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Hello, my name is Valorie. I have a Master's Degree in History and a license to teach-- I have been both university professor and public school teacher. Currently, I am a middle school social studies teacher. I love horror movies and spooky things. Every day is Halloween. I am also a passionate book blogger.

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Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Blog Tour & Excerpt: The Sanguinarian Id by L.M. Labat


About the Book

About the Book
Title: The Sanguinarian Id
Author: L.M. Labat
Artist: L.M. Labat
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Occult, Gothic Horror
Publisher: Night to Dawn Magazine & Books

She’s been beaten, stabbed, poisoned, and shot, but Hael refuses to die. In her pursuit for vengeance and her origin, the Dhampir Hael hunts down the madman responsible for her fateful transformation. As this half-vampire juggernauts her way through a world at war, Hael battles hordes of Nazi soldiers as she struggles to maintain her sanity. However, while Hael gathers knowledge on how to trap and kill her target, her adversary’s network is expanding at an exponential rate, as his sick obsession with Hael grows deeper. Will she have her revenge? Will she find her origin? Or, will she crumble beneath her own insidious bloodlust?

About the Author

Born in 1993, L. M. Labat stems from New Orleans, Louisiana. From the struggles of a broken family and surviving life-threatening events, Labat found refuge within the arts while delving into the fields of medicine, psychology, and the occult. While combining illustration and literature, L. M. Labat was able to cope with endless nightmares as well as hone in on artistic techniques. From confronting the past to facing new shadows, this author gladly invites audiences into the horror of The Sanguinarian Id.

Links
The Sanguinarian Id Website
Website Creator: L. M. Labat

Night to Dawn Magazine & Books Website:

The Sanguinarian Id on Amazon.com:

The Sanguinarian Id on Barnes & Noble:

Book Excerpts


Book Excerpt 1:

Within Europe’s late nineteenth century, marvelous medical miracles came into existence that augmented the intellectual to new horizons. Doctors of all fields were admired for their dedication to health and humanity. However, as their accolades increased, these professionals grew fat with entitlement while their patients starved for love. With speedy developments, the human brain, in its entire splendor, spiraled dangerously into the new era of indulgences that forked the path between masterpiece and monstrosity. **** A group of young women sat on the cold floor. In dirty hospital gowns, they picked and ingested lead paint chips from the wall. Persistently, they crammed more debris into their hungry mouths. Drool covered their cracked fingernails. With muted expressions, the nurses smoked like locomotives at their corridor stations. They watched the self-poisoning, but did nothing to help. The nurses reacted solely when the clock struck seven. The chimes notified them to administer the medication. In the joining corridor, more patients wandered aimlessly. Whimpering like beaten dogs, most patients wore restraints over their mouths and arms. Others fiddled with their gowns as they stumbled from side to side. No matter what they were doing, the inhabitants complemented each other with the same dead-eyed stare against the barred windows. The doctors were devils. They prodded, scraped, and teased the flesh with their instruments. Like foxes, the doctors lured people into their examination rooms with wide-toothed grins and false promises. None of them were in harmony with their patients. These mechanized madmen were fluent with their hands and calculations. Their utensils were never bare. These men constantly wrapped their fingers around their equipment’s silvery curves. They comforted the metal exteriors like newborn children. The wives of these doctors had sullen lives, wishing their husbands would caress their thighs the way they did their clipboards. The patients knew no humanity. The kind gazes they saw reflected off foggy spectacles before the serum blacked out their minds. That was if they were lucky enough to have the straps off their foreheads. This was Halcyon Asylum.

Book Excerpt 2:

The leader of the group yelled and charged at Hael with a dagger. He stabbed her in the back. She fell to the ground. Over and over again, he stabbed his blade deep into her torso. Hael roared in fury. She grabbed the severed limb and brained the leader. When the severed arm gave way, Hael buried her claws into his skull, and gouged his head wide open. Brain matter and blood splattered across her face. Her entire body became a walking nightmare of black and red. She heard the horses go wild in the distance. The coach-man desperately tried to mount one of the horses, but the beast was too frightened to stand still. Hael walked over to the coachman. The front horse saw Hael from the corner of its eye, and reared its back legs frantically. The horse’s hoof clocked the coachman in the chest and sent him plummeting to the ground. His flask flew out of his pocket. The coachman held his beaten torso and coughed violently. A twig snapped in front of him. He looked up. Hael looked down upon him. Her body was still, but the red of her iris swirled like hellfire. The coachman sobbed and pleaded for his life. Hael looked at the carriage. “Where were you going to bring me?” she asked him. “Please, don’t kill me,” he cried.
Hael rammed her heel down onto his hand. His bones broke through his skin upon impact. She repeated herself. “Where were you going to bring me?” Her voice was calm and authoritative. “To the docks,” he answered. “Why the docks?” she asked. “We were supposed to bring you and some others to the docks, and place you all on a boat bound for France.” “Why France?” “I don’t know,” he answered. “That’s all Mendelson wrote to us. I swear it!” “Do you have the instructions?” she asked. The coach-man nodded. He reached into his back pocket and handed her an envelope. She read postage marks. The letter came from Germany. “What others?” she asked. The coachman said that there were other women that they collected during the week to bring to the docks. Hael was a surprise adjustment to the original list. He stated that after the delivery was made, they were instructed to burn the letter. She gave the letter back to him. “Thank you.” She walked over to the flask and unscrewed the top. The coachman shuddered. “What are you doing?” “Following instructions.” She poured the liquor over his body. “Stop! I told you what you wanted to know.” “Yes, you did.” Hael picked up a stone from the grass. She held it firmly in her hand. “And, I said, ‘Thank you.’” She struck her nails against the stone. Sparks flew off her claws and ignited the liquor. The coachman screamed as his body writhed within the flames.

