Cathie Dunn’s ‘Ascent’ Welcomes Readers to the House of Normandy [BOOK BLAST]

Medieval woman with sword — (Photo courtesy Canva)

We love well-written, thoroughly researched historical fiction when it pulls back the veil of time and introduces us to people, places, and events that we are otherwise unfamiliar with. But outside of shows like the History Channel’s Vikings and DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, we haven’t really been exposed to vast quantities of Viking lore, except through historical romances by authors like Johanna Lindsey (Fires of Winter, Hearts Aflame, Surrender My Love) and Catherine Coulter (Season of the Sun, Lord of Hawkfell Island, Lord of Raven’s Peak, Lord of Falcon Ridge) back in the 1980s and 1990s. Still, we don’t recall any of those books digging as deep into the annals of history as Cathie Dunn is doing with her new series about the early women of the House of Normandy. If you love history and have a penchant for stories about strong women and Viking legends, you’re going to devour her first book, Ascent. Enjoy! —J&H

Jathan FinkJanuary 20, 2023February 11, 2023Leave a comment

Books, Interview

THE CANTERBURY MURDERS: 7 Questions for E.M. Powell [INTERVIEW]

Canterbury dawn — Timeless Canterbury has seen everything… even murder. (Photo courtesy Canva)

Sherlock and Watson. Poirot and Hastings. Dean and Sam. The list goes on and on. When you stop to think about it, we love sleuthing duos! So when E.M. Powell’s medieval detectives, Stanton and Barling, appeared on the scene in 2018, it is no wonder they quickly became reader favorites. They are the epitome of an unlikely pairing, and yet they are absolutely perfect for one another. It’s the reason we get all excited every time we find out there’s a new book coming out in this beloved series. Now we’re thrilled to tell you the third book in their story, The Canterbury Murders, is now available. To tell us more about it, we invited E.M. Powell herself to come by and dish on their latest adventure. We hope you enjoy this exclusive interview! —J&H

Jathan FinkJanuary 26, 2021January 26, 20212 Comments

Books, Interview

A KNIGHT AND A SPY 1410: Nine Questions for Simon Fairfax [INTERVIEW]

Knight on black horse — Simon Fairfax embellishes history in *A Knight and a Spy 1410.* (Photo courtesy Canva)

Intrepid spies, valiant knights, and the fair maidens who win their hearts. There are good reasons we romanticize the Medieval period and are captivated by its pageantry. Somehow, even now, the legends of iconic royals tease our imaginations and lure us back to their own era, centuries before any of us ever walked the Earth. It takes a deft writer to capture these stories on paper, to resurrect faded characters and bring old world history to vivid life. Yet that is exactly what author Simon Fairfax has done with his new series and its debut novel, A Knight and a Spy 1410. That’s why we were delighted to catch up with Simon and learn some of the stories behind the story in this insightful interview. Enjoy! —J&H

Jathan FinkDecember 21, 2020December 21, 20203 Comments