Today I'm pleased to bring you news of a recently published novel, The Adventures of Tom Finch, Gentleman, and a guest post in the form of an interview with Lucy May Lennox. I hope you enjoy reading what inspired the author to create her hero as an 18th century blind man as much as I did.
Publication Date: November 12, 2019
Paperback & ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Synopsis
London, 1735. Covent Garden offers a world of pleasures and diversions, even for a blind man. Tom Finch, composer of broadsides and assistant conductor in the nearby opera houses, considers himself the luckiest of men, as he has both education and freedom to do as he pleases. Blindness is to him merely an inconvenience, and no impediment to his favored pastimes: playing music and lushing it in a public house in the
Publication Date: June 25, 2019
The Cameo Press Ltd
eBook & Paperback; 496 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Time Travel
Synopsis
Outlander meets Birdsong is this haunting debut timeslip novel, where a strange twist of fate connects a British soldier fighting in the First World War and a young woman living in modern-day England a century later.
In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England.
Synopsis
My father trained me to silence the way he trained his dogs, with food and a cane. Speech, he said, was poison. It scared the game, alerted the gamekeepers and betrayed your friends and family.
Tom Clay was a poacher back in Suffolk. He was twelve when he was caught, tried and transported to New South Wales.
Now, assigned to a shepherds’ hut out west, he is a boy among violent men. He keeps his counsel and watches over his sheep; he steers clear of blowhards
It's the first Saturday of the month and time to play Six Degrees of Separation, the final one for 2019. This meme is hosted by Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best. The aim is to link six books to each other from the starting point.
Today's starting point is Sanditon by Jane Austen. Again we're starting with a book I haven't read. It's not one I'm interested in reading at this stage, but I'm looking forward to the TV series. Jane Austen died before she could finish this book.
A number of authors have died leaving unfinished works, but the one that sprang to mind immediately
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Preseli Press
eBook & Paperback; 328 pages
Series: The Brandon Trilogy, Book 3
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.
Publication Date: November 21, 2019
Headline
Paperback & ebook
Series: The Women of Pepys' Diary, Book #3
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
London 1666
Elizabeth ‘Bird’ Carpenter has a wonderful singing voice, and music is her chief passion. When her father persuades her to marry horse-dealer Christopher Knepp, she suspects she is marrying beneath her station, but nothing prepares her for the reality of life with Knepp. Her father has betrayed her
Publication Date: October 19, 2018
The White Rabbit Publishing
eBook; 291 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
The year is 1722. A child is born on the isolated island of Ospo off the Georgia coast. In the midst of General Oglethorpe's vision for this new land, and the emerging townships of Frederica and Savannah, four lives entwine together on this island like the woven fronds in a sea-grass basket - the orphaned Irish girl born free of hate or prejudice, a war-ravaged British
Publication Date: September 23rd, 2019
Unicorn Publishing
eBook & Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Three generations, one family, connected by an historic secret.
1917. Private Daniel Dawkins fights at Messines Ridge and Passchendaele. He writes home to his true-love Joyce, but reveals little of his extreme bravery, his kindness, his loyalty to his comrades and the horrors
Publication Date: November 1, 2019
Gortcullinane Press
eBook & Paperback
Series: The Derrynane Saga, Book Three
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
A dramatic decade has passed since sixteen-year-old Eileen O’Connell first departed her family’s sanctuary at remote Derrynane on the Kerry coast to become the wife of one of the wealthiest men in Ireland and the mistress of John O’Connor’s Ballyhar – only to have her elderly husband die within months of the
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication Date: November 7, 2019
Neem Tree Press
Hardcover; 240 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Saga
Synopsis
Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor's daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war. As East
Synopsis
Ralph Oughtred has few ambitions – to be rich, or at least out of debt, to eventually marry his charming mistress, and to get into the Royal Academy.
An amiable rake in Georgian London, Ralph is an artist who thinks he’s got it made when he wins a big commission to paint the Duke of Wellington’s generals. But before he can put brush to canvas, they’re whisked off to Portugal to fight Napoleon, and he must follow or lose the money. In a comic romp through Portugal and Spain in the train of the British army, Ralph leads the reader through war, art, sex, love, travelogue, musings on life and a lot of drinking. He’s
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
The Spirit of Grace
Publication Date: November 26, 2017
HQ Digital
Series: Sarah Bennett Mysteries, Book One
Genre: Historical Mystery
Synopsis
Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House, despite allegedly witnessing the fatal fall. There was talk of foul play, dark whispers, and sidelong glances, all aimed at Sarah, prompting her family to send her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco, under a cloud of suspicion. Now, on the one-year
Publication Date: 17th September 2019
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Format: Paperback
Pages: 672
Genre: Historical Fiction, Family Saga
Synopsis
Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women
Synopsis
Everything Knill thought he knew was false. Now he must search for where he belongs...