Book Excerpt 3:

The majority of the women held captive by Mendelson were between the ages of eighteen to thirty-nine years old, and labeled missing to the general public. The victims’ bodies were found during scattered times of the year. The bodies were either discreetly hidden, or placed directly in the center of the stadt from where they came. All of the women were reported to be sexually assaulted, battered, or starved. The numbers of men who were taken from their families by Mendelson were never seen or heard from again. Hael turned the page. “Abducted children and infants were brought back at separate times, unharmed, to either their families or the nearest local officials. As a whole, the children neither recall where they were held captive, nor can they give details about Mendelson’s appearance. None of the children were sexually assaulted in any matter or form. However, all of the returned children experienced seizures and night terrors at random.” Mendelson’s family once held a highly decorated position in the German military during the early 1800s. After the fire of their family mansion in Frankfurt, the residence was converted to the orphanage Das Männlein Waisenhaus in 1823. Das Männlein Waisenhaus was currently shut down. No photographs or sketches of Mendelson were documented. A few traces of fingerprints, semen, saliva, and skin particles were found on the corpses of eighteen-year-old women and older. The total numbers of people kidnapped by Mendel-son over a seventeen year period were: one hundred and seven women between the ages of eighteen to thirty-nine years old, fifty-eight men above the age of eighteen, twenty-nine female children, and twelve male children.
Hael dropped her lighter. The flame extinguished on the rocky floor. The horrendous sights Hael witnessed were inexhaustible, but the photographs and descriptions of Mendelson’s victims made her vomit. Their bodies were bruised and broken. The women found in the woods had their pelvic bones crushed, and their legs permanently bent. Their necks and wrists were badly discolored from rope burn, and their breasts were purpled with bruises. Their backs were either concaved or arched with their stomachs split open. Hael turned her face to the ground, and retched every-where. From the pictures, she heard the groaning victims. Their bloodshot eyes, broken bones, and gray skin were nothing com-pared to the way their bodies lay open like stockpots holding their mangled organs.

Book Excerpt 4:

The area was a deluge. Hael watched the pond swell as the water engulfed more and more of the bank. “If you keep stalling, you’re going to drown!” she shouted. “Let me pull you up!” Air bubbles popped alongside the boulder’s surface. The man shuddered at the sound. He looked behind him. “Did you hear that?” he asked. She shrugged her shoulders. “An air pocket must’ve ruptured below the mud.” She looked at the surface of the water. The mud continued to bubble. The water level rose rapidly. “Please, let me pull you up!” His eyes bulged like soup plates at the sight of the bub-bling mud. The mud stopped moving. He turned towards her. “Leave.” “What about your legs?” “Forget about my legs!” he shouted. “Just get the fuck out of here!” She ignored his statement and waded towards him. He unsheathed his Bowie knife and swung it wildly in the air. “Go away! Damn it. Go away!” he threatened. “Are you crazy?” she shouted. He began to cry. “Please! Just leave!” A gurgling sound erupted from beneath the water. It was deep and loud. The man gaped in fear. With his face paled to a paper white, his mouth opened and closed in horror like a dying guppy. The noise increased in volume, morphing into a horrid watery groan. He tossed his knife at her feet. She grabbed onto his arms to pull him out. The man made no effort to move. She sank her feet into the mud and pulled. “Please! Help me help you!” He lifted his head up to her. His eyes were drenched in tears and wide with anguish. His mouth quivered sorely. “If you want to help me, heed the words of this old fool. Leave this place. Forget about me. Forget you ever came here. Forget your reason why, and get to the closest source of concrete.” He grabbed her hand. “Take the knife! Stay away from the water banks!” Those were his last words. His body was yanked underneath the boulder. The pull’s tension and the sharpness of her claws severed the man’s hand from his body. She flew backward. The severed hand fell into her lap. The air thickened with danger. She flung the hand back into the water. Something swallowed it from beneath the sur-face. Screaming, she grabbed the knife and ran from the boulders. The hard rain loosened the soil around the trees. Roots were exposed over the ground. She bounded over them to avoid getting caught. A lightning bolt crashed in the distance. She tripped and plummeted to the banks. An exposed tree root slammed against her head when she
hit the ground. Half her face sank into mud. She nearly stumbled back into the water as she hoisted herself out of the sludge. She searched for the knife. It was lodged underneath a tree root. The mud bubbled around her feet. The ground swallowed the knife. She jumped back and ran.

Book Excerpt 5:

Another week passed. The stench of blood and dead flesh polluted the bunker. Her gash across her ribs was fully healed, but her bones and joints ached. Maddened with insomnia, her mouth salivated at the thought of rendering Mendelson’s flesh from the bone. Rotting fumes fogged her senses. As she gazed at the dried blood and pieces of flesh on her fingers, the memories of Josef pooled into her mind, and cooled her rage. “Josef,” she whispered. “Please, stay safe for me. I’m almost there.” In the morning, Alrich made an announcement over the intercom. “Attention to all remaining applicants. In a few moments, the locks on your bunkers will open. All applicants must report to the main building and enter the front doors. But, be aware. Herr Mendelson has informed me that due to new developments in his schedule, the space for applicant reviews has de-creased to six. The main doors have been programmed to open six times. No more. No less. Those who do not enter will be dis-qualified.” Alrich smiled holding the microphone. “You have five minutes.” The people who survived burst from their bunkers and ran in frenzy to the main building. Hael and Harold opened the door. They watched everyone tear each other to pieces. Harold took off his hat. “They’ve all gone mad. Gabriel, we have to go.” She wasn’t in the bunker. “Gabriel?” Hael ran outside. She picked up a flint stone from the ground and hummed it against the bunkers. Sparks flew off the metal. The stone ricocheted through the crowd and sliced the backs of the applicants’ legs. Four men fell. Grabbing Harold’s arm, she threw him in front of her. She rammed her way to the front. She grabbed Harold from off the ground, and pulled him along. Harold spat out gravel. “You could’ve told me you what you were going to do.” She panted, “Keep running!” They made their way into the building. Harold was the last one to enter the doors. Another man tried to pry his way through. The alarm sounded and the door slammed shut. The man’s hand was cut in half. His severed fingers fell to the floor. Hard footsteps sounded behind the men outside. Dressed in black uniforms, a firing squad mowed down the failed applicants.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Promo Blitz: Envoy of Jerusalem by Helena P. Schrader




Historical Fiction
Date Published: August 2016
Publisher: Wheatmark

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Winner of the Pinnacle Award 2016 for Biographical Fiction, the Feathered Quill Award 2017 for Spiritual/Religious Fiction, and a Foreword INDIES Award for Military/Wartime Fiction.

Balian has survived the devastating defeat of the Frankish army at the Battle of Hattin, and walked away a free man after the surrender of Jerusalem, but he is baron of nothing in a kingdom that no longer exists. Haunted by the tens of thousands of Christians now enslaved by the Saracens, he is determined to regain what has been lost. The arrival of a vast crusading army under the soon-to-be-legendary Richard the Lionheart offers hope -- but also conflict, as natives and crusaders clash and French and English quarrel.

Other Books in the Balian d'Ibelin Series


Knight of Jerusalem
Published: September 2014

Balian, the landless son of a local baron, goes to Jerusalem to seek his fortune. Instead, he finds himself trapped into serving the young prince suffering from leprosy, an apparent sentence to obscurity and death. But the unexpected death of King Amalric makes the leper boy King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, and Balian’s prospects begin to improve.

The Byzantine princess Maria Comnena is just thirteen years old when she arrives in the Kingdom of Jerusalem at her great uncle’s orders to cement the alliance between the two Christian kingdoms in the East. The child wife of a man almost three times her own age, she is despite her excellent education and intelligence little more than a pretty doll in the eyes of her husband. When she fails to produce a male heir for the desperate king, her marriage becomes a gilded prison. Until suddenly the king is dead and Maria finds herself a wealthy widow at just twenty years of age.

Meanwhile, the charismatic Kurdish leader Saladin has united the forces of Islam and vowed to drive the Christians into the sea. While King Baldwin IV—and Balian—struggle to save the Holy Land for Christendom by whatever means they can, the internal rivalries of Templars and Hospitallers, the advocates of offense and defense, and the bitter rivalries of barons threaten to tear the kingdom apart.



Defender of Jerusalem
Published: July 2015

The Christian kingdom of Jerusalem is under siege. The charismatic Kurdish leader, Salah ad-Din, has succeeded in uniting Shiite Egypt with Sunnite Syria and has now declared jihad against the Christian kingdom. While King Baldwin IV struggles to defend his kingdom from the external threat despite the increasing ravages of leprosy, the struggle for the succession threatens to tear the kingdom apart from the inside. In the high-stakes game, one man stands out for his loyalty to the dying king, the kingdom, and Christianity itself. That man is Balian d'Ibelin.

