Book Link

From Amazon:

Polly is off on another learning expedition. In this series, she visited Australia’s continent and the beautiful city of Canberra. A lot is happening in Australia. The King, or queen of the United Kingdom, is also the Head of State for Australia. There is also a lot going on in the United Kingdom, a new Monarch will be crowned. This voyage is one that Polly will not only cherish,but she will be more informed about her world.

My Review:

This children’s book is packed full of interesting cultures, wildlife, and history regarding Australia. Polly finds out the most interesting things about the great barrier reef, the fish, millions of fish, the government portion of Canberra, the road sign meanings on the drive to Sydney, and much more. The book needs serious editing.

Book Link

From Amazon:

Write To Kill – The CRIME THRILLER readers want to see on the screen!

MOTIVE. MONEY. MURDER. YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT UP.

An aspiring author, cursed with writer’s block and ridden with debt, is offered a huge amount of money to commit a heinous crime. Caught up in the machinations of the underworld and at the mercy of a London gangland boss, Mad Dog, will this budding writer accept the money, commit the crime and leave his innocence behind him?

And will real life turn to fiction, as events inspire him to write what he dreams will be an international bestseller?

WARNING – GRAPHIC and POTENTIALLY DISTURBING SCENES

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Mad Dog

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2025

Verified Purchase

Well, the book lives up to the title. One never knows what can trigger a person to kill a person without even knowing them, for money that really isn’t that much. 20 or 30K isn’t much incentive for most people, but if you are in a bind and not thinking rationally, the moment and deed is doable. The story twists and turns. The horror of mob style people and the lengths they go to are graphic and are triggers if you are someone who has PTSD then this is not the book for you. For those who love crime, fiction, murder, the seedy underworld, and graphic sex scenes, then read this. The Kindle edition needs formatting, parts are often repeated, could use editing, too. The story is vibrant and realistic so that makes it five stars.

Book Title: Diomedes in Kyprios

Series: The Diomedeia II

Author: Gregory Michael Nixon

Publication Date: November 19^th, 2024

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 243

Genre: Mythico-Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: n/a

Twitter / X Handles: @doknyx73 @cathiedunn @MaryLSchmidt

Instagram Handles: @doknyx86 @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #MythicalFiction #HistoricalMyths #Cyprus #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/12/blog-tour-diomedes-in-kyprios-by-gregory-michael-nixon.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Diomedes in Kyprios

by Gregory Michael Nixon

Audiobook Narrator: Simon de Denet

Blurb:

This is a historically based novel with authentic, mythic, and fictional characters interacting across the extraordinary panorama after the Fall of Troy and the Hittite Empire during the Bronze Age Collapse. Diomedes leads his Akhaians (Achaeans) to the Isle of Kyprios (now Cyprus) to meet his lost love, Lieia, the ex-queen of the Hittites. Kyprios is where the Peoples of the Sea have gathered before their final assaults on Canaan and Aigyptos (Egypt).

But Diomedes unexpectedly meets the avatar of the Goddess Aphrodite at her Temple in Paphos, the city of her birth. Will she take him from Lieia? Will his wanderings end, or will he head back to sea to seek redemption from the past in the further unknown? Aphrodite must also deal with the beautiful, impetuous youth, Adonis, who swears he would die for her.

The Bronze Age Collapse was a time of such chaos that empires fell, royalty was overthrown, palaces and temples were destroyed, and the hierarchy of the gods was doubted, yet people’s self-reliance emerged like never before, and the ancient Great Goddess of the Cycles of Time, who had been suppressed, began to regain her former dominance.

Diomedes in Kyprios

Excerpt 3:

“I know wolves,” Saba said. “I was but a lad tending a small flock of sheep when the wolves arrived. My brave shepherd dog put up a brief, noisy resistance but the wolves tore her asunder quickly. I ran into the forest until I found a tree to climb, but I do not think I was pursued. I was close enough to hear the slaughter, terrible sounds of bleating overcome by ferocious growling and tearing. The growling continued after enough sheep were killed as the wild beasts fought amongst themselves for top spot in the hierarchy.”

“Yes, they are vicious creatures as a hunting pack, but it may be that it was the wolf who first taught us to be human,” Diomede intoned thoughtfully.

“How is that possible?” Saba asked.

“Perhaps there was a time before sea travel, before horses, and before villages when we naked humans were weak and defenceless animals. Look at us next to a wolf, a bear, or a lion. What would an elephant have to fear from such a small creature alone?”

“Why, nothing of course.” Saba stared at the man without comprehension.

“Which one would you choose to face with your short spear alone?”

“These are all frightening beasts, but I’d rather fight a single wolf.”

“Of course, and that’s what the wolves taught us, to learn to hunt as a pack. As a cooperating pack, men have learned to unleash their savagery, and now any of the beasts just listed can be brought down. That is how the wolf taught us to be human. After that we went beyond the wolves, for such cooperation led us to village life and our hands allowed us to make always better weapons and farming tools.”

“I have never thought this way,” Saba peered upward at the stars coming out, as though any kind of thought were new to him. “But you said you became a wolf?”

“I was 15 suns, perhaps your age, when my father sent me along with other sons of the nobility into the mountain heights of the wild land we call Arkadia to take part in the kóryos, the ritual of becoming wolves. Most others were 16.”

“What are these names, My Lord?”

“The meaning of kóryos is too ancient to be known. Arkadia is the land of Arkos, the bear, though bears were no longer common when I dwelt there. One more name is all you need. We noble youths from the palaces of several cities were led to Mount Lykaion atop which was the sacred altar to Zeus Lykaios. Zeus is the thunderer, like your Tarhunta, a powerful god. Lykaios is the wolf. Mount Lykaion is also home to our wild goat god, Pan. Neither wolves nor Pan comes near to civilization; they dwell in the wild and avoid all villages or towns.”

“I would not want to be a wolf…” Saba thought aloud and shuddered.

“We did. Everyone of us wanted to prove our mettle by transforming into wolves for a full sun-cycle or two. One was all that was required, but many who had been wolves wished to stay a second year as bears, who directed the new wolves. Those who succeeded in surviving could then return to their city kingdoms as beginning warriors. They had learned to be savages and kill, but when it was over, they had to learn to be civilized warriors, take orders, and follow the social order laid down by the gods. Eventually, they could marry.”

“You killed?”

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://geni.us/BEGKASr

Links to Historium Press 2^nd Edition:

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Diomedes-Kyprios-Gregory-Michael-Nixon/dp/1962465713

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Diomedes-Kyprios-Gregory-Michael-Nixon/dp/1962465705

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Diomedes-Kyprios-Gregory-Michael-Nixon-ebook/dp/B0DM2QWNL6

Audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Diomedes-Kyprios-Diomedeia-Book-2/dp/B0DHLR8YN4

Author Bio:

Gregory M. Nixon is a retired university professor who, after spending his professional years publishing academic papers, was pleased to discover he still had an active imagination. He moved alone to a nice cottage overlooking magnificent Okanagan Lake in western Canada to create his mythico-historical novels set after the Trojan War and the fall of the Hittite Empire during the Bronze Age Collapse. Nigel, an outdoor cat, also sometimes lives with him.

Author Links:

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/doknyx

Website: https://authorgregorynixon.com/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/doknyx73

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doknyx86/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gregory-michael-nixon

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0B8YCWGLV/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22640377.Gregory_Michael_Nixon

Book Title:

THE USURPER KING and THE ACCURSED KING

Series:

The Plantagenet Legacy

Author:

Mercedes Rochelle

Publication Date:

The Usurper King: 4/5/21    The Accursed King: 4/18/22

Publisher:

Sergeant Press

Pages:

The Usurper King : 305 pages    The Accursed King: 301 pages

Genre:

Historical Fiction / Medieval Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: n/a

Twitter Handles: @authorrochelle @cathiedunn @MaryLSchmidt

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HenryIV #Plantagenet #Lancaster #Medieval #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/12/blog-tour-henry-iv-usurper-king.html

#1 Book Title and Author Name:

THE USURPER KING by Mercedes Rochelle

Book 4 of The Plantagenet Legacy

Blurb:

From Outlaw to Usurper, Henry Bolingbroke fought one rebellion after another.

