Skip to main content

A Merry Christmas Cocktail

Well, it is Christmas Eve, the stars are brightly shining and the food is nearly prepared and waiting for tomorrow's feast. So, as a Christmas present for all our readers, we would like to share a delicious Crowvus cocktail with you all. This is called a Caledon . It is based on the book of the same name by Virginia Crow. You can find the book here .  The components of the cocktail are very Scottish, just like the book itself! You will need: 1. Drambuie  2. Irn Bru 3. Apple and Raspberry J2O  Here's a quick step-by-step guide to making your very own Caledon: 1. Pour a shot of Drambuie into a standard-size tumbler. 2. Add some Irn Bru. The glass want to be just over half-full at this point. (Or just less than half-empty, if you're a pessimist!) 3. Fill the rest of the glass with Apple & Raspberry J2O.  4. Now, give it a good stir to mix up all the delicious ingredients and then settle down with a good book (Caledon, obviously!) and enjoy! Please note: this Crowvus...

Cover and Trailer Reveal

I've not been able to publish many posts so far this year, but I can't think of a better way to start this blog up again.

The next couple of months are going to be an exciting time for Crowvus. We have the John o' Groats Book Festival coming up, and 2 books launching in April! Yes, 2! It's like London buses...nothing for a while and then 2 come along at once!

Today, we have the very thrilling job of revealing the cover and trailer for Beneath Blacks Clouds and White - the 2nd novel by Virginia Crow.

Although written as a prequel to Day's Dying Glory, this poignant historical fiction novel can be read without any knowledge of the characters of the 1st book.

Despite adoring his family and enjoying frequenting gaming tables, Captain Josiah Tenterchilt’s true love is the British Army and he is committed to his duty. As such, he does not hesitate to answer the army’s call when King Louis XVI of France is executed.
Accompanied by his wife to Flanders, Josiah finds his path crosses with a man who could not be more different from him: an apprentice surgeon named Henry Fotherby. As these two men pursue their own actions, fate and the careful connivance of a mysterious individual will push them together for the rest of their lives.
But it is a tumultuous time, and the French revolutionaries are not the only ones who pose a threat. The two gentlemen must find their place in a world where the constraints of social class are inescapable, and ‘slavery or abolition’ are the words on everyone’s lips.

I'm not sure this blurb shows the tumultuous emotions and actions regarding abolition that are prevalent in the book, or the dangers of looking to the past. The book rises to many climatic points - both heartbreaking and heartwarming - but the theme of injustice flows throughout the entire novel.

So...now for the big reveal.

It's up to you who you think the two characters on the book cover are. I have my own idea but the benefit of silhouetted photos is that you can put your own imagination onto it. And which one of us imagines a character in the same way as someone else? The great thing about books is that we can exercise our own creativity while standing on the shoulders of the author.

Something I like about the cover, whether or not it was deliberate, is that one shadow has a more rugged edge. The other is smooth. Does this say something about the characters that are shown, or am I looking too deeply into it? Again, you can make up your mind.

---

And I do love a good book trailer...

(needs sound)



Have I tempted you to pursue this inspirational book? Find out more at www.crowvus.com/projects

---

Interested in a cover/trailer reveal? Contact me (Clemency) at the_team@crowvus.com and put "Cover/Trailer Reveal Request" in the subject line.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

#HistFicThursdays - Muskets & Minuets - Lindsey S. Fera - Book Excerpt

   This week, I'm delighted to once again be teaming up with  The Coffee Pot Book Club ! Today I'm sharing an excerpt from the stunning book,  Muskets & Minuets  by Lindsey S. Fera! So let's begin by meeting the book... Love. Politics. War. Amidst mounting tensions between the British crown and the American colonists of Boston, Annalisa Howlett struggles with her identity and purpose as a woman. Rather than concern herself with proper womanly duties, like learning to dance a minuet or chasing after the eligible and charming Jack Perkins, Annalisa prefers the company of her brother, George, and her beloved musket, Bixby. She intends to join the rebellion, but as complications in her personal life intensify, and the colonies inch closer to war with England, everything Annalisa thought about her world and womanhood are transformed forever. Join Annalisa on her journey to discover what it truly means to be a woman in the 18th century, all set against the ba...

Masterworks: Legacy - Samantha Wilcoxson - Interview

  Today is the last of a series on nine interviews I'm sharing on the Crowvus Book Blog. These are from the authors of the short stories included in the  Masterworks  anthology by the  Historical Writers Forum . We're running through chronologically, some are video interviews, others are written. I am delighted to welcome the fantastic Samantha Wilcoxson, who is sharing the artist inspiration for her short story Legacy , as well as the appeal of James A. Hamilton, and the delights of researching. First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself, what you write (besides Masterworks!), and what inspired you to begin writing. I was inspired to write by my love of reading. After watching me read, write reviews, and keep journals for twenty years, my husband asked me why I didn’t try writing, so I did! Without really planning on it, I ended up writing historical biographical fiction. I’m drawn to a tragic tale but also to lesser known historical figures with emotive stor...

#HistFicThursdays - Gearing up to this Year's Big Event - #HistFicMay

 After the fabulous fun and friendship of last year's #HistFicMay, I have decided to run the risk of doing it again! I'm sure that this year will be even better  than last year! So here's your heads-up of what you can expect from this year's online historical fiction event! I will be looking out for posts on BluSky , Facebook , Instagram , Threads , and Twitter , and I can't wait to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new friends too! Just like last year, every day will have a prompt. You can schedule posts or post them on the day. You can use pictures or use the #HistFicMay prompt image instead. Really, you can post anything which links to the prompt! And speaking of prompts, here they are: Introduce yourself Introduce your writing Which writer(s) most inspire(s) you? Favourite quote from your writing Introduce your MC You take your MC to dinner - what do you talk about? Self-destructing hero of redeemable villain? Who (if anyone) is your MC based on? Would you ...