Crowvus Book Blog

The pen is mightier than the sword, so it’s said. One man who proves this statement to be true was William Shakespeare. He remains to this day one of the most quoted writers in the world and his insults have become legendary. There are scores of books of them, and countless internet generators for them. But his insults, some of which work better than others in the modern world, are not the only things he used as weapons. As the song says, there are countless things we say because he strung them together and tucked them into our cultural knowledge. Phrases like “wild goose chase” and “love is blind” are so ingrained in our minds we use them without stopping to think where they came from and only a little bit more about who came up with them. Along with this power, comes the supreme act of propaganda. Here, we see the truth in that statement, for we see the pen is truly mightier than the sword. Shakespeare rewrote – or, is some cases, just wrote – history. There are lines from his plays ...

Honey Harvest tells us the story of a little girl who loves honey and goes on a beautifully ordinary adventure to find out how bees make honeycomb and how that is then turned into the runny honey which she loves to eat. It’s a long-running joke in my family that I made my little sister scared of bees. As a child, I was absolutely terrified of them and used to run away every time one came near me. Of course, as Clem got old enough to play outside, I taught her to do the same thing. Oops.  I do love bees though. We don’t keep them ourselves, but we have many wonderful wild species which visit the garden, including some rare and unusual ones. Bees are little furry, buzzy proof that magic exists. Naturally, I really love honey too. Honey on Shredded Wheat… mmm… and, recently, I’ve been reading lots about Alexander the Great so I discovered other fascinating properties of honey (if you don’t know, consider looking it up – very interesting, if slightly grisly). Back to Honey Harvest…...

  This week, I'm delighted to once again be teaming up with  The Coffee Pot Book Club ! Today I'm sharing a excerpt from the gorgeous book,  Sea of Shadows ! This is book two of Sea and Stone Chronicles . So let's begin by meeting the book... 1459. A gifted woman artist. A ruthless Scottish privateer. And an audacious plan that throws them together—with dangerous consequences.  No one on the Greek island of Rhodes suspects Anica is responsible for her Venetian father’s exquisite portraits, least of all her wealthy fiancé. But her father’s vision is failing, and with every passing day it’s more difficult to conceal the truth.  When their secret is discovered by a powerful knight of the Order of St. John, Anica must act quickly to salvage her father’s honor and her own future. Desperate, she enlists the help of a fierce Scottish privateer named Drummond. Together, they craft a daring plan to restore her father’s sight.  There’s only one problem—she never...

  This week, I'm super-excited to be teaming up with The Coffee Pot Book Club  to share an excerpt from Nadine Kampen's new book, The Brantford Wagers ! This is the first outing for her series, The Brantford Series . First of all, let's meet the book... Is Clara Vincent ready to risk it all for love? Clara Vincent is “the artful dodger” when it comes to marriage, especially when her father is bent on match-making. Will her attitude change when she meets two eligible suitors and is drawn into the lives of intensely competitive families? Clara falls unexpectedly in love, but when fortunes are reversed and relationships up-ended, she needs to decide whether to trust James Brantford, who is seeking retribution, or accept the love of the man everyone else believes is her ideal match. As the Brantford wagers unfold and lay bare the history of past relationships, will Clara be able to learn the truth and finally follow her heart? And here's an excerpt to whet your appetite: fr...

  Today it is my absolute pleasure to be hosting Jenny Knipfer and her wonderfully unique book, Under the Weeping Willow , as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Let's meet the book... A HISTORICAL NOVEL ABOUT A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND THE SECRET SHAPING THEIR ROCKY RELATIONSHIP 1918: Just as Robin Holcomb settles into married life with her husband, Willis, on his aunt and uncle’s farm in Wisconsin, WWI calls Willis away. With an unknown future and a child on the way, Robin makes the best of life among people she barely knows. After the birth of her child, Robin struggles with depression and battles to overcome her inner demons before despair and hopelessness drive her to attempt to take her own life. Will Robin survive her dive into postpartum depression, let alone see Willis again? 1983: Enid Fenton clears out her Mother’s house and puts the family farm up for sale, trying to not be consumed by guilt for installing her mother into the county nursing home. Reading through some ...