This is the second book in a three-part biographical novel about Balian d'Ibelin, who defended Jerusalem against Salah ad-Din in 1187. The first book in the series, Knight of Jerusalem, was a finalist for the 2014 Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction and a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree.



About the Author



Helena P. Schrader earned a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg with a ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler. She has published numerous works of fiction and non-fiction since.

Her Jerusalem Trilogy, set in the Holy Land in the late 12th century, has won critical acclaim.

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Monday, July 31, 2017

Promo Blitz: Guardian Angel by William McCauley








Middle Grade / Young Adult
Date Published: 6/2013

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Markus Simmons, a 13-year-old 8th-grader, wants to hang with the cool kids. When his social studies class begins a Holocaust project, some A-listers befriend him to get him to work with them so they can have access to his Oma, who was in Auschwitz, and he discovers that there are Holocaust deniers in the world, one of whom is in his class. Then someone identifies his Oma as having played a criminal role during the Holocaust, and he has to reconcile his love for his grandmother, his desire to work with the cool kids, and his anger at the deniers and the others who attack his grandmother.



About the Author




William McCauley was born and grew up in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, in a delightful little town called Vienna. His B.A. in German and M.A. in English are from George Mason University, and at the ripe old age of 29, he "ran away from home" to do doctoral work in linguistics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. After two years, his Wanderlust attacked again, and he trekked on down to Miami, FL, where he did more doctoral work at the University of Miami. Then the powers that be at The German School Washington, where he had taught English for six years, tracked him down and asked him to come back. That brought him back to the DC area, where he taught at the German School for another eighteen years. He finished his career in education at the end of school year 14-15, retiring after ten years as a Gifted and Talented Education specialist with Howard County Public Schools in Maryland. Now all he wants to do is write – and read.

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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Book Review & Giveaway: Scent of the Past by Erin Marie Bernardo




About the Book

Title: Scent of the Past
Author: Erin Marie Bernardo
Genre: Historical Fiction
Scent of the Past by Erin Marie Bernardo

A secret diary. A forgotten past. Another time.

When people think of time travel, they think of the clichéd manufactured kind. Of giant electronic machines with flashing lights and buttons calibrated to shoot you into the past with one press. But it doesn’t work that way. You need a reason, a connection, and—most important—a link. But you can’t choose when and why you go. That would be too easy, and we’d all be snapping our fingers in hopes of seeing lost treasures of yesteryear. It must choose you.

Close cousins Addison and Elissa live in present day New York City and lead somewhat ordinary lives. When uncertain circumstances surrounding a set of antique perfume bottles sends them back to eighteenth-century France, they must uncover the truth behind their travel.

Disaster strikes when Addison finds herself in a nearly identical situation to a mishap she experienced in the present—the witnessing of a murder and release of a secret. Only this time the truth could destroy the entire French monarchy. With Addison’s head on the line, the young women search for answers before Addison suffers her unlucky fate twice. It is only when they discover the haunting connections to life in the present, that they understand why they both were sent, and why a repeating past...may not always be such a bad thing.

Review of Scent of the Past
History repeats itself, right?   That’s what people say.  And as a history teacher, I have to admit that I at least like the thought that it just might.

Scent of the Past is a story of romance and mystery, about two very different young women, who find themselves transported through time.  Elissa is a simple but sharp-nosed girl who loves antiques and a quiet life.  Addison is wild and adventurous, and likes to live a bit too dangerously.  Addison sees something she is not meant to see, putting her life in peril.  A series of unhappy accidents leads to the breakage of a few priceless perfume bottles and the release of gorgeous scent (from the past, get it?).  This very scent triggers something almost supernatural, and the two women find themselves waking in pre-revolution France, in the court of Louis XV.  Elissa and Addison have to find out how they got there in order to discover how to get back—and Elissa also has to try and corral Addison’s tendency to make poor choices with the wrong men.  And in this case, the wrong man is the very king of France himself, Louis XV.  The two women not only have to find out how to get home, but are also thrust into the middle of an all too familiar royal paternity scandal that could lead to Addison’s demise.

The book has it all.  There’s time travel, and a story rich with delicious historical detail, giving the story the golden hue of French Baroque, and some of the pastel whimsy of a Rococo frolick.   I really want to praise how well this book wove history with narrative, so that the story did not read, at times, like a few paragraphs hastily rearranged from a Wikipedia page.  Author Erin Marie Bernardo did her research, and did a wonderful job creating a believable historical backdrop.  

There’s also romance.  Addison loves dangerous men, and Elissa holds her heart close and closed.  So it stands to reason that Elissa will find love, but then how will that love manage to persist even when spread out over the course of a few centuries?  And how will the concept of past lives and rebirth play to Elissa’s favor?  And will Addison’s wild side end up hurting her beyond repair?

I also have to say that, though the author might not have intended it, I found a bit of feminist hurrah in Scent of the Past.  The story eventually unfolds an impressive truth: that the Elissa and Addison of the past, the ones whose bodies the modern girls have been pushed into, were artisans and entrepreneurs.  Not too easy for women in 18th century France.  Not only that, but they were closely connected to the Queen, a woman whose only real desire is to protect her son.

I was really happy with this book as I read further in.  Scent of the Past is the sort of book that compels you to finish because there is just enough twist and turn to keep the story new and interesting.  Enough that, as a reader, you can’t predict the end of Elissa and Addison’s story.  Even better, you want to see the story through to the end to find out how everything plays out.  It was a wonderfully clever novel that balanced fiction and truth, thrill and romance, toward a delightful and graceful end.

Excerpt from Scent of the Past
Elissa opened one eye. Slowly. Someone was talking to her. Her head hurt, and the room was blurry, so she shut it. The talking didn’t stop. It was annoying, like a pesky mosquito buzzing around your ear right before you fall asleep. She pulled the covers over her head and groaned. She felt horrible.
The woman’s voice was persistent. She spoke quickly: “Bon matin, mademoiselle. Temps de se réveiller.”
Elissa rolled over, hoping to block out the noise and instantly realized she was naked. Oh, my gosh, I’m naked! she thought in fright. Instantly in tune with her surroundings she peeked out from underneath her blanket and surveyed the situation.
First observation. She was in a bed.
Second observation. Already noted, she was naked.
Third observation. This was not her room, and the woman standing at the foot of her bed was clearly not speaking English. Nor was she familiar in any way.
Elissa’s panic meter raised a few notches, and she grasped frantically at her neck. She relaxed. The ruby key was still there. Naked or not, the necklace never came off.
But where am I? she wondered. Whose bed is this? And why can’t I remember anything?
She noted the headache that was descending lower over her forehead. Her eyes made a quick sweep past the bed and around the room. Wherever she was, it certainly was magnificent. Shrouded in a curtain-lined canopy bed, she felt small among the grandness of the space. Although the walls were white, they were heavily decorated in crown molding panels, with intricate cut-out designs cresting the length of each wall. A large stone fireplace faced the bed, and an unlit crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, which was at least ten feet high or more. A mirror, larger than any table, reflected her baffled face as it sat in triumph above the mantel. Noticing an open door leading to another bedroom, she realized the place only got larger.
Elissa groaned. This must have cost me a fortune. Why didn’t I pick a Holiday Inn?—thinking she might have checked into a hotel. The thought quickly passed before she had a chance to wonder further.
  The woman, who had awakened her earlier, stood scowling at Elissa. She wore some sort of period-style dress and looked like an old-fashioned chambermaid, with a cap and oversized smock. Elissa listened again. It was French. The woman was speaking French! Quite pleased with herself, Elissa smiled at the short lady who was frowning and waving her finger with a tsk, tsk. She hurried around the room picking up this, rearranging that.
“Vous avez dormi. Levez-vous avant qu'ils ne commencent à répandre des rumeurs à votre sujet.”
Elissa listened.  Ahh, French. What a beautiful language, she thought, smiling to herself. She lay there in a sleepy lull, listening on and off while dozing—still feeling a bit drugged. But it didn’t take her too long to think a little deeper. She paused. Wait, why is this woman speaking French?
“My lady, you’ve overslept. Get up before they start spreading rumors about you.”
She gasped. And why do I understand it?


About the Author

Erin Marie Bernardo is an American writer of historical fiction. She has a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota, and is the author of the time-travel novel, Scent of the Past. A lover of historic places, Erin's novels connect the past with the present.

Erin is currently at work on her second novel, Blackbird's Bounty, set in the bayou of Louisiana – and is actively seeking a home for her children’s collection, Beautiful and Extraordinary Barnyard Stories, based on true events from on her farm. 

Erin lives in Tennessee, but has roots in both Minnesota and Washington State. She is married with two young children. 

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Promo Blitz: New Caledonia by William D. McEachern








Historical Fiction
Date Published: August 2016
Publisher: AuthorHouse

By the author of the critically acclaimed novel, Casting Lots, New Caledonia: A Song of America is William D. McEachern’s third historical novel and the second in the Caledonia series. The first novel in the series, Caledonia: A Song of Scotland, told the story of James MacEachern fighting for Bonnie Prince Charles. New Caledonia: A Song of America continues the epic tale of James, as he emigrates from Scotland in 1750, fleeing the Duke of Cumberland’s ruthless assassin, Captain David Angus Campbell. Sailing to America, James walks the Great Wagon Trail from Philadelphia to Winchester, where he meets Daniel Morgan, who becomes a lifelong friend. Swirling events embroil Daniel and James as wagoners hauling freight for the British Army in the French and Indian War. On the road to the Battle of the Monongahela, James learns that Captain David Campbell is their commanding officer. For a minor infraction, Captain David Campbell whips Daniel Morgan nearly to death. The story of James, Daniel Morgan, and Captain David Campbell is played out over the course of two wars, the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, in battles such as Monongahela, King’s Mountain, and Cowpens. Who will survive?



