Welcoming Linnea Tanner and her book - Skull's Vengeance - to my blog

Today I'm welcoming Linnea Tanner and her book - Skull's Vengeance (Book 4 of Curse of Clansmen and Kings series) - 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.

Skull's Vengeance

A Celtic warrior queen must do the impossible—defeat her sorcerer half-brother and claim the throne. But to do so, she must learn how to strike vengeance from her father’s skull.

AS FORETOLD BY HER FATHER in a vision, Catrin has become a battle-hardened warrior after her trials in the Roman legion and gladiatorial games. She must return to Britannia and pull the cursed dagger out of the serpent's stone to fulfill her destiny. Only then can she unleash the vengeance from the ancient druids to destroy her evil half-brother, the powerful sorcerer, King Marrock. Always two steps ahead and seemingly unstoppable, Marrock can summon destructive natural forces to crush any rival trying to stop him and has charged his deadliest assassin to bring back Catrin's head.

To have the slightest chance of beating Marrock, Catrin must forge alliances with former enemies, but she needs someone she can trust. Her only option is to seek military aid from Marcellus—her secret Roman husband. They rekindle their burning passion, but he is playing a deadly game in the political firestorm of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to support Catrin's cause.

Ultimately, in order to defeat Marrock, Catrin must align herself with a dark druidess and learn how to summon forces from skulls to exact vengeance. But can she and Marcellu outmanoeuvre political enemies from Rome and Britannia in their quest to vanquish Marrock?

Trigger warnings: Sex, Slave trafficking and abuse, Violence, Childbirth

Publication Date: 18 October 2022

Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC

Page Length: 402 pages

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Praise

Acclaim for other books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:

"[An] epic tale of love, betrayal and political intrigue." —InD'tale Magazine

"The requisite fantasy elements of magic and mystery abound...Tanner also does an admirable job weaving in the politics and mythology of a bygone people." —Kirkus

"Part fantasy, part historical fiction, Linnea Tanner has woven together a wonderful tale of romance, intrigue, mystery, and legend to create an entertaining and complex story." —The International Review of Books

"[A] captivating tale of triangles; love, lust and espionage; friend, foe, and spies; barbarians, civilized Rome and spiritual-supernatural beings." —2019 Pencraft Book of the Year Award

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon US: 

https://www.amazon.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon CA:

https://www.amazon.ca/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon AU: 

https://www.amazon.com.au/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Barnes and Noble:  

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skulls-vengeance-linnea-tanner/1142034153?ean=2940185587164

iTunes: 

https://books.apple.com/us/book/skulls-vengeance/id6443334037

Kobo: 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/skull-s-vengeance

GooglePlay: 

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=CTSDEAAAQBAJ

Booktopia:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/skull-s-vengeance-linnea-tanner/book/9781733600200.html

Buy Links for Books from Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:

Apollo’s Raven: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848QHHK4/

Dagger’s Destiny: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G3G4G55/

Amulet’s Rapture: 

https://www.amazon.com/Amulets-Rapture-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B07Y8SS2B2

Skull’s Vengeance: 

https://www.amazon.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Now for the excerpt -

The sun was sitting high in the sky when they reached a small clearing in the forest. After a few weeks of living in the stuffy hut, the air in the forest felt fresher than before. Ulf breathed in the rich forest aroma of damp ground and green leaves, feeling his anger being calmed, as if Freya had placed a soothing hand on his head. Even the sounds seem louder, he thought as he heard the birds singing in the trees. There were twigs snapping in the distance, a constant reminder they were not alone in this old forest.

“Let’s rest here,” Ulf said. He was tired and the pain in his side was making it difficult to carry on. His mood was in contrast to the sunny weather as he sat down and tried to figure out what to do. He didn’t have much of a plan, didn’t even know where to go. There was Thorgilsstad, but his uncle had always told him to stay away from there. But Ulf didn’t know of any other jarls.

Vidar, on the other hand, was smiling. Ulf guessed Vidar felt free, but he didn’t understand why Vidar had waited so long to kill the old man.

“Why now?” he asked Vidar.

Vidar looked at him, confused at first, but then he understood the question. He replied by pointing at Ulf.

“You waited for me?” This made no sense. How did Vidar know that he would be there?

Vidar shrugged and then nodded. A yes and no answer.

“How did you know that I would not kill you instead? Thralls who kill their owners must be killed themselves. Those are the rules of our land.”

Vidar only smiled and shrugged.

Somehow, he knew. Ulf felt a bit uneasy and it was not because of the pain. It felt like there was more to this silent boy with his large hands. Before Ulf could say anything else, he saw Vidar scanning the trees at the other side of the clearing. The smile disappeared from Vidar’s face, replaced by a snarl that reminded Ulf of a dog.

“What is it?” Ulf asked, realizing the birds had gone quiet. He got back to his feet and took Olaf’s axe from his belt.

In response to his question, a man jumped out of the undergrowth. Ulf pushed Vidar behind him and held the axe ready, though he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. The man had a long hunting spear, which he now pointed at Ulf and Vidar. He looked as surprised to see them as they were to see him.

“Who are you?” he asked. He had a strong voice which spoke of confidence.

“Nobody important,” Ulf replied. “Who are you?”

The man smiled at the response. He was the same height as Ulf, but sturdier. He had a round face with light hair, braided and tied at the back. His beard, the same colour as his hair, also had a thick braid and went to the top of his chest. Ulf could tell by the many arm-rings he wore and his bunched-up shoulder muscles that the man was an experienced warrior.

“My name is Snorri Thorgilsson,” he said with a broad smile as he stood up straight and stopped pointing the spear at them. He must have decided they were no threat.

“Thorgilsson? As in Jarl Thorgils?” Ulf should have guessed he was someone important by the quality of the clothes he was wearing.

“Yes, I am the son of the jarl. You mean to kill me.” He was smiling at the thought. Even Ulf doubted he could kill the warrior, especially with his side still hurting.

Vidar started pulling at Ulf’s sleeve, but Ulf ignored him. He didn’t want to take his eyes off the man facing them. Again, Vidar tugged at Ulf’s sleeve, more persistently this time.

“What?” Ulf turned to look at Vidar but kept an eye on the warrior in front of them.

Vidar pointed to the trees as a large brown bear walked into the clearing, behind the man who called himself Snorri. But Snorri hadn’t noticed the bear and must have thought Vidar was pointing at him.

“What does he want?” Snorri asked Ulf as the bear crept closer. Ulf had never seen a bear as large as this one.

“Behind you,” Ulf answered and was shocked to see Snorri laugh.

“Those are my men, nothing to worry about.”

“There are no men behind you.”

Linnea Tanner

Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical druids.

Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4).

A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.

You can connect with Linnea Tanner via these platforms -

Website: https://www.linneatanner.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/linneatanner

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linnea-tanner-a021932b/

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/linneatanner/_created/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linnea-tanner

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linnea-Tanner/e/B01N6YEM04

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16474282.Linnea_Tanner

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

Tour Schedule: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/01/blog-tour-skulls-vengeance-curse-of.html

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe.

Welcoming Laurence O'Bryan and his book - The Sign of the Blood ( A Dangerous Emperor Book One ) - to my blog

Today I'm welcoming Laurence O'Bryan and his book - The Sign of the Blood (A Dangerous Emperor Book One) - 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 bring you all a review, but first I will introduce the book.

The Sign of the Blood

The first Christian emperor faces ruthless enemies on his journey to power.

Cool mist settles over the legion advancing toward the Persian army. Constantine, the son of an emperor, the Roman officer leading the attack, tells his men to halt - something is wrong.

Before long, the battle rages. He frees a slave named Juliana. She is half Persian and half Roman. As they are pursued to Britannia over land and sea, he learns that she can see the future - his future.

It is 306A.D., long before Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and became the first Christian emperor.

To ensure he survives, he must eliminate his enemies. But who must die first? The priestess, Sybellina, who joined them in Rome and practices dark and seductive magic? Or the brutal legion commanders who surround his father? Or, as Juliana suspects, are those who want him dead even closer?

A gripping historical novel about Constantine’s bloody rise to power, the woman who helped him, and the real reason he supported a persecuted Christian minority, a decision which changed the world into the one we know.

Publication date: 22^nd November 2018

Publisher: Ardua 

Print Length: 469 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

You can purchase a copy via -

 Amazon

Praise for The Sign of the blood

"Exciting and original." - SJA Turney, author of Praetorian.

“It is an enthralling story from start to finish…” The Coffee Pot Book Club

Now for the review -

Firstly, I have to admit I do not know an awful a lot about Constantine the Great, and indeed this period of history, so I was a little apprehensive that this era would be too foreign to me. I need not have worried, for Mr O’Bryan is a competent tour guide as well as an incredibly gifted author.

Constantine is a young man who is desperate to break free from the chains that hold him back from reaching his true potential. In a politically volatile world, Constantine must find his place in it. Unlike many of his counterparts, Constantine abhors cruelty, and he cannot turn away from it when he sees it, which I think gives his character not only honour but also credibility. I thought Mr O’Bryan’s depiction of Constantine was fabulous.

One of the characters that I really adored is Juliana. Juliana’s story is incredibly moving, and also very realistic in the telling. I thought Juliana brought a great deal to this book, and I enjoyed learning about her.

This is a book that is very battle heavy which is normally not my cup of tea, but actually, the way Mr O’Bryan has written these scenes make them very cinematic in the telling. It was almost like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book.

The Sign of the Blood is a meticulously researched novel that brings back to life the ancient world. I thought it was fabulous.

Laurence O'Bryan

I spent twenty years studying Roman history and reading every book about Constantine the Great I could find. I also visited numerous sites where my Roman series is set, including in London, where I lived for ten years, Jerusalem, Rome, Trier, York, Nicomedia and Istanbul.

The first novel in the series, The Sign of The Blood, is about the rise to power of Constantine the Great, the women who helped him, and the others who wanted him dead.

The Road to The Bridge, the second novel in the series, is about the lead up to the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D. and how Constantine the Great lured Maxentius, his rival emperor, out of Rome.

The third novel in the series, The Cursed City, is about the dedication of New Rome, later to be called Constantinople, and how Constantine fell out with his wife, Fausta, and his son Crispus, and what he had to do to survive.

To join the mailing list and receive news of these books use this link: http://bit.ly/TSOTBseries

There are five novels in the puzzle series, The Istanbul Puzzle, The Jerusalem Puzzle, The Manhattan Puzzle, The Nuremberg Puzzle and The Cairo Puzzle.

There is a story link from The Istanbul Puzzle to The Cursed City.

My books have:
* Achieved #1 ranking on Amazon,
* Been translated into 10 languages.

My roots go back to a small estate deep in the Mountains of Mourne near the Silent Valley, in County Down, Northern Ireland.

I went to school in Dublin, drank way too much, studied English and history, then business, then IT at Oxford University.

My research has taken me all over the world, from San Francisco to deep in the Muslim world. There are secrets everywhere. I enjoy writing about them. I hope you enjoy reading about them.

You can connect with Laurence O'Bryan via -

Twitter

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

I hope you will check out the book.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe