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Thursday, 10 July 2025

My Coffee Pot Book Club Guest: Allie Cresswell - The Standing Stone on the Moor


Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find good books
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About the Book
Book Title: The Standing Stone on the Moor
Series: Talbot Saga Book #3 (can be read as a standalone)
Author: Allie Cresswell
Publication Date: 20th June 2025
Publisher: Allie Cresswell Limited
Pages: 531
Genre: Historical Romance

Yorkshire, 1845.

Folklore whispers that they used to burn witches at the standing stone on the moor. When the wind is easterly, it wails a strange lament. History declares it was placed as a marker, visible for miles—a signpost for the lost, directing them towards home.

Forced from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded as ‘thieves and ne’er-do-wells.’ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.

Beth is the steward of nearby manor Tall Chimneys—a thankless task as the owners never visit. An educated young woman, Beth feels restless, like she doesn’t belong. But somehow ‘home’—the old house, the moor and the standing stone—exerts an uncanny magnetism. Thus Ruairi’s great sacrifice—deserting his beloved Irish homestead to save his family—resonates strongly with her.

Could she leave her home to be with him? Will he even ask her to?

As she struggles with her feelings, things take a sinister turn. The peaceable village is threatened by shrouded men crossing the moor at night, smuggling contraband from the coast. Worse, the exotic dancing of a sultry-eyed Irishwoman has local men in a feverish grip. Their womenfolk begin to mutter about spells and witchcraft. And burning.

The Irish refugees must move on, and quickly. Will Beth choose an itinerant life with Ruairi? Or will the power of ‘home’ be too strong?


Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/b5P5pG 

Author’s Website: www.allie-Cresswell.com


Author Bio:

Allie has been writing fiction since she could hold a pencil. She has a BA and an MA in English Literature, specialising in the classics of the nineteenth century.

She has been a print-buyer, a pub landlady, a bookkeeper and the owner of a group of boutique holiday cottage but nowadays she writes full time.

She has two grownup children, five grandchildren and two cockapoos but just one husband, Tim. They live in the remote northwest of the UK.

The Standing Stone on the Moor is her sixteenth novel. 


Author Links:

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read an excerpt

The Standing Stone on the Moor

Beth said, ‘I was sent to school and educated to be a gentlewoman. At one time I wished very much to be a teacher. But I had to return and now I do not know, if I had the freedom, that I would take it. Home is …’ she sought for the right words, ‘… so powerful a draw,’ she concluded. ‘But …’ she did not know how to explain what she wanted to say, how the heartstrings that tied her to Tall Chimneys felt sometimes like restraints that she must fight against. That this home—no matter how secure or comfortable it might be—felt like a prison. That she was capable, was ready for so much more. And that this contradiction caused her, sometimes, to feel both restless and afraid.

She lifted her gaze to his, and it felt that even though she had not expressed the heart of her dichotomy, he had understood it.

He said, ‘Indeed. But not so powerful that one would remain to die. Whether that be a physical death, or an emotional one. Either way, the instinct to live is stronger.’

Beth thought about Tall Chimneys as it lay below them in the quiet hollow; its stately chimneys, its patient pride, its watchful waiting silence. ‘I think, if I had to leave here, I might die,’ she said, very low, ‘but sometimes I think I will die if I don’t.’

The look of empathy that crossed his features was intense, a mirroring of her own tormented soul, and Beth felt the great balm that comes from being seen and understood. But then, with an inrush of compassion and eyes full of guilty sorrow she said, ‘How thoughtless and cruel you must think me. When you have been torn from your home and have no idea of when—or if—you might return. You must think about it, in its neglected state. Your childhood memories, I suppose, are all there, and you left behind the ones you loved.’

‘Oh no,’ he assured her, allowing his eyes to travel to where Aoife and Dónall sat across the fire. ‘I brought away the ones I love, to save them. They … they could not withstand it. Could not watch their neighbours starve, sicken and die. The ravening wolf of hunger took many forms, Betsey.’ He had used her familiar name, the one that made her feel like a child, but Beth did not care; they were so aligned in spirit and like-mindedness that there was no space for nicety between them. ‘You would not conceive the ways people will prey on those who are desperate. Aoife is not constituted for hardship,’ he went on, ‘and Dónall is too …’ he groped for the word, but it evaded him. ‘Life is confusing enough for him. But for them, I would have stayed. Oh!’ He turned back to face her, and his eyes were alight with passion. ‘I understand you when you speak of the power of home. My roots were deep in the soil, as yours are, and had I been by myself I believe I could have endured any hardship for the sake of that patch of ground that was mine and mine alone. No landlord could take it from me, and I had not mortgaged it, as so many had. But the land, Betsey, was poisoned, and anything that grew was foul. While I might have scratched a meagre living for myself, I could not feed three and so I tore myself from it as a tree is torn from the ground, as that stone there,’ he motioned to the standing stone, which was a monolith of shadow now, for the sun had set and night had come, ‘as that stone was ripped from where it belonged.’ His voice broke, and he pressed his hand to his eyes.

‘I am sorry. I am sorry,’ cried Beth, sick at heart.

