MY COFFEE POT SPOTLIGHT TOUR
February 27th
February 28th
March 1st
Mary Anne Bernal |
| created by Mary Anne Bernal |
March 2nd
March 3rd
Monday, 27 February 2023
Tuesday, 21 February 2023
My Coffee Pot Guest Stella Riley - The Black Madonna
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| Welcome to my Blog! Wander through wonderful worlds real and fictional, meet interesting people, visit exciting places and find a few good books to enjoy along the way! |
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| About the Book |
Book Title: The Black Madonna
Series: Roundheads & Cavaliers (Book 1 of 4)
Author: Stella Riley
Publication Date: 31st May 2013
Publisher: Stella Riley
Page Length: 622
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
(Audiobook narrated by Alex Wyndham)
As England slides into Civil War, master-goldsmith and money-lender, Luciano Falcieri del Santi embarks on his own hidden agenda. A chance meeting one dark night results in an unlikely friendship with Member of Parliament, Richard Maxwell. Richard’s daughter, Kate – a spirited girl who vows to hold their home against both Cavalier and Roundhead – soon finds herself fighting an involuntary attraction to the clever, magnetic and diabolically beautiful Italian.
Hampered by the warring English, his quest growing daily more dangerous, Luciano begins to realise that his own life and that of everyone close to him rests on the knife-edge of success … for only success will permit him to reclaim the Black Madonna and offer his heart to the girl he loves.
From the machinations within Parliament to the last days of the King’s cause, The Black Madonna is an epic saga of passion and intrigue at a time when England was lost in a dark and bloody conflict.
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| Read An Excerpt |
Excerpt 5
(1520 words)
Luciano takes Richard Maxwell into his confidence … and asks a favour.
February became March and in London, the House
continued to prepare for the opening of Strafford’s trial on the 22nd.
It compiled the twenty-eight articles of impeachment – sixteen of which were
aimed at the Earl’s Irish policies – and then allowed the indictment to be
printed so it could be read by the public.
Meanwhile, crushed by the responsibility of trying to deal with the
rising Irish opposition, acting Lord-Deputy Wandesford succumbed to a chill and
died.
It was this, when he heard of it, that caused Richard
Maxwell to spend a little time pondering the Irish question and eventually,
towards the end of the month, to discuss the matter over dinner with Luciano
del Santi.
‘I suspect,’ he said at length, ‘that there’s going to
be trouble. The Irish supported
Strafford because he offered the best hope of curtailing the sale of land to
English profiteers. So the burning
question now, I suppose, is what line his successor will take.’
‘Quite. The
word in the City is that the Earl of Ormonde has been suggested but that he’ll
be rejected in favour of someone less likely to provoke Lord Cork and his merry
band of speculators.’ The Italian’s deep
cobalt eyes met Richard’s grey ones. ‘Do
you understand Irish politics?’
‘Does anyone?
What little I know comes from the infrequent bulletins Dorothy’s brother
sends us. He’s served under Strafford
for the last couple of years – and has presumably stayed on in Ireland to try
and hold things together.’
‘Yes? Then I
hope that he is well-paid,’ came the arid response. Then, ‘We spoke some time ago of Strafford
and you declined to comment. What is
your opinion now?’
Richard’s expression grew grave.
‘I don’t know.
I think he may have been sincere according to his lights ... and he
certainly doesn’t look like Black Tom Tyrant any more.’
‘No. He looks
like a sick old man.’
‘You’ve been to the trial?’
‘Yesterday. I
shan’t go again. I’ve seen what I wished
to see … and not even for the pleasure of hearing more of Strafford’s quite
masterly defence will I spend another hour on the public benches, squashed
between fellows swilling ale, eating onions and relieving themselves on the
floor.’
Richard nodded slowly but it was a long time before he
spoke. Finally, he said, ‘You admire
Strafford?’
‘I like precision and the ability to stick to the
facts. I respect the fair-mindedness he
applied to his role in Ireland. Yes. I
think it’s fair to say that I admire him.
Certainly, I wish him well.’
Luciano paused, smiling sardonically.
‘I enjoyed seeing the credibility of the prosecution being reduced to
pulp. But it can’t last. I’m sure Pym has something up his sleeve.’
‘He has.’
Richard stared carefully into space.
‘Secretary Vane has been a mite careless with his papers.’
There was another silence.
‘Let me guess,’ said the Italian with heavy
irony. ‘Harry Vane the younger – that
well-known, fire-breathing Puritan – has been rifling through his father’s
drawers. Yes?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’
‘And according to the notes of a Privy Council meeting
held in May of last year, Strafford suggested raising ‘an army in Ireland you may employ here to reduce this kingdom’.’
Luciano del Santi appeared supremely unimpressed.
‘Which
kingdom?’ he asked calmly.
‘Well, that is the crux of the matter. We all knew about the army Strafford was
raising to fight the Scots. But what if
there had also been some idea of using it here?’
‘Are you seriously asking me that question?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then either Pym’s a cleverer man than I took him for
– or you are a lesser one,’ came the uncompromising reply. ‘Do you really
suppose that if the King was planning to unleash an Irish army on the undutiful
English there would be a record of it in Council? And any dozen words quoted
out of context can be made to sound incriminating. You know that. But your problem is that you also know what
will happen if Strafford is allowed to resume his position at the King’s
side. However … if you’re going to help
destroy the man, at least acknowledge why – and for God’s sake don’t try
placating your conscience with sanctimonious clap-trap. It’s not worthy of
you.’
For a long time, Richard stared back without
speaking. Then he said gently, ‘How old
are you?’
Amusement and perfect comprehension touched the
sculpted face.
‘Twenty-five.’
‘God help us, then, when you’re thirty,’ remarked
Richard feelingly. ‘All right. The truth is that Strafford needs to be
removed but I don’t like the way it’s being done. On the other hand, because I
put my country before the life of any one man, I’m unlikely to lift a finger to
save him. Is that better?’
‘It is, at least, honest.’
‘You set great store by that, don’t you?’
The dark brows rose.
‘It surprises you?’
‘No – not exactly.
It makes me wonder why.’
The Italian laughed with an odd mixture of mockery and
reluctance and reached for his glass. Green fire flared from the great emerald
on his hand and, idly watching it, Richard wondered how much he had drunk – how
much they had both drunk. He himself
felt pleasantly mellow and, though the shadowed eyes held a gleam of something
he could not quite name, del Santi did not look cup-shot either. But at the back of his mind lurked the
suspicion that they had arrived at a sort of crossroads; one from which there
would be no going back. He refilled his
glass and waited.
‘You wonder why?’ came the eventual response. ‘Of course you do. There’s a reason for
everything, isn’t there? And a reason
why – against every sensible tenet I’ve ever held – I’m now obliged to take you
a little way into my confidence.’ He
smiled wryly. ‘There’s a compliment in
that. I always swore I’d never trust an
Englishman. And, to be frank, I don’t
trust many people at all. Next to love,
trust is probably the most dangerous condition known to man – and as such, best
restricted. So I trust Giacomo who has
known me since I was sixteen and Selim to whom I owe my life; and now you … of
whom, unfortunately, I must ask a favour.’
‘I see,’ said Richard neutrally. ‘Regarding what?’
‘My sister. In three weeks’ time, I leave for Genoa. I
go there every year in April to acquit a financial obligation to my uncle. I can’t take Gianetta with me – and I can’t
leave her here because Giacomo can’t cope with her and Selim travels with
me. So I wondered if you might possibly
be good enough …’ He stopped, plainly finding it hard to ask.
‘To take her off your hands and place her in
safe-keeping at Thorne Ash?’ finished Richard obligingly.
‘Yes. It’s not
a small thing, I know … but there’s no one else I can ask. And at least she’s stopped throwing things.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.
Dorothy will want a written guarantee against damages.’
‘She shall have it.’
‘In triplicate.
Very well. How soon would you care to deliver Mistress Gianetta? Or are
you hoping that I’ll do it for you?’
‘I hadn’t thought that far ahead. First, there are other things I ought to tell
you – because if I don’t, certain things Gianetta may say will puzzle you.’
‘Ah.’