Other books in the Caledonia Series:

Caledonia: A Song of Scotland
Published: September 2015

By the author of the critically acclaimed novel, Casting Lots, William D. McEachern, Caledonia: A Song of Scotland is his second historical novel. Caledonia is the epic tale of Scotland’s struggle to become an independent nation. In the process, the story of Scotland is revealed in its people, the Picts, the Irish Missionaries, the Norsemen, and the Highland Clans. All the natural beauty and wonder that is Scotland are captured for the reader’s enjoyment, from the wind-swept Isle of Skye through the Highlands with its towering bens, with numerous waterfalls, across the moors, purple with heather, and dotted with sheep and the lowing, ruddy Highland cattle, to the reflecting waters of the lochs, some mysterious and mist-laden, like Loch Ness, or picturesque, like Loch Lomond. Told from the viewpoint of one clan-the MacDonalds of Clanranald-the reader is swept along through the major events in the history of Scotland, from the writing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, the Massacre at Glencoe by the Campbells, the MacDonalds greatest enemy, through the Rising of 1745 under Bonnie Prince Charles’ to the decisive defeat at The Battle of Culloden and the bloody Highland Clearances under William, the Duke of Cumberland. Caledonia acquaints the reader with why so deeply ingrained in Scotland’s national psyche is its fight for freedom, both political and religious. Caledonia is the first novel in the series which will tell the story of the Scots not only in Scotland, but also in America.

About the Author





William D. McEachern lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with his wife. He is a father and a grandfather. Mr. McEachern graduated from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, with a B.A. in Psychology and Religion, his Juris Doctor Degree was from Fordham University School of Law in New York City and his Master’s in Law Degree in Taxation was from New York University School of Law. He practiced trusts and estates and tax law for nearly 40 years, before becoming a full time historian writing novels of historical fiction. An avid reader of history, he thoroughly researches and travels extensively to lend authenticity and realism to his works. To write New Caledonia: A Song of America, Mr. McEachern travelled both Braddock’s Road and the Great Wagon Road and visited, among other battlefields, King’s Mountain and Cowpens. His areas of expertise include the Roman Empire, Early Christianity, Scotland, and United States History with a particular emphasis on the American Revolution and the Civil War. Mr. McEachern’s first novel, Casting Lots, which is the life story of the Centurion who presided over the Crucifixion, garnered excellent reviews. His second novel, Caledonia: A Song of Scotland, explored Scottish history up to the Battle of Culloden and the beginning of the Highland Clearances. New Caledonia: A Song of America, the second novel in the Caledonia series, follows the Scots migration from Scotland to America, as they walk the Great Wagon Road and finally settle in North and South Carolina during the era of the French and Indian War and the America Revolution.




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Monday, July 24, 2017

Book Review: Fairly Certain by Deborah Ann Davis





About Fairly Certain

Young Adult Romantic Suspense
Date Published: September 2015
Publisher: D&D Universe, llc

What happens when a Computer Geek challenges a Medieval Outlaw?

PETIR TAKES A ROUGH TUMBLE IN THE CONNECTICUT WOODS, and awakens in the middle of old England. His instinct to freak out is tempered by the arrival of a fair maiden wearing a bow… and arrow. In his college world, fair maiden types don’t ordinarily go for computer geek types, but for some reason he is no longer in his world. Petir is fairly certain he can try whatever he wants without consequence.

WITH THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ROYALS ESCALATING, MAID RIANNE has joined the outlaws hiding in the woods, outwardly defying the handsome and accomplished knight to whom she is promised. She is fairly certain she is simply flattered by Lord Petir’s uncensored admiration of her skills with the staff and bow, the same unmaidenly pursuits disdained by her knight. But, that does not explain her reaction to Lord Petir’s unguarded gaze.

TO PETIR’S DELIGHT, AND MAID RIANNE’S DISMAY, the outlaws invite him to join their merry band. What better way to get close to her? Throwing caution to the wind, Petir decides he has nothing to lose by pursuing Maid Rianne, until she is captured by the enemy. Now, a geek with no ability to defend himself must find a way to rescue the fair maiden.

About Fairly Safe

Young Adult Romantic Suspense 
Date Published: August 2016
Publisher: D&D Universe, llc

When Mistaken Identity collides with Secret Identity, who wins?

