Wednesday, 5 March 2025

The Beltane Choice: An Action-Packed Adventure in Roman Britain (Celtic Fervour Series Book 1) by Nancy Jardine

The Beltane Choice:

An Action-Packed Adventure in Roman Britain

(Celtic Fervour Series Book 1)

By Nancy Jardine

Publication Date: 19th April 2018

Publisher: Ocelot Press; 2nd edition

Page Count: 259 Pages

Genre: Ancient World Historical Romance

An impossible quest. A heartless bargain. A ruthless occupation.

AD 71 Is anything fair in war...and love?

Nara finds herself cast out from her priestess home and now must face a totally different lifestyle. For her future to be successful, she seeks a very special warrior. The Rites of the Beltane Festival are fast approaching but when a calamity happens, her hunt seems impossible.

Lorcan – a Brigante enemy – captures Nara. He plans to use her as bargain with her Selgovae tribe when unity of the northern tribes is needed to face the invading legions of Rome. Nara’s father agrees to the arrangement but sets absurd conditions. When battle at Whorl against the Romans looms…

Will Nara have her Beltane choice?

The adventures of the Garrigill Clan begin…

Pick up your copy of

The Beltane Choice

HERE!

Nancy Jardine

Nancy Jardine lives in the spectacular ‘Castle Country’ of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Her main writing focus has, to date, been historical and time travel fiction set in Roman Britain, though she’s also published contemporary mystery novels with genealogy plots. If not writing, researching (an unending obsession), reading or gardening, her young grandchildren will probably be entertaining her, or she’ll be binge-watching historical films and series made for TV.

She loves signing/ selling her novels at local events and gives author presentations locally across Aberdeenshire. These are generally about her novels or with a focus on Ancient Roman Scotland, presented to groups large and small. Zoom sessions have been an entertaining alternative to presenting face-to-face events during, and since, the Covid 19 pandemic restrictions.

Current memberships are with the Historical Novel Society; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland, Romantic Novelists Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with the author co-operative Ocelot Press.

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The First Cut (The Jane Renwick Thrillers, Book 1) by Val Penny

The First Cut
(The Jane Renwick Thrillers, Book 1)
By Val Penny

Publication Date: 6th March 2023

Publisher: SpellBound Book

Page Length: 326 Pages

Genre: Thriller

It’s hard to escape a brutal past.

A vicious killer is on the loose .

Victims targeted include an academic and members of Edinburgh's high society.

When the Murder Investigation Team find out that the killer is connected to her past, DS Jane Renwick is banished to the side-lines and forced to look on as the manhunt ramps up at a ferocious pace.

Has someone from Jane's birth family returned to haunt her?

Is one of her relatives involved?

Where will the killer strike next?

This gripping police procedural is set in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The exciting novel is the first in Val Penny’s new series of Scottish thrillers.

Pick up your copy of

The First Cut

HERE!

Val Penny

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.

Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.

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Tuesday, 4 March 2025

The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey (Murders in the Abbey Series Book 1) by Dr. Peter Stephenson

The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey
(Murders in the Abbey Series Book 1)
By Dr. Peter Stephenson

Publication Date: 16th October 2024
Publisher: Historiium Press
Page Length: 227 Pages
Genre: Historical Ficton / Young Adults

"The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey" is the first in a series of murder mysteries following the sinister deaths in Rewley Abbey (Cistercian monks) and Godstow Abbey (Benedictine nuns) from the end of the 13th century to King Henry VIII's dissolution of the convents and monasteries in the 16th century. Intrigue and secrets abound as a determined nun deciphers the clues in this timeless historical thriller for both young adults and seasoned readers.

Pick up your copy of
The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey
HERE!

