Victorian York, Yorkshire, UK

 Coney Street is featured in a few of my novels, mainly The Tobacconist's Wife, as the fictional tobacconist's shop is on Coney Street situated just out of shot on the photo below. It is easy to imagine my main character, Thea, walking along the cobbles.

 Coney Street, York, UK. circa 1860.

Characters in my other books have walked this street, such as Caroline in The Winter Widow, and Annabelle in The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl.

Historical photos like these really help historical authors to visualise the settings in their books. They can imagine the characters strolling the cobbles, shopping, going for walks, or hiding from those seeking to find them.

A lot of the slum areas of York have been demolished, but 'Yards' like the one above is where the poor of the city lived. The York slums feature in my books, especially The Slum Angel, Aurora's Pride, The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl and The Winter Widow.

To learn more about my books, please visit my website: http://www.annemariebrear.com

Virginia Henley’s TEMPTED - Captivating Story of Scottish Love in the Borderlands—a classic keeper!

This is a classic from a great author, one of my favorites. In a complex, lusty tale of feuding Scottish clans during the time of James IV of Scotland and Henry VIII of England, Henley serves up a story that will grab you from the first page and will not let you go. I loved it. Henley has the ability to capture not only the time period, but also the culture of the borderlands between Scotland and England and the difficult but wonderful relationship between two stubborn, courageous people. I highly recommend this one.

Set in Scotland in 1512, this is the story of clans Douglas, Hamilton and Kennedy. Beautiful Valentina Kennedy, the oldest of the Kennedy daughters, was known as Flaming Tina for her glorious red-gold hair and her feisty temper. She was raised with her sister and brothers in Castle Doon in Ayr on the Southwest coast of Scotland where her father ruled as the Lord of Galloway. Tina despaired the lot of women that prevented them from enjoying male pursuits, and she frequently joined her brothers in their activities.

 

When Tina turns 17, her father insists she say yes to one of her many suitors. Tina thinks to marry the Hamilton heir but is happy when a gypsy tells her there will be no wedding for her this year. In a surprising turn of events, she is handfasted to her enemy, the powerful Black Ram Douglas, who she considers a brute of a man. Tina intends to have her revenge.

Henley develops some wonderful characters, including the ghosts of two star-crossed lovers from the past (another Kennedy and Douglas pairing), who constantly entertain. She paints vivid word pictures of the food, clothing and castles that draw you in and help you experience the times--and she does it all very well. In a fitting climax to the story, she superbly describes the battle between the English and Scots at Flodden where Scotland experienced a terrible defeat.

The second in the 2-book Clan Kennedy Saga is The Border Hostage and I recommend it, too!

 

New Book! The Dock Girl's Shame

 New book!

The Dock Girl's Shame is now out. Book two in The Waterfront Women Series.

A broken heart, a shameful secret…

Wakefield, Yorkshire 1871

Loretta Chambers has spent her life working at her father’s boatyard down at the docks. She’s tried hard to keep the business afloat, but with the railways taking trade away every day, Lorrie fears for the worst.

The arrival of handsome Italian, Matteo Falcone brings a brief glimmer of hope and a yearning inside Lorrie for another life, away from the filthy grime of the dockside. But despite her feelings for Matteo, she could never travel to Italy with him, and leave her father alone.

But one reckless, impetuous moment leaves Lorrie with a secret she will struggle to hide. And when tragedy strikes at the boatyard, Lorrie is left feeling more alone than ever before.

Always a dutiful daughter, Lorrie now carries a shame that could ruin her life forever…

The Waterfront Lass (Book 1)

The Dock Girl’s Shame (Book 2)

A broken heart, a shameful secret.

https://mybook.to/TheDockGirlsShame

The Soldier's Daughter released!

 

In The Soldier’s Daughter, Evie lives close to the made-up village of Lylston, which I located north of the real market town of Bingley and set between the higher villages of Micklethwaite and East Morton, leading up to the Ilkley Moor area.  Like many towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Bingley prospered during the Industrial Revolution. The Bingley section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal was completed in 1774, linking the town with Skipton, and Bradford via the Bradford Canal. The canal passes through the town centre and ascends the side of the valley via the Bingley Five Rise and Bingley Three Rise Locks. Several woollen and worsted mills were built and people migrated from the surrounding countryside to work in them. Alexander’s mill is located in the valley between the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire. This map is what I used to set Lylston Village, Bellingham Hall and Alexander’s mill in comparison to where Bingley is situated. Evie’s home (and Mr Lund’s farm) is just north of Lylston village. A riding track Evie would have used over the moors. A view from the moors overlooking the valley. Something Evie would have seen when she left her home. A glimpse of Bingley in the valley.   In Victorian times, Bingley was a hive of industry and a main route through the Aire Valley. Below are two photos I used as inspiration for when Evie is in the town, especially when she secretly meets Hal down the lane beside the pub and Alexander sees her but she denies it when he confronts her.   The Soldier's Daughter Yorkshire 1860 With the heat of their beloved India far behind them, Evie Davenport and her widowed British Army officer father, are starting a new life in England. But Evie is struggling. With her dearest mother gone, Yorkshire with its cold, damp countryside and strict societal rules makes Evie feel suffocated and alone. Her friendship with Sophie Bellingham, the gently reared daughter of a wealthy rail baron, is Evie’s only comfort. Until the arrival of local cotton mill owner, Alexander Lucas. Newly returned from America, it is expected Alexander will marry and finally make England his home. And Sophie with her family connections and polite manners is the obvious choice. But when Alexander meets Evie, a simmering passion ignites between them. Evie, with her rebellious spirit is like no other woman Alex has ever met, but to reject Sophie for Evie would cause a scandal and devastate everyone Evie loves. Evie knows she must do her duty. But in doing so faces the unbearable future of being without the man she loves. Available now on Amazon: http://getbook.at/thesoldiersdaughter

Fantastic Review TO ENTICE A SPY a novella of intrigue and romance

 

Buy LINK

A Riveting Page Turner

Set in the time of the French Revolution, To Entice a Spy is cleverly written from the English point of view. The tightly written plot follows the exploits of the headstrong, resourceful English widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne and her childhood love Baron Robert Penhale as they both work separately and unbeknownst to one another to root out a French spy disguised as an English aristocrat intent on financially supporting the revolution in France by using ill begotten British funds. Experienced historical fiction author Diane Scott Lewis did her homework and it shows. She embeds readers in the story from the first page on with her remarkably in-depth descriptions of the times. Readers are swept into the story and become a part of it by experiencing the architecture, fashions, foods, drinks, smells, sights, social mores, and sounds of England in the 1790s. Lewis has penned a deftly plotted tale that weaves ribbons of mystery and romance into a historical event and makes it come alive. The tautly written story is driven by love, loss, trust, betrayal, family ties, and the inner strength one must summon to face adversity created by both human fallibility and fate. The story moves at a comfortable pace with flawed, but believable characters who drive the plot. Readers find themselves rooting for the protagonists from the beginning to the end of the tale. The characters evoke strong emotions in readers right from page one. This reader found herself wanting to hug Eseld and Robert on one page and throttle them on the next. Lewis creates a huge conflict with a backstory to keep readers turning the pages to see how it all turns out. Part romance, part mystery, part thriller, and a part second chance at love; To Entice a Spy will capture the imagination of readers who enjoy a passionate love story fueled by human frailty, intrigue, and suspense. This terrific book has more than earned the five-star rating this reader has given it. ~Susie Black~ Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.  To find out more about her novels, check out her Amazon page: DianeScottLewis

Lady Faith Takes a Leap is now available in Portugues.

 

99c Sale!

 

The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl is on sale for 99c on Amazon USA.

“The writing is vivid and gripping!”

Annabelle can’t hide forever from the wealthy Hartley family, but can she give up the baby she loves? #historicalfiction #historicalromance #Victorianromance #bestseller

Amazon: http://getbook.at/OrphanPeacockShawl

Historical diaries and journals

 

DIARIES AND JOURNALS BY ANNEMARIE BREAR

Jan 27, 2022 | Uncategorized

Share this:

I collect Victorian diaries and journals, written mainly by women who have arrived in Australia after leaving England, but also by women born in colonial Australia. These diaries are brilliant when I’m writing a story set in colonial Australia and they give me an insight to how they lived and what was happening in the world around them at that time. From their personal entries, we can learn what was important to them, their daily routine, their views and opinions. They can also lift some of those myths we in the modern world tend to think as true.

Below are some pages from a selected few of my diaries, which may show why I adore them so much.

This page is from The Letters of Rachel Henning. A genteel lady who left England and ventured to Colonial Australia to join her brother who was farming out there. It’s a fascinating account of her life and full of details about those times.

I also have a few diaries, or collections of letters written during the First World War, which is another favourite era for me to write.

Below is an example from the book, Unknown Warriors, The Letters of Kate Luard, RRC and BAR Nursing Sister in France 1914-1918.

Kate Luard is one of those unsung heroines of the war. A dedicated nursing sister who went to the front line to give aid to the wounded. Her letters are fascinating, harrowing, tragic but filled with such devotion and commitment.

Below is a page from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. A lovely diary of a naturalist’s world in 1906 written by English lady, Edith Holden.

Get your copy of The Orphan in the Peacock shawl below:

🇬🇧 https://amzn.to/3rRa15H

🇺🇸 https://amzn.to/3IFfymy

New Book 2022!

 Orphan in the Peacock Shawl Preorder! Out Jan 2022! Available in ebook, paperback, audio and libraries large print.

Annabelle can’t hide forever from the wealthy Hartley family, but can she give up the baby she loves? #historicalfiction #historicalsaga #YorkUK #Yorkshire #saga #Victorian #familydrama

http://getbook.at/OrphanPeacockShawl

To Entice a Spy, a story of espionage and unrequited love, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Spies, romance, the French Revolution and its effects on England, all mix together in intrigue in my recently released novella.

To purchase, please click HERE

When I traveled in Cornwall a few years ago, in a cozy bookshop I found a book and map of eighteenth century Truro. I set a previous novel in this town but knew I wanted to place another one there, this one a spy story. 

I planned a visit to Truro, but family medical conditions prevented it and I never got the chance to return to Cornwall.

Truro street with St. Mary's Cathedral in the background

Here is my novel's blurb:

Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne seeks revenge for the brutal death of her female companion during a Paris riot. On her return to England, Eseld delves into espionage to defeat the French rebels. 

Baron Robert Penhale, Eseld’s childhood love, rejoins the Secret Services after his wife’s death. He’s determined to protect England from the revolution terrorizing France.

 Pierre, a  ruthless French spy, fights for the common man while disguised as an English aristocrat. He’s intent on revenge against those who oppose him.

With the spy stalking them and Robert in fear for Eseld's life, the fate of the couple verges on disaster.

Real life spymaster, William Wickham, makes a brief appearance in my novel. Wickham was a British civil servant and politician. He founded the British foreign secret service during the French Revolution. I have my hero Robert working with Wickham.

Can Eseld and Robert rekindle their love, or will rules of 'protocol' (he a mere baron and she a countess) keep them apart? Each must find their own way through heartbreak and the risk of murder that hangs over them. Is Pierre right in his demand for equal rights? Or is he just out to kill aristocrats, and seduce Eseld in the process? 

Will love be enough to mend the differences between Robert and Eseld? She wants no man to command her.

Review from Novels Alive: "The dastardly villain ramps up the suspense and is exposed during a thrilling conclusion. This sweet Regency (Georgian, actually) romance ties up all the loose ends effectively. To Entice a Spy is a delightful light romance with a dose of suspense to keep it interesting."

For more on my books, visit my website: http://www.dianescottlewis.org

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

 

Never Dance with a Marquess has a Crowned Heart review from InD'tale Magazine! 

“Never Dance With a Marquess”

takes the reader on a journey

through the psyches of both

Nicholas and Carrie. The

characters of Carrie’s teenaged

brother and sister are endearing

although their antics could easily

prove to be fateful to them or

others. Some scenes are slow, but

picks up the pace deeper into the

story. One gets emotionally

involved as Simon Leeming tries

to usurp Nicholas’ authority, and

Simon shows his true character.

All the characters are three

dimensional and easily relatable.

The world building is excellently

executed, and one finds

themselves immersed in the

1800s, living with the mores of

the times. A truly outstanding tale

of romance between an unlikely

hero and heroine! Ms. Andersen

delivers a beautifully orchestrated

story destined for the ages!

Belinda Wilson

 

Silver Medal Award!

 So happy that The Market Stall Girl won a silver medal at the USA Readers' Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest!!

The Market Stall Girl (Book 1)

The Woman from Beaumont Farm (Book 2)

Will Beth and Noah find the happiness they wish for or will overwhelming events break them apart?

http://mybook.to/TheMarketStallGirl

99p/c Sale Aurora's Pride

 Sale alert! My historical saga, Aurora’s Pride is only 99p/c - 12-19th August!

She went in search of the truth and it wasn’t what she was expecting.

Amazon http://mybook.to/AurorasPride

The Market Stall Girl Amazon UK 99p July only.

 The Market Stall Girl Amazon UK 99p July only.

Will Beth and Noah find the happiness they wish for or will overwhelming events break them apart?

Amazon: http://mybook.to/TheMarketStallGirl

Voting Open!

 The Market Stall Girl has been nominated for a Rone Award by Ind'Tale Magazine.

Voting is just this week. So if you enjoyed the story and think it deserves a vote, please go to this link. 🥰 (you have to register to vote) Thank you!!

https://indtale.com/polls/historical-victorian-20th-century-rone-2021

99p/c Sale!

 

Sale 99p/c March 20-26!

Isabelle’s Choice

Will the choices she’s made ruin her? Will she find the happiness she’s searching for?

#Victorian #Yorkshire  #saga #kindleunlimited #paperback #Hebdenbridge #historicalfiction #orphans

Amazon myBook.to/IsabellesChoice

New Release: The Tobacconist's Wife!

 

 "The Tobacconist's Wife is a very engaging story despite the domestic violence that makes Thea's life such a misery. How she escapes her abusive marriage takes the reader on an emotional journey through heartache and loss..." #HFVBTBlogTours @annemariebrear #books #giveaway

The Tobacconist’s Wife – New Release!

Can Thea escape her misery and break from the conventions of society? Or will the clutches of her abusive husband confine her forever?

#historicalsaga #Victoriansaga #Yorkshire #historicalfiction

Amazon: https://relinks.me/B08G9N75NX

 

The Mysticism of Cornwall - The Cheesewring

 I had never written a historical fantasy before, but time travel has always interested me. My novel, Beyond the Fall, was my first fantasy, sending a woman from the 21st century back to the 18th c. after she explores a neglected graveyard in Cornwall, England.

Cornwall became an obsession of mine. I've set several books there and read about the mysteries attached to this portion of England. My husband I traveled to North Cornwall for the first time to research one of my historical novels. On a misty, foggy day (how appropriate) we walked on the Bodmin Moor. The first sign we encountered was a tiny one that said Cheesewring with an arrow. In those dark ages days before the internet was so readily available, we scratched our heads, wondering what this could be.

Traipsing the mysterious moor over scrubby grass, glared at by disturbed sheep, I saw a strange rock formation in the distance and insisted my husband take my picture with it. Only when we arrived home, and I researched in a book I had, did I find that this granite tor had been the Cheesewring.

 

Located on the southern edge of the Bodmin Moor, the Cheesewring, or in Cornish, Keuswask, is a geological formation on Stowe’s Hill formed by centuries of weathering—harsh winds and rain. The name is derived from the piled slabs that resemble a cheese press.

Thirty-two feet in height, the tor is top-heavy, the fifth and sixth rocks of immense size and thickness. Four lower rocks support them, all perfectly irregular, the towering formation having no lateral support as it clings to the steep hill. It’s said the formation spewed from the earth, and crystallized as tubular granite.

 In local legend, the Cheesewring is the result of a contest between a man and a giant. The giants who dwelled in the Cornish caves were angry when Christianity was first introduced to the British Islands. The Saints had invaded their land, and the largest giant Uther was sent to chase them out. The frail Saint Tue proposed a rock throwing contest. If he won, the giants had to convert to Christianity. If Uther won, the Saints would leave Cornwall.

Uther easily threw a small rock to the top of Stowe’s Hill. Tue prayed for assistance. He picked up a huge slab, and found it miraculously light. They continued throwing, stacking the stones in perfect piles. When the score was twelve each, Uther tossed a thirteenth, but it rolled down the hill. Tue picked up his fallen stone, and as he lifted it an angel appeared to carry the slab to the top of the rock pile. At seeing this, Uther conceded, and most of the giants converted to Christianity.

In a book on Arthurian Legend, it’s said that the slabs turn and twist at certain times of the year. Or when the tor hears a cock crow.

Located adjacent to the Cheesewring Quarry and surrounded by other granite formations, this landmark was threatened with destruction in the late nineteenth century by the proximity of blasting operations, but was saved as a result of local activism.

 Later, to indulge in my time travel fantasy, I wrote Beyond the Fall.

Blurb: In Cornwall, England, Tamara researches her ancestors. Among gravestones she tumbles back to 1789 in the midst of grain riots. Will she fall for the secretive farmer, Colum, or struggle to return to her own time? Highly Recommended ~ History and Women

To purchase Beyond the Fall click HERE

For more on Diane Scott Lewis and her Cornish novels:

http://www.dianescottlewis.org

Remembrance Day

  Today is 11th November. 102 years ago WWI ended on this day. The defining era of WWI is a fascination to me. I have researched this turbulent time for years and I'm always learning new things about it. One of my bucket list goals was to visit the battlefields of Belgium. Walking amongst the graves, the old trenches, visiting the water-filled bomb craters, going to museums, and spending time in beautiful Ypres was inspiring. How could you not be moved? My own ancestors fought and died in WWI. I had five great+ uncles all brothers from one family fight. Two died - Arthur and Alfred Ellis. They were the inspiration behind the Jackson brothers in my book The Woman from Beaumont Farm. My Ellis uncles live on in those pages.

The few books I've written set in WWI are homage to all those wonderful Allied men and women who served their countries for our freedom.

We must never forget their sacrifices. They are true heroes.