Blood Libel by M Lynes #BookReview #HistoricalFiction @MLynesAuthor @maryanneyarde

 

 

Blood Libel

By M Lynes

Seville, 1495

The mutilated body of a child is discovered behind a disused synagogue. The brutal Spanish Inquisition accuses the Jewish community of ritual child murder - the ‘blood libel’. The Inquisition will not rest until all heretics are punished.

Isaac Alvarez, a lawyer working for the royal estate, is a reluctant convert to Catholicism who continues to secretly practice Judaism. When his childhood friend is accused of the murder Isaac is torn between saving him and protecting his family. Isaac is convinced that solving the murder will disprove the blood libel, save his family, and protect his faith. 

As the Inquisition closes in how far will Isaac go to protect both his family and his faith?

I am not really the type of person who tends to read books that seem violent, and of all I know about the Spanish inquisition, it was very violent. However, whatever it was, I was compelled to read it and I was so very glad that I did.

Thankfully the violence was not depicted in the detail I was expecting. This is also the story of both sides of the Inquisition, from the side of a man trying to protect his family and the side of someone trying to get that same man arrested. There is mystery, danger, horror and intrigue and I found the pages turning far too late into the night. I am incredibly glad I read this book, for the story is one that I believe to be wholeheartedly worth reading.

You can pick up your copy over on Amazon UK if you are in the United Kingdom or Amazon US if you live in America.

Michael is an author of historical mysteries who writes under the pen name of M Lynes. He has a particular interest in early 16th century Andalucia. He is fascinated by the interplay between cultures, globalization and religious intolerance of that period in Spain’s history. The ‘Isaac Alvarez Mysteries’ are set against this rich background. He won a prize for his fiction at the 2020 Emirates Literature Festival and is an alumna of the Faber Academy’s Writing a Novel course. 

His debut novel ‘Blood Libel’, the first full-length Isaac Alvarez Mystery, was published in January 2021. Isaac, a lawyer working for the royal estate, must solve a brutal child murder to protect his family and his faith from the Spanish Inquisition.

Michael is hard at work on the second novel in the series and planning the third. He is originally from London but currently lives in Dubai with his family.

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City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, book 6) by Cassandra Clare #YoungAdult #Paranormal

City of Heavenly Fire 
The Mortal Instruments, Book 6
By Cassandra Clare 

Darkness has descended on the Shadowhunter world. Clary, Jace, Simon, and their friends band together to fight the greatest evil they have ever faced... 

“

Every time I think I'm missing a piece of me, you give it back.”

Oh, this book, this series. How I have adored it. This series is like none that I have ever read before, there is tragedy, death, adventure, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Greater Demons, Warlocks and Seelies, there is also hope, loyalty, humour (there is so much humour) But above everything else this is an epic love story.

This series is one that I am going to read over and over again. I do not think I will ever tire of it. 

 

Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices trilogy, and coauthor of the Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. She also wrote The Shadowhunter's Codex with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 36 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.

Poetry Corner: Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare

 

 

Today's sonnet is brought to us by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove.

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wand'ring bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me prov'd,

I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

By William Shakespeare

About the poet

William Shakespeare (bapt. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Reference: Wikipedia 

The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick #HistoricalFiction #Contemporary #DuelTimelines

 

The Forgotten Sister

 By Nicola Cornick 

1560: Amy Robsart is trapped in a loveless marriage to Robert Dudley, a member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Surrounded by enemies and with nowhere left to turn, Amy hatches a desperate scheme to escape—one with devastating consequences that will echo through the centuries…

Present Day: When Lizzie Kingdom is forced to withdraw from the public eye in a blaze of scandal, it seems her life is over. But she’s about to encounter a young man, Johnny Robsart, whose fate will interlace with hers in the most unexpected of ways. For Johnny is certain that Lizzie is linked to a terrible secret dating back to Tudor times. If Lizzie is brave enough to go in search of the truth, then what she discovers will change the course of their lives forever.

I thought this book was bloody brilliant. It is an enthralling read from beginning to end. I loved the alternative chapters from past to present, and there is even an element of the supernatural.

I throughly enjoyed every minute of this novel.

AMAZON

The Rowan Tree by Robert W. Fuller

 

 The Rowan Tree 

By Robert W. Fuller

As the Arthurian myth sowed the seeds of a democratic Britain, The Rowan Tree foretells a dignitarian world. This novel of ideas is replete with illicit loves, quixotic quests, transformative failures—and inextinguishable hope.

