Tag: Saga

Time travelling with Anna Belfrage and the golden handbag

Time travelling with Anna Belfrage and the golden handbag

This week Jena is time travelling with her golden handbag, so she delved into the wonderful world of Anna Belfrage’s novels.  She selected two novels from The Wanderer Book series and let Anna take her back in time with her characters.  If you are in the US you’ll be time ‘traveling’ but here in the UK we’re time ‘travelling’.  Have a great time wherever you are.

Time travelling with Anna Belfrage and the golden handbag

If you love to read, then author Anna Belfrage is the writer for you. She has crafted many wonderful-looking and enticing books. There are nine books in her The Graham Saga series, all Time Travel Romances. Then there’s The King’s Greatest Enemy series, four Medieval Romances. Or how about The Wanderer Book series, two so far, again more exciting Time Travel. Her storied have also appeared in several historical anthologies. The focus on historical times and time travel is not surprising as according to Anna’s bio, “Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveler.”

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveler.

I found the Two Books in The Wanderer Series in the historical area of Jessie Cahalin’s Handbag Gallery. I’ve always been intrigued by time travel, and history gets me excited too, so I knew I had found my latest Golden Chapter reads.

What are The Wanderer Books about? Here’s part of the book blurb from the first book.

“In the long-lost ancient past, two men fought over the girl with eyes like the Bosporus under a summer sky. It ended badly. She died. They died.
Since then, they have all tumbled through time, reborn over and over again. Now they are all here, in the same place, the same time and what began so long ago must finally come to an end.”

Ask the heroine Helle Madsen what she thinks about reincarnation and she’ll laugh in your face.

Well, I don’t want to be laughed at, but I was curious about reincarnation and time travel, so I found this helpful list online.

Past Lives: 11 Signs Your Soul Has Reincarnated Many Times

  1. Recurring Dreams
  2. Out-of-Place Memories
  3. Deja-vu
  4. You’re an empath
  5. You Have Strong Intuition
  6. Precognition
  7. Recognition
  8. You Feel Older Than Your Age Reflects
  9. You have a great Affinity for Certain Cultures or Time Periods
  10. Unexplainable Fears or Phobias
  11. You Feel as though this Earth is not Your Home

While we ponder the list, let’s get started on the Golden Chapter reviews. Yes, I decided to review the first Golden Chapter of each of the two books in the series, because I was so intrigued by the idea of reincarnation and time-travel.

Jena C. Henry

The first book in The Wanderer Series is A Torch in His Heart. And the first chapter starts dramatically.

“His eyes snapped open! She was here!

Jason- His lost woman…so many centuries ago….so many lives in between

And in a bed, in a room several streets away, a young woman twisted in her sleep.”Let’s meet the three souls that have tumbled through time and been born and reborn. Helle Madsen is a young American woman, in London for a new exciting financial internship. She’s smart, beautiful and sophisticated but her girlfriend thinks Helle prefers to date milksops.

Helle’s boss is Sam Woolf, a man who radiates power. We learn that he has ancient Turkish blood. He has black, black eyes that bore into people. Such as when he tells Helle, “For a moment, you reminded me of some I used to know- a long, long time ago.” Definitely not a milksop. Helle’s not sure if Sam is “hot” but she thinks he’s definitely predatory and handsome. When she’s with him, she feels like she’s being pulled into a dark vortex.

And then there’s Jason…

At the end of the first Golden Chapter, we leave the present day and get a glimpse of the ancient past. Jason is meeting a King and a young girl with hair the color of the sun. A small girl who walks into his heart.

What an exciting book and series this promises to be! Time travel, reincarnation, souls seeking each other over and over. Plenty of action and romance will enhance the unique story-line, I’m sure!!

Are you ready for a peak at the second book in the series?

Smoke in Her Eyes- The Wanderer Book 2

Amazon lists this book as Erotic Time Travel.

At the start of this Golden Chapter, we are immediately thrown into a crisis.

The successful young career woman, Helle Madsen, is dirty, and covered in blood. Jason, Sam and Helle are in the present day and have been involved in a situation with a car fire, and a shooting. Helle has attacked Sam. Jason has used his special gifts. The police don’t know what they are investigating. And they certainly don’t know that it involves 3,000 years of history.

As Helle keeps watch over Jason in the hospital, she longs for him, her eternal torch-bearer.

