Historical Fiction Spotlight: Escape of the Grand Duchess, by Susan Appleyard

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Rich in historical detail and driven by an unforgettable heroine, Escape of the Grand Duchess is a sweeping riches-to-rags tale of survival, love, and the strength it takes to forge a new life in the face of

unimaginable upheaval.

Unlike her ill-fated brother and his family, Olga’s story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and daring escape. Trapped in a loveless marriage to a reckless gambler—who harbours secrets of his own—she finds hope in the arms of a dashing army lieutenant. But before she can claim her own happiness, she must first endure the brutal realities of World War I, where she serves as a nurse on the frontlines.

As the Russian Empire teeters on the brink of collapse, the infamous Siberian mystic Rasputin tightens his grip on the imperial court, setting the stage for revolution. With the Bolsheviks seizing power and the Romanovs marked for death, Olga faces an impossible choice: risk everything to stay or flee into the unknown with her true love and their children.

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About the Author

Susan Appleyard was born in England, which is where she learned to love English history, and now lives in Canada in the summer. In winter she and her husband flee the cold for their second home in Mexico. Susan divides her time between writing and her hobby, oil painting, although writing will always be her first love. She was fortunate in having had two books published traditionally. Since joining the ebook crowd, she has published nine books, some of which have won various awards. Find out more from Susan's website and find her on Facebook and Instagram

Blog Tour Gues Post; Inspiration Behind The ‘Soldier Spy’ Trilogy, by Rosemary Hayes

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1812: Britain’s war against Napoleon continues. Will Fraser and Duncan Armstrong have served their country well as spies, exposing traitors and rescuing betrayed royalists. Now they are asked to support military operations in the Peninsular War. The French are using a new code which is proving impossible to decipher. Will and Armstrong must work with Spanish guerrillas to intercept messages between French Commanders and pass them to Wellington’s codebreakers

Much has been written about spying during warfare – particularly during WW2 – and I have always been attracted to stories of those working in the shadows, under-cover agents, brave men and women risking their lives to garner information about enemy activities. 

Of course, spying on your enemy is an activity as old as history itself and has become ever more sophisticated in this digital age. But how did spies operate in earlier conflicts? I decided to investigate covert operations during the Napoleonic Wars. And what a rich seam I uncovered about those 19th century spies, who they were and the lengths to which they went to get their information across borders.

The extent of spying, on both sides, during the Napoleonic Wars, was considerable. Not only at a diplomatic level, through overseas embassies and through the Alien Office, in London, and highly placed double agents, but among networks of ordinary people, too, who passed on maps and documents, letters, money and even arms.  

Smaller documents or items of intelligence could be sewn into clothing or hidden in hollowed out walking sticks or riding crops. Or even, apparently, in a hatpin (see below)! Larger items were hidden in barrels or at drop off points on the French coast such as oyster sheds. And fishermen sometimes buried items on uninhabited islets for later collection. 

Both sides employed complex codes and ciphers to protect their communications. Codebooks and cipher wheels were standard kit. One captured French codebook was worth its weight in gold to the British Intelligence Service. 

Until 1811, the French had lagged behind the British in the matter of devising and cracking codes but then the French started using the Great Paris Cipher. This code was so complex that the French were convinced that it could never be broken. Although documents using the code had been captured by Wellington’s forces, it’s unravelling defeated even the most skilled group of decoders and linguists based at his headquarters in Portugal. 

And then, at last, a British officer, George Scovell, a gifted linguist, famously cracked it, deciphering a captured letter from Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother. It revealed current and planned French troop movements and this intelligence led to a pivotal breakthrough in the Peninsular War. 

Wellington never acknowledged Scovell’s part in this breakthrough - and Joseph Bonaparte never believed the code had been broken.

Sir George Scovell

In Paris, there were underground networks of those spying for the British. Royalists, Bonapartist defectors and even double agents moved in secret, often under the noses of Joseph Fouché’s secret police (more of him later). Many were caught but a few key figures were never unmasked. 

Both British and French agents used disguises, posing as merchants, priests, artists or diplomats. Some even used travelling theatre troupes as cover to move behind enemy lines. The more mundane the cover, the more convincing. Fishermen and smugglers took agents and documents to and fro across the Channel. One Jersey fisherman made nearly 200 trips across before he was caught and executed.

Women played an important role in Napoleonic espionage. Rachel Charlotte Biggs was an English writer and spy. Between 1802 and 1816, she repeatedly visited France and Napoleon controlled Europe. She corresponded with British politicians and reported her observations about military strength, industry and agriculture and the political state. Her extraordinary story is told in the novel ‘Georgian Heroine’.

Another was a countess who allegedly passed secrets to the British via coded embroidery patterns. Female spies came in many guises and used imaginative ways in which to move intelligence across borders, including hiding micro letters in hatpins! 

Fishermen’s wives and daughters also put themselves in danger by passing on information and giving shelter to royalist spies. But among the many women spies, the one who really caught my attention was Arabella Williams, originally from Liverpool. Her handler was William Wickham. Wickham was a British diplomat who used his position in Bern as a cover to gather information and coordinate royalist organisations against France. Arabella became known as ‘le petit matelot’ – the little sailor – as she had acted as a courier passing papers between France and England for a number of years disguised as a sailor, without being caught. Arabella had her own property in France where she had lived for some years, which she also used as a safe house for other agents. 

One of her contacts was Abbé Ratel. Early in the war, Abbé Ratel organised a network of royalists to keep watch around the port of Boulogne and provide early warning of any invasion. Reports were sent to England through fishermen recruited by Ratel – who was reputed to have a very beautiful mistress. Arabella was described as being petite, very pretty, lively and immensely busy. The group she belonged to was extremely successful and despite the gendarmerie’s surveillance they managed to escape detection for many years. Sadly, I can find no portrait of Arabella though we do know that she was an English widow, the daughter of David Mallet, the poet and joint composer of ‘Rule Brittania.’ 

In France, all those spying for Britain or sympathetic to the royalist cause had to evade the clutches of Napoleon’s Minister of Police, the notorious Joseph Fouché. He was ruthless in his pursuit of British spies or those in France with royalist sympathies, torturing and executing them. He was dubbed ‘the most feared man in France’ and even Napoleon was quoted as saying ‘I fear Fouché more than all the armies of Europe’.

Joseph Fouché

The threat from spies in France and those with royalist sympathies was very real. There were several attempts to assassinate Napoleon, the most famous being in Paris on the evening of December 24th 1800. Almost certainly funded by the British, this very nearly succeeded when a cart exploded just after Napoleon’s carriage had passed, killing bystanders. 

Malmaison, Empress Josephine’s country chateau, was the site of others, including the poisoned snuff put into a replica of Napoleon’s snuff box and placed on his desk there.

Although I have changed some of their dates and locations, many of the characters mentioned in my books are based on real people including ‘Le Petit Matelot’, Pipette, the fisherman’s wife, Abbé Ratel (disguised as Father Jacques) the infamous Joseph Fouché, Wellington, General Hill and George Scovell.

The two main protagonists in my ‘Soldier Spy’ trilogy are Captain Will Fraser, a disgraced ex-army officer and his wounded sergeant, Duncan Armstrong.

In ‘Traitor’s Game’ while desperately trying to find Will’s brother, they first become embroiled in the murky world of espionage, with tragic consequences.  In the second ‘The King’s Agent’, now officially undercover agents, they are sent to France to rescue

betrayed royalists, and in the final book, ‘Code of Honour’, set in Spain and Portugal, they work with Spanish guerrillas to intercept messages between French Commanders and pass them to Wellington’s code breakers. 

And it is in this final story that the mystery surrounding Will’s dismissal from the army is at last uncovered. 

In these fast-moving stories, Will and Armstrong play terrifying games of deception and duplicity. But they are also stories of love, loyalty and revenge.

