Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

Somewhere Between Light and Time Blitz

 

Somewhere Between Light and Time cover

Historical Fiction

Date Published: December 21, 2021

Have you ever met a stranger and felt that you already knew them?

The story begins in the 1800s when Elias and Henry are souls on the Other Side. Their own time as humans lies ahead of them, but they unwittingly observe their ancestors-to-be as they progress through major historical events. From slave-liberation missions in antebellum America to the horror of the Vietnam War, they follow six generations across two centuries. But as the family separates, the descendants form two divergent lineages, thousands of miles apart, into which the two souls are eventually born.

Elias and Henry grow up in different countries but meet again in modern Britain—without any recollection of the Other Side. Civil-rights activist Elias is hiding from a Russian kidnapper when he runs into Henry, who has become a kind-hearted but prejudiced Englishman. Against the backdrop of repeating historical patterns, they become entangled in a love triangle with free-spirited Lana, who becomes Elias’s protector.

Blinded by his intolerance, Henry unwittingly brings danger upon them as the agent closes in on Elias. But soon, all their historical experiences unravel into the present, and eventually produce an unexpected, startling ending.

Somewhere Between Light and Time is a fast-paced adventure drama in which historical events and everyday reality are interwoven with elements of the supernatural. Aiden Leman lives in East Sussex, England, where he works in financial services for his day job. He studied International Relations in Scotland and was previously active in the teaching sector. He has worked in five different countries across three continents, although his dream job would probably be a firefighter.

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BLOOD BEFORE DAWN Virtual Book Tour

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Book 2 of the Dung Beetles of Liberia series.

Political/Historical Fiction

Date Published 12-15-2021

Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books (BQB Publishing)

 

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April 1979: Ken Verrier and his wife, Sam, return to Liberia to buy
diamonds. They did not return to get caught up in a rice riot and a coup
d’etat. But that’s what happens. Ken witnesses and unwittingly participates
in a period of Liberia’s tumultuous yet poorly documented history—the
overthrow of the Tolbert presidency and ultimately the end of the
Americo-Liberian one hundred thirty-three years of political and social
dominance.

 

The Dung Beetles of Liberia cover
 

2019 Grand Prize Winner – Red City Review

 

Based on the remarkable true account of a young American who landed in
Liberia in 1961.

 

The blend of fictional action and nonfiction social inspection is simply
exquisite, and are strengths that set this story apart from many other
ficitonal pieces sporting African settings. – D. Donovan, Midwest Book
Review

 

NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED HIM FOR THE EVENTS HE WAS ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE.
Ken Verrier quickly realizes the moment he arrives in Liberia that he is in
a place where he understand very little of what is considered normal, where
the dignity of life has little meaning, and where he can trust no one.

 

It’s 1961 and young Ken Verrier is experiencing the turbulence of Ishmael
and the guilt of his brother’s death. His sudden decision to drop out of
college and deal with his demons shocks his family, his friends, and
especially his girlfriend, soon to have been his fiancee. His destination:
Liberia—the richest country in Africa both in monetary wealth and natural
resources.

 

Author Daniel Meier describes Ken Verrier’s many escapades, spanning from
horrifying to whimsical, with engaging and fast-moving narrative that
ultimately describe a society upon which the wealthy are feeding and in
which the poor are being buried.

 

 

It’s a novel that will stay with you long after the last word has been
read.

 

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EXCERPT

C H A P TER 1

April 1979

 

I’d always known that one could get into trouble just standing on a street corner, but never like this. We had just finished a late breakfast at a new Lebanese restaurant on Gurley Street in center city Monrovia and were actually standing on the corner of Gurley and Benson when a crowd—more of a roaring mob—swept down the street like a tidal bore. Judging from the signs and posters coming toward us, the throng seemed to be heading in the direction of the Executive Mansion. We watched for a moment, fascinated, just as one might stare at a growing flood, then realized, too late, that we were caught up in this human deluge. We tried to run, but we were already submerged in the tumbling waters of human flesh and the roar of human voices.

Sam and I glanced at each other. “What the hell?” All we could do is lock arms and flow with the mob.

