Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of Mystery and Kings...: September 2025

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Rachels' Random Resources Book Tour Of: Murder at Trafalgar Square by Michelle Salter

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

Murder at Trafalgar Square

A murdered suffragette. A missing politician. A stolen artwork.

London, 1910

Coral Fairbanks is a contradiction. As well as a suffragette, she's a bit-part actress and nude model, earning her the disapproval of her fellow suffragettes.

Guy Flynn is an artist. He’s also a detective inspector at Scotland Yard, who doesn’t always see eye to eye with fellow officers in the Metropolitan Police.

When Home Secretary Winston Churchill orders the police to terrorise the suffragettes during an afternoon of violence that becomes known as Black Friday, the battlelines are drawn – and Coral Fairbanks and Guy Flynn are on different sides.

But when a young suffragette is found murdered in the National Portrait Gallery and one of their paintings is stolen – Fairbanks and Flynn must put their differences aside and combine their knowledge to track down the killer.

Introducing an iconic detective duo in Fairbanks and Flynn, this is an exciting and gripping historical mystery, which will delight fans of Agatha Christie, Benedict Brown and T. E. Kinsey

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/MurderTrafalgarSquare

Author Bio –

Michelle Salter writes historical cosy crime set in Hampshire, where she lives, and inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. Her Iris Woodmore series draws on an interest in the aftermath of the Great War and the suffragette movement.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @MichelleSalterWriter

Instagram: michellesalter_writer

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MichelleSalterNews

Bookbub profile: @MichelleSalter

My Thoughts

As a cosy mystery this one was quite satisfying, good plot, good characters, well researched historically and with a satisfying ending. The Suffragette element and the setting of London circa 1910 was also most enjoyable and well depicted. I admit to rather preferring DI Guy Flynn a little more than leading protagonist Coral Fairbanks, as I feel he was the better portrayed (Coral did irritate a little at first) but this is the start of a new series, so perspectives might change with future titles.

The story was a little slow to get going, with a lot of characters to get to know (difficult on a Kindle as it isn't easy to flick back to see who is who) however once it got going, and once the murder appeared, things brightened up considerably.

So a decent start to a new series.

**** 4 stars

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

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Sunday, 28 September 2025

My Coffee Pot Book Tour Guest: The Man In The Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell

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Wander through worlds
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About the Book

Name: Stephanie Cowell

Book Title: The Man in the Stone Cottage: a novel of the Brontë sisters

Publication Date: September 16th, 2025

Publisher: Regal House Publishing

Pages: 258

Genre: historical fiction

Audiobook by Brilliance Audio

“A haunting and atmospheric historical novel.” – Library Journal

In 1846 Yorkshire, the Brontë sisters— Charlotte, Anne, and Emily— navigate precarious lives marked by heartbreak and struggle.

Charlotte faces rejection from the man she loves, while their blind father and troubled brother add to their burdens. Despite their immense talent, no one will publish their poetry or novels.

Amidst this turmoil, Emily encounters a charming shepherd during her solitary walks on the moors, yet he remains unseen by anyone else.

After Emily’ s untimely death, Charlotte— now a successful author with Jane Eyre— stumbles upon hidden letters and a mysterious map. As she stands on the brink of her own marriage, Charlotte is determined to uncover the truth about her sister’ s secret relationship.

The Man in the Stone Cottage is a poignant exploration of sisterly bonds and the complexities of perception, asking whether what feels real to one person can truly be real to another.

Praise for The Man in the Stone Cottage:

“A mesmerizing and heartrending novel of sisterhood, love, and loss in Victorian England.” - Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of Queens of London

“Stephanie Cowell has written a masterpiece.” - Anne Easter Smith, author of This Son of York

“With The Man in the Stone Cottage, Stephanie Cowell asks what is real and what is imagined and then masterfully guides her readers on a journey of deciding for themselves.” - Cathy Marie Buchanan, author of The Painted Girls

“The Brontës come alive in this beautiful, poignant, elegant and so very readable tale. Just exquisite.” - NYT bestseller, M.J. Rose

“Cowell’s ability to take readers to time and place is truly wonderful and absorbing.” - Stephanie H. (Netgalley)

“Such a lovely, lovely book!” - Books by Dorothea (Netgalley)

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mqLV2d

Author Bio:

Stephanie Cowell has been an opera singer, balladeer, founder of Strawberry Opera and other arts venues including a Renaissance festival in NYC.