‘Quite. To
begin with, she wants to force me into returning her to my uncle so that she
can marry his youngest son. I’ve no
intention of doing so – nor would my uncle wish it. Like me, he’s fully conscious that – he and
my father having married a pair of sisters – the relationship between their
children is too close to admit marriage. Gianetta, however, can’t accept that
having indulged her every wish since she was six years old and taught her to
look upon me as part of the hired help, our uncle can’t be brought round her
thumb this time. Consequently, I’m the villain of the piece.’ He paused and sipped his wine. ‘And that’s
why I have to tell you a long and not particularly edifying tale about the
ability of English law to do a man to death on the strength of little more than his nationality and
religion.’
The room seemed suddenly airless and Richard set down
his glass, aware that the turning point was upon him and that he wasn’t sure he
wanted it. He said, ‘I think you’d
better start at the beginning.’
‘Yes.’ A faint
frown entered the Italian’s eyes and he gazed down into the ruby liquid in his
glass. ‘After so long, it’s hard to know
where to start – or how to make you believe me.
But in the end I suppose the most I can hope for is that you’ll listen.’
‘I’ll listen.
Where does your story start?’
‘It starts here in London in the spring of 1615 when a young man left Genoa with his bride to set himself up as a goldsmith and money-lender in Foster Lane.’ A crooked smile dawned. ‘His name was Alessandro Falcieri … and he was, of course, my father.’
Buy Links:
*Only £1.95 / $1.95 for the duration of the Blog Tour*
Universal Buy Link:
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Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM/
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM/
Amazon CA:
https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Madonna-Roundheads-Cavaliers-Book-ebook/dp/B00D4CF3LM/
Amazon AU:
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Barnes and Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-black-madonna-stella-riley/1115550936?ean=2940044562431
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-black-madonna-5
Apple:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-black-madonna/id659127225
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/321222
Audio:
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Black-Madonna-Audiobook/B07SYMJ11G
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stella Riley
Winner of three gold medals for historical romance (Readers’ Favourite in 2019, Book Excellence Awards in 2020, Global Book Awards in 2022) and fourteen B.R.A.G. Medallions, Stella Riley lives in the beautiful medieval town of Sandwich in Kent.
She is fascinated by the English Civil Wars and has written six books set in that period. These, like the seven-book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times newspaper!) and the Brandon Brothers trilogy, are all available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.
Stella enjoys travel, reading, theatre, Baroque music and playing the harpsichord. She also has a fondness for men with long hair – hence her 17th and 18th century heroes.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://stellarileybooks.co.uk
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/RileyStella
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/stellariley.books
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/stellarileybooks/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/riley9631/stella-riley-books/
Book Bub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stella-riley
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stella-Riley/e/B0034PB7UU/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50913323-the-black-madonna
Twitter Handles: @RileyStella @cathiedunn
Hashtags: #TheBlackMadonna #EnglishCivilWar #Blog Tour #TheCoffeePotBookClub
Tour Schedule Page:
https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/12/blog-tour-black-madonna-by-stella-riley.html
note: Helen has not yet read this title - it is on her TBR list!
*** ***
You might also like
books written by Helen Hollick
Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries
set in the 1970s
 |
* * *
THE SAXON SERIES
the events that led to 1066
the Battle of Hastings
 |
| 1066 - the events that led to the Battle of Hastings from Amazon Harold the King (UK edition) I Am The Chosen King (US/Canada edition) 1066 Turned Upside Down - an anthology of alternative stories |
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Monday, 20 February 2023
ME on MONDAY - Today: Cosy or Cozy?
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| JUST ME on MONDAY |
When setting out to write, and then market, my new Murder Mystery Jan Christopher series, I had to sit down and think about making a decision or two.
The prime one was, what version of the spelling of 'cosy' do I use? With the British 's' or the American 'z' (which, as a side note, is said as Zee in the US and Zed in the UK!)
First, what ARE Cosy Mysteries?
They're basically easy, light, reads without too much specific detail (no description of graphic violence, an implication of sex, but again no detail... 'romance' stops at the bedroom door.) The lead character/s are usually, amateur sleuths, often female, with an emphasis on the characters rather than the police procedure and the crime itself. So Murder She Wrote, rather than Morse.
Often, 'Cosies' are fairly short, so novellas, which are anything from 40.000 words to 70,000, or shorter reads of 80-90,000. The 'novella' type is quite popular though.
This was, actually, my second decision: what length to go for? I opted for around the 40-50,000 target, Quick, entertaining reads (and I confess, quick and entertaining to write.)
The difference between the spelling of cosy v cozy, though, was a bit of a dilemma.
Cozy, with the 'z' seemed the most 'popular' on Amazon, but then most of the authors were American, or at least the books were aimed at the American market. I'm British. My characters are British, the settings are in 1970s Britain (North London and Devon) everything else in the books has British English spelling - so why would I opt for coZy?
Most of my readers for this series, I thought, were more likely to be British readers (or Australian or Canadian - ex-pats), so British spelling.
I decided, however, to use the 'z' when any marketing was likely to appear for US readers - so anything I scheduled on Twitter that would appear in the late evening UK time, would likely be daytime in the US. I also occasionally use #cosy and #cozy in order to pick up both hashtags.
Just as an example for those who do not know the difference with spelling:
British English retains the spelling of words absorbed from other languages, mainly French and German. While American English spellings connect to how a word sounds when spoken.
So: British English words ending in our usually end in or in American English:
BRITISH US
colour color
flavour flavor
humour humor
neighbour neighbor
Verbs in British English can be either ‘ize’ or ‘ise’ but are always with ‘ize’ in American English (so this also applies to the British English Cosy v 'Cozy')
BRITISH US
apologize or apologise Apologize
organize or organise Organize
recognize or recognise Recognize
double or single 'L'?
BRITISH US
travelled traveled
travelling traveling
traveller traveler
and ‘ence’ or ‘ense'?
BRITISH US
defence defense
licence license
offence offense
pretence pretense
What is frustrating: Microsoft Word. The default for the spellcheck is US spelling. Try to change it on a document that was originally written under US default...? Forget it.
I have recently had to re-edit some of my old word files for my Arthurian Trilogy. Two of the books were British files, so no problem. One was a US file. Could I persuade the spell checker that I wanted to check the spellings as British UK and NOT American? Could I heck!
I've basically ended up adding all the British spellings I need to American Word. dictionary!
But for my Jan Christopher series... it's coSy not coZy.
FOLLOW MY ON-LINE TOUR... https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2023/02/follow-my-tour.html  <PREVIOUS ME ON MONDAY  Enjoy a cosy coffee - bye for now |
Friday, 17 February 2023
Thursday, 16 February 2023
My Coffee Pot Guest: Micheál Cladáin: HAMMER The Iron Between
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| Welcome to my Blog! Wander through wonderful worlds real and fictional, meet interesting people, visit exciting places and find a few good books to enjoy along the way! |
|
| About the Book |
Book Title: Hammer
Series: The Iron Between
Author: Micheál Cladáin
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Publisher: PerchedCrowPress
Page Length: 375
Genre: Historical Fiction
Genonn's tired and dreams of a remote roundhouse in the Cuala Mountains.
However, sudden rebellion in Roman Britain destroys that dream because the Elder Council task him with delivering Lorg Mór, the hammer of the Gods, to the tribes across the straits of Pwll Ceris. Despite being torn between a waning sense of duty and his desire to become a hermit, Genonn finally agrees to help.
When his daughter follows him into danger, it tests his resolve. He wants to do everything he can to see her back to Druid Island and her mother. This new test of will means he is once again conflicted between duty and desire. Ultimately, his sense of duty wins; is it the right decision? Has he done the right thing by relegating his daughter’s safety below his commitment to the clans?
The shield wall
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus meant a shield wall to save the Roman Legions at the Battle of Watling street. Suetonius arrayed his forces in a narrow defile (exact location unknown) with a forest behind. This geographical location meant he could form his legionaries into a wall against which Boudica’s army would batter itself into submission. As it happened, the wall was ultimately redundant. When the Romans launched their javelins, the Britons milled about in confusion, allowing Suetonius to drive a wedge into them and the cavalry to attack from the flanks.