I had returned to Liberia because I needed to raise a lot of cash quickly, and the best way I could do that was to drop in on some of my old friends in the diamond business. It was the beginning of the wet season in West Africa—not the best time to arrive or, in fact, to do anything there. My wife,                             Sam, had insisted on coming with me. I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea—Sam is one of the toughest people I know. You just don’t say no to her, not even a maybe. Then, too, I knew she was better at this sort of thing than I was.

It had been twelve years since Sam and I were in Africa, but Sam appeared not to have aged a single day. She still had the same thick red hair that she had cut short for the trip. It would be easier to manage in the heat and humidity of Liberia. Her eyes were still clear and green with the same                         laugh wrinkles at the corners, and the attractive bridge of freckles across her nose and upper cheeks had not faded. I knew that with her intelligence and insight we had a much better chance of succeeding.

The flights to Liberia had been long and arduous despite Pan Am’s latest jet transport airplanes. Sam and I learned a new term on this trip:  “jet lag.” We experienced it by first falling asleep during the taxi ride to the Ambassador Hotel. Then, after a surreal check-in at the hotel, we went up to our room in a dreamlike state and, without removing our clothes or taking a shower or any of the normal things people do before retiring for the night, collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell deeply asleep until early the next morning when our unexpected adventure began.

The noisy mob, brandishing posters reading, “Out with Tolbert!” “Stop  Oppression Now!“ “We Want Rice!”  swept us up into their superheated midst,  and carried us along like two pieces of entwined flotsam. We tried but could not move against the flow. Sam and I and began to move laterally through the crowd like two small animals trying to swim across a rushing river.

The noise was deafening until I heard the gunshots in the distance, and the crowd grew silent for a very brief moment. Then screaming started, drowning out all other sounds except the staccato rhythm of automatic gunfire. Sam and I fell facedown onto the pavement, making ourselves as  flat as possible. A man, an older man with gray hair, fell on his back in front of us, blood spurting from the front of his head like a small red fountain. As his blood pressure dropped, the gushing slowed to a trickle and the man lay dead. Blood covered his face, slowly filling his right ear. A woman tripped over us and fell, shrieking, still holding on to her protest sign.

Finally, the firing stopped. Soldiers ran toward us, rifles in hand. I couldn’t make out what they were saying. They stopped along the edge of the street and shouted at us. They seemed to want us to leave, and made aggressive waving motions with their free hands. Several people stood up, hesitated as though waiting for something to happen, then started to run. There was no more firing. I looked over at Sam. Her red hair was disheveled and her face was contorted into a snarl, and through gritted teeth she shouted, “I wish I                        had my goddamn Uzi!”

“I think they want us to go!” I hissed back to her. “I’m making a run for it. Are you ready?”

She nodded. We stood up slowly. The soldiers, now nearby, were motioning for us to move. I took Sam’s hand and we started running. By this time, most people had gotten to their feet; that is, those who were not  dead or badly injured. We ran with the crowd, stopping only once to help            someone who had fallen. After that, we didn’t stop running until we got to  the Ambassador Hotel several blocks away. The front doors were locked, but people were inside, crouching behind chairs and flowerpots.

“Let’s try the back!” I shouted.

We ran around to the beach bar. The patio was deserted. The entrance to the interior bar was also locked—of course it would be. I picked up a barstool and raised it to smash the glass door. Just as I got the stool over my head, the back door opened slightly and Joe, the bartender, peeked out from inside.

“Mr. Ken,” he said quietly from the partially opened door, “please don’ do dat. Ya know, it be expensive to get glass.”

I pulled the door fully open with a jerk, nearly yanking Joe out onto the pavement. Sam and I rushed in and closed the door behind us. Joe stayed  next to me the whole time and quickly locked it.

“Well, if it isn’t ‘Set-em-up Joe’!” I exclaimed. “I’ve never been happier  to see anyone in my life! But you don’t think these locked doors will keep them out, do you?”

“Yah ah do. For dhey is notin’ fo’ dem here. Dhey after food. Dhey  starving and dhey after Tolbert’s head on a stick. Dhey don’t wan notin’ else. So, why you hee, Mr. Ken. It be almos’ ten yee now. You come to fly again?”

