Friday, 16 January 2026

The Witch of Godstow Abbey (Murders in the Abbey, Book Two) by Lady Harriet & Peter Stephenson



 
The Witch of Godstow Abbey
(Murders in the Abbey, Book Two)
By Lady Harriet & Peter Stephenson


Publication Date: 18th October 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Page Length: 266
Genre: Historical Fiction / Thriller

A widowed academic investigating the strange historical practices gets drawn back in time and into the year 1299 in Oxford. Join a cast of compelling characters—nuns, novices and outsiders—as they battle the forces of darkness. Enter their struggle against evil, clandestine organizations. Join their life-threatening fight to protect each other, be willing to die for each other, and occasionally fall in love.

Will heroic love and righteous pursuit of justice triumph? Will the horror-inducing villain be found out and overthrown? Or will the courageous troop of those fighting for what is good be overpowered and taken captive?

Set in Oxford, England, in the year 1299, a struggle takes place between the sisters of the local convent and a strange, terrifying local evil society. They discover a secret organization of men who perform unspeakable deeds. The lives of several sisters are in danger. 

Join Mother Alice, Sister Agnes and Isabel, along with Lady Beatrix and Lady Harriet, as they confront and do battle with an evil, secret society intent on attacking them, taking over the convent and sacrificing a young woman.

If you love stories that keep you turning pages while imparting fascinating accounts of the past, this latest mystery in the"Murders in the Abbey" series will tingle your spine.

Praise


Richly atmospheric and quietly gripping, "The Witch of Godstow Abbey" is a worthy addition to your bookshelf. Lady Harriet and Peter Stephenson have crafted a mystery that lingers long after its final page—evocative, immersive, and beautifully wrought. It is, quite simply, a joy to read.
Yarde Book Promotions


Pick up your copy of
The Witch of Godstow Abbey
(Murders in the Abbey, Book Two)

Lady Harriet


Harriet Elizabeth Taggart, writing under the pen name Lady Harriet, holds the legal title “Lady of the Manor,” as defined under English law, and traces her ancestry to Charlemagne’s royal line.

A lifelong reader and devoted genealogist of nearly 50 years, Harriet has always had a passion for stories, whether buried in the past or found in the pages of a good book. She is the co-author of We Are Manx, a self-published family saga that explores her Manx heritage and the history of the Isle of Man in rich detail.

She’s also a photographer who prefers being behind the lens, a word-lover addicted to word games, and a wooden jigsaw puzzle fanatic. She has traveled extensively, with a deep appreciation for history, other cultures, and the unexpected joys found away from home. Her career spanned volunteerism, real estate and systems administration, but now she happily devotes her time to creative pursuits—supported and inspired by a large and loving family.

As she puts it: “I’m old enough for Medicare, but not quite old enough to get a birthday card from King Charles—were I a Brit.”

The Witch of Godstow Abbey, written in collaboration with Dr. Peter Stephenson, marks her first (but hopefully not last) foray into historical fiction. With photography she creates books of images; with storytelling, she creates images made of words.

Connect with Lady Harriet 

Dr. Peter Stephenson


Dr. Peter “Doc” Stephenson is entering the realm of historical fiction after a 50-year career in technology during which he authored or contributed to over 20 books on computing, computer investigation, and computer security topics.

In addition to writing, Dr. Stephenson has been playing blues music for 70 years and it is through performing, and after earning a PhD, that he was given the appellation, “Doc” by the owner of one of his performance venues.

Having visited Oxford several times, it was only natural that he would set his tales in Oxfordshire. His academic experience in Oxford Town sealed the deal and resulted in his first novel, The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey. 

“Whispering Dead” is the first in a series of murder mysteries, called “Murders in the Abbey”, that follow the carryings-on in Rewley Abbey (monks) and Godstow Abbey (nuns) from the end of the 13th century to the dissolution of convents and monasteries by King Henry VIII in the 16th century. 

Dr. Stephenson lives with a 15-year-old dog and two Savannah cats on a pond in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Connect with Dr. Peter Stephenson:

Publisher Website


Posted by at 4 comments:

Storks in a Blue Sky by Carol Anne Dobson


Storks in a Blue Sky
By Carol Anne Dobson



Publication Date: January 12th, 2011
Publisher: Appledrane Books
Pages: 280
Genre: Historical Romance / Family Saga

A historical romance played out between the wild coast and moors of North Devon and the mountains and river-crossed plain of Alsace.

The beautiful, red-haired Sarah Durrant is an uneducated servant who takes the place of her mistress when she suddenly dies at Lynmouth as they are travelling across the remote wilderness of 18th century Exmoor. Her origins are a mystery. She only knows she is illegitimate and possesses a gold locket which contains a miniature of a woman who resembles her.

North Devon at first proves a sanctuary from the violence of her past but then the French aristocrat, Jean Luc de Delacroix, a soldier and a scientist, arrives from the New World; the local activities of smuggling and wrecking surface; her life becomes a tangle of love, deception and fear.

Praise

“The storyline is strong with vivid descriptions of the North Devon and French countryside, complete with storks, so a part of Alsace. I thoroughly recommend this book.”

Anna, Amazon Review, 5*

“A wonderful romantic read.”

Amazon Review, 4*

Excerpt

A fresh sea breeze blew in gusts across the bare churchyard. The low, dry stone walls were no protection against the onslaught of winds which had raced across the Atlantic and then been funnelled up the Bristol Channel. Tussocks of grass grew between moss-shrouded graves, and against a grey body of a church sheltered a dying yew, thick woody growths ridging its massive trunk, and so ancient it had witnessed pagan rites. 

Sarah stood and watched as heavy clods of earth were shovelled into Sophie’s grave. She had insisted on a good wooden coffin and had ordered a marble gravestone which would be erected later. The innkeeper’s wife had protested at such an expense for a serving maid and Sarah had noticed her look curiously at Sophie’s blood-stained, but very obviously expensive, dress, which she had insisted on taking with her. 

‘It’s best not to leave anything to incriminate me,’ she had thought. She paid for the coffin and the gravestone with coins from Sophie’s purse and it had been a very strange and guilt-wracked experience being able to touch such a large amount of money for the first time. 

The vicar’s hastily intoned words were whipped away by the wind and she only caught snatches. Her mind strayed from the service, as waves of grief engulfed her. She felt so completely alone, standing there in the desolate cemetery. Her beloved Sophie would be abandoned in this grim place, so far from any life she had ever known. 

‘Perhaps I will be able to come back and visit her grave sometimes’ she wondered, feeling a sense of profound guilt that Lady Sophie Throgmorton was being laid to rest in this poor part of the churchyard, without any of the trappings that would normally be expected for her rank and status. The vicar seemed ill at ease, his cassock flapping against his ankles. He looked anxiously towards the church and as she followed his gaze, she noticed several horses tethered by the lych gate. Banging and knocking echoed from the building and she saw a man dressed in the black uniform she had seen that morning, come out of the main door. The vicar, visibly preoccupied with what was happening inside his church, rushed his last words and quickly made a sign of the cross. 

She felt drained of emotion. It was almost as if she was floating away on the wind and looking down on herself. Her leaden feet carried her to the waiting coach, and dazed, she sat and looked back at the treacherous, winding ravine which led to Lynmouth. Dun-coloured cottages, beetlebrowed with overhanging thatch, huddled in the lee of a hill, and barefoot children gaped with amazement to see strangers in this remote corner of Exmoor. The innkeeper had told her that the village on the top of the hill was Lynton. 

“I must remember the name,” she said to herself. “I want to return here.” 

The carriage rolled swiftly along, once past the hamlet, as the track became flat, caked earth. Moor-land stretched as far as a smudge of dark hills on the horizon. Charred swathes of land striped the pale green bracken; a singed odour tainted the air and curling wisps of blue smoke drifted across the barren landscape. A grass verge was bounded by prickly gorse with its lemon-yellow flowers, and by tall, tapering foxgloves, heavy with pink thimble bells. 