1921. Central Victoria.
Knill McMillan’s life is perfectly ordinary: a country upbringing, caring parents, cousins who are his best mates. He is a young man with the world before him.
But he’s always had the sense he doesn’t quite fit in, doesn’t quite belong. And then one night he is brutally beaten. As he lies bleeding on the ground his attacker calls him something that he is unable to get out of his
Publication Date: April 7, 2019
eBook & Paperback; 586 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Angelina led a life which required her to fib. When Angelina, the black sheep of the Pagano family, meets the mysterious Mr. Russell, she has no idea that she has seen him before…in another country. And so begins Farewell My Life, a novel in three parts, which spins an operatic tale of dangerous love and loss.
The Lost Mother, the first part of this novel, slices
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication Date: September 12, 2019
Storyology Design and Publication
eBook and Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
A heartbroken Maggie travels to Paris to visit the grave of her great-grandmother’s French pen pal Cécile and uncovers 100-year-old secrets that give her courage to rebuild her own life.
NOW
Maggie Ruth Mitchell’s failed attempt at reconciliation with her unfaithful husband has left
It's the first Saturday of the month which means it's time to play Six Degrees of Separation. This meme is hosted by Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best. The aim is to link six books to each other from the starting point.
Today's starting point is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I've not read this book, although I do want to, hopefully before the TV series is released.
The plot involves an aristocrat who is arrested by the Bolsheviks and confined to a hotel. His luxury suite is exchanged for a small attic room with a tiny window. This immediately brought to mind Robyn Cadwallader's The Anchoress where the female
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication Date: January 16, 2020
Endeavor Quill
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in
This book, published by Corella Press, is part of their 19th Century Australian Crime and Mystery Collection.
Millwood, a small town in rural New South Wales, is rocked by the sudden death of one of its residents, the young, beautiful and wealthy widow, Barbara Graham. The death is suspicious, but the coroner’s jury returns an open verdict.
However, in the town’s opinion, Barbara’s relatives: Marjory, her stepdaughter; Robert Neill, her cousin and fiancé; and Grace, Robert’s widowed sister, could all be involved.
While their testimonies were credible, the town’s doctor, Dr Reade, believes they know more than what was revealed at the inquest. Determined to
Today, I'm pleased to be participating in the blog tour promoting a new fiction collection from Corella Press. I have two posts scheduled for today: this cover reveal and, later, a book review and news of a giveaway.
A very exciting event will take place in Brisbane on August 30th 2019 at the Avid Reader Bookshop. Corella Press, an initiative of Queensland University, will launch the first two books
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication Date: June 27th, 2019
Publisher: Sapere Books
Format: ebook
Genre: Romance
Synopsis
Sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself…
Marie Johnson fell in love with The Smugglers pub when she first moved to Dorset with her husband, Stephen.
But when Stephen’s wandering eye caused the
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication Date: August 1, 2019
Severn House/Crème de la Crime
Hardcover & eBook; 256 Pages
Series: Owen Archer, Book 11
Genre: Historical Mystery
Synopsis
When a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in this gripping medieval mystery.
1374. When a member of one of York’s most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn out,
Publication Date: August 19th, 2019
Publisher: Endeavour Quill
Format: Paperback and ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Buried for nearly three hundred years and now brought triumphantly to light by Dr Livesey, this is, at last, the true story of what happened on the fateful Treasure Island…
The truth about Captain Flint and his fabled death.
The truth about Long John Silver and his coveted
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Synopsis
Anne Frank's extraordinary diaries have captivated millions of people around the world. But what might have happened if she had survived the war?
It is 1945, and Anne Frank is sixteen years old. Having survived the concentration camps but lost her mother and sister, she reunites with her father, Pim, in newly liberated Amsterdam. But Anne is adrift, haunted by the ghost of her sister, Margot, and the atrocities they experienced. Her beloved diary is gone, and her dreams of becoming a writer seem distant and pointless now.
