Book Review ~ Through The Barricades, by Denise Deegan

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

She was willing to sacrifice everything for her country.

He was willing to sacrifice everything for her. 

'Make a difference in the world,' are the last words Maggie Gilligan's father ever says to her. They form a legacy that she carries in her heart, years later when, at the age of fifteen, she tries to better the lives of Dublin's largely forgotten poor.

Set in Dublin during the outbreak of the first war, this fast paced book had me gripped from the first page to the last. Irish author Denise Deegan has an eye for detail and a talent for creating memorable characters. The feisty Maggie Gilligan is torn between love and duty, her country and her family, and her conflict affects everyone around her.

Many authors have made creative use of letters but these will bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened reader. In turns touching and shocking, this story of unconditional love is a great example of how fiction can reveal the human side of events as complex as the Easter Rising of 1916.

When I next visit Dublin I will feel I have a richer understanding of its history - and the people who made it one of my favourite cities. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, I’m happy to award Through the Barricades a well-deserved five out of five stars. Highly recommended.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Award-winning author Denise Deegan lives in Dublin, Ireland with her family. Her novels have been published by Penguin, Random House, Hachette and Lake Union Publishing. Writing under the pen name Aimee Alexander, Denise's contemporary family dramas have become international best-sellers on Kindle. Under her own name, Denise has written a contemporary Young Adult trilogy, The Butterfly Novels: And By The Way, And For Your Information, And Actually, the second of which was nominated for an Irish Book Award. Denise's most recent novel, Through the Barricades, won the international SCBWI Spark Award for best indie book published in 2016. Find out more at Denise's website www.denisedeegan.com and find her on Facebook and Twittter @denisedeegan.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Varangian - Book Three of Odd Tangle-Hair's Saga, by Bruce Macbain #HFVBT

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

The Varangian is the final entry in Bruce Macbain's Odd Tangle-Hair Saga and brings Odd's challenging adventures to a climactic and satisfying finish. On a secret diplomatic mission to the Emperor's court in Miklagard, the Viking's name for Constantinople, Odd meets the members of the fearsome Varangian Guard whose elite Viking members served as the Emperor's personal bodyguards. Harald, his former master and the man he's been sent to murder, now serves among the guards. Court intrigue and imperial dynastic disputes provide the backdrop for the conflict between Odd and Harald. Like Odin's Child and The Ice Queen before it,The Varangian

is dictated by Odd to a young scribe whose own life

is changed by the telling of the tale.

Tony suggested to me that I write something on the craft of writing. This took me by surprise because none of the writers that I hang around with ever want to talk about craft. At a recent meeting of my local writers’ group I suggested that we talk about writing—which, after all, is what we do everyday. This suggestion was met with crashing silence. Instead, we plunged into yet another mind-numbing discussion of how to promote ourselves on social media: the only thing we ever seem to talk about.

So what gives? Why don’t writers want to talk about writing? Are we jealously guarding the recipe for the secret sauce that only we know? Or, do we think there is simply nothing new to say on the subject? That Elmore Leonard and Stephen King have said it all and there is not a jot to be added? Who knows, maybe painters never want to talk about the craft of painting. 

It seems to me, that as the author of five novels (which I will now immodestly name: Roman Games, The Bull-Slayer, Odin’s Child, The Ice Queen, and The Varangian, two of which were Editor’s Choices in the Historical Novels Review) I ought to be able to say something about how I do what I do. But it’s difficult. I’ve taught a lot of things in my life but creative writing is not one of them, nor have I ever taken a course in it. Still, let me mention, for what it’s worth, a couple of things that I do find helpful. 

For one, I carry a small digital voice recorder in my pocket everywhere I go. (Mine is an Olympus and it’s seen me through five novels and into the sixth.) I find that ideas come to me in no particular order, at no given time, and never when I try to force them. These can be a single word, a line of dialog, a fragment of description, or a major plot twist. And if I don’t nail them down right away, they’re gone. So I tell them to my little recorder.

I used to be embarrassed to be heard doing this in public places, but nowadays everybody is talking into a device of some kind so I don’t stand out. If I’m overheard saying, “Ingigerd and Odd make love in the sauna” or “Zoe has remarkably firm breasts for a woman of sixty”, I might just be talking to a friend about some mutual acquaintances. Then, when I sit down at my computer, I play them back, organize them, reject the ones I don’t like anymore, and feed the rest into my outline.

Which brings me to my second point: outlining. I spend a lot of time outlining before I start to write. Of course, the outline can change as I work, and always does. But I need to have the feeling that there is a roadmap, or safety net, or choose your own metaphor. And I play a mental trick on myself: everything is an outline. As long as I tell myself that I’m only outlining, I feel very free and the words flow. But as soon as I tell myself that I’m going to write the damn chapter, I freeze. This is true; I just went through this this morning on my work in progress, Shanghai Blues.