She is the author of seven novels including Marrying Mozart, Claude & Camille: a novel of Monet, The Boy in the Rain and The Man in the Stone Cottage. Her work has been translated into several languages and adapted into an opera. Stephanie is the recipient of an American Book Award.

Author Links:

Website: https://stephaniecowell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.cowell.14

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowell.stephanie/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/stephaniecowell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197596.Stephanie_Cowell

read an excerpt

Charlotte finds the lost box of the writing she, her sisters Anne and Emily, and their brother Bramwell created when they were children

She fled to housework to soothe herself as she had always done, washing floors with the rag mop. Then she tidied the whole house, beginning with the cellar, where they kept old sketches, some childhood clothes, copies of the Illustrated London News and the Spectator. She straightened her father’s room, finding her mother’s fragile wedding bonnet in a trunk and the long-dried flowers her mother had carried at her marriage. Charlotte found cobwebs even Emily had failed to notice, a mouse hole, an empty bottle of some French brandy behind the tall clock.

She could do nothing with her father’s study; he would not let her touch it.

She turned to her own bedroom, starting with her wardrobe. It was a slender but deep wardrobe, too tall for her to reach the top shelves. Only the sexton Brown could manage it. Still, Charlotte would not be deterred. She moved a chair to stand upon. What stuff was there! Unmendable childhood bonnets, a bottle of dried cough syrup, a tiny chemise, lesson books from schooldays. And then, behind a moth-eaten thick shawl that her aunt had worn, a heavy wooden box.

She simply could not believe it. Here was the lost box of their collected childhood writing. Because she could not manage to lift it down, she dropped it onto the bed below and climbed down after it. The box was now sideways on her quilt. She made out the faint letters printed on the side, reading Hair tonic for the gentleman, James Street, London. There was a smell of orange and oil from the original bottles it had held long ago.

So her dead aunt’s shawl had hidden their childhood work all these years. No wonder Brown had looked and reported no box was there. Her sisters and brother had been resigned that it had somehow been given to the junkman to cart away.

Charlotte lifted the lid and reached inside to lift the loose pages and small, handsewn books, laying them on the desk to look through. Here were all the stories she and her sisters had written after Papa had taken them home forever from that school for clergymen’s daughters. Bran’s prolific stories were there too.

Carefully, Charlotte sifted through the tiny handwritten pages. A whole little book, carefully stitched, was her creation. Oh, the worlds they had made up as children! On the top of the box was written in stern childish letters, Property of the Brontë children, return if found or be cursed always. Not that it could be lost then; it never left the house, and they were always adding to the papers.

How serious they had been, and what a struggle to find enough paper for their words! When they could find no more scraps, she and her sisters walked to the village shop that sold writing supplies, dry goods, and sundries. The stationer John Greenwood would stand up from his stool. His heavy whiskers were always wet from his saucer of tea. A large, dusty bottle of ink sat on the shelf. Master Greenwood would lean over the counter to ask, “And what will the little misses Brontë have this morning?”

“A dozen sheets of paper, if you please.”

“Third quality, as always?”

“Yes, sir.”

He would slide down the paper box and place it on the counter. Little Emily would raise herself on tiptoe. The quantity of paper there in the box, hundreds and hundreds of sheets, pale brown like wet, newly cut wood! Greenwood would feel for his handkerchief, find a clean place to blow his long nose, and then resume counting. “Twelve pence then,” he would say. “What will you do with all this paper?”

They would not reply. She and her two sisters would mount back up the steep hill, Emily protectively holding the rolled pages in both hands. People would call out to them; they would curtsey. They were the serious little Brontë children, terribly thin, noticing everything with their large eyes, always wary of anyone but each other.

