The King's Intelligencer

I recently jumped at the chance to read an early copy of Elizabeth St John's new novel, The King's Intelligencer, and I am excited to share it with you today. First, I should say that I LOVED The Godmother's Secret, which is kind of a prequel to this novel, though they are not technically published as a series. Besides being jealous of St John's familial connection to these historic events, I share her feelings that there are buried truths that may never be discovered about the famous Princes in the Tower.

This author does a fantastic job of taking women at the edge of well-known history and portraying them as unique, realistic protagonists. (Did I mention they are her own ancestors? Yes, I know I did, but it's fantastic.) In The Godmother's Secret, Elysabeth St John (THEY HAVE THE SAME NAME!) is godmother to Prince Edward, better remembered as the eldest of the missing princes. I won't give away what happens, but it is well-written and historically plausible. Go read it.

The King's Intelligencer picks up almost two centuries later, during the reign of King Charles II, when a set of children's bones are discovered at the Tower of London. Right where Thomas More claimed the Princes in the Tower were buried.

Westminster Abbey Memorial

I have to be honest, I had never actually considered what it was like when those bones were found. St John does a fantastic job of demonstrating that there must have been questions. Lots of questions. Did people of the 17th century accept as fact that Richard III had killed his nephews? Did they think about those little princes at all? Did they wonder who had killed them or if they had actually been killed? Since we still discuss these questions today, I'm going to venture to guess that people of that time did as well, and St John transports the reader right into the middle of it.

The era is vividly recreated with scenes of debauchery at court, Princess Mary's emotional melodrama, the scheming over who would marry the "heir to the heir," and a search for the truth about the bones found in the Tower. Franny Apsley is a descendant of Elysabeth St John, and she is thrown into investigating what really happened and what her family's role in it was.

I don't want to give anything away, but if you can't help but get caught up in debates about the Princes in the Tower, you will enjoy this look at the mystery from the 17th century perspective.

I enjoyed Franny as a main character because she had depth and flaws. She is both independent and afraid to lose royal favor. She finds herself in love but is also intellectual enough to separate lust from other motives at play. Her relationship with Mary is . . . weird, but the author has made it historically authentic. I've really not read about this era, so I enjoyed learning about it.

This book is a slow burn, with real life getting in the way of Franny's objectives, giving the story another dash of authenticity and the reader deeper understanding of 17th century life. Fictional elements of the story are expertly blended with documented history, and the author helpfully explains which is which in her author's note.  (Another side note: the author's other books, The Lydiard Chronicles cover the same family through the English Civil War, so you'll want to pick those up as well if you love a great family saga.)

A highly recommended read for those who love 17th century fiction or those who typically read about the Wars of the Roses.

More about The King's Intelligencer

London, 1674: When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited. 

Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.

Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.

In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?

A captivating historical novel of conspiracy, passion, and courage, The King’s Intelligencer is one woman's quest for a truth that could change the fate of a nation. A companion to the critically acclaimed best-selling novels The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, The King’s Intelligencer weaves together beloved characters and actual events to bring a suspenseful mystery to life.

Get your copy of The King's Intelligencer or read it FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Connect with Elizabeth St John

Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.

Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.

Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.

Elizabeth's works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a trilogy set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother's Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley's perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the sudden discovery of the princes' bones. In Charles II's court of intrigue and deceit, Franny must decide what she’ll risk—for England’s salvation, her family's safety, and her own happiness.

Connect with Elizabeth on her website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Book Bub, Amazon Author Page, and Goodreads. 

I'm going to admit one of my guilty pleasures today.

I love reading cozy Christmas stories. Yes, I also watch Hallmark romances while I wrap presents and drink wine. That time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is my time to pretend the world out there is softer and sweeter than it often really is.

So, when I had the chance to share some historical Christmas stories with you, I couldn't say no. I've got A Home for Christmas queued up on my Kindle for an evening curled up under a blanket with a cup of tea. Do you like reading Christmas cozies too? 

A Home for Christmas

Will six strangers find hope, love, and family at Christmas? A collection of three historical western short stories to inspire love and warm the heart. 

"Christmas Mountain" 

In search of family she barely knows and adventure she’s always wanted, Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had in mind was a new beginning for them both. 

"Teton Christmas" 

Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise, and there is no greater gift than love. 

"Lily's Christmas Wish" 

Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes, can she give it up so someone else’s wish can come true? 

If you love inspirational romance and heartfelt holidays, then you'll enjoy this trio of stories as we remember the true meaning of love any time of the year.

Praise for A Home for Christmas:

"Ms. McClintock has a true genius when writing beauty to touch the heart. This holiday treat is a gift any time one needs to remember the true meaning of love!" 

~ InD'tale Magazine on A Home for Christmas

"The cold nips at your face and delicious Christmas cake leaves you wanting more."