I do know one or two writers who claim that outlining for them takes the fun, or the spontaneity, out of their writing. But I think it just depends on what you call an outline. And one only has to think of the plot snarls that Dickens (my favorite author) often got himself into as a result of not having one.

What else? Although I write on a computer, and I frankly wonder how anyone ever wrote anything before there were computers, I find that I can only correct on a printed copy. I just see things on the page that I never see on the screen. Maybe this is just because I’m an old guy.

Let me conclude with my philosophy of writing historical fiction—not that you asked. Do thorough research; use all the facts you can; bend them a little if you have to; when you run out of facts, make them up. But always—and this is the point I insist on--append an Author’s Note in which you offer some information on the sources and explain briefly what is real and what isn’t. I think if you do that, you’re playing fair with your reader.

Bruce Macbain

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About the Author

Bruce Macbain holds degrees in Classics and Ancient History and was formerly an Assistant Professor of Classics at Boston University. He decided to stop writing scholarly articles (which almost no one read) and turn his expertise to fiction—a much more congenial medium. His previous novels include two mysteries set in ancient Rome (Roman Games, The Bull Slayer) and the first two novels in the Odd Tangle-Hair series (Odin’s Child, The Ice Queen). For more information, please visit Bruce MacBain’s website. You can also find him on Facebook, Google+, Goodreads and Twitter @BMacbain.

Blog Tour Schedule:

Monday, March 20
Kick Off at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 21
Review at Rainy Day Reviews

Friday, March 24
Interview at Dianne Ascroft’s Blog

Sunday, March 26
Excerpt at T’s Stuff

Wednesday, March 29
Guest Post at The Writing Desk

Friday, March 31
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Tuesday, April 4
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, April 7
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Tuesday, April 11
Review at A Book Geek

Thursday, April 13
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Tuesday, April 18
Excerpt at Books, Dreams, Life

Wednesday, April 19
Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books and Coffee Pots

Thursday, April 27
Review at Broken Teepee

Giveaway

To win a copy of The Varangian by Bruce Macbain, please enter via the Gleam form below. Three copies are up for grabs!

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US & Canada only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

The Varangian

Book Launch - Tattletale, by Sarah J. Naughton

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

We're all hiding something

Sarah J Naughton's stunning breakthrough thriller about deceit, betrayal and revenge.

One day changes Jody's life forever. 

She has shut herself down, haunted by her memories and unable to trust anyone. But then she meets Abe, the perfect stranger next door and suddenly life seems full of possibility and hope.

One day changes Mags's life forever.

After years of estrangement from her family, Mags receives a shocking phone call. Her brother Abe is in hospital and no-one knows what happened to him. She meets his fiancé Jody, and gradually pieces together the ruins of the life she left behind. But the pieces don't quite seem to fit...


'a fast paced, brilliant page-turner...I predict a hit' Liz Nugent

'...deliciously clever - I still haven't stopped thinking about the magnificent, twisted construction of it' Emma Kavanagh, author of THE MISSING HOURS

'It's one of the best debuts I've read. It deserves to be MASSIVE.' Julia Crouch

'Lies, mystery and murder wrought by childhood trauma in this compulsive, twisty thriller.' Helen Smith, author of BEYOND BELIEF

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About the Author

Sarah J Naughton grew up in Dorset, on a diet of tales of imperiled heroines and wolves in disguise. As an adult her reading matter changed but those dark fairytales had deep roots. Her debut children's thriller, THE HANGED MAN RISES, featured a fiend from beyond the grave menacing the streets of Victorian London, and was shortlisted for the 2013 Costa award. TATTLETALE is her first adult novel, and has a monster of a different kind. Sarah lives in Central London with her husband and two sons. Find her on Twitter @SarahJNaughton.

New Video Trailer for HENRY - Book Three of The Tudor Trilogy

HENRY is available on Amazon Paperback and Kindle 

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XQK1R6S

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XQK1R6S

Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XQK1R6S

Audiobook narrated by James Young coming soon!

Book Review - The Du Lac Devil: Book 2 of The Du Lac Chronicles, by Mary Anne Yarde

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

The feisty Du Lac brothers are reunited at the old family home in Brittany - what could possibly go wrong?  Well, quite a lot actually. For a start, author Mary Anne Yarde has a liking for deeply flawed characters. Secondly, you need to be thinking George R.R. Martin rather than Sir Thomas Malory. Chivalry is hanging in by its fingernails and treachery is in the air.

Book two of the Du Lac Chronicles would work perfectly well as a stand-alone novel but to really understand the complex web of relationships I recommend starting with the first book. You also need to keep your wits about you, as a fast pace is achieved with short chapters and plenty of action.

I don’t want to include any ‘spoilers’ but at one point I was reminded of those TV programmes that begin with a warning viewers might find some scenes disturbing. There are also tantalising glimpses of the Arthurian back-story, which I’d really like to hear more of – perhaps a ‘prequel’ to the chronicles?

The Du Lac Devil is Mary Anne Yarde at her best  - five out of five stars.

Tony Riches 

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About the Author

Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury—the fabled Isle of Avalon—was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood. At nineteen, she married her childhood sweetheart and began a bachelor of arts in history at Cardiff University, only to have her studies interrupted by the arrival of her first child. She would later return to higher education, studying equine science at Warwickshire College. Horses and history remain two of her major passions. Mary Anne Yarde keeps busy raising four children and helping run a successful family business. Find our more at her website and follow her on Twitter @maryanneyarde. 

New Book Launch – HENRY Book Three of the Tudor Trilogy

New on Amazon UK  Amazon US

and Amazon AU

(Audiobook coming soon)

Bosworth 1485: After victory against King Richard III, Henry Tudor becomes King of England. Rebels and pretenders plot to seize his throne. The barons resent his plans to curb their power and he wonders who he can trust. He hopes to unite Lancaster and York through marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth of York. With help from his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, he learns to keep a fragile peace. He chooses a Spanish Princess, Catherine of Aragon, as a wife for his son Prince Arthur. His daughters will marry the King of Scotland and the son of the Emperor of Rome. It seems his prayers are answered, then disaster strikes and Henry must ensure the future of the Tudors.

I began the Tudor Trilogy with a challenge. The known facts of Owen Tudor’s life are so sparse it’s little wonder so few writers have tackled his story. There are no images of him and historians even debate his name. Undaunted, I persevered and uncovered an amazing life of adventure which ended in tragedy when Owen was about the same age I am now.

The records were far more detailed for the second book, the story of Owen’s second son Jasper Tudor, and although he spent many years in exile I had no shortage of material. As my research progressed I began to wonder how the story would end. Henry was born in the first book, comes of age in the second and becomes King of England in the final book of the trilogy.

The problem now was too much information. Henry left a wealth of detailed records, often initialling every line in his ledgers, which still survive. At the same time, I had to deal with the contradictions, myths and legends that cloud interpretation of the facts. It troubled me to realise how, even in my own history lessons, we skipped over Henry’s contribution to learn about his son (and his six wives).

How could I begin to do justice to the life of such a complex and little understood man? Why did his son turn out as he did? I decided the only way was to immerse myself in Henry’s world and explore events as they might have appeared from his point of view. I stood in the small room in Pembroke Castle where Henry Tudor is thought to have been born, (within sight of where I was born) and began three years of intensive research about this enigmatic king.

I bought every book I could find about Henry and his times. I travelled to remote Brittany to visit the cobweb-festooned chateau in theforest where he lived in exile. I stood on the pebble beach at Mill Bay wherehe landed with his invasion fleet. I walked across Bosworth field and watched hundreds of re-enactors recreate the battle, complete with cavalry and cannon fire. I saw the Torrigiano bust of Henry at the V&A Museum, his portraits at the National Portrait Gallery and finally visited his tomb at Westminster Abbey.

My hope is that I can offer readers an insight into Henry’s life and make them want to learn more about one of our least understood kings. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers around the world who have been on this journey with me. Although this is the end of the Tudor trilogy, I am now researching the lives of Henry's daughter Mary and her husband Charles Brandon, so the story of the Tudors is far from over.

Tony Riches

Maid of the King's Court, by Lucy Worsley

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

In the vibrant, volatile court of Henry VIII, can even the most willful young woman direct her own fate and follow her heart in a world ruled by powerful men?

Clever, headstrong Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne knows her duty. As the sole heiress to an old but impoverished noble family, Eliza must marry a man of wealth and title — it’s the only fate for a girl of her standing.

But when a surprising turn of events lands her in the royal court as a maid of honor to Anne of Cleves, Eliza is drawn into the dizzying, dangerous orbit of Henry the Eighth and struggles to distinguish friend from foe.

Is her glamorous flirt of a cousin, Katherine Howard, an ally in this deceptive place, or is she Eliza’s worst enemy? And then there’s Ned Barsby, the king’s handsome page, who is entirely unsuitable for Eliza but impossible to ignore.

British historian Lucy Worsley provides a vivid, romantic glimpse of the treachery, tragedy, and thrills of life in the Tudor court.

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About the Author 

Dr Lucy Worsley is Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, the charity which looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, and other historic places. Her first paid employment after studying history at Oxford was at a minor stately home called Milton Manor, near Abingdon, where she fed the llamas. After that she became an Inspector of Ancient Monuments at English Heritage, doing historical research at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire: this led to her first book, 'Cavalier', about a dissolute Royalist duke. Her work as a curator at Kensington Palace led to 'Courtiers', which was followed by 'If Walls Could Talk', 'A Very British Murder', and her first historical novel for young readers, 'Eliza Rose', which is set at the Tudor court. For more information visit Lucy's website www.lucyworsley.com and find her on Twitter @Lucy_Worsley,