JACOB HAS COME A LONG WAY FOR AN ORPHANED KID. He has a mentor, a great job, and has finally fallen in love. Granted, she mistook him for a stalker when they met, but every relationship has its little problems. Unfortunately, for the past few years, as the object of his affection pops in and out of his life, she has refused to share any personal info, like where she’s from…or her real name. Regardless, Jacob is ready to take their relationship to the next level. Now, if only he can locate her so he can tell her.

CASEY’S FAMILY IS IN THE WITNESS PROTECTION program. Safety has to be their only priority. Their cover has been blown before, so Casey knows at any given time they could be forced to disappear again. Obviously, a shy young man with hopeful eyes cannot possibly be added to the mix. Now, if only she can stop thinking about him.

JACOB’S AND CASEY’S WORLDS UNEXPECTEDLY COLLIDE when Jacob inadvertently helps hide her family. Exposed to their 24/7 vigilance, Jacob realizes he must come up with a plan to keep them out of harm’s way, because this time if Casey disappears, she will be taking with her Jacob’s heart, and his hopes of finally having a family of his own.


Review of Fairly Certain
Petir is just your average young man who takes a solo trip to go geocaching. An unfortunate fall from the tree finds him in medieval England, the unwitting companion of a Robin Hood band of folks, but Robin Hood with a twist. There’s Friar Tuck, who is not a Franciscan friar but rather a cook, and no Robin Hood, but rather Maid Rianne. The story is very similar: they dislike the policies of the ruler Prince John and his Sheriff, supporting the good King Robert, who is away at war, and his claim to the throne.

Maid Rianne struggles against the confinement of the “woman’s place,” as she is a skill warrior who leads the band of “merry men.” Petir is just a normal modern boy with absolutely no idea how to fight. But he goes along with being captured and taught the various ways of hidden outlaws. Even though fighting is not his strong point. But one thing is sure: he is smitten with Maid Rianne. And she is rather taken with him, too, though she is engaged to a noble named Lord Robert, who she takes two issues with. The first, he doesn’t value her warrior skill, and two, he supports the Sheriff and Prince John. However, Rianne is a woman of honor and is not so ready to betray her betrothed. Robert, however, takes no qualm with betraying her for favor with the corrupt, tyrannical court.

Half of the book is about Petir learning the various ways of the outlaws: their rules, their food, their customs, even their eating. And let’s not forget, swooning over Maid Rianne. Then large seconds dedicated to Maid Rianne swooning over Petir. You’re pretty much rooting for them and it seems obvious to the reader that the two of them will end up together, though how that will work when time travel is involved is a mystery.

But there is a clever surprise waiting at the end that will leave you laughing and smiling, and ultimately happy for all of the characters involved.

I thought this story was charming and well thought out. It’s good to read a story that takes a traditional tale and gives it a little bit of a twist. The details of the book wee cleverly thought out, and the fusion of lore with modern convention really worked in such a way that they wove a charming story. It’s a lighthearted romance with a happy ending, and who doesn’t love a story that leaves you feeling warm and satisfied?

Excerpt From Fairly Certain:
Maid Rianne leaned over and rested a cool hand on his brow. Petir’s mouth went dry.

“Does your head pain thee, m’lord?” she asked, her face troubled.

“A little. I…uh, not much. I mean, it was, but now it...it’s....” Maid Rianne squatted next to him and gently ran her fingers through his hair. That had never happened to him before.

“Enough talk, m’lord,” she instructed. “You should rest.”

Whatever you want, Maid Rianne. Petir fell silent, relishing her touch. It was glorious. This was turning out to be an excellent dream. He felt wonderful. He felt bewitched. He felt—

“Yow!” he yelped. “What was that?”

“M’lord, you have quite a bump here, but no bleeding. You must have hit your head when you fell.”
Jeez. That really hurt. He winced as he inspected the site himself.

Maid Rianne put her palms on either side of his face and turned him to look at her. Petir froze. A patch of sunlight beamed down between the trees behind her, creating a halo effect around her face. She moved her head slowly side to side, allowing the sun to splash across his face as she moved. She stared long and searchingly into his eyes. He stopped breathing, his pain unceremoniously shoved to the back seat.

She cleared her throat and released his face. “Your eyes show no ill effects from the blow, m’lord.” She held up three fingers. “How many do you see?”

She was only checking his vitals? He almost laughed aloud at his mistaken read of her actions.

“M’lord?”

“Oh! Uh, three.”

“All appears well, m’lord, but you should be watched ‘til the next dawn.”

“Who...” Petir licked his dry lips and tried to swallow in his dry throat. “Who will watch me?”

“The ’ealer, of course, yer lordship,” piped up the redheaded boy.

What the hell is an eeler?

“Hey, Red, what’s your name?” Petir asked.

The kid gave Petir a cheeky grin. “They call me Cord, m’lord.”

“Okay, Cord, what’s an eeler?”

“Why, a person who tends to wounds and ’eals the sick, sir.”

“Okay, wait. Do you mean a healer?”

“‘Tis what I said, sir.”

“Yea, verily,” said Maid Rianne, smoothly standing while rubbing her hands on her pants.

I hope my hair’s clean. Petir touched the lump on his skull as he watched Maid Rianne rejoin the boys. Baggy clothes or not, she was kicking the warrior maiden thing.

A stretcher with a yoke took shape under the boys’ industrious hands. Using vines, they secured the smaller branches between two larger limbs. A third ran perpendicular to the first two. They worked quickly, speaking in hushed tones, occasionally glancing over their shoulders into the forest, as if dreading unwanted company. Petir followed their gazes, wondering what caused their concern. Should he be worrying, too?

Eventually they lifted the stretcher and carried it to Petir. It looked uncomfortable and unstable.
“I’m not getting on that.”

“Oh, but you are, m’lord.” Maid Rianne’s voice was calm but firm. “Consider your limited options.” She began counting on her hand. “You may get on, be blindfolded, and be carried to our camp. Or,” her sarcastic words belied her sweet smile, “you can try to walk to the camp blindfolded, which I do not recommend.”

“Or you can find your own way back from whence you came.” She paused, solemnly gazing at him over three fingertips. “Tell me, m’lord. Do you know where you are?” She arched her brows at his frown. “I thought not.” She folded down one of her fingers with feigned politeness.

“I know where I am. I’m in a damn nightmare,” he growled. Hottie or not, she was beginning to piss him off.

“Or, m’lord, you could simply remain here until you heal, then leave on your own accord.” The finger reappeared while she regretfully feigned a sigh. “Such a difficult decision is yours.”

The boys giggled, not the least bit cowed by Petir’s glare.

“Your decision, sir?” Maid Rianne asked, her features schooled into exaggerated patience.

“Fine!” snapped Petir. “I’ll ride that thing, but I am not wearing a blindfold.”

“No blindfold? As you wish, m’lord.” Maid Rianne lowered two fingers. “However, that reduces your choices by more than half. Shall ye be spending the night here, or making your way back?”

That was cold. He looked at the boys, who were now avoiding his gaze. The smallest kid was actually wringing his hands while he looked back and forth between Petir and Maid Rianne.

Petir’s head resumed its pounding in double time. Perhaps he needed to rethink his stance. After all, if this was a dream, it didn’t matter if he went or not. Refusing the blindfold, however, could result in Maid Hottie exiting the dream permanently. That would suck. Unless another hot maiden put in an appearance.

But, what if it wasn’t a dream? He still didn’t know where he was, and unless some bars magically appeared on his cell phone, he was going to end up sitting on his butt in the woods another night. Not to mention, he didn’t know where his cell had gone.

On the other hand, maybe these kids came from some kind of psycho cult and were hiding out. The deranged always acted suspicious in the movies. “Nope. I’m not wearing the blindfold. I don’t know you people. For all I know, you could-”

“Oh, please, sir! Accept the blindfold!” cried the small boy.

Petir blinked, his unease growing. The boy’s angst was contagious. Cord touched Maid Rianne’s arm. “Please, mistress, we cannot leave him here.”

“We can, and we will,” she replied, shaking him off. “I, for one, am not willing to betray our cause simply because a stranger refuses a blindfold. Are you?” She leaned forward. “And what if this is nothing more than an elaborate plot to reveal our whereabouts? Men, women, and babes—all sacrificed for a moment of kindness. Your family. Their families….”

The boy’s head dropped as he stepped away from her and closer to Petir. “’Tis not right, mistress. It is just not right,” he muttered.

Maid Rianne straightened. “May I suggest ye head back to the camp and ask for a volunteer to help bring this stranger to the nearest town? Perchance there be one who is willing to risk capture and spending the remainder of his days as a guest of the sheriff. But not I.” She strode to Petir. “Your final decision, yer lordship?”

“Please, m’lord.” Cord ran over and squatted next to him. “Ye be better off with us. I will not let any harm come to ye.”

Petir closed his mouth, which had somehow started hanging open again, and regarded the distraught young face. This kid was going to protect him? He probably didn’t even reach Petir’s shoulder.

About the Author

I currently reside in lovely Connecticut where I enjoy dabbling with living a sustainable life, developing my Girl’s Guide To Good Guys: The Power of Being Patient & Picky program to promote an empowering way for teenage girls to see themselves, writing novels for my Love of Fairs series (Fairly Obvious will be out in 2017), dancing, playing outside, and laughing really hard every day. I promote increasing the amount of movement throughout your day via Wiggle Writer posts on my blog, Merry Meddling, and on Twitter @WiggleWriter and @DeborahAnnDavis.









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