Lady of Lincoln by Rachel Elwiss Joyce - #bookreview

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the author. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need?

12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.

Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.

Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?

In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.

Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale.

My Review

I love novels which bring an almost forgotten woman to the fore. This was one such book and I enjoyed it very much.

The main character is Nicola de la Haye and I became immersed in her story very quickly. She is courageous, feisty and has to rapidly learn how to use these talents in a time when women had little control over their own lives.

Set in twelfth-century England, Nicola knows that her role in life is to marry a man of her father's choosing. His choice is Gerard de Camville, a man with wealth and land and who is loyal. However, Nicola wants to marry for love. Following the death of her father she does just that and marries William Fitzernest, a handsome younger man who is attracted to Nicola more for her inheritance than for love.

The book has been well researched and I was drawn into the time period every bit as much as the plot. I felt as though I was walking through the grounds of Lincoln Castle in the twelfth century and the author did a fantastic job of bringing the time period and setting to life.

It has a brisk pace and I flew through the book fairly quickly. However, that might equally have been due to my reluctance to put it down. 

This is the first in a series and I can't wait to continue with it once the second book has been published. I applaud the author for bringing this little-known woman of the past back to life within the pages of this book.

If you enjoy historical fiction then you will adore this one as much as I did. I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1919337906

Publisher:  Hedgehog Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited) 

No. of Pages:  462 (paperback)

Series:   Book 1 in the Nicola de la Haye series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

After a rewarding career in the sciences, Rachel returned to her first love—history and the art of storytelling. Fascinated by the women history neglected, or tried to forget, she creates meticulously researched, emotionally resonant fiction that brings her characters’ stories vividly to life.

Her fascination with the past began early. At six years old, she was already inventing tales about medieval women in castles, inspired by her treasured Ladybird books and other picture-rich stories that transported her to another time. By the time she discovered Katherine by Anya Seton as a teenager, she knew the joy and escape that only great historical fiction can bring.

Rachel’s two grown-up children still tease her (fondly) about childhoods spent being “dragged” around castles, archaeological sites, and historical re-enactments. For Rachel, history and imagination have always gone hand in hand.

There was, however, a long gap between the stories of her childhood and her decision to write her own novel. The spark came when she discovered the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye—the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion and became known as “the woman who saved England,” Rachel knew she had found her heroine, and a story she was destined to tell.

Rachel lives in the UK, where she continues to explore the lives of women who shaped history but were left out of its pages.

You can also find Rachel at:

Author Website

X

Facebook

Instagram

Bluesky

My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author

Extract from Lady of Lincoln

(ARC and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

Queen Anna by Tony Riches - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am super excited to be shining the book spotlight on this book today. Queen Anna by Tony Riches is the first in the Stuart Queens Trilogy. I will be reviewing this book at a later date so please keep your eyes peeled.

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from The Coffee Pot Book Club. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

A crown won in the eye of a storm. A queen who refuses to be broken...

Princess Anna of Denmark sails for Scotland to marry King James VI, but storms ravage her fleet, igniting a deadly obsession with witchcraft in her new home. Arriving in a strange and paranoid court, Anna finds her new husband’s bed is a treacherous place.

Surrounded by whispering courtiers and shifting alliances, Anna refuses to remain a passive pawn. When the court takes her children to raise them away from her, the young queen draws her line in the sand. From the windswept castles of Scotland to the glittering, dangerous English court, Anna is restored to her rightful place in history.

Book Details

ISBN:  979 8186524854

Publisher: Preseli Press

Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages: 364 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in the Stuart Queens series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors.

As well as his Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Elizabethan series.

You can also find Tony at:

Author Website

Author's Writing Blog

Author Podcast

X

Bluesky

Facebook

My Other Blog Posts Set During the Stuart Era

James I, The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman

Charles II's Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza by Susan Abernethy

The Lady of the Tower by Elizabeth St. John

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Making of Marigold McGraph by Carrie Hayes - #extract #excerpt #blogtour

I am delighted to have an excerpt from The Making of Marigold McGrath by author, Carrie Hayes on the blog today. The book begins in 1930's New York before moving to London.

The Blurb

New York City, 1937 - Seventeen-year-old Marigold McGrath is coming undone.Her mother is dead. Her father is drawn to dangerous politics. The only place she feels joy is behind a camera — where she can frame the world on her own terms.

After a series of her own missteps, she reinvents herself in London: mentored by a celebrated émigré photographer, photographing Kindertransport children, working alongside Edward R. Murrow. She falls in love with Joop, a charming Dutch student, and shrugs off the war gathering around her.

Then the Blitz begins.Joop vanishes into the Dutch Resistance. And Marigold — who has always preferred to photograph the world as she wishes it were — must finally decide what kind of woman, and what kind of witness, she is willing to become.

A sweeping WWII coming-of-age novel set in wartime London.

The Extract

1936

WINTER

NEW YORK CITY

The cinema was nearly deserted, and the two girls took the best seats in the house. They opened their bags of peanuts and chocolate covered raisins, silently munching until the movie got to their favorite part. 

Marigold mouthed along with the woman on the screen who spoke first. “Not because I love England, but because it will pay me better.” She continued, “The very brilliant agent of a certain foreign power on the point of obtaining a secret vital to your air defense.”

Trude whispered, “I tracked two of his men to that music hall. Unfortunately, they recognized me.” The two girls took bites of their candy. Trude continued, “That’s why they’re after me now.”

Marigold smiled from ear to ear. She loved this part. “You ever heard of a thing called persecution mania?”

Trude’s eyes grew wide and she said, “You don’t believe me?” As if from nowhere, the usher came over and shushed them. 

Marigold scowled at him and turned back to Trude. “Frankly I don’t.”

They had been doing this for days now. Rather than go to math class, they skipped school instead. How it was that nobody reported them must have been because they were the kind of girls who were rarely in trouble. They did well enough that their absences didn’t seem to matter. So, for two weeks running, they faithfully bought tickets for the 2:55 show and watched The 39 Steps until they knew it cold.

Afterwards, they stood by the window outside the ladies’ room, where one could see the traffic below. 

Trude stopped Marigold and said, “Go and look down into the street then.” She always said this with a campy accent, like her father’s. Trude’s father was Swiss. Her late mother had been British and Marigold thought everything about Trude was glamorous in the most spectacular way. 

Marigold pretended to be afraid. “Are they there?”

Trude looked terrified. “Yes. I’d hoped I’d shaken them off. I’m going to tell you something which is not very healthy to know. But now that they have followed me here, you are in it as much as I am.” 

Then she grabbed Marigold’s hand and they bolted down the stairs, out through the back door gasping and chuckling on the short walk to the pharmacy. 

When they arrived, Trude stopped short. “Oh, mein Gott!”

“What is it?”

“It’s Will Carrington!” Trude pointed to the counter. 

“I love him.” Marigold spoke with as much gravity as she could muster. It was part of their shtick. Whenever Trude saw a boy they knew, Marigold would simply say, “I love him.”

These declarations of love always made Trude laugh, then respond by either sticking something up her nose, or putting her spectacles on sideways. Anything, anything to make Marigold laugh back and Trude look like a freak. 

Silently, they went to the counter. “Oh hi, Will,” Marigold said, in her most modest, simple style. Trude looked away. 

Will was blonde, handsome, an athlete. He was in the boys’ section at school, so they rarely saw him outside of class. “Hi.” He leaned past Marigold. “Hi Trude,” which didn’t surprise Marigold. All the boys were in love with Trude, who was beautiful, smart, and kind. 

Trude turned to face Will. She’d stuck a raisin into each nostril, so they hung out just the smallest amount. “Will, hi!”

Will stopped short of recoiling. He paid his tab and said, “See you.” Then gestured to his own nose, discreetly, for Trude’s benefit.

She continued to smile, oblivious. “See you tomorrow.”