Rosemary Hayes

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About the Author

Rosemary Hayes has written many books for children in a variety of genre, from edgy teenage fiction, historical fiction and middle grade fantasy to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books.  Many of her books have won or been shortlisted for awards and several have been translated into different languages. Rosemary has travelled widely but now lives in South Cambridgeshire. She has a background in publishing, having worked for Cambridge University Press before setting up her own company Anglia Young Books which she ran for some years. She has been a reader for a well-known authors’ advisory service, runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults and reviews for historical publications. Rosemary has now turned her hand to writing adult fiction. Her historical novel ‘The King’s Command’ is about the terror and tragedy suffered by a French Huguenot family during the reign of Louis XIV. Traitor’s Game is the first book in the Soldier Spy trilogy, set during the Napoleonic Wars. The King’s Agent is the second and the third, Code of Honour, has recently been published. Find out more at www.rosemaryhayes.co.uk  and find Rosemary on Facebook and Twitter / X: @HayesRosemary

Blog Tour: Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War, by Barbara Kent Lawrence

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

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

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About the Author

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.  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. 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.  Find out more at https://barbaralawrence.com/  and find Barbara on Facebook and Instagram.

Blog Tour Excerpt: West of Santillane by Brook Allen

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

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.

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.”

Brook Allen

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About the 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. Find out more at https://www.brookallenauthor.com/ and find Brook on Twitter @1BrookAllen, Facebook and Bluesky @brookallenauthor.bsky.social

Blog Tour: Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure by Cliff Lovette

Available for pre-order 

from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1990. The Soviet Empire is unraveling. A circus has just arrived in America. When the first privately owned Soviet circus arrived in America in 1990, as the Soviet Empire unraveled, its elite performers hoped to build cultural bridges through spectacular shows. Instead, this prestigious troupe faced a perilous journey through Cold War America.

Circus director Yuri had to navigate treacherous waters where American mobsters, Soviet agents, and political forces circled like predators. As high-stakes conspiracies threatened to tear the circus family apart, they confronted an impossible choice: the authoritarian chains of home or the uncertain promise of freedom.

Young aerialist Anton dreamed of becoming a clown against his family's wishes, while forbidden romances blossomed between Soviet performers and Americans who saw past the ideological divide.

Can human connection transcend ideology? Can storytelling bridge the divides that separate us?

As the Ringmaster reminds us, "The best Soviet stories are like vodka—they burn with suffering, intoxicate with conflict, keep you stewing in reflection, and leave you yearning for your heart's desire."

Based on true events the author learned in 1991, when the circus's American road manager became a client at his Atlanta entertainment law firm.

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About the Author

Cliff Lovette is a father, storyteller, and dog lover living in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with London curled at his feet. Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure is the first book in his debut duology, followed by Circus Bim Bom: The Great Escape. Find out more at https://bimbombookclub.com/

Blog Tour Spotlight: Wolf of the Nordic Seas (Valiant Vikings Book 2) by Jennifer Ivy Walker

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Named after the Norse God of the Sea, Njörd grew up sailing, swimming, and fishing the fjords of Norway. Endowed with extraordinary senses, speed, and strength, he became known as Wolf of the Nordic Seas, leading lucrative Viking raids from the Baltic shores to the Black and Caspian Seas. When a Viking völva foretells his future through a seidr vision, Njörd learns that his fate and his mate—the siren with the sea goddess eyes—lie on the alabaster coast of Normandy in the distant Land of the White Chalk Cliffs.

Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir is a skilled shieldmaiden who seeks vengeance against the ruthless Frankish count who killed her brother and abducted her father in an attempt to seize her clifftop castle. But rather that submit to the count’s relentless demand for her hand in marriage, Elfi allies with Richard the Fearless—the Viking Duke of Normandy— and the Danish Jarl of Ribe known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas.

As Elfi and Njörd discover startling secrets about their respective pasts, they find that the three Norns have entwined the threads of their fates not just as political allies, but as mates destined to fulfill a divine prophecy.

Wolf of the Nordic Seas— book 2 of the Valiant Vikings series set in tenth century Normandy— is a sizzling, scintillating blend of historical fiction, Norse mythology, paranormal fantasy, and steamy Viking romance!

