Book Link

From Amazon:

In 898 AD she wasn’t just from another land.

Wrecking a marriage is generally no problem for the divorce obtaining, Lady Malice Mallender. But she faces a dilemma when she’s asked to ruin her own. Just how businesslike should she remain when the marriage was never consummated and kissing her husband leads to Sin–a handsome Viking who wants her for a bed slave in name only?

She came from another time.

Viking raider Sin Gudrunsson wants one thing. To marry his childhood sweetheart. Only she’s left him before, so he needs to keep her on her toes, and a bed slave, in name only, seems just the thing. Until he meets Malice.
One kiss is all it takes to flash between two worlds

But when one kiss is no longer enough, which will it be? Regency London? Or Viking Norway? Will Malice learn what governs the flashes? Can Sin?

Where worlds collide can love melt the iciest heart?

My Review:

This novel has an unusual writing style that flows easily between 700 plus years of differences, Viking and not. Love is a love/hate, then true love for two characters. One must believe in time travel, and one will have fun reading this novel. First of all, one must read how a Virgin can be a courtesan. Interested?

Happy Anniversary to my husband, Mike!

31

31 years

You took on my ex-husband, and my family! That didn’t stop them from coming over to our house every holiday. Your magic melted their hearts like it did to mine.

You helped Sammy with his cancer by using “Donald Duck” type voices, and you actually came to Kansas City more than once, to rescue my rainbow child.

You helped knit our blended family.

You were there when Sam died, and I couldn’t breathe for so long it hurt so bad.

You understood that I had to leave Sammy to the morgue at KU Med, to be autopsied, and I drove 230 miles, in the middle of the night, alone on the turnpike, to get home to my only living son – before he woke up for school.

We’ve had ups and downs, but remained true to each other. You are my best friend.

Happy 31rst Anniversary, Mike. Can we add 31 more years?

Book Link

From Amazon:

Chester’s a regular guy! Can he be that sexy, warlock that Pippa secretly desires?

Pippa has a wonderful fiancé named Chester, and she loves him dearly. However, when she decides to write a romance book and fantasizes about kissing a dashing warlock under the mistletoe, she realizes something is missing in their relationship. In a teary confession, she blurts out her concerns to Chester. Her fiancé, a studious psychologist, understands what she wants. Not only that, but he promises to do everything he can to be the man that Pippa is dreaming about. Still, the question remains. Will Chester have what it takes to release his “inner warlock”?

My Review:

I loved this short Christmas romance book. It’s a short story chock full of fun and love mixed with newfound awareness of the true needs of others and what’s happening. I must hang mistletoe and see what Mike, my hubby, has in store for me. Five stars.

Media Kit

Book Title: Under the Emerald Sky: A tale of love and betrayal in 19th century Ireland

Series: The Irish Fortune Series

Author: Juliane Weber

Publication Date: 23 October 2020

Publisher: Independently published

Page Length: 465

Genre: Historical fiction / historical romance

Twitter Handles: @Writer_JW @cathiedunn

IG Handle: @juliane._.weber @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #Ireland #BlogTour #BookBlast #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page:  https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/06/blog-tour-irish-fortune-series-by-juliane-weber.html

Under the Emerald Sky: A tale of love and betrayal in 19th century Ireland

The Irish Fortune Series Book 1

by Juliane Weber

Blurb:

“Under the Emerald Sky reaches another level in storytelling, the kind where the characters remain with you long after you have closed the book.” – The Historical Fiction Company

It’s 1843 and the Englishman Quinton Williams has come to Ireland to oversee the running of his father’s ailing estate and escape his painful past. There he meets the Irishwoman Alannah O’Neill, whose family is one of few to have retained ownership of their land, the rest having been supplanted by the English over the course of the country’s bloody history. Seeing the injustices of Victorian Ireland, Alannah’s brother Kieran has learned to hate the English and imperialism. Aware of Kieran’s hostility towards the English, Alannah keeps her growing relationship with Quin a secret – but it’s a secret that can’t be kept for long from those plotting to end England’s oppression of the Irish people. As Quin and Alannah seek happiness in the face of hate and revenge, an action-packed romance ensues.

But all the while, disaster looms – the Great Famine that would forever change the course of Ireland’s history. With repeated failure of the potato harvest upon which most Irish families depend, thousands will go hungry, with sickness and starvation sweeping through Irish farms, decimating poor populations for years to come.

Can Quin and Alannah find happiness in a land teetering on the brink of disaster? 

