07 January 2022

Boone’s Girl by Tracy Broemmer Cover Reveal!

Join us for the cover reveal of Boone’s Girl by Tracy Broemmer. Fans of Kate Carley and Sky Jordan will sink their teeth into this steamy, contemporary romance. Keep scrolling for more details about this gorgeous cover. 

Title: Boone’s Girl

Author: Tracy Broemmer

Release Date: 1/17/2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Trope: Return to Hometown, Friends-to-Enemies-to-Lovers

Synopsis

When Bodhi Reyburn returns to Lake Clair to take a teaching position, the last person she expects to see is her ex’s best friend, Will Bennet, and the last thing on her mind is finding love. She needs a fresh start, which includes leaving the past—Tyson Boone—in the past and finding herself.

Bodhi Reyburn used to be Boone’s girl, reason enough for Will Bennet to stay away from her. Easy to do at first. Will’s held a small grudge against her for years for choosing Boone over him, and now that it seems obvious that she left Boone—his best friend—shouldn’t Will side with him? 

What happens when the past and present collide? Will Bodhi fall for Will, or will she always be Boone’s girl?

Originally published in the 2020 anthology, Aced, Back to School. This edition has been updated with two additional chapters.

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Pre-Order Links:

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About Tracy Broemmer 

An only child, Tracy Broemmer grew up with a wild imagination. An avid reader from a young age, she spent a lot of time with her nose buried in books and a lot of time making up her own stories. She penned her first book in grade school and hasn’t stopped writing since then. When she’s not writing, you might find her with a book in hand, or maybe a glass of wine, or maybe a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Tracy enjoys spending time with her family, traveling with her husband of twenty-eight years, music, NFL, and MLB. Tracy is the author of the Lorelei Bluffs women’s fiction series, the Williams Legacy, and several stand-alone women’s fiction novels. She has recently dabbled in contemporary romance, as well. Tracy’s books have been called gripping, emotional, and timely, and readers describe her characters as real and relatable.

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Murder in Second Position: An On Pointe Mystery by Lori Robbins Book Tour and Giveaway!

Murder in Second Position: An On Pointe Mystery by Lori Robbins

About Murder in Second Position

 

Murder in Second Position: An On Pointe Mystery 

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Level Best Books (November 23, 2021)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 258 pages 

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685120210 

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685120214 Kindle 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09FM1JTFL 

Ballerina Leah Siderova belongs onstage. Not in an interrogation room at Manhattan’s Twentieth Precinct. And yet, for the second time in less than a year, that’s where she has a starring role. It wasn’t her fault someone killed the autocratic new director of the American Ballet Company. And it wasn’t her job to find the killer.

 

Leah is determined to stay as far away as possible from the murder investigation. After all, if she were going to kill someone, it would have been the woman who’s been relentlessly trolling her on social media. And that’s where things get complicated. Because when dancers say “ballet can be murder” they don’t mean it literally.  Most of the time.

 Murder in Second Position

CHAPTER 1

And hand in hand, at the edge of the sand / They danced by the light of the moon.

—Edward Lear


I belong onstage. Not in an interrogation room at Manhattan’s Twentieth Precinct. And yet, for the second time in less than a year, that’s where I had a starring role. As part of my official statement, I’d like to go on the record to confirm this simple fact: When dancers say, “ballet can be murder,” they’re speaking metaphorically. Most of the time. More to the point, if I were going to kill someone, it would have been Savannah Collier.

Earlier, on that snowy day in February, I was at a routine rehearsal for Swan Lake. As I stretched my legs and ignored the growling noises from my stomach, I observed my fellow dancers jockey for position. They were trying to make a good impression on Pavel Baron, the new director of the company. He stalked several unlucky women, telegraphing either his disapproval or his predatory sexual interest.

After a large group of dancers exited and gave way to a lovely waltz for two swans, Olivia Blackwell plopped down next to me. As we watched the dancers jump and pirouette, I readied myself for the last scene, the Swan Queen’s dramatic suicidal plunge. It suited my dark mood.

I took a few deep breaths, wishing my practice tutu weren’t quite so tight. Tragic swan queens had no business gaining weight, and I was self-conscious about recent dietary indiscretions regarding salted caramel chocolates. The music deepened, foreshadowing the coming tragedy.

I said, half to Olivia and half to myself, “Have you ever thought about how many ballets deal with death?”

Olivia, still breathing heavily from her recent exertions, mopped her face and neck. “I hadn’t thought about it, but yeah. Murder, suicide, and the ever-popular death via a broken heart. Those are the best dramatic roles.”

“If you’re lucky, some emotional audience member will heave a loud sigh or groan. That’s always gratifying. There’s nothing like a corpse in a tiara to bring them to their feet.”

She turned down the corners of her mouth. “That’s true for you, Leah. But at this point in my career, the only way I’m going to get to die onstage is if it’s a mass slaughter of errant swans, or peasant girls, or village maidens.”

I gave her a consoling pat on the back. “I know it’s hard. But be patient. Very soon, you’ll be the one getting those curtain calls. You’re a terrific dancer, and your time will come.”

I waited for a response, but she just sat there and watched the swans. I tried again to cheer her up. “You’re understudying lots of big roles now, which is a good sign.”

Her glum expression remained unchanged. Time for drastic action.

I grabbed her shoulders. “Maybe you’ll have a 42nd Street moment. You know, like, ‘you’re going out a youngster, but you’ve gotta come back a star!’”

She finally smiled, then left me to join the rest of the corps de ballet. They took their places for the last scene, and as the music rose to a dramatic crescendo I fluttered in, exactly on cue, and pretended to die. My partner yawned twice, before Pavel’s sharp look jolted him back into his role as a heartbroken prince. Five minutes later we were done. Pavel pointedly tapped his watch. It was a rather raggedy run-through, and the rehearsal mistress probably had a pile of corrections, but no one except Pavel dared flout the strict rehearsal schedule.

I pulled off my pointe shoes to give my feet a brief moment of freedom and eyed the youngest dancers. “Tell me about the new kids on the block. Are the girls still catty and ruthless? Or has the corps de ballet become a kinder and gentler place?”

Olivia frowned. “I don’t know about kinder or gentler, because I don’t have much to compare it to. Some dancers are straight up awful. But nearly everyone pretends to be nice, although I’m sure most of my so-called friends would stick a knife in my back if they thought it would help them.”

I suppressed a shiver when she mentioned a knife in the back. The memory of last season’s murder still gave me nightmares. “I guess some things never change.”

Olivia took out a protein bar. I longed to do the same, but I was saving my calories for the evening. Over the heavenly smell of peanut butter she said, “We’re kinder in our language, if not always in our private sentiments.” She laughed. “I’m not putting myself on a pedestal, by the way. I’m like all the rest. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to them.”

As we walked down the hallway to the next rehearsal we spoke softly, despite the hum of many voices.  Gossip was the breath of life in our hothouse world, and scheming rivals with friendly faces were all around. After Gabi Acevedo retired I found myself without a trusted confidante, until Olivia came along to fill that void.

Bobbie York, our costume mistress, was not nearly as circumspect. As we ambled toward Studio D, she militantly pushed past us. Her angry threats included several graphic images that paired Pavel’s face and an ice pick.

I let her pass without comment. To put it diplomatically, she and I were no longer friendly. A few months ago, she accused me of seducing her husband and committing murder, which can put some serious strain on a relationship. The fact that I was exonerated on both counts did nothing to quench her anger. Paradoxically, it infuriated her even more. The safest way to handle her volcanic temper was to ignore her, although that too had its perils.

Olivia, who was young in the ways of our world, walked more quickly to keep up with her. “What has Pavel done now?”

