I am excited to be hosting the blog tour for Shake Loose the Border (Thunder on the Moor, Book 3) by Andrea Matthews HistoricalRomance #TimeTravelRomance #ScottishHistoryRomance @AMatthewsAuthor @maryanneyarde

Shake Loose the Border 

(Thunder on the Moor, Book 3)

By Andrea Matthews

With Will and Maggie’s wedding just a week away, the last thing they need to stumble upon is Johnnie Hetherington’s dead body tied to a tree, especially one that’s so close to their cottage. Recognizing it as a sure sign that Johnnie has betrayed the family once too often, Sergeant Richie Carnaby gathers Will and his family together for questioning, though it seems obvious only a fool would kill a man on his own land. Then who did murder the rogue, and why?

Feeling confident it wasn’t any of the Fosters, Richie allows Will and Maggie’s wedding to proceed, but the couple has barely exchanged vows when the Armstrongs attack in force. Geordie is determined to rescue his niece from the clutches of Will Foster, whether she wants to go or not. And if he happens to make her a widow in the process, so be it. Will senses the danger and implores Dylan to get Maggie away to safety, no matter where — or when — that may be.

Though Maggie protests, Will assures her he will follow as soon as he is able. Yet how can that be possible when Dylan whisks her back to the twentieth century? Sharing her fears about Will, and unable to forget his own love, Annie, Dylan attempts to return to the past one last time despite his growing concerns over the disintegrating amulet stone. But will he make it in time to rescue Will, or will the villainous Ian Rutherford, who has already killed in cold blood once, win the ultimate battle and see Will and Maggie separated forever?

Excerpt

Once more, there was a knock and this time Dennis stepped into the room. “Are ye coming, brother? Auld Geordie’s moving fast. Then again, if I was coming after such a fine lass . . . I’m sorry, mistress, to steal yer husband away on this yer wedding night, but . . .” 

“I’ll be there presently,” Will said, and Dennis nodded, leaving the room. “I’ve nae desire to argue with ye, Wife,” Will said as he stood. He held Maggie in front of him and finished hooking the clasp on her cloak. “Now have ye a kiss for yer husband afore he goes off to battle?” 

Maggie just stared at him, her eyes filled with tears, until she could contain herself no longer. “Oh, Will, I’m so scared of losing you.” 

“Ye’ll no’ lose me, Wife. ’Twill take more than a few Armstrongs to cut me down.” 

Maggie took a deep breath to summon her courage. “Oh, you think not, rogue? Well, I know of one who plans to do so all by herself.” 

“Do ye, mistress? Then I must prepare a strong defense.” Will grinned broadly as his lips parted to embrace Maggie’s in one long, erotic caress. Then with an obvious reluctance, he pulled away, and the first sign of fear she had ever seen in his eyes crossed their dusky gray surface. “Take yer dagger, Maggie, and if anyone dares touch ye . . . make sure they never see another sunrise, aye.” 

Maggie swallowed hard and, with a shaking hand, relieved him of the weapon. She couldn’t imagine killing anyone, and yet she wouldn’t be abused again, nor would she be separated from her husband. Will took her hand and led her to the top floor, where the other women and children had gathered. He checked that she still held her dagger, then looked at her longingly, as if he were never going to see her again. 

“I love ye, Maggie Armstrong,” he whispered, and he kissed her lips one last time before hurrying down the stairs. 

Maggie’s heart filled with emotion, and she gasped for air. It was as if her very life’s breath had been taken away. Slipping down on the floor, she huddled up against the wall, still clutching the dagger he’d given her. Should Will die, she’d use it on the man who took him. Though she wanted to be by his side, her place was there above, in a way guarding their last bastion of defense. If the Armstrongs broke through, it was where they would all end up, and Maggie knew she would defend it to her dying breath.  

Arrows shot back and forth through the early morning sky, the silver-gray tinge of daylight brightening with each passing moment. Maggie shivered in the cool crisp air of the tower, though it was not the chilling dampness of the stone walls that caused her trembling, but the sound of cold hard steel clashing in the yard below. The Armstrongs had somehow breached the barmekin gate and were even now fighting their way toward the tower. She inched her way over to one of the narrow arrow slots and peeked over the ledge to look down at the melee below. 

Will and Dylan were fighting back-to-back. Many of the Hetheringtons had been there for the wedding, so she couldn’t tell if more had arrived, but she did spot Tom and Richie Carnaby over by the cottage, getting the best of two scraggly looking scoundrels. Another man came riding through the gate, followed by his kinsman, a Selby, she thought. The fact that he aimed his bill at her cousin Jamie’s heart confirmed her suspicion. 

She held her breath as her cousin managed to move aside at the last moment, yanking the Selby man from his horse. Part of her was relieved, for Jamie had always been a decent sort, and yet the fact that he lived only meant another sword aimed at Will’s heart. A sudden wave of nausea overcame her, and it was all she could do to hold it down. At least help was arriving, she told herself as she chanced another peek.

This novel is available at Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, and Amazon AU. It is also available to read with #KindleUnlimited.

Andrea Matthews

Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science, and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen hundred year old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Long Island Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society.

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

Tour Schedule

I am excited to be hosting the blog tour Secrets of Rosenli Manor (Mysteries of the Modern Ladies’ Society, Book 1) by Heidi Eljarbo #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #BlogTour @HeidiEljarbo @maryanneyarde

 

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.

Excerpt

ROSENLI MANOR SAT bathed in a pleasant glow when Lilly arrived early the following day. Rays of sunshine sprayed the few snowy spots left on the ground, and two sparrows flittered between the bare branches of birches and hazelnut trees.

She’d only attended two funerals. The first one was for her beloved mother, then Uncle Alfred had passed a few years later.

A whiff of freshly baked goods met her as she opened the main door and stepped across the threshold. Maids were buzzing around an immensely long table set up in the middle of the grand entry hall, smoothing the linen tablecloth, and hurrying to and from the kitchen carrying trays and baskets of cakes and sweet rolls.

Gertrude came toward her. “Oh, there you are, love. The reception is being prepared according to Agatha’s wishes. I hope you are pleased.”

“It looks wonderful. Are you expecting a large crowd?”

“The townsfolk. Your great-aunt was much loved.”

“I’m glad they can come.”

“You know, Agatha always held an open hand for people in need and shared what she had. Today, we’ll celebrate that goodness by inviting people inside the manor for a bite to eat. They’ll sing hymns, enjoy the food, and speak kind words about Agatha before they follow the wagon with her casket to the church cemetery.”

“I’ve never heard of such devotedness before, only with celebrities or perhaps royalty.”

“One may think Agatha was just an ordinary woman, but there was nothing common about her. What she taught me through her example is that anyone can do extraordinary things with their life. One can choose to be good, charitable, or kind…even when others may not deserve to be treated well. There’s always a choice.” She wiped her hands on her apron and rearranged a couple of the cake trays. “There. That’s better.” Touching Lilly’s arm, she said, “As you learn more about her and become acquainted with her life, you’ll understand what I mean.”

“But—”

“Patience, dear. All in good time.” She gave Lilly a quick hug. “I’m so pleased you are here.” Her skirt swooshed as she rushed back down the hall toward the kitchen.

John came carrying a large tray. Steam rose from the cups, and the aroma of mulled blackcurrant toddy reached Lilly.

“Mornin’, Lilly,” he said. “Can I do anything for you?”

“I’d like to help.”

“Go to the kitchen and ask what you can do. We’ll invite people into the grand hall as soon as we have everything on the table.”

Lilly made her way to the scullery, moving out of the way as two maids hurried by.

“What can I do?” she asked Gertrude.

“Every plate and basket on that table needs to go out. We’re almost ready now.”

Lilly picked up a serving plate with lefse and carried it into the hallway. The softened potato flatbread rolled up with butter, sugar, and cinnamon was one of her favorite treats. She hurried back a few more times until the long table was packed full of delicacies. Cakes and open-faced sandwiches, buns and sweet rolls, dried apples, and cold and warm drinks filled every available space.

Gertrude gave John a nod, and he turned to Lilly.

“Shall we?” he asked.

Lilly smiled, not knowing what to expect. “Yes, John. Please invite the neighbors in.”

John flung open the double doors, and young and old dressed in what seemed like their finest clothes streamed inside. At first, they stood to the side, waiting and peeking shyly at the table and taking in the beauty of the hallway with its portraits on one wall and lovely mirrors on the other. A rope hung at the bottom of the staircase to prevent people from entering the private rooms upstairs.

Children stared at the delicacies then pulled at their mothers’ skirts, looking up with pleading eyes.

“Go ahead,” Gertrude said, smiling at the youngsters.

With their mothers in tow, the children hurried to the table. Chairs were set out along both sidewalls, and Lilly grabbed a basket and offered sweet raisin rolls to older people who’d found a seat. Menfolk stood talking, mugs of warm toddy in one hand and a sandwich or two in the other.

Gertrude handed Lilly a mug. “One of Agatha’s favorite drinks when the weather cooled off. She always asked for a cup when returning from walks outside.”

The juice had the same rich deep-red color as the pelargonium Lilly remembered hanging from the balcony planters on the backside of the manor.

“Thank you, Gertrude.”

Lilly carefully blew on the hot juice then took a sip. The flavor was delicious, like an aromatic blend of berries, spices, and everything sweet.

This novel is available at your nearest Amazon store:

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU

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.

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

Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to showcase this novel.

Tour Schedule

I am excited to be hosting the blog tour for Under the Weeping Willow (Sheltering Trees: Book Two) by Jenny Knipfer #HistoricalFiction #womensfiction #BlogTour @JennyKnipfer @maryanneyarde

 

Under the Weeping Willow 
(Sheltering Trees: Book Two)
By Jenny Knipfer

A HISTORICAL NOVEL ABOUT A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND THE SECRET SHAPING THEIR ROCKY RELATIONSHIP

1918:

Just as Robin Holcomb settles into married life with her husband, Willis, on his aunt and un-cle’s farm in Wisconsin, WWI calls Willis away. With an unknown future and a child on the way, Robin makes the best of life among people she barely knows.

After the birth of her child, Robin struggles with depression and battles to overcome her inner demons before despair and hopelessness drive her to attempt to take her own life. Will Robin survive her dive into postpartum depression, let alone see Willis again?

1983:

Enid Fenton clears out her Mother’s house and puts the family farm up for sale, trying to not be consumed by guilt for installing her mother into the county nursing home.

Reading through some of her mother’s diary entries, Enid uncovers a secret that helps her make sense of the unnamed point of division that has always soured their relationship.

Can Enid reconcile with her mother before the ravages of Alzheimer’s claim her?

Readers of historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, literary fiction, and women’s fiction will be moved as this novel takes them from the depths of a person’s psyche and grief to the pinnacle of long-hoped-for peace.

Praise

“Knipfer has created a story that crosses many genres and will appeal to those who love poign-ant epics about complex characters, engrossing plots, relatable situations, and a satisfying end-ing.” Tammy Ruggles for Readers’ Favorite, five-star review

“A sensitive and well-crafted drama unpacking issues of mental health, layers of grief, societal expectations, and the instability of memory, this novel is touching on the surface, but subtly and profoundly layered with meaning.” Self-Publishing Review ★★★★★

"A heart-rending, emotionally packed love story between a mother and daughter, Under the Weeping Willow is a journey of loss and brokenness coupled with forgiveness and healing. This time-split novel captured my heart and didn't release it until the final page. Beautiful and haunting, Robin and Enid's story swept me to another era. These characters lived, and I loved watching them find their way to each other. Keep the tissues handy. You don't want to miss this story!" ~Candace West, Selah award finalist and author of the Valley Creek Redemption series

Trigger Warnings:

Postpartum depression, attempted suicide, Alzheimer's

Excerpts

Excerpt #1

The horizon blushed pink to the east, but the sky had the beginnings of a baby-blue color. The snowy landscape lay before her covered in an early morning hoarfrost. The weeping branches of the willow tree looked like it had been coated in an egg wash and dipped in raw sugar.

