Skip to main content

#HistFicThursdays - The Angel of Grasmere: From Dunkirk to Grasmere - Book Review

Today's #HistFicThursdays blog comes from Judith, who is reviewing Tom Palmer 's fabulous book, Angel of Grasmere . Read on, to see what she thought... Picture from Tom's website, here: https://tompalmer.co.uk/angel-of-grasmere/ The Angel of Grasmere: From Dunkirk to Grasmere is a middle-grade novel by Tom Palmer. I came to read this book in a surprising sort of way. Having just taken up a post as an English teacher at the local High School, I was informed that each class has a session in the library every three weeks. The kind but terrifyingly organised librarian told me that my third-years had missed their last library session, so she had kindly slotted on into my first week with them. This was an absolute godsend as, last thing on a Thursday, it was lovely for me and the rest of the class to just sit with a book. It being November, there was a Book Week Scotland display up in the library, full of books which involved the theme of Hope. One of them, The Angel of Grasm...

#HistFicThursdays - To Wear a Heart So White (Again!)

Yes, yes, I know it's this one again, but this is the last time it can count as a New Release! This month, this little book has sold dozens of copies and had thousands of page reads. So, if you're not one of those people... what are you waiting for?!

So let's meet the book...

A cost for every action, and a price for every deed.

The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone.

Included stories are:

The Ignoble Defence - Virginia Crow

Agatha’s Eyes - Rachel Aanstad

A Pact Fulfilled - Eleanor Swift-Hook

Carte de Viste - Ronan Beckman

A Dish Served Cold - Brenda W. Clough

Shadows of the Adriatic - Tessa Floreano

A Dangerous Road - D. Apple


To Wear a Heart So White is available here on #KindleUnlimited

Now, let's meet the authors...


Virginia Crow

Virginia Crow is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Her writing borders on the edge of reality, challenging the beliefs and superstitions of bygone days.

She lives in Caithness, where her life is dictated by Orlando and Jess, her two spaniels.


Rachel Aanstad

R. K. Aanstad is a writer, artist, and historian. She lives in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by books, cats, and silly little dogs. She has a dollhouse kit company called Tilly Valley Miniatures and writes books about Shakespeare’s plays. She is currently writing Shakespeare’s Influences for Pen and Sword to be published in 2025.


Eleanor Swift-Hook

Eleanor Swift-Hook enjoys the mysteries of history and fell in love with the early Stuart era at university when she re-enacted battles and living history events with the English Civil War Society. Since then, she has had an ongoing fascination with the social, military and political events that unfolded during the Thirty Years’ War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. She lives in County Durham and loves writing stories woven into the historical backdrop of those dramatic times.

Her six-book series, Lord’s Legacy, traces the story of Philip Lord, a mercenary commander with a reputation for ruthlessness gained in the wars raging across Europe, who has returned to England at the opening of what will become the First English Civil War. But he returns with a treason charge hanging over his head and in search of his identity and heritage. The truth about that lies in the hands of a mysterious cabal calling itself the Covenant, and their secret conspiracy which began a century before.

The story is largely told through the eyes of Gideon Lennox, a young London lawyer who has some growing up to do. He is honest, and intelligent, struggling with the changing reality as war overthrows the things he values. His worldview is broken apart and remoulded by the extraordinary people he is thrust into contact with and the demands made on him.

You can learn more about Eleanor and her books on her website: eleanorswifthook.com


Ronan Beckman

Ronan Beckman is a retired American educator who has lived in the UK for over 30 years. He often writes historical fiction based on the lives of real people that he has discovered through his genealogical studies of the family tree. The character of Sergeant Sven Stenander is the story of Ronan’s great-great-great grandfather. Many of the events in Sven’s colourful life were outlined in a poem written in Swedish that was handed down by a distant cousin, and several news articles that Ronan discovered in his research. 

www.ronanbeckman.com 


Brenda W. Clough

Brenda W. Clough is the first female Asian-American SF writer, first appearing in print in 1984. Her latest work is a novelette, ‘Clio’s Scroll’, which appeared in Clarkesworld in July 2023. A historical novel A Door In His Head won the 2023 Diverse Voices Award. Her novella ‘May Be Some Time’ was a finalist for both the Hugo and the Nebula awards and became the novel Revise the World. Marian Halcombe, a series of eleven neo-Victorian thrillers appeared in 2021.

Her complete bibliography is up on her webpage brendaclough.net


Tessa Floreano

Tessa Floreano writes historical tales about Italians—by moonlight or candlelight—set in Europe and the Pacific Northwest.

Her first romantic mystery, SLAIN OVER SPUMONI, set in post-WWI near Venice, was published summer of 2022 and won First Place in the Novella category by the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Her debut nonfiction book, ITALIANS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, about early settlers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington from 1880 to 1950, was published in fall 2023. It is a Finalist for a Nellie Bly Award for Journalistic Nonfiction by Chanticleer International Book Awards.

Every few weeks on her Substack, she posts in-depth stories about Italian Americans and Italian Canadians in the Pacific Northwest. There’s a project in the works over the next several years to create both a documentary as well as a traveling exhibit based on her nonfiction book and work as a community historian of Italians in the Pacific Northwest.

Her next romantic mystery, set in northern Italy in 1899 in a castle at Christmas—involving matrimony, murder, and mayhem—will be published in the fall of 2024.

Visit her website and sign up for Tramblings, her occasional newsletter, to get all the latest on her writing www.tessafloreano.com/newsletter


D. Apple

When she’s not pursuing research bunny trails, Danielle is reading. Her happy place is cozying up on the couch with her dog and a 19th-century gothic mystery novel, but you’ll also find her hiking and exploring ghost towns and forgotten graveyards. An avid photographer and language learner, Danielle finds it difficult not to see the story potential in every place or turn of phrase. Sometimes the muses are humorous, and sometimes they are dark, but they always come from an integral place. 

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 ...