She was pleased to have left behind the extreme steepness of the Lyn’s wooded gorge. Far below the moor, the sea was a sombre blue and in the distance she could see a ship, its sails billowing out. Cumulus clouds, edged in black, served to deepen her despair and she sat hunched in a corner of the carriage, grief-stricken and afraid. She had arranged her hair
high on her head, with curls on her neck, and it seemed very strange to be without her cap. 

She had chosen a plain gown in white muslin, and a blue cloak, and repeatedly smoothed and adjusted the clothes, trying to gain courage from the idea that, in a way, a little of her mistress was still with her. All too soon, the openness of the moor was left behind. A sunken lane
descended downwards, high hedges of elm scratching and banging at the coach’s sides, and she now understood why it was so small. The sun was low in the sky and light slanted across the path. The banks diminished in height, medieval field strips could be seen in rows on curving slopes and whole plots of dark green hemp lay flattened and broken. A muddy brook, awash with twigs, leaves and even a dead sheep from the recent storm, flooded untidily across the valley floor and lapped against cob-walled cottages and a building which strangely resembled a house of cards. 

The coachman called down, “This be Combe Martin, milady, t’is not far now.”
 
The coach rattled along, splashing through rivulets and pools of water. The stream flowed in full spate across a shingle beach, carving out the branches of a myriad channels. Fishing boats squatted untidily on smooth mud, and a low cliff, fashioned like the head of an animal, a stone Cyclops with one eye, jutted into a choppy sea.

The meandering track followed the coast, sometimes high on exposed headlands, sometimes careering down into sheltered combes, smothered with white-flowered may. The light was starting to fail. Evening was drawing in. She took one last look at her locket’s picture. “Give me strength for whatever lies ahead,” she prayed.

Cottages appeared, some thatched, others roofed in slate. The path climbed almost vertically, then fell steeply seawards. A chapel lantern glowed dimly on a hill near the entrance to a harbour crowded with ships, and the jagged outline of a massive cliff loomed hazily in the twilight. The monogrammed coach trundled along Fore Street, past several ale houses, and people moved hurriedly out of its way. Inquisitive faces stared and a few men knuckled their heads. 

Her heart was in her mouth. She nervously patted her hair and pulled the cloak tightly around her. “What’s going to happen to me?” she murmured. “Dare I do this?” 

Woods replaced the town and the evening gloom blotted out the hills and trees, blurring the nearest branches into mysterious forms. Venus shone with a sparkling brightness in a darkening sky, eclipsing the neighbouring star-patterns still faint in the early night. Sarah felt shrunken and insignificant. A creature screamed and she briefly glimpsed the broad, flat head and powerful wings of an owl, silhouetted against a full moon. The country night terrified her, a terror made worse by the thought of her imminent arrival.

Pick up your copy of
Storks in a Blue Sky
Read with #KindleUnlimited


Carol Anne Dobson


Carol Anne Dobson is a qualified teacher and librarian with a B.A. in English, French and Russian. She has lived in Devon for most of her life, and North Devon provides the setting for much of Storks in a Blue Sky. Alsace in France came to be a second home when her daughter lived there for six years and it is this Germanic region of France which also features in the novel.

In 2009 Storks in a Blue Sky won the David St John Thomas Fiction Award.

Connect with Carol Anne Dobson:


Posted by at 1 comment:

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Editorial Book Review: The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight (The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Book 3) by Jennifer Ivy Walker


The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight 
(The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Book 3)
By Jennifer Ivy Walker


Publication Date: 1st May 2025
Publisher: Green Mermaid Publications
Page Length: 585
Genre: Arthurian Fantasy / Epic Fantasy / Romance

Wielding a trio of enchanted Elven weapons to battle a dark wizard and a legion of diabolical dwarves, Tristan is faced with the impossible choice between saving the woman he loves or defending his endangered kingdom. Inexplicably compelled to remain in the sacred forest where he hears the voice of her heart, the heir to the throne of Cornwall incurs the wrath and scorn of his army when he decides to hunt for his captive mate.

Her verdant magic greatly enhanced by the mystical Morgane la Fée, Issylte must summon a coalition of Naiad nymphs and celestial fairies to destroy a nascent evil as she fights to reclaim her rightful crown.

