Read my review of The Omen of Crows Nest by Cathrina Constantine #Fantasy #YoungAdult #NewRelease @cathconstantine

The Omen of Crows Nest

By Cathrina Constantine

No blood. No body. No murder.

That’s what the police found after Penelope spun her bizarre tale. In a hysterical state, she said her father was butchered and eaten by a mob of birds ~ in her bedroom.

They claim she’s crazy.

That she suffers from delusions.

Penelope is dead set on proving them wrong.

After being institutionalized for eight months, Penelope is out and more determined than ever to find answers to her so-called hallucinations. With her father’s untimely disappearance, she’s convinced her family is hiding something sinister.

THE OMEN OF CROWS NEST is the latest masterpiece by the award-winning author Cathrina Constantine, and is sure to leave fans of fantasy gasping!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult 

Page Length: 286

Grab a copy HERE!

MY THOUGHTS

One stormy night, and one fateful 911 call, that ended up with Penelope being institutionalised. She is absolutely certain that her father was torn apart by birds, in her bedroom, and that she witnessed the horrific scene. And yet, there is no evidence that her father is even dead, let alone that there were ever any birds in her room. Not, that is, that anyone seems to know exactly where her father is.

After eight months, Penelope is finally back home, or rather, as close to home as she can get. Her mother has arranged for her to stay with the neighbours, the Raniers, and slowly get reintroduced to her real home at Crows Nest, especially after Penelope saw her bedroom again for the first time and passed out. The one plus is that Dean Ranier has been Penelope’s best friend since childhood, and she has had a crush on him forever – and she is now living with him.

But, Penelope is certain something is going on, and not just inside her head. She overhears conversations that make no sense, and she isn’t allowed to go home when she wants to. Her younger brother and sister are being kept from her, and she can’t figure out why her Gramma won’t let her come home. 

On top of everything happening with Penelope having to live with the Raniers, and her mother wanting to move away with Penelope, Penelope has to deal with the outside world as well. She is enrolled in school for the first time in her life, for she has always been homeschooled, which puts her in the centre of a society that only know her as the girl who was institutionalised. She has to deal with bullies and people claiming she murdered her father. The only real friend she has throughout everything is Dean, and it’s difficult to act like brother and sister when she wants their relationship to be so much more. 

I felt incredibly sorry for Penelope’s siblings, Hazel and Sam. While Penelope is the focus of the story, and they are not featured much, they were always in the back of my mind. They live at Crows Nest with their Gramma, and Gramma is not a character I could stomach very easily. She is an absolutely horrible woman, and the stories Hazel and Sam have to tell Penelope in the small amount of time they spend alone together are awful. While I wanted Penelope to figure out the truth, and for her life to find some semblance of normalcy, I was overly aware that in the time that passes, Hazel and Sam were in a situation that they couldn’t escape from.

This book is labeled as fantasy, so you know immediately that there is going to be some supernatural elements, especially with how the book starts, and the whole situation with Penelope’s father. However, if you didn’t know this was a fantasy book, it might take a while to figure it out. Things seem almost normal for the vast majority of this book, which makes you wonder whether Penelope really did hallucinate the birds, or not. This means that, while Penelope is questioning whether or not she really saw what she thinks she did, you are also questioning the same things as you read. 

Something I especially liked about this book is that it very clearly stands alone. I am not sure whether it is part of a series, or if there are future books to come following Penelope, but this book comes to a very clear end, rather than leaving you on a cliffhanger, or waiting for a conclusion. If you are after a book that does not mean you are entering a commitment to buy a series worth of books, this is the one to go for!

I really enjoyed Penelope’s story. She is a character I could sympathise with, and I really wanted to be able to give her a big hug at times. Unfortunately, I could not enter the book to do so, so instead, I rooted for her as she worked to try and figure out who was hiding things from her, what the secrets were, and why they were being hidden. This was a fantastic read, and I will definitely be checking out this author in the future.

I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them.

I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I'm devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren.

I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog.

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Read my review of The Frozen River (The Canadians Book 3) by Clare Flynn #HistoricalFiction #FamilySaga @clarefly

The Frozen River
(The Canadians Book 3)

By Clare Flynn

Three strong women make their way in 1950s Canada.

English hairdresser, Ethel, alone after the deaths of her parents and brother, and her wartime fiancé.

Widow and single mother, Alice, bringing up two daughters, receives an unexpected inheritance that will transform her life.

War bride, Joan, now mother to four small children. All brought together in a rural Canadian town where they each try to build a future – often in spite of the men in their lives.

Each woman has a different idea of happiness. Will any or all of them achieve it?

The final novel in The Canadians series after The Chalky Sea and The Alien Corn.

Grab your copy now and lose yourself in the lives and loves of these women.

Genre: Historical Romance Saga

Page Length: 370

Grab a copy HERE!

MY THOUGHTS

Three women, in post-World War 2 Canada. They are all connected, but their lives have gone in widely different directions. Joan, who lives in Canada with her children and husband. Ethel, Joan’s cousin, who comes to visit after the death of her mother. Alice, Joan’s sister-in-law, a single parent trying to raise two daughters. 

All each woman wants is happiness – albeit their ideas of what will make them happy differs between each woman. With the past hanging over all their heads, trying to find happiness is a difficult endeavour. But when the past comes back to visit, in the form of a man none of them want to be near, how can they be safe, let alone happy?

As it turns out, I have now read three books by Clare Flynn, and all three of them have been the third book of their respective series. I have never managed to read books one or two of any of the three series I have read book three of! I actually saw this book in a charity shop, and immediately recognised the author’s name. I obviously could not leave it there, and brought it home with me. The previous owner had clearly never read it, there was not a single crease in the spine. Perhaps, if they had, they wouldn’t have given it up.

I absolutely adored reading this book. The three main characters, Ethel, Joan, and Alice, are all very different people, and yet, they are all characters you can’t help but like. Well, saying that, it did take me a while to decide whether I liked Alice or not, but she grew on me as I continued reading. Alice lost her first husband (Joan’s husband’s brother – families can be a little confusing, can’t they?) during the war, and had a second child with a man she wishes she never met. She and her two daughters live with Alice’s ageing aunt, who has a very large fortune, which she has promised, in it’s entirety, to Alice. With the knowledge that she and her daughters will have the money to live comfortably, and then some, Alice puts her mind to the future. She can remain unmarried and know that she will be able to care properly for her daughters. Alice is an inspirational character. She knows what she wants, and she works incredibly hard to achieve her dreams, even if her actions are unconventional for a woman at the time.

There is not too much focus on Joan in this book, I felt. Perhaps she takes more of the limelight in the previous two books. She is pregnant with her fourth child, her other three are all young boys. She is the only one of the three women who is married, having moved to Canada as a war bride, married to Jim, the love of her life. They live on a farm, nearby to Jim’s parents. It is when Ethel comes to visit, that Joan’s family in Canada is practically complete. Joan has missed Ethel dearly, and she simply cannot see that there is anything in England for Ethel anymore and would love for Ethel to move to Canada. Ethel, of course, has other ideas. She has a life in England, a job, a house – she can’t just pack up and move… can she? I loved Joan. She is the conventional family woman of the book. She has a husband, children, a house… she lives nearby to her husband’s parents. And yet, with her coming across as the mother of the book, it is easy to forget that Alice also has two children. The only difference is that Joan has an entire support team behind her, and Alice is alone.

Ethel lost her beloved during the war and has never moved on. How could she just forget about him, and fall in love with someone else? But, when she arrives in Canada, she meets Duncan, the area’s doctor, and can’t deny the fluttering of her heart. 

There is so much I want to say about this book, and not nearly enough time to say it. If I talked about everything I wanted to, this would be an incredibly long review, and I would give away the entire plot. Therefore, I will try to be a little vague, but my praises are much too high to not talk about this book far too much. I mentioned before that this is the third book in the series, and that I have actually only ever read third books by Clare Flynn. This is absolutely a testament to her writing. Not once have I felt lost while reading one of her books, even though there is plenty of backstory I am missing out on. I kept up with everything while reading, which, considering enough happened for two previous books, is almost surprising. Somehow, all of the emotion I was supposed to feel for each character, and for one in particular, it was strong hate, came across without needing to know everything that happened before. How Clare Flynn achieved this so perfectly, I don’t know, but I commend her for it.

I would probably have to say that, if you are interested in this series, you should start with book 1, but if you want to read book 3, and not the rest, you can do just that. Although, if you do read book 3, without reading the previous books first, you will definitely want to go back and read the rest of the series. Do yourself a favour, and start with book 1 – you will end up reading it either way!

Clare Flynn is the author of thirteen historical novels and a collection of short stories. A former International Marketing Director and strategic management consultant, she is now a full-time writer. 

Having lived and worked in London, Paris, Brussels, Milan and Sydney, home is now on the coast, in Sussex, England, where she can watch the sea from her windows. An avid traveler, her books are often set in exotic locations.

Clare is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of The Society of Authors, ALLi, and the Romantic Novelists Association. When not writing, she loves to read, quilt, paint and play the piano. 

