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18 April 2025

Book review: The Ballad of Mary Kearney, by Katherine Mezzacappa


Available from Amazon US and Amazon UK

In County Down, Ireland, in 1767, a nobleman secretly marries his servant, in defiance of law, class, and religion. Can their love survive tumultuous times?An impoverished tenant farmer sends his seventeen-year-old daughter Mary into service at the home of his Ascendancy landlord. 

"The Ballad of Mary Kearney" by Katherine Mezzacappa is a captivating and moving tale of love, resilience, and the harsh realities of 18th-century Ireland. Rich with historical detail, the author brings the period to life, immersing the reader in the social and political complexities of the time. 

I particularly liked the diversion of letters, newspaper and magazine articles which add a layer of authenticity, giving voice to the characters and the era.

Mary Kearney is an intriguing protagonist, strong, intelligent, and compassionate. Her ‘journey’ from impoverished servant to a woman of influence is inspiring and heartbreaking. The nuanced portrayal of James, Viscount Kilkeel, adds depth and complexity to the narrative.

I am happy to recommend The Ballad of Mary Kearney to anyone who wants to understand more about this pivotal period in Irish history, including the impact of the Penal Laws and the lead up to the 1798 rebellion.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish author of mainly historical fiction, living in Italy with her husband and three eccentric cats. In addition to The Ballad of Mary Kearney (Histria) and The Maiden of Florence (Fairlight) she is the author of four novels with Zaffre with the pen name Katie Hutton. Find out more at Kartherine's website https://katherinemezzacappa.com/ and follow her on Bluesky @katmezzacappa.bsky.social

16 April 2025

Special Guest Post by Sylvia Barbara Soberton, Author of Secrets of the Tudor portraits


Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Unveiling the Masterpieces of Holbein, the Horenbouts,
Hilliard, and Others

The Many Faces of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk

Charles Brandon was Henry VIII’s friend, councillor and brother-in-law. His father was a standard bearer for Henry VII and died during the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Charles was brought up in the royal household where he befriended the future Henry VIII. In 1515 Charles married Henry VIII’s younger sister, Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France. 


Their marriage lasted until Mary’s death in 1533 and produced four children: Henry, Frances, Eleanor and another Henry. Following Mary’s death, Charles married their son’s betrothed, who was also his ward, the teenaged heiress Katherine Willoughby, by whom he had two more sons (who tragically passed away within hours of each other after contracting the sweating sickness in 1551).
 
Charles Brandon captured public attention in 2007 when British actor Henry Cavill portrayed him in The Tudors. But was the real Charles as handsome as his on-screen counterpart? Let’s take a closer look!


The wedding portrait

One of the most recognisable depictions of Charles comes from the double portrait where he is depicted standing next to Mary Tudor (figure 1). It is not known when the portrait was painted but there are at least two theories. One theory, proposed by Celia Fisher, is that the portrait was painted in 1515 to celebrate Charles’s and Mary’s marriage.

However, this theory was debunked recently by Rosalind Mearns, who suggests 1532 as the likelier date for the portrait, based on the details of the sitters’ clothing aligning with fashions worn at the Tudor court around that period and the unlikelihood that the portrait would have been painted during the turbulent year of their secret and scandalous wedding.


The National Portrait Gallery portrait

A portrait of Charles Brandon is currently housed in the National Portrait Gallery in London (NPG 516, figure 2). Charles is shown seated, holding a nosegay of flowers in his left hand. Several copies of this painting exist, including ones at the Vyne Estate and Grimsthorpe Castle.


Master of the Brandon Portrait

Another portrait painted by an unknown artist known today as the Master of the Brandon Portrait (probably a follower of Gerard David working in England), was sold at Sothebys in 2016 (figure 3). The portrait is believed to have been painted c. 1530 and depicts Charles dressed in silk shirt, cloth of gold doublet and fur lined cloak.

Do you have a favourite among these portraits? If you found this article intriguing, you’ll love my book! Secrets of the Tudor Portraits is out now—unravel the hidden stories behind these iconic works of art. Get your copy today!