What will we do with this paper, sir? Why, we’ll write great books. We’ll grow up and never marry but always stay together in this house.

As Charlotte stood laying out the single pages of childish writing and the little bound books on the bed, a joy filled her that had not come in months. Of course, she thought, God has shown me the way. He has not formed me to be a teacher or a governess or a headmistress. I am a writer. I was never meant to be anything other than that.

That day she took out her small portable writing desk again, found her adult poems written over the past several years, and began to revise them. All day she concentrated with such intensity that everything else in her life had a quality of unreality. I am a writer, she thought again, pressing her lips together hard. Anne is as well. This is how we will make our pathway in the world.

She felt happy that autumn the way she always did during the short periods in her life when she wrote uninterruptedly. She also dusted and ironed, singing as she worked. She floated down to dinner and, after, washed the dishes and joined the musical evenings with Emily at the piano. She was a second soprano who did her best to sing the higher notes when Anne was away.

Emily sang a rough contralto. The curate Mr. Nicholls shared a music sheet with Charlotte’s father. His voice was true bass.

The piano was still in tune.

Anne and Branwell would be home in a few months for vacation at Christmas. They’d all be together then. She and Anne would write.

But Anne came home more than six weeks early, in November, flustered, wretched, tearful, bonnet strings tied too tightly, dragging her carpetbag behind her.

Follow the tour:

Bsky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: @cowell.stephanie @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #Brontë #Yorkshire #Victorian #EnglishLiterature

#WomenWriters #HistoricalFiction #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

Tour Schedule Page:

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/blog-tour-the-man-in-the-stone-cottage-by-stephanie-cowell.html

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Saturday, 27 September 2025

Weekend Spotlight on: Ron Chapman's The Reckoning of Grace

About the Book

The Reckoning of Grace By Ronald Chapman

Book 3 of the Saga of Grace series

Pub Date: September 14, 2025

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-948749-89-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-948749-96-1

Library of Congress Number: 2025915402

A soul-searching exploration of moral courage and spiritual awakening in a world desperate for redemption.

The Reckoning of Grace is an exceptionally timely novel that captures the deep spiritual reckoning behind America’s political and cultural unrest. This third installment in the Saga of Grace series showcases Ronald Chapman’s inspirational fiction at its finest—an exploration of post-traumatic growth, emotional healing, and spiritual courage.

Through unforgettable characters and profound narrative arcs, the novel invites us into the heart of reconciliation, challenging us to become agents of grace amid turmoil. A powerful and thought-provoking read for anyone navigating transformation in uncertain times, this book—and the Saga of Grace series as a whole—is essential.

In a world fractured by ideological division and cultural upheaval, The Reckoning of Grace delivers a powerful and timely exploration of healing, resilience, and transformation. The third book in Ronald Chapman’s Saga of Grace series (A Killer’s Grace and The Dark Side of Grace), this novel transcends the boundaries of fiction, offering an evocative reflection of the spiritual struggle underlying contemporary social unrest.

Investigative journalist Kevin Pitcairn and his beloved Maria Elena Maldonado, now prominent voices in the Watching—a nationwide movement of silent, nonviolent resistance to forces of division and violence—find themselves targeted by those who see their message as a threat to the old order. When violence strikes close to home, they are forced into hiding, guided by Father Anthony de Franco and a community of enlightened seekers.

As the nation grapples with its own reckoning, Pitcairn and Maria Elena confront not only external dangers but also the personal wounds that mirror within them and others the greater societal divide. Their journey becomes one of post-traumatic growth, spiritual recovery, and the relentless pursuit of transcendence in the face of betrayal and fear.

Chapman’s masterful character development enriches the narrative, showcasing diverse struggles that echo the reader’s own path toward healing and reconciliation. Central to the story is the emergence of the Divine Feminine—a provocative and inspiring force that challenges traditional power structures and offers hope for a more inclusive future.

The Reckoning of Grace is inspirational fiction at its finest, reflective of what one reviewer called a new genre of the psycho-spiritual thriller—a thought-provoking tale that calls us to engage in our own healing, expand our awareness of current events, and embrace our role in unifying a divided world. With echoes of Chapman’s acclaimed work on Progressive Recovery and Emotional Sobriety, this novel is a must-read for anyone committed to walking a spiritually enlightened path.

• A timely and provocative exploration of grace, healing, and moral courage in an era of cultural and spiritual upheaval.

• A fresh look at timeless spiritual wisdom, offering readers a path from individual pain to our collective transformation.

• A spiritual allegory that blends literary fiction with visionary storytelling, appealing to readers of psychological thrillers, spiritual fiction, and social justice narratives.

• Grace is not what we think it is; it is far more expansive, far more challenging, and far more beautiful than any of us imagine.

• A rich, character-driven story that invites reflection on redemption, forgiveness, and the dismantling of personal and cultural illusions.

• Book 3 in the Saga of Grace series can be read as a standalone story or as part of a deepening narrative journey.

• Authored by an internationally accredited speaker and spiritual teacher with decades of experience in transformation, public health, and recovery.

Book 1

“A Killer’s Grace [Book 1 of the Saga of Grace series] is a rare work of art [that] entertains with the pace of a thriller and is as thought-provoking as a philosophical treatise and as button-pushing as a theological study. It pulls no punches and pelts us with icy realism and jagged spirituality.”

— Lee Gooden, Foreword Reviews

Book 2

“Ronald Chapman's thought-provoking book, The Dark Side of Grace [Book 2 of the Saga of Grace series], is an absolutely profound experience, offering an untamed force of unsettling realities that are typically unsaid."

— Foluso Falaye, San Francisco Book Review

Book 3

In The Reckoning of Grace (Book 3 of the Saga of Grace series), “We are called upon to take part in unifying efforts that expand our awareness of current events and strengthen our own philosophical understanding of our role in our nation’s reconciliation … This is a book (and series) to read for those of us committed to elevating our own spiritually enlightened path.”

— Ellen E. Elliott, PhD, Author of Dying to Connect: Understanding Connection as the Path to Healing Addictive Processes and Creating Fulfillment (2026)

Social Media:

Find Chapman Online:

Author website:

https://www.ronaldchapman.com/author

Blog site(s):

https://www.seeingtrue.com/blog

https://www.progressiverecovery.org/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ron.chapman.5/

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ronald-Chapman/author/B002AGK4J4

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/seeing_true/

Author Bio

Ronald Chapman is owner of an international speaking and consulting company, Magnetic North LLC and a specialty company Leading Public Health. In addition to international accreditation as a speaker and national awards for radio commentary, he is the author of four novels, from the Saga of Grace Series: Book 1 - A Killer's Grace (2016), Book 2 - The Dark Side of Grace (2023), and Book 3 - The Reckoning of Grace (2025), and a spiritual allegory, My Name is Wonder (2016). He has also authored three works of non-fiction, Progressive Recovery through the Twelve Steps: Emotionally Sober for Life (2019), Seeing True: Ninety Contemplations in Ninety Days (2008) and What a Wonderful World: Seeing Through New Eyes (2004) and produced three audio sets, Seeing True: The Way of Spirit (2016), Breathing, Releasing and Breaking Through: Practices for Seeing True (2015), and Seeing True – The Way of Success in Leadership (2005). Ron provides a wide array of social media content at his Seeing True blog site, content for people in substance abuse recovery on his Progressive Recovery platform, and other content from his master Ronald Chapman site. He holds a Masters in Social Welfare from The University at Albany (New York.) Prior to his relocation to Atlanta, Georgia in 2008, he was a long-time resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico where much of his philosophies and practices came to life. He is also a wanderlust and adventurer, as well as a sculptor.

Quote: “We know that if each of us does not attend to healing our own psychic wounds, we cannot be a channel for the healing of the world. So amazingly enough, each and every one of us has the opportunity to attend to our wounds and to connect with those whom we have othered. This is how we heal the world. One person and one interaction at a time.”