Edinburgh, Scotland in the 1820s is definitely not a safe haven for those seeking to improve the lot of the poor by advocating reform and workers’ rights. Violent Militia attacks and arrests are increasing; still, that does not deter Fiona Johnston and Maisie Murray, the co-founders of Read more...
Winter is coming. The days are getting colder, and we dream of festive food. Almost the only thing more heartwarming and delicious than stepping into the sweet smells of an Amish bakery on a cold day in the Advent season is reading and inhaling AN AMISH CHRISTMAS BAKERY!
With her trust and innocence badly burned by a suitor more interested in marrying money than her, the once spirited Eliza has shrunk away from the limelight and spends her time repairing clocks and reading documents to her father, the Right Honourable Justice William Tricklebank, so he can continue Read more...
How is she going to tell him? Despite all the things she had to deal with in her life as well as the pile of dishes at the Bean, her own little coffee shop, this is the big dilemma facing Kaitlyn Barnes.
Unbeknownst to Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of the Metropolitan Police in London, the staff at his home in Upper Edmonton Gardens enjoy nothing more than a good murder before Christmas. Even his cook, Mrs. Goodge, likes to plan the evening meals around food that would best help the Inspector as Read more...
The sight of the windswept marsh, the sound of the surf, and the long plaintive call of the herring gull slowly lift the spirits of Detective Inspector Mathew as he scans the familiar territory. Returning from his trip to his father's funeral, Venn is called to investigate a Read more...
When the call for soldiers came, the Highland boys signed up for the Lovat Scouts and so did the young and handsome Donald Peter (DP) Gillies. He is a Piper and carries with him a family treasure, his father's pipes that had been played when Bonnie Prince Charlie Read more...
Masquerading as a married couple, complete with a wedding ring, escaping from France in 1943, Donald and Francoise are on an extremely dangerous mission that, if caught, they are certain to be executed. Unknown to each other before connecting in the Italian Alps, they are both highly trained Special Read more...
Marceline, the trapeze artist knows, but Nell believes her secret is safe with her. Now Stephen, the new fiddle player at The Octavian, has guessed. Will her secret be safe with him? Is he to be trusted?
With the death of their parents, it is now just Read more...
The raging rivers, already heavily swollen with the spring breakup of ice, now angrily threaten to burst their banks and destroy all in their path. Yet, they pale in comparison to the hostile undercurrents awaiting the newly demoted Gamache in the Homicide conference room. Despite the tension and impending Read more...
Maddie Alwin is thrilled to be back at her new home in Santa Fe, New Mexico with its brilliant morning sunshine that makes the sky so blue. Now, refreshed after her long train trip, and away from the stifling social "duty" her mother and wealthy New York family expected Read more...
Clayton Deese loves his barbeques and his killing jobs. They are easy
things to do and the money is good. As a small thin man, Deese finds
hurting jobs harder to do; still his boss Roger Smith, a former lawyer,
and now Louisiana's top loan shark, pays well, so Read more...
If any man is worthy of being called the Playboy Cowboy, it is none
other than the unbelievably handsome Luca Prince whose family owns
one of the wealthiest and oldest ranches in Texas. Even the nearby
town of Three Rivers is way smaller than the huge ranch from which it Read more...
Frank and Sarah Malloy had been enjoying a lovely day at their home in
New York City on the first day of 1900 when their their neighbor, Mrs.
Ellsworth, rushed in with very distressing news. Her new daughter-in-
law, Theda's father, Clarence Pritchard, a well-respected owner of Read more...
King David is nearing the end of his life and yet delays in making
the announcement about who will be he next King of Jerusalem.
Solomon, his youngest son, frets over the delay despite his father's
assurances. Bathsheba, his mother, with a twinkle in her eye, suggests
he gives Read more...
As the wind and rain rattle John Gordon's Auld Aunt Jean's wee house
in Duff Head in northeastern Scotland, Isabella listens to Jean's dire
predictions about how unsafe the small village is for her. After being
forced to flee from her Edinburgh home where her husband was Read more...
Shan Tao Yun, a former police investigator officer and
former inmate of China's infamous prisons, is now working
as a Constable in the remote small village of Yangkar in
Tibet. He had been called by his boss, Col. Tan, to meet
him at the new Public Security Bureau office Read more...
Frank Marr, an involuntarily retired police detective for a cocaine habit,
is now clean and works as a Private Investigator when not indulging in a
little Robin Hood-like wealth redistribution. He is surprised to see the
missed call on his cell. His ex-girlfriend, Leslie Costello, hadn't called Read more...
Called to the scene of a vicious crime by Bow Street
Magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy, Sebastian St. Cyr (Lord
Devlin) is not surprised that someone would want to murder
the vile Viscount Ashworth. In fact, he often desired to
murder him himself, but Sebastian is perplexed by the few
clues Read more...
Audrey Lawrence
Ever since I taught myself to read at
age two, I have been an avid reader
and
collector of books. I am seldom
without a book in my hand, stacks by
my
bedside and more waiting on my Kindle,
so I am very happy to be a book
reviewer for FreshFiction and have
been
so since the last century. How can you
tell I love historical fiction? Other
book genres I love are regency
romances, suspense thrillers,
contemporary fiction, more romance
books and anything I can get my hands
on! Having a background in education
and organizational development, I also
love to read kids’ books and YA and
books on business.
I currently live in the National
Capital Region of Canada (aka Ottawa)
where Tinkerbelle, my beautiful
Siamese
cat, rules the roost and reminds us
every day of her regal heritage,
especially when she wants treats! As
the saying goes: dogs may have owners,
but cats have staff!
Great comments and questions! I have just started in on INTO THE WHIRLWIND but only complaint is that I do not want to put it down ... how am I going to get all my errands done when I need to know what happens next?
That is just so grand that you are naming characters in your book with your ancestors' names. I love it when I know the special meaning behind the names. I look forward to reading it.
I found out from family lore that my mother's family comes from a former shield bearer to a 12th century Irish king but I think that has been the last irish connection as the rest is all Scottish. Thank goodness everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!
That is so Purr-fect of Avon to make a donation! I can appreciate your lemma (slightly less critical than a dilemma) as to what to do! It is up to you but remember a cookie in each hand is a balanced diet!
All teh best with your new book and Avon's kindness!
Oh, as you can see from all these comments that not only do you write incredibly well but you also spin your readers so convincingly to the period of your tale that they feelas if they are there as well!
I have to admit, I love your books, but I had to stop reading them on the bus as I would get so engrossed in the story that I would miss my stop and have to walk home more than I expected. I quite look forward to reading your newest one!
Oh, a hero to fall into sweet dreams with! Sounds wonderful and I especailly like that he is willing to apologize. It takes a strong person to acknowledge that a situation may need an apology. True heros think about the needs of others before themsleves!
© 2003-2020 