He reached out and took her hand and held it tightly, and they sat side by side in the glow from the fire, speaking no more, until at last her head drooped and rested upon his shoulder.

The night slipped around, over and past her. She was conscious of low voices, of the lilt of the harp as it played a haunting air, of the snap of the fire and the crackle of sparks as they rose into the night sky. Then even that remote consciousness left her, and she slept.


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(note: Helen might not have read the featured title yet)


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You might also like books written by 
Helen Hollick 

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New release anthology
by various authors

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Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

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The SEA WITCH VOYAGES
nautical adventures with a touch of supernatural
 set during the Golden Age of Piracy
If you enjoyed the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean movie,
you'll love these (much better!) seafaring voyages!

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THE SAXON SERIES
The story of the events that led to
The Battle of Hastings in 1066

Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition)
AND
1066 Turned Upside Down
an anthology of 'What If'' 1066 tales


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KING ARTHUR
The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy
 The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend... 

*
PLUS...
anthologies (which include award-winning authors)
and non-fiction


More Information:

*
my monthly ' essay' on an interesting topic
)

PLEASE: 

LEAVE A REVIEW 

FOR YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS ON AMAZON! 



Just a 4 or 5 star rating and a brief 

 "I thoroughly enjoyed this book!" will make such a difference!

THANK YOU!

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

My Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour Guest: The Soprano’s Daring Duke by Susanne Dunlap


Rachel's Random Resources
Book Tours
Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find good books
to enjoy along the way!



About the Book
The Soprano’s Daring Duke

A princess with a scandalous secret. A duke desperate for a wealthy bride. A debutante torn between duty and passion.

Newly widowed Princess Adelheid Kinsky thought she was free—until she learns of her abusive late husband’s final betrayal. The son she believed dead, the illegitimate child of a forbidden love, still lives. To secure his future, she must marry within a month—without revealing the truth. Her best prospect? The Duke of Hartland, a notorious rake drowning in debt.

Meanwhile, Hartland sets his sights on Olivia Fontenoy, an heiress whose fortune could solve all his problems. But innocent Olivia dreams of music, not marriage, and seizes the chance to perform in disguise at the King’s Theatre—unwittingly ensnaring everyone she knows in scandal.

As deception and desire collide, Olivia finds herself drawn to Hartland’s closest friend, the quiet yet passionate Marquess of Lewiston—a man who offers her something far more profound than mere security. And for Adelheid, an unexpected alliance may hold the key to her dreams.

With a surprising ending worthy of grand opera, The Soprano’s Daring Duke is a sweeping Regency tale of love, risk, and the courage to defy expectations.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DZHXZZ6H

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DZHXZZ6H

 

Author Bio –

Susanne Dunlap is the award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels for adults and teens, as well as an author of Regency romance. The Dressmaker’s Secret Earl is the bestselling Book 1 in her Double-Dilemma Romance Series. Book 2, The Soprano’s Daring Duke, will be published in June. She is also an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach.

Social Media Links –

https://instagram.com/susanne_dunlap

https://facebook.com/SusanneRomance

https://TikTok.com/SusieRegency

Website: https://susanne-dunlap.com


https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/
@rararesources
#RachelsRandomResources

(note: Helen might not have read the featured title yet)


*** ***

scroll down to leave a comment

thank you!

*

Follow Helen On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.hollick

Bluesky: @HelenHollick - http://helenhollick.bsky.social/

Twitter: @HelenHollick 

*
You might also like books written by 
Helen Hollick 

*
New release anthology
by various authors

*

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

*
The SEA WITCH VOYAGES
nautical adventures with a touch of supernatural
 set during the Golden Age of Piracy
If you enjoyed the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean movie,
you'll love these (much better!) seafaring voyages!

*
THE SAXON SERIES
The story of the events that led to
The Battle of Hastings in 1066

Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition)
AND
1066 Turned Upside Down
an anthology of 'What If'' 1066 tales


*
KING ARTHUR
The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy
 The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend... 

*
PLUS...
anthologies (which include award-winning authors)
and non-fiction


More Information:

*
my monthly ' essay' on an interesting topic
)

PLEASE: 

LEAVE A REVIEW 

FOR YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS ON AMAZON! 



Just a 4 or 5 star rating and a brief 

 "I thoroughly enjoyed this book!" will make such a difference!

THANK YOU!

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

FATEFUL ENCOUNTERS... FATEFUL MOMENTS



FATEful Moments

Enjoy an Excerpt from

each Fateful story via 

Elizabeth St.John

Elizabeth St.John


Annie Whitehead


Helen Hollick

Jean Gill

Marian L Thorpe



Alison Morton

PLUS

Jean Gill was with Alison Morton being

Also with Alison...
Helen Hollick on the 


while J.P. Reedman talked about


AND...


... and we enjoyed a Coffee Pot Book Club Tour



If you've already enjoyed reading Fate...
or ANY other book by these award-winning authors 

(or ANY author, come to that!)

please do consider leaving a 4 or 5 star review or comment on Amazon.
It really does help!

Thank you


Amazon Author pages: