Welcoming Toni Mount and her book - The Colour of Evil - to my blog.

 Today I'm welcoming Toni Mount and her book - The Colour of Evil - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

I'm delighted to share an excerpt with you all, but first I will introduce the book.

The Colour of Evil

‘The Colour of Evil’

Every Londoner has money worries, and talented artist and some-time sleuth, Seb Foxley, is no exception.

When fellow craftsmen with debts to pay are found dead in the most horrid circumstances, fears escalate. Only Seb can solve the puzzles that baffle the authorities.

Seb’s wayward elder brother, Jude, returns unannounced from Italy with a child-bride upon his arm. Shock turns to dismay when life becomes more complicated and troubles multiply.

From counterfeit coins to deadly darkness in London's worst corners. From mysterious thefts to attacks of murderous intent, Seb finds himself embroiled at every turn. With a royal commission to fulfil and heartache to resolve, can our hero win through against the odds?

Share Seb Foxley’s latest adventures in the filthy streets of medieval London, join in the Midsummer festivities and meet his fellow citizens, both the respectable and the villainous.

Publication Date: 25 March 2021

Publisher: Madeglobal.com

Page Length: 334 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08XXSMQQY

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XXSMQQY

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08XXSMQQY

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08XXSMQQY

Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08XXSMQQY

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/toni%20mount

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/author/toni-mount/1143822

Praise for The Colour of Evil

Samantha Willcoxson, author & historian:

“Toni Mount is simply brilliant. If you love CJ Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake – and I do – you will love Toni’s Sebastian Foxley. From learning how a 15^th century scrivener created illuminated manuscripts to venturing within the dank tunnels beneath the Tower of London, Toni is an artist who completely immerses the reader in another time and place and always leaves one eager for the next book.”

Stephanie Churchill, author of historical fiction and epic fantasy:

“Leave it to Seb to unravel another international spiderweb of intrigue, betrayal, murder, and deceit. Our flawed, loveable hero has done it again. And at the end of it all, his future is looking brighter than ever. I cannot wait to find out what happens to him next!”

Sharon Bennet Connoly, author and medieval historian:

“A beautifully crafted mystery that brings the dark, dangerous streets of medieval London to life. Toni Mount is a magician with words, weaving a captivating story in wonderful prose. The Colour of Evil is, to put it simply, a pleasure to read.”

Kathryn Warner, medieval historian and author of numerous books about the fourteenth century, including biographies of Edward II and Isabella of France:

“The ninth instalment of Toni Mount's popular Seb Foxley series is sure to delight Seb's many fans. Mount puts her deep knowledge of late medieval England to good use once again, and takes us on another exciting adventure, this time with Seb's older brother Jude, returned from Italy, in tow. Mount's detailed world-building, as always, brings fifteenth-century London to life.”

Now for the excerpt -

The Hue-and-Cry (pp. 43-46)

Of a sudden, there came a shout of ‘Stop thief!’ from farther along Bladder Street. That set off the hubbub of the hue-and-cry. Neighbours hastened onto the street, sounding horns, clattering spoons on pots and pans, adding to the din. It meant Adam and I were obliged to join the chase, pursuing the miscreant, whoever he might be. Adam sprinted ahead, fleet of foot, with Gawain running at full speed, thinking this a fine game. They turned up Noble Street, betwixt the precinct of St Martin-le-Grand and the Goldsmiths’ Hall, disappearing from my sight, along with the crowd of others who ran, hoping to apprehend the villain.

Never much of a runner myself, I soon lagged behind, keeping company with a breathless old man and a woman encumbered with a sleeping infant on her shoulder and armed with a hefty ladle. We would ne’er catch the most sluggardly criminal but the law demanded we make the effort, or else be fined for aiding and abetting the same. My hip was hindering my progress, slow as it was, and by the time we reached St Vedast’s Church at the lower end of Noble Street, I had to pause to ease my protesting bones. The old man stopped beside me to catch his breath; the woman too.

It was then that I glanced up the alleyway beside the church. A pile of rubbish half-blocked the narrow passage. All was filth and grime and stank of stale piss. Yet there was just light sufficient to see a flash of red: a good shoe, I realised, protruding from behind the unsavoury heap of detritus.

I pointed it out to the old man, then put my finger to my lips.

The old man nodded his understanding. He and I crept forth, into the alley. Like so many such passages around the city, this one seemed to end in a blank wall beyond the rubbish. There would be no escape for the vermilion-shod thief – if it was he. I stepped around a broken, handle-less bucket and then a collection of rusted metal odds and ends so as not to alert our quarry. When we drew within a yard or two, we both dashed forward, shouting ‘Hold! Hold, villain!’

A middle-aged fellow leaped from his place of concealment and attempted to push us aside. I shoved him in one direction and the old man tripped him. As the culprit staggered back along the alley, into Noble Street, the woman with the infant awaited him. Her skilful use of the ladle without rousing the child was remarkable. She brought it down upon his head, then whacked him across his middle. He went sprawling in the dirt. The clang of metal as he hit the ground revealed his ill-gotten gains, hidden ’neath his jerkin. A gilded candlestick rolled aside, its partner lay sorely dented – mayhap by the ladle blow – beside the fallen fellow. We had caught our thief.

We dragged him to his feet and shook him awake, marching him back to Bladder Street. I had the stolen candlesticks tucked under my arm. The rascal began complaining and attempted to pull free as his senses rallied but the woman threatened him with the ladle and he came quietly, resigned to his fate.

The householder he had robbed greeted us as heroes, the more so when I returned the candlesticks, though he sorrowed at the damage done. We said naught concerning the ladle as the possible cause of the dents.

‘Ale! Ale for all!’ the householder cried as those who had spent their strength in the hue-and-cry began to trickle back, to report that the thief had got clean away. Most seemed delighted that we had apprehended the culprit but a few were annoyed to have gone to so much effort for no purpose. Others – including Adam – were disappointed to have missed out on the moment of capture.

‘There was naught exciting about it, cousin,’ I assured him.

‘Did he put up much of a fight?’ someone else asked.

I was about to tell him ‘nay’ but the old man – Todd by name, as I learned – made answer for me.

‘I’ll say. The devil fought us like... like a devil. Kicking and flailing and yelling filthy words at me, young Seb here, oh, and Alice... her with the babe-in-arms. So we pummelled him and took him by force, didn’t we Seb? He was lashing out, all to no avail. We was too much for him, wasn’t we?’

The event grew in the telling, Todd elaborating and inventing new details to each new listener who asked. He and I became more heroic in our actions as the evening wore on; the woman, Alice, the true heroine with her ladle, became relegated to the role of a mere on-looker. By the time the City Bailiff, my friend Thaddeus Turner, arrived to take the thief into custody, Todd’s tale had become one of knights errant upon some holy quest. He told Thaddeus how we had wrestled the sword-wielding scoundrel of unsurpassed strength to the ground, despite his casting of evil charms upon us, taking many a cut and buffet in exchange – no matter that we bore not a solitary mark from our encounter.

I shook my head behind Todd’s back, such that Thaddeus should see me.

‘I shall make a true report on the morrow,’ I mouthed to him, not wishing to spoil Todd’s hour of glory.

Toni Mount

Toni Mount earned her Master’s Degree by completing original research into a unique 15th-century medical manuscript. She is the author of several successful non-fiction books including the number one bestseller, Everyday Life in Medieval England, which reflects her detailed knowledge in the lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages. Toni’s enthusiastic understanding of the period allows her to create accurate, atmospheric settings and realistic characters for her Sebastian Foxley medieval murder mysteries. Toni’s first career was as a scientist and this brings an extra dimension to her novels. It also led to her new biography of Sir Isaac Newton. She writes regularly for both The Richard III Society and The Tudor Society and is a major contributor of online courses to MedievalCourses.com. As well as writing, Toni teaches history to adults, coordinates a creative writing group and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.

You can connect with Toni Mount via the following platforms -

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/tonimount/home

Website: https://www.sites.google.com/view/sebastianfoxley/home

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonihistorian

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toni.mount.10/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toni.mount.10/?hl=en

Amazon Author Page: author.to/ToniM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7481351

Fantastic Fiction: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/toni-mount/

You can also learn more about the author and the book by visiting the other blogs on this tour.

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe.

 

 

 

Welcoming Lelita Baldock and her book - Widow's Lace - to my blog.

 Today I'm welcoming Lelita Baldock and her book - Widow's Lace - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

Delighted to share a review with you all, but first I will introduce the book as always.

Widow's Lace

A hundred year old mystery, the widow left behind, a fallen soldier, the abandoned fiancée, an unnamed body and the young student determined to find the truth.

In 1886 famous English poet Edward Barrington moves from Derbyshire, England to a farm on the Finniss River, in South Australia. Two years later he disappears.

25 years later Archie Hargraves abandons his fiancée Clara and travels from England to meet with Edward’s widow, Rosalind. He plans to write a biography and make a name for himself, independent from his wealthy father. Returning to England in 1914 he abandons his work to join the war in Europe. His journal of notes from Australia is never released.

Ellie Cannon, a young PhD candidate at Sydney University, is writing a thesis on one of Barrington’s last known poems, The Fall. It’s not going well. Struggling with her relationship with her mother and loss of her father, Ellie is on the brink of failure.

Then a body is found by the Finniss River, 130 years after Edward’s disappearance. Could it be the famous poet?

The discovery draws Ellie into the worlds of Edward, Archie and Clara, taking her across Australia and England in her search for the truth.

Covering life in remote South Australia, the social pressures of 1900s Britain and the historical role of women, Widow’s Lace is an historical fiction, mystery cross-over dealing with themes of obsession, fear, love, inner-secrets and regret. But also the hope that can come from despair.

Publication Date: 23 March 2020

Publisher: Independently Published

Page Length: 242 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble

Now for the review -

I quite like a dual timeline novel, but Widow’s Lace has not just two timelines but three. The late 1800s, the early 20th Century and modern times. This novel centres around one poet’s life and the mystery that surrounded his disappearance, and thus, the timelines are connected.

The differences in how lives were lived are apparent as you switch between perspectives. In modern days, Ellie is trying to complete a thesis on the poem The Fall by Edward Barrington, but she has lost inspiration and spends more time with a glass of wine. The discovery of bones at his old house sends her on a journey to find out who the bones belong to, a journey that leads her to learn about both the other timelines.

Edward Barrington moved to Australia in the late 1800s, hoping that the heat would help heal his wife’s lungs. This calls for a complete lifestyle change, which Edward adapts to with ease, but his wife, Rosalind, does not. Rosalind misses England and is unhappy in Australia, understandably so, for she goes through so many things, including having to deal with her ill health.

The third timeline (early 20th Century), is the story of Archie and Clara. Clara just wants Archie to propose to her and give her the attention she so desires, but Archie travels to Australia to meet with Rosalind to find out about the sudden and unexplained disappearance of Edward Barrington 25 years ago.

While all the time periods were written with a thrilling excellence, I loved reading about Edward and how he changes to fit into a new culture and how far he was willing to go to help his wife—thousands of miles from everything he’s ever known. His poetry is pushed aside as he realises a new love, the love of the farm he acquires, and his every thought becomes filled with ideas and plans for the farm. I felt for Rosalind, for she belonged in England, but her lungs simply wouldn’t allow it. Australia’s warmth would keep the rot at bay, but the air of England would allow it to run rampant and kill her.

The setting in both countries is described so wonderfully that I felt like I was there. The Australia heat brushed my cheek. And the bustle in London is a timely reminder of the age we live in. Ellie’s research takes her on a journey to Barrington’s old house, both the one in Australia, which has a new owner, and the one in England, which the National Trust has since taken over. It was fascinating to see the mystery unfold in front of my eyes, and I certainly did not expect the outcome!

Widow’s Lace is a wonderfully written novel that leaves nothing to the imagination and leaves you wanting more. There is no need for prior knowledge, anyone can pick up a copy of this book and understand the events of the story, and I urge people to do so. You will not be disappointed. I was certainly not.

Lelita Baldock

Lelita has a passion for stories, especially those with a dark undercurrent, or a twist to be revealed. 

She hopes to tell interesting stories that people will find themselves drawn into. Stories that are for entertainment and escape, and hopefully a little thrill of the unexpected. She truly enjoys the experience of writing, exploring human traits and reactions as well as the darkness that can lurk unexpectedly inside anyone.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Lelita holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and History from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Education from The University of South Australia. During her twenties she worked as an English teacher in both Australia and the United Kingdom, working with the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

Now Lelita and her husband run a web development business, and she makes time for writing after hours and on weekends. It can mean long days and late nights, but she doesn’t mind, stories are her passion.

Lelita’s long term goal as a writer is to be able to publish her stories regularly and hopefully appeal to a wide range of readers.

Lelita currently resides in the United Kingdom with her husband Ryan and beloved rescue-cat, Jasmine.

You can connect with Lelita Baldock via the following platforms -

Website • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook • Book Bub • Amazon • Goodreads

You can also learn more about the author and the book by visiting the other blogs on this tour.

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe.
 

 

 

 

 

Welcoming Cynthia Ripley Miller and her book - A Sword Among Ravens - to my blog.

Today I'm welcoming Cynthia Ripley Miller and her book - A Sword Among Ravens (The Long-Hair Saga) - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

 

I'm delighted to share a review with you all, but first I will introduce the book.

A Sword Among Ravens

In a grave, on the edge of a Roman battlefield, an ancient sword has been discovered. Legend claims it belonged to King David of Israel and carries a curse—those who wield it will tragically die—but not the chosen.

AD 455. Arria Felix and her husband, Garic the Frank, have safely delivered a sacred relic to Emperor Marcian in Constantinople. But now, Arria and Garic will accept a new mission. The emperor has asked them to carry the sword of King David of Israel to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where Arria will dedicate it in her murdered father’s memory.

As Arria and Garic travel into the heart of the Holy Land, they face many challenges and dangers. Their young daughter is missing then found in the company of a strange and suspicious old monk. A brutal killer stalks their path. And a band of cold-blooded thieves is determined to steal the sword for their own gains. But when Arria confronts the question of where the sword should truly rest—old friendships, loyalties, and her duty are put to the test like never before. At every turn, Arria and Garic find themselves caught in a treacherous mission wrapped in mystery, murder, and A Sword Among Ravens.

Publication Date: 9^th December 2020

Publisher: BookLocker

Page Length: 267 Pages

Genre: Romantic Historical Mystery

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • Barnes and Noble • Kobo

Now for the review -

“A Curse on one who wields David’s sword…” well, I don’t know about you, but that certainly sent a shiver down my spine.

Set in the late 5th Century, A Sword Among Ravens is one of those books that is unputdownable. I could not turn the pages fast enough, and I was completely captivated by the fast-paced narrative. The story is a race against time. The Sword of David must be placed under the protective care of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. But, as the whispered rumours of the existence of the sword sweep the continent, the sword becomes a target and those who have been charged with keeping it safe find themselves in an unprecedented dangerous position. There are many who would happily steal the sword, by any means, if the price is right.

I thought the idea of King David’s sacred sword was an inspired idea, and the author takes us on an unforgettable journey along with Arria and Garic and they endeavour to deliver it to the Church unhindered. I really liked reading about this husband and wife team - and I grew to admire them as this story progressed.

The author has decided to let her readers glimpse into the minds of the antagonists as well as the protagonists, which I thought really helped propel this story forward. The antagonists, and there are several, really help to drive this story forward, and there is a menace about them which certainly helped to keep my attention throughout this novel.

I thought it was very telling how those of the Christian religion believed that the sword should come under their protection. Although the Sword of David is fictional in the telling, it was interesting to read that the Jews were not allowed into their Holy City during this period of history - which considering, King David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital of the Jewish Kingdom must have been a terrible blow to them. There is some debate in this novel about whether the sword should really be returned to the Jews. Still, like Jerusalem, there was no way that was going to happen.

I have not read the first two books in this series, and although this initially concerned me, my fears were soon laid to rest for this novel stands alone. I really enjoyed reading this novel it is filled with mystery, tension but also love and laughter.

If you love historical fiction that has a touch of mystery as well as the celestial in it, then I think you will enjoy this book!

Cynthia Ripley Miller

Cynthia Ripley Miller is a first generation Italian-American writer with a love for history, languages, and books. She has lived in Europe and traveled world-wide, holds two degrees, and taught history and English. Her short fiction has appeared in the anthology Summer Tapestry, at Orchard Press Mysteries.com, and The Scriptor. She is a Chanticleer International Chatelaine Award finalist with awards from Circle of Books-Rings of Honor and The Coffee Pot Book Club. She has reviewed for UNRV Roman History, and blogs at Historical Happenings and Oddities: A Distant Focus and on her website, www.cynthiaripleymiller.com

Cynthia is the author of On the Edge of Sunrise, The Quest for the Crown of Thorns, and A Sword Among Ravens, books 1-3 in her Long-Hair Saga series set in Late Ancient Rome, France, and Jerusalem. Cynthia lives outside of Chicago with her family, along with a cute but bossy cat. 