Sylvia Barbara Soberton

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About the Author

Sylvia Barbara Soberton is a writer and researcher specialising in the history of the Tudors. She is best known for The Forgotten Tudor Women book series, which concentrates on shifting the perspective from famous figures like Henry VIII’s six wives to the lesser-known, but no less influential, women of the Tudor court. Sylvia has written ten books to date, and her newest titles include The Forgotten Years of Anne Boleyn: The Habsburg & Valois Courts, Ladies-in-Waiting: Women Who Served Anne Boleyn and Medical Downfall of the Tudors: Sex, Reproduction & Succession. Her ground-breaking paper on Anne Boleyn and the accusation of witchcraft was published in the Royal Studies Journal in 2023.  You can find Sylvia on Facebook,  Goodreads and Twitter @SylviaBSo

Book Review: Last Train to Freedom, by Deborah Swift


Available for pre-order 

1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive. A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it.

This is an epic journey across the Siberian wilderness that will keep you guessing until the end. I've read most of Deborah Swift's books but Zofia is one of her most compelling characters. Tough and resourceful, Zofia's difficult past has made her stronger - which is just as well as she has to contend with harrowing challenges every day.

I particularly liked the way we discover new sides to her fellow travellers through Zofia's eyes, and how this develops into  a tale of suspense, courage, and desperation against the backdrop of a world on the brink of collapse. The novel is rich in historical detail, vividly depicting the perilous conditions and the constant fear of the war. 

Last Train to Freedom is a compelling narrative that combines elements of a thriller with the poignant reality of wartime struggle and sacrifice. It's a story of resilience, the fight for truth, and the lengths people will go to protect what they hold dear. Readers interested in the less well known events of World War II will find this book captivating and unforgettable.

Tony Riches
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About the Author

Deborah Swift lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District and worked as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV. After gaining an MA in Creative Writing in 2007 Deborah now teaches classes and courses in writing and provides editorial advice to writers and authors. Find out more at Deborah's website www.deborahswift.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @swiftstory

15 April 2025

Book Launch Guest Post by Garth Pettersen, Author of Ravens Hill: The Atheling Chronicles: Book Five


Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

In 1030 C.E. — When Harald, the second son of King Cnute, returns from fighting the king's enemies in Northern Wales, he expects his life to return to normal. He's surprised when he's granted a large landholding—an idyllic life, far from the power-mongering of King Cnute's court, farming in the Midlands, evening walks with his beloved Selia. It’s a gift they cannot refuse, but the king has other plans for Harald and his wife.


In my historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles, I follow the course of Harald Harefoot's life as he becomes "throne-worthy." Harald is the middle son of King Cnute, the ruler of Engla-lond, Danmark, and Nordvegr. Harald could be chosen as the next king by the thegns and bishops who will meet after Cnute passes. 

My readers have journeyed with Harald to Rome, endured his captivity in Erui-lond (Ireland), watched as he and his beloved Selia faced assassins when they tried farming, and struggled with him as he battled in Northern Wales. In my new book, Ravens Hill, Harald and Selia face new challenges.

Although Harald is loyal and obedient to his father/king, he has made it known that he wishes for a peaceful life with Selia, away from court intrigues and power struggles. While not overtly challenging his son's decisions, Cnute raises Harald's status by granting him a large estate in the Midlands. It is an offer he and Selia feel they cannot refuse.

When they arrive to take over the estate, Ravens Hill, it is during a heat wave and the water courses are shallow. Harald and Selia are suspicious of the steward, Ricmann Two-Beard, who manages the estate or tún, and they disapprove of the ruthless housecarls who guard the tún and collect rents. The bailiff (bookkeeper) is compulsively nervous and the chaplain/priest is far from holy. 

The former owner, Thegn Wulfrun, would have left the landholding to his daughter, but she has entered the neighbouring convent, mourning the death of her lover, and her father did not want the Church to have his land. The Abbess of the convent, Thegn Wulfrun's unyielding sister, still wishes to acquire Ravens Hill.

As Harald and Selia make their presence known, they find themselves up against more challenges and unknown enemies. One major concern is the murder of Aloc, the miller's son, the lover of the thegn's daughter. As the new tún-lord, Harald recognizes the tension among his tenants, and knows he must find the murderer. He must do this while establishing their trust in his fairness and strength. But with every small, progressive step Harald and Selia take, opposing forces move to drive them out.

Although Ravens Hill can be read as a medieval murder mystery, it is at heart the story of Harald and Selia striving to be true and strong in a land ruled by a Viking king, who holds Anglo-Saxons and Danes together as one people.