Bobbie stopped short to face us, and, with some effort, unclenched her teeth. “That miserable excuse for a ballet master has installed a corporate stuffed shirt in my costume department. As if any of those frat boys from Artistic Solutions knows a single wretched thing about costumes or props.” Bobbie put air quotes around the word “Artistic” to indicate her disdain for the pretentions, and the name, of our new commercial and multinational overlord.

Olivia put her hand on Bobbie’s arm. “Pavel said there was going to be a period of adjustment. I’m sure it will all work out. He’s only been here a few months. Give him some time.”

Bobbie removed Olivia’s delicate hand with a thumb and forefinger, looking at it with the same antipathy one might feel upon finding an invasive, gelatinous, alien life form taking root.

“Wise up, Sunshine. You and all your clueless ballerina friends are not what I would call rocket science material. Go back to your pink and sparkly dream world. I’m too old to kid myself. These people are ruthless.”

This was too much for me. “Get real, Bobbie. No one is more coldblooded than you, unless it’s Pavel. He’s hired and fired a dozen people in the last few months. Sit tight, be patient, and suck it up like the rest of us. And speaking of Pavel, how do you know he’s the one who hired your stuffed shirt? Maybe it was Darius Kemble. He didn’t get to be the head of Artistic Solutions by giving out lollipops and rosebuds.”

She could barely contain her scorn. “I don’t care if Moses himself handed me commandments about ordering fabric. Kemble may know how to run a business, but we are not a business.”

She brushed a few specks of lint from her sleeve, as if flicking me away with it. “It will be a cold day in hell before I take advice from you, Leah. You haven’t learned a thing in the last ten years.  Or has it been fifteen or twenty? Hard to keep track after so long.”

Bobbie emphasized my age to be mean, but she spoke the simple, if painful, truth. I am a thirty-something ballerina, with a surgically reconstructed knee and a limited professional future. After she marched down the hallway, I turned back to Olivia. “I see Bobbie has lost none of her charm and joie de vivre. But as much as I hate to admit it, maybe she’s got the right idea. We’re all trying to make nice with the new management company, and they’re walking all over us. We probably should push back. Maybe if we did, Darius Kemble and his loathsome Artistic Solutions gang would already be a distant memory. Like those self-help gurus who gave us exercises to help us love ourselves.” I couldn’t help laughing, remembering how one of them, in an attempt to ingratiate himself with Pavel, told our ballet director he was exceptionally gifted at loving himself. He didn’t last long.

Olivia didn’t answer me. She wordlessly pointed to the daily rehearsal schedule, which was posted on a bulletin board. Those printouts, with their handwritten notes, were the sole holdovers of life in American Ballet Company before Artistic Solutions digitized us. In the square marked Dworkin/New Ballet, Olivia’s name was crossed off the cast list. She had been demoted to understudy, her name in parentheses.

I was still on the schedule as one of the lead dancers, but I too had been downgraded. Our guest artist from London was still in the first cast. She would dance on opening night, at the gala, and on weekends. I expected no less. But I was now third in line to dance in the new ballet, behind a lower-ranked dancer. This was a very deliberate humiliation. I’d be lucky to get a few matinees and, perhaps, a single weeknight performance.

Like the other principal dancers in the company, I was used to being shoved aside for a glitzier, more high-profile international star. What really stung, though, was seeing a dancer from the corps de ballet placed ahead of me. Kerry Blair was talented; that was undeniable. I preferred to remain silent regarding her conniving, spiteful, mean, and selfish nature.

My demotion was humiliating, as well as disappointing. Pavel might as well have installed a flashing sign proclaiming his intention to push me out of the company. From a public relations perspective, which was the only one that mattered, it was easier to downgrade and embarrass a dancer until she voluntarily left than it was to fire her outright. My modest but devoted fan club would spring to my defense if Pavel refused to renew my contract.

Olivia was bitter. “What was it that Bobbie said about Pavel? I’m beginning to understand how she feels. If I had the chance, I too would beat him about the face and neck.”

I checked the rest of the schedule before answering. “Don’t forget about stabbing him where his heart should be. That was my favorite part.” Forgetting discretion, I added, “Pavel Baron has to go. One way or another. The man is pure poison.”


About Lori Robbins

Brooklyn-born Lori Robbins began dancing at age 16 and launched her professional career three years later. She studied modern dance at the Martha Graham School and ballet at the New York Conservatory of Dance. Robbins performed with a number of dance companies, including Ballet Hispanico, the Des Moines Ballet, and the St. Louis Concert Ballet. After ten very lean years as a dancer she attended Hunter College, graduating summa cum laude with a major in British Literature and a minor in Classics.

The opening book in her On Pointe Mystery Series, Murder in First Position, won the Indie Book Award for Best Mystery, was a finalist for a Silver Falchion, and is currently on the short list for a Mystery & Mayhem Book Award. 

Murder in Second Position will be released November 23, 2021. Her debut mystery, Lesson Plan for Murder, won the Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery and was a finalist in the Readers’ Choice and Indie Book Awards. It will be re-released in June 2022. 

She authored two short stories in 2021: “Accidents Happen” in Mystery Most Diabolical, and “Leading Ladies” in Justice for All. She is an expert in the homicidal impulses everyday life inspires.

Author Links 

Purchase Link - Amazon 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 5 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 6 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 7 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

January 8 – Nellie’s Book Nook – REVIEW, GUEST POST

January 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 9 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 10 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

January 10 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 11 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 12 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

January 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST



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06 January 2022

A Stranger's Game by Colleen Coble Book Tour/ Giveaway/Review and Giveaway!

A Stranger's Game

by Colleen Coble

January 3-14, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Stranger's Game by Colleen Coble

This gripping new novel from USA TODAY bestselling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

A wealthy hotel heiress.

Even though Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, she’s happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island.

A suspicious death.

But when Torie learns that her best friend has drowned, she knows it is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

A fight for the truth.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, desperate to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter rescuing baby turtles, she finds a tentative ally.

The more Torie and Joe dig, the more elusive the truth seems. One thing is clear: someone will risk anything—even more murder—to keep their secrets buried.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: January 4th 2022
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 0785228578 (ISBN13: 9780785228578)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

C H A P T E R 1

Victoria Bergstrom almost forgot to breathe at the beauty of Georgia’s Jekyll Island. Standing at the railing, she watched the sunset gild the undulating tidal grass with gold and orange and continue to paint its spectacular hues on sand and sea as the boat made its way along the Intracoastal Waterway to the wharf. The Golden Isles was an apt name this time of day especially. Her gaze landed on the hotel, and her chest compressed.

Then again, maybe dread stole her oxygen instead.

The garrulous captain gestured toward The Wharf restaurant, perched at the end of the wooden walkway. “There she is. It’s a much prettier approach this direction instead of coming over the bridge. I still can’t believe those people blocked the bridge.”

Torie had planned to drive, but protesters advocating for the abolishment of the Federal Reserve had filled every inch of the bridge over the causeway to the island, and she hadn’t wanted to be stuck in traffic for hours. She shook her head. Did the protesters really believe marching would accomplish their goal? And besides, the Fed helped to protect against bank runs and depressions. It seemed insane to protest about it.

The boat docked, and she grabbed her carry-on bag to disembark. The rest of her luggage would be delivered tomorrow once she knew where she was staying. “Thanks for the ride, Captain.”

He tipped his hat. “You’re welcome, Miss Torie.”

Her heels clattered on the wooden planks past the restaurant and a storefront for boating excursions, and onto the sidewalk onshore. Time slipped past in a shimmering haze as she crossed Riverview Drive, avoiding the ever-constant bikers, and approached the Jekyll Island Club Resort hotel.

It had been eighteen years since she’d run and played along this water. Eighteen years since she’d smelled the river and listened to a bull alligator roar at Horton Pond. Eighteen years since she’d seen stiletto-tipped palmetto groves and moss-draped oak trees. The narrator on a passing tram droned on about the history of this place she’d once loved so much.

There it was.

The hotel that lived both in her dreams and her nightmares.

The tower in the left corner rose above the four-story structure, and the large wraparound porch beckoned visitors with thoughts of sweet tea and laughter with friends. She paused to tuck her white blouse into her navy skirt before she mounted the steps to the outdoor receptionist box guarding the doorway inside. It was unmanned at the moment, so she stepped into the hotel lobby. The scents of sandalwood and pine took her back to her childhood in an instant, and she swallowed past the constriction in her throat.

Audentes fortuna juvat. “Fortune favors the bold,” the Roman poet Virgil had said, and though being here brought out all her insecurities, Torie had to find her courage.

Little had changed through the years other than fresh paint and attentive maintenance. The ornate Victorian moldings gleamed with a gentle glow of wax, and the wood floors were as beautiful as ever. She had never wanted to step foot in this lobby again, yet here she was.

Torie raised her head with a confidence she didn’t feel and approached the resort’s front desk. “Torie Berg. I’m your new IT specialist.”

The alias flowed smoothly off her lips. She’d used it on her last assignment, and it was close enough to her real name to feel natural.

“Welcome to Jekyll Island Club Resort,” the young woman said.

The blonde looked to be about Torie’s age of twenty-eight and wore an engagement ring. Her open, friendly expression was perfect for the check-in desk.

“Marianne,” a familiar voice said behind Torie.

Torie froze and didn’t turn. While she didn’t think the older woman would recognize her, she couldn’t take the chance. The click of high heels went past her to the left, and she caught a glimpse of Genevieve Hallston’s lavender blouse, her signature color.

“Come to my office please,” Genevieve said to the housekeeper she’d hailed.

The stricken look on the middle-aged woman’s face said it all. Genevieve was on a tear about something, and it took all of Torie’s resolve not to intervene. She’d been sliced by the older woman’s razor-sharp tongue enough to know it wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation.

But she had to remember her mission. If anyone recognized her, her cover would be blown and all of her plans would be in ruins.

***

Excerpt from A Stranger's Game by Colleen Coble. Copyright 2021 by Colleen Coble. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

 My Thoughts

Torie Bergstrom goes back to Georgia to find out what happened to her best friend Lisbeth. Lisbeth was pulled from the waters at Torie's family-owned property on Jekyll Island. Lisbeth was scared to death of the water, never even went swimming. So why was she in the water in the first place?

Tori is on the island using an alias, so she is not recognized as the daughter of the owner of the hotel. She meets Joe and his daughter Hailey as they are rescuing turtles. The turtles lay eggs yearly on the island and of course they are food for predators. Hailey is desperate to make sure that they reach the water safely.

Torie is desperate to find answers to not only how Lisbeth died, but it was also not an accident and along the way find out what happened to her mother who died at the same hotel, years ago when Torie was a child. She takes a job in the IT department of the hotel, her aunt Genevieve is the hotel manager there also, but Torie has not seen her aunt in many years, so she thinks she is safe to work at the hotel and not be recognized.

Strange things start happening, like someone entering the cottage she is staying at, leaving cryptic clues. With Joe's, help she hopes to get the answers she needs. So as not to spoil the story, I will stop here.

This is the first novel I have read by Colleen Coble, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, read it in a few sittings. I think I will pursue more titles by the author. Definitely worth a read.

I received a print copy for review purposes only.

Author Bio:

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean's Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series.

