Book Title: The Merchant’s Dilemma, a Meonbridge Chronicles Companion Novel

Series: The Meonbridge Chronicles

Author: Carolyn Hughes

Publication Date: 20^th September 2023

Publisher: Riverdown Books

Page Length: 232

Genre: Historical Fiction

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Book Title and Author Name:

The Merchant’s Dilemma

By Carolyn Hughes

Blurb:

1362. Winchester. Seven months ago, accused of bringing plague and death from Winchester, Bea Ward was hounded out of Meonbridge by her former friends and neighbours. Finding food and shelter where she could, she struggled to make her way back to Winchester again.

Yet, once she arrived, she wondered why she’d come.

For her former lover – the love of her life – Riccardo Marchaunt, had married a year ago. And she no longer had the strength to go back to her old life on the streets. Frail, destitute and homeless, she was reduced to begging. Then, in January, during a tumultuous and destructive storm, she found herself on Riccardo’s doorstep. She had no plan, beyond hoping he might help her, or at least provide a final resting place for her poor body.

When Bea awakes to find she’s lying in Riccardo’s bed once more, she’s thankful, thrilled, but mystified. But she soon learns that his wife died four months ago, along with their newborn son, and finds too that Riccardo loves her now as much as he ever did, and wants to make her his wife. But can he? And, even if he can, could she ever really be a proper merchant’s wife?

Riccardo could not have been more relieved to find Bea still alive, when he thought he had lost her forever. She had been close to death, but is now recovering her health. He adores her and wants her to be his wife. But how? His father would forbid such an “unfitting” match, on pain of denying him his inheritance. And what would his fellow merchants think of it? And their haughty wives?

Yet, Riccardo is determined that Bea will be his wife. He has to find a solution to his dilemma… With the help of his beloved mother, Emilia, and her close friend, Cecily, he hatches a plan to make it happen.

But even the best laid plans sometimes go awry. And the path of love never did run smooth…

The Merchant’s Dilemma is a companion novel to the main series of Meonbridge Chronicles, and continues the story of Bea and Riccardo after the end of the fourth Chronicle, Children’s Fate. It is a little more romantic and light-hearted than the other Chronicles but, if you’ve enjoyed reading about the lives of the characters of Meonbridge, you will almost certainly enjoy reading The Merchant’s Dilemma too!

EXCERPT 5 FROM THE MERCHANT’S DILEMMA

From Chapter 2

Riccardo had been out all morning, meeting clients. He returned home at the usual time, as the church bells throughout the city were ringing the hour of Sext, knowing Mistress Collyton would have his dinner ready. A chilly wind was scudding through the streets, and even the thickness of his best winter cloak was unable to stop him shivering. He was glad to close the heavy door behind him and feel the warmth of the hall fire seeping down the passage.

He threw off his cloak and hood and hung them on the peg just inside the door. Then he strode down the passage to the hall, where he expected to see the table laid in readiness for his arrival. It was, but it wasn’t the table that drew his immediate attention.

At that moment, Mistress Collyton appeared at his elbow. ‘You got comp’ny for dinner today, sir.’

‘So I see,’ he said and held out his hands to Bea, who was sitting in the cushioned chair next to the hearth. ‘How pleased I am to see you down here at last, my love. You must be feeling stronger?’

‘Strong enough, as long as Mistress Collyton helps me with the stairs.’

‘We took it slow, sir, but she certainly ain’t so weakly as she were.’

Riccardo took one of Bea’s hands in his and kissed it. She had been so very fragile, just a month ago, it was a wonder to see her now. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes brighter and, beneath the new gown he had bought her especially for this day, her body was clearly no longer so thin and frail that he feared her bones might snap.

How relieved he was she had responded so well to the care he – and, much more so, Mistress Collyton – had given her. Pulling gently on the hand he held, he drew her to her feet. ‘Shall we eat?’

‘Yes, but still only a little, I think.’

‘Of course. It undoubtedly takes time for the body to reaccustom itself to eating, when it has had so little for so long. But, as each day passes, I daresay you will take a few more morsels than the day before.’

‘My eyes were fairly feasting earlier on Mistress Collyton’s delicious cooking, but I know I must be cautious still.’

They sat together at the table and the housekeeper scuttled off to fetch the dishes she had prepared. It was simple fare, a stew of pork and boiled greens, then a pudding made from apples picked last autumn in the garden.

