Spotlight on Donovan Cook, author of Son of Anger (The Ormstunga Saga, Book 1)

 

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.

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 Donovan Cook

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I was born in South Africa and lived in a small town near Johannesburg called Springs. My family moved to England when I was fourteen years old, which was a bit of a culture shock for my younger brother and me. My passion for history started in England, especially medieval history. I can speak two languages, Afrikaans and English, which is a result of my family background. My mother is South African, and my father is English. I’m keen on rugby, watching, not doing, but I enjoy watching other sports as well. I live with my wife and Viking French bulldog, Joey Missing-Tooth.

When did you start writing?

I started writing in 2019. In fact, my wife and I were on holiday in Montenegro when I wrote the first words of my debut novel. I had been struggling for a while to find the right words, and the opening scene came to me while we were on holiday. I quickly grabbed my laptop and typed as fast as I could while enjoying the beach view from our hotel room balcony.

Tell us about Son of Anger.

Son of Anger is about bloody battles, chaotic journeys, and interfering gods. It is also about Ulf, a young man who lost his family and an important family heirloom, his father’s famous sword. On his journey to avenge his family and retrieve the sword, he learns more about his family history and the story of the sword he coveted his whole life. All Ulf cares about is finding and killing the man who brutally murdered his family, but he soon learns there is a price for everything, and that price is especially high when you catch the eye of Odin, father of the gods of Asgard.

What was your inspiration?

I’d have to say religion played a huge part in inspiring me to write Son of Anger. I am not religious myself, but I come from a religious family, and I regularly saw how religion affected the lives of my family. This made me wonder how the Norse people in the 9^th century viewed their world through the eyes of the gods they followed. The Norse gods were chaotic, and the sagas of the gods are filled with bizarre stories that leave you scratching your head. So I was intrigued about how this would affect their daily lives. Viking history also inspired me and reading novels by Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian, and Matthew Harffy encouraged me to learn more about the Norse and Danish invaders who played a huge part in the creation of England and the English language. Writing Son of Anger gave me the opportunity to learn more about these people and what their lives would have been like.

What do you like to do in your free time when you're not reading or writing?

I’m quite a lazy person, to be honest, so when I’m not writing or reading, I tend not to do much. If the weather is nice, my wife and I will take our dog out for walks. We often go to our local park and just sit on a bench and enjoy the weather. As mentioned before, I enjoy watching sports, especially rugby. Being born in South Africa, I follow the Springboks and try not to miss any of their matches. I also watch the United Rugby Championship every weekend when it’s on. If the weather is bad and there is no rugby to watch, then I might play some computer games or watch a film.

And finally, can you tell us some fun facts about yourself, such as crossed skydiving off your bucket list?

1) I have a BSc in Marine Biology and Coastal Conservation. Another passion of mine growing up was the natural world, and I would always be watching documentaries by Steve Irwin and David Attenborough. I originally wanted to do a degree in Zoology, but unfortunately, my grades weren’t good enough. Luckily though, I was given the opportunity to do this degree and enjoyed (mostly, the exams were never fun) every minute of it. Unfortunately, when I finished my degree, I wasn’t able to find a job in the field, but I’m still glad I did it.

2) This is a result of fact one. I am a qualified divemaster. While doing my degree, I decided to learn how to scuba dive, mainly because most of the people in my course could, and it was all they talked about. I did my open water course during my first year and loved it so much that over the years, I just kept doing different courses and eventually decided to do the dive master course. The plan was to work as a divemaster in South Africa (I moved back briefly in my early twenties), but by the time I finished the course, it was winter in South Africa, and I couldn’t get a job. I was also running out of money, leading to fact three.

3) I worked on cruise ships for three years. As mentioned before, I was living in South Africa, had no job, and ran out of money. I also really wanted to travel, so I decided to get a job on cruise ships. That way, I got to see more of the world and earned money while doing it. I used to work in the duty-free shops and was lucky enough to work on three great ships, The Independence of the Seas, Queen Elizabeth, and The Azura. Working on cruise ships was not easy, but it was definitely the best experience of my life. Not only did I get to see some amazing places I would never have seen otherwise, but I met some amazing people, including my wife, along the way.

