Monday, 19 September 2022

A Woman of Noble Wit by Rosemary Griggs #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @RAGriggsauthor


 A Woman of Noble Wit
By Rosemary Griggs


Publication Date: 28th September 2021
Publisher: Troubador
Page Length: 423 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Few women of her time lived to see their name in print. But Katherine was no ordinary woman. She was Sir Walter Raleigh’s mother. This is her story.

Set against the turbulent background of a Devon rocked by the religious and social changes that shaped Tudor England; a Devon of privateers and pirates; a Devon riven by rebellions and plots, A Woman of Noble Wit tells how Katherine became the woman who would inspire her famous sons to follow their dreams. It is Tudor history seen though a woman’s eyes.

As the daughter of a gentry family with close connections to the glittering court of King Henry VIII, Katherine’s duty is clear. She must put aside her dreams and accept the husband chosen for her. Still a girl, she starts a new life at Greenway Court, overlooking the River Dart, relieved that her husband is not the ageing monster of her nightmares. She settles into the life of a dutiful wife and mother until a chance shipboard encounter with a handsome privateer, turns her world upside down.…..

Years later a courageous act will set Katherine’s name in print and her youngest son will fly high.

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble • Waterstones • iBooks • WHSmith • Foyles


Rosemary Griggs

Rosemary Griggs is a retired Whitehall Senior Civil Servant with a lifelong passion for history. She is now a speaker on Devon’s sixteenth century history and costume. She leads heritage tours at Dartington Hall, has made regular costumed appearances at National Trust houses and helps local museums bring history to life.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram


Sunday, 18 September 2022

Lady, in Waiting (The Tudor Court Book 3) by Karen Heenan #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @karen_heenan



Lady, in Waiting

(The Tudor Court Book 3)
Karen Heenan 


She serves the queen. Her husband serves the court.
How can they be so far apart?

Margaery Preston is newly married to a man she barely knows. Proposing to Robin Lewis may have been impulsive, but she wants their marriage to work - she just doesn't know how to be married, and it seems her husband hasn't a clue, either.

Treated like a child by everyone from her husband to the queen, lost in the unfamiliar world of the Elizabethan court, Margaery will have to learn quickly or lose any chance at the life she wants.

Can a marriage for all the wrong reasons make it to happily ever after?


Karen Heenan


Karen Heenan was born and raised in Philadelphia. She fell in love with books and stories before she learned to read, and has wanted to write for nearly as long. After far too many years in a cubicle, she set herself free to follow her dreams – which include gardening, sewing, traveling and, of course, lots of writing. She lives in Lansdowne, PA, not far from Philadelphia, with four cats and a very patient husband.

Connect with Karen: Website • Twitter • Goodreads.

Saturday, 17 September 2022

The Douglas Bastard (A sequel to The Black Douglas Trilogy) by J R Tomlin #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @JRTomlinAuthor

 

The Douglas Bastard 
(A sequel to The Black Douglas Trilogy)
By J R Tomlin


Publication Date: 26th April 2022
Publisher: Albannach Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Black Douglas is dead. With Scotland's greatest knight no more, the throne is up for grabs as enemies try to devour the kingdom.

An orphaned youth returning from exile, Archibald, the Black Douglas's bastard son, fights for a land being torn apart from within and without. If Archibald is to survive, he must learn to sleep with a claymore in his hand and one eye open because even his closest friend might betray him...

This is an adventure set in the bloody Second Scottish War of Independence when Scotland's very survival is in question.


JR Tomlin

J. R. Tomlin is the author of nineteen historical novels.


She has close ties with Scotland since her father was a native Scot, and she spent substantial time in Edinburgh while growing up. Her historical novels are set for the most part in Scotland. Her love of that nation is traced from the stories of Robert the Bruce and the Good Sir James her grandmother read to her when she was small, to hillwalking through the Cairngorms where the granite hills have a gorgeous red glow under the setting sun. Later, her writing was influenced by Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo, Nigel Tranter, and Sir Walter Scott.


When JR isn't writing, she enjoys hiking, playing with her Westie, and killing monsters in computer games. In addition to spending time in Scotland, she has traveled in the US, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. She now lives in Oregon.


Social Media Links:

Website • Twitter • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

Friday, 16 September 2022

Beheld: Godiva's Story by Christopher M. Cevasco #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @cevasco_m

 

Beheld: Godiva's Story

By Christopher M. Cevasco




Publication Date: 10th April 2022
Publisher: Lethe Press
Page Length: 242 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Psychological Thriller 

A darkly twisted psychological thriller exploring the legend of Lady Godiva’s naked ride.

