Wednesday 27 October 2021

BOOK EXCERPT!!! The Book Boyfriend by Jeanna Louise Skinner #TheBookBoyfriend #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @jeannalstars @UKRomChat @maryanneyarde

 

 


The Book Boyfriend

 

By Jeanna Louise Skinner

 

Let us find solace in the quiet…"

 

Emmeline always dreamed of being an author, finding comfort in words and between the pages of her beloved romance novels, but a mental health diagnosis leaves her blocked and unable to write. Then she inherits a crumbling, second-hand bookshop from a mysterious old friend and Emmy discovers that magic is real and maybe her fantasies about the heroes in her favourite historical romances aren't so far-fetched after all.

 

A handsome stranger–wielding a sword as dangerous as his Tudor past–appears in Emmy's bookshop asking for help. Together they must race against time itself to lift the curse imprisoning him in an ancient book. But when growing threats to her safety are proved real and not another symptom of her illness, Emmy must learn to trust her own voice again. Can she find the words to save Jonathan and her shop before tragedy strikes on the fateful final page? 

 

Romance-addict Emmy may be, but this damsel is about to kick distress into the Ever After.

 

 

Excerpt



Jonathan had lost count of the number of times he’d been in this position: disrobed in the presence of a beautiful young woman, but never had he met one so forthright, so tall and well built - in every sense of the term. Or so fascinating.

 

 “Well?” Her dark eyes bored into his.

 

He opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure how to begin.

 

“My Lady, Emmeline. Forgive me again. Once more you find me unprepared. My name is Lord Jonathan Dalgliesh. Son of His Grace, Lord William Dalgliesh and First Earl of Devonshire.” He paused and the ticking from the grandfather clock filled the silence, matched by the thumping of his heart. Each tick, each beat, echoed in his ears with the portent of execution drums. This might be his only chance. He must not fail. “I am the man you have been reading about, the man in your book. Centuries gone by, a witch placed upon me a curse to exist as a character within the book, and thus, I have been waiting for someone to free me. I do not understand the magic completely, but I need your help, my good lady. Please, I beg you believe me.”

 

Emmeline withdrew her hand and visibly shrank away.

 

“Funny. How about you try the truth this time?” Her words dripped with scorn, but there was another edge to them. It was a few moments before he understood what. Fear. A gallery of faces quickly embroidered themselves upon the tapestry of his thoughts; mostly female, some male, yet the single unifying thread through them all was fear. He would never forget their expressions; the wild-eyed bewilderment as they or their family members were accused. The very thought that he could instill those same emotions in another even now, centuries later, was a source of never-ending shame which would haunt him to his grave. Lady Emmeline was afraid of him and that would simply not do. 

 

It was imperative that she believe him, that she understood there was nothing to fear. Not for her at least. If only he could have kept the same care for himself. But he couldn’t afford to worry about his potential fate now and pushed the unwelcome darkness from his mind. Focusing on the immediate problem again, he attempted to diminish his stature, doing everything he could to make his six-foot frame appear less threatening. But the woman’s height bested his own by at least a clear inch and the dawning realisation of this unexpected and unusual occurrence jolted his thoughts sideways once more. How could this unworldly female be taller than him? He’d heard tales of giant warrior woman from far off lands, but he’d dismissed them as myth.

Perchance she was related to these women. Or perhaps the females of Emmeline’s time were all like this and Maggie was the outlier. Either way, the young woman’s exceptionally agreeable size and stature was as every bit disconcerting as the beauty of her face. 

 

He had to shake himself to snap out of the reverie. She was staring at him, waiting for him to speak. All too easily had he allowed himself to be distracted by her looks and the irony of this realisation wasn’t lost on him. It was the reason, or at least one of them, that he found himself in this predicament - his fate in her hands -in the first place. Swallowing a sudden bitter wave of bile, he composed himself and tried again. “Please, I know this will not be easy for you to hear, but I must explain: Maggie assured me I would have your assistance.”

 

It was the wrong thing to say. Her mouth which had been open - presumably to chastise him further - snapped shut. She marched to the door, yanking so hard, it hit the wall behind and the glass in the panel trembled.

 

“I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing, but I want you out. Now!

 

Jonathan sighed, holding up his palms in what he hoped was non-threatening fashion. It was folly, perhaps, to have expected differently, yet the growing realisation that he must so soon play his only remaining hand in order to gain her trust, punctured his nerve. He was prepared for the pain. The physical aspect of tearing his flesh and blood from reality and transforming back into his paper and ink self was never pleasant, but he would cope if it meant there was a chance. It was the possibility of what came after that he hadn’t been ready to face. He thought he would have more time. And now here he was, after hundreds of years of nothing but time, standing on the precipice of life itself, knowing that the clock had finally run out and he was about to dive off the edge into the unknown. If it wasn’t so hideous to consider the alternative it would almost be funny. Almost.

 

This was it. The most important game of tables he’d ever played, and he closed his eyes briefly, knowing his fate hung on this, his last throw of the dice. If she did not believe or refused to help, everything was lost.

 

Time was up, the game done.

 

The End.

 

He took a deep breath and dove headfirst into time and space.

 

“I implore you to understand. You have nothing to fear from me, my lady, but I understand your apprehension. Please do not be alarmed at what I am about to do.”