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About the Author

Jennifer Ivy Walker is an award-winning author of medieval Celtic, Nordic, and paranormal romance, as well as contemporary romance, historical fiction, and WWII romantic suspense. A former high school teacher and college professor of French with an MA in French literature, her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, including Celtic myths and legends, Norse mythology, Viking sagas, and Nordic lore. Find out more from Jennifere's website https://jenniferivywalker.com/ and find her on Facebook

Blog Tour: Whispers in the Snow by Heidi Eljarbo

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Of course, a young woman in Norway during the late nineteenth century can be a successful amateur sleuth, and goodness knows, Cornelia’s days are always more exciting when she can devote her time to resolving a local mystery.

Cornelia Gran is a dedicated daughter, friendly and kind; although, she has an exorbitant amount of curiosity. She devours Arthur Conan Doyle’s magazine articles and tries to follow the fictitious Sherlock Holmes’s investigative examples, but her fascination with solving puzzles always gets her into mischief.

Each morning, Cornelia reads the newspaper, looking for a conundrum to solve. Searching for clues—and then chronicling her discoveries—thrills her. She certainly finds those activities more entertaining than taking her grandmother’s advice and attending one Christmas ball after another in search of a husband.

But chaos and danger turn Cornelia’s quiet days upside down when her attempt to find information about the owner of a nearby abandoned cottage takes her into dangerous territory. As winter winds rattle the windows and swirl snowdrifts against the doors, she faces off with a ghost, gets in trouble with the police, and finds herself staring down danger without thinking of the consequences. In the middle of it all, she meets Simon and is captivated by his charm, good looks, and personality.

Meanwhile, a real killer is after her, and he won’t stop until he gets information she doesn’t have! Christmas, with all its cheery festivities, hygge, and family traditions, has never been more threatened. Cornelia must call on all her investigative skills, not only to stop the ruination of her family’s holiday, but also to make certain Simon and his aunt keep what belongs to them. And maybe, just maybe, the amateur sleuth will discover the meaning of true love.

Set in a fictitious town in Norway in 1891, this cozy historical mystery is perfect for those who enjoy curious and determined women sleuths, clean and wholesome romance, and the discovery of buried secrets in an abandoned house.

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About the Author

Heidi Eljarbo grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries. After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history. Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter. Find out more at heidi's website https://www.heidieljarbo.com/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @HeidiEljarbo

Blog Tour Guest Post by Penny Hampson, Author of The Unquiet Spirit (Spirited Encounters Book 1)

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

She wasn’t home alone... With her love life in tatters, Kate Wilson needs a fresh start, and where could be better than the old Cornish house that had belonged to her godmother? There’s just one problem – it comes with a ghost as a sitting tenant.

Believe it or not, the main inspiration behind my latest book, The Unquiet Spirit, was my husband. I’d been writing for several years and, while I’ve written a couple of contemporary short stories, I’d never written a contemporary novel. All my previous books are set in the Regency period (well, I am a historian and I love writing about the past) and as my husband prefers stories set in the present day he asked me if I would write a contemporary tale.

Anyway, after some thought, I decided I could do this –– surely it would mean less research, so easy-peasy, right? Wrong! Writing a modern day story takes just as much research as a story with a historical setting. Also, I’d thought of a crafty way in which I could introduce historical elements to my modern story; having a ghost or two was my cunning plan, because where do ghosts come from? That’s right, the past.

If you have ghosts, they have to haunt somewhere, so my next step was to find a house. I did this by browsing the internet; Rightmove is great for this sort of thing. I needed something quite old, a bit rambling but not derelict, and preferably somewhere in the West Country. 

When the right one popped up on my screen I knew it would be perfect as The Beeches. Built a bit haphazardly, with some parts of it dating from the 17th century while other parts were built in the 18th century, it suited my storyline. It also came with a floor plan, which was brilliant for helping me plot scenes and work out where my characters would be. I have to confess, this house wasn’t located in Cornwall.

