Saturday, 1 March 2025

The King's Spy: A Tudor Tale by David Pilling

The King's Spy: A Tudor Tale

By David Pilling

Publication Date: 1st March 2025

Page Length: 215 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

1485.

Henry Tudor has invaded Britain at the head of a scratch force of exiles and foreign mercenaries. His aim is to topple the king, Richard III, and seize the crown.

Henry's cousin, William Griffith of Penrhyn, is forced to make a choice. Support the invader, or stay loyal to the king? When he tries to ride out the storm, William is hunted down by Richard's men and sentenced to death.

After the unexpected Tudor victory at Bosworth, William is given a chance to prove himself. The new king, Henry VII, sends his cousin to Burgundy. His orders are to spy on the court of King Richard's sister, Margaret, and uncover Yorkist plots against the fragile Tudor regime.

To make sure of his loyalty, Henry confiscates William's title and lands. Stripped of wealth and power, the Tudor spy is forced to rely on his wits to survive. Luckily - whether scuttling for cover, engaged in desperate duels, or thrown into the front line of battle - William is nothing if not a survivor...

THE KING’S SPY: A TUDOR TALE is by David Pilling, author of the Leader of Battles series, Caesar's Sword, The White Hawk, Longsword and many others novels, short stories and nonfiction works.

Pick up your copy of

The King's Spy: A Tudor Tale

HERE!

David Pilling

I'm a writer and researcher, addicted to history for as long as I can remember. The medieval era has always held a fascination for me, perhaps because I spent much of my childhood exploring the misted ruins of castles in Wales. I also have an interest in the Byzantine Empire, the post-Roman period in Britain and the British & Irish Civil Wars.

I am a prolific author and have written and published a number of series and stand-alone tales. These include my first published novel, Folville’s Law, which chronicled the adventures of Sir John Swale in the last days of the reign of Edward II of England. This was followed by The White Hawk series, set during the Wars of the Roses, a six-part Arthurian series, and many more. I have also co-written two high fantasy novels with my good friend, Martin Bolton.

I am currently working on a book about the Montfortian civil wars in England in the late 13th century, and hope to produce more nonfiction works in the future, as well as continuing to work on fiction.

Most of my books are available as ebooks and paperbacks, and many are in the process of being converted to audio.

Enjoy!

Connect with David:

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Bluesky

Friday, 28 February 2025

Blog Tour - Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon by Helen Hollick with Kathy Hollick

Ghost Encounters:

The Lingering Spirits of North Devon
By Helen Hollick with Kathy Hollick

Publication Date: 27th February 2025

Publisher: Taw River Press

Pages: 201Pages

Genre: Non-Fiction (with a bonus of two short stories)

Everyone assumes that ghosts are hostile. Actually, most of them are not.

You either believe in ghosts or you don’t. It depends on whether you’ve encountered something supernatural or not. But when you share a home with several companionable spirits, or discover benign ghosts in public places who appear as real as any living person, scepticism is abandoned and the myth that ghosts are to be feared is realised as nonsense.

It is a matter for individual consideration whether you believe in ghosts or not, but for those who have the gift to see, hear or be aware of people from the past, meeting with them in today’s environment can generate a connection to years gone by. Kathy and Helen Hollick have come across several such departed souls in and around North Devon and at their 18th-century home, which they share with several ‘past residents’.

In GHOST ENCOUNTERS: The Lingering Spirits Of North Devon, mother and daughter share their personal experiences, dispelling the belief that spirits are to be feared.

Ghost Encounters will fascinate all who enjoy this beautiful region of rural South-West England, as well as interest those who wish to discover more about its history... and a few of its ghosts.

(Includes a bonus of two short stories and photographs connected to North Devon)

Cover design: Avalon Graphics

Cover artwork: Chris Collingwood

Pick up your copy of

Ghost Encounters

HERE!

This title will be available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Helen & Kathy Hollick

Helen Hollick

Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen might not see ghosts herself, but her nautical adventure series, and some of her short stories, skilfully blend the past with the supernatural, inviting readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur.

In addition to her historical fiction, Helen has written several short stories, further exploring themes of historical adventure or the supernatural with her signature style. Whether dealing with the echoes of the past or the weight of lost souls, her stories are as compelling as they are convincing. Through her work, she invites readers into a world where the past never truly lets us go.

Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was published in the UK with her Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which, The Forever Queen (USA title – A Hollow Crown in the UK) became a USA Today best-seller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical-based adventures inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant.

Helen, husband Ron and daughter Kathy moved from London to Devon in January 2013 after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden and orchard, fending off the geese, helping with the horses and, when she gets a moment, writing the next book...

Kathy Hollick

Diagnosed as severely dyslexic when she was ten, Helen pulled Kathy out of school at fifteen to concentrate on everything equine.

When not encountering friendly ghosts, Kathy's passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had her own Welsh pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after. Kathy now runs her own Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training. EFT, or ‘tapping’, uses the body’s pressure points to aid calm relaxation and to promote gentle healing around emotional, mental or physical issues.

Kathy lives with her farmer partner, Andrew, in their flat adjoining the main farmhouse. She regularly competes at affiliated British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals.

She also has a fun diploma in Dragons and Dragon Energy, which was something amusing to study during the Covid lockdown.

Authors’ Links:

Connect with Helen:

Blog: supporting authors & their books

Monthly ‘newsletter’: Thoughts from a Devonshire Farmhouse.

Connect with Kathy:

Website

FacebookNorth Devon - Taw River Equine Events

Tour Schedule

If you are an author and would like to find out more about The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour Packages, click HERE!

Zig Zag Woman by Roberta Tracy

Zig Zag Woman
By Roberta Tracy

Publication Date: 16th April 2024

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 278 Pages

Genre: Historical Mystery

The last thing LAPD Detectives McManus and Tyson expect to find behind Pantages Theatre is a body rolled up in a blanket.

The last thing Margaret Morehouse, one of the city's first policewoman with arrest powers, expects to do is join the investigation. When a deadly explosion at the L. A. Times derails their efforts, Margaret finds herself at a crossroads and strikes out on her own, a path leading to delusion and self-discovery on a vaudeville stage. Her husband's nephew Leland further complicates the situation by sharing a ransom note and confiding his failure to report his wife's disappearance the Dominguez Air Meet.

A brief stint as a magician's assistant takes Margaret to Chicago, where she almost signs on as a zig zag girl, the term used for ladies performing in the "cutting-a-woman-in-two" illusion. Instead, Margaret returns to the tumultuous world of early twentieth century Los Angeles. Reunited with McManus and Tyson, she confronts prejudices and societal norms in efforts to identify a body, clear Leland's name, and topple the stranglehold one powerful, amoral person has over many lives. Their efforts lead to dead ends and misconceptions before truth comes to light. Love is rekindled and danger uncovered in unlikely places. Margaret goes from Zig Zag Girl to Zig Zag Woman, no longer cut in two but headed on a clearer path.

Pick up your copy of

Zig Zag Woman

HERE!

Roberta Tracy

Early experience as a staff greeting card writer introduced Roberta Tracy to witty people who shared the writer’s dream. Marriage, motherhood, and career intervened, but she maintained that creative desire. A degree in nonprofit management led her to work situations where newsletters, grant proposals, and business correspondence took precedence. Still, she wrote poetry, some of which won prizes and publication, and children’s books set in worldwide locations. Recently, she co-authored Come Dream With Me, a part travelogue, part hippie nostalgia work of creative nonfiction, detailing the adventures of colleague Inese Civkulis. No matter what writing projects unfold in the future, she'll never find enough words to thank family and friends for their inspiration and encouragement.

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In the Shadow of the Storm (The King's Greatest Enemy, Book 1) by Anna Belfrage

In the Shadow of the Storm
(The King's Greatest Enemy, Book 1)
By Anna Belfrage

Publication Date: 29th June 2016

Publisher: Timelight Press

Page Length: 385 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Adam de Guirande owes his lord, Roger Mortimer, much more than loyalty. He owes Lord Roger for his life and all his worldly goods, he owes him for his beautiful wife – even if Kit is not quite who she seems. When Lord Roger rises in rebellion, Adam has no choice but to ride with him – no matter what the ultimate cost may be.

England in 1321 is a confusing place. Edward II has been forced by his barons to exile his favourite, Hugh Despenser. The barons, led by the powerful Thomas of Lancaster, Roger Mortimer and Humphrey de Bohun, have reasons to believe they have finally tamed the king. But Edward is not about to take things lying down, and fate is a fickle mistress.

Adam fears his lord has over-reached, but at present Adam has other matters to concern him, first and foremost his new wife, Katherine de Monmouth.

Kit Courcy has the misfortune of being a perfect double of Katherine de Monmouth – which is why she finds herself coerced into wedding a man under a false name. What will Adam do when he finds out he has been duped?

Domestic matters become irrelevant when the king sets out to punish his rebellious barons. Soon Lord Roger and his men are fighting for their very lives. When hope splutters and dies, when death seems inevitable, it falls to Kit to save her man – if she can.

In the Shadow of the Storm is the first in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.

Pick up your copy of

In the Shadow of the Storm

HERE!

Anna Belfrage

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.

Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients.

More recently, Anna has been hard at work with her Castilian series. The first book, His Castilian Hawk, published in 2020, is set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales. His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love. In the second instalment, The Castilian Pomegranate, we travel with the protagonists to the complex political world of medieval Spain, while the third, Her Castilian Heart, finds our protagonists back in England—not necessarily any safer than the wilds of Spain! The fourth book, Their Castilian Orphan, is scheduled for early 2024.

Anna has recently released Times of Turmoil, the sequel to her 2021 release, The Whirlpools of Time. Here she returns to the world of time travel. Where The Whirlpools of Time had Duncan and the somewhat reluctant time-traveller Erin navigating the complexities of the first Jacobite rebellion in Scotland, in Times of Turmoil our protagonists are in Colonial Pennsylvania, hoping for a peaceful existence. Not about to happen—not in one of Anna’s books!

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Readers’ Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com.

Connect with Anna:

Website

Bluesky

Twitter

Facebook

Hope on Hope (Blossoming of Truth, Book 2) by Susan Gray

Hope on Hope
(Blossoming of Truth, Book 2)
By Susan Gray

Publication Date: 14th February 2025
Publisher: UK Book Publishing
Page Length: 379 Pages
Genre: Historical Romance

Love, secrets and hope against the odds.

Can hope become…a lifeline…a defining attitude…a powerful reality?

In WW2 as her homeland France is occupied by enemy forces, Chantal receives a letter with a missing page – what wartime secret did her beloved Sam want to divulge? She is drawn into the French Resistance network and when the war ends, she embarks on her quest to trace her lost love.

On the cusp of womanhood, Darcy is headstrong, impulsive and outspoken. It’s 1946 and reuniting with her aunt, Chantal, the two strong women form a tight bond. But soon conflicting opinions force a wedge in their relationship.

Can secrets from the past and life altering circumstances, refine Darcy’s attitudes?

Sadness has blighted Henri’s young life, but a chance encounter heralds a brighter future. Moving to northeast England he begins a new career and finds romance – only for his hopes to be dashed with an unexpected discovery.

From war-torn France to post war northeast England, engage in this romantic drama as Chantal, Darcy and Henri discover how the presence of hope can transform their lives.

Pick up your copy of

Hope on Hope

HERE!

Susan Gray

'Never to old to follow your dreams' has become Susan Gray's mantra since beginning to write novels after celebrating a significant birthday. Susan endeavours to entwine the genres of mystery and romance and sets her novels in the early Twentieth Century. She lives with her husband in northeast England, setting her books in this picturesque area. She has a son and daughter, both married, two granddaughters and a grand dog. When not writing she loves to spend time reading, puzzling, walking and catching up with friends over a coffee. She enjoys travelling and tries to include many of the places she has visited in her books. Her plots are inspired by 'life' and how her characters navigate the waters. She loves to 'people watch' and creates her characters based on the many strangers she has observed. She has written six novels. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel and is now joined by another standalone novel BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH.

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Goodreads

Thursday, 27 February 2025

Lincoln's Agent: The Hunt for a Killer by David Spitz

Lincoln's Agent: The Hunt for a Killer
By David Spitz

Publication Date: 13th June 2022

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 399 Pages

Genre: Historical Mysteries

Intrigue, espionage, and romance in the midst of the American Civil War.

Maddie Cronin's game is seduction with plenty of bodies left in her wake - men of wealth, senators, generals, and even the vice president of the United States. Maddie has always been able to sidestep true love in her quest for power, until Arnett.

Arnett McCann is heart sore and heart sick. All he wants is to be left alone to do his job. But that is no way to live. As a U.S. Marshal for the Justice Department under President Lincoln, Arnett has always seen the law in black and white. You are either a criminal or you are not. Yet, with the looming Civil War and the attack on Fort Sumter, no one or nothing has shaken Arnett's sense of justice and he's kept his mind focused; that is, until Maddie Cronin walked into his life. Now he is out to get her and her associates, the notorious outlaws, Frank and Jesse James, before they and the secret organization, The Knights of the Golden Circle, bring down the federal government.

Pick up your copy of

Lincoln's Agent: The Hunt for a Killer

HERE!

David Spitz

I am David Spitz, and I am proud to bring you Lincoln’s Agent the Hunt for A Killer. My writing genre is Historical Fiction, especially eighteen and seventeen hundred’s American History. I am sixty-seven years old, is from and still lives Southeastern Illinois. I have always had a passion for writing especially after reading Ben Franklin’s autobiography and A Soldier’s Life by Mary Logan. Mary Logan was the wife of Southern Illinois’ own Major General John A. Logan from Murphysboro, Illinois, Illinois history, dates to the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.

As in History years go by and my passion as a lyricist returned in 2016. I published my first lyrics with Change/Makers publishing of Berkley, California and then again as an independent lyricist on SongBay, a songwriter’s platform in London, Englund. I decided to look for a Creating Writing Degree so I could finish my bachelors, complete my manuscript, and possibly to teach history. Unfortunately, due to changes in Education policies I was unable to fulfill that dream, however it did give me the time to improve my craft

Lincoln’s Agent was born out of two different ideas that kept nagging at me, until I finally put it in a manuscript. The first was a response to a request for a writing sample from one of the universities where I had applied. My character U.S. Marshal Arnett McCann was born as the result of this writing sample. The second influence was a conspiracy centering around the Knights of the Golden Circle and their association with guerilla fighters who fought along the Kansas/Missouri borders during the Civil War.

My writing style is that of a pantster, I write and develop the story as it comes to me while I’m at my desk. I consider myself to be a descriptive narrative writer. I see the scene develop and hear the dialogue in my head as if I’m watching a movie. A lot of my descriptive scenes in the first part of Lincoln’s Agent are from Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois a place I frequented as s young adult. Another place I have frequented often is the Lincoln home on South Eighth Street in Springfield, Illinois.

I am presently writing full time working on the sequel A Traitor’s Money- The Return.

Connect with David:

Website / Publisher

The Queen and the Countess by Anne O'Brien

The Queen and the Countess
By Anne O'Brien

Publication Date: 27th February 2025

Publisher: Orion

Page Length: 446 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

KEEP THY FRIENDS CLOSE,

THY ENEMIES CLOSER...

England 1450s

Queen Margaret knows she must protect the crown - and her son Prince Edward's claim to it - at all costs. With her husband, King Henry, increasingly frail, it is up to Margaret to fight for their inheritance. And as the Wars of the Roses rage on, her enemies and their wives lurk close, threatening to unravel everything she is trying to protect.

Anne, Countess of Warwick has long striven to be a loyal and accomplished wife to the Earl of Warwick. But when she develops an unlikely alliance with the Lancastrian Queen Margaret, her husband's adversary, she wonders how much power now lies in her hands to determine the course of history.

Crossing enemy lines, the pair strike up a thorny friendship - yet in the midst of treachery and the turmoil of battle, can the two women trust each other?

Or is it only a matter of time before war drives a sword between them...

Pick up your copy of

The Queen and the Countess

HERE!

Anne O’Brien

Sunday Times Bestselling author Anne O’Brien was born in West Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree in History at Manchester University and a Master’s in Education at Hull, she lived in East Yorkshire for many years as a teacher of history.

Today she has sold over a million copies of her books in the UK and internationally. She lives with her husband in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire. The area provides endless inspiration for her novels about the forgotten women of medieval history.

Anne's new book, A Marriage of Fortune, the sequel to The Royal Game, the exciting story of the women of the famous letter- writing Paston family, will be published on 28th September 2023 in paperback.

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Izar, The Amesbury Archer: A Pioneer Metal Smith by Michael E Wills

Izar, The Amesbury Archer: A Pioneer Metal Smith

By Michael E Wills

Publication Date: 1st June 2021

Publisher: Independently Published

Page Length: 248 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

A Skeleton that tells a story!

Amesbury, just two miles from Stonehenge, is regarded as one of the oldest towns in Britain, with evidence of habitation for over 5000 years.

In 2002, a male skeleton was discovered there. It had lain undisturbed for almost that length of time.

Archaeological research showed that the man was born almost a thousand miles from where he died. He had lived in the period when the Stone Age was ending and the age of metal was dawning. The numerous items buried with him give tantalising clues about his way of life. In addition to archery equipment, there was evidence that he had been a pioneer metal worker.

This is the story of how he could have lived and died.

Pick up your copy of

Izar, The Amesbury Archer: A Pioneer Metal Smith

HERE!

Michael Wills

Michael Wills was born on the Isle of Wight, UK, and educated at the Priory Boys School and Carisbrooke Grammar School. He trained as a teacher at St Peter's College, Saltley, Birmingham, before working at a Secondary school in Kent for two years.

After re-training to become a teacher of English as a Foreign Language he worked in Sweden for thirteen years. During this period he wrote several English language teaching books. His teaching career has included time working in rural Sweden, a sojourn that first sparked his now enduring interest in Scandinavian history and culture - an interest that after many years of research, both academic and in the field, led him to write Finn's Fate and the sequel novel, Three Kings, One Throne.

It was on a visit to New York in 2012 that Michael developed an interest in the American War of Independence. Subsequent research in Canada and USA led him to write The Wessex Turncoat, a novel about the life of a common soldier in the British Army of 1777, an army charged by the British monarch to retain the 13 American colonies for Britain.

With a background in teaching he has always been interested in providing reading opportunities for children. With his in mind, Michael embarked on writing a quartet of Viking adventures for young readers. The series is called "Children of the Chieftain". The first book, "Betrayed", was published in June 2015 and was long listed for the Historical Novel Society Indie Literature Competition 2016. The second book, "Banished" was published in December 2015. Bounty in 2017 and Bound For Home in 2019.

At the request of young grandchildren, Michael wrote a Viking story for children aged 5 to 9. Sven and the Purse of Silver was published in 2019. The book won a winner's medal in the 2020 "Wishing Shelf Awards".

In 2021 Michael published a story called "Izar, The Amesbury Archer". It is based on the discovery of the skeleton of a man who lived 4,500 years ago. His grave and the items in it, together with clues about his life from the features of the skeleton inspired a tale about a man who died over a thousand miles from his birthplace even though he had a severe handicap.

Moving from the Stone Age to the Second World War, in 2022, the author published children's books about young people who had been evacuated from big cities, to protect them from bombing. A boy and two girls swap city life for that of young farmers, but in so doing, they get involved in thrilling adventures. The award winning series is called, "Clifftop Farm in Wartime".

In 2021, Michael found an eleventh century runestone outside of a church near to Stockholm airport. The carving on the stone briefly told of the story of a Viking raider. Based on this and subsequent research, Michael wrote a novel called, "For the Want of Silver".

Although a lot of his spare time is spent with grandchildren, he also has a wide range of interests including researching for future books, writing, playing the guitar, and electronics.

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