She  wonders-“ was it the Fates, those fickle spinners of destiny, who had decided it would be good to throw all three of them together again?”

Yes, Jason and Helle are reunited, but Sam Woolf, erstwhile Prince of Kolchis, is a hard man to kill.

Plenty of adventure and thrills in this Golden Chapter, too!

Thanks to Jessie Cahalin and author Anna Belfrage for introducing me to this adventurous Time Travel series! I hope you visit the Handbag Gallery to learn more about Anna Belfrage’s books and all the other titles there. Have you read this book series, or any of the other books by Ms. Belfrage? I’d love to talk about them with you in the comments. Here’s some questions I’d like to chat about and feel free to leave your own thoughts, too!

  1. Are you a reincarnated soul?
  2. Would you love to be a time-traveler?
  3. What do you think about the heroine, Helle? There she is, an up and coming financial wizard…and then she learns about her past lives!

 

Please see all the Golden Chapters and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Packing for a Trip to the Past

Anna Belfrage

What would you pack if you regularly visited the seventeenth century? On this occasion, you really wouldn’t have anything to wear. Our staple of jeans and a t-shirt would be provocative in the seventeenth century.  Author, Anna Belfrage, regularly sends her characters back in time, and I was intrigued to discover how she helps her heroine, Alex, to pack for another era.  Where does a writer start when dressing characters for another era? Alas, I would have to begin by abandoning my handbags as they didn’t exist.

I am handing over to Anna Belfrage, author of The Graham Saga, and her costume department.  Anna’s novels have allowed her to fulfil her dream of becoming a professional time traveller.

Dressed for Success in the Seventeenth Century

Frans Hals

One of my series, The Graham Saga, is set in the seventeenth century for a variety of reasons, none of which have anything to do with the prevailing fashions of the time. While others may go “ooh” and “aaah” at the paintings of dashing cavaliers adorned with lace and ribbon, I like my men in breeches and a simple linen shirt, a no-nonsense coat worn atop, which is probably why my hero, Matthew Graham, dresses like that. Well, it may have something to do with his convictions as well. After all, Matthew is a devout member of the Scottish Kirk, and he and his brethren have little liking for fripperies.

Where Matthew was born and bred in the 17th century, his beloved wife, Alex(andra) Lind, grew up in our time. In difference to many of us, she never had a hankering for living in the past, but sometimes impossible things happen, which is how she ended up in the 17th century, wearing jeans.

Cook with a Hare

“I like her djeens,” Matthew says, his gaze lingering on her legs. “But, aye, you’re right: she can’t wear them here. Seeing her thus revealed is only for me to see.” (He has a certain amount of cave-man tendencies does our Matthew. Blame it on the times…)

So instead, Alex has to start by donning a shift. This is a long linen garment that reaches halfway between knees and ankles, it has long sleeves and a neckline with a drawstring. It serves as a combined nightie and underwear. (Forget about a silky negligee when in the mood for some action which is why I recommend nudity for seduction). This shift is worn until it can almost stand on its own – laundry is a heavy task.

On top of the shift Alex wears stays. Okay, so they’re not as bad as those sported by Scarlett O’Hara but once they’re laced they have a somewhat inhibiting effect on her movements. Stockings in scratchy wool are rolled up the legs to thigh-level and gartered into place. Petticoats help keep Alex somewhat warm, ending just above the ankle. A bum roll, heavy woollen skirts, a bodice and an apron complete the outfit. Let me tell you, this weighs a lot. It is difficult to run in full skirts. Or climb a tree (which is a bad idea anyway, as women shouldn’t do something as indecorous as climb a tree).

At this point Alex stops to inspect herself – she has a small looking glass, lucky her. The collar is tied into place, the hair is braided back and coiled into a tight bun before being covered by a linen cap. A woman without a cap is a sinful thing indeed! By the door are the shoes – they might be a pair of latchet shoes, but they might just as well be clogs. Actually, maybe using clogs is the better choice – at least they keep the feet dry!

“I’m not wearing all that,” Alex told me the first time I presented her new wardrobe for her. “I’ll stick to my jeans—and my underwear.”

“No, you won’t.” Matthew shakes his head. “To go around dressed like that is to attract unwanted attention. And should anyone find out you’re from the future…” he mimes a sliced throat. Too right: either you conform, or you risk sticking out like a sore thumb and potential witch. Not good in a time and age where witches are still being executed.

Alex sighs. “Fine,” she says, throwing me an angry look. (She blames me for throwing her back in time. She rarely thanks me for gifting her with the rather wonderful Matthew.) “But just so you know, the moment I get back, I’ll be in jeans again.”
Back? I share a look with Matthew. Alex isn’t going back. After all, while time travelling is a rare occurrence, time travelling with a return ticket is even rarer!

 

Sir Anthony van Dyck and Lord Bernard Stuart

Presently, Anna is hard at work with The King’s Greatest Enemy, a series set in the 1320s featuring Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power.

When Anna is not stuck in the 14th century, chances are she’ll be visiting in the 17th century, more specifically with Alex and Matthew Graham, the protagonists of the acclaimed The Graham Saga. This series is the story of two people who should never have met – not when she was born three centuries after him. A ninth instalment has just been published, despite Anna having thought eight books were enough. Turns out her 17th century dreamboat and his time travelling wife didn’t agree…

Anna can be found on her website, on Facebook and on her blog. Or on twitter and Amazon.

 

Please see all my guest posts at Mail from the Creative Community and my blog and website at JessieCahalin.com.

 

A Wing and a Prayer : M. W. Arnold

For King and Country

M. W. Arnold is celebrating the release of his saga novel – A Wing and a Prayer. When I discovered the novel is about women pilots, I had to find out more. I invited Mick Arnold to tell me why he decided to write A Wing and a Prayer.

‘How many people do you know who say, often as a throwaway, I could write a book! Then go on to say, if only I had the time.

‘A Wing and a Prayer’ isn’t one of those books. However, it also wasn’t planned. A couple of years ago, I wrote and had my first book published, ‘The Season for Love’, a contemporary Women’s Fiction story. I followed this up with a bout of ill health which lasted the best part of two years. Good author friends suggested it would help to write something new, instead of taking up an unfinished project. The theory was, by going for a new, unrelated project, I could take myself somewhere I hadn’t been before. It worked.

‘Strong female characters and the true British stiff upper lip to keep calm and carry on in order to find out what happened! This book was more than a wonderful story, it was also a history lesson and I just loved it!’ Amazon Reviewer

Write what you know; is also said. I love history and the same day this was suggested to me, I caught a program on television about the women (men did the same job) pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary who ferried aircraft to the operational squadrons. Now, that sounds interesting, I thought. So, I spent the whole of the rest of the day scrolling through the internet for anything along the same lines.

I’m usually a pantser but on this occasion, I found myself planning out a saga novel. I’d only ever read a couple but with help and suggestions, again from the same friends, I knew what it needed to read like. Quicker than I’ve ever done, this novel came together and the The Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club was born! I didn’t set out to write a mystery into the story of how four girls from different parts of the world find a way of living and working together, yet the first scene in the story sets the scene with one of the girls sisters being found dead in the cockpit of a Tiger Moth biplane!

I served for over sixteen years in the Royal Air Force, travelling all over the world and, of course, the United Kingdom. Some of the bases I served on were once visited by these brave people I’ve written about and I feel honoured to play a small part in keeping their story alive and in, perhaps, bringing it to a new audience. Their bravery needs to be heard about and with this story, the first in the ‘Broken Wings’ series, I hope to be able to perform this task I’ve set myself.’

M W Arnold lives near Northampton, UK and is known to his family and friends as, Mick.

M W Arnold lives near Northampton, UK and is known to his family and friends as, Mick. He was in the Royal Air Force for 16 years, visiting many different countries and very much enjoying himself. If he ever meets the Queen, he will have to thank her. He began writing as these characters needed their own voices. For a few years now, he’s been a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, a wonderful group of writers who’ve welcomed this bloke into their fold with open arms. 

 

Please see all my Guests’ Posts and also my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

A stolen painting in the pocket of my large handbag

Popular author, Anne Allen, released ‘The Betrayal’, on 22nd October.  ‘The Betrayal’ is the sixth book in the Guernsey Series.  Anne Allen has kindly selected an exclusive extract for Books in my Handbag.  The dual-time novel unfolds in the present day and during World War Two.  It is set against the backdrop of the German deportation of the Jewish community, in Guernsey, and involves a stolen Renoir painting. 

Treachery and theft lead to death – and love. 

‘The Betrayal’ is tense, powerful and spellbinding.

Anne will introduce her new novel, present an extract and tell you more about the intricate narrative.

Dear Readers,

I am delighted to present my latest in the Guernsey Novels series, ‘The Betrayal’.

This extract is from the beginning of the book and is the prelude to the modern part of the story, giving you a taste of the tension throughout the book.

Keep a copy of the book in your bag to dip into whenever you have a moment, you won’t regret it!

Happy Reading☺

Anne x

Presenting the extract:

Guernsey 2011

Something was wrong. The alarm didn’t blast out as he pushed open the back door of the shop. Standing still, he heard a noise. Someone was in the shop. Or more accurately, the basement. Nigel paused as he closed the door quietly behind him, his heart hammering against his ribs as he debated what to do. Whoever was in there knew how to disable a burglar alarm otherwise lights would be flashing and a discordant wail would be piercing the air. Best to shut them in the basement and call the police. Following the thought, he crept into the main shop, guided by the dim light coming through the rear window. His eyes adjusting to the dimness, Nigel tried to pick out the area where a rug should cover the trapdoor. For a moment he wondered who could have known about the basement, only discovered a few weeks before when they completed the renovations and replaced the flooring. Odd. And why the basement when the shop was full of valuable antiques?

Crouched at the edge of the hole, light from a torch casting shadows below, he was about to push the open door downwards when a hand snaked up and grabbed his arm.

More about ‘The Betrayal’…

Teresa Bichard and her baby are sent by her beloved husband, Leo, to England as the Germans draw closer to Guernsey. Days later they invade…

Leo, of Jewish descent, is betrayed to the Germans and is sent to a concentration camp, never to return.

Teresa returns to find Leo did not survive and the family’s valuable art collection, including a Renoir, is missing. Heartbroken, she returns to England.

Nigel and his twin Fiona buy a long-established antiques shop in Guernsey and during a refit, find a hidden stash of paintings, including what appears to be a Renoir. Days later, Fiona finds Nigel dead, an apparent suicide. Refusing to accept the verdict, a distraught Fiona employs a detective to help her discover the truth…

Searching for the true owner of the painting brings Fiona close to someone who opens a chink in her broken heart. Can she answer some crucial questions before laying her brother’s ghost to rest?

Who betrayed Leo?

Who knew about the stolen Renoir?

And are they prepared to kill – again?

What do the reviewers think of ‘The Betrayal’?

‘I am a huge fan of Anne Allen’s Guernsey series in which various locations are lovingly described. With the ‘suicide’ of her twin brother, this book has an orally different feel as Fiona tries to get to the bottom of it. With an undiscovered Renoir and links to WW2 this book has a much darker feel to it.’ Julie Ryan

‘Great characters and of course a love connection with a happy ending.’ Karen’s World

‘Having read Anne’s last book, Echoes of Time, I couldn’t wait to read her latest, and I wasn’t disappointed. The novel alternates between WW2 and 2011 and is set on the beautiful island of Guernsey. The Betrayal features twins, Fiona and Nigel, who discover a Renoir within the walls of their antique shop in 2011. When Nigel is found dead, and suicide is suspected, Fiona refuses to believe that her brother would end his own life and she sets out to uncover the truth. Unravelling the mystery will carry her on a journey back to 1940, and to the dark days of the German Occupation and the deportation of Jews.’ S. Charlton

And finally…

A late-comer to writing, Anne was a psychotherapist in a previous life.   Readers are lucky that Anne decided to tell her stories. Anne admits her characters do get under her skin and she misses Fiona and Michael, in particular. I look forward to discovering more about the characters and solving the mysteries presented by this delicious time-slip novel.

You can find out more about Anne Allen here.

 

Please see all the specially chosen extracts at Book Extracts and my blog at jessiecahalin.com. 

 

Golden Chapter and Buried Dreams

Chrissie has two books in a fabulous handbag. The Barn of Buried Dreams is featuring here.

Chrissie Bradshaw is a romantic novelist, and I have had the pleasure of meeting her twice at Romantic Novelists’ Association events.  She has written two contemporary stories about family relationships and secrets.   Her books are in the Handbag Gallery, and Jena spotted the books in a snazzy handbag. It’s time to hand over to the lovely Jena. C. Henry for our monthly Golden Handbag collaboration. As always, Jena will review the opening chapter.

I am happy to share a Golden Chapter from Jessie Cahalin’s Handbag Gallery with you about a story that is part contemporary romance and part family saga. Both of those genres are favorites of mind and I couldn’t wait to get to know the family in this book. Author Chrissie Bradshaw’s first book was Jarful of Moondreams: What secrets are ready to spill out? That book (a stand-alone) was also a family drama that focused on hopes and dreams. Doesn’t every life need hope and dreams? Let’s learn more about the buried dreams in Chrissie Bradshaw’s latest book:

The Barn of Buried Dreams: When will they see daylight?

Here is Chrissie with Lynda Stacey at the RNA York Tea. They are discussing the merits of the Handbag Gallery.

The cover of this book is charming and happily welcomes us to the beautiful Northumbrian countryside. For those, like me who don’t know their Great British geography, Northumbria is in the northeast of the country.

The opening chapter of this book introduces us to the Douglas family. Erin and Heather Douglas are young adult sisters. Their Mum has recently suffered a stroke and still needs care at home.

Erin and Heather are struggling. Erin has moved home from London to help their Mum. She had to leave behind her budding career in the acting world and her fiancé Damien, also an actor. Now, she watches tv with her Mum and misses her London life.

Heather is heavily pregnant, and juggles a day’s work, a husband, toddler and home on a few hours sleep. She lives in the same area as their Mum, but it’s hard for her to make time to help Erin with the carer responsibilities. Heather can be a bit sharp and bossy, but she’s really just worried and tired.

Neither young woman is sure what they want or what they should do. (Only Bracken the dog seems content.) Both young women stay awake at night thinking about their problems. Until one day, when something shows up that is very clear.

“Two stark lines….the test couldn’t be clearer. Erin and Damien had a wedding to plan.” Except, Erin senses a growing distance between her and Damien.

I’m sure many of us have struggled in similar ways- trying to balance career, motherhood, frail parents, and relationships. All that is enough to handle, without an unexpected pregnancy added to the mix.  The first chapter gives us a sympathetic look at Erin and Heather. Author Chrissie Bradshaw gives us some striking word pictures.

“Erin’s stage career was drifting away like an unattended beachball, bright and enticing but moving further and further out of her reach.”

Haven’t you felt like that at times- that your joy is so close, and yet so far? And how about this line?

“Damien, hormones, mum, career- all fought for pole position in her racing thoughts.”

Wow, I know that one made a big impact on me. In just a few words, the author created the feelings and moods that I have struggled with during challenging times through the years.

The first chapter leaves us getting to know the sisters and their mother and liking and caring about the three of them. Can the sisters help one another to face their fears, dust off and revive those dreams and find joy in life? Can they find their hopes and the happy life that is pictured on the cover of the book? I hope this Golden Chapter review encourages you to read more and find out!

It’s time to hand over to the lovely Jena. C. Henry for our monthly Golden Handbag collaboration.

Once again, Jessie Cahalin has welcomed me to her Barn of Handbags, I mean the Handbag Gallery. She has so many books that will give us all plenty to dream about. Thanks Jessie, and thanks to author Chrissie Bradshaw. I was quite taken with this month’s selection, The Barn of Buried Dreams, and I’d like to discuss it with you in the comments, whether you’ve read the book, or would like to read it. Here’s some questions to get us started.

  1. I’m sure many of you have juggled challenges like the two sisters in the book. Any thoughts or advice for us?
  2. Did you, or do you have a dream? Did it come true or did you make a new dream?
  3. I really liked the metaphors and the similes in this first chapter. What do you think?

 Biography- Chrissie Bradshaw

Meet Chrissie Bradshaw

Chrissie, 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelist’s Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, is a seasoned tea drinker and a tenacious trainer of her welsh terrier, Oscar.

THE BARN OF BURIED DREAMS, a contemporary story about two sisters who are struggling after the death of their mother, is her second novel and is out now as an ebook and a paperback.

Chrissie has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further. When Chrissie is not writing or reading, you will find her walking Oscar on the beach, trying to avoid the gym and spending time with her family and friends.

Chrissie enjoys tweeting to readers on @ChrissieBeee
Her instagram account is chrissie_bradshaw_author
Her blog is www.chrissiebradshaw.com
and she has a Chrissie Bradshaw author page on Facebook.

She would love to hear from readers.