The main setting of my story was the easy part; I love Cornwall, especially the area round Falmouth. My husband and I try to visit there every year. Falmouth appears in two of my historical novels (A Bachelor’s Pledge and An Adventurer’s Contract) so I’d already undertaken a lot of research about life there in the early 1800s, which made blending my knowledge of the two time periods relatively easy. 

Falmouth has always been a bustling, lively place and its situation on the coast at the mouth of the Fal River is stunning. I hope I’ve managed to convey my feelings about Falmouth into my story, and that it evokes the same emotions in my readers.

Another major setting is the city of Bath –– another of my favourite places. I’m probably more familiar with the streets of Bath than I am of Oxford, which is the nearest city to where I currently live. Walking the streets and sideroads of Bath with its wonderful Regency architecture can be like stepping back in time, especially if you can block out the traffic noise.

At the time when I was researching this story I discovered a showhome on Great Pulteney Street; this was one of the original large Regency houses that was being redeveloped into luxury apartments. Of course, I had to have a look around, and this fabulous apartment made it into the modern part of my story.

Although The Unquiet Spirit is a cosy mystery/romance, there are some serious elements. Life for some of its characters is not easy. I decided to introduce a character who suffers from the longterm debilitating illness, ME/CFS, the results of which affect not only her, but her family. I think family carers are present day unsung heroes, who receive very little help or acknowledgement for the work they do. Showing how family and friends rally round was therefore important.

The illness, ME/CFS has been around for a long time and has been dismissed in the past as being trivial or malingering, making those who suffer from it feel as if they are to blame for not trying hard enough to recover. In fact, many sufferers are housebound or even bed bound, their once active lives destroyed, and they receive virtually no support from the medical establishment.

Thankfully, new research this year has proved conclusively that ME/CFS is a real physical illness and at last there is hope that in the future treatments may be found. The Unquiet Spirit was one small way that I could help shed some light on this dreadful illness and its almost two million UK sufferers.

Finally, there is another issue that I highlight in this story, but because I don’t want to give spoilers, all I will say is that it is something that is perceived as mainly affecting women. However, I wanted to show that men are also affected and shouldn’t be ashamed of speaking out.

So you can see that there were many different factors that influenced this story: my love of old houses and beautiful parts of the country, my strong feelings that certain issues should be spoken about and discussed, but most of all, my desire for producing an uplifting, feelgood story to showcase the enduring power of love.

Penny Hampson

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About the Author

Penny Hampson writes mysteries, and because she has a passion for history, you’ll find her stories also reflect that. A Gentleman’s Promise, a traditional Regency romance, was Penny’s debut novel and the first of her Gentlemen Series. There are now four novels in the series, with the latest, An Adventurer’s Contract, released in November 2024. Penny also enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with a hint of the paranormal, because where do ghosts come from but the past? The Unquiet Spirit, a spooky mystery/romance set in Cornwall, is the first in the Spirited Encounters Series. Look out for A Plethora of Phantoms coming soon. Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time). Find out more at Penny's website: https://pennyhampson.co.uk/blog/ and find her on 

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

Twitter / X: @penny_hampson, Facebook, and  Bluesky: @pennyhampson.bsky.social

Blog Tour Excerpt: Therein Lies the Pearl, by Catherine Hughes

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

The events leading up to the Norman Conquest of 1066 are well documented in the annals of history: various men are fighting for possession of the English throne, each believing himself to be the chosen one. The situation intensifies when King Edward, childless and already in failing health, sends for his nephew, Edward the Exile, to return home. What will this mean for Harold, Earl of Wessex and East Anglia? For William, Duke of Normandy? And when Edward mysteriously dies almost immediately after coming ashore, what will become of his son Edgar, the last surviving son of the royal dynasty?

Excerpt

Her voice lifted in confusion. “Father?”

    Margaret had been breathing in the musky smell of the woodlands and the flowering anemone that lined their path when she saw her father’s body, as it was positioned in the saddle, tilt further and further toward the side.

