A new constellation of wisdom and healing that is modern and timeless.
Word by word, the poetic method and wisdom of Wendy E. Slater will radiate into your soul, and liberate you from constraints of self-blame and judgment.
“Wendy has an unusual perspective on so many things, her writing pictures the differences that keep us from ourselves and others. Be careful. This just might change your life.” – Reader Review
“Her themes are unpretentiously cardinal: love, yearning, cleansing, and escaping.” – Reader Review
Be transformed by these modern mystical poetic formulas and allow the heart-fire of her wisdom to take your soul on a journey… to transform, release and transmute you into remembering your authentic self and your inner wisdom.
“A most wonderful read! Wendy Slater writes with the energy of a tidal wave and is galvanized by the simple things in life that often go unnoticed.” – Reader Review
My Review
This book of poetry is sensational as the reader is easily drawn into each verse, as they can change into another dimension with ease. Vivid reality of wild animals, love, creation, and more meld together for a five star book.
New York, 1904. After two years as a coroner’s physician for the city of New York, Daniel O’Halleran is more frustrated than ever. What’s the point when the authorities consistently brush aside his findings for the sake of expediency? So when his fiancée leaves him standing at the altar on their wedding day, he takes it as a sign that it’s time to move on and eagerly accepts an offer to assist the local coroner in the small Long Island village of Patchogue.
Though the coroner advises him that life on Long Island is far more subdued than that of the city, Daniel hasn’t been there a month when the pretty librarian, Kathleen Brissedon, asks him to look into a two-year-old murder case that took place in the city. Oddly enough, the case she’s referring to was the first one he ever worked on, and the verdict never sat right with him.
Eager for the chance to investigate it anew, Daniel agrees to look into it in his spare time, but when a fresh murder occurs in his own backyard, he can’t shake his gut feeling that the two cases are connected. Can he discover the link before another life is taken, or will murder shake the peaceful South Shore village once again?
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I had a lot of fun researching the style of clothing my characters would wear. Gone were the hooped petticoats of the mid-nineteenth century, and though the S-silhouette of the 1880s was still prevalent, it had lost the cumbersome bustle and softened up a bit, flowing down into a more bell-shaped skirt.
During the day, the style was still high necklines and long sleeves, though the mutton sleeve had given way to the puffed shoulder, and the skirts tended to just graze the ground or perhaps have a slight train. The bodices were loose and flouncy, especially in the front, even if they did still cover a corset. Kathleen might have even worn a lightweight gown of linen for her meeting in the garden with Daniel.
For a visit to the village, however, she would likely have worn a bit more tailored gown, though the frame would be the same. Separates made an appearance at the end of the 1890s with the popularity of the Gibson Girl look. With more and more women going out to work, the need developed for outfits that were practical and yet fashionable at the same time. This style of mixing and matching skirts and blouses continued into the early twentieth century, allowing women to appear to have more outfits than they actually did.
The appearance of department stores, like Sweezey and Newins in Patchogue, and ready-made clothing also continued into the new century, allowing the purchase and expansion of a young lady’s wardrobe. Many skillful young women might even copy the designs for themselves and make their own outfits.
Evening wear was much the same as the day dress, though there were a few notable differences. Necklines tended to be lower and sleeves shorter. Many times long gloves would be worn to cover the arms in the absence of longer sleeves. These evening dresses also tended to have a small train and were made of finer materials and sported even more embellishments than the day dress.
Wherever a lady went, however, a glove, hat, and purse of some sort, were expected to be part of her ensemble. Hair would generally be piled on top of her head in an elaborate bun that puffed out in a pompadour. Many times “rats” were used to achieve the desired effect. Don’t worry, in this case rats were simply matted pads or rolls of hair. Voluminous hairstyles were needed to support the hats that grew larger as the decade progressed.
Another notable aspect of the Edwardian age, was an outfit for every activity, at least where one could afford it, and even a young woman from the middle class would strive to have at least one outfit for leisure activities. Bicycling, of course, had gained in popularity in the late 19th century, and out of necessity, bloomers had replaced skirts. By the Edwardian period, however, the bloomer had given way to split skirts that rose to mid-calf, and in many cases, jackets were being set aside in lieu of just wearing a blouse. Large hats, too, were laid aside for play, and either replaced by smaller hats known as boaters or an elaborate hairstyle. The Victorian standards were indeed easing.
One of the most notable changes was to be in the bathing costume. While ladies were still required to wear black stockings to cover their legs in 1904, other aspects of the suits were beginning to change. The forerunner of the one-piece bathing suit had made an entry at the end of the 19th century, consisting of a blouse and bloomers. Over these a skirt was worn for modesty. During the Edwardian age, however, the skirts and bloomers lost much of their volume and began to rise to above the knee. Sleeves started to shorten as well and necklines dipped. But the wearing of the overskirt was just a breath away from being discarded altogether as bathing for pleasure, instead of simply to wash, gained in popularity. Of course, older ladies continued to wear the bathing dress for a number of years, but the younger generation embraced the new fashions. Within another ten years, the tight restrictions of the Victorian era would be a thing of the past, and it all started with the Edwardians.
Author Bio:
I. M. Foster is the pen name author Inez Foster uses to write her South Shore Mystery series, set on Edwardian Long Island. Inez also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Andrea Matthews, and has so far published two series in that genre: the Thunder on the Moor series, a time-travel romance set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Borders, and the Cross of Ciaran series, which follows the adventures of a fifth century Celt who finds himself in love with a twentieth century archaeologist.
Inez is a historian and librarian, who love to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogically speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. Inez is a member of the Long Island Romance Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime.
It’s Christmas Eve and Gita has a special evening planned for her parents and sister. Neel will be there too. The evening starts with a note of warmth and hope and ends with a special surprise. And of course, there’s the dose of drama that Gita had expected. This short story is the third and final one in Gita and Neel’s journey.
My Review
This short story is proof that a lot can happen in one day. A married couple with expensive jewelry and status in society, yet are they happy? A couple that live together in “sin” ~ are they happy with life? Parents blind to the needs of two children.
When Merry Mitchell discovers that her husband is hiding assets in preparation to dumping her for a younger woman, she is filled with hurt and rage. Having toiled her way up from poverty, she will do nearly anything to avoid being poor again. She considers an immediate divorce, but quickly realizes that with her sons now of age, she won’t get the house or enough of a settlement to allow her to continue her pleasant life style. After several efforts to save the marriage, she gives up, deciding that her husband must die. Merry’s ideas for spouse removal are limited by the sophisticated methods of detection used by law officials. She wracks her mind to find a method that is both undetectable and supposedly accidental. And, to assuage her troublesome conscience, the attempt must give him a sporting chance of survival. How should she do it…
My Review
Murder. Murder your cheating husband who stashed away huge chunks of assets to deceive you and thus receiving hardly any support money wise? 💰 I laughed hard in many places. Sperling has a funny, sad, romantic, murder in thought, but really? I would not murder my husband, but he’d be paying me the big bucks! I Loved this novel!!
Humanity. What does that mean to you as we come out of the coronavirus pandemic? Make the most of each day as you don’t know the day, time, or cause. It’s past time. It’s past time to stop and hug another human (if you know them and they are receptive). Talk. Message. Keep in touch. Let’s us all keep our humanity intact.
A bloodline cursed until they clear the king’s name.
Book 3: The King’s Champion
Caught up in the desperate evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France in the summer of 1940, photojournalist Kate Shaw witnesses death and destruction that trigger disturbing visions. She doesn’t believe in magic and tries to pass them off as survivor guilt or an overactive imagination, but the increasingly intense visions force her to accept that she is not only magically Gifted but a seer.
In Dover, she meets her distant cousin Sebastian Mainwaring, Earl of Hawkstowe and an officer in the British Army. He’s also a seer and is desperate to recruit her rare Gift for the war effort. The fall of France leaves Britain standing alone as the full weight of Nazi military might threatens. Kate’s untrained Gift flares out of control, forcing her to accept Sebastian’s help in conquering it as her ethics compel her to use her ability for the cause that is right.
As this fledgling wizard comes into her own, her visions warn of an impending German invasion, Operation Sealion, which British intelligence confirms. At the same time, desire to help Sebastian, who’s doomed by a family curse arising from a centuries-old murder, leads Kate to a shadowy afterworld between life and death and the trapped, fading souls who are the roots of her family’s story. From the bloody battlefields of France to the salons of London, Kate and Sebastian race against time to free his family’s cursed souls and to stop an invasion that could doom the Allied cause.
The King’s Championconcludes Nancy’s Northcott’s exciting Boar King’s Honor Trilogy.
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This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman. Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy, history, and romance.
Nancy earned her undergraduate degree in history and particularly enjoyed a summer spent studying Tudor and Stuart England at the University of Oxford. She has given presentations on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III to university classes studying Shakespeare’s play about that king. In addition, she has taught college courses on science fiction, fantasy, and society.
The Boar King’s Honor historical fantasy trilogy combines Nancy’s love of history and magic with her interest in Richard III. She also writes traditional romantic suspense, romantic spy adventures, and two other speculative fiction series, the Light Mage Wars paranormal romances and, with Jeanne Adams, the Outcast Station space mystery series.
The most important thing, the heart of every novel, is the cast of characters. Unless readers care about them and root for them, the book is likely to land on the DNF (Did Not Finish) pile while the reader moves on.
So how do we create characters that engage readers? Like many writers I know, I start by imagining walking through the characters’ lives. I see characters against the backdrops of the problems they face. How they deal with them is what truly reveals their natures.
The Boar King’s Honor trilogy centers on a family under a curse, the Mainwarings. In 1483, Edmund Mainwaring, a wizard and the Earl of Hawkstowe, unwittingly helped murder the two boys of royal blood known as the Princes in the Tower. Their uncle, King Richard III, was blamed. When Edmund learned what he had abetted, he was aghast and threw himself on the king’s mercy. Because of the political situation, King Richard told him to speak until the king gave him leave. But Richard III, who used a white boar as his emblem, died at Bosworth Field without ever granting Edmund that permission.
The Tudors who then came to power denied King Richard’s right to the throne, blamed him for the boys’ deaths, and generally smeared his reputation. Speaking up while they reigned would’ve cost Edmund his life. Tormented by guilt, he cursed his entire line so his heirs couldn’t rest in life or death until they cleared the king’s name. The souls of his deceased heirs wander a wraith-infested, shadowy realm between the worlds of the living and the dead. The Boar King’s Honor trilogy follows the Mainwaring family’s efforts to lift the curse while also confronting bigger problems with far-ranging consequences.
The first book of the trilogy, The Herald of Day, is set in 1674. After almost 200 years, the Mainwarings’ hope of lifting the curse is fading. I thought about how I might feel in the place of that era’s heir, Richard Mainwaring and so came up with the fate that awaits him. His mother never forgave his father for the doom facing their son, so Richard is resolved not to inflict it on another generation. He plans to be the last Mainwaring. Yet he’s conscientious and responsible, especially with his magic, and tries to live a good life.
Richard needed someone more optimistic, someone who believed in hope. Miranda Willoughby, a tavern maid from Dover, gradually took shape. She’s also a wizard but is untrained in using her magical Gifts. She hides her abilities because England is still in the business of hanging witches. Her mother was hanged as a witch.
After her father and brother died in the Great Fire of London, other relatives found her this position as a tavern maid. She uses her abilities to be inconspicuous and uninteresting. Then she witnesses the hanging of a woman who was convicted of witchcraft but has no magical Gifts. Knowing the condemned woman is innocent, Miranda longs to do something to help. That feeling triggers her seer ability. It spurs visions about a white boar and a dragon The visions tell her to summon the boar’s knight. She resists doing so, but the visions give her no peace. Under threat of losing her job because she’s distracted, she sends a summons. Richard answers it. The symbols in the vision, which he recognizes as heraldic emblems, are related to his family curse. He can’t pass up even a slim chance to end it.
He and Miranda have a bigger problem, though. Crops fail, objects that were lost reappear and others vanish, and the dead walk. Richard, Miranda, and their friends must learn why and put things right.
For book 2, The Steel Rose, I wanted very different characters. So the hero, Julian Winfield, Lord Aysgarth, is not a Mainwaring heir. He’s a scholar of magic, a wizard spy, and director of the Merlin Club, a covert organization of wizards working to protect England. It’s early 1815, everyone thinks Napoleon is safely on Elba, and Julian looks forward to raising his horses, tending to his lands, and recovering from his years spying on the French and their wizards.
The heroine, Amelia Bastingstoke, is a widowed viscountess and a seer. Her twin brother, the most recent Mainwaring heir, and their father were killed together in a magical accident. Amelia longs to find a way to lift the curse and free their souls. She turns to Julian, who was a friend of her late brother. But before he can find anything of use, catastrophe occurs. Napoleon escapes Elba and heads for Paris, where he receives a hero’s welcome.
Bonaparte’s wars bankrupted France, costing her the better part of a generation of young men, yet Frenchmen flock to his banner. Why? Amelia’s visions suggest magic is the answer. The Allies gather in Brussels. Napoleon consolidates his hold on power, and battle is coming—at Waterloo, though no one knows that yet. Amelia and Julian must set aside their personal concerns to stop Napoleon before he plunges Europe back into war.
The final book, The King’s Champion, brings the story up to 1940 and the Battle of Britain. The era offered me more options for a heroine than I had for Miranda or Amelia. Kate Shaw is a photojournalist. Women are still rare in the ranks of reporters, and Kate knows she has to be better than good to be respected. She is also a wizard and a seer but doesn’t know it.
Caught up in the Dunkirk evacuation, Kate meets her distant cousin Sebastian Mainwaring, an army officer, a wizard, and a seer, on the pier at Dover. He has been alerted to her abilities by family ghosts and immediately realizes how much someone with her Gifts could help the British cause. France has fallen, America is isolationist, and much of Britain’s war materiel lies abandoned in France. Britain needs every bit of help she can get. But first he has to convince Kate that magic is not only real but part of her.
He has two things going for him. First, Kate is fundamentally honest, even with herself. Second, she believes in doing the right thing. As the summer wears on, her visions become increasingly compelling and foreshadow the invasion known as Operation Sealion. Can she and Sebastian and their friends stop the invasion?
As though that weren’t enough, the stakes are rising for the souls of Sebastian’s doomed ancestors. He must find a way to help them. But how can he dig up evidence to lift a curse when there’s a war on?
These people have lived in my head for a long time. I’m sorry to say goodbye to them. They can appear in other stories, of course, but their own stories are done. I’m going miss spending time with them.
Ella McNish, Jamie Collette, Max Mustache, Christian Stark, Ju Thomas, Philip Zielinzki, Michael Garamoni
Blurb:
A beautiful love story between the Princess Royal Victoria and Fritz Wilhelm, Frederick III of Prussia
A lonely young man attends the first World’s Fair – the Great Exhibition of 1851 – and meets a family who changes his life forever.
Follow the young Prince Fritz – later Friedrich III – of Prussia and his wife, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Vicky, (parents of Kaiser Wilhelm II) through their courtship and the joys and struggles of their first four years of marriage.
Fritz and Vicky dream of a peaceful united Germany, but Fritz’s uncle Karl has his own dreams of power…
Discover often hinted at but unrevealed secrets of the Prussian Royal court…
Fritz stood awkwardly at the nursery door. “Should we really be here?” he asked his mother. “I mean, should the men come to the nursery?”
“Fritz, the Queen asked us to; I think you can tell what is proper,” she said shortly.
“How is my little Godson?” Papa was asking Prince Albert.
“Very well indeed, look at him,” the Prince Albert said. “He is a strong little fellow.”
“Fritz, come and meet your Godbrother,” Papa said.
The little boy stood, wobbling. “Fitz solda?” he asked.
“He is an observant little fellow, to see that we are in uniform,” Fritz said, awkwardly picking up the little boy. He set him back down on his feet after a moment, watching as the little boy reached out his hand toward him. He fell, slapping Fritz’s leg in the process.
“Our little warrior is very strong,” the Queen laughed.
Arthur sat up again. “Fitz, Fitz solda; Ata be solda!” he giggled as he pulled on the spur on Fritz’s boot.
“Yes, I can see you will be a soldier,” Fritz said, sitting down and holding out his cap. “Come here, my little Godbrother.” He liked the sound of that. Godbrother. In Prussia they almost always said “sponsors”, not “Godparents”. Arthur toddled toward him, taking hold of his cap and trying to put it on. It covered his whole head and shoulders. Fritz laughed.
Vicky appeared at the door. “So, you have met my dear little brother,” she said, picking Arthur up and sitting at Fritz’s side. “Isn’t he a darling?”
“He is a precious child,” said Fritz, a little awkwardly. “But – you are used to this?” he said, watching Vicky stroke her little brother’s head.
“Yes, Mama calls me their little mother. You… You only have Vivi. But didn’t you do this with her?”
“No, the older children aren’t allowed back into the nursery once they leave it, in Prussia,” he said. “I mostly saw her when she was brought down after dessert, when the nurse took her out for walks, and for a few minutes in company, until she was about seven.”
“Oh!” Vicky exclaimed. “I can’t imagine that. How lonely you must be!” She slipped her hand into his. “I am your friend now.”
Author Bio:
Luv Lubker has lived in the Victorian era half her life, making friends with the Brontë sisters and the extended family of Queen Victoria. Now she knows them quite as well as her own family.
Born in a cattle trough in the Appalachian mountains, Luv lives in Texas – when she comes to the modern world.
When she isn’t living in the Victorian era, she enjoys being with her family; making and eating delicious raw food, riding her bike (which she only learned to ride at 25, though she’d ridden a unicycle since she was 7), and watching animals – the passion of her childhood.
Turning the World to Stone – The Life of Caterina Sforza Part One 1472 to 1488
by Kelly Evans
Blurb:
Vilified by history, Caterina Sforza learned early that her life was not her own. Married at age ten, she was a pawn in the ever-changing political environment of Renaissance Italy.
Resigned to her life as a fifteenth-century wife, Caterina adapted to the role she was expected to play: raising and educating her children, helping the poor in her new home, and turning a blind eye to her husband’s increasingly shameful behaviour. But Fate had other plans for her, and soon Caterina’s path would be plagued by murder, betrayal, and heartbreak.
“Could I write all, the world would turn to stone.”
Snippet:
Turning the World to Stone Snippet Sixteen
The April sun shone down warmly, and Caterina lifted her face, feeling the heat as it soaked into her skin. She’d have to remember to use something to protect against freckles, she reminded herself. They left the back of the palace and, linking arms, made their way around the side toward the front.
“His hair is very long,” Luisa whispered.
“So are many men’s.” Caterina continued spying on the artist. She’d been told his name was Leonardo, from a small town to the west of Florence called Vinci. His hair was overly long, and he wore it tied at the back with a simple leather thong, but it suited his thin face. She could see his focus, the way his eyes narrowed in fierce concentration and wondered what it would be like to be stared at in such a manner.
“Let’s go and greet him,” Luisa said. “All artists enjoy talking about their work.” Before Caterina could say anything, her friend had stepped out from behind the corner of the building and was striding toward the man.
Caterina hesitated and took a few steps, then stopped. Leonardo had heard Luisa and was now looking up at them both from the far end of the courtyard. She had no choice but to follow her friend.
“Countess.” He bowed his head at her as she approached. The movement caused his bound hair to fall over one shoulder, and he unconsciously shrugged it back.
“You know who I am?”
“Of course, Madonna.” Da Vinci tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. “Your adventures in Rome do not go unnoticed by the rest of us, be assured.”
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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Born in Canada of Scottish extraction, Kelly Evans graduated in History and English then moved to England where she worked in the financial sector. While in London Kelly continued her studies in history, concentrating on Medieval History, and travelled extensively through Eastern and Western Europe.
Kelly is now back in Canada with her husband Max and a rescue cat. She writes full-time, focussing on illuminating little-known women in history with fascinating stories. When not working on her novels, Kelly writes Described Video scripts for visually impaired individuals, plays oboe, and enjoys old sci-fi movies.
Back in 2016, as part of my MA in creative writing, I became a writer in residence at my local Victorian park. During my residency, I researched into the Montefiore family who lived at Worth Park during the late 1880s. Sir Francis Montefiore, a baronet arrived back home in England with his young bride Marianne, from Austria.
After only one year of being married to Sir Francis, Lady Marianne left for Vienna but she never returned to England. No one knew why. After writing a short prose story, The Montefiore Bride, published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press (2021), I was inspired to write a Victorian novel at some point but wanted a fictional family.
My young bride, Françoise, is French. The Oath opens in France 23rd March, 1895 on Françoise’s birthday when her father declares she must leave her homeland to marry distant cousin, Baronet Charles Dubois. When she protested, her father announced, Playtime is over. Seventeen is old enough to wed and bear a child.
Not quite the seventeenth birthday surprise she’d expected.
Françoise was left with no choice when given an ultimatum that if she didn’t do as her father asked then her vulnerable parents would risk la prison des pauvres. He opens the family Bible and explains how twin brother ancestors conjured a pact that if ever an heir to the family in England needed a bride, then the family in France would honour this promise. Françoise was that bride.
Her days of running carefree through cowslip were numbered.
In May 1895 Françoise sets sail for England with her brother for company to marry Sir Charles Dubois.
The saga makesuse of two narrators, Françoise, Lady Dubois, and Tilly, Françoise’s lady’s maid. Each young woman has their own story to tell.
The Oath takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster with its captivating story set in the late Victorian era. Although heartbreaking, it is also uplifting, both of which may cause the reader to shed a tear or two.
Blurb
Marry the baronet, or vulnerable parents face la prison des pauvres
France 1895 – Seventeen-year-old Françoise abandons her carefree life and sails for England to marry distant cousin Charles Dubois. On arrival she finds her groom aloof and evasive.
Draped in expensive silk brocade, she yearns for her homeland and comfortable gowns, and when she discovers the baronet’s clandestine visits, it is her cheery maid she turns to, her new confidante and friend.
BETRAYAL – HEARTBREAK – FRIENDSHIP
The Oath: A coming of age, historical fiction saga from the author of House of Grace family saga trilogy.
The Oath will be released on 24th July, 2023, in both Kindle and paperback formats.
Available to preorder/order on the following link.
Patricia M Osborne is married with grown-up children and grandchildren. In 2019 she graduated with an MA in Creative Writing. She is a published novelist, poet and short fiction writer with five poetry pamphlets published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press, and numerous poems and short stories appearing in various literary magazines and anthologies. Her debut poetry pamphlet, Taxus Baccata, was nominated for the Michael Marks Pamphlet Award.
Patricia has a successful blog at Whitewingsbooks.com featuring other writers. When Patricia isn’t working on her own writing, she enjoys sharing her knowledge, acting as a mentor to fellow writers.
Life on Molly is a travel and lifestyle blog. I am a normal girl with many passions. I am an explorer of new places, a learner of new languages, creator of my ambitions, blogger, and a good pal. This blog is my little corner of the world where I am able to share my adventures with you and inspire you to live a life full of purpose.
When Angels Fly 