“Long story, Joe. Long story.”

 

 

About the Author

Daniel V. Meier, Jr.

A retired Aviation Safety Inspector for the FAA, Daniel V. Meier, Jr. has
always had a passion for writing. During his college years, he studied
History at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) and American
Literature at The University of Maryland Graduate School.  In 1980 he
published an action/thriller with Leisure Books under the pen name of Vince
Daniels.

Dan also worked briefly for the Washington Business Journal as a journalist
and has been a contributing writer/editor for several aviation magazines. In
addition to BLOOD BEFORE DAWN, he is the author of its prequel, the
award-winning historical novel, THE DUNG BEETLES OF LIBERIA, as well as 2
other highly acclaimed novels published by Boutique of Quality Books (BQB
Publishing).

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Under a Dark Moon Virtual Book Tour

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Brandon Brothers, Book 1

Historical Romance, Historical Fiction

Date Published: April 2021

 

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Meet Adam Brandon … acutely intelligent and master-swordsman but gradually
realising that he isn’t yet ready for the future he had previously
planned.

 

Victim of a cruel deception, Camilla Edgerton-Foxe has a jaundiced view of
the male sex and a tongue as sharp as her wits … but she also possesses an
extraordinary talent.

 

A peculiar encounter offers Adam the kind of employment for which he is
uniquely suited and which will exercise his mind as well as his muscles. The
fly in the ointment is that Miss Edgerton-Foxe comes with it … as does
Rainham, viscount and master of disguise, with a frequently misplaced sense
of humour.

 

From Paris, via London, to the mists and mysteries of Romney Marsh, these
three are sent on the trail of something darker and infinitely more
dangerous than the kegs of brandy that come ashore at the dark of the
moon.

 

Other books in the Brandon Brothers Series

 

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A Trick of Fate

Brandon Brothers Book 1

B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree.

Max Brandon is receiving bills for services he never ordered and goods he
did not buy. For reasons he can’t begin to guess, someone is ‘borrowing’ his
identity to cause him maximum annoyance.

When the games move closer to home, almost forcing him to fight a duel …
more particularly, when they draw in Frances Pendleton, a lady he never
expected to see again … Max vows to catch the man behind them, no matter
what the cost.

The result is a haphazard chase involving ruined abbeys, a hunt for
hermits, a grotesque portrait … and a love story which, but for this odd
trick of fate, might never have been given a second chance.

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Under a Dark Moon tablet

EXCERPT 

CHAPTER ONE

 

Within twenty minutes of bidding his friends good night and leaving the tavern, Adam Brandon became aware that he was being followed. This was annoying on several counts. He had no idea who would go to the trouble of se ng a tail on him or why  they would since, just at the moment, he didn’t imagine he could be of any par cular interest to anyone. Admi edly, that wasn’t always true … but right now it was. Then there was the possibility that this wasn’t the first me someone had dogged his steps; that it had happened before and he hadn’t no ced. That pricked his pride. He’d thought himself be er than that. 

He con nued on his way without altering his pace. He considered luring the tail into a dark alley where he could be grabbed, pinned to a wall and ques oned. It wouldn’t be very difficult. On the other hand, it might be premature. There was a chance, however small, that he was merely being followed by the only footpad in Paris stupid enough to tackle an armed man for the sake of a few coins. And that being so, the sensible course was to simply stroll onwards, taking a few sudden detours, to see if the fellow stuck with him. 

He did … and was s ll there when Adam reached his lodgings on the Rue des Minimes. With a brief nod for the concierge, he ran swi ly upstairs to the nearest window and was just in me to see his follower raise a hand as if signalling to someone before mel ng into the shadows on the far side of the street. 

Not a footpad,  thought Adam with a sort of amused grimness. And not alone. What, then? And why? What possible reason could anyone have for wan ng to know my every move? But whoever it is, they’re making a mistake because now I’ll have to do something about it. And that’s just resome. 

 

About the Author

Stella Riley

Stella Riley is a British writer, living in Kent. She is the author of six
novels set in and around the English Civil Wars and the award-winning seven
book Rockliffe Series – of which, Book Six, Cadenza, was the 2019 Readers’
Favourite for Romance and a 2021 Book Excellence award winner.

Under A Dark Moon is the second book in her Brandon Brothers Trilogy,
sequel to A Trick of Fate.

When not writing, she enjoys theatre, travel and playing the
harpsichord.

 

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Lady of the Play Blitz

 

Lady of the Play cover

 

Historical Fiction

 

Published: October 2021

Publisher: Wings ePress

Lady of the Play is written in parallel historical and contemporary stories, with focus on the life of Elizabeth Trentham. The contemporary story begins with the finding of an original page from A Midsummer Night’s Dream hidden in the cover of an ancient Book of Common Prayer owned by an elderly woman, Sudie McFadden. She contacts a history teacher, Cynthia Parsons, to help her prove her ancestor was the true playwright. Cynthia, with the help of a librarian friend, and an attorney, conduct extensive research to prove Elizabeth Trentham was the true playwright and poet. There is a smooth transition from the modern chapters to the historical.

The secret life of Elizabeth Trentham reveals her innate genius and how she obtained the necessary qualifications to be Shakespeare beginning with her childhood, the ten years she spent as a maid of honor in Queen Elizabeth I court, her collaboration with Edward de Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford, and their subsequent marriage. Included is why they hired Wm Shaksper first as their broker and why they ultimately allowed him to take credit for the plays. Edward dies in 1604 and Elizabeth continues with the deception until her death in 1612, the same year “Shakespeare” retires. In her will, she leave money for her “dumb” man to assure Shaksper’s silence. Included is her relationship with John Overall, one of the King James Bible translators. Clues of Ely and Edward’s collaboration are left behind in Psalms 46.

Cynthia faces intrigue, danger, and romance along the way as others try to steal historical documents, thereby thwarting her efforts to reveal the truth.

Even though Lady of the Play depicts the fictional life of Elizabeth Trentham, events are based on the actual historical timeline and events. Lady of the Play will appeal to the general population whether a fan of Shakespeare or not.

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About the Author

Deena Lindstedt

Following a business career, Deena Lindstedt became a full time student at Marylhurst university in Portland, Oregon graduating with a BA in English Literature and Writing. During her Shakespeare class, she loved the plays and sonnets, and was intrigued with the authorship question. She was certain a woman must have had a hand in writing the plays since so many of the roles had strong female characters. She learned the leading candidate of authorship was Edward de Vere, the Seventeen Earl of Oxford, but he died in 1604, whereas new plays were written and produced for eight more years. However, his second wife, Elizabeth Trentham, didn’t die until 1612, the same year Shakespeare retired. Believing this had to be more than a coincidence, she decided to do her own independent research into Elizabeth’s life, thus became the inspiration for her novel, Lady of the Play.

Deena is a widow living in Tigard, Oregon. She has three sons and nine grandchildren. Her other literary honors include her first book, Deception Cove, a romantic suspense novel, third place winner for a poem: Two Ladies of Chedigny for Willamette Writers, Portland. Finalist for a short story, Simply to Fly for NW Writers Association contest in Seattle. She also delivered her paper, Shakespeare, Perhaps a Woman, at the 2011 Shakespeare Authorship Symposium at Concordia University in Portland.

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Wings of Silk Virtual Book Tour

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Historical Fiction

 

Date to be Published: November 2, 2021

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

After surviving a childhood under the oppressive rule of Chairman Mao’s “Cultural Revolution,” a young, courageous teenager abandons her life in China for the freedom of the unknown in America. Arriving at the New York City doorstep of family members she’s never met, Ying-Ying has been promised they’ll help her learn English and accomplish her dream of attaining a college degree. But weeks later, she’s kicked out without explanation. Now a homeless immigrant, Ying-Ying must learn who to trust, how to find work, and how to succeed in a bustling metropolis that looks the other way. Overcoming obstacles of abandonment, heartbreak, and injustice in a foreign land, she remains fiercely determined to become a woman who will impact the world. An incredible story of second chances, Wings of Silk reminds the reader that underneath the fragile form of an individual, a strong and resilient heart is always ready to take flight.

