The Colour of Evil by Toni Mount #HistoricalFiction #Excerpt #CoffeePotBookClub @tonihistorian @maryanneyarde

 

I love being a tour host for The Coffee Pot Book Club. I am always discovering books, that I would never have discovered if I were not a host. You just have to check out the excerpt from today's book!

The Colour of Evil

By Toni Mount

‘The Colour of Evil’

Every Londoner has money worries, and talented artist and some-time sleuth, Seb Foxley, is no exception.

When fellow craftsmen with debts to pay are found dead in the most horrid circumstances, fears escalate. Only Seb can solve the puzzles that baffle the authorities.

Seb’s wayward elder brother, Jude, returns unannounced from Italy with a child-bride upon his arm. Shock turns to dismay when life becomes more complicated and troubles multiply.

From counterfeit coins to deadly darkness in London's worst corners. From mysterious thefts to attacks of murderous intent, Seb finds himself embroiled at every turn. With a royal commission to fulfil and heartache to resolve, can our hero win through against the odds? 

Share Seb Foxley’s latest adventures in the filthy streets of medieval London, join in the Midsummer festivities and meet his fellow citizens, both the respectable and the villainous.

Praise

“Toni Mount is simply brilliant. If you love CJ Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake – and I do – you will love Toni’s Sebastian Foxley. From learning how a 15th century scrivener created illuminated manuscripts to venturing within the dank tunnels beneath the Tower of London, Toni is an artist who completely immerses the reader in another time and place and always leaves one eager for the next book.” 

Samantha Willcoxson, author & historian.

“A beautifully crafted mystery that brings the dark, dangerous streets of medieval London to life. Toni Mount is a magician with words, weaving a captivating story in wonderful prose. The Colour of Evil is, to put it simply, a pleasure to read.” 

Sharon Bennet Connoly, author and medieval historian.

The Chicken incident 

At last, the first miniature was completed. I had laboured long. Adam assisted in tidying away my pigments and put them safely in the box. The parchment folios were pressed flat on the collating table ’neath brass weights. Now my cousin and I sat over our last few sips of ale in the kitchen by the light of a solitary candle. Rose and Kate were long since gone to their beds in the chamber above, where little Dickon slept also these days. Nessie had withdrawn to her curtained alcove beside the chimney, taking Grayling the cat with her for company. We could hear her snoring gently but kept our voices low so as not to disturb her.

Gawain was the first to respond to an unaccustomed sound: a scratching noise coming from along the passage to the shop. The dog came alert from his slumbers ’neath the board. He stood facing the passageway, his hackles rising upon his neck and a threatening growl rumbled deep in his chest.

‘You hear that?’ Adam whispered.

I nodded, reaching for a hefty fire-iron on the hearth.

‘Did you bar the door and shutters when we closed up?’

I nodded again.

‘Give me a moment.’ Adam slipped out of the kitchen to the yard, returning with the axe we used to chop kindling for the fire.

Thus armed, we went silently along the passage. I held the candle high in one hand, the iron in the other. Gawain came stealthily, growling, but keeping behind me. On the right, the parlour door stood closed but I lifted the latch and looked in, thankful for well-greased hinges. There was naught amiss. 

The next door to the right led into the shop. Nothing untoward was apparent there. I checked the bar on the door to the street. It was firm in its hasps. The shutters were likewise in their proper place. 

There came a sudden clatter and a smashing of pottery vessels. The intruder was in our workshop to the left of the passage. I reached for the latch, lifted it and pushed the door wide, the fire-iron raised high.

‘Show yourself!’ I cried. ‘No, no!’

Something burst forth, straight into my face. I swung the iron in defence and felt it hit a target but I dropped the candle, plunging us into darkness. I stumbled back from my unseen assailant and fell on my backside. My heart was pounding fit to break my ribs and something tickled my face, causing me to sneeze. 

Gawain tore into the room, courageous of a sudden, barking madly.

Adam was striking tinder and groping on the floor for the candle. When he relit the flame and it steadied, he began to laugh. 

‘By the saints! All that for a bloody chicken. You did for it, Seb: broke its neck by the look of it.’ He picked up a sorry bundle of feathers from the floor, pushing Gawain aside when he would have it. More feathers floated around. ‘A chicken dinner for us tomorrow.’

I clambered to my feet, wiping feathers from my mouth and nose, sneezing again.

‘Must be Caldicott’s birds have escaped again.’ I spat out more filaments of feathers. ‘It must have come in afore I closed up and wandered into the workshop... then was unable to get out.’

‘His loss is our gain. Seems only right, Seb, after the consternation and trouble it’s caused us. Look at the smashed pots! ’Tis fortunate it didn’t break any precious pigments but the pounce and sand have made a mess indeed.’

‘We can clean it up in the morn,’ I said, turning as Rose and Kate appeared in the doorway, clad in their night robes.  

‘We’ll all help,’ Rose said. ‘But you’re bleeding, Seb.’ She wiped my forehead with soft fingers. 

‘Am I? The bird came at me; aiming its beak straight at mine eyes. Mayhap, I be fortunate it pierced my forehead and did not blind me.’ I felt chilled and shaken of a sudden and slumped upon the nearest stool.

‘We heard Gawain making such a din; thought we were to be attacked in our beds.’

‘Aye, our great protector...’ I fondled Gawain’s soft ears. ‘Our brave knight be naught but a silly coward. Be that not so, Gawain, you foolish creature?’ 

‘Come back to the kitchen,’ Rose said, taking charge of the situation. ‘I’ll make mulled ale for us all and for you a possett as a restorative and put some salve on that cut. It looks sore.’

In truth, I hardly felt the hurt, for the present, leastwise, but I was most certainly shaken. Though I dared not admit to it, knowing Adam would laugh right heartily at me, if I did, I had been much affrighted by that wretched bird and was all unsteady.    

A possett cup of hot milk, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg, whipped together to a froth, settled me well enough. 

Doesn't this book sound amazing? You can pick up your copy on Amazon - depending on which country your live in! You can also pick up your copy from Waterstones.

Toni Mount earned her Master’s Degree by completing original research into a unique 15th-century medical manuscript. She is the author of several successful non-fiction books including the number one bestseller, Everyday Life in Medieval England, which reflects her detailed knowledge in the lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages. Toni’s enthusiastic understanding of the period allows her to create accurate, atmospheric settings and realistic characters for her Sebastian Foxley medieval murder mysteries. Toni’s first career was as a scientist and this brings an extra dimension to her novels. It also led to her new biography of Sir Isaac Newton. She writes regularly for both The Richard III Society and The Tudor Society and is a major contributor of online courses to MedievalCourses.com. As well as writing, Toni teaches history to adults, coordinates a creative writing group and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.

Social Media Links:

Website • Website 2 • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads • Fantastic Fiction.

Ropewalk; Rebellion. Love. Survival (The Ropewalk Series, Book 1) By H D Coulter #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @coulter_hd @maryanneyarde

 

I am so excited to share my review of Ropewalk; Rebellion. Love. Survival (The Ropewalk Series, Book 1) by H D Coulter. Thank you so much to The Coffee Pot Book Club for your invite to take part in this tour.

Ropewalk; Rebellion. Love. Survival

(The Ropewalk Series, Book 1)

By H D Coulter

The North of England, 1831. 

The working class are gathering. Rebellion is stirring, and the people are divided. 

Beatrice Lightfoot, a young woman fighting her own personal rebellion, is looking for an opportunity to change her luck. When she gains the attention of the enigmatic Captain Hanley, he offers her a tantalising deal to attend the May Day dance. She accepts, unaware of the true price of her own free will. 

Her subsequent entanglement with Joshua Mason, the son of a local merchant, draws all three into a destructive and dangerous relationship, which threatens to drag Beatrice, and all she knows into darkness. 

Now, Beatrice must choose between rebellion, love and survival before all is lost, and the Northern uprising changes her world forever. 

Look at that cover! You know what I am like about covers, and that is undoubtedly a pretty cover.

Bea is the ropemaker’s daughter, who spends her free time sat on the old harbour wall watching the boats come and go, longs for a life away from her overbearing mother (we will get to her in a minute). She makes lace and sells it—some would say lace that rivals that seen in Manchester and Boston. But it is not the life she wants, not the life she dreams of. Enter two men, both wanting the same thing—Bea.

Let us start with Bea’s mother. I don’t think it would be sensible to simply say ‘I hate her’ and move on, because that would provide no explanation, and you may assume I am a very hateful person. I am not, but some of the characters in this book certainly tested that assumption. Bea’s mother is horrible. She is controlling, angry, sometimes even violent towards her children. Bea raises her youngest sisters, and her mother gets mad at her for doing so, even though she does not do so herself. Honestly, I’m not sure how Bea is patient enough not to retaliate with the same violence her mother displays. Anyway, enough about that horrible woman. Let us move onto the two men.

Captain Hanley… I do not want to talk about him. I will admit, he had me hooked for a while, but the same happened to Bea and look where she ended up. He is a vile man, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but I don’t think that is fair to the poor wolf. Captain Hanley is a sly, conniving man with no morals and an insatiable need always to have what he wants. He is the other character who I can honestly say that I loathed with all my heart.

Joshua Mason… swoon. Now there is a perfect man. Need I continue? There is the slight issue that Joshua is rich and Bea poor and that Joshua’s father would never bless the union, but when has that ever stood in the way of true love? Quite often, it seems. Joshua and Bea are simply wonderful together, and I don’t think I have ever rooted for a couple more than I did for them.

There are some disturbing scenes in this novel, ones that left me with my hand over my mouth and a wrenching to my heart. Beatrice deserves nothing that she gets. Life is not fair, but it’s not that unfair. Fate does this strange thing, where those who least deserve it suffer and those who belong in hell get away with anything and everything. My husband actually threatened to take the book away from me at one point, as the story got so intense I was perched on the very edge of the sofa, one hand on my mouth and the other poised over my eReader, furiously turning the page routinely, every 45 seconds or so. Apparently, that is not normal human behaviour, according to him. Although when he threatened such a thing, he had since told me, I threw him the dirtiest look of ‘if you dare…’ that he didn’t want to face the consequences should he do such a thing.

There is heartbreak, love, horror and fear, everything that belongs in a book and then some. If it’s good enough that my exterior made my husband want to take the book away from me, it’s obviously one that you need to get your hands on immediately, if not sooner.

I received a copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours for only 0.99 on Kindle on Amazon UK and Amazon US. Or if you prefer, you can grab your copy from some other very reputable bookshops - Universal Link.

The sequel to this novel is now available on pre-order over on Amazon UK, Amazon Us, and your favourite online bookshops - Universal Link.

 H D Coulter

Hayley was born and raised in the lake district and across Cumbria. From a young age, Hayley loved learning about history, visiting castles and discovering local stories from the past. Hayley and her partner lived in Ulverston for three years and spent her weekends walking along the Ropewalk and down by the old harbour. She became inspired by the spirit of the area and stories that had taken place along the historic streets.

As a teacher, Hayley had loved the art of storytelling by studying drama and theatre. The power of the written word, how it can transport the reader to another world or even another time in history. But it wasn't until living in Ulverston did she discover a story worth telling. From that point, the characters became alive and she fell in love with the story.

Social Media Links: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club – Pied Piper by Keith Stuart #HistoricalFiction #WW2 @len_maynard @maryanneyarde

 

 I am delighted to be taking part in another virtual blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club! The book in the spotlight today is Pied Piper by Keith Stuart.

In September 1939 the British Government launched Operation Pied Piper. To protect them from the perils of German bombing raids, in three days millions of city children were evacuated - separated from their parents. 

This story tells of two families: one whose children leave London and the other which takes them in. We share the ups and downs of their lives, their dramas and tragedies, their stoicism and their optimism. But. unlike many other stories and images about this time, this one unfolds mainly through the eyes of Tom, the father whose children set off, to who knew where, with just a small case and gas mask to see them on their way.

You can grab your copy over on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA and Amazon AU (depending on where you live)!

Keith Stuart (Wadsworth) taught English for 36 years in Hertfordshire schools, the county in which he was born and has lived most of his life. Married with two sons, sport, music and, especially when he retired after sixteen years as a headteacher, travel, have been his passions. Apart from his own reading, reading and guiding students in their writing; composing assemblies; writing reports, discussion and analysis papers, left him with a declared intention to write a book. Pied Piper is ‘it’.  Starting life as a warm-up exercise at the Creative Writing Class he joined in Letchworth, it grew into this debut novel.

Social Media Links:

Facebook • Instagram

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - The Test of Gold (Hearts of Gold, Book 1) by Renee Yancy #BookReview #HistoricalRomance

 

I am delighted to be taking part in another virtual blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club! And it is with eager anticipation that I introduce you to historical romance author, Renee Yancy and her fabulous book The Test Of Gold. 

The Test of Gold

(Hearts of Gold, Book 1)

By Renee Yancy

Raised in the shadow of a mother who defied convention, but won’t allow her own daughter the right to make the same choices, heiress Evangeline Lindenmayer has been groomed since childhood to marry into the British aristocracy. 

When Lindy challenges her mother’s long-laid plans by falling in love with a poor seminary student, the explosion is bigger than the Brooklyn Bridge fireworks on Independence Day.

I was expecting this novel to be an emotionally explosive read from the blurb, but the number of times I was reaching for the tissues did surprise me.  

Lindy was a character that I grew to love. She is not blinded, like her mother is, to the plight of the poor, and she feels a terrible sense of guilt at the thought that she has so much when others have so little. This very caring, very empathetic nature makes Lindy all the more susceptible to her mother's cruel games. Lindy is treated throughout this novel as a commodity. She will be sold to the highest bidder. My heart repeatedly broke as Lindy is threatened and then forced to comply with her mother's demands. The fact that her father stood by and did nothing made Lindy's plight all the more moving. Jack's desperate attempt to save the woman he loves is thwarted over and over again. But he is the shining light of hope that perhaps there is a way to escape the torment she is being forced to endure.

Jack is a quiet, calming presence in this novel. Young, he may be, but he holds the world upon his shoulders, for his mother is dying of consumption. When he accidentally meets Lindy in her father's library (you will have to read the book if you want to know why he was in her father's library), he instantly recognises a kindred spirit. And despite their social differents, Jack is determined to make him his wife. Thankfully, Lindy is of the same mind—she really wants to be his wife. Needless to say, her mother is less than keen - it is an English Duke, and anything short of that is a disaster.

This story really centres upon the abuse Lindy is forced to endure at the hands of her mother, with the romance being somewhat in the background, which is a little unusual for a romance novel. But I will say this. If anyone reading this book is going through a similar experience to Lindy, this novel will give them hope. There is a way out. You can escape. So thank you, Renee Yancy, for the depiction of Lindy. A truly inspirational character.

I was given a complementary copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club, but you can grab your copy from Amazon UK, Amazon US and Barnes & Noble.

Renee Yancy is a history and archaeology nut who writes the kind of historical fiction she loves to read – stories filled with historical detail that immerse you in another place and time. When she isn't writing historical fiction or traveling to see the places her characters have lived, she can be found in the wilds of Kentucky with her husband and two rescue mutts named Ellie and Charlie. 

Social Media Links:

Website • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • Pinterest • Book Bub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, The Aragon Years (Book one of The Henrician Chronicle) by Judith Arnopp #HistoricalFiction #Tudors @JudithArnopp @maryanneyarde

 Would you like to discover a new and fabulous historical fiction author? Of course, you would! Once again I am touring with The Coffee Pot Book Club and if you like All Things Tudor, you are going to love this book!

'A king must have sons: strong, healthy sons to rule after him.’

 

On the unexpected death of Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, his brother, Henry, becomes heir to the throne of England. The intensive education that follows offers Henry a model for future excellence; a model that he is doomed to fail.

 

On his accession, he chooses his brother’s widow, Catalina of Aragon, to be his queen. Together they plan to reinstate the glory of days of old and fill the royal nursery with boys. 

But when their first-born son dies at just a few months old, and subsequent babies are born dead or perish in the womb, the king’s golden dreams are tarnished.

 

Christendom mocks the virile prince. Catalina’s fertile years are ending yet all he has is one useless living daughter, and a baseborn son.

 

He needs a solution but stubborn to the end, Catalina refuses to step aside.

 

As their relationship founders, his eye is caught by a woman newly arrived from the French court. Her name is Anne Boleyn.

 

A Matter of Conscience: the Aragon Years offers a unique first-person account of the ‘monster’ we love to hate and reveals a man on the edge; an amiable man made dangerous by his own impossible expectation.

Richmond 1511 – Henry and Catherine revel in the delight of their newborn son.

In the weeks that follow, Kate and I gloat over the miracle that is our son. He is small yet lusty, his lungs are strong and at times his voice is alarmingly loud. 

“Henry,” I murmur as I run a finger over the soft red down of hair and put my face close to his. I wonder if he can see me. He blinks slowly, squinting up at me as if trying to remember where we met.

“I am Father,” I tell him. “Your sire, your king but you will learn to call me ‘Father.’

It is a word I long to hear on a boy’s lips. Once the tedium of his infant days are over there is so much I will teach him. He must excel at everything, as I do. He must learn to be better than his peers at learning, at sport and on the dance floor. He must be a great diplomat, a poet, and musician.

I lift him into my arms and whisper stories of King Arthur. The tales my mother told are still ripe in my mind. Kate watches with a smile from her seat at the window as my son and I stroll back and forth across the chamber floor. 

Young Henry, lulled by my gentle tones, has fallen asleep, a trickle of drool collects in the crook of my arm, but I do not halt the telling of the legends. I have no wish to return him to his nurse. I want never to put him down. 

In his sleep, he snuffles and makes sucking noises that bring Kate to peer over my shoulder.

“He is very much like you, Henry,” she says. “So sweet, so precious.”

I smother a laugh.

“Nobody has called me ‘sweet’ or ‘precious’ in a long time.”

She taps me playfully.

“Do not tease me, Henry, or I shall sulk.”

A burst of laughter escapes me, startling the baby. He opens his mouth, exposes his milk coated tongue and mews in annoyance before slumbering again.

“You should lie him down,” Kate says, and reluctantly I hand him to his nurse. As we watch her tuck him firmly in his cot, I take my wife’s hand. We repair to the window seat where the weak winter sunshine warms us through the thick glass.

“I wanted to talk to you, Kate. Now you are churched, I would have you join me when the court moves to Westminster.”

Her face falls, her chin drops.

“I am not yet ready to leave him …” She glances regretfully toward the cradle.

“I know. I know … but you may never be. It is your duty to be at my side. The court has missed you. We shall not be far away and can ride back at any instant. You know of the plans I have made for the joust. It is to honour our son, our heir. His mother must be present.”

She bites her lip, nods again. “You have worked hard on it. Is everything arranged?”

“Yes.” I let go of her hand and lean back, cross my ankles on a stool as I regale her with the details of the tournament.

“And you, as my queen,” I say when I reach the end of a lengthy list, “are to distribute the prizes. They will love you more than ever now you’ve provided England with an heir.”

She sighs but she knows her duty. “Of course, you are right, Henry. I shall instruct my household to make preparation to leave.”

Now that the months of waiting for the heir to be born are over, it seems no time at all. Both Kate and I would like to spend longer with him, but we can make regular visits. It isn’t as if he is far away.

We travel to Westminster a few days later. Kate turning wistfully in her seat every few moments until Richmond Palace disappears around a bend in the river. Her head lowers, she mangles a kerchief in her hands. It is clear she is fighting tears. One of her women picks up a lute and begins to play a merry tune. I turn away, tap my foot and concentrate my attention on the forthcoming joust.

Doesn't this book sound utterly amazing?! You can grab your copy over on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Judith Arnopp

A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English/Creative writing and an MA in Medieval Studies.

She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction based in the Medieval and Tudor period. Her main focus is on the perspective of historical women but more recently is writing from the perspective of Henry VIII himself.

Her novels include:
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years 
The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England
Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace
The Beaufort Bride: Book one of The Beaufort Chronicle
The Beaufort Woman: Book two of The Beaufort Chronicle
The King’s Mother: Book three of The Beaufort Chronicle
The Winchester Goose: at the Court of Henry VIII
A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York
Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr
The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn
The Song of Heledd
The Forest Dwellers
Peaceweaver

Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria and makes historical garments both for the group and others. She is not professionally trained but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly HA, clothing. You can find her group Tudor Handmaid on Facebook. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Social Media Links:
Website • Blog • Twitter • Instagram • Amazon

 

On tour with Goddess Fish Promotions - She's the One Who Cares Too Much (Book Two of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters) by S. R. Cronin #HistoricalFantasy @cinnabar01 @GoddessFish

 

Please give a lovely, warm welcome to S. R. Cronin who is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. Scroll down and check out the fabulous Giveaway!

She's the One Who Cares Too Much 

(Book Two of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters)

by S. R. Cronin

Coral, the second of seven sisters, has been hiding her affair with the perfect man until her older sister can get her life together. But the perfect man is getting impatient and now she’s gotten pregnant. Coral decides it’s time to consider her own happiness.

But what does she want? The perfect husband turns out to be less than ideal. She adores the small children she teaches but the idea of being a mother fills her with joy. Meanwhile, her homeland is gripped by fear of a Mongol invasion and she can’t stop crying about everything now that she’s with child.

Then a friend suggests the ever-caring Coral possesses a power well beyond what she or anyone else imagines. Does she? And why is the idea so appealing?

When Coral’s big sister loses faith in the army and decides to craft a way to use magic to save Ilari from the Mongols, she decides Coral’s formidable talent is what the realm needs. Can Coral raise a baby, placate an absent military husband who thinks he’s stopping the invasion, and help her sister save her homeland?

The next time we met, he urged me to make our courtship public.

“We’ll largely stick to the truth. Say we met when I came to your school and that we’ve written a few times. Very proper. Tell people I’ve come to Vinx to court you a few times and now I’ve invited you to come to Lev so we can get to know each other better. Perhaps to celebrate Noruz? All women find the start of spring to be romantic.”

“No, not for Noruz,” I shook my head. “My oldest sister has been seeing someone and she hopes he’ll propose to her while they celebrate Noruz. She is the oldest and I’d like to let her have her moment. Then once she announces her engagement, we’ll proceed. Please. It’s just a few more anks.”

He agreed, but I could tell he wasn’t happy about it.

“Who is this person she’s marrying, anyway?” he asked. 

I froze. I’d kept the identity of Ryalgar’s suitor to myself for a lot of little reasons. At first, it seemed a private family matter and I didn’t want to subject my sister to embarrassment if the relationship didn’t work out. Then, once Davor proposed, I feared he’d somehow be insulted to learn he might not be the highest-ranking son-in-law in the family. Now, I simply didn’t want to have this discussion.

“He’s just some man she likes.” 

“Well, that’s good. I hope the two of them get on with it so we can do the same.”

Giveaway

Check this out - S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter HERE!

Amazon

Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels.  She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is. 

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case. 

Connect with Sherrie:

Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Author Blog, Book Series Blog.

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club, The Dark Shadows of Kaysersberg (The French Orphan Series, Book 6) by Michael Stolle #HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub @MichaelStolle16 @maryanneyarde

 

I am so excited to be taking part in another virtual blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Today,  historical fiction author, Michael Stolle is share an excerpt from his new book.

The Dark Shadows of Kaysersberg

The French Orphan Series, Book 6

By Michael Stolle

It’s 1646 and infant King Louis XIV reigns over France; wily Cardinal Mazarin holds the reins of power - but he needs money, desperately.

Armand de Saint Paul, the younger son of a great and rich noble house, is leading a carefree life in Paris, dedicating his time to such pleasures as gambling, hunting and amorous pursuits.

Unexpectedly, Armand has to defend the honour of his house in a duel that transpires to be a deadly trap, set up by a mighty foe of the house of Saint Paul.

Will Armand be able to escape the deadly net of intrigue that soon threatens to destroy him?

How can a young man deal with love, when it’s no longer a game, but a dream beyond reach?

The leading question is: What is going on behind the façade that is Castle Kaysersberg, 

where nothing is as it seems to be … until the day when the dark shadows come alive?

Mathieu was not a very religious man, but if this was not a time for prayers, then when? His mother swore that by praying to the right saint, heaven would help. She never picked a major saint, those must be far too busy to listen to her, she preferred to pray to minor, almost forgotten saints – and there were plenty of those to choose from. 

While Mathieu was sifting in his mind through a list of saints to come up with, the most suitable saviour who would offer help in such a hopeless situation, his ears picked up the barely audible noise of some kind of trouble, a commotion outside.

At first, it was not even a tangible sound, he just noticed a change of pattern of the subdued noise of moving hooves, tinkling of chains and snickering of skittish horses stabled close-by.

But the rhythm of snickering changed, it grew more nervous, louder. The first hooves started kicking against the flagstones and the wooden walls of the boxes, the clicking of metal chains became incessant, no longer soothing, metamorphosing into a haunting melody of approaching fear and panic.

At first Mathieu was paralyzed but quickly it dawned upon him that he needed to act.

‘Monsieur Armand, wake up!’ he cried and shook his master who was painfully slow to react.

‘My dear Lord, what’s going on? It’s still dark as hell,’ Armand uttered, still half-asleep.

‘I don’t know, but something is going on! We must be prepared, Monsieur.’

Armand rubbed his eyes, but of course, he couldn’t see anything. Their prison cell was in complete darkness. He could hear Mathieu breathing hard close to him, but quickly he realized that the ever-engulfing spell of silence outside their prison cell had been broken. 

The noise was reaching a crescendo, a frightening cacophony of terrifying sounds: the fearful whinnying of horses, the rough, fear-stricken shouting of men outside, the loud metallic banging of horseshoes clacking against wooden boxes and on stone. 

Next, Armand could smell the danger: the alarming, acrid, horrifying scent of smoke. Subtle, at first, but stronger by the minute.