You can connect with Cynthia via the following platforms -

Website: www.cynthiaripleymiller.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRipleyMiller

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cripleymiller/ancient-world-fiction/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Ripley-Miller/e/B012P0FJC6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56274617-a-sword-among-ravens

You can learn more about the author and the book by visiting the other blogs on this tour.

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe.

 

 

Welcoming Renee Yancy and her book - The Test of Gold - to my blog

 Today I'm welcoming Renee Yancy and her book - The Test of Gold (Book 1 - Hearts of Gold series) - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

I am delighted to share a review with you all, but first I will introduce the book.

The Test of Gold

Raised in the shadow of a mother who defied convention, but won’t allow her own daughter the right to make the same choices, heiress Evangeline Lindenmayer has been groomed since childhood to marry into the British aristocracy.

When Lindy challenges her mother’s long-laid plans by falling in love with a poor seminary student, the explosion is bigger than the Brooklyn Bridge fireworks on Independence Day.

Publication Date: 15 March 2021

Publisher: Vinspire Publishing

Page Length: 335 pages

Genre: Historical Romance

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08WM2HCH7

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WM2HCH7

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-test-of-gold-renee-yancy/1138727180?ean=9781736366202

And now for the review…

The Test of Gold is a little different from the other historical romances that I have read. Instead of trying to catch a Duke, Evangeline “Lindy” Lindenmayer is doing her very best to avoid them all, for she has no desire to become a Duchess - if asked, she would rather become an archaeologist. But no one is asking.

Lindy’s father is a successful American businessman, and her family is incredibly wealthy — her mother certainly likes to make sure that everyone knows this. From the moment of Lindy’s birth. Vera (Lindy’s mother) is determined that her daughter will marry into the English aristocracy, and thus she would then be able to boast about such a triumph.

This novel really pulled at my heartstrings. Lindy is such a gentle and compassionate young woman who suffers terrible abuse at the hands of the one person who should be protecting her - her mother. Vera uses every tactic in the book to ensure her daughter’s obedience. Vera is very domineering, and if she were a real person set in this era, I am sure she would have been diagnosed with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder - she certainly knows how to beat her daughter into submission with her sharp tongue, and her even more offensive play-acting. I did struggle a little with why her father does not step in and stop this terrible abuse from occurring under his roof. His timidity and inability to say no to his wife and bow to her every whim certainly did not help our poor heroine’s situation.

The romance in this novel is very sweet and gentle - a stark contrast to the abusive relationship Lindy has with her mother. But it is the relationship with her mother that really takes centre stage in this novel, and it is therefore not so much a romance book, but one about the resilience of the human spirit and the determination to break free from the incredibly toxic relationship that she is being forced to endure.

The Test of Gold is undoubtedly a novel that held my attention throughout—in fact, I read it in one sitting. I also felt that there was something of Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers in this novel, and I could not help but compare Lindy’s situation with that of Nan’s—although Vera makes Nan’s mother something of a saint!

If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong character-led story, then this book should certainly be on your to-read list. I will most definitely be reading more books from this author.

Renee Yancy

Renee Yancy is a history and archaeology nut who writes the kind of historical fiction she loves to read – stories filled with historical detail that immerse you in another place and time. When she isn't writing historical fiction or traveling to see the places her characters have lived, she can be found in the wilds of Kentucky with her husband and two rescue mutts named Ellie and Charlie. 

You can connect with Renee Yancy via the following platforms -

Website: https://www.reneeyancy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YancyRenee

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneeyancy/?hl=en

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-q-yancy-842a1631/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/reneeyancy/_created/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/renee-yancy

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Renee-Yancy/e/B00726MJDQ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55044611-the-test-of-gold

You can learn more about the author and the book by visiting the other blogs on this tour -

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe

 

 

Welcoming Mal Foster and his book - Jude & Bliss - to my blog.

Today I'm welcoming Mal Foster and his book - Jude & Bliss - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

 Delighted to share some inspiration behind the novel with you all, but first I will introduce the book.

Jude & Bliss

In the Victorian era, for many young women, going into domestic service was a significant source of employment where they found suitable work but with extended hours for a reasonable salary, receiving free accommodation as well as enjoying the perks and prestige of working for the aristocracy or other members of the upper or middle-classes.

As a matter of course, employers had a moral obligation, but one without a legal requirement to ensure their servants were kept clean, healthy and well-nourished. However, for one poor girl, that, unfortunately, was not the case.

In 1896, Jude Rogers, a wide-eyed but vulnerable sixteen-year-old from Woking, Surrey, secures a position as a domestic servant at a large terraced house in Half Moon Street, near London's Piccadilly. Following a brief settling-in period, she quickly realises everything is not quite as it seems.

As time moves ruthlessly forward, what happens next is almost beyond comprehension. Jude finds herself in the most impossible of situations and finally succumbs to the pure evil dealt out by her employer.

This story is NOT for the faint-hearted!

Tag Line: A Victorian Tragedy

Publication Date: 12 November 2020

Publisher: Publish Nation

Page Length: 234

Genre: Historical Fiction

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jude-Bliss-Mal-Foster-ebook/dp/B08M5KKFT1

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Jude-Bliss-Mal-Foster-ebook/dp/B08M5KKFT1

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Jude-Bliss-Mal-Foster/9798550129265

Now for the inspiration behind the novel -

The inspiration for ‘Jude & Bliss’ manifested itself as far back as 1994, at a time when I hadn’t even considered writing a novel.

On a hot Sunday afternoon at the end of June that year, I attended the Strawberry Fayre, at Bisley Village Green with my then-wife, Jeannette, and our four-year-old son Chris. The Surrey Heath Museum had a display in a gazebo which contained marvels of local history.

Among the artefacts, was a crudely bound court account of a young girl from nearby Bagshot who was systematically killed by her employer. The employer, a Mrs Camilla Nicholls, of Pitt Street, Kensingston, was ultimately tried for manslaughter and sentenced to seven years penal servitude. An extremely light sentence for her crime, in my opinion. The young girl who died was one Emily Jane Popejoy, (1880-1897).

After a pleasant chat with the museum’s curator, I attained a copy of the court report for £5.00, which was quite extortionate in 1994. However, it never really told the full story from Emily’s perspective, nor that of her family but for some reason, it all had a profound effect on me, and I made sure I kept my purchase in a safe place for years to come.

It wasn’t until 2015 after I had finished my debut historical fiction novel, ‘The Asylum Soul’ that I considered turning Emily’s tragic tale into a novel. It took me a few more years to decide how to achieve my goal of actually getting down to business and writing the book. I knew my story had to be original and written as fiction. ‘Jude & Bliss’ is truly inspired by a real-life tragedy but importantly, it is not based on one.

As part of my research, I visited Emily Popejoy’s grave in March 2020 whilst I was in the early stages of writing. The whole experience was rather poignant and felt quite spiritual. I then created Jude Rogers, a character similar to Emily and one I hope Emily herself, would have endeared to.

As the writing progressed, I slightly amended the timelines and changed the locations albeit, keeping them quite local. There were a lot of gaps in Emily’s true story. This is where fiction came to the fore and played its part. I knew I had to make the whole story of Jude, my own, therefore the storyline is completely detached from the real-life account of Emily Popejoy’s life, and sadly, her ultimate demise.

Mal Foster

Mal Foster was born in 1956 in Farnham, Surrey and grew up in nearby Camberley. He was educated at secondary modern level but left school at just fifteen years old to help support his single mother and younger brother. It was around this time that he began writing, and indeed, his first poems were published soon after. 

In 2007 his most widely read poem The Wedding was published in the Australian Secondary Schools anthology Poetry Unlocked' a book that formed part of its English Literature exam curriculum. The irony of its inclusion has always amused Mal considering he left school before gaining any formal qualifications himself.  

A former local journalist, his first novel The Asylum Soul, a historical tale of incarceration was published in 2015. A second book, Fly Back and Purify, a paranormal drama appeared in 2017. Described as an explosive conspiracy thriller, An Invisible Nemesis was published at the beginning of May 2019.

In November 2020, his fourth novel, Jude & Bliss, was published and marked a return to historical fiction for Mal. "This book is close to my heart, it's the one, I think, which will define the course of my future writing," he told one observer.  

You can connect with Mal Foster via the following platforms -

Website: http://www.malfoster.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/malfosterwriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mal.foster.3/?hl=en

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

You can learn more about the author and the book by visiting the other blogs on the tour.

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe