Book Title: Beyond the Dark Oceans

Series: n/a

Author Name: Alison Huntingford

Publication Date: March 31st, 2026

Publisher: Lupin Publications

Pages: 386

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: n/a

Twitter Handles: @ahuntingford9 @cathiedunn @marylschmidt

Instagram Handles: @ahuntingford9 @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #FamilyHistory #WorldWar1 #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

Tour Schedule Link: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/04/blog-tour-beyond-the-dark-oceans-by-alison-huntingford.html

Book Title and Author Name:

BEYOND THE DARK OCEANS

by ALISON HUNTINGFORD

Blurb:

A family united, a family divided…

In 1906, the Huntingford family leaves England for a hopeful new life in Canada, but for eldest son Georgy, the promise of opportunity quickly becomes a test of endurance, responsibility, and fate. As he comes of age amid the hardships of immigrant life, the outbreak of the First World War pulls him back across the ocean and into a world forever changed by loss and sacrifice.

When Georgy’s brother disappears in the chaos of war, grief and uncertainty fracture the family he is fighting to hold together. Reunited with his cousin Nellie, Georgy finds solace in a love as powerful as it is forbidden—one that offers hope in the darkest of times while threatening to tear his family apart.

Based on true events, Beyond the Dark Oceans is a moving story of love, loyalty, and resilience, exploring how ordinary lives are shaped—and divided—by extraordinary moments in history.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3LPxV5

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Excerpt 1:

A WINTER STORM

CANADA Winter 1906

If they’d thought the weather had been bad so far, this was nothing compared to the dark days of January. Now the snow took on a wilder, meaner character and no-one wanted to play in it any more. The house was very cold, and heating supplies were running low. In desperation one day, Ellen sent the two oldest boys out to find firewood wherever they could. Coal had run out in the neighbourhood and wood was scarce. Another storm had been forecast in the newspapers and people were trying to prepare.

‘Don’t go too far, though,’ their mother said. ‘Just do the best you can.’

The sky had an angry pink hue to it and Georgy knew that snow was imminent. He hurried along the streets with William calling at every possible supplier. Nearly everywhere had run out.

‘I’m tired,’ said William. ‘Let’s go home. We don’t want to get caught out in the storm.’

‘Just another couple of streets,’ pleaded Georgy. ‘We can’t go home empty handed. If we don’t have a fire the house will be freezing.’

‘I’m freezing already,’ grumbled William, but he tagged along with Georgy anyway.

In the distance Georgy spotted a small wood yard.

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘They’ll have something, I’m sure.’

It was the furthest they’d ever been from home, but they bravely carried on. Their efforts were rewarded by a kindly man from the yard who sold them as much wood as their arms could carry. Georgy had also brought one of their sledges and they piled it up as well with lots more. By now the sky had turned to a sombre grey and the first flakes of snow were whirling in the air.

‘Quick,’ said William, ‘let’s get home while we still can.’

The going was slow and hard. Carrying and dragging piles of wood was heavy, back-breaking, arm-aching work and they struggled along. The air was becoming thick with snow, and it was blowing against their faces, making it difficult to see. Suddenly Georgy realised that he didn’t know where they were any more. Everything looked so different, and visibility was down to only a few yards. They stopped, both unsure of their way.

‘We’re lost!’ cried William. ‘This is your fault, Georgy. You said we should carry on.’

‘I’m sorry,’ muttered Georgy, trying not to panic. ‘Look, let’s just have a think.’

He felt miserable and cold.

‘Do you see that building over there? That tall one with the spire. Do you think that’s the church near our school?’

They didn’t know but headed towards it hopefully. It was a church but not the right one. Georgy didn’t recognise it at all and felt scared.

‘Let’s go in and ask someone,’ he suggested desperately. ‘At least we can shelter for a minute.’

They entered the dimly lit church, thankful of some respite from the weather. A few candles burnt inside giving a cosy glow, but they could see no-one.

William dropped his pile of wood with a clatter which echoed around the building.

‘My arms hurt,’ he said.

Just then a friendly voice behind them said: ‘Can I help you, boys?’

They turned to see the vicar of the parish.

‘We’re lost,’ Georgy told him. ‘We were getting firewood for our mother, but we can’t find our way home.’ His eyes filled suddenly with tears.

The clergyman smiled. ‘Well, that’s a great thing you have been doing. Don’t worry. We’ll help you find your way. Just tell me your address and I’ll get one of the vergers to take you home.’

Half an hour later they were finally home with their precious cargo of wood. Ellen was profuse in her thanks to the verger, who then went on his way.

‘Oh boys,’ she said, ‘I didn’t mean for you to go so far and get lost. What a scare you must have had. I knew something was wrong when you were so late back. Thank goodness you’re all right.’

‘It was fine,’ said William nonchalantly. ‘Nothing to worry about, was it, Georgy?’

‘No, nothing,’ his brother mumbled, but he was relieved to be home.

Author Bio:

Alison Huntingford is a writer with a deep passion for family history and storytelling. With a background rooted in the rich traditions of the Huntingford family, Alison seeks to honour the stories passed down through generations. She is the author of a successful series of works that explore historical and personal narratives. She is an only child of two only children and so has always felt a distinct lack of family. This has inspired her work.

After an upheaval in her personal life, Alison achieved a degree in humanities with literature through the Open University which helped to give her a new start. A teaching career followed which then led naturally to writing. She is now retired from full-time work, but busier than ever.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their pets, listening to music, going to the cinema, and gardening on her allotment. She also runs the South Hams Authors Network, a local writers collective based in South Devon.

Author Links:

Website: https://alisonhuntingford.com

Twitter / X: https://x.com/ahuntingford9

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahuntingford9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahuntingford9/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ahuntingford9

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/alisonhuntingford/alison-huntingford/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alison-huntingford

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Alison-Huntingford/author/B09D8JDJ49

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19175307.Alison_Huntingford

Book Title: Rescued by the Rakish Lord

Series: n/a

Author Name: Sarah Mallory

Publication Date: 23rd April 2026

Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon

Pages: 276 (print length)

Genre: Historical Romance

Any Triggers: mildly sexy, mild threat

Twitter Handle: @SarahMRomance @cathiedunn @marylschmidt

Instagram Handle: @sarahmallory21 @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalRomance #RomanticAdventure #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/04/blog-tour-rescued-by-the-rakish-lord-by-sarah-mallory..html

Book Title and Author Name:

Rescued by the Rakish Lord

By Sarah Mallory

Blurb:

A forced proximity, high society romance set in the late Georgian era

A man of such dubious reputation…

that he was called Devil Blackbourne!

When Lord Deveril Blackbourne meets Selina Wynter, he is intrigued. For she has all the accomplishments of a lady, but the fiery temper and spirit of a tavern maid! Then she is abducted by a dastardly suitor, and Deveril—for all his roguish reputation— can’t stand idly by…

Lord Deveril is Selina’s least likely rescuer, but when they’re stranded together in a snowstorm and her reputation is at risk, he surprises her with a gallant proposal! Deveril’s no honourable suitor, yet his actions say otherwise…

Just who is the real Devil Blackbourne? Selina’s determined to find out!

Excerpt 2:

Selina playing the piano

Despite an argument, Deveril finds himself even more intrigued by Selina…

Like all the young ladies of her acquaintance, music was one of Selina’s accomplishments. She enjoyed playing, but knew herself to be a competent, rather than a brilliant pianist. She was therefore happy to perform at the end of the evening, when almost everyone was engaged in cards or conversation and paying scant attention to the music.

She sorted through the sheets of music beside the pianoforte and began with pieces that she knew Papa would enjoy before moving onto a Mozart sonata that was a particular favourite of her own. She was so engrossed in her playing that she had finished the first movement before she realised someone had come up and was watching her. She looked up, fingers lingering on the last chord.

‘I beg your pardon, please go on,’ said Deveril quickly.

She looked so startled to find him there that he thought for a moment she would jump up and run away. He leaned forward to turn the page, saying,

‘There are two more movements yet.’