~ M. Ann Roher, author of Mattie on A Home for Christmas

Get your copy of A Home for Christmas or read FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Connect with the Author

MK McClintock is an award-winning author of historical romantic fiction about chivalrous men and strong women who appreciate chivalry. Her stories of romance, mystery, and adventure sweep across the American West to the Victorian British Isles with places and times between and beyond. 

 

MK enjoys a quiet life in the northern Rocky Mountains. You can find her online at www.mkmcclintock.com.

•••

Her works include the Montana Gallagher, Crooked Creek, British Agent, and Whitcomb Springs series. She has also written A Home for Christmas, a heartwarming collection set in 1800s Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, and The Case of the Copper King, a romantic and adventurous western mystery set in 1899 Colorado. 

Connect with MK McClintock on her website, Instagram, Book Bub, or Amazon.  

Life and Times of James Alexander Hamilton

Exciting news! My biography of James Alexander Hamilton is available for preorder most places where you buy books. I've included a few links below. I've had some questions about what is included, since most people know a fair amount about Alexander Hamilton but not so much about any of his children.

This gives you an idea: 

James A Hamilton lived through an exciting time in US history. Unfortunately, it's also an era that we don't spend a lot of time talking about. Besides defending his father's memory and national bank, James served as temporary Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson, enabling him to observe the Eaton Scandal and the Nullification Crisis first hand. My hope is that everyone reading this book will gain an appreciation for James and for other sons of founders who were left with the challenging work of building a new nation.

Since he lived a long, 'varied and somewhat eventful life,' James also provides us with a look into America's western expansion and growing reputation abroad. As a member of the crew of the America, he was on the schooner for which the famous America's Cup is named. 

Becoming almost as outspoken as his famous father, James spoke and wrote about the abolition of slavery and other issues related to the Civil War. He even provided Abraham Lincoln with a draft of an Empancipation Proclamation and offered his own services if General Winfield Scott had anywhere to place one in his mid-seventies. 

I'm also excited to share the cover of this book with my readers, because it features a portrait of James privately held by a descendant and therefore not often seen. With this image and much of what is between the covers, I hope you will agree that this book is one-of-a-kind. Thank you to all my readers who have supported me through the writing and publication process!

A few places you can pre-order your copy:

Directly from me (signed copies)

Pen & Sword

Waterstones

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

'Tho I Be Mute

Good morning, dear readers! Heather Miller is here to share an excerpt from her novel, 'Tho I Be Mute. You may remember her visiting before, with a snippet from Yellow Bird's Song. Based on a true story, Miller's novels dig into the history of the Ridge family and their removal from Cherokee Territory in the early 19th century.

Welcome, Heather!

~ Samantha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Tho I Be Mute: An Excerpt

Guest Post by Heather Miller 

“Fly,” Clarinda Ridge Skili

I awoke to shaking floors from the successive beats of wooden-heeled boots against the hardwood. The vibrations were weighty, not the same as those made by my skinny brothers running through the house with calloused feet. The shakes came from intrusive brutes gathering strength from their unified purpose. 

In our room, ten-year-old Susan woke and picked up a crying Flora from her pallet on the floor. She swayed with Flora, listening at the door. I rose and brought both to my bed. We scurried under the covers and curled into one another, while I held onto their shaking shifts. We were too frightened to go outside; we were too frightened to move anything more than our eyes, staring at the lighted gap under the door.

Susan’s body shook when bare feet followed the boots. The first were Mama’s. Another pair followed. My brother Rollin was at her heels.

Susan’s body jolted at another sound I couldn’t know. Then, she covered her face with the quilt and held it against her ears with her hands. She heard what I could not. Mama was screaming.

Susan’s first tear ushered in sobs when stillness and sunlight peered under the crack. ‘Tho I be mute, I knew then that more than the morning sun slid under our bedroom door. The Angel of Death arrived with no warning, like a Passover ghost, and cast us in mourning night with its light.

Papa flew to the Nightland, June 22, 1839. Twenty-five men drug him from his pallet on the floor and tried to kill him, but the gun misfired. So, they unsheathed their knives and drug him outside. Mama and Rollin ran after them, but the warriors, still wielding pistol and rifle, surrounded her and my brother, crossed the barrels, and held them back. 

Mama’s hysterical tears did nothing to deter the assassins. 

Keep reading 'Tho I Be Mute:

Clarinda faces a moment of profound reality—a rattlesnake bite, a harbinger of her imminent mortality—and undertakes an introspective journey. In her final days, she immortalizes not only her own story but that of her parents—a narrative steeped in her family’s insights into Cherokee heritage during the tumultuous years preceding the forced removal of Native communities.

In 1818, Clarinda’s father, Cherokee John Ridge, embarks on a quest for a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut. Amidst sickness, he finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite enduring two years of separation, defamatory editorials, and societal upheaval due to their interracial love affair, the resilient couple weds in 1824. This marks the inception of a journey for Sarah as she delves into a world both cherished and feared—Cherokee Territory. As John Ridge advocates for the preservation of his people’s land and that of his Muskogee Creek neighbors against encroaching Georgia settlers and unscrupulous governmental officials, the stakes are high. His success or failure hinges on his ability to balance his proud Cherokee convictions with an intricate understanding of American law. Justice remains uncertain.

Grounded in a true story, ‘Tho I Be Mute resonates with a compelling historical narrative, giving an intimate voice to those heard, those ignored, those speechless, urging readers to not only hear but to truly listen.

Connect with the Author:

History is better than fiction.

We all leave a legacy.

As an English educator, Heather Miller has spent twenty-four years teaching her students the author’s craft. Now, she’s writing it herself, hearing voices from the past. Heather earned her MFA in creative writing in 2022 and is teaching high school as well as college composition courses. 

Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Miserables. But by far, her favorite role has been as a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a RN. Alas, there’s only one English major in her house.

Heather continues writing the Ridge Family Saga. Her current work-in-progress, Stands, concludes the Ridge Family Saga. 

Connect with Heather on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads, TikTok. 

Hello, dear readers! My guest today shares an excerpt from Bandy, a story of a boy so lonely he befriends a pigeon and a young enslaved girl who plans to escape through the Underground Railroad. Sounds like a unique and touching adventure!

~ Samantha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bandy: An Excerpt

Guest Post by Craig R Hipkins

The afternoon dragged along. Every cracking branch put Isaac on his guard. He kept the derringer loaded and at half cock. Joy had another episode and this one was longer than the one she had earlier in the day. Isaac had kept her as comfortable as possible next to the fire.

As nightfall approached, she felt much better, and they each ate a stale biscuit and a few slabs of bacon. It was a lean meal, but enough to give them energy to continue on their way.

They decided to use the railroad. There was a stillness in the air, and they would be able to hear the clomping of hooves if any horses approached. Isaac prayed Joy wouldn’t have another one of her headaches. They seemed to come on with little warning and were debilitating.

A short time later, they passed by another small village of ramshackle houses. Isaac noticed a blacksmith’s shop. The smithy, a raw-boned man with bulging biceps was hard at work at the forge and did not even notice their passing. The glowing light of a furnace left them longing for the warmth of a fire. With any luck they would be in Portsmouth by midnight.

They were about a mile past the forge when the sound of a neighing horse grabbed their attention and they quickly darted off the tracks into a stand of pines. They crouched down behind some brambles and waited.

A lone horseman came into view. He was a thickset man with a dark beard riding a large stallion, his menacing profile bathed in the moonlight. Isaac immediately felt a gnawing wave of fear in the pit of his stomach. The mounted man had obviously seen them. He had stopped and was peering in their general direction. He was most certainly a bounty hunter.

Isaac quietly pulled his derringer from his small holster and capped it. He felt Joy’s hand find his free one. They glanced at each other nervously.

“Come on out, yuh murderin’ boy! I done seen yuh along with that little slave girl yuh travelin’ with!”

Isaac’s pulse began to race. If he were older, he would pull this man from the saddle and pummel him for that comment.

“Let’s go, boy! I ain’t got all day now. Yuh come outta those bushes and don’t give me no trouble and ah’ll make sure yuh git a fair trial. If not, it ain’t gonna go well with yuh!”

Isaac weighed his options. The way he looked at it, he had three. He could surrender—an option which he immediately dismissed. His second option was to fight it out with the man. He had the drop on him but surely the bounty hunter had a weapon of some kind on his person, almost certainly a revolver, which would neutralize his one-shot derringer. His third and final option was to sit still and do nothing. Let the bounty hunter come to them. There was a chance, albeit a slim one, that he would not find them in the darkness. He chose option number three and quietly whispered his intentions to Joy, who wholly agreed with him. They waited. They would let their pursuer make the next move.

Keep reading Bandy - FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Isaac’s only friend is a passenger pigeon named Bandy. He deludes himself in believing the bird talks to him. Bullied, he is resigned to a life of being the misunderstood bookworm by neighboring boys until a disastrous fire kills his parents and little sisters, sparing only his younger brother, Thomas. He and Thomas are taken in by their Uncle Raymond, an abolitionist, who plans to send Isaac to Virginia to buy Joy, a young slave with debilitating health, from her slave owner, Wil Jericho. Shortly after arriving in Virginia, Isaac learns the ugly truth. The butler who accompanied him on the journey killed his uncle before leaving and plans to do the same to Isaac to steal Raymond’s estate.

Isaac, with Joy, escape into the backwoods of Virginia. Discovering passages of the Underground Railroad, stowing away in carriages, hiding in churches, and outwitting the mercenaries hired by Jericho, the two teens fight tooth and nail to make it to Boston before they’re caught. Will Joy be taken from this life by sickness before she’s found freedom? On their journey, they learn a lot about each other. Isaac promises to bring Joy to Bandy's pond, a heavenly place where peace and serenity reign.

Get your copy of Bandy!

Connect with the Author

Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018) He is an avid long distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.

Connect with Craig on his website, Twitter(X), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, Book Bub, Amazon Author Page, and Goodreads.