Crowvus Book Blog

 There's a real treat for you here this week for #HistFicThursdays! I'm once again teaming up with  The Coffee Pot Book Club  for author  Finlay McQuade 's blog tour! Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from his exciting book,  Life and Death in Ephesus ! First of all, let's meet the book... For over a thousand years, Ephesus, on the Aegean coast of what is now Turkey, was a thriving city. It was the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Wonders of the World, and a destination for religious pilgrimage long before the advent of Christianity. In the first century CE, St. John and St. Paul introduced Christianity to Ephesus, where it survived its turbulent beginnings and, in the fifth century CE, hosted the God-defining Council of Ephesus. Life and Death in Ephesus is a collection of stories about major events in the history of Ephesus. Characters appearing in these stories include Herostratus, first to commit a “herostratic crime”; Alexander, the warrior king;...

The second novel I ever finished - and still is nowhere near publishing standard! - was about two dragoons in the Crimean War. It fits in with my Family Saga through a certain Colonel Josiah Tenterchilt, but the plot really focuses on the two younger officers. It became apparent as I wrote it, that the relationship between these cavalrymen and their horses were as significant as any they shared with other people. A little research soon revealed that it was Drummer Boy, an equine part of the fateful Charge of the Light Brigade (ridden by Lt Col de Salis of the 8th Hussars), who was the first animal in the British Army to receive a war medal. How strange that it took until 1854 for these service animals to be fully recognised. Of the 700 horses involved, less than 200 returned. But this provided me with all the inspiration I needed to explore the love and appreciation between cavalrymen and their steeds, and so I began to explore the fascinating bond between man and beast. “What is the t...

   Today for #HistFicThursdays' blog, I am delighted to be welcoming Linnea Tanner to the Crowvus Book Blog once more! This time, Linnea is talking about her fourth book in her  Curse of Clansmen and Kings  series,  Skull's Vengeance ,   as part of her book tour with  Coffee Pot Book Club . You can read about her inspiration in the Guest Post below, but first, let's meet the book... A Celtic warrior queen must do the impossible—defeat her sorcerer half-brother and claim the throne. But to do so, she must learn how to strike vengeance from her father’s skull. AS FORETOLD BY HER FATHER in a vision, Catrin has become a battle-hardened warrior after her trials in the Roman legion and gladiatorial games. She must return to Britannia and pull the cursed dagger out of the serpent's stone to fulfill her destiny. Only then can she unleash the vengeance from the ancient druids to destroy her evil half-brother, the powerful sorcerer, King Marrock. Always two...

I was thrilled to be asked to share a story for the Historical Writers Forum's Alternate Endings  anthology. This post is a little insight into the historical figures of my story, Vercingetorix's Virgin , and why I changed what I did... A Good Death: The Stubborn Dictator and The Headstrong King Memento Mori - Remember Death (This is actually in Nuremberg, but suited my purpose well!) Death is an inevitability. There is nothing which levels the playing-field more than the acknowledgement that everyone must die. All of humanity, whether kings or serfs, will end their days in death. Throughout history, across regions and religions, this has been a factor which has played upon the minds of mankind. Unsurprisingly, this has given rise to the notion of a "Good Death". The Vikings knew they could enter Valhalla if they died in battle, Christians knew they would be counted amongst the saints if they suffered martyrdom. But if there is a good death, there must also be a bad ...

 It's #HistFicThursdays, and I'm so thrilled to be sharing a guest post from Elizabeth St.John ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour. Read on to find out about Elizabeth's love of the mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower, and how she weaves this into her story. But first, let's meet the book.. Blurb What if you knew what happened to the Princes in the Tower. Would you tell? Or would you forever keep the secret? November, 1470: Westminster Abbey. Lady Elysabeth Scrope faces a perilous royal duty when ordered into sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville–witness the birth of Edward IV’s Yorkist son. Margaret Beaufort, Elysabeth’s sister, is desperately seeking a pardon for her exiled son Henry Tudor. Strategically, she coerces Lancastrian Elysabeth to be appointed godmother to Prince Edward, embedding her in the heart of the Plantagenets and uniting them in a destiny of impossible choices and heartbreaking conflict. Bound by blood and torn by honour, w...

Today, for my #HistFicThursdays blog, I'm delighted to be sharing a guest post from Pamela Belle as she introduces the world of Wintercombe, the setting for her series of books. The Story of Wintercombe I’ve always loved old houses, especially those built in the mediaeval and Tudor periods – somehow, Georgian grandeur just doesn’t do it for me. Elizabeth Bennet may have fallen in love with Pemberley, but I’d just think about all that chilly marble flooring and those high ceilings, and how difficult it would be to heat, never mind the dusting. Rushbrooke Hall in Suffolk, taken in  the 1940s For my first historical novels, I was inspired by Rushbrooke, the house, alas no longer standing, where my mother had lived as a small child, another, similar house called Kentwell Hall, and also the perfect pocket mediaeval manor, Stokesay, in Shropshire. I had four books under my belt, and was looking for a subject for another. Then I went to stay with a friend who had just moved to Wiltshire. ...

  I've always been interested in Americana, although that comes in waves, so occasionally I'll be poring over the biographies of various presidents and then the following week my fascination has waned completely. It does mean that I was reasonably familiar with the Civil War background of the book, which made me very enthusiastic to read it. It is grounded in American history - and of course it should be: Freedom for Me is inspired by the true story of a young Chinese man who signed up to fight for the north in the American Civil War. More than complex military strategy or groundbreaking historical moments, this is the story of one boy's decision to fight, and how his reasons for fighting mature and develop over time. I loved reading about how Thomas, the main character, began to learn about himself in the context of others. His closest relationship is with his brother, but he develops deep and meaningful friendships with his brothers-in-arms and with an runaway slave, Sam....

It's a double #HistFicThursdays today! For the second blog of this week I'm delighted to be sharing a guest post from  Rachel R. Heil ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour. Find out all about Rachel's inspiration and the balance between historical fiction and historical fact in Leningrad: The People's War . But first, let's meet the book.. Blurb Leningrad, 1941. As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. Instead, they keep their heads down and try to avoid the ever-watching eyes of their own oppressive government. University student Tatiana Ivankova tries to look ahead to the future after a family tragedy that characterizes life under the brutal regime. But, when the rumors that have been circulating the country become a terrifying reality, Tatiana realizes that the greatest fear may not be the enemy but what her fellow cit...