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

LONGSWORD'S LADY: COUNTESS ELA OF SALISBURY (Medieval Babes: Tales of Little-Known Ladies Book 7) by J.P. Reedman

LONGSWORD'S LADY: COUNTESS ELA OF SALISBURY

(Medieval Babes: Tales of Little-Known Ladies Book 7)

By J.P. Reedman

Publication Date: 1st December 2020

Publisher: Independetly Published

Page Length: 319 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Spirited away to France after the death of her father, the Earl of Salisbury, young Ela is soon found by a wandering minstrel and taken to the court of Richard Lionheart. Aged nine, she is betrothed to the King's illegitimate half-brother, William Longsword, before being sent for education in the household of Eleanor of Aquitaine.Some years later, Ela and William form a harmonious bond, despite their arranged marriage, and have many children, but their lives are always threatened by uncertainty. King John now rules, and William is his most loyal brother--and his enforcer.When the King tries to seduce Ela while William lies in the dungeons of the fighting Bishop of Bouvines, at last he decides to change his allegiance from the brother he once loved who has now become a tyrant. He returns to the Plantagenet fold only on King John's demise and the accession of his young nephew, King Henry III.But war and strife is never far away, and on a journey from Gascony, William is shipwrecked and believed dead by most, barring Ela. Men of ambition start clamouring to wed the widowed Countess--and claim the earldom of Salisbury through marrying her...LONGSWORD'S LADY is historical fiction based on the life of the remarkable medieval woman who placed a founding stone of Salisbury Cathedral, became the Sheriff of Wiltshire, one of only two female Sheriffs, and ended up a powerful Abbess in the beautiful convent she founded at Lacock.

Pick up your copy of

LONGSWORD'S LADY: COUNTESS ELA OF SALISBURY

HERE!

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.

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An Adventurer's Contract (Gentlemen, Book 4) by Penny Hampson

An Adventurer's Contract
(Gentlemen, Book 4)
By Penny Hampson

Publication Date: 8th October 2024

Publisher: PP&M Publishing

Page Length: 344 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance

A man on the hunt for a traitor. A woman in search of the truth.

Gabrielle Mercer is in trouble. Her cousin is missing, her father’s death looks like murder, and now there are rumours she is spying for the French. With no one to turn to, dare she accept help from a man she doesn’t like?

Jack Ashdown is on a mission to unmask a ruthless spy. Could it be the reclusive young Frenchwoman who has made no secret of her contempt for Englishmen like himself? Perhaps Gabrielle’s predicament will be the perfect opportunity to win her trust and do some spying of his own.

Getting close to one’s enemy is a dangerous option, but the stakes for Jack and Gabrielle are too high to ignore. Will their gamble to trust one another lead to disaster, or will they discover that neither of them is what they seem?

Pick up your copy of

An Adventurer's Contract

HERE!

Penny Hampson

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).

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

Monday, 3 March 2025

Ships of War: Murky Waters by Bradley John

Ships of War: Murky Waters
By Bradley John

Publication Date: 3rd September 2024

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 460 Pages

Genre: Naval Adventure Fiction

1791 — England's cannon remain ever silent as her shipping is ruthlessly preyed upon, a detestable state of affairs, though soon to be remedied...

England is ill prepared, Europe is in turmoil and the French Revolution is readying to sweep across the continent. A tedious uneasy peace poises on a knife's edge. Brittana rules the waves, yet as more and more ships mysteriously vanish, it is rightly thought an act of war. However, England needs more time, or all could be lost.

With war looming, Lieutenant Hayden Reginald Cooper, Royal Navy, awaits in Portsmouth braving a bitter cold winter with half pay, beached in a constant state of penury. With little prospects, little "interest" and no chance of promotion or advancement, he is the perfect choice for the Admiralty: unknown, unimportant and wholly dispensable.

As so it begins, a turbulent action-packed naval adventure within the murky waters preceding war, the French piracy soon to discover the grit of a lowly Lieutenant, one who has very little to lose…

Pick up your copy of

Ships of War: Murky Waters

HERE!

Bradley John

Bradley John Tatnell (aka "Bradley John") is an Australian novelist whose ancestry can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in England. His forbears lived mostly in Kent, Hertfordshire and the Isle of Thanet. Some were mariners and some were even of the aristocracy. His direct ancestors arrived in Australia soon after its colonisation in the late 1700's, most of which were proud country folk. James Squire, a notable character in history, who arrived on the first fleet in 1788, was his (sixth) great grandfather.

Bradley John graduated from the Church of England Grammar School at age 16 and the Queensland University of Technology at age 19. His early life was spent mainly in the arena of law.

Bradley John has a love of all things ancient and historical, including golf, to which he plays with ye old hickory shafted clubs including the original heads from pre-1935. He also studies the ancient art of Korean sword, having attained master level. His love of language, in all its forms, now extends to the pursuit of conquering Hangul, the language of the Korean people.

Bradley John has been privately writing novels since 2003. "Ships of War — Murky Waters", his first publication, births a series of naval adventure fiction intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars. This of course is the much loved genre which includes the thundering Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian and the popular "Master and Commander" blockbuster by Peter Weir. Owing to Bradley John's English heritage, no guesses are needed to determine which side the book's heroes will sail upon…

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Before Beltane (Celtic Fervour Series) by Nancy Jardine

Before Beltane
(Celtic Fervour Series)
By Nancy Jardine

Publication Date: 29th April 2022

Publisher: Nancy Jardine with Ocelot Press

Page Length: 268 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Two lives. Two stories. One future.

AD 71 Northern Britannia

At the Islet of the Priestesses, acolyte Nara greets each new day eager to heal the people at Tarras Hillfort. Weapon training is a guilty pleasure, but she is devastated when she is unexpectedly denied the final rites of an initiated priestess. A shocking new future beckons for Princess Nara of the Selgovae…

In the aftermath of civil war across Brigantia, Lorcan of Garrigill’s promotion of King Venutius is fraught with danger. Potential invasion by Roman legions from the south makes an unstable situation even worse. When Lorcan meets the Druid Maran, the future foretold for him is as enthralling as it is horrifying…

Meet Nara and Lorcan before their tumultuous meeting of each other in The Beltane Choice, Book 1 of the acclaimed Celtic Fervour Series.

Pick up your copy of

Before Beltane

HERE!

Nancy Jardine

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Leaving Fatherland by Matt Graydon

Leaving Fatherland
By Matt Graydon

Publication Date: 20th August 2024

Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner Publishers

Page Length: 376 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Oskar Bachmann always imagined that giving his first lecture would be the defining moment of his life.

It was, but not in the way he expected…

Growing up a misfit in pre-war Germany, a victim of his father’s beatings, Oskar’s love of books is a constant comfort in a world turned upside-down by conflict.

As a student, as a pilot in the brutal Luftwaffe during the Second World War, in an unhappy marriage to an English bride, he finds himself returning over and over to the circumstances of his childhood. What was the source and cause of his father’s mistreatment? Could there have been more to it than he had once believed?

Little did Oskar know that his first lecture at the University of Tübingen would ultimately lead to the end of a lifetime of searching… and finally reveal the figure who had been controlling his life from a distance.

Pick up your copy of

Leaving Fatherland

HERE!

#KindleCountdown

Matt Graydon

Matt Graydon has always written stories, first as a schoolboy, then as a journalist and PR and now, in the culmination of his life’s work, as a writer of striking historical fiction. He likes to explore offbeat perspectives, inspired by true stories, especially in his tales of life in wartime. In his recently published short story, Saigo No Tatakai, his account of a kamikaze attack on a British warship is seen through the eyes of both the pilot’s wife and a Royal Navy sailor who witnessed it up close. Now, in his first novel, Leaving Fatherland, inspired by a true story, Graydon tells the tale of a liberal German who returns home from his life as a New York university student to fight for the Nazis.

Matt is half-Irish, grew up in a loving but strictly religious home and spent many months in hospital beds as a child. Now he enjoys spending his non-writing time standing in remote fields at night viewing and photographing stars and galaxies through his telescope, or attempting to keep his unruly Surrey garden in check. He lives in the one-pub village of South Nutfield with his wife and daughter, and sometimes son, who easily exceeded his father’s one year stay at university in the 1980s. Oh, and the family Cockapoo, Ozzy, a regular companion under the armchair, inherited from his grandpa, where he writes. Well-travelled, his passion for writing was ignited, at age 21, during a three-month, action-packed, hitch-hike across the USA, when his escapades made great material for an in-depth diary and, perhaps, one day, story.

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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!

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