Because history is fun and love is worth working for

Author: Alina K. Field Page 1 of 18

A French Adventuress in Cheshire

Dear Readers,

What an interesting harvest season the residents of Cheshire are having. This report comes from a resident of a small village which shall be left unnamed.

My Dear Mr. Clemens,

It has been some time since my last letter, but so it has been with the goings on in Belgium that one has no chance but to read whatever report one can find and otherwise worry.

Now we have come through that, and our people of R have both mourned the loss of some brave young men and celebrated the return of many as well as this year’s good harvest.

And what goings-on there have been before, during, and after our harvest fete!

In particular, we have seen the return to the village of a young Frenchwoman (one might call her an adventuress!) and the lady who employed her as a companion. They were both offered shelter by a friend of the younger woman, one of our most genteel widowed ladies. Such a fuss, with the Frenchwoman here in R openly seeking a wealthy husband, her employer bedazzling one of our elderly local worthies, and the widowed lady praying that her posthumous child (yes, she was in the family way at the time of her husband’s death) is a boy—else she and her daughters will be homeless!

There is more. A handsome young officer has returned from the army with a Frenchman in tow meant to marry the fortune-hunting young Frenchwoman, she who wants nothing to do with anything French. It is whispered that she is the heiress of a French vintner!

What is the truth? I will write again when I know more.

Under the Champagne Moon

Orphaned by the French Revolution and rescued by a British family, Fleur Hardouin didn’t—or wouldn’t—speak, until the jolly young Gareth Ardleigh crossed her path one summer and saved her from bullies. Fifteen years later, Fleur and the beloved lady she serves return to Cheshire. Determined to rescue them both through an advantageous marriage, Fleur tries to brush off the attention she receives from Gareth, who’s home from the wars and as handsome as ever. Her heart longs for him, but her head knows he can’t provide the security she needs.

Gareth’s excuse for visiting Cheshire is to deliver the personal effects of his best friend who perished at Quatre Bras. But his real purpose is finding the little French girl he met years ago, for marriage—not to him, but to the Frenchman who helped save his life. Astonished to find that Fleur has grown into a beautiful—and still intriguing—young woman, it soon becomes clear, he must choose between honoring a promise or trying to win the hand of the woman he loves.

Originally published in Under the Harvest Moon, a Bluestocking Belles with Friends Collection

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/underthechampagnemoon

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., but after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California. Now widowed, and with the kids grown, she recently transplanted from Orange County to a desert community. The nest is empty except for a sweet, feisty chihuahua and grandkids who frequently need looking after and visit often

Social Media Links:

Website: https://alinakfield.com/

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlinaKField

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/

Newsletter signup: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

A Bachelor Besotted? Society Wonders

Dear Readers,

Something mysterious is afoot in the highest echelons of Society. The Honorable Crispin Thatchbury, that most eligible of bachelors beloved of hostesses everywhere, is decidedly not his dashing self of late.

Well‑informed readers may recall that Mr. Thatchbury recently traveled into the wilds of Cornwall on some secretive errand for His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent. The Tattler has discovered that his destination was Nevermore Castle, home of the late Sir Davian Moreland.

What happened to the elegant arbiter of fashion in that odd place, one wonders. Several sources report that Mr. Thatchbury — always the life of the party — has grown serious, a transformation the Tattler and Society at large find nearly unimaginable.

But the conundrum of his altered behavior pales beside the change in his appearance, for since his return he has appeared on every occasion sporting a wig, face powder, and patches — fashions outmoded for decades, although no doubt every idle gentleman will follow his lead before long.

Such a fashion ought to appear ridiculous, but the Tattler has been assured by several of our lady readers that such is emphatically not the case. Rather, his appearance has inspired much sighing and fluttering of fans, and Mr. Thatchbury in a wig has been variously described as devastating, delectable, and even swoonworthy.

When such a man — a bachelor of many years’ standing — is observed reading poetry and gazing dreamily into the distance rather than flirting and admiring his own reflection, what is one to think?

Has the elusive Crispin received a coup de cœur at last? Has a mysterious Cornish lady captured his affections when the fairest flowers of London failed to do so? Your correspondents at the Tattler will not rest until we have discovered all.

Nevermore Castle

Regency inheritance tangle. Two heirs. One castle. A chorus of goats.

Miranda Moreland has spent her life drifting from one relative to another, never quite fitting anywhere. Inheriting a castle on the Cornish coast feels like a miracle — a chance at stability, independence, and perhaps even the belonging she’s never dared to hope for.

But Nevermore Castle is already occupied. Lance, a mysterious American with disarming charm, has taken possession, surrounded by his lively family, a raven with opinions, and a collection of whimsical animals and eccentric tenants who make the estate feel unexpectedly alive.

