I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for Clement: The Green Ship (Clement, Book 2) by Craig R. Hipkins #BookReview #YA #HistoricalFiction @CraigHipkins @maryanneyarde

Clement: The Green Ship

(Clement, Book 2)

By Craig R. Hipkins

 

Normandy. The year 1161. King Henry ll sends the 14-year-old Clement, Count of la Haye on a secret mission. The young count and his friends travel in the wake of the mysterious mariner known as Sir Humphrey Rochford. Their destination? The legendary land of Vinland, known only from the Norse sagas. The journey is full of adventure and intrigue. Clement battles with a tyrannical Irish king and then finds his vessel attacked by a massive monster from the deep. The Green Ship sails to the sparse and barren land of Greenland where more trouble awaits.

 

 

 A young nobleman is about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, the only question is, will he survive the journey?

I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. It is packed full of memorable characters, brave acts of heroism and vile antagonists. There is also a gentle romance that I was not expecting.

Clement is only fourteen but he has a sharp intellect and is incredibly knowledgable, outsmarting many an older man. But at the heart of it, Clement is still only a teen who wants to hang out with his friends and have a good time. Unfortunately, if he wants to spend time with his friends he is going to have to take them with him!

I thought this novel was amazing. This book should definitely be on your to-read list.

 

Clement: The Green Ship  is avaliable to purchase on Amazon It is also avalibale on #KindleUnlimited

 

Craig R. Hipkins

 

Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel, Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018)

 

He is an avid long-distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.

 

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads

 

 Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

 

Follow the tour - HERE.

 

 

 

 

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for The Whirlpools of Time by Anna Belfrage #BookReview #timetravel #historicalromance @abelfrageauthor @maryanneyarde

 

 

The Whirlpools of Time

By Anna Belfrage

 

He hoped for a wife. He found a companion through time and beyond.

It is 1715 and for Duncan Melville something fundamental is missing from his life. Despite a flourishing legal practice and several close friends, he is lonely, even more so after the recent death of his father. He needs a wife—a companion through life, someone to hold and be held by. What he wasn’t expecting was to be torn away from everything he knew and find said woman in 2016…

Erin Barnes has a lot of stuff going on in her life. She doesn’t need the additional twist of a stranger in weird outdated clothes, but when he risks his life to save hers, she feels obligated to return the favour. Besides, whoever Duncan may be, she can’t exactly deny the immediate attraction.

The complications in Erin’s life explode. Events are set in motion and to Erin’s horror she and Duncan are thrown back to 1715. Not only does Erin have to cope with a different and intimidating world, soon enough she and Duncan are embroiled in a dangerous quest for Duncan’s uncle, a quest that may very well cost them their lives as they travel through a Scotland poised on the brink of rebellion. 

Will they find Duncan’s uncle in time? And is the door to the future permanently closed, or will Erin find a way back?

Duncan Melville has grown up on the outskirts of his family, never quite fitting in, and Erin Barnes is in the possession of a locket that another family would literally kill for. The only thing separating these two characters is that Duncan lives in 1715, and Erin in 2016.

One fateful journey, Duncan finds himself at a crossroads during a storm and, with his Grandma Alex’s warning about the dangers of crossroads in the back of his head, Duncan is transported through time.

This book is quite literally a whirlwind. After meeting each other, it quickly becomes clear that Duncan and Erin would, and do, pass through time for each other, and that nothing as fickle as a couple of centuries could keep them apart. They each have their own dangers, and while travelling back to a different century provides temporary safety, it seems that they must always turn back and face their enemies. 

There are some truly horrible characters that I absolutely loathed, in this book, and you can’t help but want Duncan to run them through with a sword, or for Erin to pick up a pistol and shoot them. I know that sounds truly awful but that is how awful they are.

The relationship between Erin and Duncan is very strong, even though they have not known each other for very long. Their bond seems unbreakable, even though they sometimes get into arguments, having grown up in different times and having different expectations for what they should be able to have, and do.

Of course, this book is not purely a time travel romance, there is so much more depth to it than that. There is danger and intrigue, murders to solve and people to find. Duncan joins forces, although somewhat unwillingly, with a constable as the story starts to run deeper and the Jacobites grow more and more restless. There is certainly a rebellion brewing on the horizon.

The differences between the time periods that Erin and Duncan know are stark, and Erin’s fears and astonishments at having to adjust to eighteenth-century clothing and ideologies have been written wonderfully.  I could sympathise with what Erin was going through, and her reactions to events were completely believable.

I loved reading this book, and I  recommend it to anyone who wants a romance with action, adventure, danger, rebellion and mystery, all rolled into one.

The Whirlpools of Time is
is avaliable on #KindleUnlimited

Amazon 

 Anna Belfrage

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. 