 4) Not really about me, but about Joey Missing-Tooth. As his name suggests, he has a tooth missing, and we have no idea where it is. He likely lost it on a raid, but he refuses to tell us.

 

Donovan Cook

 

Donovan Cook was born in South Africa but raised in England, and currently works as an English tutor. He is the author of the Ormstunga Saga, which includes his debut novel Son of Anger and the follow up, Raid of the Wolves. 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.

When Donovan 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 rarely misses a match.

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Audiobook Spotlight: The Girl from Oto (The Miramonde Series, Book 1) by Amy Maroney, narrated by Meg Price

 

The Girl from Oto

(The Miramonde Series, Book 1)

By Amy Maroney

Narrated by Meg Price

 

A Renaissance-era woman artist and an American scholar. Linked by a 500-year-old mystery…

The secrets of the past are irresistible—and treacherous.

1500: Born during a time wracked by war and plague, Renaissance-era artist Mira grows up in a Pyrenees convent believing she is an orphan. When tragedy strikes, Mira learns the devastating truth about her own origins. But does she have the strength to face those who would destroy her?

2015: Centuries later, art scholar Zari unearths traces of a mysterious young woman named Mira in two 16th-century portraits. Obsessed, Zari tracks Mira through the great cities of Europe to the pilgrim’s route of Camino de Santiago—and is stunned by what she finds. Will her discovery be enough to bring Mira’s story to life?

A powerful story and an intriguing mystery, The Girl from Oto is an unforgettable novel of obsession, passion, and human resilience.

  

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This book is available on #KindleUnlimited.

 

Audiobook The Girl From Oto

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The Girl from Oto

Mira's Way

APlace In The World

 

Amy Maroney 

 

Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction. When she's not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy's new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features ordinary people seeking their fortunes under the rule of the medieval Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes, Greece. To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers' group at www.amymaroney.com.

 

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Book Spotlight and Excerpt: The Wistful and the Good (Cuthbert’s People, Book 1) by G. M. Baker

The mighty are undone by pride, the bold by folly, and the good by wistfulness.

Elswyth's mother was a slave, but her father is a thegn, and Drefan, the man she is to marry, is an ealdorman's son. But though Elswyth is content with the match, and waits only for Drefan to notice that she has come to womanhood, still she finds herself gazing seaward, full of wistful longing.

 

From the sea come Norse traders, bringing wealth, friendship, and tales of distant lands. But in this year of grace 793 the sea has brought a great Viking raid that has devastated the rich monastery of Lindisfarne. Norse are suddenly not welcome in Northumbria, and when Elswyth spots a Norse ship approaching the beach in her village of Twyford, her father fears a Viking raid.

 

But the ship brings trouble of a different kind. Leif has visited Twyford many times as a boy, accompanying his father on his voyages. But now he returns in command of his father's ship and desperate to raise his father's ransom by selling a cargo of Christian holy books. Elswyth is fascinated by the books and the pictures they contain of warm and distant lands.

 

But when Drefan arrives, investigating reports of the sighting of a Norse ship, Elswyth must try to keep the peace between Drefan and Leif, and tame the wistfulness of her restless heart. 

 

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  EXCERPT

Edith put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. Three boys came scampering at the command.

“Run to the fields and tell the men that the thegn summons them,” she told them. She held out a hand to her husband so that he could help her rise. “You should not use that girl as a sentinel.”

“There’s not a better set of eyes in the village.”

“That may be, but she is to marry Drefan after the harvest, and I’ve much to do to make a lady of her yet. Can you imagine if, the day after she marries Drefan, Lady Cyneburg finds her in the mud behind Bamburgh hall, barefoot, playing pickup sticks with the slave children?”

“Cyneburg loves her.”

“Everyone loves her. That is her curse. But Cyneburg loving Elswyth and Cyneburg thinking Elswyth fit to succeed her as lady to the ealdorman of Bamburgh? That is a very different thing. For that she must be a lady—and not just when it pleases her. Cyneburg has not forgotten who she is. She has not forgotten that I was born a slave. There were days I washed her feet and served her meat, and she has not forgotten that, I promise you.”

“You’re a lady now,” Attor said. “And Elswyth always was.”

“But she looks more like those who serve in Bamburgh than those who rule. So in her dress, in her manner, she must be more a lady than any of them, than Cyneburg herself. But what is she today? A shoeless child pining for sailor men. And it is you giving her leave to do it.”

“It frees a man for the haying.”

“And is the haying worth losing her marriage over?”

It was an old argument between them. Not a week went by without Edith asking her husband if some adventure or indulgence was worth losing Elswyth’s marriage over.

“She’ll not lose the marriage,” Attor said. “Drefan’s smitten.”

“Smitten?” Edith said. “Of course he’s smitten. But what has smitten to do with the marriages of nobility?”

“I was smitten,” he said, placing one arm around her and pulling her to him so he could kiss first her, and then Daisy, upon the head. “Still am.”

“And what advantage did you have by it? It cost you thirty hides that Elene of Hadston would have brought you, your brother’s friendship, your mother’s love.”

“My mother loved the children.”

“She loved Elswyth because everyone does. She loved Hilda because she looks like her. She never loved me or forgave you. Blood debt or not, Kenrick and Cyneburg won’t throw so much away if they don’t think Elswyth suitable.”

At that moment, the unsuitable child came tearing down the path from the clifftop, bare feet flying, hair streaming behind her.

“It is Norsk!” she cried as she ran towards them. “It is Norsk, but I think it is Uncle Harrald. It is a knarr for sure. But perhaps I should ride to Alnwick anyway, just in case.”

“Ride to Alnwick?” Edith said.

“Father said I could ride to Alnwick if it was vikingar. To give the alarm.”

“Well you can’t,” Edith said. She turned to her husband. “What were you thinking? We would not have seen her for a month if you had given her leave and a good horse.”

“Of course you would,” Elswyth said. “Of course, it would be rude to ride to Alnwick and then not call on Uncle Leofwine and Uncle Osgar, and Eglingham is so close that I would have to go there too. But I would only be gone a week at most.”

“And four men taken from the fields to escort you.”

“No. Father said I could ride alone.”

“Just to give the alarm,” Attor protested. “Thegn Wigberht would have sent you right back with an escort.”

“If he could catch her,” Edith said. “You are not leaving this village, miss, till the ship comes to take you to Bamburgh after the harvest. And by then you must have your wedding dress complete.”

“But—”

“If the ship is Norsk,” Attor said, “then I must certainly meet them with spears, whether you think it is Harrald or not.” He who had never flinched in the battle line wanted no part of war between his wife and daughter. He hurried off, with his awkward gait, to organize the men who were beginning to stream in from the fields.

“You don’t really think I would ride away for a month and miss Uncle Harrald and Uncle Thor, do you?” Elswyth asked her mother.

Edith looked at her daughter. Elswyth’s appearance provoked a frown that expressed not simply annoyance, but a deep and vexing puzzle. Elswyth was a lovely young woman, plump in the bosom, round in the hips, with a mane of glossy black hair. Her face was the image of Edith’s own. It was the face that Edith had once seen staring back at her from a still pool, when she was a slave and her face had been the whole of her fortune. It was a wholly Welisc face with not a trace of Anglish in it. On Edith, who had been born to Welisc slaves on the manor where she was now lady, that face had been enough to catch the eye of an Anglish thegn’s son. On Elswyth, Edith believed, it was a face that might have caught the fancy of an Anglish king, if only the opportunity had presented itself.

Elswyth was clad in a summer dress of green linen with brooches befitting her rank, and a decorated belt with heavy copper terminals shaped like the heads of herons, which she wore high to emphasize her bosom. Yet she was barefoot like a child, and there were at least a dozen sticky burs clinging to her skirts and a posy of assorted and drooping wildflowers stuck behind one of her brooches.

“Where are your shoes?” Edith asked.

“Why would I wear shoes in the middle of summer?”

“Because you are no longer a child. A respectable noblewoman wears shoes on her feet, winter or summer. And a wimple on her head.”

“There’s a ship, Mother.”

“Where is your work basket?”

“It’s Norsk! I can tell by the shape, by the way it sails. I’m almost sure it’s Uncle Harrald.”

“I’d be glad if it was,” Edith said. “But he has not come in two years. Wrecked and drowned, like as not. Such is the fate of sailors.”

“Of course they are not wrecked or drowned,” Elswyth said. “Uncle Thor would never let them be wrecked or drowned.”

“Uncle Thor is just a man. I know you loved him, darling, but you are a woman now and you have seen quite enough of death to know that people die, no matter how much we love them.”

“I know,” Elswyth said, looking downcast for the moment or two that was all her nature was capable of. “But not Uncle Thor. Not Uncle Harrald either. You’ll see. It’s their ship. I know it is.”

“Well then go put your shoes on and make yourself presentable to receive guests.” Edith yanked out the posy of flowers that drooped behind Elswyth’s brooch, and threw it on the ground. She bundled Daisy into Elswyth’s arms while she pulled the sticky burrs out of Elswyth’s skirts. Then she took the baby back from her grown daughter and said, “And put on a wimple too. You should not be parading your hair in front of sailors at your age.”

“Not till I’m married, Mother. You promised!” Elswyth replied. But she said it over her shoulder as she ran off so that she was gone before Edith had a chance to respond.

 G. M. Baker

G. M. Baker has been a newspaper reporter, managing editor, freelance writer, magazine contributor, PhD candidate, seminarian, teacher, desktop publisher, programmer, technical writer, department manager, communications director, non-fiction author, speaker, consultant, and grandfather. He has published stories in The Atlantic Advocate, Fantasy Book, New England’s Coastal Journal, Our Family, Storyteller, Solander, and Dappled Things. There was nothing much left to do but become a novelist.

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Spotlight on Linnea Tanner, author of Apollo’s Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book 1)

 

A Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people.

AWARD-WINNING APOLLO’S RAVEN sweeps you into an epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.

Will Catrin overcome and eradicate the ancient curse? Will she be able to embrace her forbidden love for Marcellus? Will she cease the war between Blood Wolf and King Amren and save her kingdom?

Trigger Warnings:

Sex, Violence, Sacrificial Rituals

 

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 Apollo’s Raven:

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Audio:

Narrated by Kristin James

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Series Links:

 Apollo’s Raven (Book 1): https://books2read.com/u/mVRR0J

Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2): https://books2read.com/u/bxQQro

Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3): https://books2read.com/u/mdddX5

 

Follow the tour HERE

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FUN FACTS

Quest: Amphitheater of the Three Gauls

My daughter and I travelled to France, known as Gaul in Ancient Rome, to discover the historical sites where Catrin, Celtic warrior princess,  journeys in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. My daughter was surprised to learn I was doing research for my novel—not a vacation. At a hotel in Lyon, I asked the French concierge, overemphasizing my words, “Where’s the amph…fitheater?” 

The concierge gave me a puzzled expression. Exasperated, my daughter asked, “What are you trying to say?”

The amphitheater where the gladiators fought … an arena,” I clarified.

“You mean coliseum?" my daughter confirmed.

The concierge’s face lit up. “Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules,” he said, then whipped out a map, marked the route, and circled the spot. Luck smiled on me. Sonja was a skilled map reader and we visited the site.

Quest: Stirling Castle

My husband and I visited Scotland in 2010 on a quest to visit Sterling Castle. At the train station, I thought I heard someone say Sterling Castle is in Dunblane Scotland. Interesting. Why would it not be in Sterling? Though my husband questioned me about the destination, I insisted the castle was in Dunblane and bought train tickets to go there. When we deboarded the train and walked into the small town, I excitedly asked a townsman, “Where is Stirling Castle?” 

He gave a wry smile. “It’s in Stirling.” 

Duh! We decided to make the best of our journey and visited Dunblane Cathedral before returning to Sterling to visit the castle and the National Wallace Memorial.

Rose Garden

My biggest delight is tending my flower garden of more than fifty roses—must to the chagrin of my husband who has to get on his knees to install a drip system for each plant. I remember the names of my roses but often mix up the names of my husband and children. I moved last summer and grieved not having my roses at my new house. This spring, I am on a quest to plant another rose garden.

Quest: Granddaughter in Paris

In 2017, we took our seventeen-year-old granddaughter on a quest to Paris where we visited the Louvre Museum and the Notre Dame Cathedral before it burned down in 2019. It was a memorable trip as my husband washed his passport in the washing machine, and he had to go to the US Embassy to get another. The following is a photo of my granddaughter who appears to be touching the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum with her fingertips.

Haunting at Morey Mansion

During business trips to Redlands, CA in the mid-1990’s, I used to stay overnight at a bed and breakfast known as the Morey Mansion, a Victorian house built in 1890. During one of my stays, the housekeeper told me that some patrons had reported unusual activity in the guest bedroom known as the blue room. Out of curiosity, I stayed in the blue room on my last visit there. That night, the sky lit up with flashes of lightning. When I suddenly awoke, I saw a small boy looking at me. I closed my eyes and opened them again to find nothing. It could have been my vivid imagination, but I was so unnerved by the experience that I never stayed there again. Later, I learned that a 2009 episode of The Othersiders visited Morey Mansion and reported it as haunted. 

Linnea Tanner

Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids.

Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), and Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3). Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4 Curse of Clansmen and Kings) is anticipated to be released in late October 2022.

A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.

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Spotlight on N.L. Holmes, author of Bird in a Snare (The Lord Hani Mysteries, Book 1)

 

When Hani, an Egyptian diplomat under Akhenaten, is sent to investigate the murder of a useful bandit leader in Syria, he encounters corruption, tangled relationships, and yet more murder. His investigation is complicated by the new king’s religious reforms, which have struck Hani’s own family to the core. Hani’s mission is to amass enough evidence for his superiors to prosecute the wrongdoers despite the king’s protection—but not just every superior can be trusted. And maybe not even the king! Winner of the 2020 Geoffrey Chaucer Award for historical fiction before 1750.

Trigger Warnings:

Sexual abuse of children

 Buy Links:

 Amazon UK   Amazon US   Amazon CA   Amazon AU   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks  

 Audio
Narrated by Thomas J. Fria

Universal Links for series:

 Bird in a Snare (Book 1): https://books2read.com/u/3n2YL9

The Crocodile Makes No Sound (Book 2): https://books2read.com/u/47QZpL

Scepter of Flint (Book 3): https://books2read.com/u/4jPDjZ

The North Wind Descends (Book 4): https://books2read.com/u/bPy5Md

Lake of Flowers (Book 5): https://books2read.com/u/3Ly0MX

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  N.L. Holmes

Fun Facts

(Stuff you may or may not already know!)

My aunt was book editor of the local paper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) when I was little, so she got review copies of all the latest books and handed them out to anyone in the family who was interested. It was heaven!

I was a cloistered nun for nearly twenty years among the Discalced Carmelites. Maybe that’s why I’m more interested in psychological dramas and relationships than in external adventure.

I love horses. When I was a kid, I rode and was happy when my son started riding as a teenager. When he stopped, I took jog cart driving so I could still be around the noble beasts. It was actually part of my research for a novel where the protagonist was a Hittite charioteer. But what I really love is donkeys...

I live on a farm in the French countryside with chickens and cats and soon, I hope, bees. I have to restrain myself or there would be all sorts of four-legged critters! My poor husband!

In my career as an archaeologist, I have excavated in Crete and Israel, worked on material from a site in Lebanon, and participated in a study project in France. It was a great experience living for a prolonged period in another country at a different level than just being a tourist. 

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N.L. Holmes

N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun.

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Book Spotlight: Son of Anger (Ormstunga Saga, Book 1) by Donovan Cook

 

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.

 Follow the tour HERE 

 

Buy Links:

 Available on #KindleUnlimited.

  Amazon UK   Amazon US    Amazon CA    Amazon AU   Barnes and Noble

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.

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Book Spotlight and Excerpt: Secrets of Rosenli Manor (Mysteries of the Modern Ladies’ Society, Book 1) by Heidi Eljarbo

 

Betrayal and trust go hand in hand in the first book of Heidi Eljarbo’s new turn-of-the-century series.

 

It’s 1898, and Lilly has spent most of her life motherless and living with a father who never looks for a silver lining. When her great-aunt Agatha passes, Lilly’s existence takes a drastic turn. She packs her few belongings and moves into the old lady’s magnificent estate, Rosenli Manor.

 

In the days that follow, Lilly tries to understand who Agatha really was, and hidden secrets slowly rise to the surface. Her great-aunt’s glamorous legacy is not quite what Lilly had imagined. She must trust in newly forged friendships, and to her surprise, she discovers what it means to truly fall in love. But not everyone is happy about the new mistress of Rosenli.

 

Intrigue, mystery, and a touch of romance in the Norwegian countryside fill the pages of Secrets of Rosenli Manor.

Follow the Tour HERE

 

Buy Links:

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 Excerpt

 

Great-aunt Agatha passed away in her sleep on a night when God had lit every star in his heavenly front yard. At least, that’s how Lilly chose to see it. The message arrived from her father, and she shuddered as she recalled how he’d passed along the news. He’d called her his “stingy aunt” and said she’d “finally departed her miserably wealthy life.”

Lilly had never truly known the old woman. Other than a few early childhood memories, she’d only heard stories. The problem with hearsay was never knowing how to separate facts from gossip, entwined and entangled as they were. Aunt Agatha’s name always came up during family gatherings. Festering envy had seemed to cause all sorts of rumors and reports, which had rapidly changed from mouth to ear time and again. Lilly’s relatives had strong opinions about most things and gladly shared them. Especially their disapproving views. “Agatha probably did this” and “Agatha most definitely might have done that” dominated their conversations. Not once could Lilly recall anyone uttering a friendly word or an encouraging comment.

Only one person in the family had cherished the old woman—Lilly’s mother—but she had passed away the summer before Lilly started second grade. Sweet recollections of calling on Aunt Agatha with Mother were etched into Lilly’s remembrances with a gentle hand. Tea parties on the lawn amid an abundance of blooming perennials in hues of pink and lilac. A straight-backed butler who carried trays of lemonade, sandwiches, and cakes into the drawing room with its pastel decor. Scented floral arrangements of roses, peonies, and dianthus in a vase on a cream-colored, crocheted lace doily. Aunt Agatha with a tender smile, sitting with Lilly amidst soft pillows on the sofa, showing her collections of monogrammed stationeries with botanical illustrations and various embroidered napkins. The lovely items had stood in stark contrast with the simpler things Lilly was used to.

She recalled playing with a rosy-cheeked golden-haired porcelain doll. Lilly would stroke its frilly, lace-trimmed dress and adjust the small parasol in the dolly’s hand while listening to Mother and Aunt Agatha discussing grown-up issues. Politics, Mother called the topics they’d covered. The two women gesticulated and spoke in a manner Lilly later understood as having been intelligent and filled with intuition and clarity. Their spirited conversation must have inspired Lilly, as she later chose to get an education. An education Father did not approve of but one that reminded Lilly of the afternoons at Rosenli Manor and how women’s opinions mattered. Mother had never spoken in such a way at home. She always played the role of a submissive, dutiful wife. But Lilly knew in her heart that had her mother lived today, she’d be proud of her daughter’s work as an accountant.

When it came to the old mistress of Rosenli, Lilly had only good things to say about her great-aunt. Elegant, delicate, kind, yet smart and strong were the words she’d choose to describe the elderly lady. Their afternoon visits had always been delightful and filled with tender moments Lilly would never forget.

Heidi Eljarbo

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.

Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.

 

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

 

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.

 

Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

 

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