Book Spotlight: Beware the Lizard Lurking (The House of the Red Duke) by Vivienne Brereton

 

1513. A secret Twelfth Night wedding is about to take place on Saint Michael’s Mount, at the furthermost point of Tudor Cornwall. Far from the glittering Christmas court at Greenwich. Heads will surely roll if Henry VIII discovers the deception!

But there is an unexpected twist to the tale when uninvited guests appear at the Castle.

The King is hellbent on a so-called holy war with France, against the advice of his Lord Treasurer, Thomas Howard. Putting him at odds with his normally affable Scottish brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland.

On the other hand, the King’s almoner, Thomas Wolsey, (who has become a thorn in Thomas’s side) is very much in favour of the war as he contentedly watches his star rising at the Tudor court.

AMAZON GLOBAL LINK

Vivienne Brereton

Born in historic Winchester, England, Vivienne has been passionate about the Tudors for as long as she can remember. This led to a degree in Medieval History and a growing desire to write a historical novel. Words have always played an important part in her life, whether writing, editing, teaching English, or just picking up a good book.

In preparation for her Tudor series, she did an enormous amount of research: reading, visiting historic buildings, art galleries, with the odd joust or two thrown in! She even mastered several Tudor recipes which are included in her novel. Seeing 'A Phoenix Rising', Book One of 'The House of the Red Duke' in print for the first time was a moment of great joy for her. She hopes that anyone reading it will enjoy the end result as much as she enjoyed writing it.

Connect with Vivienne

Website   Twitter

  

 

Book Spotlight: A Phoenix Rising (The House of the Red Duke) by Vivienne Brereton

 

1497. Daring to defy a Tudor king is pure folly! She’s the daughter of a lord in rebellious Cornwall. He’s the son of a disgraced earl recently released from the Tower of London. Determined to make the Howard family great again. Can their secret love survive against such odds?

And so the story begins….

Meet the Howards. Thomas is the Earl of Surrey. Soldier. Statesman. Courtier. Head of one of the most powerful families in England. A keeper of secrets hidden behind castle walls. Heady places of ambition, intrigue, and lovers’ trysts.

Be dazzled by the dancing, drama, and display in Tudor England, Stewart Scotland, Valois France, and The Habsburg Empire.

AMAZON GLOBAL LINK

Vivienne Brereton

Born in historic Winchester, England, Vivienne has been passionate about the Tudors for as long as she can remember. This led to a degree in Medieval History and a growing desire to write a historical novel. Words have always played an important part in her life, whether writing, editing, teaching English, or just picking up a good book.

In preparation for her Tudor series, she did an enormous amount of research: reading, visiting historic buildings, art galleries, with the odd joust or two thrown in! She even mastered several Tudor recipes which are included in her novel. Seeing 'A Phoenix Rising', Book One of 'The House of the Red Duke' in print for the first time was a moment of great joy for her. She hopes that anyone reading it will enjoy the end result as much as she enjoyed writing it.

Connect with Vivienne

Website    Twitter

 

Smashwords End of Year Sale December 17, 2021 - January 1, 2022 - Exclusive deals on Indie Books

Award-winning author, Mary Ann Bernal, is participating in the Smashwords End of Year Sale

 (December 17, 2021 – January 1, 2022) 

  View Mary Ann's Smashwords profile page  HERE.

 Something for everyone by multi-genre author, Mary Ann Bernal.

The Briton and the Dane series - an action and adventure drama set in Dark Ages England when the Vikings terrorized the civilized world. A historical fiction romance collection featuring Concordia, a coming-of-age escapade, and Timeline, a fantasy time travel love story transcending time.

Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire - a science fiction/fantasy romantic adventure.

Crusader's Path - a historical fiction romance adventure set against the backdrop of the First Crusade.

Forgiving Nero - a Historical Biographical Fiction novel set in Ancient Rome when Emperor Nero ruled the Roman Empire.

Scribbler Tales - a multi-genre collection of short stories whose genres include the paranormal, action and adventure, mystery and thrillers, fantasy, romance, drama, and suspense. A single-author contemporary fiction anthology.

Forgiving Nero by Mary Ann Bernal featured in Reader Views December Book Giveaway!