“Girls.” Home was on Riverside Drive, where Marigold’s mother stood in the foyer, surrounded by boxes. Some were on the floor, others stacked upon the table, which normally held only letters and an orchid. On top of the boxes were large oblong tickets indicating their contents. The tickets were stamped with round and dashed holes, like eyelet made of cardstock. 

Marigold opened one of the boxes. “What are they?”

There had to be thousands inside. She passed a dozen cards over to Trude, who fanned herself with them. 

“These could be dollahs, thousands of dollahs, nicht so, Schatze,” Trude said.  

“Jahwohl, they could.” Marigold held up a card to the chandelier, examining the tiny square holes in the light. She held it over the face of her friend and it created dashes and dots upon Trude’s skin. She moved to look through the dashes at her mother. Cool and elegant in her grey silk dress, with her creamy colored pearls and her white, white skin. 

“They’re some sort of punch cards, darling,” her mother said. “They’re for your father.” 

“I love them,” Marigold said.

Trude raised an eyebrow. “Even more than Will Carrington?” 

Marigold bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her mother didn’t know about her silly crushes. “Yes, even more than he.” Marigold spread the cards out upon the table. They looked vast and impersonal, like in that film. What was it? Metropolis. Oh, yes, she thought, just like Metropolis. “Say, Moms, how about I take some pictures of you and Trude with these cards?”

“Aren’t you girls supposed to be doing your algebra or something?”

“Yes, but let me take your picture first, Moms, and you should wear that dress, you know, with the print just like these cards.”

“Marigold.” She loved the way her mother folded the R in the word Marigold. It was always under the tongue with a delicate precision used by those whose English is flawless albeit foreign. 

“Come on, Momsy. You’ll be the living embodiment of industry, and Trude will be the future. It’ll be fun!”

Her mother chuckled and left the room, only to reemerge in her dress with the printed dashes and circles just like the punch cards. In her hand was a large silk scarf printed with the same design. 

“We’ll stack them like this. Then Trude, lean on them here and look up at Momsy, like so.”

Marigold opened her camera case. She looked through the lens and adjusted the aperture. Her models struck a pose. The light in the foyer was bright, bright. Her mother was cool, aristocratic, and Trude simply brimming with life. Both of them were beautiful. Marigold wound the film and pressed the button. 

“Perfect,” she said and wound the film again. 

Suddenly, her mother waved an arm and the scarf fluttered outward, like a wing. Trude moved her own arms upward. 

“Wonderful!” Marigold pressed the button. “Wonderful!” 

She did it again, then her models adjusted their poses in varying degrees, leaning away and toward each other. 

“Fabulous!”

“What are you doing? Put those down.” Marigold’s father stood in the doorway. “Don’t touch those. Put the camera down.” Suddenly, he roared, “I said put the camera down!”

“Sorry.” Marigold looked down at the ground. There was a tense silence It was the same silence which often occurred when Marigold’s parents were in the same room. 

Her mother said, “She was merely experimenting.” 

“Not with my cards, she’s not. Stupid girl.”

“Ta gueule, Arnold.” Her mother had been from Arlon, in Belgium. But she rarely spoke French. “Don’t talk to her so.” 

Marigold watched her mother go into the kitchen as Trude gathered her coat and slipped out of the apartment.

Make amends, Marigold warned herself. “Excuse me, Dad.” She stacked the cards and returned them to their boxes. “I just thought—”

“Don’t think. They’re not for you.”

“Sorry.” 

“They’re for my German clients.” He glanced at himself in the mirror, his reflection confirming his golden hair and hazel eyes were still handsome, still distinguished.

“Sorry,” she said again. “What are they used for?”

“These cards store information. Who is doing what and how much of it they’re doing. Like who’s buying how many apples, or how much money is withdrawn from a bank. Who lives where in what part of town. It’s the latest technology, Marigold. They revolutionize how records are kept. And they come from IBM. They’re the future. Not props for a childish fashion show.” With a small nod, he took a lapel pin out of his pocket. “Help me with this.” He held it out to her and Marigold obliged, fastening it behind the worsted wool as he added, “I’m going to present them at tonight’s dinner.”

She turned the pin. The black lines echoed themselves as they had when the symbol meant good fortune, in Asian religions, long, long before it was used by the German government. Marigold rotated the pin the other way, so the black lines inside the white circle with the red background appeared in a more upright position. 

Book Details

ISBN: 979 8995323914

Publisher: HTPH Press

Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  346 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Carrie’s first two novels, Naked Truth or Equality and Well Dressed Lies, follow the lives of the iconoclastic suffragist sisters, Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin.

Carrie lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in a rambling Victorian house just outside of New York City. 

You can also find Carrie at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

Substack

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

Lady of Lincoln by Rachel Elwiss Joyce - #blogtour #excerpt #extract

I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing you an extract from this book today. Lady of Lincoln by Rachel Elwiss Joyce is a novel of Nicola de la Haye, the medieval heroine history tried to forget.

The Blurb

A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need?

12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.

Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.

Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?

In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.

Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale.

The Extract

Lincoln Castle, May 1168 

Nicola stood atop the western battlements under a duck-egg sky, her frozen fingers clutching the cold crossbow, her skirts snapping in the wind as she waited for Edwin—and humiliation. What was she doing here? And what had possessed her to think she could master a soldier’s weapon? Papa had laughed. Julia had just rolled her eyes.

She pulled her woollen cloak tighter against the biting wind, ignoring the guards further down the wall who studiously avoided her gaze. The longer she waited, the more foolish she felt.

Still, this wasn’t her greatest worry. Papa was determined she marry some nameless, greying nobleman. She didn’t want to dishonour her family, but what was the rush? Papa wasn’t dying. Surely there was a handsome, gallant knight out there who might win her heart, and guard her lands. She just had to find him.

She drew a breath and scanned the horizon, thrilling at the view. Lincoln Castle crowned a steep escarpment, towering over the Upper City. Below, mist uncoiled from the river valley, pierced by golden shafts of morning sun. She loved the castle, yet the stone walls, symbols of her family’s power, were starting to feel like a gaol.

Boot-steps echoed behind her. She turned.

Edwin, the grizzled garrison commander, climbed the last stair to the curtain wall. Thickset, bearded, his leather armour worn smooth with use, he gave her a sardonic smile. “There you are. The castle’s very own shield maiden.”

Nicola flushed. He clearly thought this was a farce.

She lifted her chin. “A fine morning to you, too.”

Edwin chuckled and moved beside her, reeking of leather and stale ale. “I’ve set up some targets.”

She shifted uneasily. Was she about to make a fool of herself?

“See there,” he said, pointing across the ditch towards the steaming Lawn. “I was a green squire, firing bolts from this very wall during the Battle of Lincoln. Never been so scared in my life.”

“Papa never speaks of it. He’s never forgiven Uncle Ralph for the disgrace.” 

“I don’t know how his mother forgave Ralph after he cheated her out of the castle then switched sides like that.” Edwin spat over the wall. “But then he’d always been jealous.” 

“Of what?”

“Your grandfather was raised from minor lord to royal constable. That honour was meant to pass to your father, the eldest, but Ralph, always arrogant, hated that.”

Nicola’s jaw tightened. Of course. Papa’s obsession with honour had begun with Ralph’s betrayal. If he hadn’t turned traitor, maybe Papa wouldn’t be so desperate to bind her future to a husband he deemed trustworthy enough to honour the family name.

“Thousands dead in the field,” Edwin muttered, crossing himself. “Good men; good horses. The grass ran red. I saw King Stephen captured. Then I had to serve Ralph.” He scowled. “That man changed sides so often, we never knew who the enemy was.”

A gust slapped Nicola’s braid across her cheek. She turned into it, breathing the sharp, clean air. Over the gate, the Haye red sun banner snapped in salute. Beyond, geese flapped over Brayford Pool. She envied them. Free. While she, despite the commanding view, was little more than a prisoner in her own castle.

She hefted the crossbow. “Shall we begin?”

Edwin took it from her. “Lady Nicola, if you’ll pardon me—this is nonsense. If there’s a battle, you’ll be in the tower, not fighting on the walls.”

Her cheeks burned; half ashamed, half angry. “I will be constable one day.”

“Your husband will. You’ll never be a knight.” He snorted. “Or a crossbowman.”

Her fists clenched. “If that’s what you think, Edwin, I’ve better things to do.” She turned to go.

He caught her arm. “Forgive me. I just...” He hesitated. “When the castle last fell under siege, the town was attacked. The women...” His jaw tightened. “You’re like a daughter to me. If the worst comes, I want you safe in the Lucy Tower. I’ll teach you to use a dagger—but not this.”

Her jaw tensed. She liked and admired him, but he wasn’t her father. He’d no right to tell her what she could or couldn’t be. “Mayhap I’ll surprise you,” she snapped.

He blinked, as though seeing her for the first time.

She folded her arms.

He sighed. “Very well. Strap this on.” He handed her a thick belt with a large iron hook.

She cinched it around her waist.

“Tight,” he said. He passed her the crossbow.

A laugh echoed from the bailey. Three guardsmen stood shielding their eyes, staring up. Her cheeks flamed. One of them had laughed, but which? She couldn’t see.

She lifted her chin. Let them stare. She was a Haye.

“Hitch up your gown,” Edwin said.

She pulled at the fabric, revealing her ankles and goatskin shoes.

Edwin frowned. “You’ll never manage in those. You need boots... really, you need chausses.”

“You should have told me. I’d have worn my riding boots.”

“Next time.” He took the belt back, buckled it on, placed a boot in the stirrup, caught the whipcord with the hook, and bent his knees. “You have to use your body. It’s got more power than your legs or arms.” Slowly, he rose, the hooked belt moving with him, dragging the cord until it clicked into place.

Nicola stared. What had she been thinking? She’d never manage that.

He fitted a bolt. “Here.” He handed the weapon to her.

The crossbow felt heavier than before. She’d watched men do this hundreds of times; but it was her turn now.

“Hold it to your shoulder, like so.” He positioned the crossbow. “Set the butt firmly. It keeps the weapon steady.” He moved her fingers into position.

Another laugh ripped through the air. 

“Now,” Edwin said, “look straight down the length of the stock, using the tip of the bolt as your guide, and align it with the target. For most shots, this’ll be enough. I can teach you how to adjust for range another time.”

If there was a next time.

“Steady breath. Exhale. Then squeeze. Let the crossbow do the work.”

She braced and fired. 

The weapon jolted.

The bolt vanished.

“God’s Knucklebones!” Edwin said, eyes wide. “Only an arm span from the target. We might make a constable of you yet.”

An unexpected surge of pride swept through her, followed by a rush of uncertainty. Was he mocking her? “Did you mean that?”

He didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on the horizon. “Visitors. Ricard du Hommet, I think. And another knight, but I can’t see the emblem.”

Nicola followed his gaze. Four riders galloped from the woods across the Lawn. Two bore the Hommet lilies. The others rode beneath a banner of bright blue with white lions passant. She didn’t recognise the arms.

A cold knot formed in her gut. She had a bad feeling one of the men with the lion emblem was the man Papa would make her marry.

The riders clattered through the barbican.

Her knees buckled. She gripped the parapet.

“Are you alright?” Edwin asked.

“Of course,” she said, forcing a smile. “Just silly women’s concerns.”

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1919337906

Publisher:  Hedgehog Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited) )

No. of Pages:  462 (paperback)

Series:   Book 1 in the Nicola de la Haye series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

After a rewarding career in the sciences, Rachel returned to her first love—history and the art of storytelling. Fascinated by the women history neglected, or tried to forget, she creates meticulously researched, emotionally resonant fiction that brings her characters’ stories vividly to life.

Her fascination with the past began early. At six years old, she was already inventing tales about medieval women in castles, inspired by her treasured Ladybird books and other picture-rich stories that transported her to another time. By the time she discovered Katherine by Anya Seton as a teenager, she knew the joy and escape that only great historical fiction can bring.

Rachel’s two grown-up children still tease her (fondly) about childhoods spent being “dragged” around castles, archaeological sites, and historical re-enactments. For Rachel, history and imagination have always gone hand in hand.

There was, however, a long gap between the stories of her childhood and her decision to write her own novel. The spark came when she discovered the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye—the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion and became known as “the woman who saved England,” Rachel knew she had found her heroine, and a story she was destined to tell.

Rachel lives in the UK, where she continues to explore the lives of women who shaped history but were left out of its pages.

You can also find Rachel at:

Author Website

X

Facebook

Instagram

Bluesky

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

The Queen's Maid: Anne Boleyn in France by Rozsa Gaston - #blogtour #bookspotlight

 

I am thrilled to be shining the spotlight on this historical fiction title today. The Queen's Maid: Anne Boleyn in France is the second part of the Anne Boleyn Chronicles and looks like a fabulous read. I will include some details of the first book at the end of the post.

It will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory, Elizabeth Chadwick, Carol McGrath and Anne O’Brien.

The Blurb

France, 1514

After an enlightening period of training as a lady’s maid at Margaret of Austria’s court, Anne Boleyn has been sent to France.She arrives at the Palace of Tournelles, home of ageing King Louis and his new English wife, Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII. As Anne speaks French, her main role is to serve as translator for Queen Mary.Anne’s sister Mary is also at the French court, and Anne soon learns that not everyone is pleased about the union between the French king and his young queen.

The king’s cousin-in-law, Louise of Savoy, is desperate for Queen Mary not to fall pregnant, so that her son Francis will ascend the throne.And with Louise and the English queen pulling Anne in two different directions, it will not be possible to appease everyone.Can Anne successfully navigate the familial politics at the French royal court? Will she make her mark as one of the queen’s maids?Or could her divided loyalties prove to be her undoing…?

The Queen's Maid is a thoroughly researched, fascinating historical novel set during the 16th century in Europe. It is the second book in the Anne Boleyn Chronicles series.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 0854958016

Publisher:  Sapere Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages: 244 (paperback)

Series: Book 2 in the Anne Boleyn Chronicles

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Purchase Link for Book One in the series: Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria's Court

About the Author

Rozsa Gaston is a historical fiction author who writes books on women who reach for what they want out of life. 

She is the author of Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria's Court, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction, The Queen's Maid: Anne Boleyn in France, Queen of Diamonds: The French Royal Court, Margaret of Austria, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction, the four-book Anne of Brittany Series: Anne and Charles; Anne and Louis, 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗟𝗬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲; Anne and Louis: Rulers and Lovers; and Anne and Louis Forever Bound, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction.

Other works include Sense of Touch, Marguerite and Gaston, The Least Foolish Woman in France, Paris Adieu, and Budapest Romance.

Gaston studied European history at Yale and received her master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia. She worked at Institutional Investor, WR Capital, and as a columnist for The Westchester Guardian before becoming a novelist. 

She is currently working on Book Four of The Anne Boleyn Chronicles, covering Anne Boleyn's time at the 1520 Field of Cloth of Gold. She lives in Bronxville, New York with her family.

Her motto? History matters.

You can also find Rozsa at:

Author Website

X

Facebook

Instagram

Tik Tok

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois Cahall - #blogtour #bookspotlight

 

I am so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this gorgeous looking book today. The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois Cahill is historical biographical fiction and looks like an amazing read.