Having survived a grave illness to become one of 11th-century England’s wealthiest landowners, Godgyfu of Coventry (Lady Godiva) remains forever grateful to the town whose patron saint worked such miracles. She vows to rebuild Coventry’s abbey and better the lives of its townsfolk. But the wider kingdom is descending into political turmoil, and her husband, Earl Leofric, starts to break under the strain. Godgyfu finds her own plans unravelling the moment she meets Thomas, a Benedictine novice with perverse secret desires. Three lives become dangerously entangled in a shocking web of ambition, voyeuristic lust, and horrid obsession. Can Godgyfu escape the monk’s menacing wiles and Leofric’s betrayals to secure her future in a changing kingdom? Perhaps, but first she faces a dark test of wills leading her perilously closer to a legendary ride...



Pick up your copy at your favourite online bookstore - HERE!



Christopher M. Cevasco

Christopher M. Cevasco was born in New Jersey and spent a memorable decade in Brooklyn, New York, but he feels most at home in medieval England, Normandy, Norway, and Green-land. A lifelong passion for history and fiction led him to earn degrees in Medieval Studies and English and later to embark upon a writing career that merges these two loves. 


Chris was the founding editor of the award-winning Paradox: The Magazine of Historical and Speculative Fiction from 2003 to 2009. His own short stories appear in such venues as Black Static, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Distant Echoes (Corazon Books, UK), and the Prime Books anthologies Shades of Blue and Gray: Ghosts of the Civil War and Zombies: Shambling Through the Ages. 


A long-time member of the Historical Novel Society, Chris currently serves on the society's North American conference board as registration chair for the upcoming 2023 conference in San Antonio, Texas. 


Chris lives with his wife and their two children in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.


Connect with Chris:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads



Thursday, 15 September 2022

Son of Anger (The Ormstunga Saga, Book 1) by Donovan Cook #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @DonovanCook20

 

Son of Anger 
(The Ormstunga Saga, Book 1)
By Donovan Cook



Publication Date: 12 November 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 347 pages
Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction


Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he will destroy everything in his path.

Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being a warrior.

Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord. The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.  

Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family. He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour. 

The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them. The Son of Anger. 






Donovan Cook


Donovan Cook was born in South Africa, but raised in England. An English tutor working and living in Russia, he has been a fanatic reader of historical fiction his whole life. Prior to this, Donovan spent three years working on cruise ships, which gave him the opportunity to explore different countries and learn about their cultures. In his free time, Donovan enjoys reading, watching rugby, scuba diving and working on small DIY projects. His debut novel, Son of Anger, comes from a fascination of medieval history and an over-active imagination. 

Social Media Links:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Wednesday, 14 September 2022

The Cimbri Appear (The Cimbrian War Book 1) by Jeff Hein #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @JeffHeinAuthor

 

The Cimbri Appear 
By Jeff Hein



In the second century BC nature’s fury and the instinct for survival sparked the beginning of an unprecedented tribal migration that would last centuries, eventually bringing about the dark ages and threatening the destruction of Rome itself. As other barbarian tribes join their cause, the Germanic Cimbri embark on an epic journey lasting two decades wandering throughout Europe, seeking a new homeland, finding only a desperate fight for their very existence. Rebuffed by hostile tribes and betrayed by a treacherous Roman consul, the Cimbri are forced into a fight they tried to avoid, and inflict a terrible price for Roman arrogance.


Jeff Hein

Jeff Hein loves to write historical fiction that is grounded in facts that refer to the writings of ancient and modern historians and the discoveries of modern archeology. Jeff has traveled the world and had the good fortune to walk in the footsteps of many of his characters. When visiting these ancient sites, he feels the ghosts of those who went before him that are tied to the land they lived upon. Writing about history is a passion and he loves the challenge of weaving historical and archaeological facts with believable fiction and interesting characters into a seamless and fascinating story. With a heavy dose of action, adventure, romance and intrigue he writes with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. At the end of the story, he hopes the reader will have learned something about actual history and shared a personal adventure with the author.


Tuesday, 13 September 2022

Blog Tour - Son of Anger (Ormstunga Saga, Book 1) by Donovan Cook #HistoricalFiction #Vikings #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @DonovanCook20






Join The Coffee Pot Book Club on tour with…

Son of Anger
(Ormstunga Saga, Book 1)
By Donovan Cook


December 5th - December 16th 2022

Publication Date: 12th November 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 347 Pages
Genre: Viking Historical Fiction

Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he will destroy everything in his path.

Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being a warrior.

Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord. The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.

Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family. He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour.

The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them. The Son of Anger.


Donovan Cook

Even as a young child, Donovan loved reading stories about Vikings and other medieval warriors fighting to defend their homeland or raiding in distant lands. He would often be found running around outside with nothing other than a wooden sword and his imagination. 


Now older, he spends his time writing about them. His novels come from his fascination with the Viking world and Norse Mythology and he hopes that you will enjoy exploring this world as much as he did writing about it.


Born in South Africa but raised in England, Donovan currently works as an English tutor and when he is not teaching or writing, he can be found reading, watching rugby, or working on DIY projects. Being born in South Africa, he is a massive Springboks fan and never misses a match.


Social Media Links:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads





Tour Schedule








Before Beltane (A Prequel to the Celtic Fervour Series (Celtic Fervour Series Book 0) by Nancy Jardine #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @nansjar


Before Beltane
(A Prequel to the Celtic Fervour Series (Celtic Fervour Series Book 0)
By Nancy Jardine

 


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…



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.


Social Media Links:

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • LinkedIn • Pinterest • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads



Monday, 12 September 2022

The Coffee Pot Book Club Cover Of The Year 2022 - Where the Gulls Fall Silent by Lelita Baldock @LelitaBaldock

 



Where the Gulls Fall Silent
By Lelita Baldock


Publication Date: 28th October 2021
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length:  231 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

A small fishing village, a shunned healer, her daughter, tradition, superstition and a world set to change.

Kerensa lives with her mother, the healer Meliora, on the edge of a small fishing community on the Cornish Coast.

The townsfolk, who work the fish runs of pilchard and mackerel that make their way up the Atlantic coast, call on her mother for help with their ailments, but never for her company.

Kerensa does not know why.

Curses and superstitions whisper around her as she grows into a competent young woman, fighting for her place amongst the people of Porth Gwynn.

But what has caused the rift between her and the town?

And can their traditional way of life survive in the face of changing winds?

Where the Gulls Fall Silent is an historical fiction that explores the lives of the fishermen and women who made their living from the rough Atlantic Ocean; the hardship they faced; the secrets that divided them; and the community spirit that pulled them through.

A story of love, loss, hope and second chances.


This novel is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.



Lelita Baldock is an author of historical fiction and crime fiction.

She has a passion for dark stories, with an unexpected twist.


It was during her years studying English Literature at University that Lelita discovered her love of all things reading and writing. But it would be another 15 years before she would take up the challenge and write her own novel.


Her debut novel, the historical fiction Widow's Lace, is an Amazon best-seller.


Her follow up, The Unsound Sister, saw her take a different direction in her writing, trying her hand at crime fiction and has been warmly received globally.


Her third novel, Where the Gulls Fall Silent, a traditional historical fiction set in mid-1800s Cornwall, is out now.


Lelita also runs a blog and newsletter featuring fellow authors and other creatives.


Connect with Lelita:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Amazon Author Page






The Coffee Pot Book Club Book Of The Year Award Winner of 2022 is... Son of Anger (Ormstunga Saga Book 1) by Donovan Cook #AwardWinning #HistoricalFiction @DonovanCook20




Son of Anger 
(Ormstunga Saga Book 1)
By Donovan Cook



Publication Date: 12 November 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Page Length: 347 pages
Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction

Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he will destroy everything in his path.

Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being a warrior.

Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord. The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.  

Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family. He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour. 

The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them. The Son of Anger. 





Donovan Cook was born in South Africa, but raised in England. An English tutor working and living in Russia, he has been a fanatic reader of historical fiction his whole life. Prior to this, Donovan spent three years working on cruise ships, which gave him the opportunity to explore different countries and learn about their cultures. In his free time, Donovan enjoys reading, watching rugby, scuba diving and working on small DIY projects. His debut novel, Son of Anger, comes from a fascination of medieval history and an over-active imagination. 

Connect with Donovan:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads






The Coffee Pot Book Club Book Of The Year Awards 2022

 


Historical Fiction Book of the Year Awards 2022


Categories and winners:


Ancient World Historical Fiction

Gold Medal

Before Beltane
By Nancy Jardine
Silver Medal
The Cimbri Appear 
By Jeff Hein





Early Medieval Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
Son of Anger
 (Ormstunga Saga Book 1)
By Donovan Cook 
Silver Medal
Beheld: Godiva’s Story
By Christopher M. Cevasco
Bronze Medal
The Wistful and the Good 
(Cuthbert’s People, Book 1)
By G. M. Baker
Honourable Mention 
The Last King
By MJ Porter


Medieval Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
Her Castilian Heart
By Anna Belfrage
Silver Medal
The Douglas Bastard 
(A sequel to The Black Douglas Trilogy)
By J R Tomlin
Bronze Medal
De Bohun's Destiny
(The Meonbridge Chronicles Book 3) 
By Carolyn Hughes 

Honourable Mention 
Imperial Passions - The Great Palace: A Byzantine Novel
By Eileen Stephenson 

Honourable Mention 
The Song And The Sword
By Isabelle Chevallot




The Tudors, The Stuarts, and The Commonwealth of England Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
Lady in Waiting
By Karen Heenan
Silver Medal
A Woman of Noble Wit
By Rosemary Griggs
Bronze Medal
The King's Inquisitor
By Tonya Brown


European Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
The Viennese Dressmaker
By Kathryn Gauci
Silver Medal
We Shall Not Shatter
By Elaine Stock

Bronze Medal
The Shadows of Versailles
By Cathie Dunn
Honourable Mention 
Paris In Ruins
By MK Tod

Honourable Mention
Longsword: Edward and the Assassin 
Dimitar Gyopsaliev


Asian Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
The Admiral's Wife
By MK Tod
Silver Medal
Lies That Bind 
By E.S. Alexander
Bronze Medal
The Lake Pagoda
By Ann Bennett


American Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
Northern Shadows
(Northern Wolf Series Book 5)
By Daniel Greene
Silver Medal
Muskets & Minuets
By Lindsey S. Fera
Bronze Medal
The Mesilla
By Mary Armstrong
Honourable Mention 
Fortunate Son
By Thomas Tibor
Honourable Mention 
John Brown's Women
Susan Higginbotham




Early Modern Historical Fiction

Gold Medal

The Silkworm Keeper

By Deborah Swift

Silver Medal

When Starlings Fly As One

By Nancy Blanton


Bronze Medal

The Shadows of Versailles

By Cathie Dunn


Honourable Mention 

Ash Fall

A Novel of the Knights of Malta (the Siege of Malta Book 3)

By Marthese Fenech




Modern Historical Fiction


Gold Medal

Angels and Bandits 

By Brodie Curtis

Silver Medal

The Art of Deception

By Pam Lecky


Bronze Medal

The Girl from Bologna

By Siobhan Daiko

Honourable Mention 

Secrets of Rosenli Manor

By Heidi Eljarbo


Honourable Mention 

Where the Gulls Fall Silent

By Lelita Baldock




Women's Historical Fiction


Gold Medal

Gwenna The Welsh Confectioner

(The New Zealand Immigrant Collection)

By Vicky Adin

Silver Medal

A Woman of Noble Wit

By Rosemary Griggs

Bronze Medal

Under the Emerald Sky
(The Irish Fortune Series)
By Juliane Weber 
Honourable Mention 
The Viennese Dressmaker
By Kathryn Gauci


Dual Time-Line


Gold Medal

The Girl from Bologna

By Siobhan Daiko


Silver Medal
The Admiral's Wife
By MK Tod
Bronze Medal
The Virgin of the Wind Rose
By Glen Craney



Supernatural Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
The Year We Lived
By Virginia Crow
Silver Medal
The Ghost Rider 
By Ellen Read

Bronze
When The Mermaid Sings 
By Helen Hollick
Honourable Mention 
Over the Broad Earth
By J.L. Feuerstack


Young Adult Historical Fiction

Gold Medal
Muskets & Minuets
By Lindsey S. Fera
Silver Medal
Clement: The Templar’s Treasure
By Craig R. Hipkins
Bronze Medal
A Stranger from the Storm
By William Burton McCormick


Time Travel

Gold Medal
Shake Loose the Border
By Andrea Matthews
Silver Medal
Finding Jane
By Elizabeth Conte


Historical Romance

Gold Medal
Sea of Shadows 
By Amy Maroney
Silver Medal

A Woman of Noble Wit

By Rosemary Griggs

Bronze Medal
The Feathered Nest
By Ellen Read
Honourable Mention 
Muskets & Minuets
By Lindsey S. Fera


Historical Fantasy

Gold Medal
The Last Crystal
By Frances Schoonmaker
Silver Medal
Over the Broad Earth
By J.L. Feuerstack
Bronze Medal
Over the Breadth of the Earth
By J.L. Feuerstack

Honourable Mention 
Strung
By Roske



Congratulations to all the winners from The Coffee Pot Book Club team.

A massive thank you to our judges, without whom this competition would not be possible. You are the best!