She took a breath, composing herself before she continued to play. Deveril studied her, noting the moment she began to relax and lose herself in the music again. She had removed her gloves and, in the candlelight, he could see faint cuts and scratches on her hands. Evidence that she did not “sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,” as the nursery rhyme went.

He watched her fingers flying over the keys and remembered those same bare hands gripping the broom when she confronted the drunkards at the White Horse. What a strange creature she was. All the breeding and accomplishments of a lady, but the temper and spirit of a tavern wench.

He felt again that tug of interest, but he quickly squashed it. This was Richard’s doing, blast him, reminding him of his dead fiancée and wanting him to find another woman to love. That certainly would not be Selina Wynter. She bore no comparison with Belinda, who had been a gentle soul, softly-spoken and sweet-natured. She had died so young, before they had had a chance to do more than share a few chaste kisses.

His eyes were drawn to Selina’s lips. He remembered how they had felt beneath his when he kissed her. Soft, warm, the slight hesitation before she responded, albeit briefly. He felt his pulse quicken at the memory. It had hardly been a kiss at all but it had ignited a fire that still smouldered within. It meant nothing, no more than attraction for a pretty woman. A damned nuisance, but it would pass, given time. It always did. Better to think of the cold way she had received him at Reigney Abbey. How she had looked at him as if he was not fit to clean her boots and dismissed him forthwith.

Deveril turned and walked away. Of all the females he had met, Selina Wynter was the very last woman who would ever capture his heart.

*

The final notes of the sonata died away and was greeted with warm applause.

‘Brava, Miss Wynter,’ cried the Squire, clapping loudly. ‘You will delight us with another piece, will you not?’

Selina’s smile was perfunctory. Lord Deveril had walked off before she had finished the second movement and he was now the centre of a lively group standing by one of the windows, paying no heed at all to the music. He must consider her performance very mediocre after the London salons.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3RE7wx

Author Bio:

Sarah Mallory is an award-winning author who has published more than 40 historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon. She loves history, especially the Georgian and Regency. She won the prestigious RoNA Rose Award from the Romantic Novelists Association in 2012 and 2013 and nominated in 2022. She also won the RNA’s Romantic Historical Novel Award in 2024 for The Night She Met the Duke.

Sarah also writes romantic historical adventures as Melinda Hammond. She was born in the West Country but lived for many years on the Yorkshire Pennines, taking inspiration from the wild and rugged moors. Then in 2018 she fell in love with Scotland and ran away to live on the rugged North West Coast, which is proving even more inspiring!

Author Links:

Websites: www.sarahmallory.com / www.melindahammond.com

Twitter / X:   https://x.com/SarahMRomance

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/melinda.hammond.77

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/sarahmallory21/

Bluesky:   https://bsky.app/profile/sarahmallory.bsky.social

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Sarah-Mallory/author/B0034OAJ3W

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1415302.Sarah_Mallory

Book Link

From Amazon:

This magical adventure blends small-town mystery, heart-pounding danger, and the timeless wonder of believing in something bigger than yourself.

Twelve-year-old Walter has never had a real friend — until the Frost family moves into the abandoned building in the center of town. Chris is warm and welcoming, his twin brother Nikolas is sharp-edged and secretive, and their sister Noelle is sweet and shy. Their parents radiate a strange, irresistible kindness. The moment Walter steps inside their crumbling new home, he senses something extraordinary hiding beneath the dust. The Frosts are not what they appear to be. They belong to a legacy of goodness, a lineage that has, for thousands of years, built toys and delivered gifts to children across the world. But where there is great good, there is also great evil. As Walter is drawn deeper into the Frosts’ world, he begins to understand that their arrival in Kings Village is no coincidence… and that he may be the key to stopping a disaster powerful enough to destroy the town and everyone in it.

With friendship, courage, and a spark of magic at its core, Walter and the Secret Keeper invites readers into a world where wonder hides in the shadows, danger lurks beneath the floorboards, and one boy’s choices could save everything he loves.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2026

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

I found this novel to be entertaining and great for older children on up. The story weaves around Santa and his family plus it has good versus bad with good prevailing throughout. The novel is right for those who believe in magical things at Christmas or any time of year.