Connect with Colleen online at:
colleencoble.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @ColleenCoble
Instagram - @colleencoble
Twitter - @colleencoble
Facebook - @colleencoblebooks

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05 January 2022

1066 Turned Upside Down By Joanna Courtney, Helen Hollick, Anna Belfrage, Richard Dee, G.K. Holloway, Carol McGrath, Alison Morton, Eliza Redgold, Annie Whitehead With a foreword by C.C. Humphreys@HelenHollick @maryanneyarde @annabelfrageauth @richard.dee.scifi.author @carol.mcgrath.58 @alisonmortonauthor @anniewhiteheadauthor @coffeepotbookclub #1066UpsideDown #AlternativeHistory #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub

 


Book Title: 1066 Turned Upside Down

Authors: Joanna Courtney, Helen Hollick, Anna Belfrage, Richard Dee

G.K. Holloway, Carol McGrath, Alison Morton, Eliza Redgold, Annie Whitehead

With a foreword by C.C. Humphreys.

Publication Date: 14th September 2021

Publisher: Taw River Press (paperback) Matador/Troubador (e-book)

Page Length: 222 Pages

Genre: Alternative History


Have you ever wondered what might have happened if William the Conqueror had been beaten at Hastings in 1066? Or if Harald Hardrada had won at Stamford Bridge? Or if Edward the Confessor had died with an heir ready to take his crown? If so – here is the perfect set of short stories for you.


1066 Turned Upside Down explores a variety of ways in which that momentous year could have played out very differently.


Written by nine well-known authors the stories will take you on a journey through the speculative what ifs?of Englands most famous year in history.


READERS’ COMMENTS


“1066 Turned Upside Down is the exemplar for how analytical counterfactual history should be done, combining the best elements of fiction and non-fiction to create an immensely impressive achievement.”


“As a collection, the quality of the writing is exceptional and the variety of possible outcomes presented is truly fascinating.”


“The collection is assembled in such a way that between the ‘alternatives’ are the related facts as they happened, as far as historians and archaeologists know – which still leaves room for these experienced writers’ imaginations.”


“A book I will read and re-read. I heartily recommend it”


“The real joy of a collection of stories like this is, of course, that you are likely to be introduced to writers you may not have come across before.”


Today we feature an excerpt from 1066 Turned Upside Down by author and Anglo-Saxon historian Annie Whitehead


A MATTER OF TRUST

by Annie Whitehead


Wearing the crown is one thing, but if Harold were to rule with any security and authority, he needed the support of the northern earls. At some point between his coronation and April 16th, he travelled north to try to secure that support. It has often been said of Earl Morcar that he ‘owed’ his earldom to Harold, who had endorsed him after his brother Tostig had been ousted. The Earldom of Mercia had once been a separate kingdom, and nationalist fervour had often caused problems for the kings of Wessex. Mercia had strong links with the neighbouring Welsh, and Edwin’s family had been close allies of Gruffudd of Gwynedd, whose death was engineered by Harold. Edwin and Morcar’s grandfather had been a political rival of Harold’s father, and the Godwin family had caused their father, Aelfgar, to be removed first from an earldom in East Anglia and then, briefly, from Mercia. These two families had ‘history.’



‘How could you?’ A week had passed since Easter Sunday. Ealdgyth looked as if she had been crying since Good Friday.


Often Edwin had seen her with streaks on her cheeks, and with eyes rubbed red against salty tears, but this time the chin was down, the eyes wide in reproach. His sister need not speak; he knew. But she continued. ‘Dragging me to London on the pretence of seeing you bow down formally to Harold, and all along you had sold me to him as a bride. How could you, Brother? Not enough that he has made me a widow…’


‘I could not help what was done to Gruffudd of Gwynedd. I was too young…’


‘You are not too young now! What of my children, the life I had carved for myself in Wales? I was young, too, when father sold me to Gruffudd. But I made the most of it. At least he was kind to me, and a friend to our family.’ She inhaled a ragged breath and paused, and he knew that she too could hear the scrape-click that announced their grandmother’s imminent appearance. 