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Read my review of The Oath (The Druid Chronicles, Book One) by A. M. Linden #HistoricalFiction #Medieval #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @shewritespress @maryanneyarde

The Oath

(The Druid Chronicles, Book One)

By A. M. Linden

When the last of members of a secretive Druid cult are forced to abandon their hidden sanctuary, they send the youngest of their remaining priests in search of Annwr, their chief priestess’s sister, who was abducted by a Saxon war band fifteen years ago. With only a rudimentary grasp of English and the ambiguous guidance of an oracle’s prophecy, Caelym manages to find Annwr living in a hut on the grounds of a Christian convent.

Annwr has spent her years of captivity caring for the timid Aleswina, an orphaned Saxon princess who was consigned to the cloistered convent by her cousin, King Gilberth, after he assumed her father’s throne. Just as Caelym and Annwr are about leave together, Aleswina learns that Gilberth, a tyrant known for his cruelty and vicious temper, means to take her out of the convent and marry her. Terrified, she flees with the two Druids—beginning a heart-pounding adventure that unfolds in ways none of them could have anticipated.

Praise:

“Linden's well-researched tale eloquently brings to life a lesser-known period of transition in Britain. . . . The author has created a strong foundation for her series with well-developed characters whom readers can embrace. . . . [a] layered, gripping historical fiction.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The story rolls along at a lively pace, rich with details of the times and a wide cast of characters. [The] plotting, shifting points of view of the three engaging protagonists, and evocative writing style make The Oath a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.”

—Historical Novel Review

“Linden uses a fairy tale-like style almost as though this story has been passed down orally over the centuries.”

—Booklist Review

Publication Date: 15th June 2021

Publisher: She Writes Press 

Page Length: 319 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grab a copy HERE!

MY THOUGHTS

Many years ago, Annwr, the sister of a Druid cult’s chief priestess was kidnapped by Saxons. And yet, the prophecy of an oracle says that Annwr still lives, and Caelym, a young druid priest, is sent to find her, and bring her home.

What Caelym doesn’t expect is that Annwr might be reluctant to return to a life she hasn’t lived for years. Annwr was given the role of caring for the orphaned Saxon princess, Aleswina, and Aleswina has become like a daughter to Annwr. Aleswina is in a convent, with Annwr living nearby, and Annwr does not know if she can simply leave Aleswina and go home. 

However, there is no need for Annwr to do any decision-making, for Aleswina makes the choice for her. Aleswina finds out that her cousin, a simply dreadful man, plans to marry her, and she will not stand by and let that happen. The Saxon princess joins the two Druids, and they flee together. 

This book does start out a little slow, and I found my attention starting to wane a little in the first few chapters. When the story really got started, though, once the three characters start on their journey, I found I couldn’t put the book down. It did take a little while, but once I got into it, I was hooked. I read the entire book in a day.

My absolute favourite character had to be Caelym. He is on a mission, not only to find Annwr, but also to find his two young sons. He is certainly determined, and nothing will stop him. Caelym’s inner monologue is hilarious to read, for he is incredibly sarcastic. Annwr is equally sarcastic, and their conversations were enough to make me laugh out loud as I read. Caelym is always doing what he can to help, and gain some praise, and Annwr is incredibly reluctant to give it to him, always managing to see the things he does as attention-seeking, rather than helpful. Together, they make a very humorous pair. 

Aleswina is set a little behind Caelym and Annwr. She is not in the spotlight so much, but she is also completely out of her comfort zone. She is a Saxon princess, and yet, she is living on the run with two Druids, who have different customs, and know how to survive in the wild. She is completely dependent on them to keep her safe. And yet, Aleswina is an incredibly loving and kind person, who would do almost anything to keep Annwr safe, although she would be, perhaps, a little more hesitant over what she would do to keep Caelym safe – they do not exactly have the most conventional way of getting to know each other!

The historical detailing of this novel is fabulous. The author has done an excellent job in making you feel like you are traipsing through the woods with the characters, and listening to Caelym and Annwr bicker. I don’t think that I’ve read many books starring druid priests before, and I certainly do not know much about their culture. I know decidedly more about Aleswina’s religion, and I almost felt like I was by her side, slowly learning as she learnt. 

The characters’ backstories are revealed slowly, with information coming to light as and when it is required. This was an excellent way to do this, for not knowing everything definitely keeps you invested in the story, and there is no information dump to bore you. Instead, you are kept desperate for more snippets of, in particular, Caelym’s past, and what happened between Annwr being abducted, and Caelym coming to find her. 

This is the kind of book you are not sure you need in your life until you read it. Caelym quickly became a favourite character, and I simply adored the humorous thoughts and conversations. If you are interested in this era, or want a book you can really get invested in, this is the one you need.

Ann Margaret Linden was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up on the east coast of the United States before returning to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. She has undergraduate degrees in anthropology and in nursing and a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. After working in a variety of acute care and community health settings, she took a position in a program for children with special health care needs where her responsibilities included writing clinical reports, parent educational materials, provider newsletters, grant submissions and other program related materials. The Druid Chronicles began as a somewhat whimsical decision to write something for fun and ended up becoming a lengthy journey that involved Linden taking adult education creative writing courses, researching early British history, and traveling to England, Scotland, and Wales. Retired from nursing, she lives with her husband and their cat and dog in the northwest corner of Washington State.

Website • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

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Read an interview with Brodie Curtis, author of Angels and Bandits #HistoricalFiction #WWII #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @BrodieCurtis4 @maryanneyarde

Angels and Bandits

By Brodie Curtis

The Battle of Britain rages and two young RAF pilots from very different stations in life must somehow find common ground—and stay alive. 

On the eve of World War II, working-class Eddy Beane is a flight instructor in London. He successfully completes dangerous espionage missions for Air Commodore Keith Park and takes on society-girl June Stephenson as a student. Her ex-fiancé, Dudley Thane, is also a flyer, but upper-class and Cambridge-educated. When the German Luftwaffe attacks England in 1940, Eddy and Dudley end up serving in the same Spitfire squadron. Aerial combat is intense, and both men show their skills and courage, but can they set aside jealousy and class differences to become fighting brothers for the defence of Britain? 

Publication Date: 15th May 2022

Publisher: Westy Vistas 

Page Length: 357 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grab a copy HERE!

INTERVIEW

Writing Interview Questions.

Why did you choose to write your book in this era?

Hi Beatrice! This is Brodie Curtis and thank you very much for having me on today!

ANGELS and BANDITS is my second historical novel and it follows-on to THE FOUR BELLS, my debut novel which portrays events during the Great War. Protagonist Eddy Beane is the answer to a loose thread from my first book, and we follow Eddy’s story into The Battle of Britain, those heady days when Britain stood alone in 1940.

But my inspiration for ANGELS and BANDITS goes beyond a sequel and is rooted in deep respect and admiration for the Royal Air Force’s defence of unrelenting German Luftwaffe bombing attacks in August and September of 1940. For those of us who have never experienced war in our day to day lives, and hopefully never will, just imagine London in late summer 1940: The wireless reports a raid has been spotted over the Kent coast and warns all citizens to take cover. Sirens wail, ack-ack guns boom and in between come the droning sounds of bomber engines from somewhere high overhead. Explosions, death and destruction become part of daily life. 

Contemporary images of RAF fighter pilots capture the mostly boyish countenances of young men who were inexperienced in life but tasked with the weighty life-saving responsibility of protecting civilians. It was up to them to intercept the German Luftwaffe and all of its daunting scale, efficiency and weaponry. It is the story of those young men and how they dug deep within themselves to accomplish the task that inspired me. 

Pilots relax in the crew room at Fowlmere in 1940. Devon, S A. (Mr) RAF Official Photographer. Public domain.

I was stirred beyond words reading Churchill’s war-time speeches and famous line: “Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few.” Walking by The Battle of Britain sculpture on Victoria Embankment in London, opposite the London Eye, was terrifically inspiring. A quick YouTube search turned up clips of the Spitfire in action that took my breath away. And I must admit that watching Michael Caine’s movie The Battle of Britain, for the umpteenth time, still gives me chills. 

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while you were researching this era?

The RAF Fighter Pilots were a far more diverse group than I had imagined when I started researching ANGELS and BANDITS. I had imagined RAF fighter pilots as largely educated young gentlemen from mostly well-off families. Historically, that had been true, but by 1940 things were changing. Eighty percent of Fighter Command was British, ten percent from Commonwealth countries and the other ten percent from occupied Europe, with large contingents from Poland and Czechoslovakia. 

A large chunk of the British pilots had come through the Volunteer Reserve created by the British government in 1936. Men through the Volunteer Reserve route were typically uneducated commoners which meant they would join their squadrons as Sergeant Pilots and could not be officers like the educated young gentlemen who joined the RAF through the traditional route. 

When an RAF pilot “scrambled” with his Squadron of twelve, his focus was on the orders coming through his headset and maintaining his place in strict formation until combat began and the formation broke apart. Teamwork was critical. A common man Sergeant Pilot might be on the wing of a Flight Lieutenant Oxbridge man or Etonian and relied on for cover. Or vice versa. Class differences were irrelevant at twenty thousand feet, only flying skills, verve and courage were of consequence. Whatever their backgrounds, the RAF pilots had to fly as efficient, cohesive teams. As a Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot, Richard Hillary, mused in his auto-biography The Last Enemy: “Was there perhaps a new race of Englishmen arising out of this war, a race of men bred by the war, a harmonious synthesis of the governing class and the great rest of England; that synthesis of disparate backgrounds and upbringings to be seen at its most obvious best in R.A.F. Squadrons?” My characters in ANGELS and BANDITS are forced to achieve the harmonious synthesis that Hillary speaks of.  

Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?

Another loose thread from my debut novel is played out in ANGELS and BANDITS.  This one takes my protagonist, Eddy Beane, on a flight into Nazi Germany before the war, in 1938. By that time, Eddy has learned to fly in London, and is conducting espionage missions to photograph the Luftwaffe’s aircraft buildup at the request of his aviation mentor, Commodore Keith Park.

To set the stage for my Germany scene, a strange letter arrives in the fall of 1938 that forces Eddy’s Uncle Al to consider sheltering a young German woman, Lotte Schroder, who is in danger from the Nazis. Eddy is scheduled to make another espionage flight for Park, so he ties the two together and makes a stop in Germany on his way home to assess Lotte’s circumstances for his Uncle. Eddy and Lotte are confronted by the Gestapo, and Eddy learns first-hand about the Nazis’ far-reaching influence and cruelty. He and Lotte only narrowly escape. Park takes stock of the situation and, given Lotte’s hatred of the Nazis, finds a place for her in Britain’s intelligence community.

If you had to describe your protagonist, in three words, what would those three words be?

Indefatigable, Ambitious and Courageous.

What are you currently working on?

My third historical novel takes me into the era of Mississippi river  Showboats in the years before the American Civil War. Showboats chugged into river towns with people lined on the banks for their arrival, watching the billowing smokestacks and listening to the sounds from the happy calliope. Many of them would board the docked vessel for an evening of theatre, song and dance. The Showboat genre has some quite romantic aspects and is very much under-fictionalized in my view. My protagonists are inspired by family lore. 

Currently, I am researching away, learning all I can about life on the river, the workings of Mississippi riverboats and the entertainment provided and pleasures taken on showboat excursions. Now that Covid seems to have loosened its grip, I hope to travel through towns along the Big Muddy this year and stop in on museums, historical societies and who knows where all else to unearth photographs and anecdotes that inspire scenes in my new book!

 

Personal Interview Questions.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I love to read and review books when I’m not writing. I’ve gotten into the habit of jotting down my short “takes,” just a paragraph or two, when I’m done reading something. I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of world war fiction and I’ve published more than a 100 of my takes on my website: Brodie Curtis's Takes on War Fiction + Book and Movie Reviews - Brodie Curtis Author   I’ve also posted quite a few book reviews on non-world war historical fiction, many of which have been published in the Historical Novels Review. 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Growing up, my father was a college football coach (American style that is) so of course I wanted to be a football player. I was able to play all the way through college, so I very much scratched that itch. I have some great friendships to show for it as well as, unfortunately, some lingering aches and pains!

What is the best part of your day?

The best part of my day for getting work done is the morning. Up and at them with a cup of coffee and usually the words just flow! But I’m going to cheat and say the other best part of day is, when we’re at home together in Colorado, cocktail hour before dinner with wife Sue. A glass of wine, some Coldplay, Grace Potter or Chris Stapleton overhead, sun setting on the Rockies, and catching up on the day’s events with my beautiful wife! 

Either or!

Tea or coffee: Coffee

Hot or cold: Hot

Movie or book: Book

Morning person or Night owl: Morning Person

City or country: Country. But this one is close! I’m from “West Central” not far from Tom Sawyer’s stomping grounds  and still spend time there when I can but have lived in cities for many years.

Social Media or book: Book.

Paperback or ebook: Paperback.

Raised in the Midwest, Brodie Curtis was educated as a lawyer and left the corporate world to embrace life in Colorado with his wife and two sons. 

Curtis is the author of THE FOUR BELLS, a novel of The Great War, which is the product of extensive historical research, including long walks through the fields of Flanders, where much of the book's action is set. His second novel, ANGELS AND BANDITS, takes his protagonists into The Battle of Britain. Curtis is currently working on a novel set on a Mississippi Riverboat prior to the Civil War.

A lover of history, particularly American history and the World Wars, Curtis reviews historical fiction for the Historical Novels Review and more than 100 of his published reviews and short takes on historical novels can be found on his website.

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Read an excerpt from Muskets and Minuets by Lindsey S. Fera #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @AuthorLinzFera @maryanneyarde

Muskets and Minuets 

By Lindsey S. Fera

Love. Politics. War.

Amidst mounting tensions between the British crown and the American colonists of Boston, Annalisa Howlett struggles with her identity and purpose as a woman. Rather than concern herself with proper womanly duties, like learning to dance a minuet or chasing after the eligible and charming Jack Perkins, Annalisa prefers the company of her brother, George, and her be-loved musket, Bixby. She intends to join the rebellion, but as complications in her personal life intensify, and the colonies inch closer to war with England, everything Annalisa thought about her world and womanhood are transformed forever.

Join Annalisa on her journey to discover what it truly means to be a woman in the 18th century, all set against the backdrop of some of the most pivotal moments in American history.

Publication Date: 19th October 2021

Publisher: Zenith Publishing (imprint of GenZ Publishing) 

Page Length: 486 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU

EXCERPT

Jack sat in his uncle’s dimly lit study and unbuckled his stock. It was far too warm for the fires to be lit, but nonetheless, they blazed. Hours had passed since he’d washed the grime of battle from his hands and face, though he remained in his torn and tattered silk suit.

Father paced. “You defied me.” The candlelight cast a flickering shadow onto his grim countenance as he eyed Jack’s uncle.  

Lord Brunswick sat at his large, cherry wood desk. He crossed one leg. “This charade was highly unexpected of you, Jack. First the altercation at the ball, and now this. There are far more judicious ways to show your support—” 

“I explicitly forbade you from engaging in battle since Concord,” Father erupted. 

Lord Brunswick lifted a hand. “Easy, John—” 

“You put William Howlett in danger of being killed, as well as yourself.” Father drove his fist onto the mantle. “You know Mr. Howlett is a Loyalist. He never would have forgiven such an act. You’re lucky he’s forgiven as much as he has. ’Tis one thing for George to join. Your cousin will do as he pleases. He’s certainly got Bixby blood for that.” He cleared his throat. “But your uncle is right. There are superior ways to show your support for the rebels. We’ve discussed your coming to Philadelphia.”

“No.” Jack met his father’s gaze. 

“No?”

“No, sir. I will stay here and join the army with George.”

The vein on Father’s forehead bulged. “You are my heir, and now your uncle’s. You hold far greater responsibility than George.”

Jack slid from his coat. “Sir, you have two other capable sons.”

“Don’t even speak of it,” Father snapped. “You know as well as I, Oliver is far too conniving and ambitious to inherit the estates. He will squander everything. Andrew has not the fortitude.” 

Jack threw back the remainder of his brandy. The liquid burned his throat. “Then you condemn me to a life I care little for.” The glass landed on the table with a clatter. 

Lord Brunswick rested an elbow on the arm of his chair. “You’ve signed the papers—willingly, I might add—and now you must uphold that honor.” 

Father approached. “Our support is strong for the colonies to govern themselves independently. But we will not fight on the front lines. Your uncle in Parliament, and I in Congress. That is where we shall oppose King George, along with several other worthy gentlemen.” 

Jack stood. “I’m not a child. I won’t be dictated to as our own king dictates to the colonies. Father, Uncle, I appreciate your generous offers, but I belong with a musket in my hand—and with Annalisa Howlett by my side.” He turned to leave. “If you’ll excuse me, I must check on her.” 

“’Tis out of the question.” Father stopped him. “Child or no, you’ve responsibilities—”

“Miss Howlett is the proper choice, Jack,” Lord Brunswick said. 

Jack tightened his jaw. “Tell me, does his lordship find bravery and courage so condemning in a woman that he may refuse me the right to marry the woman I love?”

Lord Brunswick shifted in his chair. “Miss Annalisa is not the well-bred woman suitable for being your wife you presented her as. She’s demonstrated this enough over the past two days. Society will not accept her.” 

“This is preposterous.” Jack leaned across his uncle’s desk. “Uncle, if being your heir means I cannot marry her, ’tis not worth it. Let me to the papers I signed. I’ll toss them into the fire this instant.”

Lord Brunswick rose from his chair. “I appreciate your frustration, but do be sensible. ’Tis only a marriage.”

“Only a marriage? My lord, a marriage is for eternity. I don’t take that promise as lightly as the ton, or apparently, your friends in Parliament do.” 

“Enough,” Father said. “You may not throw around insults. Your nuptials will take place this November upon my return from Philadelphia. End of discussion.” 

Lord Brunswick frowned. “I am grieved to see you in such a state. Had I known you carried such fondness for this girl, and the disdain you place on Society, perhaps I would have taken better consideration of Oliver.” 

“Then do it, my lord,” Jack said. “Offer your estate to him. He will gladly accept, along with all the duties charged him—including a marriage to Jane Howlett.” 

“Insolent boy.” Lord Brunswick’s nostrils flared, and his face blazed in the candlelight. “Do you understand the implication of forfeiting your inheritance? You will be left with nothing. Do you understand? Nothing.”

Father lifted a hand. “Peace, Brunswick.” He faced Jack. “Your uncle is right. I understand your heart, Jack. But sometimes we must put reason first, hmm?” He peered over his spectacles as though he were delivering a verdict in court. “A rational mind is of utmost importance, and when matters of heart cloud our judgement, we are no longer able to hear the voice of reason.” 

“Father, please.” Jack softened his voice and tamped away his pride. “I swear to you as a gentleman, if you allow me to wed Annalisa…I’ll join you in Philadelphia.”

Father’s lips tightened. “I had given you my blessing, but that was before Bunker Hill.” He spoke the word as though it would conjure the devil himself. 

Lord Brunswick sighed. “She may have courage, but she lacks discretion and obedience. You cannot have a wife whose name is clouded in scandal. Society shall never forget what she has done.”

Jack threw up his arms. “Society does not even know.” 

“There will be gossip, Jack,” his father replied. “Don’t even deny it.”

Jack returned to the fire and leaned over it. The heat soaked into his face, lighting his spirit aflame. He spun around and eyed his father. “Then we’ll elope.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Father hissed. “If you truly love Miss Annalisa as you say you do, you will give her up at once, and not further dishonor her with the scandal of an elopement. As a gentleman, you owe her at least that…if you love her.”

“Of course, I love her.” Jack’s voice cracked with fatigue. 

Father clasped his arm. “Prove to your uncle and me you’re a man of honor. Marry Jane and keep our family—and the Howletts—unsullied.”

Jack swallowed. It burned, but not as harshly as the brandy, or his father’s words—some of which were true. He could hardly elope with Annalisa and cause her and her family more shame and ridicule. 

But how can I marry her sister instead? 

A born and bred New Englander, Lindsey hails from the North Shore of Boston. A member of the Topsfield Historical Society and the Historical Novel Society, she forged her love for writ-ing with her intrigue for colonial America by writing her debut novel, Muskets and Minuets. When she's not attending historical reenactments or spouting off facts about Boston, she's nursing patients back to health in the ICU.

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Read an excerpt from Dark Blue Waves by Kimberly Sullivan #HistoricalRomance #TimeTravelRomance #WomensFiction @KimberlyinRome @XpressoTours

Dark Blue Waves

By Kimberly Sullivan

When you wake up in Bath, England two hundred years in the past, how far can a love of Jane Austen get you?

Janet Roberts dreams of an academic career in literature, so she can hardly believe her good fortune when she’s accepted into a Jane Austen graduate seminar in Bath, England. Settled in Georgian splendor among her seminar colleagues, Janet and her classmates live, eat and breathe Jane Austen.

An accident interrupts this idyll when Janet regains consciousness in her own room—back in Regency England. For a scholar of nineteenth-century literature, this should be a dream come true.

But Janet quickly learns there’s a world of difference between scholarly knowledge of the written page and maneuvering real life as a reluctant time traveler.

Her burgeoning friendship with Emma Huntington eases her entrée into nineteenth-century society. However, Emma’s brother, the handsome, proud and frustratingly magnetic Sir Edward, is far less welcoming.

While desperately attempting to make sense of her dilemma, Janet treads a thin line between trying to blend into her new world and not being unmasked as the imposter she is. Can she discover the way to return to her twenty-first century life? After working so hard to create a rewarding nineteenth-century life for herself and opening her hart to friendship and love, does she even want to?

Publication date: May 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance, Time-Travel, Women’s Fiction

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EXCERPT

Janet slid her legs over the side of the bed, pushed bare feet into her slippers and walked over to the window, pulling back the curtains. It was still dark, with only a glimmer of light along the horizon signaling the start to the new day. The fading night sky was clear. An ideal day for riding - something she had learned young, alongside her mother who loved to ride.

Nothing cleared her head better than a gallop through the countryside. She wished she could go off on her own, before everyone was up. Instead, she sat at her table and dipped her quill into the inkwell. Scratching the quill against parchment, she recorded her observations from last night as the sun emerged and cast its golden light upon the waters of the pond.

Penning her thoughts cleared her head, and she felt better when Turner entered the room.

“Miss Jane! You are up so early. Why did you not ring for me?”

“There was no need. I was enjoying the silence before the start of the day. I feel refreshed now.”

“I have brought you one of Miss Emma’s riding habits for your morning excursion.” She stroked the fabric. “This should fit you beautifully.”

Janet felt a wave of nausea. “This is how I am supposed to ride? A dress and jacket? Won’t the dress get caught up in the horse’s legs?”

“Miss Jane, the extra folds get tucked under your legs when you are riding sidesaddle. Surely you must do the same in the New World? There is even a petticoat that will cover what the habit cannot.” Her cheeks flushed. She looked down. “Your ankles, my dear. It would be most inappropriate to have them on view for all to see.” 

