Pages

Monday, August 26, 2024

Book Spotlight and Excerpt: A Most Unsettled Man by Lily Style

 

George Matcham, dubbed the most unsettled man alive, was born in East India Company controlled Bombay and undertook three epic overland treks between Asia and England before marrying the favourite sister of the not yet famous Horatio Nelson. Intimate details about George's life have been preserved because of his close relationship with Nelson and his famous paramour Emma Hamilton, whose rises and falls he observed first-hand.

 Packed with period press clippings and eyewitness accounts, A Most Unsettled Man provides an unprecedented glimpse into the private life of a modest 18th century English gentleman, as well retelling the enduring love story of Nelson and Emma from an entirely new perspective.


 Buy Links:

 Universal Ebook Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3nQveB

 Amazon US (paperback): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1962465489

 Amazon UK (paperback): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1962465489

***

 Excerpt

George’s life had been mapped and pinned down from the moment his parents sent him to school in England. His further education in the Company’s required subjects of double-entry bookkeeping and mathematics had been part of his preordained career. When he’d returned home to Bombay, the Company viewed him as a freshly-milled cog to strengthen the workings of their ever-expanding, capitalist empire machine.

 …With Scindia’s imminent return hovering as an ever-present black cloud, George set about overseeing the profitability of Broach’s calico production. This may, initially, have felt like an easy option compared with facing the Maratha army. However, the cloth-making process required the labour of thousands of local workers to churn out piece-goods in a similar fashion to present-day sweatshops. Though mercantile and privileged, George was deeply moved by “the misery of the people, and waste of fine agricultural land.” He filled journals with ambitious plans to improve conditions for Broach’s cotton workers.

 On top of this, when not worried for the local workforce or the thunderous approach of Scindia’s elephants, young George likely felt bored stiff of being stuck, month after month, and year after year, in the backwater of Broach. After all, he was so innately restless that, in later years, Horatio Nelson’s wife described him as “ever the most unsettled man alive”.


Lily Style is the direct descendant of famed lovers Admiral Lord Nelson and Emma Hamilton and also Nelson's sister, Kitty Matcham (because their grandchildren married).

Lily is the founder of Emma Hamilton Society and writes regularly for Nelson-related publications. She is also a keen genealogist with an interest in piecing together real human stories lying behind dry facts.

One of these stories is of her 4th great-grandfather, George Matcham, whose story she's traced from his mid eighteenth-century birth in East India Company controlled Bombay through to his intimate involvement with Nelson and Emma's rise and fall.

  Author Links:

 Website: https://www.lilystyle.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilystyleauthor

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lily-Style/author/B088BZRK4Y

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12584044.Lily_Style



Friday, August 23, 2024

Doin it with STILES 08 23 24 Mindy Dougherty

An interview with Mindy Dougherty


Mindy Dougherty is an Army veteran, author, and advocate for CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome). With expertise in emergency situations and proficiency in pre- and post-operative patient care, Mindy has a remarkable background. During her deployment as a Combat Medic in Bosnia, Croatia, and Hungary, she faced a simultaneous attack of appendicitis and pancreatitis. After nearly two decades of substandard treatment, becoming a medical statistic under the care of the VA. Now, she passionately advocates for veterans who have had similar experiences.

Specializing in self-care techniques for her own healing, Mindy shares these methods with others.

Mindy’s autobiographical novel, A Resilient Warrior, will be featured in Clown Motel 3: 3 Ways to Hell – the highly anticipated sequel to the Clown Motel horror film franchise. 


Buy Links


Follow Mindy

Facebook

Instagram

Linked-in

Twitter / X





Monday, August 19, 2024

Book spotlight and excerpt: Roman Equestrian I: Venator by A. M. Swink

 


Britannia, AD 59. Decimus is a long-serving senior centurion who dreams of retirement in Rome. Luciana is a Cornovii princess devoted to the freedom and survival of her tribe. Connected only by a passion for horsemanship, the pair could not be more ill-matched. After a deadly conflict thrusts these enemies together, each is determined to fight their desires and triumph over the other. Who will ultimately control the other’s heart?

But Decimus and Luciana are not the only ones on the hunt for supremacy; a desperate struggle over the province is beginning to simmer to a boil. There are whispers of mysterious Druids fomenting unrest among the western British tribes, whose inter-tribal divisions threaten to subsume them. The future of the Roman legions in the province is suddenly thrown into doubt as casualties begin to mount. Decimus and Luciana find themselves entangled within a web of characters, Briton and Roman, playing with Britannia’s destiny to serve their own ends.

The hunt for power is on, where only one side can emerge triumphant. But just who among these hunters will end up hunted?

 

Buy Link:

 Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/m27PO7

 ***

Excerpt

‘I’m well aware of how your kind treat prisoners, Princess. You’d be wise to remember you are one yourself.’

‘How dare you?!’ Her bright green eyes flashed menacingly. ‘I’m far more valuable than any token prisoner! Tell your men to unhand me at once!’

‘I have already granted you an audience.’ Decimus set his jaw, staring back at her coldly. ‘If you do not state your reasons forthwith, I will have you removed.’

‘Not until these soldiers release me.’

He huffed, frowning down into her eyes. They had, much to his irritation, captivated him again; he was helpless to break their gaze. ‘You have already killed before. If given half a chance, you’ll probably do so again.’

‘Sir, my wrists are bound and the door is guarded.’ She panted, trying to soften her expression. ‘I couldn’t attempt anything even if I’d wanted to.’

His gaze trailed down to her heaving bosom. The outline of her small, shapely breasts was just visible beneath her filthy blue gown. Heat flushed into her cheeks under his stern, intense inspection; her lips suddenly began to quiver.

‘Let her go,’ his voice commanded crisply.

The legionaries reluctantly relinquished their hold on her arms and hair. They stood, hovering before the centurion hesitantly.

‘Wait outside. Tullius will be here to observe her.’ Decimus waved the men away and bent down to begin unlacing his tall leather boots. He waited until the legionaries had squeezed past Tullius to stand in the narrow hall before he spoke: ‘Now, perhaps Your Grace will be so kind as to tell me what this is all about?’

She collected herself and sat up straight. ‘I’ve come to offer you my services.’

‘Services?’ He withdrew his foot from his boot and eyed her warily. ‘What sort of services?’

‘The man who tried to steal Father’s torc – he was your attendant, was he not?’ She glanced around at the debris and abandoned scrolls scattered across the floor. ‘It would appear you’re in need of another one. And, as I’m the responsible party, it’s only fair I should offer myself as a replacement.’

The centurion’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why would Your Grace want to become my slave?’

‘Luciana,’ she breathed, maintaining eye contact. ‘My name is Luciana.’

‘A Latin-speaking Briton with a Latin name?’ He frowned quizzically.

‘If you’ll recall, my father did try to assimilate us.’ She shook her head. ‘You may use me as an interpreter. Surely, that makes me valuable to you.’

‘I have no need for a cultured slave.’ He rested his chin on one palm. He drummed the fingers of his other hand against his knee in contemplation. The thought of Aquila, standing in his stall and in desperate need of a thorough rubdown, suddenly sprang to mind. ‘How are you with horses…Luciana?’

A smile spread across her lips. ‘I am an excellent horsewoman, sir. My family bred and raised some of the best horses on the island, better than the Iceni. I’m well-versed in their care and temperament.’

‘Hmm.’ He thought for a moment longer, weighing up the notion, then decisively shook his head. ‘It wouldn’t work. The army is no place for a woman slave.’

‘You insult me as a warrior!’ She snapped angrily. ‘I am not so fine that I cannot raise or strike your silly tents or use your stinking latrines! Besides,’ she softened her expression, lowering her head towards the floor. ‘As a woman, I can offer you…other services.’

Decimus inhaled sharply as she wrapped her lips around his naked toe. Her tongue slowly caressed his hard, calloused skin. The gentle warmth radiating from her touch set his nerves alight. He closed his eyes, feeling his throat constrict. As the sensation travelled up his leg, his foot violently began to tremble. With a concerted growl, he wrenched his foot away, kicking her aside.

Luciana fell onto her elbow. She panted as the warm taste of her blood begin to fill her mouth. She held his gaze, eyes glittering. His noble, handsome face scowled back at her, remote and picturesque. A Roman’s face. But something about his icy eyes seemed to betray him. What she saw roiling within them made her curl her back and lick her lips in satisfaction.

Decimus gazed at her, frozen, for an interminable moment. She was no replacement for Cato; she was a viper. He knew she would devour him if given the opportunity. But shockwaves were still pulsing up the leg he slowly placed back on the floor. The urge he’d thought he’d finally outgrown rekindled in his loins with a youthful fervour. She, who had set his every nerve alight, was willingly offering herself to him. He wanted, nay, needed to possess her.

‘Tullius,’ he said in a surprisingly calm, even tone, ‘go to the quartermaster and have him withhold five hundred denarii from my pay. Let it be noted for the purchase of one slave from the legion’s collection. And dismiss the guards; the princess will be staying with me.’


A native of Dayton, Ohio, A.M. Swink grew up obsessed with two things: books and horses. After a childhood of reading, writing, showing, and riding, she moved to Lexington, Kentucky to complete a degree in equine science and management and a degree in English literary studies. She now works in Lexington as a college professor of reading and writing. In her spare time, she has travelled extensively around the UK and Ireland, exploring ancient sites and artefacts, as well as tracing her own ancestry. She is proud to be descended from County Cork’s Callaghan clan.

When not writing, she can be found collecting and showing model horses or enjoying her favourite British comedy programmes.

 Author Links:

 Website: https://www.amswink.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555959905053

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/am_swink

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@am_swink

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amswink.bsky.social

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/409641726

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/A-M-Swink/author/B0D8WT483P

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/167233946-a-m-swink

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@am.swink_author

 


Friday, August 16, 2024

Anticipate the Magic: Pre-Order Bewitching the Immortal by Brenda Sparks, coming this fall.

 

In the shadowed realm where death and magic intertwine, the Grim Reaper dutifully guides souls to the afterlife without question--that is until the night Azrael encounters Tabetha Calderon. Far from ordinary, the witch presents an unprecedented challenge: her soul cannot be taken.


Tabetha’s life, a delicate balance of spells and secrets, is shattered by a mysterious murder that leaves her soul restless. Desperate for justice, she and Azrael embark on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. As they unravel the web of deceit surrounding her death, their bond deepens into a whirlwind of forbidden love and desire.

As they edge closer to discovering the truth, fate intervenes, threatening to tear them apart, and Azrael faces an impossible choice between his duty and his heart. Can their love transcend death itself, or will Tabetha forever be lost to the shadows?

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/b/3RWBRn

Amazon Internation Buy Link: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0DC4X1FBQ

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/bewitching-the-immortal/id6605920669

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bewitching-the-immortal-brenda-sparks/1146127649

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bewitching-the-immortal

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/bewitching-the-immortal-holiday-immortals-novella-series-by-brenda-sparks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217148552-bewitching-the-immortal 

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DC4X1FBQ


 
Brenda Sparks has always loved all things spooky and enjoys incorporating paranormal elements in her writing. She refuses to allow pesky human constraints to get in the way of telling the story. Luckily, the only thing limiting her stories is her imagination. Her characters are powerful and courageous, so she adores spending time with them in their imaginary world.

Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure.

Brenda loves to connect with readers. Please visit her online or at her website: www.brenda-sparks.com

Author Links:

Website: http://brenda-sparks.com/index.html

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/brenda-sparks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brenda-Sparks/e/B00B7AJBBQ/ 

TikToc: https://www.tiktok.com/@brendasparks_author

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/forBrendaSparks

X (Twitter) Handle: @brenda_sparks https://twitter.com/brenda_sparks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendasparks/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/BrendaSparks   

Facebook Author Page : https://www.facebook.com/brenda.sparksauthor.1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brendasparks/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brenda-Sparks/e/B00B7AJBBQ/ 

Blog: www.brenda-sparks.com/blog

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrendaSparks

Newsletter Sign Up: http://www.brenda-sparks.com/newsletter.html

 


Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Book Spotlight: The Witch of the Breton Woods by Jennifer Ivy Walker

 

Traumatized by horrors witnessed during the Nazi invasion of France, a young woman retreats to the dense Breton woods where she becomes a member of the clandestine French Resistance. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper whose plane was shot down, she shelters the wounded soldier in her secluded cottage, determined to heal him despite the enormous risk.

Ostracized by villagers who have labeled her a witch, she is betrayed by an informant who reports to the Butcher—the monstrous leader of the local paramilitary organization that collaborates with the Germans. As the enemy closes in, she must elude the Gestapo while helping the Resistance reunite the American with his regiment and join the Allied Forces in the Battle of Brittany.

Can true love triumph against all odds under the oppressive Third Reich?


 Buy Link:

 Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mdAzww


Jennifer Ivy Walker has an MA in French literature and is a former high school teacher and professor of French at a state college in Florida.  Her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, incorporating her lifelong study, summers abroad, and many trips to France.

 The Witch of the Breton Woods is heart-pounding suspense set during WWII in Nazi-occupied France, where a young woman in the French Resistance shelters and heals a wounded American soldier, hiding him from the Gestapo and the monstrous Butcher who are relentlessly hunting him.

 


 Author Links:

Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-ivy-walker-685b58248/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bohemienneivy/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-witch-of-the-breton-woods-by-jennifer-ivy-walker

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jennifer-Ivy-Walker/author/B0B91R2MJZ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22671046.Jennifer_Ivy_Walker



Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Book Spotlight: Downriver by Jennifer M. Lane

 


A sulfur sky poisoned her family and her heart. Now revenge tastes sweeter than justice.

 

It’s 1900. In a Pennsylvania coal town tainted by corruption and pollution, Charlotte's world collapses when her parents meet a tragic end. Sent to a foster family in a Maryland fishing village, she’s fueled by grief and embarks on a relentless quest for justice against the ruthless coal boss, Nels Pritchard.

 

But Charlotte is no ordinary girl. She shares the fiery spirit of her father, whose powerful speeches inspired worker riots. With a burning desire for vengeance, she sets out to uncover the truth behind Pritchard's crimes, unearthing a shocking connection between the town's toxic air and the lifeless fish washing up on the shore of her Chesapeake Bay foster town.

 

To expose the truth, Charlotte builds a network of unexpected allies. There are gutsy suffragists, a literary society of teenage girls willing to print the truth… and Weylan. The captivating young man lost his own family to Pritchard’s poison. He offers support, but Charlotte questions his true motives when he lures her to break the law. Could she be falling into a dangerous trap, leading her to a fate worse than poison?

 

With her unwavering spirit and determination, Charlotte must forge alliances and navigate a web of treachery before Pritchard seeks his own ruthless revenge.

 

The newest book by award-winning author Jennifer M. Lane is perfect for fans of Jeannette Walls’ Hang the Moon and the fiery protagonist in The Hunger Games. Join Charlotte in this small town, coming-of-age dystopian historical saga as she finds resilience, courage, and triumph in her search for identity, independence, and her true home.

 


Buy Links:

 This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

 Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bWlKk0

 Universal Series Link: https://linktr.ee/Poison_River_Series

 

 


A Maryland native and Pennsylvanian at heart, Jennifer M. Lane holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Barton College and a master’s in liberal arts with a focus on museum studies from the University of Delaware, where she wrote her thesis on the material culture of roadside memorials.

Jennifer is a member of the Authors Guild and the Historical Novel Society. Her first book, Of Metal and Earth, won the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel and was a Finalist in the 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards in the category of Literary / General Fiction. She is also the author of Stick Figures from Rockport, and the six book series, The Collected Stories of Ramsbolt.

Author Links:

Website: www.jennifermlanewrites.com

Twitter: https://x.com/Jenn_L_Writes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferMLaneAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlanewrites/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jenniferlanewrites

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennifermlaneauthor/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-m-lane

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jennifer-M-Lane/author/B07FPLSZKG

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18214590.Jennifer_M_Lane



Monday, August 5, 2024

Book Spotlight and Excerpt: Try Before You Trust: To All Gentlewomen and Other Maids in Love by Constance Briones

 

What if Taylor Swift found herself penning songs about love in Elizabethan England when women were required to be chaste, obedient, and silent?

Isabella Whitney, an ambitious and daring eighteen-year-old maidservant turned poet, sets out to do just that. Having risked reputation and virtue by allowing her passions for her employer's aristocratic nephew to get the better of her, Isabella Whitney enters the fray of the pamphlet wars, a scurrilous debate on the merits of women.

She's determined to make her mark by becoming the first woman to write a poem defending women in love, highlighting the deceptive practices of the men who woo them. Her journey to publication is fraught with challenges as she navigates through the male-dominated literary world and the harsh realities of life in sixteenth-century London for a single woman.

Loosely based on the life of Elizabethan poet Isabella Whitney, this is a compelling tale of a young woman's resilience and determination to challenge the status quo and leave her mark in a world that was not ready for her.


Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3Jly0J

 ***

 EXCERPT

On a brisk September morn in the ninth year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, I arrived at the Bramwell House, the London estate of Lady Bramwell, a widowed baroness and my new mistress. The fiery hue of the red brick facade made the house seem indestructible as it stood bold and vibrant in the late morning sunlight on the bank of the Thames. I counted eight chimney stacks and forty mullioned windows with diamond-shaped glass and mused whether I would find friend or foe within.

As I gazed at the gables and corner turrets, my sisters’ sweet laughter reverberated in the cool breeze that swept across my cheeks. How they twirled and giggled with delight when my mother promised that, like me, when they reach the age of eighteen, they too will venture from home to work for a grand lady, acquiring superior housewifery skills that would help them snag a well-bred gentleman.

Constance Briones has a Master's in Woman's History, which informs her writing.

She first learned about the subject of her debut historical fiction novel, the sixteenth-century English poet Isabella Whitney, while doing research for her thesis on literacy and women in Tudor England. Isabella Whitney's gusty personality to defy the conventions of her day, both in her thinking and actions, impressed Constance enough to imagine that she would make a very engaging literary heroine.

As a writer, Constance is interested in highlighting the little-known stories of women in history. She is a contributing writer to Historical Times, an online magazine. When not writing, she lends her time as an educational docent for her town's historical society.

She contently lives in Connecticut with her husband and Maine coon sibling cats, Thor and Percy.

Author Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/constancebrionesauthor

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/constance-briones-a55a9168

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/constancebrionesauthor

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CPX8T7CB/about



 

Friday, August 2, 2024

Spotlight on Mindy Dougherty: A Journey of Resilience and Advocacy

 

Mindy Dougherty is an Army veteran, author, and advocate for CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome). With expertise in emergency situations and proficiency in pre- and post-operative patient care, Mindy has a remarkable background. During her deployment as a Combat Medic in Bosnia, Croatia, and Hungary, she faced a simultaneous attack of appendicitis and pancreatitis. After nearly two decades of substandard treatment, Mindy became a medical statistic under the care of the VA. Now, she passionately advocates for veterans who have had similar experiences.

Specializing in self-care techniques for her own healing, Mindy shares these methods with others.

Mindy’s autobiographical novel, A Resilient Warrior, will be featured in Clown Motel 3: 3 Ways to Hell, the highly anticipated sequel to the Clown Motel horror film franchise. She will be filming and meeting her fans in Las Vegas from August 19-23, 2024.


Buy Links

 Amazon   Barnes and Noble

Follow Mindy

Facebook

Instagram

X






 


Thursday, August 1, 2024

Book Spotlight: Return to the Eyrie by Katerina Dunne

 

Honour, revenge, and the quest for justice.

Belgrade, Kingdom of Hungary, 1470:

Raised in exile, adolescent noblewoman Margit Szilรกgyi dreams of returning to her homeland of Transylvania to avenge her father's murder and reclaim her stolen legacy. To achieve this, she must break the constraints of her gender and social status and secretly train in combat.

When the king offers her a chance at justice, she seizes it—even if it means disguising herself as a man to infiltrate the vultures' nest that now occupies her ancestral ‘eyrie’.

 

Plagued by childhood trauma and torn between two passionate loves, Margit faces brutal battles, her murderous kin's traps and inner demons on her quest for vengeance. Only by confronting the past can she reclaim her honour—if she can survive long enough to see it through.

 

Return to the Eyrie is an epic coming-of-age tale of a young woman's unwavering pursuit of justice and destiny in 15th century Hungary.

Triggers: battle violence (moderate), love scenes (moderate), character suffering from childhood trauma (molestation).


Buy Link:

 Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bz8gJL

 


Katerina Dunne is the pen-name of Katerina Vavoulidou. Originally from Athens, Greece, Katerina has been living in Ireland since 1999. She has a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Athens, an MA in Film Studies from University College Dublin and an MPhil in Medieval History from Trinity College Dublin.

Katerina is passionate about history, especially medieval history, and her main area of interest is 13th to 15th century Hungary. Although the main characters of her stories are fictional, Katerina uses real events and personalities as part of her narrative in order to bring to life the fascinating history of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, a location and time period not so well-known to English-speaking readers.

Return to the Eyrie (published April 2024) is the second book in the Medieval Hungary series, a sequel to Lord of the Eyrie (published in February 2022).

Author Links:

Website (publisher): https://www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/hp-authors/katerina-dunne

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076818802721

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerina-vavoulidou-07962a85/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Katerina-Dunne/author/B09R4P733K

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22196953.Katerina_Dunne