Buy Links:

This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

*Under the Emerald Sky, Book 1, ebook is on offer at 0.99.*

Universal Links:

Under the Emerald Sky: https://books2read.com/u/mvXNEz

Beneath the Darkening Clouds: https://books2read.com/u/3kYwLK

Amazon UK:

Book 1: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LSC6HN3

Book 2: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BK6CLCD4

Series: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08Y36G5KJ

Amazon US:

Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LSC6HN3

Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK6CLCD4

Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y36G5KJ

Amazon CA:

Book 1: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08LSC6HN3

Book 2: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BK6CLCD4

Series: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08Y36G5KJ?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

Amazon AU:

Book 1: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08LSC6HN3

Book 2: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BK6CLCD4

Series: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08Y36G5KJ?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

Author Bio:

Juliane Weber is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on action-packed romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland.

Under the Emerald Sky, the first book in the Irish Fortune Series, was awarded bronze medals in The Historical Fiction Company 2021 Book of the Year Contest and The Coffee Pot Book Club 2022 Book of the Year Contest. The second book in the series, Beneath the Darkening Clouds, was awarded a bronze medal in The Historical Fiction Company 2022 Book the Year Contest.

Juliane spent most of her life in South Africa, but now lives with her husband and two sons in Hamelin, Germany, the town made famous by the story of the Pied Piper.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.julianeweber.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Writer_JW

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianeweber/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliane._.weber/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/juliane-weber

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Juliane-Weber/e/B08M3DYY22/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21207265.Juliane_Weber

View of Pikes Peak from 67 highway.

View of Cripple Creek, Colorado at 9494 feet.

For many years, Cripple Creek’s high valley, at an elevation of 9,494 feet (2,894 m), was considered no more important than a cattle pasture. Many prospectors avoided the area after the Mount Pisgah hoax, a mini gold rush caused by salting (adding gold to worthless rock).^[8]

On 20 October 1890, Robert Miller “Bob” Womack discovered a rich ore and the last great Colorado gold rush began. By July 1891, a post office was established. By November, hundreds of prospectors were camping in the area. Rather than investing in mines, Denver realtors Horace Bennett and Julius Myers sought wealth by platting 80 acres of land for a townsite which they named Fremont. The town consisted of 30 platted blocks containing 766 lots. Each lot sold for $25 and $50 for corner lots. Within a year, the lots value increased and sold for at least $250 each. Months later, investors from Colorado Springs platted 140 acres near Fremont and called their town Hayden Placer. Bennett and Myers filed another plat near the Broken Box Ranch and named it Cripple Creek. The towns’ combined population total 600-800 people by the end of 1891. By 1892, the Cripple Creek Mining District name had caught on and in June 1892, the post office assigned the Cripple Creek name to Fremont, Hayden Placer, and Cripple Creek and all the settlements became known as one. From 1892, Bennett and Myers oversaw the Fremont Electric Light and Power Company. The district’s first telephone was established in 1893. Thousands of prospectors flocked to the district, and before long Winfield Scott Stratton located the famous Independence lode, one of the largest gold strikes in history. In three years, the population increased from five hundred to ten thousand. The Palace Hotel and the Windsor Hotel were so full that chairs were rented out to be slept on for $1 a night. Although $500 million worth of gold ore was dug from Cripple Creek and more than 30 millionaires were produced since its mining heyday, Womack was not among them. Having sold his claim for $500 and a case of whiskey, he died penniless on 10 August 1909.^[9] By 1892, Cripple Creek was home to 5,000 people with another 5,000 in the nearby towns of Victor, Elton, Goldfield, Independence, Alton, and Strong. As people arrived, the marshal greeted them and confiscated their firearms, which were then sold in Denver to pay for the salary of the teachers of Cripple Creek.

This is a typical scene not only near Cripple Creek but all over Colorado. Colorado moves mountains! Literally. Strip mining for gold has long been done, at least back to 1992 when I saw strip mining in action. Not sure how I feel about it.

Mike and Mary at Double Eagle casino in Cripple Creek!

Book Link

From Amazon:

Meet Cocoa and Cream, the amazing twin ponies with wild, untamed manes! They are anything but ordinary. Cocoa and Cream have a big dream: to teach little kids how to ride and help them discover their incredible potential. Join Cocoa and Cream, and discover the countless ways these special ponies help kids like you reach their goals!

My Review:

Meet Cocoa and Cream, the amazing twin ponies with wild, untamed manes! They are anything but ordinary. Cocoa and Cream have a big dream: to teach little kids how to ride and help them discover their incredible potential. Join Cocoa and Cream, and discover the countless ways these special ponies help kids like you reach their goals!

Book Link

From Amazon:

…a passionate romance with an exciting plot… Anita Hartsell, Romance Reader At Heart

Royce Weston knows firsthand women are exceptional liars… especially the one who has wormed her way into his family’s good graces by claiming amnesia. Since Paige didn’t heed his advice at the poker tables, he reasons a bit of ‘friendly’ persuassion is needed to send her packing. But when she matches him trick for trick and has his ranch hands jumping to please her, Royce realizes she is no simpering miss. Sassy and daring; if only she’d give him a reason to trust her…

Paige Morgan knows Royce despises her. But on his family’s ranch, populated entirely by men, he seems to be the only one who knows about her past… a past she can’t remember. Until he tells her what he knows, she isn’t going anywhere. And if along the way she manages to tame this rough and tough cowboy, so much the better. Any girl will tell you it’s not how you play your cards. It’s the Luck of the Draw that counts.

My Review:

Wow! If you love the old west, outlaws, and all things western in your romance book, then look no further. Lance has written a memorable novel. This one has it all.

Book Title: Life and Death in Ephesus (A Short Story Collection)

Author: Finlay McQuade

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 257

Genre: Historical fiction

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #shortstories #Ephesus #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Blog Tour Page:  https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/06/blog-tour-life-and-death-in-ephesus.html

Life and Death in Ephesus

by Finlay McQuade

Blurb:

For over a thousand years, Ephesus, on the Aegean coast of what is now Turkey, was a thriving city. It was the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Wonders of the World, and a destination for religious pilgrimage long before the advent of Christianity. In the first century CE, St. John and St. Paul introduced Christianity to Ephesus, where it survived its turbulent beginnings and, in the fifth century CE, hosted the God-defining Council of Ephesus.

Life and Death in Ephesus is a collection of stories about major events in the history of Ephesus. Characters appearing in these stories include Herostratus, first to commit a “herostratic crime”; Alexander, the warrior king; Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, both lovers of Cleopatra; Heraclitus, the philosopher who said, “You can’t put your foot in the same river twice”; St. Paul, persona non grata in Ephesus; Nestorius, whose characterization of Jesus split the Eastern and Western church, and others, also important, whose names I have had to make up.

Hilke Thür, a leading archeologist, has said of these stories, “Life and Death in Ephesus will be a delightful and enjoyable accompaniment to the many available guidebooks. Not just tourists, but anyone interested in history will benefit from reading them.”

Excerpt 1 from Life and Death in Ephesus

From “Herostratus.”

It was hot and the dusty air in the distance was barely transparent. From the Acropolis I could see the flash of polished metal sent by lookouts on rocky promontories. He was coming as predicted, right on time. At first there was no sound, then the dull beat of a drum, and then the shush-shush of tramping feet, felt as much through the ground as heard through the air. As they emerged from the mist, other sounds became distinct, shouted commands of no meaning to us observers, an occasional trumpet, the whinny of a horse. Alexander on horseback led the way; it had to be him, followed by two chariots side by side, and then by a troop of cavalry, jostling close together and clinking as they came toward us. The road brought them to the edge of town directly below our hill. The two chariots advanced to flank Alexander and separate him from the young men who were running alongside, causing older, more cautious citizens to pull the youths away from the wheels of the chariots. Behind the mounted leaders—Alexander’s famous companions—and the cavalry, came a regiment of infantry, resplendent in white and red tunics, their elongated pikes forming a dense and perfectly angled forest of polished wood above their heads, their shields across their chests. There must have been a thousand men, more than a thousand, in the regiment. I watched them wheel to the left, then separate according to some well-rehearsed plan, completely surrounding Alexander in orderly rows before they came to a halt. There they waited until wagons pulled by mules and loaded with all the paraphernalia of war overtook them. I saw them break ranks and cluster their long pikes in upright rows. Almost immediately the limp canvas of tents began to appear and take shape along the same straight rows. I looked again for Alexander, but he and his companions had disappeared into one of the tents.

Buy Links:

Universal Link: https://geni.us/BE5SgaA

Amazon UK:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Death-Ephesus-Short-Collection-ebook/dp/B0C5J5PRVL

Amazon CA:

Amazon AU:

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-and-death-in-ephesus-finlay-mcquade/1143496979?ean=9798986256498

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/life-and-death-in-ephesus

Author Bio:

Finlay McQuade is a retired educator. He was born in Ireland, went to high school in England, and university in the USA. He has a BA in English from Pomona College, an MA in British and American literature from Harvard University, and a PhD in education from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also taught writing courses in the English department. He spent some happy years as a high school English teacher and soccer coach, but after co-authoring the book How to Make a Better School he found himself in demand as a consultant to schools and school improvement projects in the USA and often, also, abroad. He ended his career in education when he retired from Bogazici University in Istanbul, where he had mentored young teachers in the school of education.

For eight years after retirement, he lived in Selcuk, Turkey, among the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. The streets and squares of Ephesus became his neighborhood. His companions included archeologists, tour guides, and souvenir sellers. His curiosity about the people who had lived in those empty buildings for over a thousand years resulted in Life and Death in Ephesus, a collection of stories chronicling major events in the city’s history.

Now, back in the USA with time on his hands, he finds himself returning again and again to memories of his boyhood on the coast of Northern Ireland. The result of these forays into his past will be another collection of stories, part memoir, part fiction, called Growing Up in Ulster.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.finlaymcquade.com

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Finlay-McQuade/author/B001H6UJ8O

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156993662-life-and-death-in-ephesus