How had Janet failed to consider the riding habit and sidesaddle when agreeing to ride with Emma? How many BBC films had she seen? And what exactly had she expected to wear to ride two hundred years ago? Surely not a jockey’s silks. How on earth could she ride in this get-up and not kill herself? No, she couldn’t risk it. She’d allow Turner to dress her, and then bow out at the moment of saddling. It was hardly worth risking a broken neck—quite literally—in exchange for a bit of exercise.

Turner was pulling tight the stays of the torturous corset Janet had hoped would be unnecessary for riding. She should have known better. The habit was swept over her head. A little jacket was added afterwards. Its tight arms limited mobility. Aside from its more somber colors, the habit appeared to Janet almost the same as the dresses she wore on a daily basis. How in God’s name could women ride in this get-up? How she longed for her no-nonsense, twenty-first-century riding britches and boots.

Janet sat sulkily at the breakfast table, long before the rest of the family was ready. She drank her coffee slowly, devising ways to extricate herself from her morning ride without causing offense. A headache? Upset stomach? An attack of Mrs. Bennet-like nerves?

“You are up already! You must be eager for our ride,” said Emma as she breezed into the breakfast room. Elegant in her riding habit and certainly capable of sitting expertly in it in her sidesaddle, Emma took her seat across from Janet.

Janet wondered how to explain the sudden change of mind to her friend. She poured coffee into Emma’s empty cup. As soon as they had finished breakfast, they walked the short distance to the stable.

Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and two novels: Three Coins and Dark Blue Waves.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

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Read an excerpt from All-Star Love (A Six Lakes Tennis Academy Novel) by Stephanie J. Scott #ContemporaryRomance #YARomance #NewRelease @StephScottYA

All-Star Love

(A Six Lakes Tennis Academy Novel)

By Stephanie J. Scott

An enemies-to-more fake dating romance set in the world of competitive tennis

Maisie Maxwell planned for a senior year of dazzling college scouts by playing her best tennis. Instead, her beloved tennis training academy is thrown into scandal when the academy founder and head coach, who happens to be her uncle, takes off to Tahiti with the school’s tuition money. Her classmates label her a traitor, but she commits to graduate from the school she loves.

Only her aim to lay low is thwarted by the school’s last-ditch hope to stay open, a new partnership with reality show The Academy.

Also not helping her stay-under-the-radar plan? A wayward forehand shot that nails transfer student Shane Wagner in the face on day one. Shane, obnoxiously gorgeous for starters, is the current number one nationally seeded player in junior boys’ tennis. Oops.

Everyone at school sees Shane as an outsider and fame-seeker. He’s just as much an outcast as Maisie. While reality show producers push for chaos, Shane and Maisie band together with their own idea: pretend to be together and control the narrative.

But the savvy head producer has her own agenda, and it’s not collegiate tennis scholarships. Shane and Maisie need to play hard to save the school before they’re outmatched.

Publication date: May 24th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Young Adult 

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EXCERPT

Instinctively, I backed up, stepping directly onto Shane’s foot. His hands captured my arms, catching me before we fully collided. I slow turned, mouthing Go! just as the sound of dagger heels against tile floor click-clicked. Paige was coming.

Shane, still holding my arms, stared at me, our faces scant inches apart. He was frozen. Unmoving iceberg, dead in the water.

And then our lips met. I wasn’t entirely sure how, but our faces were definitely connected. I stared at him—or, more like stared into his pores because my face was on top of his. His eyes were closed.

Shane Wagner. Was. Kissing me.

A burst of heat traveled from our lips like a furnace on full blast. He tasted like blueberry muffin with a hint of salt. His lips were soft and welcoming. Actually, I could stay here awhile. I could stay like this, kissing Shane, and live in this furnace blast for—

“Oh,” said Paige behind me.

And just like that, Shane broke away. My sense of direction skewed, I fell back against the wall.

He blinked at me and cleared his throat. “Sorry.” He spoke past me toward Paige. “Maisie and I, we thought we were alone.”

What? I stared back at Shane. Oh, right. We’d been spying and had no reasonable excuse for listening in on Paige’s conversation. This was a cover-up.

Paige gave us a steely look, then continued on her way.

“Come on.” Shane’s hand joined mine. I found myself trailing after him, my vision unfocused. Trailing after with betraying, puffed lips. Lips that wanted another taste.

Mmm, blueberry.

Stephanie J. Scott writes young adult and romance about characters who put their passions first. Her debut ALTERATIONS about a fashion-obsessed loner who reinvents herself was a Romance Writers of America RITA® award finalist. She enjoys dance fitness, everything cats, and has a slight obsession with Instagram. A Midwest girl at heart, she resides outside of Chicago with her tech-of-all-trades husband and fuzzy furbabies.

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