As always, writing about the eleventh-century pre-Norman Conquest always leads me into more research. For Ravens Hill, I had to delve into landholding, folk-land versus book-land, rents and services, and taxation. Next to Harald and Selia's lands are the lands of a men's abbey and a women's abbey. By this time, the two had separated. I researched extensively to discover the make-up and structure of Christian institutions at a time when abstinence was expected, but not always followed. I also read up on eleventh-century grain mills and was impressed with the engineering.

Though the novel is set in 1030 CE, the heat wave and drought happened in 1032 CE, according to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. With our own problems with summer wildfires increasing here in British Columbia, this seemed like a natural avenue to follow. I examined how folk would have met this problem without modern fire-fighting equipment, and how devastating such natural disasters must have been.

Though I used many sources, including blogs and articles found online, three books on this era were particularly valuable:

-The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey & Danny Danziger

-Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker

-The Death of Anglo-Saxon England by N.J. Higham

I often use Old English words to enhance the time setting. An online OE translator is convenient and the book, The Wordhord by Hana Videen is an excellent resource.

Ravens Hill in eBook form can be pre-ordered at a discounted price until its release on April 15. The print edition will appear in the summer of 2025. Reviews so far have been positive. All of The Atheling Chronicles titles are available through Tirgearr Publishing. Happy reading. Please review and rate my books on Amazon and Goodreads.

Garth Pettersen


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About the Author

Garth Pettersen is an award-winning Canadian writer living in the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, BC, Canada where he and his wife board horses. Pettersen has a BA in History from the University of Victoria and is a retired teacher. His short stories have appeared in anthologies and in journals such as Blank Spaces, The Spadina Literary Review, and The Opening Line Literary 'Zine. Garth Pettersen's historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles, is published by Tirgearr Publishing and is available through most online outlets. Book #4 in the series, The Sea’s Edge, received a first-place Incipere Award. Find out more at Garth's website https://www.garthpettersen.com/ and find him on Twitter @garpet011

Special Guest Post by Joan Fernandez, Author of Saving Vincent: A Novel of Jo van Gogh


Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Saving Vincent, A Novel of Jo van Gogh, is based on a true story. Jo van Gogh, a timid widow, takes on the male-dominated art elite to save her brother-in-law Vincent’s art from obscurity. She must prove that the hundreds of worthless paintings she inherited are world-class to ensure her young son will have an inheritance.


Stamping My Passport, Stamping My Soul: Researching Van Gogh in Europe

I have a travel bug.

Before I retired to become an author, my corporate career included the wonderful benefit of overseas travel. I’ve hosted groups to some far-flung destinations, like Hong Kong’s exotic cityscape, the remote Machu Picchu mountaintop in Peru and twenty-eight other journeys.

So, when I left behind getting my passport stamped through corporate travel, it didn’t take long for my husband and I to miss packing our suitcases. In 2019, we decided to plan our own European trip. We’d pop into countries on his list, Spain and Portugal, and then switch to France and the Netherlands for me.

Yes, I was still a tourist, but this time I had an agenda: to trace the whereabouts of my novel’s main characters—Jo van Gogh (the woman who saved Van Gogh from obscurity) and Vincent van Gogh, the famous artist—for I’d heard from author friends of what a difference it could make to actually walk the streets and meander the hills around the places these real people once lived.


Jo van Gogh

Prior to the trip, I’d done primary research for my book. I read two collections of letters: the 101-letter correspondence between Jo and her then fiancé Theo, and the 900-letter correspondence between Vincent and Theo, plus a few others.

That six-volume collection of Vincent’s letters came from the Van Gogh Museum, given to me as a Christmas gift from my husband. At ten letters a day, it took me months!
But by the end of it all, I felt like I’d explored a treasure trove of Jo and Vincent’s innermost thoughts, hopes and dreams. As a researcher, I felt prepped and primed.

Little did I know it was only the beginning.

Ah-ha Moment in Arles

The first of many ah-ha moments grabbed me in the south of France. Upon arrival here’s what I knew:
In February 1888, Vincent moved from Paris to the small town of Arles where he hoped to attract other artists and form an artist community. Arles proved to be a bittersweet stay for Vincent.

Van Gogh fans will be familiar with the series of six Sunflower paintings he did while there as well as The Starry Night and Starry Night over the Rhône. He painted several self-portraits as well as portraits of local people, such as a postman, the postman’s wife and children, a gendarme, and The Zuave (soldier).

I’d wondered about this set of particular people. Why hadn’t he painted field laborers as he had in earlier paintings?