As Anne struggles to build a new life for herself, she
It's the beginning of a new month which means it's time to play Six Degrees of Separation. This meme is hosted by Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best. The aim is to link six books to each other from the starting point.
This month we're playing a wild card. The starting point is the book you’ve ended last month’s chain with or for those playing for the first time, start with the last book you finished reading. Even though I've participated before, this is my first time this year. So, I'm bending the rules a little to start with the last book I finished reading in July: The Lily in the Snow by Jackie French. This is the third and latest book in her
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Here we are in July, which means it's time to participate in this fun meme hosted by Jo @ The Book Jotter.
SIX IN SIX is a meme where the aim is to share in July six books in six categories from the books we have read etc. in the first six months of the year, either using Jo's categories or your own.
This year I decided to stick to five of the six categories I used last year and swapped "Six Trips to Europe and the U.K." with "Six books that are related to The Great War or Second World War".
Publication Date: June 25, 2019
Kensington Publishing
Hardcover, eBook, AudioBook
Genre: Historical Mystery
Synopsis
How far will some go to safeguard a secret? In the latest novel in Dianne Freeman’s witty and delightful historical mystery series, the adventurous Countess Harleigh finds out...
Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Flores Publishing
eBook; 452 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Synopsis
Legend, history, and passion collide in this gritty, evocative, and sensual story about history's most notorious prince and the woman who paid love's ultimate price.
The year is 1464, and young King Matthias controls Hungary, his family, and the fate of the world’s most
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication Date: June 18, 2019
Patriot Press
eBook; 348 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…
Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.
MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Publication date: 28th March, 2019
Sapere Books
Format:ebook, 464 pages
Synopsis
What secrets were covered up at the court of Henry VIII …?
Whitehall Palace, England, 1539.
When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of King Henry VIII to be a maid of honour in the household of the new queen, Anne of Cleves, she has no idea of the fate that awaits her.
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Today sees the release of the fourth book in Mary Lawrence's Tudor mystery series featuring Bianca Goddard.
Synopsis
Spring 1544 Now that she is with child, Bianca is more determined than ever to distance herself from her unstable father. Desperate to win back the favor of King Henry VIII, disgraced alchemist Albern Goddard plans to reveal a powerful new element he's discovered--one with deadly potential. But when the substance is stolen, he implores his daughter to help.
Soon after, a woman's body is found behind the Dim
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
The result of the Spin has been announced. It is number 19!
This means my book for this Spin is My Love Must Wait by Ernestine Hill, a fictional biography of Captain Matthew Flinders, an English navigator, who circumnavigated and gave Australia it's current name.
This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while, just waiting for the write moment for me to read it. Thanks to the Spin, that moment has come.
Although I wasn't wishing for any particular number to come up, I am happy with the outcome of this Spin.
Now all I have to do is read the book and write a review by the deadline, 31st May, 2019.
It's time for another Classics Club Spin!
I don't have a good track record with the Classics Club Spins so I'm hopeful that this time I'll finish reading my selection and actually post a review.
Synopsis (From the back cover)
In the northern winter of 1814, a French armada set sail for New South Wales. The Armada’s mission was the invasion of Sydney, and its inspiration and its fate were interwoven with one of history’s greatest love stories – Napoleon and Josephine.
The Empress Josephine was fascinated by all things Australian. In the gardens of her grand estate, Malmaison, she kept kangaroos, emus, black swans and other Australian animals, along with hundreds of native plants brought back by French explorers in peacetime. And even when war raged between
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
In August 1768 His Majesty's Bark Endeavour, with Lieutenant James Cook as its captain, departed from Plymouth, England, primarily to observe the Transit of Venus from Tahiti.
In 2018, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of this, one of the greatest voyages of discovery ever made, Penguin Books released a new edition of Anthony Hill's 2008 novel, Captain Cook's Apprentice
Synopsis (From the back cover)
The enthralling story of Captain Cook's voyage to Australia, as seen through the eager eyes of a cabin
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
Valentine's Day may have come and gone for this year but Valentines from Bath is exactly what's needed if you're still craving some romance reading.
Synopsis
The Master of Ceremonies announces a great ball to be held on Valentine's Day in the Upper Assembly Rooms of Bath.
Ladies of the highest rank--and some who wish they were--scheme, prepare, and compete to make best use of the opportunity.
Dukes, earls, tradesmen, and the occasional charlatan
