The Bookbag Reviews A Crown of Despair by Jenny Mandeville

A Crown of Despair by Jenny Mandeville, published last month, is the story of Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr.

The lovely folks over The Bookbag have reviewed the book, dubbing it ‘totally absorbing’ but warning that, while there was occasion to giggle, this is ’a story for all but the extremely anatomically squeamish’.

‘Jenny Mandeville has gone where the likes of Philippa Gregory may have feared to tread, a daring that works well and that I can’t help but applaud heartily.’

For the full review, click here. To order your copy now, check out our website.

OUT NOW: The Toll of the Sea by Theresa Murphy

Theresa Murphy was born in Portland, Dorset. She is a member of MENSA and her writing has included diverse subjects ranging from television comedy to nautical history. She has written numerous novels, published by Robert Hale, including Coming to the Edge, The Honey Gatherers and McFeeley’s Rebellion.

The Toll of the Sea by Theresa Murphy Synopsis

A terrific storm on a night in the mid-1850s brings tragedy to Adamslee, an impoverished village on the south west coast of England. The Paloma, a ship bring the 38^th Regiment of Foot back home from the Crimea, runs aground with the loss of 412 lives of soldiers, their wives and children.

There is one survivor, the mysterious and handsome Joby Lancer. And in the ensuing months Lancer’s life becomes entangled with the lives of some local villagers, including a village girl, a farmer’s wife, the leader of the local smugglers, and highwayman ‘Buckingham Joe’.

An insightful story of the powerful alliances formed in difficult circumstances this tale is one of loving and losing, mayhem, murder and hangings.

The Toll of the Sea by Theresa Murphy is available to buy now with a limited time only discount of 30%.

OUT NOW: A Crown of Despair by Jenny Mandeville

Jenny Mandeville lives in rural south west of England. She has a keen interest in history, particularly Tudor history. A Crown of Despair is her first novel.

A Crown of Despair by Jenny Mandeville Synopsis

Having sent his last wife to the block, the tyrannical Henry VIII sets his lustful sights upon an innocent and unworldly gentlewoman, the recently widowed, Katherine Parr. In mourning for her late husband, and yet desperately in love with another, Katherine is forced to choose between the man she loves and a crown of despair.

In the years that follow, as Henry’s terrified sixth wife and queen, she battles to contain her fear and revulsion of her bloated and monstrous new husband. The real threat of execution and the humiliation that she endures only strengthens Katherine’s resolve that somehow she will escape the gruesome fate of her predecessors and ultimately be with the man she loves.

Set in the infamous royal court of Henry VIII, Katherine’s story is one of survival and courage amid the harsh reality of duty, treason, religion and war.

A Crown of Despair by Jenny Mandeville is available to buy now with a limited time only discount of 30%.

OUT NOW: Poacher’s Moon by Ann Cliff

Ann Cliff was born in Yorkshire and brought up in a farming family. She writes frequently about nineteenth century Yorkshire and her previous novels include Summer by the Sea and Shadows on the Moor, also published by Robert Hale.

Poacher’s Moon by Ann Cliff – Official Blurb

When nursemaid Kate Cooper rescues poacher, William Thorpe, from a mantrap on her employer, Sir Titus Wiggins’s, land, they are unaware of the consequences of their meeting. Wiggins, a cruel, heartless lecher, dismisses Kate and she is forced to find other work.

She finds it with childhood friend Tom Ridley, a local landowner, and struggles to keep a professional distance from him, aware he is to marry elsewhere.

Healed by his lost love Judith, William joins Ridley on the night of the poacher’s moon when matters come to a head and passion and disaster collide at the Wiggins mansion leaving all searching for answers and the elusive happiness they so desire.

Praise for the author:

‘A beautifully written story… Reading it was an escape into an adventure’ – Historical Novels Review

‘She has lost none of her native honesty and charm’ – Northern Echo

‘A fascinating glimpse into the way of life of these earlier days’ – Wetherby Boston Spa & Tadcaster News

‘A delightful tale of romance and mystery’ – Lancashire Evening Post

Poacher’s Moon by Ann Cliff is available to buy now with a limited time only discount of 30%

Theresa Le Flem Heads to Canterbury for a Book Signing and Talk to Discuss ‘The Sea Inside His Head’

A daughter of the artist Cyril Hamersma, Theresa was raised in London and married at nineteen. After having three children in quick succession she trained as a hairdresser, took up pottery but ended up working in a factory to pay the bills. After her eventual divorce she married again in 2006. Finally, having the support of friends and family, and with her children settled in New York and Kent, Theresa is able to follow her passion for writing and express her strong views about social injustice. She is an avid listener of Radio 4 and a keen gardener, growing all of her own vegetables. The Sea Inside His Head is her first novel.

