Rhew 2 Rhew Blog Tour ~­ 122 Rules Book Blitz Extravaganza: Deek Rhew

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

In his black and white world, Sam Bradford--former Marine turned government assassin--finally sees a speck of grey. He has always followed orders without question, but his latest assignment threatens to disrupt the precision of his universe and may either severe or redeem his last remaining sliver of humanity.

Rhew 2 Rhew

How's that for a catchy title? What a crazy adventure this has been FIVE years in the making, and it has finally arrive: 122 Rules has been born unto the world. The stories I could tell just so I could tell you this story...well, let's just say it's been an interesting, educational, and life­altering adventure.

Who could resist those stunning blues?

This has been a grand journey, filled with hardships, fun, learning, and growth. But of all the things that have happened on the writing road, meeting the love of my life is the most unlikely and easily the luckiest, most blessed things to have ever happened to me.

Erin Rhew and I started out as critique partners, became friends, and now she's my bride. She's my best friend and partner in all things. Even if I don't sell a single copy of my writings, I'll always be a smashing success because I met Erin.

On this half of the Rhewination tour, I am visiting blogs all over the globe, from Australia to the farthest corners in Canada. Next week, on the second half of the tour, Erin will be gracing the pages of 50+ bloggers! In addition, we are giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Prepare yourselves to win!

Today, we are announcing my adult thriller novel

122 Rules.  

What are readers saying?

“122 Rules is a fast-paced thrill-ride, filled with rich characters living in an expertly woven world of mystery and suspense. Deek Rhew’s debut novel will take readers by storm, and keep them coming back for sequels.”

​~Michelle K. Pickett, Bestselling and award-winning author of PODs and Unspeakable.

The perfect, fast-paced novel for fans of kick-butt heroines, creepy killers, and getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. An absolute must-read!  ~Meradeth Houston, author of Travelers, An Absence of Light, and the Sary Society Series

With a pinch of humor and multiple twists of violent action, 122 RULES is a page-turning thriller where law-upholders, law-enforcers and law-breakers co-exist in a fuzzy line that makes you wonder: Who is enforcing the law, who is breaking it, and who are the victims of this uncertainty? Monica, a feisty and irreverent law student, is caught in the middle of it all when she finds herself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, overhearing the wrong conversation, one that changes her life forever taking us on a warped path where, what we think is real, might not be true, and what is true, is clearly debatable. Yes, Deek Rhew keeps you wondering until the last page! --Leonardo Wild, author of THE GALAPAGOS AGENDA, a Paradigm Shift Thriller.

This is a moment in your life without comparison or equal because you are about to embark on a journey that will undoubtedly become one of those memorable experiences you tell all your friends about. And that’s why it is your Rhewination. From this point onward, everything else you read will be measured against your first reading Deek Rhew’s 122 Rules. ~Elgon Williams, author of Fried Windows (in a Light White Sauce)

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About the Author

Deek Rhew lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with the stunning YA author bride, Erin Rhew, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords. He and Erin love to share books by reading aloud to one another. In addition, they enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, and exploring the little town ­­with antique shops and bakeries­ ­they call home. Find out more at Deek's website www.DeekRhewBooks.com and find him on Twitter @DeekRhewBooks.

Are you ready to win?!!! Enter the Rhewination, Rhews on Tour Giveaway!

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Historical Fiction Spotlight ~ Of Fathers and Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance, by Evan Ostryzniuk

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Italy during late-fourteenth century

Wandering into the midst of the many warring factions comes young English would-be knight Geoffrey Hotspur and his crafty French criminal manservant, Jean de la Langoustine, a debt collector for the notorious Gamesmaster. 

The hapless Quixote–like pair stumble from mishap to disaster as Hotspur pursues his ever–pressing dream of becoming a fully-fledged knight fit to fight in the Crusades. 