As Miranda becomes entangled in the inheritance dispute, she finds herself drawn not only to the castle’s residents but to the man who may stand between her and her future. For the first time, she begins to imagine a life built on more than solitude.

But a faulty will and an incompetent solicitor threaten everything. Can Miranda claim the home — and the love — she’s always longed for, or will Nevermore slip away before she can truly belong?

Nevermore Castle. Healing hearts with humor.

Purchase Nevermore Castle paperback or ebook format on Amazon or read in Kindle Unlimited: https://a.co/d/03xq8OqO

By the same author: The Roses of Longbourn series:

A Rose Out of Time – Book 1

A Rose in Winter – Book 2

Mrs. Christie and the Misplaced Rose (A Short Story)

A Golden-Hearted Rose (A Short Story)

A Rake Redeemed, or The Gretna Rose (A Novella)

Truths and Roses (A Short Story)

 

Coming Soon:

A Rose at Dawn – Book 3

A Rose After Rain – Book 4

About the Author

KELLY BOGGS writes seasoned not spiced atmospheric fiction that blends historical charm, a touch of mystery, and warm, character driven storytelling. Whether her books wander through Cornwall’s windswept cliffs or the quiet corners of the Regency, she builds worlds where emotion, place, and personality intertwine. Her stories offer immersive escapes threaded with wit, whimsy, and a distinctly human heart.

 

Links:

Website: kellyboggsauthor.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/kellyboggs

Goodreads: Kelly Boggs (Author of A Rose Out of Time) | Goodreads

Facebook: (1) Facebook

 

Excerpt from Nevermore Castle

“Lance, my dear boy,” cried Crispin.  “I have been staying at inns and having the most dreadful adventures. But is this the lovely lady, Miss Moreland?”

He swept forward and kissed Miranda on both cheeks, in the French fashion—much to her embarrassment. Fleur looked positively envious.

“You have the look of Sir Davian, indeed, my dear,” he said as he stepped back.

Miranda studied him.  He must be fifty, she supposed, if he was a friend of Sir Davian’s youth.

He did not look fifty. Crispin Thatchbury carried himself with a trim, effortless poise. If there was any silver threaded among his perfect golden curls, Miranda could not see it. His eyes were bright and lively, taking in everything with amused intelligence. The bottle‑green coat, the immaculate cravat, the gleaming boots—none of it suggested a man worn down by travel. He looked, Miranda thought, like someone who had simply refused to grow older in the usual way.

Oh dear, she thought, imagining the effect his good looks and theatrical manner might have on a susceptible Fleur.

Mr. Thatchbury was still speaking, she realized.

“My dears, I have come at the request of His Royal Highness. I am to conduct interviews, examine papers, learn about the estate, and return with my findings. The Prince himself will make a determination in the matter of the entail and the inheritance, once he has heard my report.”

***

As the study door closed behind them, Lance glanced at Crispin. They’d exchanged letters for years but had met only rarely, London being as far away as it was. He had always struggled to reconcile Crispin’s theatrical persona with the sharp, incisive man revealed in his correspondence.

Which would he see now, he wondered.

He was not left in suspense for long. Once Crispin had been seated and handed a drink, he settled back in easy comfort, his performance apparently having been reserved for the ladies.

“My dear Lance, what a tangle you’ve found yourself in. You were wise to write.”

“Thank you. I hadn’t thought—didn’t imagine—”

“That I’d involve the Prince? Quite. But it was the sensible course. He remembers Davian with real affection, and he has the power to act.”

“It was good of you to speak with him.  And to travel all this way yourself.”

“Naturally I would travel to the ends of the earth for poor Davian’s sake,” Crispin proclaimed, allowing his drawing room dramatics to resurface for a moment. “And one cannot ignore a royal decree—no matter the cost to one’s wardrobe.”

He flicked an imaginary speck of lint from one sleeve with a flourish that suggested he had practiced the gesture before a mirror.

Lance smiled. Crispin clearly did not wish to be thanked.

“But what am I to do, Crispin? This report you are to compile…”

“It’s not so much a report as an impression, my dear boy.” Crispin settled more comfortably into the chair, one ankle crossing elegantly over the other. “Having interested himself in the matter, the Prince is now fully invested, as is his way. He wants, not facts and figures, but a full description of the estate, the persons involved, and all that can be determined of Davian’s wishes. I am not to return until I can paint him a picture that will make him feel as though he himself had visited.”

“Oh, dear,” Lance said faintly, imagining Crispin tramping about the estate in glossy Hessians, encountering who‑knew‑what.

Crispin’s brows lifted. “My dear Lance, you look as though I’ve announced a siege.”