Excerpt #2

The baby cried, and Robin’s heart plummeted. She would have to feed her again. Shouldn’t I look forward to nursing my child? Robin felt the answer should be yes, but since her delivery she had experienced a strange urge to withdraw from the little person she had carried in her womb for nine months.

Book Trailer 

Under the Weeping Willow (Sheltering Trees: Book Two) is available to purchase at the following stores:

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, 

Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Bookshop.org 

This novel is available to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription. 

Jenny Knipfer

Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.

Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disa-bility. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.

All of Jenny’s books have earned five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite, a book review and award contest company. She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers As-sociation, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Inde-pendent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set.

She deems a cup of tea and a good book an essential part of every day. When not writing, Jen-ny can be found reading, tending to her many houseplants, or piecing quilt blocks at her sewing machine.

Her new historical fiction, four-part series entitled, Sheltering Trees, is set in the area Jenny grew up in, where she currently lives, and places along Minnesota’s Northern Shore, where she loves to visit. She is currently writing a four-part novella series entitled: Botanical Seasons.

Keep current with Jenny by visiting her website at https://jennyknipfer.com. Ways to connect with Jenny via social media, newsletter, and various book sites can be found on her website. 

Social Media Links:

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

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

 

Follow the tour - HERE!

 

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for The Scribe (The Two Daggers, Book 1) By Elizabeth R. Andersen #Excerpt #HistoricalFiction @E_R_A_writes @maryanneyarde #MedievalFiction

 

The Scribe
(The Two Daggers, Book 1)
By Elizabeth R. Andersen

All Henri of Maron wanted was to stay with his family on his country estate, surrounded by lemon groves and safety. But in 13th century Palestine, when noble-born boys are raised to fight for the Holy Land, young Henri will be sent to live and train among men who hate him for what he is: a French nobleman of an Arab mother. Robbed of his humanity and steeped in cru-elty, his encounters with a slave soldier, a former pickpocket, and a kindly scribe will force Henri to confront his own beliefs and behaviors. Will Henri maintain the status quo in or-der to fit into a society that doesn’t want him, or will fate intervene first?

The first book in The Two Daggers series, The Scribe takes readers on a sweeping adventure through the years and months that lead up to the infamous Siege of Acre in 1291 CE and delves into the psyches of three young people caught up in the wave of history.

The Land of God

(The Two Daggers, Book 2)

By Elizabeth R. Andersen

Pain. His sister’s screams. And a beautiful face in the jeering crowd. When Henri of Maron woke, he had only a few memories of his brutal flogging, but he knew the world had changed. He had changed.

Now, as he grapples with the fallout from his disastrous decisions, war with the Mamluk army looms closer. To convince the city leaders to take the threat seriously, Henri and the grand mas-ter of the Templars must rely on unlikely allies and bold risks to avoid a siege.

Meanwhile, Sidika is trying to find a way to put her life back together. When she is forced to flee her home, her chance encounters with a handsome amir and a strangely familiar old woman will have consequences for her future.

The Land of God weaves the real historical figures with rich, complex characters and an edge-of-seat plot. Readers who enjoyed the Brethren series by Robyn Young and The Physician by Noah Gordon will appreciate this immersive tale set in the Middle East in the Middle Ages.

Trigger warnings:

Torture, violence, sexual assault, sexual content.

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Land of God (The Two Daggers, Book 2)  

[…] She stopped skipping and ran back to Dejen, who carried a splendidly marked polecat in a sack. The polecat had been shot so quickly with Dejen’s bow that it did not have time to evacuate its scent glands, but that did not stop the creature from emitting a powerful stench.

“Ugh, Brother, why did you shoot that fessyah. It will make the entire house stink!” she grabbed her nose and pretended to gag dramatically. 