When the Black Widow Queen unites with a malignant menace and a ghost from Tristan's haunted past, the Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight must ally with a triad of shapeshifting warrior tribes to defeat a Viking Trident and defend their trinity of Celtic kingdoms.

Interwoven fates. Otherworldly mates. Destiny awaits.


In "The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight", Jennifer Ivy Walker returns to The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven series with a novel that reads not merely as fantasy, but as a contemporary Celtic epic—one deeply informed by Arthurian tradition, mythic consciousness, and the eternal tension between power, duty, and balance. This third instalment expands the narrative both emotionally and politically, drawing the reader further into a world governed by ancient allegiances and divine equilibrium, while steadily raising the stakes of its unfolding conflict.

Walker’s prose is confident and deliberate, allowing the story to unfold with a sense of inevitability that mirrors the mythological forces at play. Romantic fantasy is woven seamlessly with political intrigue and martial urgency, creating a layered narrative that respects its mythic roots while maintaining forward momentum. The result is a novel that feels both timeless and purposeful, grounded in legend yet unafraid to explore the emotional cost of destiny.

At the heart of the novel lies the bond between Issylte and Tristan—the Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight—whose relationship forms the emotional and thematic core of the story. Their union is not framed as simple romance, but as a convergence of complementary forces shaped by fate and mutual recognition. Walker presents them as equals, each reflecting and reinforcing the other’s strengths. Issylte’s connection to the fairy realm and the natural world is balanced by Tristan’s chivalric discipline and rare communion with birds and wolves, a gift that situates him as a knight whose authority extends beyond human dominion.

Together, they embody one of the novel’s central assertions: that true strength is found not in conquest or supremacy, but in unity and shared purpose. Their partnership is neither idealised nor effortless; it is forged through loyalty, sacrifice, and a shared willingness to bear responsibility. This emotional authenticity lends their relationship a mythic weight that elevates it beyond familiar genre conventions.

Walker situates this central relationship within a broader Arthurian framework that enriches the narrative without overshadowing it. The inclusion of Lancelot is particularly effective, offering a restrained and poignant study in honour and devotion. Though Queen Guinevere appears only briefly, her presence is keenly felt through Lancelot’s unwavering loyalty, serving as a quiet reminder of the personal sacrifices demanded by duty. In these moments, Walker demonstrates a clear understanding of Arthurian tragedy—not through spectacle, but through emotional restraint.

The antagonistic forces in "The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight" are varied and convincingly menacing. Political betrayal and internal fracture are compounded by the emergence of a far greater threat: the fusion of the Shadow Fairy Malfleur and the Black Widow Queen. This union represents corruption on both a personal and cosmic level, elevating the conflict from political struggle to existential peril. The danger they pose is not merely physical, but spiritual, threatening the fragile balance that sustains the world itself.

Walker’s world-building remains one of the series’ greatest strengths. Forests, lakes, and ancient strongholds are rendered not as decorative settings but as living entities shaped by memory, allegiance, and consequence. The landscape responds to intention, reinforcing the sense that this is a world where history and myth are inseparable. Shape-shifting wolves and bears, freshwater nymphs, fairy kin, and elven warriors form a cohesive mythological ecology rooted in lineage and loyalty. Each element is integrated with care, contributing to a setting that feels internally consistent and richly inhabited.

The novel’s ambition is unmistakable. Its mythological density and emotional layering require attentive reading, and Walker does not simplify her narrative to accommodate impatience. Instead, she trusts her audience to engage with the complexity of her world and the moral weight of its conflicts. For readers willing to immerse themselves fully, the reward is a story that treats romantic fantasy with seriousness, depth, and literary intent.

"The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight" stands as a confident and immersive contribution to mythic fantasy—one that honours its Arthurian and Celtic influences while asserting a distinctive narrative voice. Jennifer Ivy Walker demonstrates a firm command of theme, structure, and emotional resonance, crafting a story that is both intimate and epic.