    That morning the family had left the inn and began traveling toward Favreshant, following a path made fragrant by the flowers and plants newly opened for spring. The weather did much to improve Margaret’s spirits as the sun shone brightly upon them from a clear, blue-domed sky. An occasional puffy cloud floated across the heavens but never did it linger long enough to diminish the warmth that embraced her. Walking with a bemused smile upon her face, Margaret surrendered to the charms of the countryside, relishing in the way the light accentuated the many shades of green that colored the leaves, the bushes, and the flower stems. A random look toward the front of the cavalcade snapped her pleasant daydream when she noticed the rider near the head of the train—her father—was about to fall.

    Abandoning her usual sauntering walk, she broke into enormous strides trying to close the gap between her father and herself. The rapid turnover of her feet upon the soil alarmed the flock of yellowhammers who had been flitting about the blossoms. To escape the disruption, they rose higher and hovered above, waiting for the

tumult to settle.

    “Father!”

    Her shout coincided with the loud thud of his body landing on solid ground, his head coming to rest in a patch of wildflowers.

    Before Margaret reached him, she could see Gerhard was already there. He had carefully removed young Edgar from the saddle and then ran toward Edward, dropping to his knees for closer inspection.

    Margaret skidded to a halt and took the same posture on the other side of her father’s fallen body. Hesitantly, she repeated again, “Father...?”

    His lips parted but no sound issued forth.

    After a quick glance in her direction, Gerhard moved closer to Edward, placing one hand beneath his master’s neck and bringing his own closer. “Edward! Edward, can you hear me?” Nothing. “Blink your eyes if you can hear me.” Gerhard’s voice cracked with worry, his usual composure gone. Because Gerhard had leaned so closely over her father’s head, Margaret had to slide further up toward his shoulder to be able to see whether or not her father had comprehended Gerhard’s words.

    To her relief, she saw his eyelashes flutter—he understood! He was still there, he was still with them!

    Gerhard continued. “Can you move your legs, my lord? Your arms? Just blink to let me know if you still have some control over your limbs.”

    The words hung in the air as other people soon gathered around the group of three upon the ground. Margaret heard Edgar sniffling somewhere outside the circle and felt Harold, the priest, and his two brothers glaring down upon them from their seats. None of them had dismounted; instead, they surrounded the trio like a band of

highwaymen waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting victim. To Margaret’s dismay, her father’s eyelids did not flicker.

    She studied Gerhard and watched the changing color of emotion move across his face—from confusion to concern, from fear to speculation, from suspicion to anger. When they both noticed the parting of her father’s lips, their hopes lifted. Together, she and Gerhard leaned in closer.

    Her father’s eyes remained open but unfocused, and he whispered gently, more so to the air than to them. “No ... feeling ...my legs. My feet... cannot feel them... cannot move them... nothing there.”

    Gerhard was about to respond but stopped when he saw Edward gather his breath once more. Unable to inhale deeply, he spoke in shallow exchanges. “Dizzy ... since morn...could not get... legs...to keep hold ... of the horse... chest feels ... full... crushed.” He paused here for a lengthier break. 

    Margaret could feel her eyes welling up, her lashes wet with moisture. 

    “Cannot... take .... in ... air.” With his gaze still focused at some point in the far distance, he whispered in a hushed tone, “Twas... foul... play.” Silence and he moved no more.

    Margaret felt tears stinging her eyes. They burned her skin as they tumbled down her face until they left small, individual droplets of water on her father’s tunic. She watched as Gerhard placed his hand over Edward’s face, his fingers gently extending to close each eyelid.

    Tiny bright-blue flowers with yellow centers formed a soft, decorative pillow where his sleeping head lay. Reminded of Jesus’ promise when he created these delicate blossoms, Margaret trusted that the Blessed Virgin would watch over her father’s soul. And she also knew that her father—like the flower itself—was urging her to “forget-me-not.”