Dejen looked at her sideways. He was sixteen now, still small-boned and serious-eyed, but wiry and strong. Underneath his blue keffiyeh he preferred to keep his thick, curled hair cropped close, and always he wore around his neck the silver and garnet pendant that his mother gave him. 

“This little beast’s fur will make a fine pair of mitts for you this winter, Sister. Do you remember how cold your hands were when the snows came last January?”

Sidika moved to walk upwind of him. “It has such darling little ears. What a shame that it stinks. I would try to tame one to live at our house.”

“Not likely that Mother and Father would let you. Polecats attack chickens.”

Sidika was quiet for a moment, thinking. Dejen was always very practical, which was desirable in an older brother, for he gave good advice. Whenever something troubled her mind, she and Dejen would go hunting or to fetch water from the well so that they could work out life’s problems. 

“Dejen, do you remember your mother and father? The ones who bore you?”

“No. I was taken from them when I was a very small baby.”

“Would you not like to try and find them someday?”

“How could I, when I do not even know how I came to live in Cairo before I ran away, nor where my people came from?”

“Surely, there must be a way. Perhaps Father could try to find out the next time he is in Cairo. Perhaps you are a Nubian prince!” The thought was so thrilling that she hopped up and down next to him, and Dejen smiled at her.

“I used to imagine I was. Do you wish to find the woman who bore you, little bird?”

“I think I came from very far away,” Sidika said slowly. “And I do not think that Horse Aunty was my real aunt, but I do not know why I was with her or why she gave me away. Bekir said she sold me in exchange for a loaf of bread and a few cabbages.”

“If that is the case, he got a good bargain because then he sold you to Father for fifteen bezants.”

“That swine,” Sidika said under her breath. 

Someday she would return to Damascus and slay Bekir and free all the children of the Little Hands… if she could gather up the courage to go to the city again. Sidika’s fancies were noble, but they remained in her head under a curtain of fear.

The stony road curved through a canyon and shunted them onto a gentle slope covered in yellowing grass. Below them, their little village was sheltered in the lee of a steep, rocky mountain that protected it from the strong winds that came off the sea, which was a barely visible blue smudge to the west. The wind soughed through the gray-green needles of the coniferous trees, ruffling the children’s clothes and the leaves of the low, thorny brush. Sidika breathed deep and smelled hot stone, the homey scent of dried grass, and the pungent resin of a nearby carob tree.

Dejen was quiet for a moment. “If you want to find your parents, Father and Mother will help you. But you might find them less appealing than the parents that we have now.”

“No!” Sidika said quickly. “I do not wish to leave. We shall stay together always.”

 She slipped her hand into Dejen’s, and they walked slowly down the hill toward their home.

Sara shrieked as soon as Dejen brought the polecat in the house and chased him, laughing and holding her nose, into the garden. “You and your father must douse that fessyah in vinegar before I will look at it again! Go on, get out!”

Sidika took up a bundle of dried comfrey and chamomile and a handful of rose hips and ground them under a stone that her mother had cleansed in boiling water. When they had been reduced to a fine powder, she measured them carefully into a clay jar and corked it. Then she took up rue, mugwort, and camphor leaves, grinding them fine and adding them into a copper basin with some new oil. 

“Mother!” She shouted, “the midwife’s infusion is ready to be cooked!”

Sara dipped a finger in Sidika’s potion, tasted it, and then ladled a spoon into it, looking closely at the mixture of herbs and oil. “Very good! Now, how will you cook it?”

“Over a low flame for as long as it takes the standing stone’s shadow to move between two marks, but not boiling it else it causes the decoction to burn. Then I shall cover it with a cloth and let it cool completely,” Sidika recited, indicating the sundial in the garden.

“And for what will we use this oil?” Sara asked, smiling. On this day at home she had her head uncovered, and the sun caught the strands of silver in her black hair, making them glow.

“For rubbing on the legs and belly to ease the pains after of labor. Also, it may be used to ease the monthly pains of sin.”

“Sin?” Sara’s forehead wrinkled. “I have never described it thus, my dear. Do you mean the monthly bleed?”

“Yes. Madame Karima says so.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Do you not agree that a woman is unclean at this time, paying for her sins?”

“My dear, men sin just as much as women, and they do not bleed. I believe that it is a means by which a woman’s body purges old blood and nothing else. If men also bled, they would call it a blessing from God.”

Scandalized, Sidika picked up her bowl of herbs and oil and walked out to the little stone oven behind the house. Placing her potion on a small pile of coals and marking the sundial with a pebble, she followed Sara to the garden.

“Does not Hashem also say it is the case that a woman is unclean at this time? I have seen you retreat from the family when you bleed to find your solitude, even to the mikvah in Mimas on occasions.”

“Cannot a mother have solitude from time to time?” Sara replied, snapping a cucumber from the vine and placing it in a reed basket. “Can I not go to the mikvah to make myself ceremonially clean, even if I do not think that a woman’s bleed is evil?

Sidika was quiet for a moment.“Mother… are we very different?”

Sara looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the women in the village say that you are unchaste, and that Father knows unnatural things. And why do we not live with others of our kind, like most Jews?””

Sara sighed. It did not matter where their family fled, the rumors always followed. “Why do they say that I am unchaste, my daughter? Is it because I will visit the sick that they view to be cursed, or because I am not afraid to tell a man when he is being improper toward his wife? Do they say your father knows unnatural things because they cannot read as he does? The villagers have much wisdom that they learned from their elders and from the land, but also much superstition. We must balance both so that we do not succumb to fear.”

“Cannot we teach them to read?”

“Your father tried, but they do not wish to learn, and why would they? Reading does not help them to sow their gardens or tend to their livestock.” 

“It is folly to stay ignorant.” Sidika tossed her hair, pleased with herself.

“Aye, and it is folly to point out the faults in others when you have not walked in their path. I suggest you keep your remarks to yourself, Daughter.”

Sara was satisfied when Sidika pulled her scarf further over her head in shame. 

“Mother?” 

“Yes?”

“Will I also bleed?”

“Yes, daughter, and you will also have the ability to bear children and nourish them. You will give life.”

“I do not want to bear a child,” Sidika remembered how Bekir’s eyes lit up when a girl in the Little Hands came of age, and how those girls would usually get with child and then he would throw them out when the child was old enough to walk on its own.

Sara did not know what thoughts ran through her daughter’s mind, but she saw the look on the girl’s face. She pulled Sidika close. 

“Do not fear it. Your father and I will not give you away until you are ready and you have found the right man.” 

She kissed Sidika on the tip of her nose and looked into the girl’s green-brown eyes. Where did you come from? She thought again for the thousandth time. My little jewel, why would someone let you go?

Read the series in order:

The Scribe (The Two Daggers, Book 1)

Amazon UK 

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

Kobo

The Land of God (The Two Daggers, Book 2)

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

Elizabeth R. Andersen

Elizabeth R. Andersen's debut novel, The Scribe, launched in July of 2021. Although she spent many years of her life as a journalist, independent fashion designer, and overworked tech em-ployee, there have always been two consistent loves in her life: writing and history. She finally decided to do something about this and put them both together. 

Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her long-suffering husband and young son. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters. Elizabeth is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Social Media Links:

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

Tour Schedule

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for The Feathered Nest (The Thornton Mysteries, Book 4) by Ellen Read #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #BlogTour @ellenreadauthor @maryanneyarde

 

The Feathered Nest
(The Thornton Mysteries, Book 4)
By Ellen Read

Murder comes to Norfolk Island, but is the killer after Alexandra Archer’s Tahitian black pearl or a lost illustration of the rare Green Parrot?

The Thorntons, along with a small team of people, mount an expedition to Norfolk Island, a small island in the South Pacific, to study the Green Parrot and set up research programmes to help protect it and other endangered birds.

As a birthday surprise, Alexandra’s father tells her she is to be the official photographer for the expedition. Her father gives her a black pearl brooch that Alexandra’s great-grandfather had bought off a merchant in Hong Kong in the 1850s. The pearls are Tahitian black pearls.