“It’s only—” Lance hesitated. “Nevermore is…not quite like other estates.”

 

Exotic Otter and a Missing Orphan

Dear Readers,

When his majesty the Prince Regent entrusted certain animals from the Royal Menagerie to deserving recipients, the Tattler never imagined any would come up missing. However, that appears to be the case for three exotic otters granted to an obscure baronet in Sussex, which have vanished along with the orphaned daughter of the house, Miss Georgiana Morland.

The latest news is that the otters have re-appeared in the custody of the Reverend Lord Peter Avondale – youngest of the scandalous Avondale brothers – but Miss Morland is nowhere to be found, only a young gentleman who claims to be the owner and has been seen by scarcely anyone in the rural village of Kilbythorpe.

Truly, it is a mystery where Miss Georgiana could have disappeared to, and why she would not claim the otters herself.

Otters and Obstacles

by Alexa Santi
Three mischievous otters, a sleepy village, and a lady in disguise. What could go wrong?

When Georgiana Morland’s cruel cousin sends her beloved pet otters away to what seems certain death, she has no choice but to pursue them… even if that means disguising herself as a young man for the journey.

In the charming Yorkshire village of Kilbythorpe, the Reverend Lord Peter Avondale knows he only has one chance to salvage his damaged ecclesiastical career, or be forced to leave the work he loves behind forever. All he needs to do is be less impulsive. How hard can it be?

The arrival of three mischievous otters, followed by a mysterious young man who claims to be their keeper, upends Peter’s peaceful exile. The revelation that the “young man” Peter invited to stay with him is a respectable young woman leaves them with only one option: marriage.

As scandal looms and the Ladies’ Auxiliary meddles, Peter begins to fear he will lose the only thing he loves more than his career: Georgie.

Excerpt

A crash rang through the hallway outside his study, and loud voices caused him to rise from his desk and cross to the door to open it. His housekeeper, Mrs. Barwick, seemed to be trying to push a young man holding a large basket out the front door, and the young man pushed back, shoving his foot into the door to prevent her from closing it.

“What’s all the racket?” Peter asked, and Mrs. Barwick whirled on him. The young man took the opportunity to slip through the half-open door and stand in the hallway with the basket balanced on one hip, snatching his cap off as he did so.

“Oh! I’m that sorry to disturb you, Lord Peter, but this young ruffian is trying to deliver something that don’t belong here.”

As the racket died down, Peter realized the basket was… squeaking.

He looked from the basket to the impassive young man holding it, and back to the basket.

The squeaking intensified, and the basket began to vibrate.

“Ain’t you Mr. Sloane? I was told Mr. Sloane lived here,” the young man said.

“I’m afraid a mistake has been made,” Peter said. “The Reverend Mr. Sloane has retired to Brighton.”

Peter’s eldest brother, the Duke of Livesey, had provided Mr. Sloane with a handsome pension to clear the way for Peter to take over the living here as a glorified curate, with Mr. Sloane nominally keeping his title as rector of the parish. After a few necessary improvements had been completed, Peter had finished the process of unpacking and re-organizing the rectory only a few weeks ago, having removed what seemed like dozens of small animals posed under glass from every corner of the cottage to the attic so he could rest without reproachful eyes watching his every move.

And now he was receiving live animals in their stead.

The boy shrugged. “That ain’t my concern, vicar. I was told to deliver these here, and I ain’t got the funds to go haring across the country. They’re yours now.”

He set the basket on the floor and legged it out the front door, ducking under the housekeeper’s attempt at restraint and fleeing down the walkway as Peter and Mrs. Barwick went in fruitless pursuit.

For one moment, the young man paused and shouted over his shoulder, “They like a bit o’ fish!” before continuing down the lane towards the village and vanishing from sight.

Buy Link: https://Books2Read.com/OttersAndObstacles

About the Author:

Alexa Santi loves storytelling of all kinds, so it’s no wonder it took some time for her to settle on writing romance novels after several career detours, including an MFA in Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University. She lives near Los Angeles with her handsome archivist husband and their pesky cats, who insist she take frequent breaks from her writing to pay attention to them. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, or on her website at https://www.alexasanti.com

Facebook Author Page

https://www.facebook.com/alexasantiauthor

Instagram Page

https://www.instagram.com/alexasantiauthor/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/alexa_santi

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexa-santi

Amazon Author Page

https://www.amazon.com/Alexa-Santi/e/B0978GS9VB/

Website

https://www.alexasanti.com

Newsletter

https://www.subscribepage.com/alexasanti

https://BookHip.com/GFQAMSR

Linktree

https://www.linktr.ee/alexasantiauthor

Want to hear what I’m doing next? Sign up for my newsletter either on my website or at https://BookHip.com/KSFZDMH

A Murder in the Cotswolds?

Longtime readers will recall that Lady Lisette Birtwhistle’s name has been featured in our fair column before.

There were whispers when she left her mother’s house to live with her brother, the Duke of Winbury, and act as his hostess.  Certainly, tongues were set to wagging when she broke off her engagement to the Earl of Bealford.

Lady Lisette of course had all of our sympathies when her brother, the duke, passed away. But gossip grew rampant again when Society learned that her brother had left her the leases to nearly all the homes and buildings in Lockstone Hollow, a small village in the Cotswolds—and that she’d left London to take up residence there!  Seclusion in mourning is one thing. Abandoning London and the ton is something altogether different!

Now, though, comes the shocking news that a body has been discovered in that sleepy little village—and that it is none other than her former betrothed!

The conjectures are staggering. Was the earl there to win Lady Lisette back? Could he have been killed by a rival? Will Lady Lisette’s name be linked to an even bigger scandal than she has generated in the past?  Watch these pages for further developments in this shameful, shocking tale!

A Betrothed’s Betrayal

Release day August 11!  Pre-order now!
Book One: The Lockstone Hollow Mystery Series
A Regency set cozy mystery featuring an intrepid heroine, a charming Cotswold village, a host of quirky characters, a handsome but reserved carpenter, an attractive but suspicious constable, and a baby goat or two!

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Betrotheds-Betrayal-Lockstone-Hollow-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0H4KQWHTV

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-betrotheds-betrayal/id6781074375

Kobo:  https://bit.ly/4vWT3Cm

GooglePlay:  https://bit.ly/4gtSyLi

Barnes&Noble https://bit.ly/4oNK9EU

 

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Deb Marlowe grew up with her nose in a book. Luckily, she’d read enough romances to recognize the hero she met at a college Halloween party – even though he wore a tuxedo t-shirt instead of breeches and boots. They married, settled in North Carolina and raised two handsome, funny and genuinely intelligent boys. A Golden Heart winner and Rita nominee, Deb writes Victorian Mysteries with a Slow Burn Romance, Regency-set Cozy Mysteries, Regency Historical Romance, and Cozy Regency Fantasy stories. A proud geek, history buff and story addict, she loves to talk with readers! Find her discussing books, movies, TV, recipes and her infamous Men in Boots on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Find out Behind the Book details and interesting historical tidbits at DebMarlowe.com

A Most Unsuitable Match

Dear Reader,

Could it be that one of the most eligible bachelors in England has been snared by an Irish upstart? Word has been received that Viscount B, a most staid young man, is wooing a young lady who is rumored to be the daughter of an Irish earl. One wonders what he can be thinking to pursue such an unsuitable match.

As no one in the ton knows much about the lady (if she truly is a lady) or her family, the Tattler’s intrepid reporters are looking into the matter. We have learned that the lady is quite on her own, impoverished, orphaned and lacking any family of influence. Worse, in these times of great unrest, there is some murkiness about the family’s loyalty to King and Country.

It must be mentioned that Lord B is an heir to Lord S, whose work for the Crown during our recent wars is whispered about. Surely the heir to such an estimable peer would not consort with one of England’s enemies?

Rest assured that your Teatime Tattler is pursuing this story.

The Viscount’s Seduction

Book Two, Sons of the Spy Lord

Searching for the Truth

Lady Sirena Hollister has lost her family, her home, and even her fey abilities, but somehow the fairies have handed her an unexpected chance at a Season in London. From her place on the fringes of high society, she resolves to find the truth about her only brother’s vanishing, and settle her family’s score with the wily English Spy Lord, the Earl of Shaldon. Soon enough, her schemes stir up an unknown enemy…and spark danger of a different sort, in the person of the Earl’s handsome heir, Viscount Bakeley.

Seducing the Beauty

The impertinent hoyden Bakeley met years earlier was as wild as her Irish roots, and just as unlucky. And she’s still an Irish traitor’s sister! But Lady Sirena has grown into a beauty whose charm and courage intrigue him. When danger threatens, Bakeley comes to her rescue, risking scandal, the ton’s disapproval, his interfering father’s ire…and his own heart.

If you like your historical romance filled with exciting twist and turns, buy your copy today! Only 99 cents through July 31st.

The Viscount’s Seduction, Book Two of the Sons of the Spy Lord Series, is a stand-alone romance.

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/TheViscountsSeduction

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares her home with a rescued and not too yippy chihuahua, and entertains grandkids as often as possible.

Visit her at:

http://alinakfield.com/

https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield

https://x.com/AlinaKField

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field

https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field

Newsletter signup:

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

Page 1 of 18

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén