On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club – The Book Boyfriend by Jeanna Louise Skinner #TheBookBoyfriend #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @jeannalstars @UKRomChat @maryanneyarde

  I have an excerpt for you today from The Book Boyfriend by Jeanna Louise Skinner.

The Book Boyfriend

By Jeanna Louise Skinner

"Let us find solace in the quiet…"

 

Emmeline always dreamed of being an author, finding comfort in words and between the pages of her beloved romance novels, but a mental health diagnosis leaves her blocked and unable to write. Then she inherits a crumbling, second-hand bookshop from a mysterious old friend and Emmy discovers that magic is real and maybe her fantasies about the heroes in her favourite historical romances aren't so far-fetched after all.

 

A handsome stranger–wielding a sword as dangerous as his Tudor past–appears in Emmy's bookshop asking for help. Together they must race against time itself to lift the curse imprisoning him in an ancient book. But when growing threats to her safety are proved real and not another symptom of her illness, Emmy must learn to trust her own voice again. Can she find the words to save Jonathan and her shop before tragedy strikes on the fateful final page? 

 

Romance-addict Emmy may be, but this damsel is about to kick distress into the Ever After.

 

1567

The Dread Sweate has returned. The fireplaces burn strong and the court stifles in the cloying summer heat. It is said that death is swift, with few surviving once the sickness takes hold. We must endure the furnaces to prevent further spread. Miss Caroline Godwin is the youngest daughter of Sir Godfrey Godwin, chief physician to the Queen. She is lovely. At once come-hither, yet aloof. Her smile is radiant with the kiss of youth and her eyes reflect the waxing and waning of the flames. Her pretence is strong, yet the sharp rise and fall of her chest gives her away. Why else would she have agreed to accompany me to a private chamber? She is uncharacteristically unsure of herself. I watch as she takes a coquettish sip of wine and wonder if she will be like her older sister in bed. 

“This blessed fire becomes unbearable, my lord. Might we not open a window?” She fans at her cheeks, rosy-stained and delicious. An apple ripe for picking and I am the very man to shake the tree. 

“Ahh, my Lady, I apologise, but surely you understood your father’s instruction? We must do whatever we can to work up a clean and natural sweat.” 

“There is nothing clean about cooking oneself. I feel like a goose dressed for Christmas dinner in July.” 

I ignore the obvious invitation to compliment and instead make my move. “I hear you are quite the sportswoman. Maybe if you changed into something more suitable, you would partake in a game with me?” I hold up the dice for her to see. 

“And why would my lord think I be unsuitably dressed for a game of tables?” 

Time to roll the dice. I cross the room in two strides and lean toward her right ear. 

“Because, my Lady, I would take great pleasure in licking the sweat from your bosom, as I lay your delectable body across my table.” 

Her breath hitches and I lean out again to assess her reaction. The fire in her eyes is scorching, and I know I should be grateful if the good Doctor remains ignorant of exactly how we plan to interpret his wisdom.

If that  excerpt has whet your appetite then head over to Amazon _ UK, US, CA, AU

Jeanna Louise Skinner

Jeanna Louise Skinner writes romance with a sprinkling of magic. The Book Boyfriend is her debut novel and she is currently working on a prequel. She has ADHD and CRPS, a rare neu-ro-inflammatory disorder, and she is passionate about writing about people underrepresented in Romance, especially those with disabilities and chronic health conditions. She’s also the co-creator of UKRomChat, a much-lauded, Romance-centric live Twitter chat. She lives in Devon with her husband, their two children and a cat who sounds like a goat. 

Social Media Links:

Website, Twitter, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Tour Schedule

(part of the tour, part of the ship)!

You can follow this fabulous tour HERE!

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - Widdershins (Widdershins, Book 1) By Helen Steadman, narrated by Christine Mackie #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #Audiobook @hsteadman1650 @maryanneyarde

 

Widdershins

(Widdershins, Book 1)

By Helen Steadman

Narrated by Christine Mackie

The first part of a two-part series, Widdershins is inspired by the Newcastle witch trials, where 16 people were hanged. Despite being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, these trials are not widely known about. In August 1650, 15 women and one man were hanged as witches after a Scottish witchfinder found them guilty of consorting with the devil. This notorious man was hired by the Puritan authorities in response to a petition from the Newcastle townsfolk who wanted to be rid of their witches. 

Widdershins is told through the eyes of Jane Chandler, a young woman accused of witchcraft, and John Sharpe, the witchfinder who condemns her to death. Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane soon learns that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world. From his father’s beatings to his uncle’s raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witchfinder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft. 

The new audio book of Widdershins is narrated brilliantly by talented actor, Christine Mackie, from Downton Abbey, Coronation Street, Wire in the Blood.

I am a massive audiobook fan because of the ability it gives me to multitask. I can make food and not have to stop reading. I can get up and go to the bathroom and not have to stop reading. I no longer have to choose whether to do chores or read, because I can do both… okay, maybe there are some downsides!

This book has two main characters, Jane and John. Jane is an apprentice healer, her mother is teaching her the uses of herbs to heal the unwell and how to help those in pain. John had a difficult start in life, his mother dying giving birth to him and his father blaming his mother’s death on him. We follow both characters from childhood to adulthood, as they learn about the world they are living in, and how it can be kind, but it can also be bitterly cruel.

I absolutely adored Jane. She is the kind of person you just want to be friends with. In her world people are kind and some have love to spare. She is not one to keep the spare love for herself, but would rather spread it on, and give love to others. I loved learning about the herbs she and her mother use to help people, but at times, I found myself wishing they had access to the medicine we have nowadays. Childbirth was a particularly dangerous thing, and while it is difficult today, it was seriously life-threatening in the period that this book is set in. And with the midwives being treated terribly, and being accused of witchcraft, those giving birth had a very high chance of not surviving the birth.

My feelings towards John is a different matter entirely. He has a very hard start in life, and the lack of love in his life turns him bitter and hardens him against the world. He is cruel to his wife, blaming her for not bearing a child and abusing her, all while claiming to be a God-fearing man, and doing what God would want. Corrupted Religion corrupts him, and he becomes a cold man, quick to anger and even quicker to accuse. My initial feeling of sympathy for his plight was quickly quashed as I began to despise him.

The blurb of this novel is a little misleading, which is why this was not a five star read for me. The burb suggested I would be thrown right into the action, but that is not the case. Instead, it is about the character’s lives, their whole lives, leading up to this one point. Every time my husband or I walked into the same room as the other while I was listening to this story, I would announce ‘she hasn’t been accused of witchcraft yet’ and I actually celebrated when I reached that point in the story — I know it sounds odd, and maybe even a little disturbing, but I felt like this novel was building up to this moment, and it was a very, very, very long build up. I will not lie, she is not accused until the last hour of the audiobook.

The narration in this novel is wonderful, and Christine Mackie has a lovely voice to listen to. In particular, I loved that she didn’t just read the book, but she gave the characters accents, and I could easily tell them all apart. This made the characters jump out of the story even more, and I loved that the extra effort was taken to do this.

I thought this novel was incredibly interesting, especially in how quickly and easily people would jump to accuse those who they had known for a very long time, and who had helped them and possibly saved their lives before. The brutality of this period in history isn’t brushed over, and the setting has been depicted wonderfully. It is just a shame that it took so long to get to the part of the story I was looking forward to reading.

 I received my copy from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours from Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon Au • Audible • Blackwells • Waterstones • Kobo • iBooks • iTunes • Foyles • Book Depository

Dr Helen Steadman

Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf was inspired by a group of Lutheran swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687.

Despite the Newcastle witch trials being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hid-den histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.

The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive re-search and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook black-smith training, which culminated in making her own sword. During her archive research, Helen uncovered a lot of new material and she published her findings in the Northern History journal.

Helen is now working on her fourth novel.

Social Media Links:

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

Christine Mackie

Christine Mackie has worked extensively in TV over the last thirty years in well-known TV series such as Downton Abbey, Wire in the Blood, Coronation Street, French & Saunders and The Grand. Theatre work includes numerous productions in new writing as well as classics, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Comedy of Errors, Richard III, An Inspector Calls, and the Railway Children. In a recent all women version of Whisky Galore, Christine played three men, three women and a Red Setter dog! 

Social Media Links:

IMDB for Christine Mackie

Tour Schedule

 

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - Read an #excerpt from At Her Fingertips (The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, Book 3) by Kellyn Roth @kellyntheauthor @maryanneyarde

It is with the greatest of pleasure that I introduce you to author, Kellyn Roth.

 

At Her Fingertips 

(The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, Book 3)

By Kellyn Roth

She’s willing to do anything to follow her plan.

Debutante Alice Knight is ready for her first social season in London. She’s determined to impress society and her mother with an affluent match, at last escaping her past and embracing a future of her own making.

Peter Strauss, an American reporter visiting England, isn’t exactly what Alice had in mind. However, his friendship proves invaluable as Alice faces the challenges of her debut. Almost immediately, she attracts the attention of a well-born gentleman—perfect save for the simple fact that he’s not a Christian.

The life she longs for is finally at her fingertips, but between her own heart and the convictions of her faith, she isn’t sure she ought to grasp it.

At Her Fingertips, a romantic women's fiction novel, is the third novel in Kellyn Roth's Christian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.

Miss Knight was sitting by herself after dinner, staring into the fire with her eyes absent. Normally, Peter left people who seemed consumed by their own thoughts alone—that was what he preferred. But something told him she wasn’t the type to enjoy her own ponderings.

 

She continued to puzzle him. Strong and weak. Over and over again, those words echoed in his head. Miss Ivy was a delicate flower that would continue to bloom if crushed; he didn’t sense that in Miss Knight. She was more like a mighty pine that, once felled, would lie there until it crumbled into splinters. He didn’t know how she would handle collapse, or if she would at all.

 

Was it his business? No. Normally he would’ve made his observations within his own mind and kept silent. However, something about her compelled him to take a seat near her and make the necessary pleasantries.

 

After conversation faded again, he asked her if they could visit the library with Miss Ivy. “I haven’t had a chance, and Miss Ivy has told me about it often. Of course I wouldn’t go with her alone.”

 

“Of course.” There was grudging respect in her eyes. Did she think it was so different in America that he wouldn’t take care of Miss Ivy’s reputation? He honestly wasn’t sure why Miss Knight was so suspicious of him.

 

Had America stolen her father? Was that her reasoning? Or was she just too traditional to conceive of a friendship with him? He supposed it wasn’t exactly normal, but he made friends with anyone he could, and that usually included women. Not in an improper way—most women just seemed to, for no discernable reason, confide in him.

 

It was simultaneously frustrating and touching.

 

The three of them went to the library together, and Miss Ivy rambled on about their collection, who had added books over the years, and so on. Peter found it interesting but couldn’t help but be concerned about Miss Knight, and he began searching for a conversation topic that would suit all three of them.

 

It was when he gave up, however, that he succeeded. “Do either of your parents read?” he asked, deciding to focus his efforts on Miss Ivy, who actually wanted to talk to him. Reading, he felt, they could talk about.

 

Miss Ivy answered that her mother would read occasionally, and Miss Knight’s eyes focused on them both, interested for the first time.

 

Thank God, he thought.

 

“Mother reads what Nettie does,” Miss Knight said. “But then she’s not had time until lately to read.”

 

“Oh?” Peter supposed the lady had had a child almost every year, but she only had somewhere in the range of three to five children—he’d gotten confused at this point as to which were hers by birth and which by marriage. Ned certainly was the child of the late Mrs. Hazel Bailey Knight, but otherwise he didn’t know.

 

“Yes, because—” Then Miss Ivy stopped and looked to Miss Knight.

 

There was a moment in which the sisters stared each other down, clearly unsure who was going to communicate what. Then Miss Knight cleared her throat.

 

“Mr. Strauss, I know you asked one of our footmen for details about our family, and he declined to give you the full story.” Her dark eyes focused on him, intense to the point of anger. “If I were to tell you my family history, I don’t know what your reaction would be. Ivy promises me you are a fair, compassionate man, but I don’t know you, and you are a reporter.”

 

Peter winced. “I am at that. But I’m not the type of reporter who would ever discuss private details publicly, either in writing or with my mouth.” He struggled for the correct words. “I always take my cues from Proverbs. ‘Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.’”

 

“I see.” Miss Knight glanced at Miss Ivy.

 

She nodded.

 

“I’ll tell you a bit of what’s happened, so that there need be no awkwardness to us.” She gestured to a few chairs across the library. “It’s a simple story, really.”

 

Miss Ivy raised her eyebrows. “It is not.”

 

“Nevertheless, let’s sit down and go over it. Quickly.”

 

Curiosity spiked, but determined to remain compassionate, Peter took a seat and fixed his eyes on Miss Knight’s face.

 

If this book sounds like your cup of tea then head over to Amazon. This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Kellyn Roth

Kellyn Roth is a Christian historical women’s fiction & romance author from North-Eastern Oregon who has independently published multiple novels, the most notable being The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy series. You should definitely call her Kell.

Kell lives on family-owned property outside an unmemorable but historical town with her parents, two little brothers, precious border collies, a dozen cows, and lots of chickens. She also possesses a classic, vintage aesthetic which does not at all speak to her country girl side, but such is life.

When not writing, Kell likes to blog, work as a virtual assistant for authors and other small business owners, and spend lavish amounts of money on Dairy Queen french fries. She also likes to talk about her books (and occasionally Keira Knightley) way too much. You’ve been warned.

Social Media Links:

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, BookBub, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads

Tour Schedule 

Book Review - Rocked by Grace (Love and Chaos Series Book 1) by M.J. Schiller #ContemporaryRomance @mjschiller

Rocked by Grace

(Love and Chaos Series Book 1)

By M.J. Schiller

Zane Sanders, lead singer of Just Short of Chaos, surprised everyone, including himself, when he plucked a fan out of the audience at one of his concerts.

I don’t know what possessed me to do it. I’d never done anything like that before. But something about Grace drew me to her. And within minutes of pulling her on stage, I knew I’d made one of the best decisions of my life. Since our drummer Devin’s overdose, I’d felt dead inside. Perhaps for even longer than that. But Grace was fun, sexy—and as I would discover later—good and selfless. And an irresistible magic surrounded us that made me feel alive again. 

That is, until I blew it. In classic Zane style. Funny thing is, when I first got Grace up on stage, I had no idea what to do with her. Now I have no idea what I’ll do without her.

Grace Prescott was living out every girl’s fantasy.

Only thing is, fantasies ended, and I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t want this one to stop. Zane had a magnetism about him that was more than mere charisma. That was evident the moment I—the girl who normally had to be dragged out onto the dance floor—practically became a pole dancer in his arms. Then it happened. The moment everyone kept referring to as “The Kiss.” But it was all part of the show, right? It didn’t matter that Zane made more than my feet move. He stirred up feelings that scared the crap out of me. The depth of his sadness called out to me even more than his unbelievable sex appeal, and that was saying something.

But it could never work between us. He may have come from a small town like me, but he was all rock star now and totally out of my league. I was a flower shop owner, not his saving Grace.

Are some actions beyond forgiveness or will he be rocked by Grace?

Sex, drugs and rock & roll — Zane Sanders, the ultimate rock god, seemingly has it all together. But he only lets his fans see what he wants them to see, that was until he pulled Grace Prescott onto the stage. One look in her eyes and his world turned on its axis.

Somebody get me a fan! Zane Sanders is hot, hot, hot! He is also unbearably cute and has gone through considerable trauma in his life. The fast-paced rock-star life he lives is glamorous but it is also tough. His love affairs are brief and unimportant, and he suffers from terrible nerves before he goes on stage. Once he is on stage, however, he feels like he is at home. When he meets Grace, something clicks in his heart, and he realises what, or should I say who, he had been missing his entire life. Once Grace is in Zane’s line of vision he is determined to make her his, but there is more to this fun-loving woman he had pulled up on the stage. I thought Zane was a really lovely protagonist. He is angry, moody, but also loving and protective. Sometimes he can’t keep up with his runaway mouth, so I did not warm to him straight away, and he also does stalk Grace for 24 hours and I wasn't too sure if I was suppose to admire him for that? But as this novel progresses, Zane becomes this really likeable man, and he does everything in his power to look after Grace and her little brother. Although he gets Grace into a whole heap of trouble, but you will have to read the book to find out what happens!!

Grace was a character that I instantly adored. She is the kind of woman you want as your best friend. Her tragic past, and her devotion to her brother, who has special needs, only made her all the more appealing. When she is pulled upon the stage, Grace allows herself to be swept away by the moment but when she falls back down to reality she realises that it was just a moment in time. Through Grace, we are shown the vulnerabilities of what it means to be a woman. There are several nasty encounters with men, and her abusive ex-boyfriend is incredibly threatening. Then there is Zane. Grace cannot deny the sexual attraction between them, but she cannot envisage a world where the two of them would be together—his lifestyle is vastly different to hers. I thought Grace came across as very believable and as I have already said, I really adored her. 

The story itself is incredibly fast-paced, so fast-paced that I read it one sitting — I was not going to put this book-baby down!! The trials and tribulations that the two of them have to go through make this an enthralling read. There are moments in the novel where I found myself asking, what the hell just happened? But I think the drama only made it more compelling. There are some triggers in this novel, such as domestic abuse and sexual assault, which some readers may find very upsetting, but like all romances, there is a happy-ever-after.

I really enjoyed reading Rocked by Grace (Love and Chaos Series Book 1). I was utterly enchanted from beginning to end.

I received a copy of this book from the author (lucky me!), but you can grab your copy over on Amazon

M.J. Schiller

Bestselling author M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-two-year-old and three twenty-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon.

On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club – Empire’s Heir (Empire’s Legacy, Book VI) by Marian L Thorpe #HistoricalFantasy #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @marianlthorpe @maryanneyaryde

 

I am so excited to share with you an excerpt from Empire’s Heir (Empire’s Legacy, Book VI) by Marian L ThorpeThank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for your invite to take part in the tour. 

Empire’s Heir

(Empire’s Legacy, Book VI)

By Marian L Thorpe

Some games are played for mortal stakes.

Gwenna, heir to Ésparias, is summoned by the Empress of Casil to compete for the hand of her son. Offered power and influence far beyond what her own small land can give her, Gwenna’s strategy seems clear – except she loves someone else.

Nineteen years earlier, the Empress outplayed Cillian in diplomacy and intrigue. Alone, his only living daughter has little chance to counter the Empress's experience and skill. Aging and torn by grief and worry, Cillian insists on accompanying Gwenna to Casil.

Risking a charge of treason, faced with a choice he does not want to make, Cillian must convince Gwenna her future is more important than his – while Gwenna plans her moves to keep her father safe. Both are playing a dangerous game. Which one will concede – or sacrifice?

© 2021 Marian L Thorpe

In this passage, Cillian, one of the two narrators of Empire’s Heir, and his friend and lover Sorley are alone together for the first time since the death of Cillian’s youngest daughter, whom they both loved deeply.

Fatigue purpled Sorley’s eyes. I held out a hand. “Come here.” He came, slowly, to sit beside me. “The baths?” I touched his hair, spiky and unkempt. He leant his head into my hand. When I kissed his temple, he said my name, helplessly. 

“There is no one here,” I said. “And I have done nothing to raise suspicion, not in a house of mourning.” But I moved my hand from his head, years of caution precluding my wish to offer—and find—comfort. He reached out and took it, entwining his fingers with mine on the tabletop. I ran a thumb across his palm. I could find no physical desire, but what lay between us was far more than our rare nights together. A love which, in my many sleepless hours, when only the cat and long-dead philosophers kept me company, I had admitted I did not fully understand. 

I heard Gwenna come back into the hall. “Mhairi might follow her,” I said softly, and let my fingers slide from Sorley’s. 

“Druisius has gone to train the torpari boys, and your mother will be riding for some hours. Would you tell Apulo I—we—would welcome the baths?” I asked my daughter. 

“Of course,” she said. “Sorley? Can I use the table in your teaching room to write notes this morning?”

He nodded. “Go ahead.” 

We soaked for a long time, Apulo keeping the fire burning under the boiler, and the water hot. He’d helped me into the pool, as always, and then left us. We did not speak for some time, letting the heat do its work, relaxing the tight muscles of my back and leg. After a while I began to massage Sorley’s neck with one hand: not with any skill, but the touch was as much for me as him. He sighed and slid closer. “Lena?” 

“She is angry now,” I said. 

“We’re all angry.” Fresh bruises—bite marks—reddened his shoulders. We’d never spoken of them; we never would. Silence and secrets, for so many reasons. He leaned his head back. I stopped rubbing his neck, but I did not withdraw my arm. “I could offer sword practice.” I caught the faintest trace of a forced amusement behind the fatigue and sorrow. Sorley’s voice was a tool when he wanted it to be.

“Wear armour.” He smiled, both of us remembering a day on a riverbank far away in both time and distance now, Lena directing rage and sorrow into sword strokes. He’d barely been able to defend himself. 

“Cillian?” The amusement was gone. “What are you doing with your anger? And don’t tell me it’s not there.”

“I am waiting for it to pass.” As Catilius taught. 

“Is that enough?”

“It has to be,” I said. “What else can I do? I will write a poem for her, one day, and you can put it to music, but I cannot wield a sword, or throw a knife.” Or express, in any physical way, the hollow ache inside me that frequently flashed into sharp pain. “But, yes, just now I resent my limitations.” 

“Do you want time alone when we are finished soaking?”

I had lain or sat awake in the dark for many hours in the last week, alert to Lena’s restlessness and tears. To have no demands on me; to be undisturbed . . .  

“No,” I said. “Not yet. Time with you first.” 

If that excerpt has tickled your fancy then you can grab your copy over on Amazon. And get this, Empire's Heir is free to read if you have #KindleUnlimited subscription!

Marian L Thorpe

Essays, poetry, short stories, peer-reviewed scientific papers, curriculum documents, technical guides, grant applications, press releases – if it has words, it’s likely Marian L Thorpe has writ-ten it, somewhere along the line. But nothing has given her more satisfaction than her novels. Combining her love of landscape and history, set in a world reminiscent of Europe after the de-cline of Rome, her books arise from a lifetime of reading and walking and wondering ‘what if?’ Pre-pandemic, Marian divided her time between Canada and the UK, and hopes she may again, but until then, she resides in a small, very bookish, city in Canada, with her husband Brian and Pye-Cat.

Social Media Links:

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads

Tour Schedule