Monday, 30 September 2024

Clash of Empires is an exciting look at the developments leading to the events of July 1776, which are chronicled in the sequel as we follow the exploits and fate of the Mallory clan.

 


Clash of Empires: A Novel of the French Indian War (The Mallory Saga Book 1)
By Paul Bennett


Publication Date: 25th November 2016
Publisher: Hoover Books
Page Length: 391 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

In 1756, Britain and France are on a collision course for control of the North American continent. The eventual result can be described as the first world war, known as the Seven Year’s War in Europe and the French and Indian War in the colonies. The Mallory family uproots from eastern Pennsylvania, and moves to the western frontier, where they find themselves in the middle of war. Daniel, Liam, and Liza (the three Mallory siblings) become involved in the conflict in ways that lead to emotional trauma for each. The story focuses on historical events and includes historical characters. Clash of Empires is an exciting look at the developments leading to the events of July 1776, which are chronicled in the sequel as we follow the exploits and fate of the Mallory clan.



Follow the Mallory family as they attempt to live a peaceful life on the PA frontier in 1756. They face tragedy and loss as they become embroiled in The French and Indian War - Clash of Empires. In Paths to Freedom, the colonies are heading to open revolt against King George III, and the Mallory's are once again facing the specter of war. Crucible of Rebellion continues the Mallory story through the early years of The Revolutionary War. Book 4, A Nation is Born completes the Revolution and The Mallory's have played their part in the victory. In book 5, A Turbulent Beginning, the nascent nation finds it hard going to establish a peaceful existence. The Natives of this land resist the westward expansion of white settlers. Book 6, The Jagged Mountains is a tale about Jack Mallory and his quest to find his father. Book 7, Weathering the Storm, currently being written, has the War of 1812 and the fate of Tecumseh as the central focus. Hoping to publish early May 2023

Pick up your copy of
Clash of Empires

Paul Bennett


Paul was born in Detroit when the Big Three ruled the automobile industry, and The Korean Conflict was in full swing. A lifelong interest in history and a love of reading eventually led him to Wayne State University where he majored in Ancient History, with a minor in Physical Anthropology. However, to make ends meet, those studies were left to the realm of dreams, and Paul found himself accidentally embarking on a 50 year career in computers. A career that he has recently retired from in order to spend more time with those dreams….7 grandchildren will help fill the time as well.

He now resides in the quaint New England town of Salem, Massachusetts with his wife Daryl, just a few minutes’ walk from the North River, and the site where the Revolution almost began.

The Mallory Saga is the culmination of Paul’s love of history, and his creative drive to write stories. With Nightwish and Bruce Cockburn coming through his headphones, and many cups of excellent coffee, Paul hopes to carry the Saga into the late 19th century, bringing American History to life through the eyes and actions of the Mallory family.

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Saturday, 28 September 2024

The path to power is bloody and treacherous.

 

Oath Breaker
(Honour Bound Book 2)
By Adam Staten


Publication Date: 19th August 2024
Publisher: Sharpe Books 
Page Length: 214 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

‘Blending both action and intrigue, Staten extends the scope of his series… For fans of Bernard Cornwell and Matthew Harffy.’ Richard Foreman, Siege

1068

It is two years since King Harold Godwinson was defeated at the Battle of Hastings. His son, Godwin, is in exile in Dublin and amassing an army of mercenaries to invade England and reclaim the English crown. At his side is Cadman, survivor of the battle and leader of a small band of English warriors.

As Cadman watches Godwin lose control of the wild mercenaries - and sees them ravage the land they had come to free - he knows that he can no longer serve Godwin with honour.

Exiled from his homeland, with nothing but his weapon-craft to sell, Cadman and his warriors travel to Byzantium to seek their fortune.

On their journey they encounter Pecheneg raiders, and survive a shipwreck on the Black Sea coast, only to be captured by a company of the Varangian Guard.

About to be sold into slavery, Cadman proves his ability as a warrior to his captors, and so enters Byzantium with a famous name.

In Constantinople, Emperor Michael is weak.

Rivals plot to seize power. Conflict rages across the empire, ally becomes foe as one general betrays another in battles against Seljuk Turks and Norman adventurers. If Cadman is to survive, he must be as ruthless as those who stand against him.

Amidst it all, one good man fights to save the empire from the turmoil. Alexios, cousin to the emperor, needs Cadman’s skills to help him do so. The path to power is bloody and treacherous - and will show Cadman the price of honour and the value of an oath.

Pick up your copy of
Oath Breaker

Adam Staten


Adam Staten studied medicine at Cambridge University before serving as a medical officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He now works as a GP and writes both fiction and non-fiction. His first novel, Steadfast, was published in 2023 and was based on his experiences serving in Afghanistan. Blood Debt is the first book in the Honour Bound Trilogy. 

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Friday, 27 September 2024

Journey to the 1930s Cragside Estate, to a period house-party where no one is truly safe, and the estate is just as deadly as the people.



Cragside: A 1930s murder mystery
By M J Porter


Publication Date: 14th April 2022
Publisher: M J Publishing
Page Length: 234 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery

Lady Merryweather has had a shocking year. Apprehended for the murder of her husband the year before, and only recently released, she hopes a trip away from London will allow her to grieve. The isolated, but much loved, Cragside Estate in North Northumberland, home of her friends, Lord and Lady Bradbury, holds special memories for her.


But, no sooner has she arrived than the body of one of the guests is found on the estate, and suspicion immediately turns on her. Perhaps, there are no friendships to be found here, after all.


Released, due to a lack of evidence, Lady Ella returns to Cragside only to discover a second murder has taken place in her absence, and one she can’t possibly have committed.


Quickly realising that these new murders must be related to that of her beloved husband, Lady Merryweather sets out to solve the crime, once and for all. But there are many who don’t want her to succeed, and as the number of murder victims increases, the possibility that she might well be the next victim, can’t be ignored.


Journey to the 1930s Cragside Estate, to a period house-party where no one is truly safe, and the estate is just as deadly as the people.


Pick up your copy of Cragside

HERE!


MJ Porter



I'm an author of historical fiction (Early English/Saxon, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest, as well as three 20th-century mysteries) and fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed). I have also written my first non-fiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England: The Women of the Tenth Century available now.


I was born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building, told from a very young age that it housed the bones of long-dead kings of Mercia and that our garden was littered with old pieces of pottery from a long-ago battle, it's little wonder that my curiosity in Early England ran riot. I can only blame my parents!


I like to write. You've been warned!


Connect with MJ Porter:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram 






Thursday, 26 September 2024

A historical mystery spanning France and Senegal, THE SIGNARE OF GORÉE explores a world of magic, murder, and passion.



The Signare of Gorée
By Laura Rahme


Publication Date: 9th September 2024
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 301 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery / Historical Fiction

1846. 

In the heat of West Africa, the French navy uncovers the corpses of two French soldiers. Inspector Maurice Leroux arrives at the island of Gorée. It seems death has come to this small colonial outpost off the Senegal coast, home to the prosperous mixed-blood women known as the signares.

The navy suspects that the Bambara people, emboldened by approaching emancipation, may be out for blood. While confronted by the locals’ strange magical beliefs, Maurice remains skeptical. Does malevolence play a part, or are these deaths accidental, brought upon by the brutality of nature in an island known as the white man's grave?

But when murder strikes, it becomes clear that a killer is stalking Gorée.

Swept by a mystery unlike any he has known, Maurice meets Signare Angélique Aussenac. The proud métis, deserted by her wealthy Bordeaux lover, casts her spell upon Maurice.

But beyond the throbbing sounds of the tam-tams and the glittering signare soirées, danger lurks. Someone is watching. And the deaths go on.

Could the killer be one of the rich Bordeaux merchants? Or are they hiding among the powerful signares?

A historical mystery spanning France and Senegal, THE SIGNARE OF GORÉE explores a world of magic, murder, and passion.

Pick up your copy of
The Signare of Gorée
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited


Laura Rahme


Laura Rahme is the author of seven historical novels. Born in Dakar, Senegal where she spent her early childhood, she moved to Australia at the age of ten. A graduate of two Honors degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Psychology, she has worked over two decades as an IT professional. Her greatest joy comes from travel, researching history, and penning historical mysteries. She now lives in France with her screenwriting husband.

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Wednesday, 25 September 2024

What will she lose in the fight for freedom?


Operation Tulip
By Deborah Swift


Publication Date: 12th September 2024
Publisher: HQ Digital
Pages: 410 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.

England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home.

But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?

Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don't miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice.

  Praise

'A well crafted tale… this book did not disappoint' NetGalley reviewer

'There is action, mystery and romantic entanglements stirred into the story for a fantastically entertaining read' NetGalley reviewer

'Deborah Swift never disappoints' NetGalley reviewer

'A joy to read' NetGalley reviewer

Pick up your copy of 
Operation Tulip

Deborah Swift


Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author of twenty books who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com.

Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today. 

Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Her most recent books are The Silk Code and The Shadow Network both set in the Second World War.

Connect with Deborah:




#WW2 #HistoricalFiction #Holland #Romance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub 




 





Tuesday, 24 September 2024

Can Harald and Selia reach Rome in time to warn the King?

 


The Swan's Road
(The Atheling Chronicles, Book 1)
By Garth Pettersen


Publication Date: 15th November 2017
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing 
Page Length: 248 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

In the eleventh century, Cnute, the Viking king of Engla-lond and Scandinavia, sails with his son, Harald, and his shield brothers to Rome. Thrown off course by a storm, they follow the route up the Rhine.

When Harald hangs back to assist Selia, a beautiful Frisian woman, his path turns perilous. Newfound enemies, retainers of Robert the Devil, Duke of Normandy, pursue them. Harald, Selia, and their companions fail to rendezvous with King Cnute, and are forced to travel cross-country on horseback. If Duke Robert's plan to assassinate Cnute succeeds, an invasion of Engla-lond will follow.

Can Harald and Selia reach Rome in time to warn the King?

Pick up your copy of
The Swan's Road

Garth Pettersen 


Garth Pettersen is a Canadian writer and historian who lives with his wife on a farm in the beautiful Fraser Valley near Vancouver, British Columbia. When he is not writing, he is looking after horses and mending fences. He has a bachelor's degree in History and a background in Education (History, English, Theatre). Garth Pettersen's short stories have appeared in several anthologies and in journals such as Blank Spaces, The Spadina Literary Review, and The Opening Line Literary 'Zine. His award-winning historical fiction series The Atheling Chronicles is set in Anglo-Saxon/Danish England early in the eleventh century and features the largely unknown figure of Harald Harefoot, second son of the “Viking” King Canute. Reviewers have praised the author for his extensive research on the era.

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Monday, 23 September 2024

A HISTORICAL NOVEL OF FINDING HEALING AND A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE





On Bur Oak Ridge
(Sheltering Trees: Book Three)
By Jenny Knipfer


Publication Date: 29th July 2022
Publisher: Jenny Knipfer—Author
Page Length: 266 Pages
Genre: Historical Romance, Christian Historical Romance, Christian Historical Fiction

“The plot has its twists and turns to keep readers intrigued…to the very end. A great comfort read that will soothe the spirit with renewed hope and faith.” Readers’ Favorite five-star review 


A HISTORICAL NOVEL OF FINDING HEALING AND A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE


In the early 1900s, quiet and reserved Molly Lund finds refuge from her past at the Nelsons’ farm in Minnesota. In an attempt to turn a new page in her life, Molly works at making peace with her losses and coming to terms with the disfiguring burns on her face. 


Samuel Woodson, the Nelsons’ hired hand, carries his own cares. Split from his family and bearing a burden of misplaced guilt for an act that haunts him, Samuel–seeing past Molly’s scars–draws her out of her self-protective shell. 


Molly and Samuel form a friendship, but just as their hearts lead them deeper, an unexpected guest comes calling, demanding what’s his. 


Will Molly and Samuel find a way to be together or will they be separated, due to impediments beyond their control? Can they trust in God’s plan and travel a path that heals the hurts of the past?  


Readers of historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, and Christian historical romance will delight in this beautifully wrought story of the healing power of love. 


Pick up your copy of 
On Bur Oak Ridge
HERE!

Jenny Knipfer


Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling. 

Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.

All of Jenny’s books have earned five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite, a book review and award contest company. She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set.

She deems a cup of tea and a good book an essential part of every day. When not writing, Jenny can be found reading, tending to her many houseplants, or piecing quilt blocks at her sewing machine.

Her new historical fiction, four-part series entitled, Sheltering Trees, is set in the area Jenny grew up in, where she currently lives, and places along Minnesota’s Northern Shore, where she loves to visit. She is currently writing a four-part novella series entitled: Botanical Seasons and a three-part fantasy series entitled: Retold Fairy Tales.

Friday, 20 September 2024

A Regency romance anthology perfect for curing the wintertime blues.

 


A Winter's Romance: A Regency Anthology
By Jayne Davis, Penny Hampson, Christina Dudley, Audrey Harrison, Judith Hale Everett, GL Robinson



A Regency romance anthology perfect for curing the wintertime blues. GL Robinson, Audrey Harrison, Penny Hampson, Judith Hale Everett, Christina Dudley, and Jayne Davis have collaborated to bring you six delightful short stories, which include:


Advice to Young Ladies, by Jayne Davis

An unexpected courtship between two people, both wary of fortune hunters, is threatened when the gentleman makes a disastrous discovery.


A Christmas Wish, by Penny Hampson

When a disfigured army officer inherits the guardianship of a young girl, he never dreams she would be in the charge of a charming and pretty teacher.


Epiphany Day, by Christina Dudley

Blindness and deception are no match for love, when a spinster schoolmistress is drawn into nursing an injured rogue.


The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway, by Audrey Harrison

A young lady’s flight from a horrific marriage proposal forces her to a life on the London streets, but the kindness of a stranger may lead her to a happily ever after.


A Worthy Alteration, by Judith Hale Everett

At a house party to woo a beauty, a carefree lord cannot comprehend why his thoughts are consumed by the plight of the drab little governess.


‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by GL Robinson

Obliged by an accident to spend Christmas in a reclusive family’s cottage, a man of the world finds himself increasingly taken by the unconventional manners of the lively daughter.


Preorder your copy of
A Winter's Romance: A Regency Anthology
HERE!

Release Date 4th November 2024


A word from Penny Hampson

A Winter’s Romance is an anthology of short stories by six different romance writers. All the stories are set during the Regency, so if you enjoy novels by Julia Quinn (Bridgerton), Georgette Heyer, or Mary Balogh, you might enjoy finding out what other modern authors have to say about this period.


The theme is winter. Now this can conjure up happy scenes of Christmas celebrations, snow-filled landscapes, feasting and general merriment; it can also be a time of sadness. My story, ‘A Christmas Wish’, blends a few elements of both. 

Jane Mortimer is not looking forward to Christmas. She is a teacher at a school in Bath, with no family and no finances. At the mercy of the headmistress, who wants her to lie about conditions at the school in order to secure funds, Jane is conflicted. If she lies she will keep her job, but if she tells the truth she will lose her position and become homeless.

The test will come with the arrival of her favourite pupil’s new guardian, Lt Colonel Nicholas Anstruther, the man she is expected to lie to.

Nicholas has a few problems of his own. As a single man, he doesn’t want the care of a child he has never met. He’s unlikely to marry, for who wants a badly scarred soldier with only one good eye? The only life he’s known is the army.

In fact, the only person optimistic about his visit is Meg, Nicholas’ ward and Jane’s favourite pupil. 

How will things work out? Well, Christmas is coming and Meg believes that wishes made then will come true.

A Winter’s Romance is a Regency romance anthology perfect for curing the wintertime blues. GL Robinson, Audrey Harrison, Penny Hampson, Judith Hale Everett, Christina Dudley, and Jayne Davis have collaborated to bring you six delightful short stories. Pre-order it now! Release date 4th November.

🎄

Penny Hampson writes mysteries, and because she has a passion for history, you’ll find her stories also reflect that. A Gentleman’s Promise, a traditional Regency romance, was Penny’s debut novel and the first of her Gentlemen Series. There are now three novels in the series, with the fourth, An Adventurer’s Contract, due to be released by the end of 2024. 

Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).

Penny’s books are all available on Amazon: viewauthor.at/Pennysbooks