But where does the shield wall formation originate?
A shield wall was used by many ancient armies, including the Persian Sparabara, Greek phalanx, and the early Roman army, but its origin is unknown.
In the seventh century BCE, Greek soldiers called hoplites formed a shield wall. Rather than the warrior-to-warrior battles that preceded them, hoplites fought as a single unit with their shields pushing forward against the enemy in front. The shield’s left side covered the unprotected right side of the soldier standing beside them. The second row of warriors attacked their enemy’s exposed legs and faces through and over the shield wall. Inexperienced or poor fighters stood in the middle of the formation at the front, which gave them physical and mental security.
The Romans changed the structure slightly by developing a shield with curved edges. The scutum was a large shield which fit with others to form a shield wall without overlapping. Roman tacticians then created a shield wall called a testudo or tortoise that covered all sides and above, making the legionaries well-protected from missiles. The testudo formation, however, was slow and vulnerable to isolation. Roman legionaries used the gladius in their shield walls, which was much more effective than a longsword in close-quarter combat.
In the late Byzantine armies, locked shield formations with projecting spears were called fulcum. Fulcum were first described in the late 6th-century Strategikon. The Daylamite infantry used solid shield walls while advancing against their enemies. They used two-pronged short spears and battle axes from behind.
The shield wall was used in many parts of Northern Europe. Caesar described the German shield wall in his Comentarii de Bello Gallico. They were also used in England as the old English epic poem Beowulf mentions a shield wall. Some would contest that the Vikings did not use shield walls. However, during battles between the Anglo-Saxons and the Scandinavians in England, the Saxon army would have been primarily inexperienced fyrd, a militia composed of peasants. Because the fyrd were essentially farmers, the Saxons used a shield wall as it did not require any combat skill.
The first three ranks of the wall comprised select warriors, huscarls and thegns, who carried heavier weapons and wore armour. These warriors were often retainers of ealdormen or noble. However, most combatants in such battles were equipped only with shields and spears, which they used against their opponents’ unprotected legs or faces. Warriors used short swords, such as the seax from which the Saxons name stems. The battle would then be one of attrition, hacking at each other until one army fled.
A shield wall was used at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, where the well-armed Saxon army under King Harold ambushed the Norwegian army of King Harald Sigurdsson. The Norwegians only wore helmets because they had left their armour aboard ship. After the battle between two shield walls, the Norse army fled in panic. Stamford Bridge illustrates the drawback of a shield wall that, once breached, the formation tended to buckle. Being shoulder to shoulder with their comrades maintained the morale of warriors.
The Battle of Hastings illustrated the vulnerability of a shield wall. The Bayeux Tapestry shows both sides using shield walls. However, the Normans won the battle using a combination of feigned retreats and cavalry. After the battle, the shield wall became less common, although it was still used in areas unsuited to mounted soldiers.
Modern
police forces use shield walls as a defence against rioting.
Buy Links:
Hammer is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/bzKZWz
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BMLQML9J
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMLQML9J
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BMLQML9J
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BMLQML9J
About the author
Micheál has been an author for many years. He studied Classics and developed a love of Greek and Roman culture through those studies. In particular, he loved their mythologies. As well as a classical education, bedtime stories consisted of tales read from a great tome of Greek Mythology, and Micheál was destined to become a storyteller from those times.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.philhughespublishing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cladain_m
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickcladain/
Amazon Author Page:
Follow the Tour
Twitter Handle: @cladain_m @cathiedunn
Instagram Handle: @mickcladain @thecoffeepotbookclub
Hashtags: #Hammer #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub
Tour Schedule Page:
note: Helen has not yet read this title - it is on her TBR list!
*** ***
You might also like
books written by Helen Hollick
Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
* * *
THE SAXON SERIES
the events that led to 1066
the Battle of Hastings
|
| 1066 - the events that led to the Battle of Hastings from Amazon Harold the King (UK edition) I Am The Chosen King (US/Canada edition) 1066 Turned Upside Down - an anthology of alternative stories |
 |
| Amazon: FREE ebook! |
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