 

Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. Her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk, has her returning to medieval times. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love. Her most recent release, The Whirlpools of Time, is a time travel romance set against the backdrop of brewing rebellion in the Scottish highlands.

 

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards. 

 

Social Media Links:

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads 

 

Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

 

 

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for Wall of Stone by Heather Robinson #HistoricalFiction #AncientRome #BlogTour @HevRob1 @maryanneyarde

 

 

 

Wall of Stone

By Heather Robinson

 

In AD121 the Twentieth Legion of Rome stands at the northern frontier of Britannia. Forgotten, neglected and dour in spirit, they must still do their duty for an Empire whose meaning is becoming lost to them.

As the lives of the local Teviot family intertwine with the legion, relationships of love and bitter anguish unfurl. Will the invading army push north? Will the disputing native tribes unite in an uprising? Can Marcus be with Jolinda?

When peace is fragile, friendships count for everything...

 

 EXCERPT 

Julita was wishing the wine had been watered. It had been quite some time since she’d tasted such an exquisite vintage and her head was floating from drinking a little too much. Foolish woman, she chided herself silently. Now more than ever her husband was relying on her having a clear head. Her heart fluttered unnervingly at the thought of jeopardising his safety by uttering the wrong words, yet as much damage could be wreaked by remaining silent. The direct ear of the Emperor would unlikely be hers again. It was an opportunity she must grasp.

Tall, trim and strong with soft, wavy hair, her eyes were drawn to his beard. Some said he grew it to hide natural blemishes in his skin but there was no evidence of imperfection elsewhere. Perhaps it was grown for his love affair with all things Greek. It was widely known he’d received a lavish education in Greek culture. The people called him Graeculus, ‘the little Greek’ because of it.

When Peterna had served under Trajan in Dacia, Hadrian had held the public official post of Quaester, supervising financial affairs. Julita recalled Peterna remarking how unusual it was for a Roman of such high status to understand the tax system as Hadrian did. The man was passionately interested in detail and desperate to master things he didn’t already know, and possessed an extraordinarily good memory. Julita sipped at some water knowing that she must decide which path to walk along. Goddess Juno, mother of Mars, let me draw strength from your breath.

Hadrian wiped at his beard with a cloth and called for a toothpick. Julita waited with decorous patience for him to speak first, feeling the silence magnify as Hadrian fastidiously cleaned the dregs of the meal from his teeth.

“You have been through a regretful ordeal, your daughter must be weary.” Hadrian did not speak unkindly yet there was no denying the veiled instruction that Cloelia retire immediately. In truth, she was thankful to escape, feeling awed in Hadrian’s presence and finding the expected etiquette cloying. She was desperate to see Brutus. The freedom of travelling had lulled her to believe they had a future together, but the restrictions of Roman status were pressing down from every corner of the fort and intensified by the propinquity of the Emperor. Julita waited for the door to click shut behind Cloelia before speaking.

“Your Imperial Majesty, it is indeed the greatest honour for you to receive us, and with such kindness.” Julita was sincere, dipping her head in respect as she addressed Hadrian and continuing with her eyes looking down at the couch in deference, her nostrils flaring as the emotion threatened to spill. She would not allow tears before the Emperor. “It has been a difficult return to this island and the comfort of the fort and your protection is truly, truly welcome. We had heard you were travelling the Southern Provinces Sir. It is a mercy you were not or I fear my daughter and I would not be alive now. My family is in your service, Imperator.”

“Your husband has served Rome well during his career, decorated by my uncle during the Dacian Wars. I remember the ceremony Lady Maxinius.” Julita’s pulse smartened, sensing a ripple in his tone. “Is he still the loyal imperialist I knew him to be?” Julita raised her chin to meet the Emperor’s gaze. She would not cow where Peterna was concerned. This was her chance to fight for him.

“Sir, my husband holds Rome and his troops in his heart. He is concerned of a barbarian uprising on the northern frontier and feels strongly that the only way to have peace in Britannia is to sweep through the lands to the north of the border, thus claiming Caledonia to end this campaign.” Julita had shown her hand, the path was laid. “Extra troops were denied to him…” Julita swallowed nervously knowing this order had come from Hadrian, looking away briefly before gathering herself once more, “...he fervently believes this decision will begin the decline of Rome. He remains your loyal servant, Imperator.”

“So loyal that he questions my orders not to advance the frontier.” Julita was shaken by Hadrian’s directness and her breathing came in quick, shallow gasps as she waited for the Emperor to continue. “I am receiving reports that Legate Maxinius is increasing the level of activity in the area, inciting a rebellion even, rather than consolidating and controlling the region. That is treason. Do you speak in his defence for it?”

“Sir, yes I do! Sir, I implore you! My husband is a loyal soldier, a talented officer,” words began to fall in a flurry from Julita as her panic mounted. “I beg you will not judge his actions without experiencing the frontier for yourself. It is forsaken,  bleeds strain and weeps spurious quiet so different to this Romanised south.” Julita swept her arm round to encompass the country in demonstration, knocking over a goblet but ignoring the spilling red stain on the pristine white cloth covering the table. “I was guilty of being blind to the dangers until I travelled south. The fort was my home, I rarely ventured from it. Peterna possesses the tactician’s skill to see beyond the current mood. Sir, I beseech you visit before condemning.”

“Amid arms the laws are silent.”

“Sir?” Julita was baffled by such a short and level response following her disclaim. Goddess Juno, have I said right?

“It is a quote by Cicero.” Hadrian would not be drawn for the moment. “Have you heard that the dome is being prepared to top the Pantheon in Rome?”

“I…yes,” Julita was too choked to add more, not able to make conversation with her husband’s fate, and therefore her own, hanging perilously.

“It is impressive, one hundred and thirty-eight feet in diameter. Two techniques, key to Roman construction, make it possible. Techniques that no other civilisation has mastered, the shape of an arch and the production of concrete. The stone for the Pantheon columns comes from quarries in Egypt, laboriously transported by carts to the Nile, up to Alexandria and on to Rome.” Hadrian’s eyes were alive with pride and passion that Julita was finding difficult to share. “It will be the greatest of Roman achievements in construction, a beacon of our power.”

 Julita managed a weak reply.

“It is Peterna’s wish that I take our daughter to see the Pantheon.” It seemed the correct reply, as Hadrian broke in to a broad smile.

“And so it shall be. You will continue your journey to Rome. I will release two of my Imperial Guards to escort you. I have a mission for your previous escorts and a journey to make of my own…to the northern frontier.” Julita bit hard on her lower lip to keep from trembling with relief. Peterna would at least be heard directly.

“Thank you Imperator.”

“Amid arms the laws are silent – we sometimes need to bend the rules made in the Senate to fit the world of combat. An arch and concrete, your husband has much to learn.”

“You speak in riddles to me Sir, but I can speak with confidence when I say that your presence in the north will boost morale a thousand-fold.”

 

Wall of Stone is avaliable to purchase on Amazon

This book is also avaliable with #KindleUnlimited

 

Heather Robinson  

 

Heather Robinson is a novelist and short story award winner from Wiltshire, UK.  Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science degree with most of her working life spent as an Administration Manager locally.  She is also a qualified and experienced radio presenter, hosting a weekly show for Warminster Community Radio.  Proud parents of two boys, Heather and her husband Graham share a passion for live music, hiking and motorcycling. 

 

 Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads

 

Follow the tour - HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for Kingfisher (The Kingfisher Series, Book One) by D. K. Marley #HistoricalFiction #KingArthur #BookReview @histficchickie @maryanneyarde

 

 

Kingfisher

(The Kingfisher Series, Book One)

By D. K. Marley

 

The past, future, and Excalibur lie in her hands.

Wales, 1914. Vala Penrys and her four sisters find solace in their spinster life by story-telling, escaping the chaos of war by dreaming of the romantic days of Camelot. When the war hits close to home, Vala finds love with Taliesin Wren, a mysterious young Welsh Lieutenant, who shows her another world within the tangled roots of a Rowan tree, known to the Druids as ‘the portal’.

 

One night she falls through, and suddenly she is Vivyane, Lady of the Lake – the Kingfisher – in a divided Britain clamoring for a High King. What begins as an innocent pastime becomes the ultimate quest for peace in two worlds full of secrets, and Vala finds herself torn between the love of her life and the salvation of not only her family but of Britain, itself.

 

"It is, at the heart of it, a love story – the love between a man and a woman, between a woman and her country, and between the characters and their fates – but its appeal goes far beyond romance. It is a tale of fate, of power, and, ultimately, of sacrifice for a greater good." - Riana Everly, author of Teaching Eliza and Death of a Clergyman

 

Historical fiction meets historical fantasy in this fascinating new take on Arthurian legend. Unlike most Arthurian novels, Kingfisher tells the story from The Lady of the Lake's perspective.

This novel is quite long, and I am not usually a fan of long books, especially when I consider my to-review list! But this novel did not feel as long as the page count stated and I think that has to do with the authors seemingly magical abilities to make time stand still while I read.

I really enjoyed the magical realism, the plot twists and especially the romance. If you like to read quality fiction that will keep you up all night then I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a great read.

Kingfisher (The Kingfisher Series, Book One) is avaliable on #KindleUnlimited

Amazon

D. K. Marley

D. K. Marley is a Historical Fiction author specializing in Shakespearean adaptations, Tudor era historicals, Colonial American historicals, alternate historicals, and historical time-travel. At a very early age she knew she wanted to be a writer. Inspired by her grandmother, an English Literature teacher, she dove into writing during her teenage years, winning short story awards for two years in local competitions. After setting aside her writing to raise a family and run her graphic design business, White Rabbit Arts, returning to writing became therapy to her after suffering immense tragedy, and she published her first novel “Blood and Ink” in 2018, which went on to win the Bronze Medal for Best Historical Fiction from The Coffee Pot Book Club, and the Silver Medal from the Golden Squirrel Book Awards. Within three years, she has published four more novels (two Shakespearean adaptations, one Colonial American historical, and a historical time travel).

When she is not writing, she is the founder and administrator of The Historical Fiction Club on Facebook, and the CEO of The Historical Fiction Company, a website dedicated to supporting the best in historical fiction for authors and readers. And for fun, she is an avid reader of the genre, loves to draw, is a conceptual photography hobbyist, and is passionate about spending time with her granddaughter. She lives in Middle Georgia U.S.A. with her husband of 35 years, an English Lab named Max, and an adorable Westie named Daisy.

 

Website, Blog, Podcast, Group, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads

Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

 

 

 

 

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for Landscape of a Marriage by Gail Ward Olmsted #HistoricalFiction #BookReview #BlogTour @gwolmsted @maryanneyarde

 

 

Landscape of a Marriage

By Gail Ward Olmsted

 

A marriage of convenience leads to a life of passion and purpose. A shared vision transforms the American landscape forever.

 

New York, 1858: Mary, a young widow with three children, agrees to marry her brother-in-law Frederick Law Olmsted, who is acting on his late brother’s deathbed plea to "not let Mary suffer”. But she craves more than a marriage of convenience and sets out to win her husband’s love. Beginning with Central Park in New York City, Mary joins Fred on his quest to create a 'beating green heart' in the center of every urban space. 

 

Over the next 40 years, Fred is inspired to create dozens of city parks, private estates and public spaces with Mary at his side. Based upon real people and true events, this is the story of Mary’s journey and personal growth and the challenges inherent in loving a brilliant and ambitious man. 

Mary Olmsted isn’t in the greatest of positions when she travels back to America and asks her brother-in-law, Fred, for help. Her husband has passed away from tuberculosis, leaving her alone with three young children and nowhere to live. When she meets with Fred, though, all her issues seem to dissolve. Fred sets her up in a house, and provides her with his company and, slowly, feelings appear.

Marrying Fred would seem a logical choice, yet Mary does not want to marry just to ensure a roof over her head. She wants to feel love, and she wants Fred to feel love for her in return. Their marriage may have begun with new feelings, waiting to be explored, but it grows into a relationship of love and adoration.

This book follows the life of a woman whose entire existence has been overshadowed by her husband. Fred designed parks, including the all famous Central Park, and in history, his name is remembered. Not much was known about his wife, though. Reading this book, it seemed that Fred was more devoted to his work than to his family and spent long hours working and not much time at home relaxing with his wife and children. His hard work obviously paid off, but what did that mean for Mary? The author has achieved what was set out to be achieved in this book, for it brings to life a woman whose life doesn’t deserve to be forgotten.

This book is written in very short chapters, which almost zero in on the points in Mary and Fred’s marriage when there was an event, or there is some record of something happening. This made me feel a little disconnected from the story at times, as you never get an in-depth moment with the characters. Instead, something will happen and you move on very quickly, without seeing any long-term effects or fully understanding how the characters feel about the event. I get that this book aimed to tell the entire period of Mary’s marriage, but it is a lot to put into just one book, and I think it would almost be impossible to write about such a long period of time without skipping over the details. That being said, if this book focused on perhaps one section of Mary’s marriage, or if the story was spread out over a series, a lot more detail could have been added and I could have connected with the characters more.

I enjoyed reading this book and learning about the lives of Mary and Fred two people I had admittedly never heard of before, but I wish I could have delved deeper into their lives without being instantly dragged to another event a couple of months down the line. If you are after a book that you can read to learn about the lives of these people, and to see the effects of some issues such as women’s rights in the late 1800s, this book is definitely for you. If, however, you are after a book that you can lose yourself in, and get to know the characters as if they are your best friends, maybe give this one a miss.

Landscape of a Marriage is avaliable to purchase on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA , Amazon AU and Publisher

 

Gail Ward Olmsted

 

Gail Ward Olmsted was a marketing executive and a college professor before she began writing fiction on a fulltime basis. A trip to Sedona, AZ inspired her first novel Jeep Tour. Three more novels followed before she began Landscape of a Marriage, a biographical work of fiction featuring landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, a distant cousin of her husband’s, and his wife Mary.

 

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads

 

Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

 

Follow the tour - HERE!