You can pick up your copy at

 

Amazon UK 

 

Amazon US 

 

Amazon CA 

 

Amazon AU

 

 

Jeanna Louise Skinner

 

 


Jeanna Louise Skinner writes romance with a sprinkling of magic. The Book Boyfriend is her debut novel and she is currently working on a prequel. She has ADHD and CRPS, a rare neuro-inflammatory disorder, and she is passionate about writing about people underrepresented in Romance, especially those with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Shes also the co-creator of UKRomChat, a much-lauded, Romance-centric live Twitter chat. She lives in Devon with her husband, their two children and a cat who sounds like a goat.

 

 

Social Media Links:

 

Website

 

Twitter 

 

Twitter

 

Facebook 

 

Instagram

 

 

Tour Schedule

 

Click the Link to follow the tour! 






 

 

 

Monday 18 October 2021

BOOK REVIEW! Widdershins (Widdershins, Book 1) by Helen Steadman, narrated by Christine Mackie #Audio #HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub @hsteadman1650 @maryanneyarde

 

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

How easily entire villages can turn against those whom they so recently called one of their own, just because of a pointed finger and an accusation born from a half-truth, with no evidence to back it up. In a time when witches were thought to be running rampant, consorting with the Devil and allowing him to guide them, it did not take much for one to end up on trial. And once on trial, there was a good chance that the verdict would be one of guilty, and in this time of horror and superstition, the sentence would be death.

This novel explores both sides of the witch trials, from the perspective of a man hell-bent on ridding the world of such evil, and from the perspective of a woman who has done no wrong, other than practice healing and fall in love. John Sharpe has lost people to so-called ‘witches’ and he is convinced that he is doing God’s bidding in finding these witches and sending them to their deaths. Jane Chandler, however, just wants to live her life out in happiness, but the world seems to throw curveball after curveball at her, and every time she comes closer and closer to being unable to dodge them.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting the story to be revolved around the Newcastle witch trials, but rather, it is a story about John and Jane as they grow up in their separate lives, and how their lives led them to the witch trials. The Newcastle witch trials take place at the very end of the book. I still enjoyed the novel, although at times I felt it bordered on horror. I understand that such events took place, and the treatment of some people was abhorrent, but the detail into which some of this torturous treatment is described, especially from John’s perspective (and it is in the first person) made me cringe. This attention to detail was a little too much for me to cope with (I should have taken note of the trigger warnings). I understand why the author has included these scenes – there is a certain shock factor - but it makes for some very disturbing reading.

I absolutely loved reading about Jane, she has such an innocent character, and her chapters provided a much welcome break from John’s chapters, which I dreaded. His character is simply horrible, and I hate to think that people like him carried out actions such as he did.

I must quickly mention that I received the audio copy, narrated by Christine Mackie, of this book. I thought Mackie brought the world and the characters back to life, and I loved all the different accents!

The author clearly knows a lot about this era, and this book depicts the era in immense detail, but I do wish there was less description around the sexual violence towards the women of this novel. However, this book was incredibly educational, and if you want a book that focuses on the horror of the witch trials, then this is the one for you.

 

The new audio book of Widdershins is narrated brilliantly by talented actor, Christine Mackie, from Downton Abbey, Coronation Street, Wire in the Blood, and so on.  

 

The first part of a two-part series, Widdershins is inspired by the Newcastle witch trials, where 16 people were hanged. Despite being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, these trials are not widely known about. In August 1650, 15 women and one man were hanged as witches after a Scottish witchfinder found them guilty of consorting with the devil. This notorious man was hired by the Puritan authorities in response to a petition from the Newcastle townsfolk who wanted to be rid of their witches. 

 

Widdershins is told through the eyes of Jane Chandler, a young woman accused of witchcraft, and John Sharpe, the witchfinder who condemns her to death. Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane soon learns that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world. From his fathers beatings to his uncles raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witchfinder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft.

 

Trigger Warnings:

Domestic abuse, rape, torture, execution, child abuse, animal abuse, miscarriage, death in childbirth.

 

Praise for Widdershins:

 

The Historical Novel Society said of Widdershins: Impeccably written, full of herbal lore and the clash of ignorance and prejudice against common sense, as well as the abounding beauty of nature, it made for a great read. There are plenty of books, both fact and fiction, available about the witch-trial era, but not only did I not know about such trials in Newcastle, I have not read a novel that so painstakingly and vividly evokes both the fear and joy of living at that time.

 

Downton Abbey's Christine Mackie talking 

about her experience of narrating the Widdershins audiobook

 



If you would like to read/listen to this novel you can find it at the follow bookstores: 

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

Audible Link

Blackwells 

Waterstones 

Kobo

iBooks

iTunes

Foyles 

Book Despository

 

Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf was inspired by a group of Lutheran swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687.

 

Despite the Newcastle witch trials being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.

 

The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword. During her archive research, Helen uncovered a lot of new material and she published her findings in the Northern History journal.

 

Helen is now working on her fourth novel.

 

Social Media Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

YouTube 

 

 

Christine Mackie (narrator) has worked extensively in TV over the last thirty years in well-known TV series such as Downton Abbey, Wire in the Blood, Coronation Street, French & Saunders and The Grand. Theatre work includes numerous productions in new writing as well as classics, such as A Midsummer Nights Dream, Comedy of Errors, Richard III, An Inspector Calls, and the Railway Children. In a recent all women version of Whisky Galore, Christine played three men, three women and a Red Setter dog! 


Social Media Links:

IMDB for Christine Mackie 

 

Tour Schedule 

 


 

 

 


 




 

 




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