This is a series that has continued to grow in scope and sophistication, and one that comes highly recommended for readers seeking romantic fantasy grounded in myth, meaning, and enduring tradition.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde
Yarde Book Promotions


Pick up your copy of
The Lady of the Mirrored Lake 
(The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Book 2) 
HERE
Read with #KindleUnlimited
Jennifer Ivy Walker


Jennifer Ivy Walker is an award-winning author of medieval Celtic, Nordic, and paranormal romance, as well as contemporary romance, historical fantasy, and WWII romantic suspense.

A former high school teacher and college professor of French with an MA in French literature, her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, including Celtic myths and legends, Norse mythology, Viking sagas, and Nordic lore.

Connect with Jennifer Ivy Walker:


Posted by at 3 comments:

Bride of the Devil: Agnes, Wife of Robert de Belleme (Medieval Babes: Tales of Little-Known Ladies Book 13) by J.P. Reedman

 

Bride of the Devil: Agnes, Wife of Robert de Belleme 
(Medieval Babes: Tales of Little-Known Ladies Book 13)
By J.P. Reedman


Publication Date: 3rd August 2025
Publisher: Independently published
Page Length: 258
Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction

She is a great heiress; he is the wickedest man in Normandy.

Known to men far and wide as 'The Devil,' Robert de Belleme terrorises France alongside his equally fearsome mother, Mabel the Poisoner. But even a Devil needs an heir, and Mabel chooses the wealthy heiress Agnes of Ponthieu to be her son's bride.. The marriage is unhappy, though the longed-for son and heir is eventually born...but when Robert is away on one of his military campaigns, Agnes flees back to her father's castle.

She is not safe; her young son William is not safe.

The Devil will seek to claim his own.

Pick up your copy of
Bride of the Devil: Agnes, Wife of Robert de Belleme 
Read with #KindleUnlimited

J.P. Reedman


J.P. Reedman was born in Canada but has lived in the U.K. for nearly 30 years. 

Interests include folklore & anthropology, prehistoric archaeology (neolithic/bronze age Europe; ritual, burial & material culture), as well as The Wars of the Roses and the rest of the medieval era.

Connect with J.P. Reedman:

Posted by at 7 comments:

Tuesday, 13 January 2026

Till Taught by pain by Susan Coventry


Till Taught by pain

By Susan Coventry


Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Pages: 310
Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction

Inspired by the groundbreaking discoveries of ether and chloroform anesthesia, William Stewart Halsted pursues a surgical career with ruthless ambition, daring to perform operations deemed impossible by his peers. His reputations skyrockets with each bold success—until his quest for an effective local anesthetic leads him to inject himself with cocaine.

Caroline, the niece of Confederate General Wade Hampton, seeks to escape the constraints of post-war South Carolina by training as a nurse. When she takes a position at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital, she finds herself captivated by the brilliant yet troubled chief of surgery, Dr. Halsted.

Till Taught by Pain is a poignant exploration of love and sacrifice, as Caroline grapples with the difficult choice between enabling her husband’s addiction and supporting his pioneering career. As their lives intertwine, both must confront the consequences of ambition, the nature of love, and the toll of personal demons on their shared dreams.


Praise

“Susan Coventry pulled me in quickly to this intriguing and shocking late 19th century story of early medical research and the challenges it brought to personal and professional relationships. The gripping love story carries emotional pain along with the compelling facts surrounding the famous Dr. William Halsted and Caroline Hampton. Till Taught by Pain taught me of the gratitude and sympathy owed to these two historical figures from whom we learned so much. A wonderful novel.”

Leigh, Amazon 5* Review

“Especially for those interested in medical history, TILL TAUGHT BY PAIN by Susan Coventry will be a winner. The late-1800s framework gives a rather shocking picture of how much was yet to be learned concerning the surgical theatre.”

Speedy Grandma, Amazon 5* Review

Pick up your copy of

Till Taught by pain


Susan Coventry


Susan Coventry is a retired physician with a lifelong historical fiction obsession. Her first novel, The Queen’s Daughter, was a YA historical set in the Middle Ages. For Till Taught by Pain, she switched from YA to adult novels and moved on from Medieval Europe to turn-of-the-20th century U.S..

She lives in Louisville, KY with her historian husband, Brad Asher.

Connect with Susan Coventry:


Posted by at 4 comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)