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EXCERPT

I believe there is not a single soul in this world that understands my disappointments, exhaustion, and hopelessness. I assume both Francis and Kaito are married and have their own children now. I don’t want to burden them, plus they must hate me: I am the one who broke up with them. I even start to think I am a horrible human being, unworthy of any happiness. 

 

Soon I think of suicide, and the negative come without reprieve. Life is too hard. I’m such an imperfect person and I deserve an awful marriage. This overwhelming pain is also impacting my child. I have little happiness in my life, and nothing I’m looking forward to. The American Dream I’ve worked so hard for isn’t enough. I am extremely depressed and my hope is so nonexistent that I just want it all to end. I research methods of suicide and ruminate over which way I should go about it. 

One night, I’m determined to do it. I decide I’ll try to overdose on pills. I scour all of our medicine cabinets, and have my pill cocktail all ready to take before I go to bed. Dylan is working late downstairs in his office, but he’ll be up later, and I want it to be him. I want it to be him who finds me and has to explain this to everyone. When it’s time to go to bed, I burst into tears. I sit on the bathroom floor, my face soaked and my body shaking as I talk myself into the commitment for what I’ve decided is the only answer for my future. There is no other. It’s terrible. I see no way out of the life I’ve buried myself in, and I tell myself that if I do this, everyone else will be better off too. No one wants such an empty and sinful person around. 

Yes, that’s it.

I stand on shaky limbs. I fill up a cup with water that will help me swallow the handfuls of pills I’ve laid out. I watch the cup fill until my eyes are blurry and it begins to overflow in the sink. I never imagined this. I never thought my end would happen in such a manner. I never understood why someone would do this, but now I do. I thought death was the worst thing that could happen to a person, but now I know better. Suffering without any hope of a way out, that is worse.

I take a deep breath, and feel peace that soon this will all be over. I grab the first pill and take it. I grab the second pill and take it. I grab a third pill and take it. I grab the fourth, but hear Isabella. She is crying and calling for me. I can’t ignore her, and it’s probably best I say goodbye, take one last look at her.

I go into her room, and immediately take her into my arms, soothing her and telling her all the words I wish someone would say to me.

“It’s okay, my darling. It’s all going to be okay. You are safe. You are loved. I love you.”

She’s had a nightmare and tears have wet her face like they have mine. I stroke her hair and take in her face as she calms. As her breathing settles and she starts to fall back asleep, a smile creeps out from her lips. The sweetness of the moment makes me smile as well. I watch her sleep, and take in her room. Hanging on the wall is my butterfly kite. I hung it in her room when we moved into this house, but had forgotten it was there. I stare at it, and remember what it feels like to look back and see how far I’ve come. Though I’m ashamed of so much of my life, perhaps it shouldn’t be over yet. Perhaps, I’ll get stronger. Perhaps something more is out there for me. This thought is enough of a pull that when I go back to my room, I throw the rest of the pills away.  For today, I want to be able to see Isabella’s smile tomorrow. I can’t miss that just yet. Deep down, I’m terrified one day I will lose control again to let this episode repeat. 

I cannot do this to my darling Isabella.

About the Author

Li-Ying Lundquist

Li-Ying Lundquist was born and raised in China under the strict regime of Chairman Mao’s “Cultural Revolution.” The daughter of intellectual parents, her life was in constant danger and she grew up believing academic performance and perfectionism were the keys to survival and fulfillment. After high school, following a strong desire to find freedom and get to know family members who lived in the United States, Li-Ying left her life in China to pursue the American dream. Overcoming the plights of a young immigrant who did not speak the language, Li-Ying obtained her master’s in computer science from a prestigious university and became a successful lead engineer. While working for AT&T Bell Labs, she and her team made the world’s first “text message” for mobile phones. Today, she is happily married to a wonderful man and has two darling sons whom she loves with all her heart. An advocate of freedom founded on self-respect and happiness, she hopes readers of Wings of Silk will be inspired by the lessons of forgiveness, grace, and God’s powerful love.

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