2-t-N1YmGlHBpOhs11eKZb_Ck1QPjq_N-GDAhiVaf8lwud-13oaqCtB09rg6UUiX8rraQ8Lbkl1t3UU-BdPP4qwM3XrW_t6RSUH_W2JQVDU02dYZ5cFX8C35KZl9UXIaZEJj-EOmPviVzWKVsT6Ii6Udo4Egfd7LVsLRZVYCdU/s320/Linnea%20Tanner%20Head%20Shot.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Award-winning author, Linne a 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. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical druids.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>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).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>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</span><span> </span><span>six grandchildren.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>Social Media links:</span></div></span><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.linneatanner.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Website</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/linneatanner"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LinneaTannerAuthor"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/linnea-tanner-a021932b/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/linneatanner"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Instagram</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/linneatanner/_created/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pinterest</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linnea-tanner"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Book Bub</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Linnea-Tanner/e/B01N6YEM04"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16474282.Linnea_Tanner">Goodreads</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/01/blog-tour-skulls-vengeance-curse-of.html"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tour Schedule </span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHA_YySoJwtG5l9xDEBl1kVUoHVEgcvV0sjJdmT8x_pkWqNxQn4lVIqNJS-3eVq0Zq8QB9k91XH1DaP-F9g-TsMVBIIW1p0z-a5UUr--RUNIMcdlIkOeFmd2z4O9pZjtSzWXdaJJ1pSXEGKelbBl24lkfNRTS-IysQSuJt44riizbXC7U62Pll-H5/s1600/Skull's%20Vengeance%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHA_YySoJwtG5l9xDEBl1kVUoHVEgcvV0sjJdmT8x_pkWqNxQn4lVIqNJS-3eVq0Zq8QB9k91XH1DaP-F9g-TsMVBIIW1p0z-a5UUr--RUNIMcdlIkOeFmd2z4O9pZjtSzWXdaJJ1pSXEGKelbBl24lkfNRTS-IysQSuJt44riizbXC7U62Pll-H5/w640-h360/Skull's%20Vengeance%20Tour%20Schedule%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">The Whispering Bookworm<br /></span><br /></span></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-26585184122474512522022-11-06T23:00:00.000-08:002022-11-06T23:00:00.198-08:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Squire’s Hazard by Carolyn Hughes #interview #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @writingcalliope @cathiedunn<p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdG9CY6sAw7fDG_HvoFGNlrpgZk2ocbkjjIFcbbe9ENtk84S8gcKWFNq2iEtpc1E48mZ0JEJQQ-Obeq7OdMJimi7llCu3waf2ESjzEPSejWBjqrPzViW0UrKqo7GSR98HxjNiaogqEK_8ORryOYiHhGWlDJDwPDS5C08zTN-K1OZir5Zf-TWyHpBObA/s640/Squire's%20Hazard%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdG9CY6sAw7fDG_HvoFGNlrpgZk2ocbkjjIFcbbe9ENtk84S8gcKWFNq2iEtpc1E48mZ0JEJQQ-Obeq7OdMJimi7llCu3waf2ESjzEPSejWBjqrPzViW0UrKqo7GSR98HxjNiaogqEK_8ORryOYiHhGWlDJDwPDS5C08zTN-K1OZir5Zf-TWyHpBObA/w640-h360/Squire's%20Hazard%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7foyS8P00Povm1okjaM012FzpCMjZf-eeO9JiuBlOi2j_yruxMEBl45qGunSB2Q7Y7v1QvtIlTg2WJ1_kx8mlaWvK4SMkMQ1XxZc1qqlAPZAN6RJY4fJkzD3GyMKta5keWmYdyl9-qDcvwFSRcHR7paH5qwqCj1xKV4rlhAOpaA4YLH936mBL8Se/s2560/Squire-EBOOK-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7foyS8P00Povm1okjaM012FzpCMjZf-eeO9JiuBlOi2j_yruxMEBl45qGunSB2Q7Y7v1QvtIlTg2WJ1_kx8mlaWvK4SMkMQ1XxZc1qqlAPZAN6RJY4fJkzD3GyMKta5keWmYdyl9-qDcvwFSRcHR7paH5qwqCj1xKV4rlhAOpaA4YLH936mBL8Se/w400-h640/Squire-EBOOK-Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">How do you overcome the loathing, lust and bitterness threatening you and your family’s honour?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">It’s 1363, and in Steyning Castle, Sussex, Dickon de Bohun is enjoying life as a squire in the household of Earl Raoul de Fougère. Or he would be, if it weren’t for Edwin de Courtenay, who’s making his life a misery with his bullying, threatening to expose the truth about Dickon’s birth.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">At home in Meonbridge for Christmas, Dickon notices how grown-up his childhood playmate, Libby Fletcher, has become since he last saw her and feels the stirrings of desire. Libby, seeing how different he is too, falls instantly in love. But as a servant to Dickon’s grandmother, Lady Margaret de Bohun, she could never be his wife.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Margery Tyler, Libby’s aunt, meeting her niece by chance, learns of her passion for young Dickon. Their conversation rekindles Margery’s long-held rancour against the de Bohuns, whom she blames for all the ills that befell her family, including her own servitude. For years she’s hidden her hunger for retribution, but she can no longer keep her hostility in check.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">As the future Lord of Meonbridge, Dickon knows he must rise above de Courtenay’s loathing and intimidation, and get the better of him. And, surely, he must master his lust for Libby, so his own mother’s shocking history is not repeated? Of Margery’s bitterness, however, he has yet to learn…</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Beset by the hazards these powerful and dangerous emotions bring, can young Dickon summon up the courage and resolve to overcome them?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Secrets, hatred and betrayal, but also love and courage – Squire’s Hazard, the fifth MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLE.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Interview</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wrote stories as a child, as many of us did. But, later, as an adult, all the time I worked (and married and had children), I continued writing on and off – short stories, novels, children’s stories, ideas for non-fiction books. But it never occurred to me to try and have anything published – I wrote for pleasure, or perhaps because I couldn’t NOT write. At length, though, I did begin to think publication might be possible and tried submitting my contemporary women’s fiction to agents. But I got nowhere. Then, quite late in life, I decided to take a Masters in Creative Writing – to give a “focus” to my writing, as I told myself. And it worked. The result was Fortune’s Wheel, the first of my Meonbridge Chronicles, which I eventually self-published. I became “a writer”, which is what I now think I am.</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Squire’s Hazard has taken me longer to write than the previous books, and I think that is because I was finding it all quite “hard” to write! And the hardest scenes for me, in this book and the earlier ones, are those involving emotional conflict and psychological distress, in particular where characters are keeping secrets, are being deliberately “economical with the truth”, or have lost touch with the truth. Because I’m writing in series, I’m inevitably referring back to earlier events, which one character might “remember” differently from another. It’s important to maintain consistency and continuity of characters from book to book, but also to have them develop and change. Getting that balance can be tricky, and is one aspect of writing about characters that I find most challenging. </span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mmm, that’s really difficult. I love them all! But I think I’ll choose Lady Margaret de Bohun, who is the lady of the manor in Meonbridge, and in Squire’s Hazard, is actually the “lord”. I love her because she is quite down-to-earth in many ways. She loves gardening, and works hard, even though her body is telling her it’s time she slowed down a bit. She regards her tenants as her “friends and neighbours”, rather than her chattels, even though she is most definitely in charge. Another character in Squire’s Hazard thinks Margaret is autocratic but in truth she’s not. She adores her grandson, despite his “difficult” start in life, and is determined to do the best for him – of course she is. But she cares about the future of others too, like her maid, Libby. She also has a gentle sense of humour, and laughs a lot. Yes, Margaret definitely has a special place in my heart!</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mmmm, I’m not sure about this! Mostly because I am not terribly au fait with movie stars! Squire’s Hazard has four principal characters: Lady Margaret de Bohun, who is comparatively elderly; Dickon, her grandson, who is fifteen; and her maid, Libby, who is the same age as Dickon. Then there is Libby’s aunt, Margery, who is in her thirties but almost certainly looks a good deal older because of the hard physical work she does as a servant. So, let’s think… Maybe I can suggest actors for two of the characters?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">For Lady Margaret, maybe Imelda Staunton or Julie Walters? I’m thinking here of actors who can be somewhat comical, as Margaret, despite her high station in life, is not aloof or serious but definitely has a droll side to her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">For Margery, perhaps Carey Mulligan or Emily Blunt? The problem for these lovely actors is that Margery is not a particularly “lovely” woman, and becomes even less so through the book! But I’m sure the actors could do “unattractive”, if called upon to do so!</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">I hope they have felt, as one of my reviewers has said, that they have “[not] so much read about the folk of Meonbridge as [dwelt] amongst them for a few precious hours”; that they have walked in the shoes of my fourteenth century characters for a little while and understood something of their lives, appreciating both their similarities to us today as well as the differences.</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: Cardo;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bW5yJz " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">#KindleUnlimited</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Carolyn Hughes</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M7k_gAVZ5Hpn84tgFtSTxl8MDGUIut6CKI-9hSypKonIahLE81_FcMR7aV29eSojRLsmW8dYVItzOr9v6D_KFXoyAr_eMJKI3W4kfLFRIoEY9tIUFgxu4lCzGnOqZ6RY9ZN3BdGBGh2bYAsn5UgfFSAK0Vf6I1u5Vlb4lAbIyGB-7rVNQj4rxu-W/s1362/Carolyn%20Hughes%20author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="1362" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M7k_gAVZ5Hpn84tgFtSTxl8MDGUIut6CKI-9hSypKonIahLE81_FcMR7aV29eSojRLsmW8dYVItzOr9v6D_KFXoyAr_eMJKI3W4kfLFRIoEY9tIUFgxu4lCzGnOqZ6RY9ZN3BdGBGh2bYAsn5UgfFSAK0Vf6I1u5Vlb4lAbIyGB-7rVNQj4rxu-W/s320/Carolyn%20Hughes%20author.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />CAROLYN HUGHES has lived much of her life in Hampshire. With a first degree in Classics and English, she started working life as a computer programmer, then a very new profession. But it was technical authoring that later proved her vocation, as she wrote and edited material, some fascinating, some dull, for an array of different clients, including banks, an international hotel group and medical instruments manufacturers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Having written creatively for most of her adult life, it was not until her children flew the nest several years ago that writing historical fiction took centre stage, alongside gaining a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Squire’s Hazard is the fifth MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLE, and more stories about the folk of Meonbridge will follow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">You can connect with Carolyn through her website www.carolynhughesauthor.com and on social media.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="www.carolynhughesauthor.com " target="_blank">Website</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/writingcalliope " target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CarolynHughesAuthor/ " target="_blank">Facebook </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carolyn-hughes " target="_blank">Book Bub</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carolyn-Hughes/e/B01MG5TWH1/ " target="_blank">Amazon Author Page UK</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16048212.Carolyn_Hughes" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/09/blog-tour-squires-hazard.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEM6VKjKvtc18ZE8XEcxNMQXFvqFxCnFTnvEPZXZLtB6_ykbctt6F3M_boLaNgymzQVgqD074LYRi1BS9ml-omJ-InbXE7loS_K6ve-c1muAVlJ3nFHue004pkY3KhjSeDWaQG7ulNS75Umq2MTHejKLYKDbJtqZYKl37Wh_gWWlU8dwvXDBqAAIz/s640/Squire's%20Hazard%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEM6VKjKvtc18ZE8XEcxNMQXFvqFxCnFTnvEPZXZLtB6_ykbctt6F3M_boLaNgymzQVgqD074LYRi1BS9ml-omJ-InbXE7loS_K6ve-c1muAVlJ3nFHue004pkY3KhjSeDWaQG7ulNS75Umq2MTHejKLYKDbJtqZYKl37Wh_gWWlU8dwvXDBqAAIz/w640-h360/Squire's%20Hazard%20Tour%20Schedule.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-64447793599876466892022-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:002022-11-01T00:00:00.176-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Floats the Dark Shadow by Yves Fey #HistoricalMystery #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @YvesFey @cathiedunn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopbU5j02YLImUyVOB6z0HN4ZQSMFoquaaur6ZWYs6Y-ECjkjANyHD6yWEneoMH02CoJc1wUdotztLcF7hC3BucE2jEKb1V-pOQAC6_uoOfFZ9L-nP6qUYgnEKvB4uOL-ls_dCe3fyxkysk-KRW6Zmk4gxX7st9Olhvo4Kvyljth4fviQYRVL-VjFb/s640/Floats%20the%20Dark%20Shadow%20Tour%20Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopbU5j02YLImUyVOB6z0HN4ZQSMFoquaaur6ZWYs6Y-ECjkjANyHD6yWEneoMH02CoJc1wUdotztLcF7hC3BucE2jEKb1V-pOQAC6_uoOfFZ9L-nP6qUYgnEKvB4uOL-ls_dCe3fyxkysk-KRW6Zmk4gxX7st9Olhvo4Kvyljth4fviQYRVL-VjFb/w640-h360/Floats%20the%20Dark%20Shadow%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Coffee Pot Book Club Presents</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Floats the Dark Shadow </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">By Yves Fey</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY43Cl0qI7_VEnhVqVUA4tXzQt4zvB3Nze_vcr1eTYljkXwnZN9MkiUNWK1Hdj8BAEoXHtXU1x99QYR4gfL3JArdui06EaXl6hpBSTK5iaOC3xtuJX1GYsRoFMbGbAbAibGo15t9x1YazrF0O0-xis3tHNEt1pQAdHxkw_jAI-2PmjwI1jhd_9l7GR/s2828/Floats%20the%20Dark%20Shadow%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2828" data-original-width="1891" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY43Cl0qI7_VEnhVqVUA4tXzQt4zvB3Nze_vcr1eTYljkXwnZN9MkiUNWK1Hdj8BAEoXHtXU1x99QYR4gfL3JArdui06EaXl6hpBSTK5iaOC3xtuJX1GYsRoFMbGbAbAibGo15t9x1YazrF0O0-xis3tHNEt1pQAdHxkw_jAI-2PmjwI1jhd_9l7GR/w428-h640/Floats%20the%20Dark%20Shadow%20cover.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>She’s tasted the champagne of success, illustrating poems for the Revenants, a group of poets led by her adored cousin, Averill. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">When children she knows vanish mysteriously, Theo confronts Inspecteur Michel Devaux who suspects the Revenants are involved. Theo refuses to believe the killer could be a friend—could be the man she loves. Classic detection and occult revelation lead Michel and Theo through the dark underbelly of Paris, from catacombs to asylums, to the obscene ritual of a Black Mass. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Following the maze of clues they discover the murderer believes he is the reincarnation of the most evil serial killer in the history of France—Gilles de Rais. Once Joan of Arc’s lieutenant, after her death he plunged into an orgy of evil. The Church burned him at the stake for heresy, sorcery, and the depraved murder of hundreds of peasant children. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Whether deranged mind or demonic passion incite him, the killer must be found before he strikes again.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><b>Excerpt</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Theo and the Revenants Talk of Gilles de Rais—Floats the Dark Shadow</span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Vivid yellow, streaks of sunlight glanced off the blades of the windmill. Their brightness gleamed sharply against the bruised purple clouds lowering in the sky. Deep violet shadows flowed along the dusty streets, the pools of color seductive yet strangely sinister.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Theo lowered her brush, backed up, and contemplated the canvas. The cluster of houses funneling to the windmill lacked detail. The brush twitched restlessly in her hand, but she resisted the urge to elaborate. The clouded sky, jutting blades, the sloping planes of the roofs, would lose impact if she refined the buildings that curved down the hill. She liked the yellow door she saw far up the street. Her painting needed that sort of contrast on the right side, and it would echo the flashes of sun. Choosing a smaller brush, she added a rectangle of chrome yellow to the highest house. Too bright. She muted it so that it didn’t pull the eye away from the windmill. A few quick splashes of vermillion suggested geraniums valiantly blooming in the gathering darkness. The newly added yellow and orange gave the shadows a deeper glow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><i>Stop</i>, Theo thought. <i>Stop</i>. She put the brush aside.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">What would the Revenants think if she left the painting as it was? Only Paul would approve. Casimir would consider it raw and unfinished. Crude. She feared Averill would frown at it too. He most admired the delicate, decadent voluptuousness of Gustave Moreau. Theo had illustrated her cousin’s poems in exquisite, painstakingly rendered detail. But Paris was changing her work, changing her. She would still illustrate Averill’s poems in the style he loved, but her painting would go where it would.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The church bells tolled four. There was still an hour before Matthieu came to help her carry back her easel and paints. She would read a chapter of her book then look to see if the painting really needed more detail. Theo turned the canvas around so she would not steal glances at it. She wiped her hands on a rag, then sat cross-legged in the shade of a chestnut tree. Taking an apple out of her satchel, she bit into the crisp flesh, juicy and tartly sweet. The bright fragrance distracted her from the odors of oil and turpentine that called her back to the windmill. Instead, a still life with apples floated through her mind. Patches of red, yellow, and pale green gleamed as she slowly ate the fruit down to the core.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Finished, Theo searched deeper in her satchel for the book Casimir had recently given her. Drawing it out, she stared at the cover for a minute, reluctant to open it. <i>Là Bas </i>fascinated and distressed her. The novel was filled with weird obsessions and unsatisfied quests, overwrought one moment then strangely austere. But it was learning more about the horrific Gilles de Rais that made Theo steel herself before opening her bookmarked page.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘Association with Jeanne d’Arc certainly stimulated his desires for the divine. Now from lofty mysticism to base Satanism there is but one step. In the Beyond all things touch… She roused an impetuous soul, as ready for orgies of saintliness as for ecstasies of crime.….’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Theo doubted Jeanne d’Arc would be pleased with what she roused. She read on, descending into a darkness as grim as the catacombs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘Then as to being a ‘ripper’ of children…Gilles did not violate and trucidate little boys until after he became convinced of the vanity of alchemy.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Is that an excuse?” Theo muttered under her breath. Apparently so, for the narrator thought that Gilles was no crueler than the other barons of the age.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘He exceeds them in the magnitude of his debauches, in the opulence of his murders, that is all.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A shadow fell across the book. Startled, she looked up to find Averill standing above her. He bent close, lips to her ear, and his whisper sent a spark of excitement coursing along Theo’s spine. “<i>I was born under so fierce a star….</i>” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Stepping into view, Casimir finished Gilles’ most famous quote “<i>… that I have done what no one in the world has done or could ever do</i>.” He sounded almost smug. A cat with cream on its whiskers—or a mouse under its paw.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“You’re wicked, both of you. All three of you,” she chided, seeing Jules lurking behind them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">They had crept up on her deliberately. Theo shielded her eyes as she gazed up at them, standing together, backlit by the late afternoon sun. She was still not fully emerged from the nightmare world of Gilles de Rais. Their words, his words, overlaid an image of star-spattered blackness in her mind. The teasing touch of fear mingled uneasily with the teasing softness of Averill’s whisper. Her heart was racing, and tiny shivers threaded from the hollow of her ear and down her neck.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“What is happening?” Averill asked, nodding down to the book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Theo seized the offered refuge. She did not want to talk about the opulence of Gilles’ murders, so she turned to the opulence of his possessions. “I was amazed—he was even richer than the king.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“The richest man in France and the most profligate,” Averill said.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“He bankrupted himself buying gem-encrusted books and extravagant robes embroidered in gold.” Casimir’s gestures clothed his own body in a flow of silks and velvets. “Every object in his possession was luxurious perfection. He devised flamboyant pageants where even the least of the pages was garbed like a king and built fabulous chapels for his angelic choirboys.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“He spent even more on alchemists who promised to make gold from lead,” a little smile twisted Averill’s lips, “and sorcerers who promised to summon Satan for him.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Jules closed his eyes as if praying, murmuring something inaudible.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“What did you say, Jules?” Theo asked, wondering why he tried so hard to vanish. Sometimes it made him all the more obvious.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Startled, he opened his eyes. His lips trembled, but he said, “He lost his soul to black magic. But he was forgiven.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Forgiven?” Theo hoped not.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Yes…” Jules hesitated, “…at the end.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Oh, he was executed,” Casimir assured her. “Far too mercifully throttled, then burned.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“But he knelt in church and begged them all for forgiveness.” Jules sighed and Theo thought she saw tears glistening in his eyes. “It was granted.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Jules had once wanted to be a priest. Averill was raised Catholic, and Casimir. Was that the reason they understood the excesses of Gilles de Rais better than she could? Like him, they had worshipped in vast cathedrals gleaming with golden artifacts. Like him, they breathed air perfumed with bouquets of lilies and drifting clouds of incense. Priests garbed in embroidered robes chanted rites in Latin, transforming the simple words of Jesus to an impenetrable mystery. Impenetrable to her, but not to them. Did the wafers and wine transform on their tongues to body and blood? Rather than the empty cross of the resurrection that she had gazed on, they lifted their eyes to Christ crucified. It was a world of confession and absolution. Of abasement and glory.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">A world of utter damnation—yet one where even the worst sins could be forgiven</span>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">By this Book</span></div><div><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3GW2BO" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/floats-the-dark-shadow-yves-fey/1112417004?ean=2940149661459 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Barnes and Noble</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/floats-the-dark-shadow " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Kobo</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Floats-the-Dark-Shadow-Livre-Audio/B00IX13DGG " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Audio</span></a></div><div><a href="https://books.apple.com/book/floats-the-dark-shadow/ " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Apple Books</span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Yves Fey</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgTw5YjSzm6lPlaI4LU_BdEPAPUcEOH6-Fjt_nv5TWgabLliUCqatvl_aP2lk9ZkqAmwKD2Mv0FG7k_RVIFAej8GtjRi5ISlXd_t9i9mr18yPtUa_ic7c8NZb3E1IsLsScExAltjpAw8e7dv2Xyfy9ViPASMud_NRJZQeDn-22u_QK75NksTBQdGd/s500/Yves%20Fey%20Author%20Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgTw5YjSzm6lPlaI4LU_BdEPAPUcEOH6-Fjt_nv5TWgabLliUCqatvl_aP2lk9ZkqAmwKD2Mv0FG7k_RVIFAej8GtjRi5ISlXd_t9i9mr18yPtUa_ic7c8NZb3E1IsLsScExAltjpAw8e7dv2Xyfy9ViPASMud_NRJZQeDn-22u_QK75NksTBQdGd/s320/Yves%20Fey%20Author%20Photo.jpg" width="261" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br />Yves Fey has MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon, and a BA in Pictorial Arts from UCLA. Yves began drawing as soon as she could hold a crayon and writing at twelve. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">She’s been a tie dye artist, go-go dancer, creator of ceramic beasties, writing teacher, illustrator, and has won prizes for her chocolate desserts. Her current obsession is creating perfumes inspired by her Parisian characters. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Yves lives in Albany with her mystery writer husband and their cats, Charlotte and Emily, the Flying Bronte Sisters.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><a href="http://YvesFey.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div><a href="https://twitter.com/YvesFey " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/YvesFey " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gayle-feyrer-366b9832/ " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Instagram: Gayle Feyrer (@yves_fey) • Instagram photos and videos</span></div><div><a href="https://www.pinterest.fr/yvesfey/ " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Pinterest</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yves-Fey/e/B008VHHPPC " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/499414.Yves_Fey" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/09/blog-tour-floats-dark-shadow-by-yves-fey.html " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ivMeztoIGkDqW3U7nb4dA-31yuYxrDr2xUdFNBHes4Wo1RoZLg3xpVVKe4tHOEgjeKNuXgy9cLIzvfBRpdzlBYnaAxbSj_ewjRjiSv_bczbO1YMIa3irsb8uXFYRvasMNPrVL7dcZOeXQHvyIFD2aCzUwzkrPxchlT4zTkfLeY2DwhJB8XvgZ_L3/s640/Floats%20the%20Dark%20Shadow%20Tour%20Schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ivMeztoIGkDqW3U7nb4dA-31yuYxrDr2xUdFNBHes4Wo1RoZLg3xpVVKe4tHOEgjeKNuXgy9cLIzvfBRpdzlBYnaAxbSj_ewjRjiSv_bczbO1YMIa3irsb8uXFYRvasMNPrVL7dcZOeXQHvyIFD2aCzUwzkrPxchlT4zTkfLeY2DwhJB8XvgZ_L3/w640-h360/Floats%20the%20Dark%20Shadow%20Tour%20Schedule.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-47325185338968526162022-10-16T23:00:00.004-07:002022-10-16T23:00:00.205-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Godmother’s Secret by Elizabeth St.John #Review #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @ElizStJohn @cathiedunn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJDbk8sJ_ycaSR6_ru5F5h0L0y-f7puQa4r8sWEgRhG7wwgs_JvW075mtMHMKmA1Qa--HIacCYx7ORJhnTeW7VfE4dftJBnmpPivYbYm4KpG43Dejg1p6goKtjrm73N83tYDO8mGIuhTVYczMjkun66cx9wo9vmXi2GpxkyQZWxATJrOw9yv2SgjD/s640/The%20Godmother's%20Secret%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJDbk8sJ_ycaSR6_ru5F5h0L0y-f7puQa4r8sWEgRhG7wwgs_JvW075mtMHMKmA1Qa--HIacCYx7ORJhnTeW7VfE4dftJBnmpPivYbYm4KpG43Dejg1p6goKtjrm73N83tYDO8mGIuhTVYczMjkun66cx9wo9vmXi2GpxkyQZWxATJrOw9yv2SgjD/w640-h360/The%20Godmother's%20Secret%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTopgWa5u3aHA9qJIZ0mMbXUZZqeX22eAlhTmbn92KJGRuxPg4mSdR5CN6FEifDAUUSLfNBfEQ3zOfFJrf-AnRl-eyPLMgKYYQdCkTOInHvV_AL33CF_9uhlmiPo-oLjgs9itUL42_b9nt2uYtf85-7VgyFDEpg53_u8sZGRKCE2jma9fMzIC89tj4/s2250/Godmother's%20Secret%20eBook%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTopgWa5u3aHA9qJIZ0mMbXUZZqeX22eAlhTmbn92KJGRuxPg4mSdR5CN6FEifDAUUSLfNBfEQ3zOfFJrf-AnRl-eyPLMgKYYQdCkTOInHvV_AL33CF_9uhlmiPo-oLjgs9itUL42_b9nt2uYtf85-7VgyFDEpg53_u8sZGRKCE2jma9fMzIC89tj4/w426-h640/Godmother's%20Secret%20eBook%20Cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><b><br /></b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">What if you knew what happened to the Princes in the Tower.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Would you tell? Or would you forever keep the secret?</span></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">November, 1470: Westminster Abbey. </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Lady Elysabeth Scrope faces a perilous royal duty when ordered into sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville–witness the birth of Edward IV’s Yorkist son. Margaret Beaufort, Elysabeth’s sister, is desperately seeking a pardon for her exiled son Henry Tudor. Strategically, she coerces Lancastrian Elysabeth to be appointed godmother to Prince Edward, embedding her in the heart of the Plantagenets and uniting them in a destiny of impossible choices and heartbreaking conflict.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Bound by blood and torn by honour, when the king dies and Elysabeth delivers her young godson into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Margaret conspires with Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne. Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court, defying her husband and her sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Was the rebel Duke of Buckingham to blame? Or did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St.John, best-selling author of The Lydiard Chronicles, blends her own family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing alternative story illuminating the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. </span></i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Review</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The Godmother's Secret is a harrowing but at the same time beautiful story about the love of a godmother and the fate of a nation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Elizabeth St.John has written a breathtaking novel that is filled with court dramas, questionable loyalties, and cold hard truths. This is a book that has been waiting for centuries to be written. And although it is very much an alternative story, for we will never really know what happened to the young princes, it is a plausible story and the author writes with such authority that one cannot help but hope that this depiction has a grain of truth to it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The Godmother's Secret is, I think, the most intensely enjoyably and immensely enthralling novel that I have ever had the pleasure to read. It is one of those books that not only immersed me in the story but also made me stop and think about my own feelings about the historical characters depicted, especially with regard to Lady Margaret Beaufort and King Richard III. But I also felt a very strong connection to Elysabeth whose eyes we see this story through.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">If you are a fan of historical fiction set during the War of the Roses, then this book is one you simply have to read. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a just deserving five-star read.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://geni.us/GodmothersSecret " target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This novel is free to read if you have #KindleUnlimited subscription. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Elizabeth St.John</span></div><div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOcglRHk4vOJ2vVypv71D0c8D6ruwt6k0fVklbscYF9c43XC9PNCA6nkpGA4uP3ojxzPyNKhDo_ztAvVUn06IK06q23LthBQ1Gb_OF5rxblV8vD6skQLue9K5kRjqgMQ8gPMs_mGgsDSV47Pt0qj6JxiiaD5GYw5vgQt6dCYTtj-n_hjMxRkUBDM-/s976/Elizabeth%20St.John.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="846" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOcglRHk4vOJ2vVypv71D0c8D6ruwt6k0fVklbscYF9c43XC9PNCA6nkpGA4uP3ojxzPyNKhDo_ztAvVUn06IK06q23LthBQ1Gb_OF5rxblV8vD6skQLue9K5kRjqgMQ8gPMs_mGgsDSV47Pt0qj6JxiiaD5GYw5vgQt6dCYTtj-n_hjMxRkUBDM-/s320/Elizabeth%20St.John.png" width="277" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Elizabeth St.John spends her time between California, England, and the past. An acclaimed author, historian, and genealogist, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Lydiard Park and Nottingham Castle to Richmond Palace and the Tower of London to inspire her novels. Although the family sold a few country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them— in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their legacy. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Having spent a significant part of her life with her seventeenth-century family while writing The Lydiard Chronicles trilogy and Counterpoint series, Elizabeth St.John is now discovering new family stories with her fifteenth-century namesake Elysabeth St.John Scrope, and her half-sister, Margaret Beaufort.</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><a href="http://www.ElizabethJStJohn.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website </span></a></div><div><a href="https://twitter.com/ElizStJohn" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter </span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </span></div><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/ " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/ " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Instagram</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-st-john " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">BookBub</span></a></div><div><a href="https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page </span></a></div><div><a href="https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/08/blog-tour-godmothers-secret-by.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7DdPGYiVZtN3N6GyKTkXZBWpA7zqih_b1_IKX992rgpweDvLmcpioxe30j7y0NCja_2a6aLGwBF3NktcqtC2fS4cGWWg3tkrY_r20h7cVKFbnw68e6sREHwseR0FJe2E6uge91ZKL0bmcugh23BwQ5_e5Z8UPsT9kvsAwjZuNyZtGEkK48wy1OHh/s640/The%20Godmother's%20Secret%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7DdPGYiVZtN3N6GyKTkXZBWpA7zqih_b1_IKX992rgpweDvLmcpioxe30j7y0NCja_2a6aLGwBF3NktcqtC2fS4cGWWg3tkrY_r20h7cVKFbnw68e6sREHwseR0FJe2E6uge91ZKL0bmcugh23BwQ5_e5Z8UPsT9kvsAwjZuNyZtGEkK48wy1OHh/w640-h360/The%20Godmother's%20Secret%20Tour%20Schedule.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-62264717466199056072022-10-10T23:00:00.013-07:002022-10-10T23:00:00.186-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Conjuror’s Apprentice (The Tudor Rose, Book 1) by G.J. Williams #tudor #crime #HistoricalFiction @GJWilliams92 @maryanneyarde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FYONJ9tRBRNReLyNtwIOGDJkvtqUyBAoAg9a6cwLwsYUr1mm_jZH5TC-MxRwMfaIe0Kb54l3zD6_H5iL2hYz4E0cHmZUmblSPNO-QXJNhWz_wTq_2BmburzL6c0nPCAlRhlBiumaZSD5PeD9BfZb-RZqhHKu4GWlPCoxdhYaQXBaCROwNe8OXfnv/s1600/The%20Conjuror%E2%80%99s%20Apprentice.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FYONJ9tRBRNReLyNtwIOGDJkvtqUyBAoAg9a6cwLwsYUr1mm_jZH5TC-MxRwMfaIe0Kb54l3zD6_H5iL2hYz4E0cHmZUmblSPNO-QXJNhWz_wTq_2BmburzL6c0nPCAlRhlBiumaZSD5PeD9BfZb-RZqhHKu4GWlPCoxdhYaQXBaCROwNe8OXfnv/w640-h360/The%20Conjuror%E2%80%99s%20Apprentice.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Coffee Pot Book Club Presents</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Conjuror’s Apprentice<br /></span><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">(The Tudor Rose, Book 1)<br /></span><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">By G.J. Williams</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><span><span style="background-color: white;"><div><br /></div></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ss5H91C2UZl7k80tChugN2LcVHT2lGBRxTI6mNt7Uil53VVRWX6FtM5rhrHWweiKD_XCZZpTPol4h4eQml7ixZ84y0CTYFjYo3K2ExdPoE4gx0wAl3CRuJXlnUJZ8r5H6sX5WYIsvSMeHWPf8WXXGl8_34HCAyiz_u82PaTVcOyFAw0trXJC7wWg/s641/9781915194190.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="415" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ss5H91C2UZl7k80tChugN2LcVHT2lGBRxTI6mNt7Uil53VVRWX6FtM5rhrHWweiKD_XCZZpTPol4h4eQml7ixZ84y0CTYFjYo3K2ExdPoE4gx0wAl3CRuJXlnUJZ8r5H6sX5WYIsvSMeHWPf8WXXGl8_34HCAyiz_u82PaTVcOyFAw0trXJC7wWg/w414-h640/9781915194190.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Born with the ability to hear thoughts and feelings when there is no sound, Margaretta Morgan’s strange gift sees her apprenticed to Doctor John Dee, mathematician, astronomer, and alchemist. Using her secret link with the hidden side and her master’s brilliance, Margaretta faces her first murder mystery. Margaretta and Dee must uncover the evil bound to unravel the court of Bloody Mary. </span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The year is 1555. This is a time ruled by fear. What secrets await to be pulled from the water?</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Conjuror’s Apprentice takes real people and true events in 1555, into which G J Williams weaves a tale of murder and intrigue. Appealing to readers of crime and well researched historical fiction alike, this is the first in a series which will follow the life, times, plots and murders of the Tudor Cour</i>t.</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Trigger warnings:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Descriptions of bodies and the injuries that brought about their death. </span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Threat of torture; description of man who has been tortured.</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Excerpt</span></div><div><span><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">As Margaretta retreated through the stables, she passed a stall with the name Jonas carved into the cross beam. Inside was a truckle bed, neatly covered with a blanket and, on the floor, a leather bag. She banged the stable door closed without stepping out. It was only five quiet steps back to Jonas’s bed space, where she huddled down in the black of the shadows.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The voice of Father Thomas started in a rhythm of prayer and blessing. Then Luke, his voice strained and urgent, like all men who are trying to stop their emotions spilling out of their mouths.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘I cannot just sit here and do nothing, Father. Jonas was like a son to me… and…’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The priest’s response was low and firm. ‘Luke. We have spoken of this before. Lord Cecil will not let this rest until the killer has been found.’ </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘Killers. Jonas was a strong lad. It would take more than one to hold him down and do those things to him.’ Luke’s voice was tinged with anxiety now, like a child whose pleading is being dismissed. ‘Have you told Lord Cecil what I told you? Did you tell him that Jonas spoke of someone called the Shepherd? Did you tell him that Jonas said he was in a flock?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Then banging followed by a whimper. It was Luke beating his fists on the timbers of the stable. The priest was telling him to calm himself, that there was nothing he could do. Luke almost shouted: ‘Jonas was afeared the night before he disappeared. In church that morning he was praying like he had never done before. Flock be damned. He was a lamb to the slaughter.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘Did he say who he feared?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘No. But he had a bruise on his cheek a few days before. When I asked him who did it he claimed a few street boys battered him…that a woman called…called…something I cannot recall…had helped. That she was good no matter what others said.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The priest snapped. ‘What woman? You did not tell me of this before.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Luke’s intake of breath was audible. ‘Tell truth, father. My mind has been full of witnessing the lad’s body. Memories are sneaking back.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘You must tell me everything, Luke. How can I pass the information to Lord Cecil if you do not? Now, what was the woman’s name?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘I cannot recall.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">‘You must.’ The voice was hard now, like a teacher with an errant child. ‘I will return in half of an hour for the name.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">There was a rustle as the priest turned, his long black coat sweeping hay along the floor. His tread was heavy, determined as he made towards the stable door. Then he stopped. From the shadow on the floor it was obvious he was looking into Jonas’s sleeping area. Margaretta held her breath. The cleric muttered something low under his breath as he peered into the gloom. It was not English. He stepped forward. Then a shout from outside. ‘Father. Are you here?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">With a grunt, he turned for the door and walked away. The only sound was the chomping of the horse in the stable opposite and the moaning from Luke. She was listening to a</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">heart break.</span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conjurors-Apprentice-G-J-Williams/dp/1915194199" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-conjurors-apprentice/g-j-williams/9781915194190" target="_blank">Waterstones</a> </span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.reddoorpress.co.uk/products/the-conjurors-apprentice?_pos=1&_sid=30c68d694&_ss=r" target="_blank">RedDoor</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">G.J. Williams</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvzj11frVP5SrJSX66GkFgm-5QAupAMqzUDOt15JwwTuLb1D5ye7ElCXXm9or62QeX0EIC2qx7E5njLr70npKc88aaqBB-wvgVXIInE6qGIN5P7UYWcJJH-1N8AvrsSn5UbwSvErzTGNLr89xbS3l0APQcAXtKCn3OxufwFi287hBzv9iVQXvnl0m/s640/Gwenllian%20Author%20photo.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvzj11frVP5SrJSX66GkFgm-5QAupAMqzUDOt15JwwTuLb1D5ye7ElCXXm9or62QeX0EIC2qx7E5njLr70npKc88aaqBB-wvgVXIInE6qGIN5P7UYWcJJH-1N8AvrsSn5UbwSvErzTGNLr89xbS3l0APQcAXtKCn3OxufwFi287hBzv9iVQXvnl0m/s320/Gwenllian%20Author%20photo.jpeg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">After a career as a business psychologist for city firms, G.J. Williams has returned to her first passion – writing tales of murder, mystery and intrigue. Her psychology background melded with a love of medieval history, draws her to the twists and turns of the human mind, subconscious powers and the dark-side of people who want too much. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">She lives between Somerset and London in the UK and is regularly found writing on a train next to a grumpy cat and a bucket of tea.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Connect with the author on <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/gjwilliams92" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/09/blog-tour-conjurors-apprentice-tudor.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div></span></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-10168742295344193422022-10-09T23:00:00.004-07:002022-10-10T01:05:29.215-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: JULIA PRIMA by Alison Morton #Interview #HistoricalFiction @alison_morton @cathiedunn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ6H3g_jfrJp8aL01M6HZFF9sb06RNBxQdV1cBDf-vifM6Oz0g3j3ezRyitDxdEZ1xbwmE_1FJNoZ3bvyopTzdzUNHgLDg-VJaxCLNJ8vXt_ZgUvXEvH52iEWR_fu8h7Qo1x17yxyNM6SZBblq2_9s_bAdWNMHNxkB86D45Hx_eyiUhk0oOBsXNH9/s640/Julia%20Prima%20Tour%20Banner%20final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ6H3g_jfrJp8aL01M6HZFF9sb06RNBxQdV1cBDf-vifM6Oz0g3j3ezRyitDxdEZ1xbwmE_1FJNoZ3bvyopTzdzUNHgLDg-VJaxCLNJ8vXt_ZgUvXEvH52iEWR_fu8h7Qo1x17yxyNM6SZBblq2_9s_bAdWNMHNxkB86D45Hx_eyiUhk0oOBsXNH9/w640-h360/Julia%20Prima%20Tour%20Banner%20final.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyePwdOwQrWQpCck3wpm_G3I_Ifbbnns3pQLoshfCgQ5fJn-d13gNKEXCUWt7UWJyTQUn_SVCjSmb1_nEKIK7QXQaYHyIEvWfkUqvTfCyBhTEbDdtIDhECZCgNdJUayjiNagkGDH3iYvwPjh3it0D0Dul54lVEfag19K3HYKzra0gfUnyuHYoX1CY/s800/JuliaPrima_eBcov%208x5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyePwdOwQrWQpCck3wpm_G3I_Ifbbnns3pQLoshfCgQ5fJn-d13gNKEXCUWt7UWJyTQUn_SVCjSmb1_nEKIK7QXQaYHyIEvWfkUqvTfCyBhTEbDdtIDhECZCgNdJUayjiNagkGDH3iYvwPjh3it0D0Dul54lVEfag19K3HYKzra0gfUnyuHYoX1CY/w414-h640/JuliaPrima_eBcov%208x5.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">“You should have trusted me. You should have given me a choice.”</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A</span><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">D 370, Roman frontier province of Noricum. Neither wholly married nor wholly divorced, Julia Bacausa is trapped in the power struggle between the Christian church and her pagan ruler father. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Tribune Lucius Apulius’s career is blighted by his determination to stay faithful to the Roman gods in a Christian empire. Stripped of his command in Britannia, he’s demoted to the backwater of Noricum – and encounters Julia.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Unwittingly, he takes her for a whore. When confronted by who she is, he is overcome with remorse and fear. Despite this disaster, Julia and Lucius are drawn to one another by an irresistible attraction.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">But their intensifying bond is broken when Lucius is banished to Rome. Distraught, Julia gambles everything to join him. But a vengeful presence from the past overshadows her perilous journey. Following her heart’s desire brings danger she could never have envisaged…</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Interview</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">What inspired you to start writing?</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A bad film! Well, it was the trigger. Although the photography was beautiful, the dialogue and plot were so chopped up that I thought I could do better. Of course, it’s never that easy… But the idea for the setting of Roma Nova had been spinning around in my head for several decades – an imaginary country founded by twelve Roman families towards the end of the Roman Empire and which had survived into the present. I’ve been fascinated by ancient Rome since I was eleven, but as I wanted a woman leading the action – not feasible in the Ancient Roman Empire – I brought my stories into the present. These descendants were just as tough and inventive as their ancestors and had kept their religion and family traditions through the ages, but developed a society where women ruled. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">However, I’d been busy with life – university, working, army, marriage, raising a child, and although I’d worked it all out in my head, I’d never imagined setting any of it down on paper. Then came the bad film… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ninety days later I had a 90,000-word manuscript and realised I had to find out about the publishing world and whether my story was any good. Two years later after classes, courses, conferences and finding a critique writing partner, I had learnt how to construct a novel and send it in for professional assessment. More learning the craft of creative writing and honing the manuscript followed and INCEPTIO, the first of my Roma Nova series, was published. JULIA PRIMA is the tenth. </span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The previous Roma Nova stories had been set in the present and recent past and came under the subgenre of historical fiction known as alternate history where the timeline veers off in a different direction at some point in the past. For Roma Nova, this was in AD 395. JULIA PRIMA took me back to AD 370, before that point of divergence, so is a standard historical novel. Although I researched the background for the earlier books thoroughly, I had to write into the imaginative void, but for JULIA PRIMA, I had the comfort and constraint of acknowledged historical sources. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The most intensive work was checking whether towns, roads and bridges built several hundred years before in, say, Augustus’s reign still existed in AD 370 and pinpointing their correct names (which frequently changed over the centuries!) and locations so I could make maps for the readers.</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo;"><span style="font-size: large;">Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Well, it has to be Julia herself as I loved developing her from a rather spoilt and privileged girl who had lost her self-confidence into a young woman toughened by experience and resolving what she must do. As I wrote her in the first person, readers can see how she reacts internally and changes as she gets nearer to her goal.</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">In contrast, I really enjoyed writing the established character of Aegius, her guide and mentor as more of his past was unpacked and we see how his character became the one we see in the book – the reverse process!</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Not a definitive choice, but perhaps somebody like Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman would play Julia, with George Clooney as Aegius and Timothée Chalamet as Lucius. Asella? Frances McDormand is my immediate thought – tough, steadfast and passionately loyal.</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">What do you hope your readers take away from this book?</span></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The enjoyment of escaping to a faraway time and place and becoming engaged in characters with some common, some completely different, values and aims in life. We all love to connect with characters’ secrets, desires and fears which, despite the difference in time period, can mirror our own. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Although much seemed the same as in its golden periods, by the late fourth century the Roman Empire had changed significantly and I hope I have given readers a taste of that change.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Lastly, perhaps readers might be tempted to search out the adventures of Julia’s and Lucius’s descendants in the 20th and 21st century. INCEPTIO or AURELIA are good starting places. For much more about the Roma Nova series, I’d like to invite readers to visit my thriller website at https://alison-morton.com. And do send in any questions about Roma Nova to hello@alison-morton.com!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Buy this Book</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books2read.com/JULIAPRIMA " target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/julia-prima-alison-morton/1141719007?ean=2940186610922 " target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/julia-prima/alison-morton/9791097310356 " target="_blank">Waterstones</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/ebook/julia-prima " target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6443066547 " target="_blank">Apple</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Alison Morton</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwE4T-qS8ZrSaRc2XI_-aYhBqH4BLXhrzvk_L2bvvkAW1lEVDfhvLyZKXbEbQRxtT6aR3IrGvydoSoJVrtUUXP6-XUC96l-qT_0_HcdL3N8JuFHco3Gk2ISkqqT74Iqo5HostfIEpMKSkrHatfDCS7wy3f2iL0sLLLsYWqd1QsJUhIyhxc5cSBogG/s1475/Alison%20Morton.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1475" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwE4T-qS8ZrSaRc2XI_-aYhBqH4BLXhrzvk_L2bvvkAW1lEVDfhvLyZKXbEbQRxtT6aR3IrGvydoSoJVrtUUXP6-XUC96l-qT_0_HcdL3N8JuFHco3Gk2ISkqqT74Iqo5HostfIEpMKSkrHatfDCS7wy3f2iL0sLLLsYWqd1QsJUhIyhxc5cSBogG/s320/Alison%20Morton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her nine-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her latest two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social media links:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://alison-morton.com" target="_blank">Alison Morton’s World of Thrillers site</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook author page</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/alison_morton " target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://alisonmortonauthor.com" target="_blank">Alison’s writing blog</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alisonmortonauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alison-morton" target="_blank">BookBub</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon" target="_blank">Alison’s Amazon page</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">Newsletter sign-up</a></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/07/blog-tour-julia-prima-by-alison-morton.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh823asRfibZ8KW04-8S2lsfb3cFgPSIB-jTqLsOisrbwQ23qWAXzNWn-Qg8YS6yUqn7A22sc9g8LnM5M16dgDcI2IiRzMEhWVQEWdX5BBL1la3_Rv4LmrKsNvYyoIK2emhuiRk17jWe8ragw3YELaW4LKtzd_E6Q-pw_T1dLHvX9szamhsFKq1Gn5C/s640/Julia%20Prima%20Tour%20Schedule%20final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh823asRfibZ8KW04-8S2lsfb3cFgPSIB-jTqLsOisrbwQ23qWAXzNWn-Qg8YS6yUqn7A22sc9g8LnM5M16dgDcI2IiRzMEhWVQEWdX5BBL1la3_Rv4LmrKsNvYyoIK2emhuiRk17jWe8ragw3YELaW4LKtzd_E6Q-pw_T1dLHvX9szamhsFKq1Gn5C/w640-h360/Julia%20Prima%20Tour%20Schedule%20final.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">The Whispering Bookworm</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-77632359425397776092022-10-06T23:00:00.001-07:002022-10-06T23:00:00.171-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Fortunate Son by Thomas Tibor #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @thomastibor57 @maryanneyarde @cathiedunn<p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMDNC-WyVKQsa5Wc9_Maoa5tyJTj2UwoDmVFghrg8iefbLvwESVjY6yyB5NCG836rQ5_me9MpYeUkFEnOQ9BusCl4D8EawnhgP9xThERqgMYIm5qQLVqNXD9vyV0fTMXakz3OxBkPOp-7gRFjmO2bGM07L6eNtgiT-Q06JVDKRWfi2DKnYiNIVD2T/s1600/Tour%20Banner%20Fortunate%20Son.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMDNC-WyVKQsa5Wc9_Maoa5tyJTj2UwoDmVFghrg8iefbLvwESVjY6yyB5NCG836rQ5_me9MpYeUkFEnOQ9BusCl4D8EawnhgP9xThERqgMYIm5qQLVqNXD9vyV0fTMXakz3OxBkPOp-7gRFjmO2bGM07L6eNtgiT-Q06JVDKRWfi2DKnYiNIVD2T/w640-h360/Tour%20Banner%20Fortunate%20Son.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A9dsCJYsJi3kslmWNIzpcBPuTyNnzIiqYuwBGldsH464ZiWJL7qSICYAxocRDt4ScpUGnSu3kUi9Bpd6BBegurnD48H1QUi61Rj9muQdGPuRoCIqxs4dqhNRSOMVYQ-R-tKxicrwrqxYjGNvnUJFswlNjmU8DWzKtqUto_qX-oxM--8rwrmmcUAA/s2550/FortunateSon_Ebook-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1637" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A9dsCJYsJi3kslmWNIzpcBPuTyNnzIiqYuwBGldsH464ZiWJL7qSICYAxocRDt4ScpUGnSu3kUi9Bpd6BBegurnD48H1QUi61Rj9muQdGPuRoCIqxs4dqhNRSOMVYQ-R-tKxicrwrqxYjGNvnUJFswlNjmU8DWzKtqUto_qX-oxM--8rwrmmcUAA/w410-h640/FortunateSon_Ebook-cover.jpg" width="410" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A powerful, evocative novel that transports the reader to a tense period in America, Fortunate Son is set on a southern college campus during the turbulent spring of 1970. Reed Lawson, an ROTC cadet, struggles with the absence of his father, a Navy pilot who has been Missing in Action in Vietnam for three years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">While volunteering at a drug crisis center, Reed sets out to win the heart of a feminist co-worker who is grappling with a painful past, and to rescue a troubled teenage girl from self-destruction. In the process, he is forced to confront trauma’s tragic consequences and the fragile, tangled web of human connections.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Excerpt</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Saturday, May 16, 1970</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">On the night Annabel decided to drown herself, Reed Lawson was drunk. Not falling-down, but close enough. He stumbled out of the packed Rathskeller Bar well past nine o’clock. The smell of stale beer and cigarettes and the pounding of the Rolling Stones’ “Midnight Rambler” bled into the warm Florida night. The bar had advertised LSD—Large Size Drafts—for twenty-five cents, a clever hook to lure in more business.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Reed checked his watch—the same model worn by his father, Commander Frank Lawson, U.S. Navy. Dumbass. An hour late for his shift, which never happened. On time for Reed always meant fifteen minutes early.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">He shuffled through the crowded parking lot searching for his car, past students and locals drinking beer, slouching against fenders, passing joints amid the shadows. Then he remembered he’d parked around the corner.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ten minutes later the Mustang rumbled to the curb in front of a brick bungalow, and Reed stumbled out. Twenty years old, he had a lean, muscled frame that suggested rigid self-discipline. But tonight his swarthy, olive complexion was pale, black hair unkempt, deep-set brown eyes glazed over, Levi’s wrinkled and T-shirt slept in.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Waves of nausea washed over him. Gagging, he was sure he’d vomit. Should’ve eaten something to soak up the beer.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Down the street, the branches of live oaks arched over the sidewalk. A quick gust drove clumps of Spanish moss across the pavement. The university’s iconic Gothic buildings loomed a block ahead—the Florida Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Florida Tech.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Reed trudged through patches of weeds that passed for a lawn and onto a porch cluttered with a threadbare sofa, metal chairs, and overflowing ashtrays. A single yellow bulb illuminated a hand-painted sign on the door: Lifelines.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Just what he needed—another Saturday night shift, always the craziest of the week. No way out, though. Maybe two cups of their caffeinated mud would sober him up. With any luck, the call volume would be light.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Reed stepped inside. The hotline phones occupied the bungalow’s largest bedroom, with two desks, two chairs, and a bulletin board papered with warnings about drug side effects, emergency phone numbers, and guidance for handling calls.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Meg was on duty, earnest and professional as usual in sensible shoes, ironed slacks, and a buttoned-up blouse. Her robin’s-egg-blue eyes widened in shock at his drunken, disheveled appearance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Reed collapsed into the empty chair and mumbled, “Sorry I’m late.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Meg flicked auburn bangs from a freckled forehead. “Called your dorm earlier. You just missed Annabel.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">His stomach knotted with dread. “What did she want?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“I tried to find out, but she would only talk to you. Seemed super freaked out. After she split, I called her mom. Turns out Annabel left the house after lunch and hasn’t been back since. Also, her mom found joints and Quaaludes in her room.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Shit. Annabel’s favorite drug cocktail.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Sorry,” Meg said. “I begged her to stick around.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Not your fault. Any coffee left?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Got a fresh pot brewing.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">In the kitchen, every cup was coffee stained. Reed scrubbed and filled one. He listened to the murmur of conversation from the adjacent bedroom—a volunteer talking somebody down from a bad trip. He was way too wiped to deal with anything tonight. Not Annabel, not a tidal wave of callers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Stepping back into the hotline room, he asked, “Sure she said nothing else?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Well, I followed her outside to stall her, but she was in a big hurry. Said something about the river.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“The river? That’s it?” Annabel must have meant the Black River, where they’d spent so much time together. Reed slammed the coffee mug on the desk, scalding his wrist with the overflow, and raced outside.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">—</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Moments later the Mustang roared to life, and Reed barreled onto Broad Street—the city’s main east-west artery—and weaved through stop-and-go traffic. He barely noticed the crowd waiting for a table at Rossetti’s Pizza, the gaggle of students watching dryers spin inside Groomers Laundromat, or the usual stoners lingering outside the Second Genesis head shop.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">At the first red light, his left hand trembled on the steering wheel as his right massaged the gearshift. A sobering breeze swept in. He rolled the window farther down to invite more cool air, then smacked the wheel. Should have seen it coming. The signs were there, clear as day. When she’d most needed a friend, he’d let her down, pushed her away to wallow in his own despair.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The light was taking forever to change. Screw it. Reed stomped on the gas and roared through the intersection. Horns blared. Oncoming traffic skidded to avoid a collision. He blew through two more red lights before swerving onto the highway that led out of town.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">More alert now and pushing the eager V-8 to ninety miles an hour, Reed peered into the rearview mirror every few seconds, expecting to see flashing red lights. Cookie-cutter suburban houses soon gave way to open farmland. The road narrowed to two lanes lined by a thick forest of southern pines.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">On a curve, driving as fast as he dared, Reed roared past a truck, then cut off two denim-and-leather-clad bikers astride chopped Harleys. One lifted a middle finger in salute.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">After five more miles that felt to Reed like fifty, the Mustang skidded into a dirt parking lot at the river. He pulled alongside a dusty green Chevy, jumped out, and ran to the shore. Familiar bell-bottoms and sandals lay strewn on a thin strip of sand.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Annabel!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">He scanned the fast-moving current, illuminated only by pale flecks of moonlight slicing through heavy cloud cover. Gnarled branches of cypress and mangrove dangled over the river. Darkened by tannins from decaying vegetation, the tea-colored water gave the Black River its name. If she’d gone in, it would have been here.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Annabel!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A cacophony of tree frogs and crickets answered him. What if she already lay at the bottom or had drifted downstream? Heart pounding, he spotted a glimmer of movement in the middle of the river. Annabel? Driftwood? Or just a ripple on the surface?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Ripping off his sneakers, he waded into the inky river, the muddy bottom sucking at his feet. Though a confident pool swimmer, Reed was nervous in water where he couldn’t see the bottom. Shaky, he labored with clumsy strokes to the middle before pausing to tread water.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Annabel!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A crane screeched. A stiff breeze quickened the current. Reed imagined water moccasins stirring beneath him, gators paddling in from the riverbank.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">“Annabel!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">A memory surfaced from high school English class—beautiful but forsaken Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet plunging from a willow tree to her watery death. If he was too late and her slender body lay somewhere beneath the surface—skin ivory, lips blue, raven hair fanned out—he had only himself to blame.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Where to Buy</span></div><div><a href="https://books2read.com/u/boyrra" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Thomas Tibor</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-JS-5RDaNtYxjOZvZS9OIx21zZytgNc2mBkZBRO70CfE9Lit2HTxwp88oAFxOWN_qUyjLajJ32D2x1Hm_n0nAqvUFxwkzGxWOivAu4Hreyfj6ASAzhYJS7YfxPT-l_ILcxi4jvuP29IDNe5npDgUJsNcVn7CAWpwcT33ltvCXMspt6dTaxISPksy/s300/Thomas%20Tibor%20Pix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-JS-5RDaNtYxjOZvZS9OIx21zZytgNc2mBkZBRO70CfE9Lit2HTxwp88oAFxOWN_qUyjLajJ32D2x1Hm_n0nAqvUFxwkzGxWOivAu4Hreyfj6ASAzhYJS7YfxPT-l_ILcxi4jvuP29IDNe5npDgUJsNcVn7CAWpwcT33ltvCXMspt6dTaxISPksy/s1600/Thomas%20Tibor%20Pix.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>A veteran writer and video producer, Thomas Tibor has helped develop training courses focusing on mental health topics. In an earlier life, he worked as a counselor in the psychiatric ward of two big-city hospitals. He grew up in Florida and now lives in Northern Virginia. Fortunate Son is his first novel.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><a href="https://tiborcommunications.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/thomastibor57" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-tibor-5602b04/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Tibor/e/B09TM27L46" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22287866.Thomas_Tibor" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/08/blog-tour-fortunate-son-by-thomas-tibor.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0C9onasz4G-XohhpThUYvERJ8Sz8d7PnNz9JgYhzcXFEtmdGLDKY9bJ4j-comXpg328HLzjAT5pV7sRu0DM61EmHef8ORGmfjod61OqqJ9zaLYHclqw0aDF5yvUp73oFlaTk92p3ByJG-tXu7JT5L2mgUnUfwJI6tw4hQK_qFGtWFkuEyjVRj9wq/s1600/Tour%20Scedule%20Banner%20Fortunate%20Son.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0C9onasz4G-XohhpThUYvERJ8Sz8d7PnNz9JgYhzcXFEtmdGLDKY9bJ4j-comXpg328HLzjAT5pV7sRu0DM61EmHef8ORGmfjod61OqqJ9zaLYHclqw0aDF5yvUp73oFlaTk92p3ByJG-tXu7JT5L2mgUnUfwJI6tw4hQK_qFGtWFkuEyjVRj9wq/w640-h360/Tour%20Scedule%20Banner%20Fortunate%20Son.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-33208213502919716322022-09-28T23:00:00.002-07:002022-09-28T23:00:00.195-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Tempted by Her Outcast Viking by Lucy Morris #HistoricalRomance #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour @LMorris_Author @cathiedunn<p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><span> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_JoEn9Oax8dsnR4zcyY77WeWwCFehYfbMH6MZc4Nd1pqgWSnZhLmNV5lpN9b1n8BacI-QAvED6X6yhWHpTFObSuAUpQM_MxP0bYnKINdSgO3LSeWyC_AB7sNgft8SrQPSCVG4RWfd6xs-ADFLouCcQzwndSd9x1Zbu4bVZyITlKHi-d5Q6RSlIs/s640/Tempted%20by%20Her%20Outcast%20Viking%20Tour%20Banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_JoEn9Oax8dsnR4zcyY77WeWwCFehYfbMH6MZc4Nd1pqgWSnZhLmNV5lpN9b1n8BacI-QAvED6X6yhWHpTFObSuAUpQM_MxP0bYnKINdSgO3LSeWyC_AB7sNgft8SrQPSCVG4RWfd6xs-ADFLouCcQzwndSd9x1Zbu4bVZyITlKHi-d5Q6RSlIs/w640-h360/Tempted%20by%20Her%20Outcast%20Viking%20Tour%20Banner.png" width="640" /></span></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9sR9-IO7roOnIv8o4BdexpJysRLOgkItdZgo6a70byfPodSQCZZumneKUTuhpIUXWKiAtYoiOzrUt4Hn9APQyA05PgWN7IfmPU1QVmuI9mXzkKylFLdQ1XZSvU_h7FbQv1xNUqGFzsk__05wWJZgI_eFTI7uKfBf3uVDYQAlx3mbnTDvejE8Uz8/s2386/Cover%20UK.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2386" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9sR9-IO7roOnIv8o4BdexpJysRLOgkItdZgo6a70byfPodSQCZZumneKUTuhpIUXWKiAtYoiOzrUt4Hn9APQyA05PgWN7IfmPU1QVmuI9mXzkKylFLdQ1XZSvU_h7FbQv1xNUqGFzsk__05wWJZgI_eFTI7uKfBf3uVDYQAlx3mbnTDvejE8Uz8/w402-h640/Cover%20UK.JPG" width="402" /></span></a></div><span><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Tempted by the Warrior</span></b></div></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">But she’ll never wed</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Brynhild had once been close to Erik – until he’d betrayed her, and she’d hoped never to see him again. Now the fiercely independent shieldmaiden needs Erik’s skills to rescue her sister. Striking a truce with the tough, isolated loner they reach a mutually beneficial deal: in return, she’ll help him in his quest to find a wife – by teaching him how to please a woman in bed…!</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Where to Buy</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/4jgVLX" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/tempted-by-her-outcast-viking-shieldmaiden-sisters-book-2-lucy-morris" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Harper Collins</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/tempted-by-her-outcast-viking-shieldmaiden-sisters-book-2/lucy-morris/paperback/9780263301939.html " style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">WH Smiths</span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Lucy Morris</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGjXvxMe76riMIZSxWqL673uJWVFqEsC6PhVAkZNzGiuRvMw-bghERDDwoM6ptb3CCaEedwm17XIhjMaZfUyIEf6B_V2f086ZWBpYK-HuFCUJUJCawJ6DQHDc8ZmM76LGXnXq_gXgM29qqGn4gvcQLbEPz-IPd39iZi8-jRCsfW0kaSZPWyqNXM0/s2250/Lucy%20Morris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGjXvxMe76riMIZSxWqL673uJWVFqEsC6PhVAkZNzGiuRvMw-bghERDDwoM6ptb3CCaEedwm17XIhjMaZfUyIEf6B_V2f086ZWBpYK-HuFCUJUJCawJ6DQHDc8ZmM76LGXnXq_gXgM29qqGn4gvcQLbEPz-IPd39iZi8-jRCsfW0kaSZPWyqNXM0/s320/Lucy%20Morris.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Lucy Morris has always been obsessed with myths and legends. Her books blend sweeping romance with vivid worldbuilding to whisk you away to another time and place filled with adventure. Expect passion, drama and vibrant characters. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Lucy lives in Essex, UK, with her husband, two children, and two cats. She has a massively sweet tooth and loves Terry's Chocolate Oranges and Irn-Bru. In her spare time she likes to explore castles with her family, or drink bubbly with her friends.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://lucymorrisromance.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/LMorris_Author" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LucyMorrisAuthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucymorris.author/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-morris" target="_blank">BookBub</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucy-Morris/e/B08P9LV36V" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21274610.Lucy_Morris" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/08/blog-tour-tempted-by-her-outcast-viking.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: "EB Garamond"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxLUzIn4zgkCAuhm0xOaP7nrUWdkNS7doouF-D83ZZvcIq84sRSNUHvI8ICKH7rXF9iNeg62CBU6IAdHvVD5CsQJUsDziIKWn6rg3eWm-fR6wdls9FNDMtovhLicQFHSRIdQmPEczbyDqBEYAubKfSQ5u5pUUDiZVui2qHMn0FQkLtNCTdym28co/s640/Tempted%20by%20Her%20Outcast%20Viking%20Tour%20Schedule.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #990000;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxLUzIn4zgkCAuhm0xOaP7nrUWdkNS7doouF-D83ZZvcIq84sRSNUHvI8ICKH7rXF9iNeg62CBU6IAdHvVD5CsQJUsDziIKWn6rg3eWm-fR6wdls9FNDMtovhLicQFHSRIdQmPEczbyDqBEYAubKfSQ5u5pUUDiZVui2qHMn0FQkLtNCTdym28co/w640-h360/Tempted%20by%20Her%20Outcast%20Viking%20Tour%20Schedule.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: "EB Garamond"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-21945352334634550612022-09-25T23:00:00.004-07:002022-09-25T23:00:00.193-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Brushstrokes from the Past (Soli Hansen Mysteries) by Heidi Eljarbo #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @HeidiEljarbo @cathiedunn <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvKMV5pkq2MvanZMqBP7dhvooIRDYeXfvUVAEy9ofKwTwfAj0AvwwL0BP013WBFuvQja_ryedqc98daso4W5WVNaZmRy82uWajHcajBgSfGjr15FZPVeJDU0VZ_q2Qb1e6QToPOeMRkP3fnrh9Mnup_64vE07LoKX7tM1wKh3Mg4XEZS9v-lPu9WT/s640/Brushstrokes%20from%20the%20Past%20tour%20banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvKMV5pkq2MvanZMqBP7dhvooIRDYeXfvUVAEy9ofKwTwfAj0AvwwL0BP013WBFuvQja_ryedqc98daso4W5WVNaZmRy82uWajHcajBgSfGjr15FZPVeJDU0VZ_q2Qb1e6QToPOeMRkP3fnrh9Mnup_64vE07LoKX7tM1wKh3Mg4XEZS9v-lPu9WT/w640-h360/Brushstrokes%20from%20the%20Past%20tour%20banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09kB-5YlR1qy1EgGa6czJnYkREm8bkfVfPg3WOtPQzxV2yQqmHHdtZ_Irur8X47QsdOiCAGCxGSebd1CcDSAyGKS3j-BeERSsECY7LP3te1JroXsxDl7NiBo6_0zkEUE5WeIG7Ju01kq84aSt6dKFSjsj-37xlQ3zvtsqj58pq3tzRdbEyGnFYOr5/s2550/BFTP%20Ebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09kB-5YlR1qy1EgGa6czJnYkREm8bkfVfPg3WOtPQzxV2yQqmHHdtZ_Irur8X47QsdOiCAGCxGSebd1CcDSAyGKS3j-BeERSsECY7LP3te1JroXsxDl7NiBo6_0zkEUE5WeIG7Ju01kq84aSt6dKFSjsj-37xlQ3zvtsqj58pq3tzRdbEyGnFYOr5/w414-h640/BFTP%20Ebook.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">WWII and the mid-seventeenth century are entwined in this fourth dual timeline novel about Nazi art theft, bravery, friendship, and romance.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">April 1945. Art historian Soli Hansen and her friend Heddy arrive at an excavation site only to find Soli’s old archeology professor deeply engrossed in an extraordinary find in a marsh. The remains of a man have lain undisturbed for three centuries, but there’s more to this discovery…</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">As Soli tries to understand who the baroque man was and discovers what he carried in a sealed wooden tube, problems arise. A leak reveals the finds to the notorious Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Walter, and soon, both Nazi elite and the Gestapo are after the treasure.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">When Heddy and the professor disappear along with the artwork, Soli and her resistance group must find them before it’s too late.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">1641. In Amsterdam, French musketeer Claude Beaulieu has had his portrait done by his close friend and artist Rembrandt van Rijn. When a band of thieves steal the precious painting, Claude and his wife Annarosa Ruber pick up their swords and a few belongings and go after the culprits.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Set in Norway during the tumultuous last days of the second world war, as well as the peak of the glorious baroque art period, these two stories are a must for readers who love historical fiction with adventure, suspense, and true love that conquers all.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley, Kathleen McGurl, Rhys Bowen, and Katherine Neville.</span></i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Review</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I was delighted to be offered an ARC of the final book in the Soli Hansen Mysteries. I was looking forward to be reunited with Soli, Heddy and the rest of the Resistance. Brushstrokes from the Past certainly did not disappoint. I found myself thrown straight back into the action as Soli once again finds herself trying to save another precious painting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">There were times when I caught myself holding my breath and fearing the worst, especially for one of the characters who gets herself into a very sticky and dangerous situation indeed! I also felt a sense of pride that the protagonists' never give up, that they battle on to the very end.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The historical detailing in this novel has been very well researched and I really did feel that I had stepped back in time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This is historical fiction at its finest. It is a great series by a great author. I highly recommend reading not only this book but the rest of the series.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Where to Buy</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/47g8Ej" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">This novel is available to read on #KindleUnlimited</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">Heidi Eljarbo</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5HS4bQFFrhFuK_m7iI5KhdR0eFir7qD-F7BSLTeRLiHaJoVW26adqYBk40xurIOQ4PYvtRQF1op-SIsy9dmDGj_I3M2zwhE5PJVdp8b42k_xMy5VPI9bIxOOjI8lnspZWrKX43OpGl_97KC9RBFfcuy-ZUIU_BmnL_H36fwZKrOSWvhWxGrCZALv/s3147/Heidi%20Eljarbo%20portrait.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3147" data-original-width="2743" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5HS4bQFFrhFuK_m7iI5KhdR0eFir7qD-F7BSLTeRLiHaJoVW26adqYBk40xurIOQ4PYvtRQF1op-SIsy9dmDGj_I3M2zwhE5PJVdp8b42k_xMy5VPI9bIxOOjI8lnspZWrKX43OpGl_97KC9RBFfcuy-ZUIU_BmnL_H36fwZKrOSWvhWxGrCZALv/s320/Heidi%20Eljarbo%20portrait.jpg" width="279" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br />Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.heidieljarbo.com/ " target="_blank">Website</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/HeidiEljarbo " target="_blank">Twitter</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo " target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-eljarbo-morrell-andersen-345a253a/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/heidieljarbo/ " target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/" target="_blank">Instagram author page </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-eljarbo" target="_blank">BookBub </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amzn.com/Heidi-Eljarbo/e/B073D852VG/" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo " target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/07/blog-tour-brushstrokes-from-past-by.html " target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN2Ui4N3dbVZ9gr4mdKZK1sRtCkGd8NOKLEL-xzMgvjYbNm4T8eYoA3O1-MbZ7LLuulc7_HqaaOnARASvE_7O6cZmhiWWabcvWYgkDdBs0bBNcjmwt9rW960h6iSW5YznuXdrktfHaOULLbGGf6m85sTfH1F-Q5rXPP_7azGytySBSCNj-dAjKAQ-/s640/Brushtrokes%20from%20the%20Past%20tour%20schedule.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN2Ui4N3dbVZ9gr4mdKZK1sRtCkGd8NOKLEL-xzMgvjYbNm4T8eYoA3O1-MbZ7LLuulc7_HqaaOnARASvE_7O6cZmhiWWabcvWYgkDdBs0bBNcjmwt9rW960h6iSW5YznuXdrktfHaOULLbGGf6m85sTfH1F-Q5rXPP_7azGytySBSCNj-dAjKAQ-/w640-h360/Brushtrokes%20from%20the%20Past%20tour%20schedule.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;">The Whispering Bookworm</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2288831260580435035.post-7889942696849757632022-09-18T23:00:00.000-07:002022-09-18T23:00:00.164-07:00On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: The Old Dragon’s Head by Justin Newland #HistoricalFiction #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour @Matador @drjustinnewland @cathiedunn <p><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1ThickEkjyx7iMoIiKWq9wQcYqyuaO4pRRPgMrAxYpNdH0ionMzVurPHfSBG2QRO3IDO0jY5OV7_DlLRx1qxCTuqY0EFQLoaeTkiJoGE3E_nzM2YUOMml9NSkkiDamO8qXOJOhsvBMw58LSyrXe-Rb7yXvZA07KkLwy3orvSbuyQRcAGSLHW56tH/s640/The%20Old%20Dragon's%20Head%20tour%20banner%20final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1ThickEkjyx7iMoIiKWq9wQcYqyuaO4pRRPgMrAxYpNdH0ionMzVurPHfSBG2QRO3IDO0jY5OV7_DlLRx1qxCTuqY0EFQLoaeTkiJoGE3E_nzM2YUOMml9NSkkiDamO8qXOJOhsvBMw58LSyrXe-Rb7yXvZA07KkLwy3orvSbuyQRcAGSLHW56tH/w640-h360/The%20Old%20Dragon's%20Head%20tour%20banner%20final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiv931UsqBVCmUM_WFsEJ3BHKJZ3WU-HDiLxls52YitA_HmUL0ubqlUH_Ds-GhAb6v9mRMwXX9ZPcIWBliMHD0fXVuUtdDZu3PaU0HKpmZHOWHLjvubC2QfF8v5Jh6Y5F48DfHSVpy6Lm2VCHbVwF3-77OvAa3ebPbYk5odEegNPVZCgOhXTTnCot/s1353/The%20Old%20Dragon's%20Head-%20front%20only%20-%20with%20titles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiv931UsqBVCmUM_WFsEJ3BHKJZ3WU-HDiLxls52YitA_HmUL0ubqlUH_Ds-GhAb6v9mRMwXX9ZPcIWBliMHD0fXVuUtdDZu3PaU0HKpmZHOWHLjvubC2QfF8v5Jh6Y5F48DfHSVpy6Lm2VCHbVwF3-77OvAa3ebPbYk5odEegNPVZCgOhXTTnCot/w428-h640/The%20Old%20Dragon's%20Head-%20front%20only%20-%20with%20titles.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">The Great Wall of China may be constructed of stone and packed earth, but it is home to a supernatural beast – the Old Dragon. Both wall and dragon protect China’s northern borders from Mongol incursion. Just beyond the fortress of Shanhaiguan, the far eastern end of the wall protrudes into the Bohai Sea – that’s the Old Dragon’s Head.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Bolin, a young man working on the Old Dragon’s Head, suffers visions of ghosts. The local seer suspects that he has yin-yang eyes and other supernatural gifts. Bolin’s fief lord, the Prince of Yan, rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor. In the bitter war of succession, the Mongols hold the balance of power. While the victor might win the battle on earth, China’s Dragon Throne can only be earned with a Mandate from Heaven – and the support of the Old Dragon.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">In every era, a man endowed with the powers of heaven – the Dragon Master – is born. Only he can summon the Old Dragon, providing he possesses the dragon pearl. It’s the year 1402, and neither the Old Dragon, the dragon pearl, nor the Dragon Master, has been seen for twenty years. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Bolin’s journey of self-discovery is mirrored by that of old China, as both endeavour to come of age. When Bolin accepts his destiny as the Dragon Master, heaven sends a third coming of age – for humanity itself. But are any of them ready for what is rising in the east? </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Where to Buy</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Dragons-Head-Justin-Newland/dp/1789015820 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon UK </span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Head-Justin-Newland-author/dp/1789015820 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon US</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://www.amazon.ca/Old-Dragons-Head-Justin-Newland/dp/1789015820 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon CA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Old-Dragons-Head-Justin-Newland-ebook/dp/B07J4PHG7Y " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon AU</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-old-dragons-head-justin-newland/1129713719?ean=2940161772904 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Barnes and Noble</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-old-dragons-head/justin-newland/9781789015829 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Waterstones</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-old-dragon-s-head " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Kobo</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Justin Newland</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7WODFKUKbd8jksb4rDHtuZCC_dwVsaOrJ3o3ijWqtav8wulGnOGw6KbvnjjUCpSDgOcuyTTz9YAQQlSiaDXb0_vEO0thyw9qGattuOBnHWYvaVo68jpSS7uziTPywquxqvNMHbT2IyG-P_-SAiyszNx5O6oQiBMmjcgakzfYKj_ZuL7OKt36vhWm/s2440/J21A3524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7WODFKUKbd8jksb4rDHtuZCC_dwVsaOrJ3o3ijWqtav8wulGnOGw6KbvnjjUCpSDgOcuyTTz9YAQQlSiaDXb0_vEO0thyw9qGattuOBnHWYvaVo68jpSS7uziTPywquxqvNMHbT2IyG-P_-SAiyszNx5O6oQiBMmjcgakzfYKj_ZuL7OKt36vhWm/s320/J21A3524.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br />JUSTIN NEWLAND is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers – that’s history with a supernatural twist. His historical novels feature known events and real people from the past, which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">His novels speculate on the human condition and explore the fundamental questions of our existence. As a species, as Homo sapiens sapiens – that’s man the twice-wise – how are we doing so far? Where is mankind’s spiritual home? What does it look or feel like? Would we recognise it if we saw it?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he found his way to the creative keyboard and conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Next came the supernatural thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), set in Ming Dynasty China. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">His third novel, The Coronation (Matador, 2019), speculates on the genesis of the most important event of the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">His fourth, The Abdication (Matador, 2021), is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">His stories add a touch of the supernatural to history and deal with the themes of war, religion, evolution and the human’s place in the universe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">He was born three days before the end of 1953 and lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Social Media Links:</span></div><div><a href="https://www.justinnewland.com " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Website</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Twitter: @drjustinnewland </span></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Facebook</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-newland-b393aa28/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">LinkedIn</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Instagram</span></a></div><div><a href=" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Justin-Newland/e/B06WRQVLT8 " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13741278.Justin_Newland " target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/07/blog-tour-old-dragons-head-by-justin.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: large;">Tour Schedule</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvKagYltOu50b1JZje3zPTYdCtXIVOEH4R7li1LS051lH2-WXy64PhJFCHuZiLY0WcWlptV6gxul1yKAm5DpjCXX972LhWEljHQC5-vA3wHzZ7LWSgaMd07Z3eYZ364wVV3ehV3eEnEVkeUAEI3_hdUVrneylrpYKggMR5-SvquK6NUh7XpEXIsWU/s640/The%20Old%20Dragon's%20Head%20updated%20schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvKagYltOu50b1JZje3zPTYdCtXIVOEH4R7li1LS051lH2-WXy64PhJFCHuZiLY0WcWlptV6gxul1yKAm5DpjCXX972LhWEljHQC5-vA3wHzZ7LWSgaMd07Z3eYZ364wVV3ehV3eEnEVkeUAEI3_hdUVrneylrpYKggMR5-SvquK6NUh7XpEXIsWU/w640-h360/The%20Old%20Dragon's%20Head%20updated%20schedule.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2