Although his friends and fellow squires have already served a knight on a proper campaign, Geoffrey has not yet crossed swords with anyone, let alone a knight. No matter how hard he tries to bloody his sword, some event is sure to intervene. 

His big chance comes when he becomes embroiled with the court of the child ruler Niccolo d’Este, who is thrust into power when his father, the popular Alberto, unexpectedly dies and leaves him too young to rule on his own. 

It is left to the naïve and unbloodied Geoffrey to escort Niccolo to safety through the battlefields and stave off the warlords and family rivals determined to kill and replace the young ruler. 

This thrilling adventure tale is woven into actual events, people and places from a period that had a major influence on Renaissance Italy and for many years to come. The author’s thorough research ensures a story that is set against a background in which fashions, food, lifestyles and habits, from peasant to prince, are described in rip–roaring and vivid detail. 

Of Fathers and Sons is an exciting tale of knights, courtesans and villains built around the Battle of Portomaggiore, waged in the muddy marshes of a snowbound northern Italy in the late fourteenth century. 

Praise for Evan Ostryzniuk 

'A classic story that brings the era vividly to life.' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of The Lunar Code. 

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About the Author

Evan Ostryzniuk grew up in Canada and was educated in both Canada and the United Kingdom. He currently works and writes in Kiev, Ukraine. He earned several academic degrees in history and modern languages, which culminated in doctoral research at Cambridge University that resulted in a thesis about rural insurgency during the Russian Revolution. He is currently employed at a financial services company in the varied role of editor, translator and researcher. Before that, he was a lecturer in history at a private university. Find out more at Evan's website http://evanostryzniuk.com/ and find him on Twitter @EOstryzniuk.

Guest Post by Anne O'Brien: Revisiting Katherine de Valois in the The Forbidden Queen

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

An innocent pawn 

A kingdom without a king 

A new dynasty will reign… 

All of my novels about the lives of medieval women have all allowed me to include more than a pinch of politics, government intrigue and national events.  It is something that I enjoy, working the ‘history’ into the lives of my protagonists.

But when I began to write about Katherine de Valois, particularly writing her story in the first person, I realised that this novel would be different from the rest, with strict limitations on its scope outside the life of the heroine herself.  I had to accept what The Forbidden Queen could not be, before I could settle down to decide what it should be.  To begin with, it was quite a daunting project.

The Forbidden Queen:

      

- is not a novel about the Hundred Years War.

-     - is not a political comment on the difficulties faced by a country with a Regency under the minority rule of Henry VI.

 - is not a novel involved in the growth of powerful families, culminating in the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses.
 - is not a discussion of the problems of the Valois crown under Charles VI, with the resurgence of Charles VII under Joan of Arc and the ultimate defeat of the English.

It is none of these things simply because Katherine, except through the event of her marriage to Henry V, was untouched by most if not all of these issues.  If I wrote a political novel, Katherine would be a mere un-looker – and not even that since she was kept secluded from much of what was going on in the background to her life.   Katherine would be merely commenting on what she saw and heard.  There would be little that she actually did.

This would not make a dramatic novel. So why was Katherine, compared with my other medieval protagonists, so uninvolved? 

Katherine’s lifestyle was narrow and protected until the 1430s.  Her interests as far as we know were domestic.  Neglected as a child, she received little education in the convent at Poissy, and played the role of most princesses in the marriage stakes, to cement an alliance with a potentially hostile country.  Katherine had of course no influence in this.  We do not even know what she thought about it.  She is often portrayed as a beautiful young woman who was not very bright, which might simply indicate that she played no role other than a ceremonial one.  She certainly does not seem to have had any political interest or knowledge of the country of which she would be Queen.

It is true that some royal wives develop political acumen as they mature and take on a role in government either at the side of their husband or independently.  They support causes, they promote marriage alliances, they receive petitioners and speak for their interests.  Their role to support and bolster royal power gives a pattern to their days and a demand on their time.

