My Coffee Pot Book Tour Guest: Both Sides of the Pond My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence

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About the Book

Book Title: Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946

Author Name: Barbara Kent Lawrence

Publication Date: September 15, 2025

Publisher: Sweet Fern Press

Pages: 393

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Title and Author Name: 

Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 

by Barbara Kent Lawrence

In January of 1939 when Barbara Greene, a beautiful young British actress, met Joe Kennedy, Jr., son of the American Ambassador, she could not have expected that their relationship would lead to her emigrating to the United States and learning to pilot a plane. Neither could her brother, Kent, have foreseen his bitter retreat from Dunkirk when he left England in January 1940 to fight in France, or his subsequent service on the frontlines in Cornwall, North Africa, Sicily, and Burma. 

In this intensively researched war story of the author’s family, we also hear the stories of other ordinary people who survived extraordinary circumstances. Richly illustrated with photographs and documents, “Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933 – 1946” is a captivating book.

Praise for Both Sides of the Pond:

"Author Barbara Kent Lawrence weaves a rich tapestry of the lives of her British mother and uncle from 1933 to 1946, before, during, and just after World War II. ...

War stories are very personal. This is such a story, and it offers insight into how two young people navigated difficult years that altered the trajectories of the lives they thought they would live. It is a worthy read, written beautifully. Don’t miss it."

~ Patricia Walkow, Military Writers Society of America

"I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. History and the complexity of human relationships unfold with uncommon grace."

~ Barbara Lazear Ascher, winner, most recently, of Pushcart’s Editors Book Award for Ghosting: A Widow’s Voyage Out.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK Paperback Buy Link: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Both-Sides-Pond-Familys-1933-1946/dp/B0FMF2NTQZ/ 

Amazon US Paperback Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Both-Sides-Pond-Familys-1933-1946/dp/B0FMF2NTQZ/ 

Author Bio: 

Dr. Lawrence is the author of many articles and nine books, including an award-winning dissertation about the influence of culture on aspirations in Maine. Her new book, Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933 - 1945, is available in book stores and on amazon.com.

A former professor, she has taught courses in anthropology and sociology, research, and writing non-fiction and memoir. Lawrence grew up in New York City and Washington D.C., then earned a BA in anthropology from Bennington College, an MA in sociology from New York University, and an Ed.D. in Administration, Policy and Planning from Boston University. 

In addition to teaching, Lawrence has worked for the Department of Social Services and the Housing Development Administration in New York, directed a small museum in Maine, co-run a brokerage and construction company, consulted for the Rural School and Community Trust and KnowledgeWorks, and started four non-profit organizations supporting the environment and students.

When not working she loves to garden, knit, and go for walks, pastimes she learned from her British mother. She lives in Maine and is working on the third novel in her Islands series. 

Author Links:

LinkTree: 

https://linktr.ee/barbarakentlawrenceauthor 

Website: 

https://barbaralawrence.com/ 

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/barbarakentlawrenceauthor 

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/barbarakentlawrenceauthor/ 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APK6SQ/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/109261.Barbara_Kent_Lawrence 

Follow the tour:

Bsky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: @barbarakentlawrenceauthor @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #BothSidesOfThePond #HistoricalFiction 

#WorldWar2History #MyFamilysWar #maineauthor 

#BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub 

Tour Schedule Page:

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/02/blog-tour-both-sides-of-the-pond-by-barbara-kent-lawrence.html 

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cosy mysteries : historical fiction
nautical supernatural adventure  

1066 : King Arthur
ghosts : non-fiction

 anthologies

2025 annual award winner

THANK YOU!

Yarde Reviews and Book Promotions: Cathie Dunn Love Lost in Time

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About the Book

Love Lost in Time

By Cathie Dunn

A reluctant daughter. A dutiful wife. A mystery of the ages.

Languedoc, France, 2018

Historian Madeleine Winters would rather research her next project than rehash the strained relationship she had with her late mother. However, to claim her inheritance, she reluctantly agrees to stay the one year required in her late mother’s French home and begins renovations. But when she’s haunted by a female voice inside the house and tremors emanating from beneath her kitchen floorboards, she’s shocked to discover ancient human bones.

