Publication Date: 28th November 2018 (ebook)
Publisher: Ocelot Press
Print Length: 274 Pages
Genre: Duel Time-Line / Historical Mystery / Romance
A reluctant daughter. A dutiful wife. A mystery of the ages.
Languedoc, France, 2018
Historian Madeleine Winters would rather research her next project than rehash the strained relationship she had with her late mother. However, to claim her inheritance, she reluctantly agrees to stay the one year required in her late mother’s French home and begins renovations. But when she’s haunted by a female voice inside the house and tremors emanating from beneath her kitchen floorboards, she’s shocked to discover ancient human bones.
The Mediterranean coast, AD 777
Seventeen-year-old Nanthild is wise enough to know her place. Hiding her Pagan wisdom and dutifully accepting her political marriage, she’s surprised when she falls for her Christian husband, the Count of Carcassonne. But she struggles to keep her forbidden religious beliefs and her healing skills secret while her spouse goes off to fight in a terrible, bloody war.
As Maddie settles into her rustic village life, she becomes obsessed with unraveling the mysterious history buried in her new home. And when Nanthild is caught in the snare of an envious man, she’s terrified she’ll never embrace her beloved again.
Can two women torn apart by centuries help each other finally find peace?
Love Lost in Time is a vivid standalone historical fiction novel for fans of epoch-spanning enigmas. If you like dark mysteries, romantic connections, and hints of the paranormal, then you’ll adore Cathie Dunn’s tale of redemption and self-discovery.
Praise
"From the richness of Charlemagne's court and the regret of a daughter, as she stands over her mother's grave, to the realisation of an enemy and a skeleton under the kitchen floor, Love Lost in Time: A Tale of Love, Death and Redemption by Cathie Dunn is the unforgettable story that traverses two very different times."
The Coffee Pot Book Club, 5* Editorial Review
"The narrative is ripe with emotions as two independent women are pulled in unexpected directions... Both landscapes are beautifully penned for readers to easily get lost in. Additionally, the storylines are engaging, and each helped bring a satisfying conclusion to the other. An enjoyable tale about love, sacrifice, and self-discovery."
Historical Novel Society
"The historical details are beautiful, and a book which could easily feel oppressively sad is cleverly lightened with the use of romance and a satisfying ending. Well written and easy to read, the historical side may be a little more compelling, but the contemporary details add a layer that cannot be ignored!"
In'DTale Magazine
"In Love Lost in Time, Ms Dunn creates a fascinating balance between a tragic love story set in the Visigoth empire of the eighth century, and a very modern historian on a quest to find her own personal history in picturesque Languedoc...
Thoroughly researched and beautifully told, both stories complement each other in narrative power and colourful scene-setting; and in the dual narrative the main characters are compelling - each a product of destiny and following their fate, regardless of the cost.
Fans of Kate Mosse will relish this book..."
Discovering Diamonds Reviews
Excerpt
Mid-March, 2018
Maddie felt like a stranger catching a glimpse into the life of another person; not like a close family member. She swallowed hard. Perhaps, she should have made more of an effort.
“At least your home will look proud and happy again,” she whispered into the empty, quiet room.
It was useless pondering about the past. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the beer bottle and went into the kitchen, letting the fresh air seep into the living room to dispel the smell of paint. Stopping in the doorway to the kitchen, she looked around. The Welsh dresser was desperately in need of a new varnish, as was the sideboard, but the heavy cupboard would have to go. A fresh worktop was needed. The walls needed brightening, just like the living room, and the old, unevenly-tiled floor required a new base, with fresh, modern tiles.
That meant either levelling and covering it or lifting the floor altogether. Yuck! She dreaded to think about the ensuing mess. She needed help with that.
Maddie crouched down on her heels and ran her hands over the old, red square floor tiles that left every piece of furniture in the kitchen wonky. Bits of cardboard shoved under the feet of the cupboard, dresser and dining table kept them stable, but the chairs all wobbled. Nobody had bothered to straighten the floor in the last century. The tiles beneath her hand felt poorly fitted. Not one tile was level with another. It was a shame, but these tiles would have to go.
A tremor ran across the floor, and it made her withdraw her hand quickly. She nearly lost her balance, catching herself on the doorframe.
“What the—?”
Curious, she put her hand down again, clutching the beer bottle with the other. The ground was solid. Had she imagined it?
She sat, waiting for more. Nothing happened.
Sighing, she rose and put the bottle on the table. Was the area prone to earthquakes? She’d never heard of any here. Tomorrow, she would ask Bernadette if she could recommend a builder. Dreading the cost of it, she walked the length of the room, then the width, measuring the room in her mind. “About twenty square metres. OK.”
Not too big a job, but still messy. She expected dust would spread all over the house if she did not keep doors shut. In the meantime, she could paint upstairs before doing the corridor once the kitchen was finished. The wooden beams had to wait for their woodworm treatment until she could keep the windows open.
Elizabeth’s savings would fade fast, but the sale would bring in enough to cover them.
She sat and took another sip, as she imagined what the house would be like post-renovation. With new furnishings and a cream-coloured tiled floor, the kitchen would look nice and fresh. The old sideboard would get a new coat of varnish and the Welsh dresser could be the pièce de résistance in her new modern, yet charming country kitchen.
Not that it would have to be to her taste! She shook her head in emphasis. Once the year was up, the house would go.
Another light tremor beneath her feet made her jump. She darted to the radio and dialled through the channels to see if there were any reports of earthquakes. But they either broadcast music or discussions, with the latest rugby results announced on Sud Radio. Surely, programmes would be interrupted for news about any unexpected earthquakes in the area?
“Bizarre,” she murmured. Then she remembered her neighbour. She should check if Bernadette was OK.
Maddie emptied the bottle in a last big gulp, then rinsed her mouth with water from the tap. She didn’t want to smell like a drunk.
Collecting the house key from the sideboard, she went to the door. As she threw it open, she stared at a man whose outstretched hand was inches from her face.
“Oh, hello. I was just about to knock.” Léon Cabrol withdrew his hand and put it into his jeans pocket. “Salut.”
Maddie blinked and stared at him. Besides tight jeans, he wore his black leather jacket. Why did such a man have to live in her village? She’d been single for too long!
“Oh, umm, bonjour.” Maddie’s hand went to her hair. She’d tied it in a high bun before she started to paint, and it was all mussed up now. “Did you feel that?”
He raised his eyebrow. “Quoi?”
My god, what a question to ask! “Sorry, I meant whether you felt the earthquake.” His eyes told her he had no idea what she was talking about. “Just a minute ago, and couple of minutes before that. The ground was shaking.”
“It certainly is now,” he said. Amusement sparkled in his eyes.
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Cathie is an Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, dual-timeline, mystery, and romance. She loves to infuse her stories with a strong sense of place and time, combined with a dark secret or mystery – and a touch of romance. Often, you can find her deep down the rabbit hole of historical research…
In addition, she is also a historical fiction book promoter with The Coffee Pot Book Club, a novel-writing tutor, and a keen reviewer on her blog, Ruins & Reading.
After having lived in Scotland for almost two decades, Cathie is now enjoying the sunshine in the south of France with her husband, and her rescued pets, Ellie Dog & Charlie Cat.
She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
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