First, he led his own uprising. Then he captured a forsaken king. Henry had no intention of taking the crown for himself; it was given to him by popular acclaim. Alas, it didn’t take long to realize that that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it. Only three months after his coronation, Henry IV had to face a rebellion led by Richard’s disgruntled favorites. Repressive measures led to more discontent. His own supporters turned against him, demanding more than he could give. The haughty Percies precipitated the Battle of Shrewsbury which nearly cost him the throne—and his life.

To make matters worse, even after Richard II’s funeral, the deposed monarch was rumored to be in Scotland, planning his return. The king just wouldn’t stay down and malcontents wanted him back.

#2 Book Title and Author Name:

THE ACCURSED KING by Mercedes Rochelle

Book 5 of The Plantagenet Legacy

Blurb:

What happens when a king loses his prowess?

The day Henry IV could finally declare he had vanquished his enemies, he threw it all away with an infamous deed. No English king had executed an archbishop before. And divine judgment was quick to follow. Many thought he was struck with leprosy—God’s greatest punishment for sinners. From that point on, Henry’s health was cursed and he fought doggedly on as his body continued to betray him—reducing this once great warrior to an invalid.

Fortunately for England, his heir was ready and eager to take over. But Henry wasn’t willing to relinquish what he had worked so hard to preserve. No one was going to take away his royal prerogative—not even Prince Hal. But Henry didn’t count on Hal’s dauntless nature, which threatened to tear the royal family apart.

THE ILLNESS OF HENRY IV

by Mercedes Rochelle

When I started writing the volume about the second half of Henry IV’s life, my inclination was to entitle it The Leper King, only to discover there really was a leper king: Baldwin IV of Jerusalem who died in 1185. And truly, it really wasn’t fair to Henry IV. Yes, he did have some kind of terrible skin disease, though his woes didn’t stop there. But if he really did have leprosy, how did he manage to lead a relatively “normal” existence—without being shunned by his contemporaries? No, apparently something else was going on. It’s nearly impossible to diagnose historical illnesses—especially from over 600 years ago. But historians have come up with some interesting theories.

One of the reasons leprosy achieved such purchase on the medieval mind was the timing of Henry’s first attack. According to many chroniclers, it happened the very night he executed Archbishop Scrope of York for his ill-fated rebellion. No English king had ever executed an archbishop before, and this was a terrible shock to his contemporaries. As the story goes, that very night, Henry woke up shrieking, “Traitors! Traitors! You have thrown fire over me!” His face was burning and he had broken out into a terrible rash—or pustules, or worse. Everyone thought it was God’s retribution for the murder of an archbishop. According to Peter Niven*, “Leprosy was the disease par excellence associated with God’s punishment of sinners”. Did this really happen the night of the execution? So many chroniclers mentioned it, that it would be incautious to dismiss the claim out of hand. Henry was bedridden for a week before he could continue his campaign against the rebel Henry Percy. But once he was back in the saddle, he allegedly carried on with renewed vigor. Temporarily, at least, he recovered—the first argument against leprosy.

There’s always the possibility that the medieval manifestation of leprosy differed from what we currently know as Hansen’s Disease. Nonetheless, the issue seems to have been decided when Henry’s tomb was opened in 1832. Although his remains quickly disintegrated upon exposure to the air, the investigators had enough time to determine that “his skin was intact, his features were not disfigured, and even the all-important nasal cartilage was undamaged” (Peter Niven, again).

It’s the other symptoms that confuse the issue. A little more than a year after his initial illness, Henry was struck with what he referred to as une grande accesse, and at the same time he complained of une maladie in his leg. Unable to ride, he was obliged to travel by barge and missed the first week of the 1406 parliament. Known as The Long Parliament, it lasted most of the year, and it’s thought that the many recesses had to do with his frequent inability to attend. Did he have a stroke? By all indications he retained clarity until his death. Could it be a blood clot in his leg? Historians just don’t know. Although his skin disease came and went for the rest of his life, it was the progressive weakness in his legs and associated attacks that took away his strength and reduced him to an invalid.

Some historians have suggested syphilis, which could account for many of the symptoms. However, the first recorded incidence of this disease hadn’t occurred in Europe before the end of the fifteenth century. Some have suggested psoriasis—possibly psoriatic psoriasis, which included joint inflammation and swelling. Three years after his first attack, Henry was struck down with a sudden seizure so violent that he lost consciousness for quite a few hours; for a while people thought he was dead. A few months later he made his will, which was usually done from the deathbed in this period—or prior to leaving for battle. Apparently, he, too, thought he had reached the end. By then, he could barely walk or ride and was mostly carried in a litter or improvised wheelchair. Ultimately, Niven concluded that Henry could well have suffered from coronary heart disease or some sort of circulatory disorder. He suggested that rheumatic heart disease could easily explain his “growing incapacitation, his occasional dramatic collapses, and his relatively early death.” So, along with this conjecture, the skin disease was an unfortunate condition that had nothing to do with the major collapses that incapacitated him.

We certainly can’t ignore the effects of stress and—let’s face it—possible guilt over the usurpation and execution of an archbishop. Henry had more than his fair share of rebellions to deal with, and unless he was a man without a conscience, he must have had a lot of dead traitors weighing on his mind. I tried to count the numbers of executed men and lost track after about eighty. That’s enough to give most of us agita.

 *McNiven, Peter, THE PROBLEM OF HENRY IV’S HEALTH, 1405-1413, The English Historical Review,  Vol. 100, no. 397 (Oct. 1985), pp. 747-772

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Links:

The Usurper King: https://books2read.com/u/3nkRJ9

The Accursed King: https://books2read.com/u/b5KpnG

The Plantagenet Legacy Series Links:

Amazon US Series Link

Amazon UK Series Link

All titles in the series are available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Author Bio:

Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers.

Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Her new project is called “The Plantagenet Legacy” taking us through the reigns of the last true Plantagenet King, Richard II and his successors, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story.

Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the University of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended!

Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.

Author Links:

Website: https://mercedesrochelle.com/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/authorrochelle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercedesrochelle.net

Book Bub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mercedes-rochelle

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mercedes-Rochelle/author/B001KMG5P6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1696491.Mercedes_Rochelle

Book Link

From Amazon:

A Chronicle of life with an insane parent. I wrote this because I wanted those who feel silenced, and alone to speak up. I flew on the back of a brilliant woman who soared high and fell low. often crashing but also inspiring me to take chances that I might otherwise not. I was with her every painful step of the way, and I witnessed unbridled mental brilliance and deeply disturbing moments that shaped my fragile psyche as a child. It was a strange and beautiful ride, that scared me and, yet inspired me. It left me bewildered but in complete wonderment of the world around me. You can let Mental Illness define you, or you can help define Mental Illness. You are not to blame, and there is no shame.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars To the point and then some

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2025

Verified Purchase

Wow. This was a hard read due to the material about a woman who had bipolar disorder as my own mother had the same. The ups and downs are crazy, same with mine. As a kid, we didn’t know my mother was mentally ill. We thought she was like all mothers. Once older, we then knew. I so understand this book intently. Putting the words down is therapeutic. There are punctuation issues but they don’t detract from the story.

Book Link

From Amazon:

This book is the marriage of photography and Haiku, hence the title: PhoKu. Traditional Japanese Haiku is based in nature. The photographs in this book were taken during my visits to parks, lakes and of the flora and fauna in my neighborhood, here in Michigan. To honor the peace, serenity and joy I find in communing with nature using my PhoKu, brings a smile to my heart. May this book inspire you take the time to enjoy the beauty of the world around you.

My Review:

In this 17 syllable poetry, the author includes prose about the geese at a lake near her home. She parks and watches them from her car, and she delights in their activities without interference from her at all. I’m not a voyeur, but when in a coffee shop, I do glance up when people walk past me, I note their clothes, or lack thereof, and I hear their special orders. Sometimes, I add what I see into my own writing. This is what this author has done in each photograph and 17 syllable poetry. Thank you for the insight.

Book Title: No Good Deeds

Series: n/a

Author: E.J. McKenna

Publication Date: November 5^th, 2024

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 330

Genre: Historical Fiction / Western Fiction

Any Triggers: Violence in the form of fist fighting and gunfighting, some scenes of graphic violence

Twitter Handle: @EJMcKennaWrites @cathiedunn @MaryLSchmidt

Instagram Handle: @ejmckennawrites @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #NoGoodDeeds #HistoricalFiction #FeministWestern #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/12/blog-tour-no-good-deeds-by-e-j-mckenna.html

Book Title and Author Name:

No Good Deeds

E.J. McKenna

Blurb:

Annie Schaeffer is no stranger to violence. Born of an outlaw father, she was sold to a traveling show at the age of six, now finally escaping as an adult.

On the run and wounded, she finds an unlikely ally In Nathan Healey – a member of the Needham Boys gang.

As she earns her place among the outlaws, Annie’s survival hinges on her lethal skills and growing bond with Nathan.

Nate’s moral compass shifts with his circumstances, especially when those he loves are involved. Upon meeting Annie, he finds himself drawn to a woman determined to live differently to the expectations others place upon her; to live freely and fairly. The way he has always wanted.

Annie’s quest for independence takes a dark turn as the gang begins to collapse. Betrayal runs deep, and the cost of trust is high.

No Good Deeds is a gripping tale of resilience and retribution in the untamed West, where loyalty is fleeting and justice is won at the barrel of a gun. Annie Schaeffer’s story is one of fierce determination, as she battles her past and the outlaws who seek to control her fate.

Excerpt 7:

The only thing I ever got from Caley Schaeffer were tortured into learnin’ these skills.” She raised her hands and stared blankly at him. “I would trade them any time to go back and have a life.”

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://geni.us/X6XQ8i

Author Bio:

E.J. McKenna is a freelance writer in the UK with a great interest in American History, and a degree in English and American Literature with Creative Writing from the University of Kent.

At the end of 2023, she co-created a creative writing app for people of all ages to improve their writing skills in a fun, relaxed environment.

Born and raised in the UK, but a lover of traveling, she has a fascination with all social history across different countries and cultures. One of her favourite historical periods is the Victorian era, especially with United States history.

“The juxtaposition between the established countries of Europe, and the new world of America is fascinating to me. So many people trying to survive harsh frontier life, while trying to continue the uptight decorum of Victorian society.”

A huge advocate for feminism and human equity, her writing centres around determined female protagonists in traditionally male roles, tackling the perceptions of women in history. Her strong female protagonists go out of their way to change their society’s expectations for the fairer.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.historiumpress.com/e-j-mckenna

Twitter: https://x.com/EJMcKennaWrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ejmcreates
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-jm-mckenna/

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

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/E.-J.-McKenna/author/B0DN1BSL99

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52291760.E_J_McKenna

Book Link

From Amazon:

Happy New Year’s Hawaii
Reflect
Hawaii’s New Year’s traditions
Happy 2025
Say Good-Bye 2024
Moment of Prayer
Look Back at 100 years
Cars of the past
Woman that changed History
What’s new in 2025
Fashion
Natural Healing
A better me
Make Kindness the Norm
New Book Releases
Heart of Evergreen

My Review:

I found this magazine contained a plethora of information about how a new year is celebrated in Hawaii. Of note, the huge Chinese new year in Chinatown, Honolu6. The short stories were meaningful and reading about how a normal person who cleaned in an institution made friends with Annie Sullivan, who was kept in a cage. Brownies started the friendship, and Annie became well after the doctors found out she was legally blind. Annie go on to teach Helen Keller, born deaf and blind, to read and write. All thanks to a person who cleaned at the institution.