Godiva came in to the hall from her private guest chamber beyond the great painted screen, leaning heavily on her carved stick, but keeping the jewel-encrusted tip visible, preserving the pretence that it was no crutch, merely a fashion accessory. The heavy gold and emerald cross, worn every day that Edwin could ever remember, swung across her chest with every step, and he took her elbow, ignoring her attempts to shake away his assistance as he led her to a chair. When she sat down, her head went forward, pushed these days by the hump at the back of her neck, but even though her eyes were shrunken by the years, they still shone speedwell blue and her brow, with every grey hair tucked severely under her veil, surrendered to barely a wrinkle. Godiva glanced at Ealdgyth, cleared her throat, and fixed her gaze upon Edwin.


‘Twice.’ She nodded, and held up two fingers. ‘Two times the Godwins forced my son into exile. Your own father; hounded out of his lands. With Gruffudd’s help, he got his earldom back, but is it any wonder he died before his time?’ Her voice cracked on the last word, turning it into two syllables. ‘But that wasn’t enough for Harold, was it? He bribed the Welsh to kill Gruffudd.’ She sniffed, and then drew her lips together, hastily correcting herself as if she knew it would encourage wrinkles around her mouth. ‘The Welsh were our protection against the grasping Godwins. I lived to bury my son, I’ve seen my granddaughter widowed, her children left fatherless.’ She glanced at Ealdgyth, reaching out as if to pat her knee. ‘And now you,’ she glared at Edwin, ‘now you make peace with Godwin’s whelp? This is not what I prayed for when you went north; for you to give him your sister as soon as he asked.’  


‘He didn’t ask. I suggested it.’


Ealdgyth made a sound like a wounded animal and ran from the room.



Does the trust between the two families emerge? Find out in 1066 Turned Upside Down


Buy Links:


Universal Link: myBook.to/1066TurnedUpsideDown


Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01I1V7G42

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I1V7G42

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/1066-Turned-Upside-Down-Alternative-ebook/dp/B01I1V7G42

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/1066-Turned-Upside-Down-Alternative-ebook/dp/B01I1V7G42

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1066-turned-upside-down-multiple-authors-multiple-authors/1124217122

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/1066-turned-upside-down

Troubador Books:  https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/historical/1066-turned-upside-down/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30969349-1066-turned-upside-down

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/1066-turned-upside-down-by-helen-hollick-and-carol-mcgrath



1066 Turned Upside Down is a collection of eleven alternative history short stories of a ‘what if’ nature imagined by nine well-known successful authors:

 

JOANNA COURTNEY Ever since Joanna sat up in her cot with a book, shed wanted to be a writer and cut her publication teeth on short stories and serials for the womens magazines before signing to PanMacmillan in 2014 for her three-book series The Queens of the Conquest about the wives of the men fighting to be King of England in 1066. Her second series, written for Piatkus is Shakespeares Queens exploring the real history of three of the bards greatest female characters – Lady Macbeth, Ophelia and Cordelia.

Joannas fascination with historical writing is in finding the similarities between us and them –with an especial goal to provide a female take on some of the greatest stories we think we know. www.joannacourtney.com

 

ALISON MORTON writes the award-winning alternative fiction Roma Nova thriller series featuring tough, but compassionate heroines. She blends her deep love of Roman history with six yearsmilitary service and a life of reading crime, historical, adventure and thriller fiction. A Roman nutsince age 11, she started wondering what a modern Roman society would be like if run by strong women. She has recently branched out into a contemporary crime setting with Double Identity, the first of a planned series. 

www.alison-morton.com/

 

ANNA BELFRAGE Had Anna been allowed to choose, shed have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The Kings Greatest Enemy set in 14th century England. Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. His Castilian Hawk - returning to medieval times and her most recent release, The Whirlpools of Time, a time travel romance set against the backdrop of brewing rebellion in the Scottish highlands. Anna has won several awards including various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards. www.annabelfrage.com

 

ANNIE WHITEHEAD is an historian and prize-winning author. Her main interest in history is the period formerly known as the Dark Ages. Her first novel, To Be A Queen, is the story of Aethelflaed (daughter of Alfred the Great), who came to be known as the Lady of the Mercians. Alvar the Kingmaker, tells the story of Aelfhere of Mercia, a nobleman in the time of King Edgar. Cometh the Hour goes further back in time to the seventh century, to tell the story of Penda, the last pagan king of Mercia. Annie has twice been a prizewinner in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing competition, she won first prize for nonfiction in the new Writing Magazine Poetry and Prose competition, and was the inaugural winner of the HWA (Historical WritersAssociation)/Dorothy Dunnett Society Short Story Competition and is now a judge for that same competition.

Annie has had two nonfiction books published. Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom (Amberley Books) has been an Amazon #1 Bestseller. Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England was published by Pen & Sword Books in 2020.

www.anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk

 

CAROL McGRATH is the author of The Daughters of Hastings Trilogy. Her fifth historical novel, The Silken Rose, first in The Rose Trilogy, published by the Headline Group, is set during the High Middle Ages. It features Ailenor of Provence and was published in 2020. The Damask Rose about Eleanor of Castile was published in 2021. The Stone Rose, Isabella of France, follows in 2022. Carol has also written Historical Non-Fiction for Pen & Sword.

www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk

 

ELIZA REDGOLD is an author and romantic academic. Her bestselling historical fiction includes her Ladies of Legend trilogy, starting with Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva released internationally by St Martins Press, New York. Her historical romances are published by Harlequin Historical, London (Harper Collins). They include Playing the Dukes Mistress, Enticing Benedict Cole, The Scandalous Suffragette and The Masters New Governess. They have been translated into multiple languages including Italian, Polish, Czech, Danish and Swedish, and are available internationally.

www.elizaredgold.com

 

G.K. HOLLOWAY After graduating from Coventry University with an honours degree in history and politics, he worked in education in and around Bristol, England, where he now lives. After reading a biography about Harold Godwinson, he studied the late Anglo-Saxon era in detail. When he had enough material to weave together facts and fiction he produced his novel. 1066 What Fates Impose, a story of family feuds, court intrigues, assassinations, plotting and scheming, loyalty and love, all ingredients in an epic struggle for the English crown. www.gkholloway.co.uk

 

HELEN HOLLICK moved from London in 2013 and now lives on a thirteen-acre farm in North Devon, England. Born in London, Helen wrote pony stories as a teenager, moved to science fiction and fantasy, and then discovered the wonder of historical fiction. Published since 1994 with her Arthurian Pendragons Banner Trilogy, followed by her 1066 era duo. She became a USA Today bestseller with her story of Queen Emma: The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK), and its companion novel, Harold the King (titled I Am the Chosen King in the U.S.A). She also writes the Sea Witch Voyages, a series of pirate-based nautical adventures with a touch of fantasy. Commissioned by Amberley Press she wrote a non-fiction book about pirates in fact, fantasy and fiction and a non-fiction book about smugglers, published by Pen and Sword.

Recently she has ventured into the Cosy Mysterygenre with her Jan Christopher Mysteries, the first of which is A Mirror Murder. She runs Discovering Diamonds, an independent online review site for Historical Fiction, primarily aimed at showcasing Indie writers.

She occasionally gets time to write. www.helenhollick.net

 

RICHARD DEE was a Master Mariner and ships pilot, now living in Brixham, South Devon.  His novels include Science Fiction and Steampunk adventures, as well as the exploits of Andorra Pett, a reluctant amateur detective. www.richarddeescifi.co.uk

 

 Social Media Links:


Website: https://1066turnedupsidedown.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1066UpsideDown

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/30969349


Tour Schedule Page: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2021/08/blog-tour-1066-turned-upside-down.html






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