Before they depart Melbourne, they learn that Norfolk Island has had its first murder. It sends ripples of unease through Alexandra. She hoped she could escape murder on this small island paradise.

Alexandra is astonished to learn that the main inhabitants of Norfolk Island are descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Once on the island, she wonders if this is why her Tahitian black pearl brooch causes such interest.

A chain of events is set in motion, commencing with a threat on the life of one of their expedition members, followed by intrigue surrounding bird smuggling and a lost illustration of the Green Parrot. Then two of their team are murdered.

Alexandra is determined to find the answers and nearly loses her life in the process.

Amazon 

This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Ellen Read

Ellen Read is the author of The Dragon Sleeps, The Inca’s Curse and The Amber Trap—historical murder mystery romance novels.

Ellen was born in Queensland, Australia. 

She loves to read fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She particularly loves history and stories of ancient myths and legends. Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, and Victoria Holt, the latter of whom wrote gothic mystery/romances, have influenced her own work.

Other interests include photography, painting, music and musical theatre, and dance. Ellen was a ballroom dancing teacher for many years and has also worked in Performing Arts administration. 

Social Media Links:

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

Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to showcase this novel.

Tour Schedule

 

I am excited to be hosting the blog tour for The Prisoner of Paradise By Rob Samborn #HistoricalFiction #MagicalRealism #Thrillers @robsamborn @maryanneyarde

 

The Prisoner of Paradise 
(The Paradise Series, Book 1)
By Rob Samborn

The world’s largest oil painting. A 400-year-old murder. A disembodied whisper: “Amore mio.” My love.

Nick and Julia O’Connor’s dream trip to Venice collapses when a haunting voice reaches out to Nick from Tintoretto’s Paradise, a monumental depiction of Heaven. Convinced his delusions are the result of a concussion, Julia insists her husband see a doctor, though Nick is adamant the voice was real.

Blacking out in the museum, Nick flashes back to a life as a 16th century Venetian peasant swordsman. He recalls precisely who the voice belongs to: Isabella Scalfini, a married aristocrat he was tasked to seduce but with whom he instead found true love. A love stolen from them hundreds of years prior.

She implores Nick to liberate her from a powerful order of religious vigilantes who judge and sentence souls to the canvas for eternity. Releasing Isabella also means unleashing thousands of other imprisoned souls, all of which the order claims are evil.

As infatuation with a possible hallucination clouds his commitment to a present-day wife, Nick’s past self takes over. Wracked with guilt, he can no longer allow Isabella to remain tormented, despite the consequences. He must right an age-old wrong – destroy the painting and free his soul mate. But the order will eradicate anyone who threatens their ethereal prison and their control over Venice.

Trigger Warnings.
Violence, a rape scene, a torture scene.

A trip to Venice usually involves soaking in the culture, drinking coffee, and not wanting to go home. That is what Nick and Julia expect from their visit. What they don’t expect is for Nick to hear the soul of Isabella Scalfini talking to him from inside Tintoretto’s painting, Paradise.  Julia puts it down to her husband’s hockey accident and a potentially ongoing injury to his head. Nick, however, completely believes that Isabella is talking to him from inside the painting and that she is trapped there.

For the most part, this novel follows Nick and Julia, but there are also chapters that follow other people’s perspectives, most notably The Order, a religious group responsible for imprisoning souls inside the Paradise. Nick has little to no knowledge about anything to do with Venice, whereas The Order is the opposite, and while Nick stumbles around, trying to figure out what is going on, The Order is in the background, watching and waiting. In a way, this makes you root for Nick even more, because he is the kind of person you want to come out victorious, and The Order is unlikable and kinda shady. 

There are a few chapters of this book that I particularly loved, and those were the ones where we travelled back to the 16th century to join Angelo Mascari, who knew Isabella before she became a work of art. Angelo is a talented swordsman, but being handy with a sword cannot necessarily help if you get yourself into difficult situations, such as he does. I would love a book just about Angelo’s adventures, and misadventures, because he seems like such an interesting character, and I lamented at how little he appears in this novel. 

This novel was certainly unputdownable and is very successful as a magical realism story. I would have liked to have spent a little more time in the 16th century, but that is just my personal preference for historical fiction. All in all, this is a good book, and I am looking forward to reading book 2 in the series. 

This novel is available at the following bookstores:

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble

Rob Samborn

In addition to being a novelist, Rob Samborn is a screenwriter, entrepreneur and avid traveler. He’s been to forty countries, lived in five of them and studied nine languages. As a restless spirit who can’t remember the last time he was bored, Rob is on a quest to explore the intricacies of our world and try his hand at a multitude of crafts; he’s also an accomplished artist and musician, as well as a budding furniture maker. A native New Yorker who lived in Los Angeles for twenty years, he now makes his home in Denver with his wife, daughter and dog. 

Social Media Links:

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

 

Tour Schedule

I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for Waking Up Lost – A Mystical Fantasy Adventure (The Adirondack Spirit Series) by David Fitz-Gerald #BookReview #WakingUpLost #BlogTour @AuthorDAVIDFG @maryanneyarde

 

Waking Up Lost – A Mystical Fantasy Adventure

(The Adirondack Spirit Series)

By David Fitz-Gerald

Traveling without warning. Nights lost to supernatural journeys. Is one young man fat-ed to wander far from safety?

New York State, 1833. Noah Munch longs to fit in. Living with a mother who communes with ghosts and a brother with a knack for heroics, the seventeen-year-old wishes he were fearless enough to discover an extraordinary purpose of his own. But when he mysteriously awakens in the bedroom of the two beautiful daughters of the meanest man in town, he realizes his odd sleepwalking ability could potentially be deadly.

Convinced that leaving civilization is the only way to keep himself and others safe, Noah pur-sues his dream of becoming a mountain man and slips away into the primeval woods. But after a strong summer storm devastates his camp, the troubled lad finds his mystical wanderings have only just begun.

Can Noah find his place before he’s destroyed by a ruthless world?

Waking Up Lost is the immersive fourth book in the Adirondack Spirit Series of historical fic-tion. If you like coming-of-age adventures, magical realism, and stories of life on the American frontier, then you’ll love David Fitz-Gerald’s compelling chronicle.

Review

Waking up after a restful night’s sleep, ready to start the day, is a feeling everyone wants to feel. But, for Noah, waking up can be a little bit different. He can go to bed in the evening, and wake up miles away, with no knowledge of how he got there. And, while this new gift of sleepwalking means he isn’t so unlike his family, with a mother who can talk to ghosts, and a brother who has the speed to be a hero, it is inconvenient for him, and it scares him. How can he go to bed peacefully when he doesn’t know if he will wake up in the same place?

Noah is a character who is very likeable, and it is easy to get behind him, and want the best for him. But, in a village where he is an outcast, and living a life he doesn’t particularly enjoy, Noah struggles to figure out who he really is. He is hidden in his older brother’s shadow, and Moses takes the spotlight with joy. But, Noah is not like Moses, and has to figure out what he wants his life to be. Not that his ‘gift’ doesn’t give him the opportunities, taking him far from home to places he would not have otherwise traveled to.

The elements of supernatural are added to this story perfectly. Noah’s family are used to the gifts, as Noah’s mother has always spoken to ghosts, helping them on their way from this world, and into the world of the spirits, but the rest of the village are not, and any suggestion of the existence of the supernatural brings conflict and danger towards those with abilities. This book has a little bit of everything, and certainly captured my attention from beginning to end. 

I have just learnt that there is another book by this author, about Noah’s mother, and one about a character mentioned briefly, Wanders Far, so I might just have to grab those two books and read them as well!

Buy Waking Up Lost to map out destiny today!

 Amazon. 

This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited

David Fitz-Gerald 

David Fitz-Gerald writes fiction that is grounded in history and soars with the spirits. Dave en-joys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing.

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, BookBub, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads, Book Trailer, Link Tree 

Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to showcase this novel.

Tour Schedule