Bea sipped several spoonsful of the gravy, nibbled at a morsel or two of meat, and took a mouthful of cabbage. Then she sat back. ‘I do wish I could eat more.’ She laid a hand lightly upon her stomach. ‘But I’m already full.’ She pressed her lips together in a pout. ‘Yet I was hoping to try a little of the pudding. I watched Mistress Collyton make it, with the little apples she still has in the store.’

‘Maybe let what you have eaten settle, then try a tiny portion?’ Riccardo gave her a broad smile, yet he was still anxious about her. It might be months before she was eating normally. He could see too she was exhausted from her morning’s efforts. He wished he had some idea how long it should take for her to recover fully, but he hoped it would be soon.

Buy Links:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3RY7Yj

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merchants-Dilemma-Meonbridge-Chronicles-Companion-ebook/dp/B0CJJKJFT6/

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Author Bio:

Carolyn Hughes has lived much of her life in Hampshire. With a first degree in Classics and English, she started working life as a computer programmer, then a very new profession. But it was technical authoring that later proved her vocation, word-smithing for many different clients, including banks, an international hotel group and medical instruments manufacturers.

Although she wrote creatively on and off for most of her adult life, it was not until her children flew the nest that writing historical fiction took centre stage. But why historical fiction? Serendipity!

Seeking inspiration for what to write for her Creative Writing Masters, she discovered the handwritten draft, begun in her twenties, of a novel, set in 14th century rural England… Intrigued by the period and setting, she realised that, by writing a novel set in the period, she’d be able to both learn more about the medieval past and interpret it, which seemed like a thrilling thing to do. A few days later, the first Meonbridge Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, was under way.

Six published books later (with more to come), Carolyn does now think of herself as an Historical Novelist. And she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Carolyn has a Master’s in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.

You can connect with Carolyn through her website http://www.carolynhughesauthor.com and social media.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.carolynhughesauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writingcalliope

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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carolyn-Hughes/e/B01MG5TWH1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16048212.Carolyn_Hughes

Book Title: If It’s the Last Thing I Do

Author: David Fitz-Gerald

Publication Date: August 15, 2023

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 329

Genre: Historical Thriller

Twitter Handle: @AuthorDAVIDFG @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @authordavefitzgerald @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalThriller #HistoricalFiction #1970s #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-tour-if-its-the-last-thing-i-do.html

Book Title and Author Name:

If It’s the Last Thing I Do

David Fitz-Gerald

Blurb:

It’s 1975, and Misty Menard unexpectedly inherits her father’s business in Lake Placid, New York. It never occurred to her that she could wind up as the CEO of a good old-fashioned manufacturing company.

After years of working for lawyers, Misty knows a few things about the law. Her favorite young attorney is making a name for himself, helping traditionally owned companies become employee owned, using a little-known, newly-passed law. When he offers to help Misty convert Adirondack Dowel into an ESOP, pro bono, Misty jumps at the chance.

The employees are stunned, the management team becomes hostile, and the Board of Directors is concerned. Misfortune quickly follows the business transformation. A big customer files for bankruptcy. A catastrophic ice jam floods the business. Stagflation freezes the economy. A mysterious shrouded foe plots revenge. Misty’s family faces a crisis. The Trustee is convinced something fishy is going on, the appraiser keeps lowering the company’s value, and the banker demands additional capital infusions. Misty thought she had left her smoking addiction and alcoholism in the past, but when a worker’s finger is severed in an industrial accident, Misty relapses.

Disasters threaten to doom the troubled company. After surviving two world wars and the Great Depression, it breaks Misty’s heart to think that she has destroyed her father’s company. All she wants is to cement her father’s legacy and take care of the people who built the iconic local business. Can a quirky CEO and her loyal band of dedicated employee owners save an heirloom company from foreclosure, repossession, and bankruptcy?

Get your copy of the thrilling If It’s the Last Thing I Do now… if it’s the last thing you do!

Buy Links:

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/lastthing

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-Its-Last-Thing-Do-ebook/dp/B0CDJJJMJ9/

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Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/if-it-s-the-last-thing-i-do-2

Excerpt 3:

From Chapter 4

After the lunch break, I closed the door to Father’s office for the first time in the week that I’d been there. I thought about dialing the number myself but instead called Joanne and asked her to get Attorney Ted Drake on the line. It felt like forever since I retired from the firm and I missed the camaraderie. I especially missed the enthusiastic young lawyer who specialized in the laws governing retirement plans.

“Misty, is that you?”

“Yes, Ted. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Gosh, it’s been a long time. I thought you said you were going to stop in and visit every once in a while.”