The Blurb

In the heart of tumultuous times, amidst the grandeur of Victorian opulence, there existed an American socialite whose influence altered the course of the Anglo-Irish treaty: Lady Hazel Lavery

Boston-born Hazel ascended from her Irish roots to become the quintessential Society Queen of Chicago, and later London, where she lived a delicate dance between two worlds: one with her esteemed husband, Sir John Lavery, a portrait artist to royalty, and the other with Michael Collins, the daring Irish rebel whose fiery spirit ignited her heart. Together, they formed a love triangle that echoed through the corridors of power at 10 Downing Street, London.

Hazel's wit and charm touched on the lives of the who's-who of England, including Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw and Evelyn Waugh. The image of her memorable face graced the Irish note for close to half-a-century.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1962465632

Publisher:  Historium Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  340 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Lois Cahall began her writing career as a columnist for Cape Cod newspapers and local periodicals, including Cape Cod Life. She spent a decade writing for national magazines (Conde Nast/Hearst). Her articles have been published in Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, SELF, Marie Claire, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Reader’s Digest, Men’s Journal, and Bon Appetit. In the UK she wrote for RED, GQ, Psychologies, and for The Times. In addition, Lois wrote profiles for The Palm Beach Post.

Lois’s first novel, Plan C: Just in Case, was a #1 bestseller in the UK, where it remained in the top three fiction for the year before selling into foreign translation markets. In July of 2014, her novel hit #1 on the Nook “Daily Deal” in America. Her second novel, Court of the Myrtles, was hailed as “Tuesdays with Morrie on estrogen” by the Ladies Home Journal. Her newest book, The Many Lives of Hazel Lavery, is a work of historical fiction and will be published in 2025.

Lois is the former Creative Director of Development for James Patterson Entertainment. She credits her friend, Jim Patterson, the world’s most successful bestselling author, with teaching her about the importance of children’s reading and literacy. As a result, she founded the Palm Beach Book Festival in 2015, an annual event bringing in NYT bestselling and celebrity authors. The event is for book lovers, nurturing the written word for the children and adults of southern Florida.

In 2024 Lois also founded The Cape Cod Book Festival, an annual autumn event that promises to be a new cultural footprint in Massachusetts. It will be for locals and ‘washashores’ alike – a magical place where charitably minded readers can rub elbows with great writers and thinkers.  

Lois divides her life between New York and Cape Cod, although her spiritual home is London. But most importantly, Lois can do the Hula Hoop for an hour non-stop and clear a Thanksgiving table in just under ten minutes.

(all media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

The Last Women of Mill Street by Kinley Bryan - #blogtour #spotlight

 

What a wonderful cover this book has, and I am thrilled to be bringing you a spotlight post of The Last Women of Mill Street by author, Kinley Bryan.

The Blurb

1864: As Sherman’s army marches toward Atlanta, a cotton mill commandeered by the Confederacy lies in its path. Inside the mill, Clara Douglas weaves cloth and watches over her sister Kitty, waiting for the day her fiancé returns from the West.

When Sherman’s troops destroy the mill, Clara’s plans to start a new life in Nebraska are threatened. Branded as traitors by the Federals, Clara, Kitty, and countless others are exiled to a desolate refugee prison hundreds of miles from home.

Cut off from all they've ever known, Clara clings to hope while grappling with doubts about her fiancé’s ambitions and the unsettling truths surrounding his absence. As the days pass, the sisters find themselves thrust onto the foreign streets of Cincinnati, a city teeming with uncertainty and hostility. She must summon reserves of courage, ingenuity, and strength she didn’t know she had if they are to survive in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming land.

Inspired by true events of the Civil War, The Lost Women of Mill Street is a vividly drawn novel about the bonds of sisterhood, the strength of women, and the repercussions of war on individual lives.

ISBN:  978 1737915232

Publisher:  Blue Mug Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  305 (paperback)

About the Author:

Kinley Bryan's debut novel, Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury, inspired by the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 and her own family history, won the 2022 Publishers Weekly Selfies Award for adult fiction. An Ohio native, she lives in South Carolina with her husband and three children. The Lost Women of Mill Street is her second novel.

(all media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)