Last week, Theresa enjoyed a talk and book-signing at Waterstones, Canterbury. Here’s how it went:

The venue for my talk and book-signing was the Coffee Shop in Waterstones, St. Margaret’s Street, Canterbury in Kent. It was Sunday afternoon 16th September and my dear husband Graham, electrical engineer by day and my proof-reader by night, was supplying everyone with a complimentary glass of wine or orange juice.

‘So, what made the Miners’ Strike different to other strikes?’ I began, as I looked round my audience, with a curious smile. The people, including two ex-miners, a miner’s wife and several writers, looked at each other, mumbled and shook their heads. I tried again. ‘Why was it different to say, the teachers’, or civil-servants’, or the dustmen’s strike?’ I asked. ‘Well, I’ve got a theory!’ I went on to explain: other workers might strike about pay, hours, or cut-backs, and although united by their grievances, a strike does not have the same impact on their lives. The reason the miners were so strong and became so heated is because many were related by blood. Their fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers had all been miners for generations before them and mining was the only job they knew. This is why I believe it all became so aggressive – so emotional.

And they weren’t necessarily Kent people. Many of the men who worked in the Kent coalfields were descended from miners who moved down from the North – from Yorkshire and Lancashire, from Scotland and Wales. Many of them walked all the way because they couldn’t afford the train fare. Someone in the audience called out, ‘And they were trouble-makers in their own pits up there!’ I had to agree, as I had already learnt that some of them had been ‘blacklisted’ for causing trouble before. One of the ex-miners added, ‘Yeh, and they had new houses here to go to!’ This was true; in the early 1900s the Coal Board built houses for them, creating new mining villages around the pits. The miners’ children ran from room to room switching the lights on and off, amazed to find hot and cold running water and indoor bathrooms.

This brief discussion led me nicely into the four short extracts I had chosen to read from my novel: The Sea Inside His Head, which is a love-story set during the 1984 Miners’ Strike. After the second, I paused to reach for my sparkling water and as I did so a few began to show their appreciation. This spurred me on and I finished the last two extracts to some hearty applause. Questions and answers followed, and by this time I was feeling exhilarated – the audience were genuinely moved by my reading.

‘How long has coal-mining been going on in Kent?’ someone asked. I replied that it began when coal was discovered during initial excavations for the channel tunnel, at Shakespeare Cliff in Dover, in the 1890s. After this I went on to answer questions about how I first became published, where I lived during the strike, where I was living now, and more. During the general buzz of conversation – as by now the audience were all talking to each other too – Graham announced that Waterstones were hoping to close in ten minutes and if anyone wanted to buy a book and get it signed, now was the time to do it!

- Theresa Le Flem

For more information on Theresa Le Flem and her books, click here

OUT TODAY: Full Circle by Roberta Grieve

Roberta Grieve has always loved writing and when she took early retirement, after working for West Sussex Library Service for over twenty years, she was determined to turn her hobby into a second career. Her first book was published in 1998 and since then she has had many stories and articles published.

She is secretary of the Chichester Writers’ Circle and editor of the Chichester Literary Society’s quarterly newsletter. In her spare time she enjoys painting and walking, although writing and research always take precedence. She lives in Chichester, West Sussex.

FULL CIRCLE OFFICIAL BLURB

Although she believes nothing can really come of it, ladies’ maid Daisy March is eagerly awaiting the return on leave of naval lieutenant Jack Davenport, the brother of her mistress Georgina. She hopes that this time he will defy his family and declare his love. But before he can do so, she is accused of stealing and summarily dismissed.

Daisy takes up nursing, but, to her dismay, Georgina is also among the new recruits. When WWI breaks out, they are posted to Malta, where Daisy hopes to be reunited with Jack. When scandal threatens both girls, they renew their friendship. But tragedy strikes and it seems there will be no happy ending for either of them.

Praise for the author:

‘The author is a true storyteller’ – The Woman Writer

‘Rising star Roberta Grieve’ – Singletitles.com

Full Circle by Roberta Grieve is available to buy now with a limited time only discount of 30%.

For more information, go to Roberta’s website at www.robertagrieve.co.uk

OUT TODAY: The Lonely Furrow by Pamela Kavanagh

Pamela Kavanagh was born in Chester before moving to Wirral. On leaving school she trained as a primary schoolteacher and taught initially in Wirral and then at Chester. She married in 1966 and has two children.

Pamela took up writing seriously in 1990 and moved to Wales where she began spinning and walking. In 2008 she won the Red Roses for Authors Christmas Award for her book, The Touchstone.

Pamela now lives in South Cheshire.

THE LONELY FURROW BY PAMELA KAVANAGH – OFFICIAL BLURB

Disaster strikes the Drummond family with the collapse of the Glasgow Bank which results in them losing their business and subsequently their respectable place in society. For Nathan, this spells the end of his dream of an engineering career and also his betrothal to his beloved Isobel.

When an unexpected inheritance saves the day there are mixed feelings when the Drummonds are forced to leave their comfortable Glasgow home for a run-down farm in Shropshire. Chrissie, the little Highland maid, goes with them and proves a godsend during the difficult months, despite her secret, and increasingly strong, love for Nathan.

Can the family keep the shame of their past hidden? And can Nathan learn to manage the farm and also recognize love for the girl who is keeping his family together?

Praise for the Author

‘Warm, spellbinding, captivating’ – Red Roses for Authors

‘A very touching coming-of-age story’ – Romancejunkies.com

The Lonely Furrow by Pamela Kavanagh is available to buy now with a limited time only 30% discount.

E. V. Thompson on Writing Historical Novels and ‘The Bonds of Earth’

I am often asked why I chose to write Historical Novels when there is much in my own background that would be of interest to readers. The easy answer is that I am essentially a private person who prefers to keep work and home life separate. Were I to set my stories in the present day I feel readers would imagine they could detect some of my own exeriences in the novels – and they could well be right!

As it is, by having my characters living more than 100 years ago the time gap is too much to be put down to personal experience. Nevertheless, my research shows time and time again that those who lived, for instance, in the Victorian era, had emotions and experienced situations that had quite as much impact on their everyday lives as they would have today – however improbable such situations may seem to be.

For instance, in my book The Bonds of Earth, to be published by Robert Hale in November this year, a farm on which the young hero has worked since he was a boy is given to him by a grateful farmer. Far-fetched and stretching imagination too far?

Well, when I returned from Africa to live in Cornwall some forty-odd years ago I bought an old cottage from an 83 year-old farmer. As a young boy he began working on two farms, one from dawn until midday, the other from midday until dusk, seven days a week.

When one of the farmers died childless, leaving behind a seriously disabled widow, the now newly-married farm labourer and his wife took her in and cared for her until she too died, but before doing so she made a gift of the farm to the young man who had done so much to help her and her husband.

When I knew him the one-time farm labourer was an old man, but he was still as indomitable as he had been as a boy, despite living in a world that had changed almost beyond recognition during his lifetime.

The life of that old man planted the seed of a story that remained with me until I felt able to embellish and make use of it in The Bonds of Earth.

- E. V. Thompson

E. V. Thompson has written numerous novels. His latest, Beyond the Storm is out this month in paperback and available to pre-order now. The Bonds of Earth is set for publication in November 2012.

OUT NOW: Dollar by Alexander Lindsay

Alexander Lindsay was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. As an international journalist he has lived and worked in the Middle East, New York, Paris, the UK, Ireland and the Greek Islands. Based in Belfast, he covered the Northern Ireland conflict as staff correspondent for the Sunday Express, during which time his main claim to fame was being ignominiously blown off the lavatory seat by an IRA bomb at his office. He has been a newspaper and magazine editor, national newspaper theatre critic, feature writer and magazine columnist.

DOLLAR OFFICIAL BLURB

It is a fact not generally known that in 1940 the prime minister secretly arranged for Britain’s entire gold reserves to be transported through U-boat-infested waters to America, in five ships.

Travis works as a banker: he is also a Nazi spy. To uncover details of the shipment he sets out to attract the attentions of Claire, a bank official. When his relationship with the vulnerable Claire becomes more complicated he ends up on the run with knowledge that could win the war for Germany.

Can Travis alert Berlin in time to sink the treasure ships? And can Claire find the strength to kill the man she has grown to love?

In this taut thriller, Alexander Lindsay combines fact and fiction to devastating effect.

Dollar is available to buy now, with a limited time only discount of 30%.

OUT FRIDAY: For the Love of Catherine by Carole Llewellyn

For the Love of Catherine is out this Friday and is available now for pre-order with a 30% discount for a limited time only.

Praise for the author:

‘I was sorry when the last page had turned’  -  Myshelf.com

‘It is difficult to put down…a book well worth reading’  -  Red Roses for Authors

Here is the official plot:

FOR THE LOVE OF CATHERINE OFFICIAL PLOT – SYNOPSIS

14^th  APRIL, 1912.

RMS Titanic Struck by an Iceberg!

In the chaos of the sinking ship, Mair Parsons is separated from her infant daughter, Catherine, and her travelling companion and future mother-in-law, Ethel Jenkins, the kind woman who has tried to compensate Mair for the mother’s love she has never known.

The disaster changes all their lives. During her repatriation to Britain Mair has time to reassess her life and knows that before she can find true happiness she must find out the truth about her absent mother, even if it means leaving her beloved Wales and the fiancé and family who care for her.

Her search takes her to London where she becomes a Nightingale Nurse at St Thomas’s hospital and meets the exciting doctor, Andrew Baxter. With new love and a new career, can she be truly happy? Or will her heart be forever bound to those she loves in Wales?