Gold Medal
The Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year
Historical Fiction Book of the Year
The Ancient World

Playing out much like the Greek tragedies Nero enjoyed acting in! -- Reader Views

Reader Views

Happy December! We're celebrating by giving away 40 copies of books by some amazing indie authors! Show your support - enter for a chance to win one of these fabulous titles!

Click HERE to enter.

Cl

Forgiving Nero - Gold Medal - The Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year - Historical Fiction Book of the Year - Ancient World

 

Gold Medal

The Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year

Historical Fiction Book of the Year

The Ancient World

Rome. The jewel of the civilized world is no longer what it was. Strength has failed the Senate. Her legions are in disarray, and the Empire has fallen into Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Nero’s hands. His reign begins under a cloud of scrutiny, for he is the depraved Emperor Caligula’s nephew. Nero is determined to overcome that stigma and carve a name of his own. One worthy of Rome’s illustrious history.

Politics and treachery threaten to end Nero’s reign before it begins, forcing him to turn to unexpected sources for friendship and help. Many of the Praetorian Guard have watched over Nero since he was a small child, and it is in Traian that the young Emperor places his trust, despite the inherent threat of reducing his mother’s influence. Traian is the father he never had and the one man who does not judge him.

When Traian secretly marries the hostage Vena, it sets in motion a collision of values as Traian comes to odds with his former charge. The whirlwind that follows will shake the very foundations of the greatest Empire the world has ever known, and survival is far from guaranteed.

Reader Views

“Playing out much like the Greek tragedies Nero enjoyed acting in!”

“The writing flows effortlessly between the viewpoints of each of the characters, telling a clear narrative that is easy to follow and rather difficult to put down.”

“If you love Roman history, this book should delight you. Although Nero's and his family's wickedness is not sugarcoated, it is not described in a way that is lewd or gratifying.”

“The author does an excellent job remaining neutral and presenting each viewpoint factually and without bias. Therefore, regardless of your personal beliefs, you should be able to enjoy this book and make your own conclusions without feeling led to view Nero one way or the other.”

The Coffee Pot Book Club

“This story demanded all of my attention from beginning to end. The narrative was utterly enthralling, and Bernal told Nero’s story with a keen understanding of what makes history worth reading. Bernal has brought Nero back to life, and she has explored that life with a profound sweep and brilliance…”

“Nero is one of the infamous emperors whose history has been dictated by those who wanted to see his downfall. History, after all, is not written by the loser. Bernal does not pretend that Nero was a beloved emperor, but nor does she make him quite as monstrous as we have all been led to believe.”

Purchase

Universal Link

Amazon Global Link

NEW RELEASE - Pride, Prejudice, and Peril by Katie Oliver

 Phaedra Brighton is perfectly content with her life of lecturing college students, gossiping with her best friends, and dreaming of Mr. Darcy. As a young, respected (if somewhat peculiar) English professor, her expertise lies in all things Jane Austen—but she knows that the closest she’ll ever get to being a real-life Elizabeth Bennet is in her dreams.

When Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy, a new reality TV show, starts filming at her best friend Charlene’s estate, Phaedra is intrigued. And when the producer asks her to lend her Austenian knowledge as a consultant on the show, she’s over the moon. But on the first day of filming, when Charlene’s new husband is found electrocuted and Charlene herself is accused of the crime, Phaedra comes crashing back to reality.

With murder on the syllabus and her best friend in dire straits, there’s no Mr. Darcy around to help Phaedra—she’ll have to get to the bottom of this mystery herself. 

ABOUT PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND PERIL

“Like a modern-day Agatha Christie bestowed with a hefty dollop of Jane Austen.”—Laura Childs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Jane Austen meets reality TV and murder in this quirky cozy mystery—the first in a new series!

To purchase, click HERE.

Katie Oliver

My name is Katie Oliver. I’ve been writing for several years but I’m brand new to the cozy mystery genre. I’m the author of the Dating Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy series. Last year I decided to switch things up and wrote a cozy mystery. The result, the first book in my Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series, Pride, Prejudice, and Peril, was published by Berkley in December 2021.

I live in South Florida along with my husband and an ever-growing stack of cozy mysteries waiting to be read.

You can learn more about me and my books at Katie Oliver.com or Penguin Random House, and on Twitter  @Katieoliver01, Instagram,  or Facebook KatieOliverWriter.