 
Van Gogh had a tough time in Arles. Scruffy, smelly, bedraggled—he looked suspicious. And he acted weirdly, nothing like the local hardworking townspeople. Instead of holding down a “normal” job, he lugged canvases and a paint box under his arm out into the countryside each day, only to return in the evening sunburned and exhausted, collapsing into the corner of a café, subsisting on cigars and beer and bread.

Wary, townspeople gossiped.

They were not surprised when Vincent suffered a breakdown.
Before leaving on the trip, I’d read about Vincent’s neurosis in Arles. One tragic night he fought with Paul Gauguin and cut off part of his ear before collapsing unconscious. The police admitted him to a local hospital. After a few days’ care he was released only to find out that the local Arlesienne had circulated a petition to keep him from moving back.

Forced to leave, Vincent then checked into an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence about 25 kilometers away, living there for a year where he suffered more mental health episodes until finally recovering and heading back north.

So, I’m remembering this info in July 2019 walking Arles’ streets with my husband We stop for a coffee recalling Van Gogh’s The Night Café scene. We walk along the riverbanks of the Rhône. And we drive around the countryside gazing at the same rolling Alpilles mountain range Vincent captured.

That’s when I notice something odd.

Signage.

Along both the rural roads and highways are typical signs naming upcoming towns, but instead of a single name, there are two. The current French name and a second similar name below it, smaller, spelled a little differently and in italics.

You know how once you notice something, you see it everywhere? Again and again, two names instead of one.

It makes me curious.

So, at a stop in a café in my ragged French I ask our server why the signs have two names.
“En Français et l’autre in Provençale dialecte."
One in French and the other in Provençal dialect.
Of course.

Just like that, it clicked.

I recall from Vincent’s letters to Theo how lonely he was in Arles. He spoke Parisian French, not the local dialect. So, the few people he could speak with in Arles were those who had official government jobs and would speak Parisian—the postman, the gendarme, the soldier—no wonder they posed for him. They could communicate.

No doubt the postman arranged for Vincent to paint his wife and child too.
I feel a pang. Vincent was lonely. In sharp contrast to his late-night debates with artist friends like Émile Bernard and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin in noisy Parisian cafés, Vincent now spent most of his time in solitude.

Not to be dismissive of mental health at all, but I kinda think I would go a little crazy, become a bit depressed, too, if I could barely talk with anyone.
My compassion deepens.

Later I will carry this feeling forward into an understanding for my main character, Jo. Years later she will also feel the depth of Vincent’s sense of abandonment when she alone fought for his paintings to be accepted by the art elite status quo.

She expresses this in a letter to an art critic.

Here’s a portion of the excerpt I include in my book: “When I came to Holland—completely sure in myself about the great—the indescribable height of that solitary artist’s life—what I felt then, faced with the indifference that met me on all sides where Vincent and his work are concerned. [I felt] the burning sense of injustice of the whole world against him. . .I felt so abandoned—that I understood for the first time what he must have felt.”

Instead of merely reading the words, I feel an impact, thanks to that small ah-ha moment from the summer of 2019. My travel bug made all the difference.

Joan Fernandez 

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About the Author

Joan Fernandez is a novelist who brings to light courageous women’s brilliant deeds in history. She is a former senior marketing executive and general partner of the financial powerhouse Edward Jones. In 2018, she retired from a 30+ year career to be a full-time writer. Her short story, “A Parisian Daughter,” was published in the anthology, “Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women.” “Saving Vincent” (She Writes Press) is Joan's debut novel. Joan calls both St. Louis and Sedona, Arizona, home, enjoys foodie meals with her Cuban husband and antics with grandkids. Learn more at: www.joanfernandezauthor.com

12 April 2025

Historical Fiction Book Launch: The Versailles Formula (The Genevieve Planche Mysteries Book 3) by Nancy Bilyeau


Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US 

Genevieve Sturbridge thought she’d left danger behind in London. Now she lives a quiet life in the countryside with her husband and son. But an invitation to dine at Sir Horace Walpole’s eerie Gothic estate pulls her back into a deadly world of deception, espionage and murder.

A missing formula. A deadly secret. A race against time that could alter the fate of nations. In the simmering unrest of 18th-century Europe, Genevieve Sturbridge is thrust into a perilous mission—one she never imagined but cannot refuse. 

A formula for a dazzling shade of blue has resurfaced, one tied to alchemy, espionage and a power that could tip the balance between France and England. Some will kill to possess it. Others will kill to keep it buried.

As revolution stirs and shadows lengthen in the ornate drawing rooms of Paris and the back alleys of London, Genevieve must navigate treacherous alliances and a past that refuses to stay hidden. The formula’s secrets could bring untold wealth—or unimaginable destruction.
 
With time running out, Genevieve must unravel the mystery before the Versailles Formula falls into the wrong hands — because this time, the price of failure is more than just her own life.

‘A masterful work . . . the reader treads a thrilling path which keeps you on the edge of your seat.’ - Bestselling historical novelist Griff Hosker

‘A plucky heroine, intriguing mystery, and rich, well-researched historical background. Nancy Bilyeau has found the winning formula!’ - Eva Stachniak, author of The School of Mirrors

‘A compelling adventure replete with spies, political intrigue, gorgeous gothic manor houses, romance, impeccably researched history.’ Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series

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About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau is the author of the Joanna Stafford trilogy: The CrownThe Chalice, and The Tapestry. The series was published in the UK, North America, Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Denmark. Orion Publishing is re-issuing The Crown and The Chalice in the UK with new covers for the paperback. In North America, the Joanna Stafford trilogy is available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audio formats here.  Nancy lives with her family in the Hudson Valley in New York. Find out more at Nancy's website, NancyBilyeau.com and find her on Facebook, Twitter @Tudorscribe and Bluesky @nancycb.bsky.social

8 April 2025

Blog Tour Excerpt: Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits Of North Devon, By Helen Hollick


Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Everyone assumes that ghosts are hostile. Actually, most of them are not.

North Devon is predominantly rural, with a few towns dotted amongst scattered villages and farms, which mostly concentrate on dairy or sheep. The Exmoor coast has high, rugged cliffs, the highest, being Great Hangman, a 1,043ft hog's-back, with a 820ft cliff-face.

From Celtic to Roman, through the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans, via the Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Victorians North Devon has been rich in its history. And its ghosts.

Ghost, spirit, shade, soul – whatever term you prefer, unless you are a sceptic the general thinking about ghosts is that these unexplained phenomena are troubled or tormented apparitions which haunt the places where they died. They are misty shapes curling beneath trees, lurking in dark shadows or eerie cellars while oozing an atmosphere of supernatural horror. Spirits allegedly remain through spite or remorse; their only intention is to frighten living people in any and every way they can. Most of this thinking is generated by religious beliefs and enhanced by the fascination for horror novels and Hollywood movies of the paranormal. Exposing an angry poltergeist or a vengeful demon is common on the TV or cinema screen. Readers and viewers (for some unfathomable reason!) like to be scared. There are hostile spirits creating hostile environments, but outside of high drama and the movies, these are in a minority.

It is natural to have a reaction of fear if something supernatural is encountered, but there is usually no reason to stay frightened. Some, particularly the spirits of children, can be mischievous, but aggressive or malevolent hostility, despite what is depicted on TV, is rarely an intentional threat. Some lingering spirits may be confused and bewildered, or even unaware that they are dead, and may need a sympathetic nudge to move on. Quite a few drift among us because they want to stay.

Find out more – and meet a few ghosts – in Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon

Helen Hollick

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About the Authors 

Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen Hollick might not see ghosts herself, but her nautical adventure series, and some of her short stories, skilfully blend the past with the supernatural, inviting readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur. Her historical fiction spans a variety of periods and her gift lies in her ability to bring historical figures and settings to life, creating an immersive experience that transports readers into the past. Her stories are as compelling as they are convincing.  Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was published in the UK with her Arthurian Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which became a USA Today best-seller. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant. Helen, husband Ron and daughter Kathy moved from London to Devon in January 2013 after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden and orchard, fending off the geese, helping with the horses and, when she gets a moment, writing the next book...

When not encountering friendly ghosts, Kathy's passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had a pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after. Kathy now runs her own Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training to aid calm relaxation and promote gentle healing. Kathy lives with her farmer partner, Andrew, in their flat adjoining the main farmhouse. She regularly competes at affiliated British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals. She also has a fun diploma in Dragons and Dragon Energy, which was something amusing to study during the Covid lockdown.

Find out more from Helen's website: https://helenhollick.net/ and Kathy’s website: 
https://www.white-owl.co.uk/ and for additional (and any new ghost encounters!) visit 
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