Catherine Hughes

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About the Author

Award winning writer, Catherine Hughes, is a first-time author who, from her earliest years, immersed herself in reading. Historical fiction is her genre of choice, and her bookshelves are stocked with selections from ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Europe as well as those involving New England settlements and pioneer life in America. After double-majoring in English and business management on the undergraduate level, Catherine completed her Master's degree in British literature at Drew University and then entered the classroom where she has been teaching American, British, and World Literature at the high school level for the last thirty years. Aside from teaching and reading, Catherine can often be found outdoors, drawing beauty and inspiration from the world of nature. Taking the words of Thoreau to heart, "It is the marriage of the soul with nature that makes the intellect fruitful," Catherine sets aside time every day to lace up her sneakers and run with her dog in pre-dawn or late afternoon hours on the beaches of Long Island. When her furry companion isn't busy chasing seagulls or digging up remnants of dead fish, she soaks in the tranquility of the ocean setting, freeing her mind to tap into its deepest recesses where creativity and imagination preside. Find out more from Catherine's website https://www.catherinehughesauthor.com/ and find her on Facebook

Blog Tour Interview with Avien Gray, Author of Rough Diamond – Rough Justice

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

MI5 Agent and erstwhile photographer Cain becomes an undercover, extra-judicial killer for a secret Bureau. Recovering from injuries sustained protecting the Royal Family, Cain embraces new life and romance in sun-drenched Australia, leaving his past life behind. But when tragedy strikes, he is on the move again.

I'm pleased to welcome author Avien Gray to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

“Rough Diamond Rough Justice” is my debut novel. A Literary Titan Award Winner. Cain, an MI5 agent-turned-extra-judicial enforcer who trades the world of intelligence for a fresh start—only to be drawn back into the deadly game he thought he had left behind. 

Taking readers from the UK to the sun-drenched shores of Australia, to the diamond trade in Florida and the dangerous underworlds of South Africa and China. Cain’s journey is of international intrigue. And his best friend Jerry, a Royal Protection Officer, was always there to help and be helped. 

What is your preferred writing routine?

I write for three to four hours each day of the week. When I have completed each chapter – because I am very new to writing – I read through it again to make any necessary adjustments, etc, etc to perfect the storyline. I have a very slow process; it took me many years to complete my debut novel.

I occasionally, whilst writing, like listening to classical music – no words. 

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Make sure you have read the best novels by great authors, some of whom have a similar storyline to the one you are wanting to create. My favourite author is Wilbur Smith, followed by Lee Child, Tom Sharpe, Dean Koontz, and many others. And of course in this modern-day world there are many advisers on websites and social media.

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Receiving 5★★★★★ Reviews on Amazon, Kindle, various other websites – and of course social media.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

I did not have to do any research. 

As it says at the beginning of “Rough Diamond Rough Justice:”

This book is a work of fiction, inspired by several real-life events and real people. Names, characters, incidents, and places are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

During my life, I met with many people who lived in extreme ways. Some good and tragically, some bad. Hence the most unexpected thing I discovered during the course of my life was very sad. More than one of my most trusted were con men, perpetual liars who lived in a world of deceit, theft and corruption, sometimes causing tragic life-long consequences. 

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

The hardest scene I will always remember was the death of Cain’s best friend Jerry. Combining real life events with memories, tragedy, and sadness was very difficult. And when I’d finished, a tear ran down my cheek.

What are you planning to write next?

I am planning a continuation of Cain’s profession. He will start by paying a visit to the man who had, in my debut novel  “Rough Diamond Rough Justice”, murdered three people in Australia. Who were they? I’ll leave you to have a read to find out.

I have written 30,000 words of my second novel. Cain’s profession will again start in the UK, before taking him to the USA and South Africa where he will meet again with friends and enemies. 

Avien Gray

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About the Author

Avien Gray, the English author behind Rough Diamond – Rough Justice, brings a wealth of experience to his gripping debut novel. Born in the UK, Gray has led a dynamic, bachelor’s life marked by an impressive array of skills and global adventures. He has a driver’s license, motorbike license, and pilot’s license. His physical discipline extends to martial arts, where he earned a karate black belt, complemented by a lifelong passion for photography that captures the world through his discerning lens. You can find Avien Gray on Twitter @aviengrayauthor