The Rowan Tree reaches from the catalytic 1960s into humanity’s global future, and encompasses the worlds of politics, sport, ballet, terrorism, presidential leadership, and world governance. An international cast of characters personifies the catalytic role of love and sex in political change.

I have to admit, this book baffled me. It started out really well and then it seemed like the author had forgotten who the characters were and where he had intended to take the story. At one point it becomes something close to a political lecture. There were moments of brilliant writing, but this book left me feeling rather flat. 

AMAZON

Buried Magic (White Haven Witches Book 1) by TJ Green #BookReview #Paranormal

 

Buried Magic 

(White Haven Witches Book 1)

By TJ Green

Love witchy fiction? Welcome to White Haven – where secrets are deadly. 

Avery, a witch who lives on the Cornish coast, finds her past holds more secrets than she ever imagined in this spellbinding mystery. 

For years witches have lived in quirky White Haven, all with an age-old connection to the town’s magical roots, but Avery has been reluctant to join a coven, preferring to work alone. 

However, when she inherits a rune covered box and an intriguing letter, Avery learns that their history is darker than she realised. And when the handsome Alex Bonneville tells her he’s been having dark premonitions, they know that trouble’s coming.  

They need to team up to uncover the truth. 

Their investigations bring danger.  Someone wants the past to remain buried, and they’re willing to unleash powerful magic to do it. 

This is an action-packed very exciting read - so exciting in fact, that I found I could not turn the pages fast enough. The characters were very realistically drawn, and I found the premise of this novel endlessly fascinating. And there is enough magic and mythology to satisfy most appetites.

I really enjoyed Buried Magic, and I cannot wait to get my hand on Book 2.

AMAZON

I write action-packed books about fantasy, magic, myths, and legends!

Rise of the King is about Tom's adventures with King Arthur in the Otherworld.
White Haven Witches is an adult urban fantasy set in Cornwall, and is all about witches and magic.
White Haven Hunters is a spin-off from my witch series.

Stroke of Midnight: A Cinderella Novel by K Webster #NewAdult #Romance

 

Stroke of Midnight: A Cinderella Novel 

By K Webster 

Money can buy anything. And anyone. As the head of the Constantine family, I’m used to people bowing to my will. Cruel, rigid, unyielding—I’m all those things. When I discover the one woman who doesn’t wither under my gaze, but instead smiles right back at me, I’m intrigued.

Ash Elliott needs cash, and I make her trade in crudeness and degradation for it. I crave her tears, her moans. I pay for each one. And every time, she comes back for more. When she challenges me with an offer of her own, I have to decide if I’m willing to give her far more than cold hard cash.

But love can have deadly consequences when it comes from a Constantine. At the stroke of midnight, that choice may be lost for both of us.

A naughty take on an old fairytale - I LOVED this book so much. It is hot, hot, hot! The plot is fabulous. This is definitely a book you want to read in one sitting, if you can spare the time. 

I thought this book was fabulous from beginning to end. A great read!

AMAZON

The North Finchley Writers’ Group by Richard Tearle, with Helen Hollick #NewRelease #ContemporaryRomance @lordf34 @HelenHollick @maryanneyarde

 I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to bring new and exciting books to your attention, and I have The Coffee Pot Book Club to thank for that. 

The North Finchley Writers’ Group 

By Richard Tearle, with Helen Hollick

When a group of north London writers meet each month for a chat, coffee, and cake – what else is on their agenda? Constructive criticism? New Ideas? An exciting project? And maybe, more than one prospective romance...?

Eavesdrop on the monthly meetings of the North Finchley Writers' Group, follow some ordinary people with a love of story writing, and an eagerness for success. Discover, along with them, the mysteries of creating characters and plot, of what inspires ideas, and how real life can, occasionally, divert the dream...

Read an Excerpt

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

My name – my personal and professional name – is Rob Taylor and I'm a writer. 

It is rather strange to state that as a fact after years of scribbling, despair at rejections tempered by moments of high elation when one of my stories was accepted by a respected magazine. But I can state it as a truth now, for I write regularly for several publications, and my first compilation has recently been published with a fixed contract for two more to follow. At the moment, I write short stories, but more than a few friends have encouraged me with prompts such as “You have a novel in you, you know,” and, “A short story has the potential to be a novel writ long.” I am working on the idea.

But enough of that.