The Mediterranean coast, AD 777

Seventeen-year-old Nanthild is wise enough to know her place. Hiding her Pagan wisdom and dutifully accepting her political marriage, she’s surprised when she falls for her Christian husband, the Count of Carcassonne. But she struggles to keep her forbidden religious beliefs and her healing skills secret while her spouse goes off to fight in a terrible, bloody war.

As Maddie settles into her rustic village life, she becomes obsessed with unraveling the mysterious history buried in her new home. And when Nanthild is caught in the snare of an envious man, she’s terrified she’ll never embrace her beloved again.

Can two women torn apart by centuries help each other finally find peace?

Love Lost in Time is a vivid standalone historical fiction novel for fans of epoch-spanning enigmas. If you like dark mysteries, romantic connections, and hints of the paranormal, then you’ll adore Cathie Dunn’s tale of redemption and self-discovery. 

Triggers: Implied attack on a female character. Some minor fighting scenes.

Publication Date: 28th November 2018 (ebook)

Publisher: Ocelot Press

Print Length: 274 Pages

Genre: Duel Time-Line / Historical Mystery / Romance

Praise

"From the richness of Charlemagne's court and the regret of a daughter, as she stands over her mother's grave, to the realisation of an enemy and a skeleton under the kitchen floor, Love Lost in Time: A Tale of Love, Death and Redemption by Cathie Dunn is the unforgettable story that traverses two very different times."

The Coffee Pot Book Club, 5* Editorial Review

"The narrative is ripe with emotions as two independent women are pulled in unexpected directions... Both landscapes are beautifully penned for readers to easily get lost in. Additionally, the storylines are engaging, and each helped bring a satisfying conclusion to the other. An enjoyable tale about love, sacrifice, and self-discovery."

Historical Novel Society

"The historical details are beautiful, and a book which could easily feel oppressively sad is cleverly lightened with the use of romance and a satisfying ending. Well written and easy to read, the historical side may be a little more compelling, but the contemporary details add a layer that cannot be ignored!" 

In'DTale Magazine

"In Love Lost in Time, Ms Dunn creates a fascinating balance between a tragic love story set in the Visigoth empire of the eighth century, and a very modern historian on a quest to find her own personal history in picturesque Languedoc...

Thoroughly researched and beautifully told, both stories complement each other in narrative power and colourful scene-setting; and in the dual narrative the main characters are compelling - each a product of destiny and following their fate, regardless of the cost.

Fans of Kate Mosse will relish this book..."

Discovering Diamonds Reviews

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mq7DM9

https://mybook.to/LoveLostTime 

This book is available on #KindleUnlimited

Author Bio:

Cathie is an Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, dual-timeline, mystery, and romance. She loves to infuse her stories with a strong sense of place and time, combined with a dark secret or mystery – and a touch of romance. Often, you can find her deep down the rabbit hole of historical research…

 

In addition, she is also a historical fiction book promoter with The Coffee Pot Book Club, a novel-writing tutor, and a keen reviewer on her blog, Ruins & Reading.

 

After having lived in Scotland for almost two decades, Cathie is now enjoying the sunshine in the south of France with her husband, and her rescued pets, Ellie Dog & Charlie Cat. 

She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.cathiedunn.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathiedunnwrites

Twitter / X: https://x.com/cathiedunn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathie.dunn1

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cathiedunn.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cathie-dunn

Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Cathie-Dunn/author/B005IHAXH0

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5066224.Cathie_Dunn

read an excerpt

From Chapter 1:

Late February, 2018

Languedoc, southern France

Madeleine Winters blinked back the tears as long-hidden emotions shook her. Anger. Envy. Yes, even love. A love that she’d considered lost a long time ago.

Elizabeth Beauchamp was dead. After nine years of no contact, Maddie had missed her last chance to make her peace with her mother – and to discover once and for all who her father was.

She stared at the heavy yet simple oak coffin, willing it to release its inhabitant for a final talk, an acknowledgment, the revelation of a secret which Elizabeth had now taken to her grave. Nothing moved, except some stray brown leaves swirling around Maddie’s feet. Apart from her mother’s elderly French neighbour, Bernadette Albert, a handful of villagers had attended the funeral, and after the ceremony, they all had left Maddie to her own memories.

Ever the pragmatic realist, Maddie knew that nothing would ever bring her mother back, but she mourned her unexpected death.

The breeze whipped at her coat, and she wrapped her scarf closer around her neck.

Madame Albert had called her ten days earlier, to let her know that Elizabeth was in hospital with a lung infection. Maddie had booked herself on a flight to Toulouse. Expecting her mother to be alive and improving thanks to the excellent health service, it distressed her to discover her close to death on her arrival at the hospital in Carcassonne in the south of France, though through no fault of the medical team. It had been too late.

Maddie swallowed hard, fighting back the tears, as she remembered the doctor’s words.

“Madame Beauchamp has bowel cancer. She has refused chemotherapy or any other treatment.” He paused, giving her time to let the bad news sink in. “We have this in writing whilst she was still fully cognitive, should you wish to see it.”

Stunned, Maddie shook her head, unable to utter a word. Why had her stubborn mother not called her before it got too serious?

“Her condition is serious. The lung infection she caught recently has weakened her beyond recovery.”

The words echoed in Maddie’s ears. “Cancer?” she whispered. “Since when?”

The doctor cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. “Did your mother not tell you?”

The surprise in his voice made her shake her head in place of a response. Although he acted professionally, careful not to give any indication of his opinion of patients’ personal relationships, a sense of guilt washed over her. People would judge her. How could she not have known her mother was dying?

A nurse had taken Maddie to her mother’s room where she could stay with her undisturbed. She stared at Elizabeth’s beautiful face, criss-crossed with fine lines. Leaning forward, she held a frail hand between hers, her mind in turmoil. Why had her mother not told her she was ill? She knew Elizabeth was stubborn, obstinate, but to refuse to contact your only living relative, your daughter, during a time of need shook Maddie. Their estrangement had gone beyond reason. Her eyes dry, Maddie could only watch her mother’s breathing grow more ragged. In the end, Elizabeth died calmly in her sleep just over six hours after Maddie’s arrival.

And now Maddie was here, by her mother’s grave, saying her final goodbye.

The biting tramontagne wind chilled Maddie’s bones, and she huddled deeper into her coat. Elizabeth had loved the winds that sweep the plain between the Montagne Noire and the Pyrenees during all seasons. They brought winter and rain to a land parched by the sun, and cooled you down during the long, hot summer days.

“Au revoir, Maman.” Maddie dropped the bundle of red roses she’d been clutching onto the coffin, then turned away.

My Thoughts

It takes skill to write any novel well, and extra skill to write a timeslip novel that is not only well written and enjoyable but 100% believable. Ms Dunn has achieved both with apparent ease.

Part of that skill is creating characters who come alive through their dialogue and actions - so:  tick, achieved. And then there is the setting and location. Again Ms Dunne has pulled these off with full ability.

I know very little about France (apart from the Normandy coast and Brittany, and that was from a family holiday back in the 1990s,) but Ms Dunne's descriptions painted  perfect images which were vivid to see and relate to. 

So, an absorbing, exciting and entertaining read with characters I came to know so well I felt bereft when I finished the book and had to say goodbye to them.

No spoilers here - to include would mar the story: I heartily recommend reading it for yourself!

***** 5 stars

Yarde Reviews and Book Promotion

https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com

@maryanneyarde

Twitter / X Handle: @cathiedunn @maryanneyarde

Instagram Handle: @cathiedunnwrites @yardereviews

Bluesky Handle: @cathiedunn.bsky.social @maryanneyarde.bsky.social

Hashtags:  #LoveLostInTime #CathieDunn #DualTimeline #WomenAcrossTime#BlogTour #YardeBookPromotions

Tour Schedule Page: 

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cosy mysteries : historical fiction
nautical supernatural adventure 

1066 : King Arthur
ghosts : non-fiction

 anthologies 

2025 annual award winner

THANK YOU!

My Coffee Pot Book Tour Guest: West of Santillane by Brook Allen

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About the Book

Media Kit

Book Title: West of Santillane

Author Name: Brook Allen

Publication Date: March, 2024

Publisher: Dawg House

Pages: 373

Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

 

Desperate to escape a mundane future as a Virginia planter’s wife, Julia Hancock seizes her chance for adventure when she wins the heart of American hero William Clark. Though her husband is the famed explorer, Julia embarks on her own thrilling and perilous journey of self-discovery.

With her gaze ever westward, Julia possesses a hunger for knowledge and a passion for helping others. She falls in love with Will’s strength and generous manner, but, like her parents, he is a slave owner, and Julia harbors strong opinions against slavery. Still, her love for Will wins out, though he remains unaware of her beliefs.

Julia finds St. Louis to be a rough town with few of the luxuries to which she is accustomed, harboring scandalous politicians and miscreants of all types. As her husband and his best friend, Meriwether Lewis, work to establish an American government and plan to publish their highly anticipated memoirs, Julia struggles to assume the roles of both wife and mother. She is also drawn into the plight of an Indian family desperate to return to their own lands and becomes an advocate for Will’s enslaved.

When political rivals cause trouble, Julia’s clandestine aid to the Indians and enslaved of St. Louis draws unwanted attention, placing her at odds with her husband. Danger cloaks itself in far too many ways, leading her to embrace the courage to save herself and others through a challenge of forgiveness that will either restore the love she shares with Will or end it forever.

Praise for West of Santillane:

'"West of Santillane" is not just an account of historical events but also a story of love, resilience, and self-discovery. Brook Allen successfully blends romantic, historical, and adventurous elements, offering readers a captivating and memorable reading experience. The book is a warm recommendation for those who appreciate well-documented historical fiction and engaging life narratives.'

~ The Historical Fiction Company

'Brook Allen’s novel West of Santillane is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings, so have some tissues nearby. This book is so captivating that it begs to be adapted into a movie. Seeing these characters brought to life on the big screen would be amazing. This book will definitely be remembered as one of my favourite reads of the year.'

~ Ellie Yarde, 5* Editorial Review, The Coffee Pot Book Club

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/5DPlLDi 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Author Bio: 

Author Brook Allen has a passion for history. Her newest project, West of Santillane, spotlights history from a little closer to home in Botetourt County, Virginia. It’s the story of Julia Hancock, who married famed explorer, William Clark. Each character of this thrilling, adventurous period was researched throughout southwest Virginia and into Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Idaho, and North Dakota. It launched in March of 2024.

 

Brook belongs to the Historical Novel Society and attends conferences as often as possible to study craft and meet fellow authors. In 2019, her novel Antonius: Son of Rome won a silver medal in the international Reader’s Favorite Book Reviewers Book Awards, then won First Place in the prestigious Chaucer Division in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2020. West of Santillane garnered international attention in Summer 2025 by becoming a Silver Medalist in the Independent Publishing Book Awards for best Mid-Atlantic Fiction. Also, it was a finalist for the Virginia Romance Writers Holt Medallion. Most recently, Brook appeared in Season 8 of Blueridge PBS’s WRITE AROUND THE CORNER.

Though she graduated from Asbury University with a B.A. in Music Education, Brook has always loved writing. She completed a Masters program at Hollins University with an emphasis in Ancient Roman studies, which helped prepare her for authoring her award-winning Antonius Trilogy.

Brook recently retired from public education and her personal interests include travel, cycling, hiking in the woods, reading, and spending downtime with her husband and big, black dog, Jak. She lives in the heart of southwest Virginia in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.

Author Links:

Website: 

www.brookallenauthor.com 

Twitter / X: 

https://x.com/1BrookAllen 

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/Historical.FictionWriter 

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/brookallen54/ 

Threads: 

https://www.threads.com/@brookallen54 

Bluesky: 

https://bsky.app/profile/brookallenauthor.bsky.social 

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/brook-allen 

Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brook-Allen/author/B07PRNR9MD 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18900200.Brook_Allen 

read an excerpt

Our journey began by flatboat, crossing the Mississippi from St. Louis to docks near Cahokia. From there, we’d head toward Louisville, where we’d enjoy sweet respite with Jonathan, Sarah, and family.

Built for carrying people and freight, flatboats offered reliable transport down the Ohio in spring and summer and back and forth on the Mississippi and downriver from St. Louis to New Orleans. Still, I always eyed them with a certain trepidation, making sure I was safe in the central part of the boat since they had no guardrails.

 

Halfway across the river, a cold crosswind blew up, so Chloe and I stayed inside the wagon, wrapped up tight together in a blanket while the men readied the mules and horses for debarking. Once off the boats, they’d be hitched to the wagons again.

As we approached Illinois, people gathered on the port side, their weight causing the craft to scour the river bottom along shoals near the docks. Chloe and I laughed, feeling the slight bumps accompanied by a scraping sound emanating from the shallow bottom.

Suddenly, a male voice from the top of the small shelter bellowed, “Slave overboard!”

Next came Scott’s voice, shouting to Chloe, “Mama, you got Rachel?”

Chloe’s mouth dropped as she tossed aside our blanket and leaped from the buckboard. “No!” she cried, her voice wavering. “I figured she was with you . . .”

I jumped down from the wagon too. Even more passengers had gathered portside, eager to get off, with yet more folk queued up on the Illinois dock, standing at the edge of the waterfront, some of them pointing down into the water.

Dread gripped me.

The same crewman who had first sounded the alarm shouted again, “Who’s missing a slave girl?”

Scott and Chloe were fighting their way through the crowd, not making much headway. Most of the flatboat passengers saw that they were slaves and pushed them back, ignoring their distress.

Chloe shrieked, out of her mind with terror, “Where is she? Rachel, where you at?”

To my horror, I saw Will near the edge of the boat, lifting his arm in the midst of all the people, calling, “She’s mine, sir.” Gradually, the crowd parted, allowing him through.

Scott and Chloe were still caught up behind crowds of passengers, who were only now surging forward toward the gangplank. Bless Chloe, she was panicked, screaming and keening. “Master Clark, is it Rachel? Please, Lord Jesus, don’t let it be Rachel!” She glanced back, searching for me, eyes brimming with tears. “Our girl don’t swim none, Missus Julia…”

Little Lewis was alone in the wagon, but he’d been asleep, so I sprang forward to comfort my friend. A fear I’d never known gripped my heart with steely fingers, making my breath shallow: a mother’s distress at the thought of losing a child, especially in such a chilling and unforeseen manner. My heart beat in rhythm with Chloe’s—both of us mothers and facing a terror for which no parent was ever prepared.

Scott was finally at the edge of the flatboat with Will, and the sound that emanated from his throat was something from a nightmare. A moan, long and loud, pierced like that of a banshee over the confusion, carrying over people talking, stepping off the boat, greeting loved ones, calling for their bags, going about their business…

How was it that life was carrying on in such normalcy when a little child was lost?

As tall as he was, I saw Will’s red head bobbing through the crowd toward us. Oh God—he was carrying her—Rachel! Drenched and dripping from her watery fate, she was limp as the cotton rag doll I remember Harriet losing as a child, left outside during a summer storm and hanging over the wrought-iron rail on our back stairwell, soaked and drooping.

She was also still as stone, blood dripping from her head, staining Will’s cotton shirt. I willed her to lift her head and say something—anything. Still holding Chloe, I shielded her as long as I could, but when she finally saw her daughter, her scream clawed its way up my spine. She ran to Will, and I stood helpless, my emotion spilling its way down my face.

Chloe snatched Rachel from Will, lowering her to the deck and holding the girl’s bloody head in her hands, swaying from side to side.

Will crossed over to where I stood. “She must have gotten too near the edge. My best guess is that she lost her balance when we hit ground back there.”

“She couldn’t swim,” I murmured. “Will—is she—”

My answer came when arms encircled me, and it wasn’t the one I wanted. “I need to know. Did she drown?”

His arms gripped me tighter as he spoke softly in my ear. “The boat was docking and crushed her head when she was flailing about. Let’s pray she went quickly.”

Oh, Sweet Lord…

“Nooo—” Chloe was on her knees, rocking Rachel’s lifeless form in her arms, her protest a guttural screech at the top of her lungs. Scott stood sobbing behind her, wiping both eyes with his worn, patched shirtsleeves and shaking his head in disbelief.

At the sound of their grief, other travelers crossing the gangplank to Illinois stared back at our group, heading on their way and leaving us in our shock.

Will released me, turning and walking slowly toward the wagon.

“Where are you going?” I cried, balling my fists. My tone turned accusatory and bitter. “How can you just leave us to hitch the mules when this has just happened?”

He stopped in his tracks and turned about to face me, patiently and quietly answering, “Julia, I’m going to the wagon to find something to wrap her in.”

Follow the tour:

Bsky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social

Twitter Handles: @1BrookAllen @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: brookallen54 @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #BooksWorthReading #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page:

 https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/02/blog-tour-west-of-santillane-by-brook-allen.html 

via https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

(Helen has not yet read this title)

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You might also like books written by Helen Hollick 

Website: https://blog.helenhollick.net/

Amazon Author Page: 

https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick 

cosy mysteries : historical fiction
nautical supernatural adventure 

1066 : King Arthur
ghosts : non-fiction

 anthologies 

2025 annual award winner

THANK YOU!

Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour: Overkill by Colin Garrow

Rachel's Random Resources
Book Tours

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
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About the Book

Edinburgh, Christmas Eve, 1936. A gruesome double murder. A white-faced killer. A mysterious stranger…

Still haunted by his recent past, Professor Finlay MacBeth is called in to assist the police following an horrific double murder. Traces of greasepaint and white cotton lead MacBeth and Inspector Callaghan to the Christmas Circus, but while they search for clues, someone else is watching them.

Meanwhile, bent cop Kilmartin still has MacBeth in his sights…

In this thriller series set in Edinburgh, Overkill is book #2 in the Finlay MacBeth series.

Purchase Links 

Amazon: https://geni.us/q05E 

Draf2Digital: 

https://books2read.com/u/mlBxwW 

Author Bio – 

Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. 

He has published more than thirty books, and his short stories have appeared in several literary mags, most recently in Witcraft, and Flash Fiction North. Colin lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.

He plays several musical instruments and makes rather nice vegan cakes.

Social Media Links – 

Website:

  https://colingarrow.co.uk/ 

Twitter/X: 

https://x.com/colingarrow 

Bluesky: 

https://bsky.app/profile/colingarrowauthor.bsky.social 

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter  

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/colinngarrow/ 

Bookbub: 

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow 

Read an excerpt

Edinburgh, December 1936.

Following two grisly murders, Professor Finlay MacBeth and Detective Inspector Callaghan track down a possible suspect:

Leaving their cars along Ashley Terrace, Callaghan and MacBeth walk down Merchiston Grove, a cobbled road that leads into Daisy Terrace. Turning into the narrow lane, Callaghan peers up at the houses on the left-hand side.

‘It’s this one,’ he says, glancing at the note bearing the address. The building has three storeys and like many of the dwellings on the street probably houses more than one family. A shabby Christmas tree decorates the downstairs room in front of the window, with cut-out paper snowflakes hung across the top of the frame.

MacBeth bangs the wrought iron knocker. For a moment, there is no response, then a shuffling of feet brings a middle-aged woman to the door.

‘Aye?’ she says, her head swivelling between them. ‘Who’re ye wantin?’

Callaghan holds out his warrant card. ‘We’re looking for Mr Olsen. Is he at home?’

The woman examines the ID card. ‘The polis, is it?’ She shrugs. ‘Well, if he is, he’s awfy quiet. He’s been ill, ye ken?’ She steps back and waves a hand at the staircase. ‘Top floor.’

‘Thank you,’ says Callaghan, squeezing past her ample bosom.

On the first landing, the inspector pauses, craning his neck to look up towards the rooms above. Reaching the top floor, he waits for MacBeth, then nods towards the door at the rear of the house. ‘Bathroom?’

MacBeth glances at the half-glazed door and gives a quick nod. They move along the passage to an ill-fitting door with peeling paint. Callaghan raps on the wood. The door creaks open. The inspector gives it a push.

The stench of something rotten assaults both men’s nostrils and MacBeth takes a step back, grabbing his handkerchief to cover his nose.

‘Christ,’ mutters Callaghan, giving the door another shove. Stepping inside, he holds out a hand to prevent MacBeth going any further.

MacBeth moves sideways so he can see over the inspector’s shoulder. The room is dark, due to a dirty bed sheet crudely tacked to the window frame. The sparsely decorated interior tells of its inhabitant’s lowly life—a bed, a chair and a narrow chest of drawers are the only items of furniture. A naked man lies sprawled across a faded and bloodied coverlet, his unshaven neck slashed from one side to the other. The fingers of his right hand enclose the handle of a sizeable and blood smeared kitchen knife. But it is the man’s missing eyes that grab the two men’s attention.

‘Shite,’ says Callaghan. ‘Disnae look like he’ll be making a confession any time soon.’

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

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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 

Website: https://blog.helenhollick.net/

Amazon Author Page: 

https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick 

cosy mysteries : historical fiction
nautical supernatural adventure 

1066 : King Arthur
ghosts : non-fiction

 anthologies

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