Book Link

From Amazon:

A poetry collection depicting the trials and tribulations of living with mental illness and the journey of one girl’s struggles to try and overcome them. From the difficult beginnings of life that contributed to her illnesses, to the present day where she still faces her demons day in day out. Full of harsh truths, comforting truths, and humbling truths. A book that will have you reflecting on your own life, where you can make changes, improvements and start to really challenge your regular ways of thinking. Featuring descriptions of hope as well as woeful testimonies, each poem illustrates the thoughts and emotions this young woman has gone through and continues to go through. Having written this book to inspire, and open the eyes of all who come across it, as well as hopes of breaking the stigmas around mental health and mental illness.

My Review:

This book of poetry is extremely meaningful to me. Lyrical? Yes. Different topis? Yes. Yet each poem bleeds and the pain or other emotion are felt throughout. Having one’s emotions surface with poetry is a sign of a good poetry book.

Book Title: Margery and Me

Series: N/A

Author Name: Maryka Biaggio

Publication Date: April 21, 2026

Publisher: Regal House Publishing

Pages: 292

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: N/A

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn @marylschmidt

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #MargeryandMe #historicalfiction #realpeople #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/04/blog-tour-margery-and-me-by-maryka-biaggio.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Margery and Me

by Maryka Biaggio

Audiobook narrated by Mark Sanderlin

Blurb:

In the 1920s, Margery Crandon captivated both Boston society and psychic researchers with her astonishing seances. At her gatherings, her deceased brother Walter regularly appeared, entertaining the circle with his witty and cheeky remarks. Margery’s abilities earned her the admiration of luminaries, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Butler Yeats. But one man stood in opposition: Harry Houdini, the legendary magician, who was determined to expose her as a fraud.

Margery and Me tells the true story of the medium who mystified scientists, challenged skeptics, and sparked a sensation across America and Europe. As Houdini and Margery clashed in a battle of wits and wills, the question remained: Could the master illusionist unmask her, or would her extraordinary powers be enough to convert even the most resolute of doubters?

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4Xy5re

Author Bio:

Maryka Biaggio is a psychology professor-turned-novelist who brings forgotten lives back into the light. Specializing in historical fiction inspired by real people, she crafts emotionally resonant narratives anchored in careful research.

Her debut novel, Parlor Games (Doubleday, 2013), launched a distinguished career that includes Gun Girl and the Tall Guy and Margery and Me. Her work has earned numerous accolades, including the Willamette Writers Award, Oregon Writers Colony Award, Historical Novel Society Review Editors’ Choice, La Belle Lettre Award, and a Publishers Weekly pick.

Biaggio is celebrated for illuminating overlooked historical figures with psychological depth and narrative grace.

Author Links:

Website: https://marykabiaggio.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParlorGames

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marykak/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maryka-biaggio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marykabiaggio3

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Maryka-Biaggio/author/B008OLO1I4

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1078939.Maryka_Biaggio

Book Link

From Amazon:

Marti Ross and her best friends couldn’t believe their luck when they scored tickets to the hottest concert of the summer. They talked of nothing else. What should have been the best night of their lives changed their futures and their friendship forever. Twelve years later, a family tragedy occurs that brings Marti home. It was time to find out what happened that fateful night of the concert. The truth had to come out, and Marti had nothing left to lose.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars A different take

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2026

Format: Kindle

This book was a different take on murder mystery and romance mixed with friendships, sorrow, loss, love, happiness, and joy. One page can have two of those emotions on the same page.

Book Link

From Amazon:

A deeply personal poetry collection about love, loss, healing, and the journey of the soul.

Memories from another Lifetime is a deeply personal and emotionally powerful collection of poems written across four decades — from the voice of a young girl discovering pain, love, and identity, to the voice of a woman who has lived, loved, lost, and healed.

Written first in the 1980s and rediscovered decades later, the poems in this series are an intimate record of a life lived intensely, a heart that felt deeply, and a soul that never stopped searching for meaning.

Twin Flames is the final book in the series Memories from another Lifetime,culminating a poetic journey of four decades.

As in the previous volumes, the poems in Twin Flames were born from trauma, shaped by longing, touched by spirituality, and, ultimately, transformed by acceptance and inner growth. They explore themes of unrequited love, desire, betrayal, healing, and the journey of the soul from darkness to light.

This is not just a poetry book. It is a journey of pain, love, healing, and spiritual awakening.

If you are searching for poetry that is honest, emotional, and spiritual, this book will speak to you.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep and resonate

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2026

Format: Kindle

The poems in this book are deep, dark, some less so, but all resonate. Love is not always what it should, or could be. Broken souls can come together in a nurturing and healing manner. With love, comes sorrow. Not all were meant to be together for all time. Yet love remained through tears and heartache, love endured. Love is the key.

Book Link

From Amazon:

Some people will do anything to avoid serving jail time – even faking a pregnancy. But what if the ploy backfires?

When a convicted thief is sentenced to prison, she throws her court-appointed attorney under the bus with a lie so outrageous the judge declares a mistrial and temporarily remands her into the attorney’s custody.

Gabriel Ahearn volunteers as a defense attorney for clients with financial hardships, but little does he know he’s about to be reunited with the worst offender he’s ever fallen into lust with, during an unforgettable one-nighter months before.

“Certainly God wouldn’t be that cruel,” Gabriel mutters as his former lover Angela enters the courtroom.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

 Fun romance

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2026

Format: Kindle

This was a funny short romance read that would make any woman swoon in a few places. Ricci writes humor into every book and this one is no exception. Thank you for a lighthearted short read.

Media Kit

Another Soul Saved

By John Anthony Miller

Publication Date: April 1, 2026
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 415
Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: Holocaust storyline; Nazi characters

Blurb:

Vienna, 1941

Monika Graf, the wife of a wealthy Austrian military commander, steals two Jewish girls from the Nazis—a crime often punishable by death. With soldiers in rapid pursuit, a homeless Jew named Janik, a mysterious man who lurks in the shadows, helps her escape.

Unable to have children of her own, she finds a new purpose in life—rescuing Jewish children from the horrendous Nazi regime. She asks the Swiss for help, trading military secrets she gleans from her husband for the lives of Jewish children. With Janik’s continued support, she also enlists Father Christoff, a priest at St. Stephen’s Cathedral coping with unexpected emotions and doubting his commitment to God. Monika quickly forms bonds that can’t be broken, feelings exposed she never knew existed.

Relentlessly pursued by Gestapo Captain Gustav Kramer, Monika combats continuing risk to her clandestine operation. When her husband, a rabid Nazi, returns from the battlefield severely wounded, she gets caught in a cage that she can’t crawl out of.

Wrought with danger, riddled with romance, Another Soul Saved shows humanity at both its best and worst in a classic struggle of good versus evil.

Twitter / X Handle: @authorjamiller @maryanneyarde
Instagram Handle: @yardereviews

Bluesky Handle: @maryanneyarde.bsky.social

Hashtags: #BlogTour #HistoricalFiction #WWIIFiction #HolocaustFiction #WomenInHistory #YardeBookPromotions

Tour Schedule Page:

https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2026/03/blog-tour-another-soul-saved-by-john.html

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/u/49YQy8

This book is available on #KindleUnlimited

Author Bio:

John Anthony Miller writes all things historical—thrillers, mysteries, and romance. He sets his novels in exotic locations spanning all eras of space and time, with complex characters forced to face inner conflicts—fighting demons both real and imagined. He’s published twenty novels and ghostwritten several others, including Another Soul Saved. He lives in southern New Jersey.

Social Media Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjamiller/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/authorjamiller

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjohnamiller/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/john-anthony-miller

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/JOHN-ANTHONY-MILLER/author/B00Q1U0OKO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9787380.John_Anthony_Miller

Publisher’s Marketplace:

https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/jamjam57/