About a year or so ago, I was unexpectedly made redundant. Jobless, but with a good-enough redundancy bank balance to keep me going for a bit, and a determination to do what I wanted to do – write – I took the plunge and converted the spare bedroom into a study. I started writing full time and joined the North Finchley Writers' Group, where I met some lovely people who, one way or another, gave me the encouragement to develop my ideas.

All to my satisfaction, but my wife's dismay. 

The members of our writers’ group are a very mixed bunch, as you will find out. We meet every month at a different house and whoever is the host gets to provide tea and coffee – often with cake or ‘light snacks’ – and chooses a topic for discussion. We talk, voice opinions and yes, sometimes we argue. But it is all forgotten when we walk away into the night.

Mostly.

They've had quite a turnover of members over the years. Some who came for a couple of meetings and then disappear. Some who weren't really writers but 'dabble' and think that attending a writers' group meeting makes them one. They never last long. Some have moved along and, sadly, one or two have passed on to the great Library in the Sky. Nowadays we have about a dozen or so regulars. There are one or two who are deliberately obstructive. Outspoken.  Single minded. Cantankerous. 

Some are shy and introvert and, in truth, offer little. But they listen and learn, and that is what we are all there for. To learn from others, be they best sellers or unpublished writers. Because, whatever our differences, we stick together and, if anyone is down, we stand by them and offer encouragement. If someone is on a high, then we enthuse in their success.

Most of us, anyway.

We do have a few Best Sellers. Angela Knight, for example, and Zak Nichols. Charlotte Caroll is more than adept at Regency romances, (not my bag, but, well, credit where credit's due) and Jean Hart uses her history degree to good effect, as does Hilary Jackson, albeit covering a different period of time.

I'll introduce them all properly as we go along...

You can pick up your copy over on Amazon.

A Word From Richard Tearle :

“To the writing community, whether they be traditionally published, indie or aspiring.  

You make the rocking world go round...Writers are such a wonderful community – supportive, helpful and ever willing to give their time and expertise to one humble chap such as I. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Richard – December 2020

 A Word From Helen Hollick:

It was with great enthusiasm that I encouraged
Richard to write this, his first novel. His enjoyment of creating a good story, I felt, should be shared to readers and writers, everywhere. Unfortunately, at the editing stage, Richard became ill, involving hospitalisation. In discussion with his son, rather than abandon the project or put it on hold, we decided that the best course of action was for me to continue with getting this book published on his behalf. The characters, plot – the story – are all Richard’s immense talent, I merely tidied up and added the final polish, coming in as ‘painter and decorator’ to Richard’s main role as architect, designer, and builder. 

Social Media Links:

Richard - Website 

Helen - Twitter and Instagram

Tour Schedule: 

https://www.coffeepotbookclub.com/post/blog-tour-media-kit-the-north-finchley-writers-group-by-richard-tearle-with-helen-hollick

February 15th

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February 16th

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Let your Words Shine…

February 17th

I got lost in a book

Candlelight Reading

Mary’s Bookcase

February 18th

The Book Bandit’s Library

Zoe’s Art, Craft and Life

The Books Delight

February 19th

Anna Belfrage – Stolen Moments

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City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, Book 4) by Cassandra Clare #BookReview #YoungAdult #Paranormal

 

City of Fallen Angels 

(The Mortal Instruments, Book 4) 

By Cassandra Clare

To love is to destroy... 

The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and – most importantly of all – she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. But her happiness has come at a price... 

Oh my goodness, how is that each book is better than the last? I am absolutely in love with the world that Cassandra Clare has depicted.

Finally, Jace and Clary are together, but things are never simple when it comes to them! I adore these characters so much, especially Jace, he is one of my favourite heros of all times!

I think this series might be my most favourite series ever!

AMAZON

Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices trilogy, and coauthor of the Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. She also wrote The Shadowhunter's Codex with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 36 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.

Poetry Corner: When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats

 

Today's poem is brought to us by William Butler Yeats.

When You Are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

By William Butler Yeats

About the poet

William Butler Yeats[a] (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, prose writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. A pillar of the Irish literary establishment, he helped to found the Abbey Theatre, and in his later years served two terms as a Senator of the Irish Free State. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival along with Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn and others.

Yeats was born in Sandymount, Ireland, and educated there and in London. He was a Protestant and member of the Anglo-Irish community. He spent childhood holidays in County Sligo and studied poetry from an early age, when he became fascinated by Irish legends and the occult. These topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the 20th century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and its slow-paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the poets of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. From 1900, his poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life. In 1923, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

References: Wikipedia