This is not Katherine de Valois.  Katherine had the title, wore the robes of state and ultimately stood at her young son’s side as King's Mother when he appeared infrequently in public, but that was the limit of her involvement.  Nothing else was expected of her, and she appears to have little interest in carving out a role for herself.  Katherine does not mature into a political animal.  When she is able to take the initiative in the 1430s to live as she chooses, the choice she makes is to retire from public life to live quietly away from the public eye.  When politics encroach on her life, she becomes a victim, not a protagonist.

So what are we left with, as the story at the core of The Forbidden Queen? 

Presumably dazzled by her royal suitor, Katherine played her part successfully in her brief marriage with Henry V and the even briefer time she actually spent with him, by giving birth to a son and smiling at the crowds when she joined Henry on his royal progress in 1422.  Left a widow at 21 with little power and no official position assigned to her in the rearing and education of her young son other than the title Queen Dowager and King's Mother, Katherine remained obscure, destined to a ceremonial widowhood at her son’s side to bolster the boy’s claim to the Valois throne.  Nor is there any evidence that she had any knowledge of or interest in events in France.  Her only visit after Henry’s death was for the coronation of the young Henry VI as King of France.

The knowledge we have of Katherine in the late 1420s and early 1430s is of an entirely personal nature.

- Lacking the political wisdom that might have shown her the foolishness of her actions, she became infatuated with Edmund Beaufort, even to the extent that marriage was mooted – with the obvious repercussions and restrictions from a suspicious Royal Council.

- Prevented from taking this dangerous step, Katherine fell in love with Owen Tudor, an astonishing liaison between a Dowager Queen and a disenfranchised Welshman who, we presume, was a servant in her own household.  And Katherine loved him enough to marry him.

So this is Katherine’s story, and a most appealing one it was to become as I accepted my limitations.  A coming of age novel of a young girl who obeyed the demands of her family, suffered increasing isolation, but ultimately grew up.  Not politics, not foreign policy, but the story of a young woman caught in the grip of dynastic aggrandisement and political necessity.

It is a very personal story.  A splendid love story.  And ultimately, for Katherine, a tragic one.

Anne O'Brien

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About the Author

Anne O'Brien was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a B.A. Honours degree in History at Manchester University and a Masters in Education at Hull, she lived in the East Riding for many years as a teacher of history. After leaving teaching, Anne decided to turn to novel writing and give voice to the women in history who fascinated her the most, beginning with Virgin Widow, which told the story of Anne Neville, the wife of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Since then, she has told the stories of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Devil's Consort, Alice Perrers, the mistress of Edward III, in The King's Concubine, Katherine de Valois, the child bride of Henry V, in The Forbidden Queen and Katherine Swynford, mistress of John of Gaunt, in The Scandalous Duchess. Her latest novel The King's Sister is the story of Elizabeth of Lancaster, caught up in dramatic and bloody family politics in the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV. Today Anne lives in an eighteenth century cottage in Herefordshire, an area full of inspiration for her work. Visit Anne online at www.anneobrienbooks.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter @anne_obrien. 

New Historical Fiction ~ Jane the Quene (The Seymour Saga Book 1) by Janet Wertman

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

All Jane Seymour wants is a husband; but when she catches the eye of a volatile king, she is pulled deep into the Tudor court’s realm of plot and intrigue.... 

England. 1535. Jane Seymour is 27 years old and increasingly desperate for the marriage that will provide her a real place in the world. She gets the perfect opportunity to shine when the court visits Wolf Hall, the Seymour ancestral manor. With new poise born from this event, it seems certain that her efficiency and diligence will shine through and finally attract a suitor. 

Meanwhile, King Henry VIII is 45 and increasingly desperate for a son to secure his legacy. He left his first wife, a princess of Spain, changing his country’s religion in the process, to marry Anne Boleyn -- but she too has failed to deliver the promised heir. As Henry begins to fear he is cursed, Jane Seymour’s honesty and innocence conjure redemption. Thomas Cromwell, an ambitious clerk who has built a career on strategically satisfying the King’s desires, sees in Jane the perfect vehicle to calm the political unrest that threatens the country: he engineers the plot that ends with Jane becoming the King’s third wife. 

Jane believes herself virtuous and her actions justified, but early miscarriages shake her confidence and hopes. How can a woman who has done nothing wrong herself deal with the guilt of how she unseated her predecessor? 

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About the Author

Janet Wertman grew up within walking distance of three bookstores and a library on Manhattan’s Upper West Side – and she visited all of them regularly. Janet spent fifteen years as a corporate lawyer in New York, and co-authored The Executive Compensation Answer Book. After moving to Los Angeles with her family and switching careers, Janet became a highly successful grantwriter for non-profits took up writing fiction. Janet is thrilled to finally be releasing the first book in The Seymour Saga series: Jane the Quene The second book, The Path to Somerset, will chronicle Edward Seymour’s rise after Jane’s death to become Lord Protector of England and Duke of Somerset – taking us right through Henry’s crazy years. Finally, the third book, The Boy King, will cover the reign of Jane’s son, Edward VI, and the string of betrayals he suffered. Find our more at Jane’s website janetwertman.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @JaneTheQuene.

Guest Post by Rita Lee Chapman: How a holiday in Egypt led to my first novel – Missing in Egypt

Available on Amazon UK  Amazon AU and Amazon US

Missing in Egypt will intrigue you with its twists and turns, romance and adventure as well as its insights into Australian and Egyptian cultures. Australian Anna Davies travels to Egypt with her lover to help him search for his brother, who disappeared whilst on holiday. The Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel and the Temple of Karnak are amongst the settings for their search. Will they be able to track him down and find him alive - or is Ramy already dead? What tragedies await Anna and Kareem as they come closer to retracing his footsteps? This fast-paced action plot will keep you guessing until the end.

I had always enjoyed writing – in school I wrote long essays and even made up a couple of little books for my youngest brother.  Over my working life I started a few chapters – but with no computer at home it was all done on a typewriter and I never finished a whole book.  When I retired I decided I was finally going to write that book that is in all of us! 

The question was, what would I write about?  The possibilities seemed endless and I had great difficulty deciding what to choose as my theme.  I read several times that you should write about something of which you have knowledge. My husband and I had visited Egypt just before we retired and it had made a huge impact on me.  It is like no other country I have visited.  The temples there are largely complete, unlike ruins in so many other countries.

We cruised the Upper Nile, changed boats at Aswan and cruised the Lower Nile.  We visited temples on the Upper Nile by tenders, always accompanied by an armed guard.  Often we would leave before seven in the morning because the heat even at that time was intense.  I marvelled at some of our cruise companions who were quite elderly and disabled but they were determined to see these amazing places and endured the heat and the walking without complaint.  Egypt seemed to me the perfect place to set my story.  The discovery of a new tomb was perfectly within the realms of possibility and the remoteness of the Valley of the Queens made it a believable setting.

I can't say it was an easy journey to complete Missing in Egypt.  I couldn't see where the story was going or envisage the ending.  I would lie awake at night trying to work out the plot.  Once I had the outline, filling in the detail was easy as I knew I could do it.

Egypt is a mysterious and intriguing country.  Vast deserts and uninhabited areas, crowded cities, towering pyramids and ancient tombs are all found in Egypt.  Even today new tombs are being discovered, many still containing the sarcophagus and a myriad of valuable jewellery and antiques to sustain the deceased on their journey to the after life.  What better place to set a mystery?  And so Missing in Egypt was born.

Winston – A Horse’s Tale

My second book, Winston – A Horse’s Tale was the book I had to write.  Mad about horses from an early age I wanted to write from the horse’s point of view.  Very much for horse lovers from teenagers upwards (it is very horsey) it is my favourite book and I found it very easy to write.

Winston is a good-looking palomino horse whose life involves several different owners and many adventures.  As you read his story, told by Winston himself, you will appreciate horse ownership from the horse’s point of view.  Born on a country property in Australia, Winston tells of his breaking-in and education and the different people he encounters – good, bad and ignorant.  As well as his own story, Winston includes the experiences of other horses he meets along life’s way.  

Whether it’s jumping, eventing, hunting or just hacking, Winston tries hard to please his rider. Follow his successes and his failures from his breaking-in to his show jumping win. It is an eventful life – the story of one Australian horse out of thousands, but one that you will remember.

Dangerous Associations

My latest book, Dangerous Associations, is a crime mystery.  I wanted to write something that would appear to a wider audience.  As I enjoy crime mysteries, both on television and in the written word, I chose this genre for my third book. 

An ex-husband, a new love, a stalker.  Cathy Thompson’s link to her ex-husband fills her life with threats and intimidation.  She must either trap her stalker or find Geoffrey to put an end to her life of fear.  

Rita Lee Chapman

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About the Author

Rita Lee Chapman was born in London and moved to Australia in her early twenties.  My working life was spent in Sydney and it was not until she retired to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland that Rita finished her first book. She says, 'The Sunshine Coast is a beautiful place to live with the sea, rivers and lakes all close by.' Find out more at Rita's website www.ritaleechapman.com where she hosts a different guest author each week, and find her on Facebook.

Guest Post ~ Call to Juno (A Tale of Ancient Rome Book 3) by Elisabeth Storrs

‘An elegant, impeccably researched exploration of early Rome and their lesser known enemies, the Etruscans. The torments of war, love, family, and faith are explored by narrators on both sides of the conflict as their cities rush toward a shattering, heart-wrenching show-down. Elisabeth Storrs weaves a wonderful tale!’

Kate Quinn, author of The Empress of Rome Saga

Amazon UK    Amazon US   Amazon AU

Why write a saga about two ancient cities?

Many thanks, Tony, for hosting me on The Writing Desk. More than fifteen years ago I found a photo of a sixth-century BC sarcophagus upon which a husband and wife were sculpted in a pose of affection. The image of the lovers intrigued me. What ancient culture acknowledged women as equals to their husbands? Or exalted marital fidelity with such open sensuality? Discovering the answer led me to the decadent and mystical Etruscan civilisation and the ten year war between early Rome and Veii.

When ancient Italy is mentioned most think of Rome as the dominant culture. Yet the Etruscans had built a cosmopolitan and extensive civilisation well before the Romans were fighting turf wars with other Latin tribes. At one stage Etruscan kings ruled Rome. The expulsion of the third and last of them was reputed to have resulted in the birth of the Republic. In fact, at its height, Etruria and its settlements extended throughout the modern regions of Umbria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio and part of Campania and also dominated trade routes stretching from the Black Sea to northern Africa.

Learning the two rival cities of Rome and Veii were situated only twelve miles apart across the Tiber gave me the idea of exploring the differences between the society of the hedonistic Etruscans and that of the austere emergent Rome. And so, the story of a marriage of a Roman treaty bride to an enemy Etruscan man was born. 

Although recent archaeological digs are revealing more about the Etruscans, their civilisation has often been dubbed “mysterious” because no literature has survived other than remnants of ritual texts. Instead, their world is revealed through their fantastic tomb art which makes clear that these people celebrated life: dancing in what appears to be ecstasy, and with wives dining in semi-transparent robes as they sit drinking wine next to their husbands.

Many worshipped Fufluns, the equivalent of the Greek god, Dionysus, whose later cult adherents were famous for indulging in debauchery. The Etruscans also followed the tenets of a sophisticated religion which raised the art of prophecy into a science. Indeed, it is the Etruscans’ ability to forsee (and even delay) fate that tempts my Roman bride, Caecilia, to defy her destiny in The Wedding Shroud, when she fears she will become a hostage to war.

Throughout the Tales of Ancient Rome saga, I have enjoyed creating strong female characters and exploring the roles of women in a warrior culture. In the second novel, The Golden Dice, I introduced two other female protagonists. Pinna is a Roman tomb whore who uses coercion to escape her wretched life and seek the attentions of Rome’s greatest general, Camillus. Semni is an Etruscan artisan who is divorced and ejected from her home after bearing an illegitimate child. She finds shelter in the House of Mastarna and unwittingly becomes involved in a conspiracy to abduct Caecilia’s son. 

My latest novel, Call to Juno, is set in the final year of the siege. Pinna has won Camillus’ heart and travels with him as his army wife. Through her eyes, the reader learns of the Romans’ strategy to destroy Veii, while Semni’s interaction with Caecilia’s children ultimately results in a desperate quest for survival. And Caecilia, who was married against her will to an enemy, has grown from a frightened naïve virgin into a strong, committed mother who is free to make choices, and is empowered to hold fate in her own hands. 

I hope you might be enticed to read the Tales of Ancient Rome saga. All three books have been written as standalones so readers who are new to the story can be confident they can pick up Call to Juno and be swept immediately into the Etruscan world.

Elisabeth Storrs 

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About the Author

Elisabeth Storrs has long had a passion for the history, myths and legends of the ancient world. She graduated from University of Sydney in Arts Law, having studied Classics. Elisabeth lives with her husband and two sons in Sydney, Australia, and over the years has worked as a solicitor, corporate lawyer and corporate governance consultant. She is one of the founders of the Historical Novel Society Australasia www.hnsa.org.au and a director of the NSW Writers' Centre. Feel free to connect with her through her website: www.elisabethstorrs.com  and her Triclinium blog: www.elisabethstorrs.com/blog.  You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter @elisabethstorrs.

Guest Post ~ Time Has Past, By Graeme Taylor

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

There have been many books written about Jack the Ripper, both fictional and ones based on fact. This book takes on the story with an unusual twist. It involves a man who stumbles onto a portal, a gateway to the past. How does he react to such a situation, and how involved will he let himself get? Would that involvement change history

and distort the timeline? 

My Writing, My Novel

I think, like a lot of people, I always thought that I would love to write a novel. It eventually happened, although I did wait until I was in my fifties to make it happen. I don't know where I got the idea from to write a Fictional Story based on Historic events, it just seemed to pop into my head. It took a little bit of research but that wasn't a problem as you might expect the World Wide Web is full of information about the Ripper. The story grew as I got more into the plot, I used to dictate the story in my head when driving or travelling on public transport.

The funniest thing was that I actually thought the ending two thirds into writing the novel and had the final chapter written early. I was always desperate to get to a PC and type in my commuting thoughts, it led to a lot of Proofreading and a great many punctuation errors, but I did not mind this one bit as long as I got my thoughts down on paper or in this case my PC Word Document.

I suppose the inspiration to write my novel came from the publication of my poetry book, after years of writing the odd poem here and there and losing some in the process, I decided to self-publish. It was a great feeling seeing my poetry book on the Amazon Website. The feeling grew when the novel appeared about 20 months later.

I cannot express enough my gratitude for all the help I have received in the publishing of my book from my publisher, from the very first consultation to the finished article the team have constantly kept me up to date on the progress and have been extremely helpful and quick to respond to my many questions with a very professional and friendly approach.  

Graeme Taylor

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About the Author

Graeme Taylor grew up in a working class family and went to the shipyards as a young 16 year old to serve his time as a Marine Fitter. After 15 years, including an apprenticeship, he moved into the shipbuilding offices and trained as a Planning Engineer. After three years doing this job he became a travelling Contractor, working in the UK, Europe and the Far East. I am currently still working as a Planning Engineer thirty three years later. He lives in Habrough, England with his wife and three daughters. Find out more at Graeme's website http://www.graytoon.co.uk/ and find him on Facebook and Twitter @graytoon1.