‘A fire must have broken out in the castle, Mathieu,’ Armand exclaimed, sweating with fear. ‘That’s why the horses are going lunatic. It’s a nightmare.’

‘This will be our end!’ Mathieu cried. ‘These bastards will forget us and let us roast to death.’

‘Elisabeth won’t forget us, Mathieu, stay calm!’ Armand replied, putting on his bravest face. He knew of course that next to the plague, fire was the one calamity everyone feared. 

Mathieu didn’t reply, but Armand heard him muttering prayers.

Armand stood up, not knowing what do and how to move in this darkness. The smell of the smoke intensified, a smell that no longer resembled the comforting smoke of a fireplace. It was clinging to his nostrils, mingling with scents of charcoaled wood and burning fat. 

‘Dear Lord, help us, I can smell the odour of charred bones. I know this smell,’ Mathieu exclaimed.

Armand could no longer pretend to be confident and relaxed.

‘Stop praying, Mathieu, let’s do something, let’s shout. Otherwise they’ll simply forget us. They’re so busy getting the horses out of here that they won’t waste a thought upon us.’

‘You’re right, Monsieur. Let’s shout.’

But the very moment they breathed deeply to start yelling from the top of their lungs, the door of their prison cell was flung open. A young man they had never seen before stood in the entrance, holding a burning torch in his right hand.

‘Follow me,’ he shouted, ‘we must leave, fast. Lady Elisabeth sent us.’ He spoke in the Germanic dialect, but Armand didn’t need any translation, his gesturing was clear enough.

A second men appeared and flung two coats and thick woollen caps at them. ‘Put those on and drag the caps deep over your face. The castle is in turmoil and chances are great that nobody will pay attention, but we can’t take any risks, this is your one and only chance to flee.’ Mathieu translated quickly and they put on the brown coats made from coarse, warm wool.

‘Thank you,’ Armand said. ‘Let’s pray for a miracle to get out of here unscathed.’

But there was no time for prayers or lengthy explanation. The two men raced ahead and guided them through a narrow passage. Armand had been afraid that they must traverse the stables, by now hot like a furnace and fully ablaze, but only a few steps further their guides turned and opened a low gate he had never noticed before. 

Armand bent deeply to squeeze himself through the narrow opening and was surprised to find himself stepping into a section of the castle totally unknown to him. It was a cobbled backyard that lay abandoned, strangely quiet and peaceful. 

The moonlight and the glow of the fire devouring the stables behind them cast an eerie light on the wet cobblestones, making them glow like ember. Towering high above them, Armand could discern the walls of the castle. Mean clouds of smoke billowed into the night, with tatters of black smoke flying to the sky like frenzied demons.

You can grab your copy of this book over on Amazon UK and Amazon US (depending on where you live)!

Michael Stolle

Born in 1957, living and educated in Europe, Michael has always been intrigued by the historical setting and the fact that what makes us human was as true in the 17th century as it is now.

He has been reading and writing about history for longer than he cares to recall...

Social Media Link:

Twitter

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club, Widow’s Lace by Lelita Baldock #BookReview #Historical @BaldockLelita @maryanneyarde

 

You all know how excited I get when I receive book mail - which is one of the reasons why I love being a tour host for The Coffee Pot Book Club. I never know what book I am going to be invited to read next, and boy, have I read some great book recently. 

Are you ready for today's book recommendation? Of course you are. I will shut up and let the book speak for itself - you can then scroll down and read my review.

Widow’s Lace

By Lelita Baldock

A hundred year old mystery, the widow left behind, a fallen soldier, the abandoned fiancée, an unnamed body and the young student determined to find the truth.

In 1886 famous English poet Edward Barrington moves from Derbyshire, England to a farm on the Finniss River, in South Australia. Two years later he disappears.

25 years later Archie Hargraves abandons his fiancée Clara and travels from England to meet with Edward’s widow, Rosalind. He plans to write a biography and make a name for himself, independent from his wealthy father. Returning to England in 1914 he abandons his work to join the war in Europe. His journal of notes from Australia is never released.

Ellie Cannon, a young PhD candidate at Sydney University, is writing a thesis on one of Barrington’s last known poems, The Fall. It’s not going well. Struggling with her relationship with her mother and loss of her father, Ellie is on the brink of failure.

Then a body is found by the Finniss River, 130 years after Edward’s disappearance. Could it be the famous poet?

The discovery draws Ellie into the worlds of Edward, Archie and Clara, taking her across Australia and England in her search for the truth.

Covering life in remote South Australia, the social pressures of 1900s Britain and the historical role of women, Widow’s Lace is an historical fiction, mystery cross-over dealing with themes of obsession, fear, love, inner-secrets and regret. But also the hope that can come from despair.

I will admit, between agreeing to read this book and reading it, I completely forgot about the blurb and what this book was about, other than the fact that it was historical fiction. Therefore, imagine my surprise when it starts in 2018, with a woman called Ellie who is putting off doing her thesis and drinks too much alcohol! Nonetheless, I continued reading and soon I was in 1886, with the very poet that Ellie is researching. Skip ahead a couple of days (it wouldn’t have been so long, but I have a very needy child) I am in 1913, with yet another timeline that somehow fits in perfectly with the other two.

Let us go through each timeline separately. In 2018, Ellie isn’t having the greatest of times. She has no motivation to work on her thesis (haven’t we all been there?) and is miserable after the death of her father. She drinks, she smokes, she sleeps. Then, just as everything seems incredibly forlorn, a little ray of hope appears in the form of a pile of bones found at the poet’s old house. Of course, finding bones is incredibly exciting, and Ellie ends up on a mission to find out who the bones belong to and is determined to find the truth about the poet’s life. He disappeared, never to be heard of again, and Ellie wants to know why and what happened to him. At one point, she ends up in London, the first time, for she grew up in Australia. When in a new country, there is always a moment of awe as you see a new culture, a new environment, and I found it both incredibly amusing and so very true that as Ellie takes in London, she feels the need to point out the never-ending amount of pigeons.

In 1913, Archie and Clara are also not having fun. At least, they would be, but Clara desperately wants to marry Archie and Archie is never around. She is the most patient person I have ever read about, he runs off to Australia for a year and she forgives him with a kiss. No, Clara, ignore him for a year and see how he feels. Then, when he inevitably doesn’t have the patience to wait that long, hope that he understands how you feel (but he is a man, so he won’t). Archie wants to write a book about the poet, but since he is missing and presumed dead for 25 years, he visits the poet’s wife instead. And stays with her all year. Seriously, I feel so bad for Clara, even though I know why Archie is so closed off towards her (I’m not telling, read the book yourself!)

1886, the poet, Edward Barrington, is moving from England to Australia because of his wife’s health. Rosalind has consumption, and Edward sorely hopes the heat of Australia will help to rejuvenate her, to give her back her health. Edward, being a man, ends up making some very big choices in Australia, affecting both his and his wife’s entire futures, without consulting her. He likes Australia, much more than she does. In my opinion, she should be thankful she is not dead and learn to love the country, but I have never moved across the world so I can’t relate to the homesickness she has for England. 

The mystery throughout, the bones, the disappearance of Edward, is intensely gripping and, if I had such a thing as a day to myself, I might have read this in a single sitting. Nothing is fully revealed until the end, so there is the constant incentive to continue reading and I didn’t want to put this book down, as much as I loved pretending to eat the *Play_Doh food my child had made while I read. This is the kind of book that I wish I could completely forget about, purely so I could read it and experience it again.

*There are other kinds of dough out there, you can even make it yourself, but I don't have time to do things like that. Needless to say, I am not in any way biased towards Play-Doh, it is just my dough of choice because It comes in pretty yellow pots and smells lovely - not so good on the taste though.

I really cannot stress how great this book is. I was given a copy by The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours from Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble.  

Lelita Baldock

Lelita has a passion for stories, especially those with a dark undercurrent, or a twist to be revealed. 

She hopes to tell interesting stories that people will find themselves drawn into. Stories that are for entertainment and escape, and hopefully a little thrill of the unexpected. She truly enjoys the experience of writing, exploring human traits and reactions as well as the darkness that can lurk unexpectedly inside anyone.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Lelita holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and History from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Education from The University of South Australia. During her twenties she worked as an English teacher in both Australia and the United Kingdom, working with the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

Now Lelita and her husband run a web development business, and she makes time for writing after hours and on weekends. It can mean long days and late nights, but she doesn’t mind, stories are her passion.

Lelita’s long term goal as a writer is to be able to publish her stories regularly and hopefully appeal to a wide range of readers.

Lelita currently resides in the United Kingdom with her husband Ryan and beloved rescue-cat, Jasmine.

Social Media Links:

Website • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads