Friday, 20 February 2026

A Theory in Vienna by Heidi Gallacher







A Theory in Vienna
By Heidi Gallacher



Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Publisher: The Book Guild
Pages: 305
Genre: Historical Fiction


‘I bring to light a truth, which was unknown for many centuries with direful results for the human race.’ – Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis. 

 

Imagine you’d discovered something. Something that could save hundreds of thousands of lives. But they wouldn’t let you tell anyone. Wouldn’t it drive you mad?

 

Young Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis uncovers the real reason thousands of young women are dying after childbirth. Yet, in mid-19th century Europe, his simple methods are ridiculed. Semmelweis faces the battle of his life to convince others that the cause is simple…

 

Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, A Theory in Vienna brings the remarkable story of this man to life.



Praise for A Theory in Vienna:

'A booked based on truth, and this novel didn't disappoint.'

Andrew, 5* Amazon Review



Buy Link:




Heidi was born in London in the Sixties. She grew up in South Wales, UK and moved to Paris as a young adult where she taught English for two years. She currently lives in Switzerland and recently completed an MA in Creative Writing.

    Her first short story was published in Prima magazine (UK) in 2018. Heidi now writes historical fiction. Her first novel, Rebecca’s Choice, is set in Tredelerch - an old house in Wales that belonged to her family generations ago. This novel won an award from the Coffee Pot Book Club in 2020, Debut Novel Bronze Medal.

Her second novel, A Theory in Vienna, is set in 19th century Vienna and Budapest. It tells the incredible story of unsung hero Ignaz Semmelweis, whose life-saving discovery was ridiculed at the time.

Heidi enjoys travelling (the further North the better!), singing and writing songs, and spending time reading and writing at her Swiss chalet where the views are amazing.






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VIA MALORUM II by G. G. MacLeod plunges readers deeper into a world where betrayal is survival—and even a child can learn to master fate.

 


VIA MALORUM II by G. G. MacLeod plunges readers deeper into a world where betrayal is survival—and even a child can learn to master fate.

✓ Set in ancient Rome, 19 CE, amid winter’s frozen shadows
✓ A chilling prequel exploring the origins of Agrippina’s ruthless ambition
✓ A child prodigy navigating power, deception, and survival
✓ Political intrigue, betrayal, and poisoned alliances at every turn
✓ Features historical figures including Sejanus and Messalina
✓ Explores the psychological genesis of a psychopath
✓ A dark, visceral blend of historical fiction and thriller

Check out the blurb:

VIA MALORUM II: INITIUM ENIM EST FINIS


In the frozen shadows of Rome’s Appian Way, December 25th, 19 CE, a four-year-old prodigy walks among the mourners, her heart untouched by grief. Julia Agrippina, born with a mind sharper than any gladius and a soul devoid of fear, sees her father’s funeral not as an end, but a beginning. In a world of snarling mobs and scheming kin, she learns the first lessons of power: to deceive, to kill, to outmaneuver.

Guided by the cunning Sejanus and shadowed by the wild-eyed Messalina, Agrippinilla navigates a labyrinth of betrayal where every ally hides a dagger. As winter’s chill cloaks The Eternal City, whispers of poison and treachery swirl around her family’s throne. The Prophet’s warnings echo faintly, but for a child who embraces, fate is merely a game to be won.

Via Malorum II plunges deeper into Rome’s heart of vice, where ambition is a blade that cuts both ways. A chilling prequel to the visceral saga, this tale of a psychopath’s genesis blends Stoic wisdom with blood-soaked intrigue. In the war of all against all, who will rise when the snow falls red?

VIA MALORUM II by G. G. MacLeod is available now in ebook and paperback. Step into the shadowed streets of ancient Rome and discover a story where power bleeds red—pick up your copy HERE.



I'm a Canadian indie author who also has a straight job. I'm 54 years old and "Augusta" is my first major foray into the world of publishing my work. Otherwise, there's nothing particularly interesting to say about me. I'm a pretty boring person, really who enjoys living a quiet life of reading/writing and thinking up story ideas that no one has actually pursued. 


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On October 8, 1871, fire turned night into a living hell.





Secrets in the Woods

By Susan D. Levitte


Publication Date: October 17th, 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 269
Genre: Historical Fiction


On October 8, 1871, fire turned night into a living hell.


While Chicago's blaze claimed the headlines, a fiercer and more devastating inferno swept across Wisconsin's Green Bay peninsula-obliterating farms, forests, and families in its path.


Here, among immigrant settlers carving new lives from the wilderness, survival came down to split-second choices: to run, to hide, to fight the flames. Mothers shielded children with their bodies, fathers vanished into smoke, and neighbors faced the firestorm with nothing but faith and will.


Inspired by forgotten accounts and newspaper fragments, Secrets in the Woods brings to life the untold human drama of one of America's most harrowing nights-a story of resilience, loss, and the fragile hope that rises from the ashes.


Praise for Secrets in the Woods:

'This book will stay in your thoughts long after you finish it!'
~ Patricia Cords, 5* Amazon Review

Excerpt

We hadn’t had a normal day for so long. Every day was now filled with all available hands batting back flames, watching for flames, or preparing for the flames. Normal fall chores were neglected so we could find more water, scratch together food that could be eaten on the hoof, treat wounds and burns, and rotate chores in the hopes of being able to step back into normal when this was over. 

That Sunday was the same. Small fires were popping up in the woods, and the trees continued to burst into flames, sending the firefighters to protect the nearest property. Even the little girls who had cared for Atlan were put to work fighting the flames at their homes.




Buy Link:

Susan D. Levitte


Susan was born and raised as the fifth generation to live on the family land in Northeast North Dakota (nearly Canada). She moved to Wisconsin in 1997, living in Door and Manitowoc County and now resides in the pastoral Kewaunee County. Married to Quentin, they share their home with Olive and Penny, their silly Labrador retrievers, and Gil, their ever-lazy cat.

As a devoted reader of historical fiction and nonfiction, she brings her passion for history and desire to educate readers into her work. With twenty-five years of experience in global advertising and marketing, she holds a master’s degree in communications and currently contributes her expertise to the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport.




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Beneath the Sequins: Tangled in Water by Pam Records

 

Today, I’m delighted to welcome Pam Records to the blog with her evocative historical novel, Tangled in Water. Set against the backdrop of Prohibition-era riverboats and long-buried secrets, this compelling story explores identity, survival, and the courage it takes to face the past.



✔️ A hidden life beneath the costume

✔️ Secrets carried through the years

✔️ Courage forged in troubled waters

✔️ A past that refuses to stay buried








Check out the blurb:

1932. Natalia is 16 and a bootlegger's daughter,
playing the mermaid mascot on a rundown paddlewheel used to entertain brewers and distributors.


A sequined costume hides her scarred and misshaped legs, but it can't cover up the painful memories and suspicions that haunt her. An eccentric healer, who treats patients with Old Country tonics, tries to patch wounds, but only adds to the heartache. A fierce storm threatens to destroy everything, including a stash of stolen jewels. 


1941. Prohibition is over, but the same henchmen still run the show. Nattie's new mermaid act is more revealing, with more at risk. When the dry-docked paddlewheel is bought by the US Navy for training exercises, the pressure escalates further. Can Nattie entice a cocky US Navy officer to help her gain access to the ship for one last chance to confront her past, settle scores, and retrieve the hidden loot? Is there a new course ahead?


Pick up your copy HERE.


Pam and her husband, Mark, recently uprooted from the Midwest to move to Savannah, Georgia, the perfect place for enjoying the beach, historic architecture and Spanish moss. She's recently retired from writing content for software companies and now focuses on writing fiction, camping, and exploring historic cities.

She is the author of three historical novels. 

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