“I know I did. You’d be surprised how busy one can get when they retire.”

Ted laughed. “I don’t think I’ll ever retire, Misty. Maybe if I had a hobby or two. I can’t even imagine retiring. It will be another century before I’m old enough for that anyway. Oh, listen to me go on. What have you been doing?”

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, Ted.” I paused for a moment, took a breath, and said, “My father passed away, and he left me his company, so I moved home to Lake Placid in the Adirondack mountains of New York.”

“Lake Placid! Why that’s practically in Canada, isn’t it? I thought people went south when they retired, not north. I’m terribly sorry to hear about your father, Misty.”

“Thank you, Ted. That means a lot. I appreciate it.”

“What are you doing about the business?”

“Well, I decided to run it myself, at least for a little while. And I wanted to talk to you about that thing you were always bragging about. I can’t remember the name of it. All I can think of is esophagus, but that isn’t it. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“Yes. Of course. You’re talking about ESOP. That stands for Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Not esophagus. Heavens no.” After a brief pause, Ted added, “Why do you want to form an ESOP, Misty?”

It was hard not to get emotional when I answered his question. “Over the past week, I’ve been amazed to learn about Father’s employees. They work hard but never get ahead. They are fiercely loyal, but the longer they work for us, the poorer they become. Our night watchman, Stanley’s house doesn’t have running water. Poor Hogan’s family can’t afford electricity. Millie’s house only has a dirt floor. It’s been decades since the Great Depression, Ted. In this day and age, why are people still living like this?”

“They shouldn’t have to. But you are paying a legal wage, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but it’s not enough. They deserve better. It pains me to hear about their finances. To think of all the money I squandered, by calling Father for emergency loans I never repaid, and what it could have meant to his employees if he paid them more instead of wasting that money on me. And then, to think of how management treats the employees. Why should they have to work for short pay and be harshly treated? They deserve respect, Ted. It breaks my heart.” My voice broke and I squeezed the phone tightly in my hand before continuing. “Do you think I could buy an ESOP so that Father’s employees could own the business?”

Ted chuckled. “Not exactly, Misty. You don’t buy an ESOP. You form one. That’s the easy part. The rest is a bit harder.”

“I was afraid of that. I was hoping it would be easy. Do you think you could explain it to me?”

I hate to admit that my mind wandered as Ted went into the technical details involved in the formation of an ESOP trust and transitioning ownership of a company to it. I pictured the blond-haired lawyer’s chubby, cherubic cheeks that reminded me of a cartoon chipmunk, and for a moment I was afraid that I might giggle. When he was done, I said, “Do you think we can manage all that?”

Ted was reassuring and I asked him if he could fly to New York and drive to Lake Placid. He said, “I’d be glad to come, and what’s more, if you decide to go ahead, I’ll do the legal work for you pro bono.”

I was speechless, but managed to squeak out, “I’m so grateful, Ted. I can’t wait to see you.”

Before I let Ted hang up, I asked him whether he had found a wife and settled down. He said, “Not yet, Misty. I guess I work too many hours, but my big news is that I just made partner.”

“Good for you, Ted. That’s fantastic! I’m so proud of you.” It was rare for someone to make partner so young, and it was also unusual for an unmarried man to be promoted into the ownership ranks of a prestigious law firm. I thought of Joanne and wondered whether Ted and Joanne would appreciate being fixed up together.

After we hung up, I reminded myself, “Not esophagus. An ESOP for us!”

The evening after my first meeting with the management team, I walked down the sidewalk to the store and purchased a pack of Winstons. The slogan, “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should,” ran through my head. I resisted the temptation to light a smoke on the way home. By the time I closed the door behind me, the urge had passed. I tried to think about how many packs I’d bought through the years and later tossed out unopened. If I ever ripped off the cellophane, I was sure I’d be powerless to resist, and if I smoked one I’d be hopelessly hooked, yet again. It was hard to quit drinking, but giving up smoking was even tougher. I slipped the cigarettes into my dressing table drawer and tried to forget they were there.

Author Bio:

David Fitz-Gerald writes historical fiction in his spare time, with the hope of transporting readers to another time and place.

If It’s the Last Thing I Do is his 7th novel.

​Dave has worked for more than 30 years as an accountant, employee owner, and member of the management team at a “silver” ESOP (employee-owned) company. He has championed the cause in national, non-profit association leadership roles.

​Dave’s family roots run deep in the Adirondacks, going back generations. He attended college and worked at a deli in Saranac Lake during the 1980s. He spent two summers as an elf at Santa’s Workshop on Whiteface Mountain in the 1970s and is an Adirondack 46-er, which means he has hiked all of New York’s highest peaks.

Author Links:

Link Tree https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald

Soundtrack Album https://www.itsoag.com/last-thing-soundtrack

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Book Link

From Amazon:

Ann Bergquist returns to Selden, Minnesota at the time of spring snowmelt to meet with her former best friend who is dying and wishes to clear her conscience. Although uneasy about the visit, Ann must nonetheless come to terms with their troubled past before feeling secure enough to try for the child she and her husband desire. She has to learn the truth about Shelly, whose malicious actions severed the friendship between Ann and Gina. Things are not as they appear, however, and the suspense inexorably spirals up to an explosive climax.

My Review:

Betrayal knows no boundaries, indeed. Betrayal costs the betrayed a large portion of their life and happiness. This novel by Sperling exemplifies how a single instance of betrayal can, and does, become a snowstorm of sorts. It’s not enough to be betrayed. One is affected life long. Betrayal can cause a woman to do her best not to have children out of fear, even though she loves her husband. Betrayal causes emotional, mental, and physical issues in the one betrayed. To read what betrayal did to Ann, in this novel, you will have to read the book as the levels of betrayal affect others in various ways life long. Tragic and 5 shiny gold stars.

Book Link

From Amazon

Cody and his girlfriend, Laura Weber, are in town for the Weber family reunion. But Laura and her family have an evil and dark plan for Cody. He will need every ounce of mental and physical strength to out-maneuver her and her entire family to survive a bizarre night of terror.

My Review

I just finished reading this quite stark and bizarre short story. I can’t write what happened, as that would give away the story. I can write that ending ended in a manner that everyone else did not want or anticipate. A couple visits her parents for the first time. Greetings were like family, and her parents had six bedrooms. Something happened that night, and the next day, the home had 16 bedrooms. Suppose you see more and more people arrive, and the parlor keeps on expanding so that no one feels squeezed in. Interested? Five stars.

Book Link

From Amazon

In Teatime Trouble, the sleuthing duo of Page and Betsy are back, and this time, they’re in for a hauntingly good mystery! When they agree to cater a proper afternoon tea for a group of esteemed British authors at Three Fables Inn, Page’s inklings lead her to the inn’s picturesque gardens. But what she finds there is anything but pretty – a dead body draped over a bench. With the help of her always reluctant cousin Betsy, Page sets out to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death. But when strange and ghostly occurrences start happening around the historic inn, the sleuths realize this isn’t your average mystery. Is Three Fables really haunted, as some claim? While Page and Betsy try to piece together the clues, they realize that the answer may be closer than they think. Join them as they delve into the secrets of the inn and uncover the truth. Packed with suspense, humor, romance, and unforgettable characters,Teatime Trouble will keep you guessing until the very last page!

My Review

This book is chock full of several love stories, multiple mysteries, and a cold-blooded murder. Despite the murder, each of the writers that flew in from England have truly eclectic personalities, and there are subtle ghosts or spirits if you prefer that word, or influencers as Betsy claims. Page and Betsy are back with two men they are also sweet on. Love lost, love found family united, an you’ll love all the cooking stories of entrees Betsy creates with hot pepper!

Book Title: King’s Warrior

Series:  The Owerd Chronicles, Book #3

Author: James Gault

Publication Date:  18 July 2023

Publisher: Independent

Page Length:  294 pages

Genre:  Historical fiction

Twitter Handle:  @ozjimg @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle:    @ozjimg @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags:  #HistoricalFiction #AngloSaxon #medieval #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page:  https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/08/blog-tour-kings-warrior-by-james-gault.html

King’s Warrior

The Owerd Chronicles

James Gault

Blurb:

In 11th Century England, King William has achieved almost total domination of the Englisc and turns his attention to Scotland. Owerd, possibly the last of the Britons to be deemed ‘lord’, faces powerful enemies from all quarters. He seems to hold the king’s favour by a thread, which only serves to encourage others to try and bring him down.

Treachery abounds as he tries to juggle multiple roles and prove himself and his men worthy warriors for the Norman king. But will his lust for a woman finally prove his undoing?

Note from the author:

11^th Century men and women were just as complex beings as we are today. Owerd, the main character in these chronicles is no different. In “King’s Warrior”, the third book of the series, he goes from violence (“…the air was filled with the clash of swords, angry shouts, and screams of the injured”) to compassion (“… Owerd had rarely, if ever, made love as tenderly as he did with Runa that night”) in the space of a day.

Happiness, fear, disgust, anger, pride and jealousy all play their part in Owerd’s character but what comes to the fore is courage, with perhaps a helping hand from fate – “wyrd” if you will.

Guest Post:

“King’s Warrior” is the third in a series about Owerd, a decent but unsophisticated 11^th century Briton who has struggled out of poverty by dint of courage and good fortune (“wyrd” if you will). The series came about by accident, initially intended as a single volume to bring Charles Kingsley’s classic novel “Hereward the Wake” into a more digestible form for the contemporary reader. That attempt proved impossible – one cannot, I found, tinker with a classic, however challenging its rather antiquated prose. Hence a new character set in the same period of a land beset by inequity, strife and a Norman invasion. In this book Owerd, having already established his credentials as a loyal subject and “Sea Lord” returns to the role he fills best, that of warrior.

I now invite you, dear reader, to contemplate the dilemmas facing a writer when addressing issues of sex and violence, especially in historical fiction. In the time and place when “King’s Warrior” is set, the land was a violent place – riven by invasion, rebellion and near-anarchic conditions where might was right. It is inevitable that any realistic portrayal of the characters in the relevant story includes exposure to and participation in very violent events. Similarly, the men and women of the time had the same desires and passions as they do today. Sex is and was inevitable – it is what keeps the planet populated. A variation from todays’ world, though, is how universally indifferent society then seems to have been to the place of women. Basically, women were ignored, or at best tolerated simply for their necessary reproductive functions.

The two issues, in my view, demand careful balancing act between realism and undue detail. There is far too much blood and gore depicted in daily news to be over-exposed to readers again in what is intended to be a piece of escapist literature. Equally, realism demands that such violence and bloodshed need be depicted. The same applies to depictions of sex. Only the most prudish of readers would happily ignore its omission from a tale of the daily life of the characters being described. My own approach has been to minimise lurid detail unless it is essential to the picture being painted and avoid what I would call gross excess. Equally in sexual encounters, my characters spend much time in their bed-chamber but without the depictions extending anywhere near erotica.

Professional publishers would advise writers to “pick their audience”. That leads me to a question of reading age. The UN defines a “child” as a person under 18 years and I would be quite happy for my 17YO grandson to read “King’s Warrior” (he might learn a few new words). So, is it a children’s book? Well, no! Does one then describe it as “adult”, which in our modern world has connotations verging on the pornographic? Again, no! I would suggest, dear reader, that “King’s Warrior” might fit into that murky description of “PG” (Parental Guidance).

Buy Links:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link:         https://books2read.com/u/4A27gp

Amazon UK:             https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CC5VH6BM

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Amazon AU:              https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0CC5VH6BM

Amazon CA:              https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0CC5VH6BM

Author Bio:

James is a semi-retired Naval Captain with an abiding interest in storytelling and history. He has written a few contemporary fiction stories and a history text but lately has concentrated on historical fiction. He lives in a small coastal town in SE Australia – which provides quite a challenge when addressing medieval England with the aid of an old school atlas.

Author Links:

Twitter:                                  https://twitter.com/@ozjimg

Facebook:                              https://www.facebook.com/james.gault.9421/

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

Amazon Author Page:                      https://www.amazon.com/author/jgault

We had completely remodeled the second floor into one huge master ensuite with double sinks, hot tub, open double shower, and ornate oak wood graced the walls. We used blackout curtains and my closet, shoes, and jewelry collection rivaled anything the Kardashian’s had – my walk-in closet went for miles, okay, not really, but I felt like it did.

I had a safe in my closet for jewelry and valuables. My closet was tidy with garments hanging up on racks, and I had shelves for shoes and heels and anything you could think of. Money was never an issue for us, and we lived life to the fullest. Or so I thought we did…  

Child loss is nothing.

No comparison to this,

Other life losses.

Do NOT join our sad small club.

Time does not heal wounds,

Left behind when one loses,

One child, or even,

Two, no matter their age, no,

Simply support them,

Parents and siblings on Earth,

Remember and speak,

Do voice each child’s name aloud,

We need to hear this.

© Mary L Schmidt

Book Link

Still going! Now through October 20th, if you buy at .99 ents, this short two hour read book and review it, you are in the running for TWO $50 gift cards from me!

“Through a skillful intertwining of history, mystery, & personal reflection, this memoir provides a thought-provoking and emotionally charged reading experience.”