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Awesome giveaway for lovers of Historical Fiction #BookSweeps

2/21/2017

I’ve teamed up with 45+ fantastic HISTORICAL FICTIONS authors to give away a huge collection of novels and a KINDLE FIRE!

You can win my latest book AND THEN MINE ENEMY, plus books from authors like ELISABETH STORRS and STEFANIE DRAY.

To enter just click/tap the button below....

Good luck, and enjoy!
Alison

ENTER CONTEST

Release day for AND THEN MINE ENEMY

12/26/2016

IF YOU HAVE REACHED THIS LINK BY CLICKING THE LINK IN MY NEWSLETTER (13/1), THEN MAILCHIMP HAS DONE IT AGAIN... I CHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED THE LINK AND IT STILL DID SOME KIND OF PECULIAR HICCUP!!!

PLEASE CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO GO TO YOUR PAGE...(and your free read!)

Newsletter Subscribers

The craziness of Christmas is over... the leftovers are in the fridge and I swear I will never eat another morsel!

Time to curl up with a new book (on your new ereader???)... a romantic saga of the English Civil War perhaps?

AND THEN MINE ENEMY (Feathers in the Wind Book 1) is now live on all reputable estores and will be coming in print imminently!

To celebrate the release of the first in this new series, I am giving away a $20 Amazon Gift card. Scroll down to the end of this post to enter :-)

AND THEN MINE ENEMY

A family ripped apart in a country divided by war . . .

England 1642: Hardened mercenary, Adam Coulter returns to England sickened by violence, seeking only peace, but he finds England on the brink of civil war. He has seen first-hand what that will mean for every man, woman and child and wants no part of it.

King or Parliament? Neutrality is not an option and Adam can only be true to his conscience, not the dictates of his family.

Having escaped a loveless marriage, Perdita Gray has found much needed sanctuary and the love of a good man, but her fragile world begins to crumble as Adam Coulter bursts into her life. This stranger brings not only the reality of war to her doorstep but reignites an old family feud, threatening everything and everyone she holds dear.

As the war and family tensions collide around them, Adam and Perdita are torn between old loyalties and a growing attraction that must be resisted.

Read an Excerpt...

As the first streaks of light illuminated the cold, grey, colourless morning, the wounded came. The echo of horses’ hooves and the creak of wagon wheels, sent Perdita hurrying downstairs. As she stepped outside, her breath frosted in the cold air and she shivered, thinking of the battle that had been fought the previous day and the wounded men who lay on the hard, frosted ground.
In the forecourt a troop of horse, or what was left of a troop of horse, sat their weary mounts as their commander, a tall man on a bay horse leaned down talking to Ludovic. Even in the grey light she could see from his build that it was not Simon and she slowed her steps.
As she approached him, the man raised his head, his fingers going to the brim of his heavy, iron helmet. She stopped, her breath catching. Adam Coulter.
She wanted to run to him, satisfy herself that he wasn’t hurt but even in the circumstances, any undue haste could be construed as unseemly. Instead she raised her chin and walked purposefully across to him.
‘Adam Coulter? What brings you here?
The answer was obvious and his red-rimmed eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve wounded with me and I can take them no further.’
Perdita moved her gaze to the tired, dispirited faces behind him. Dreading what she might see she turned to the wagons, recoiling momentarily from the stench of blood and worse, and the piteous cries
Adam swung himself down from his horse, wincing as he straightened his back.
Perdita caught the grimace of pain. ‘Are you hurt?’
He shook his head. Beneath the shadow of the helm’s brim, he looked exhausted, his face unshaven and grimy. ‘Thank you for your concern, Mistress Gray, but no I’m not hurt. Just stiff. My men . . .’
‘Take the wounded into the barn.’ Perdita addressed an older man with a greying beard who seemed to carry some authority. She turned to Ludovic. ‘See that there is food and drink for the men. I’ll see to the wounded.’
She supervised the unloading of the wagons, indicating the grey stone solidity of the barn, hurrying ahead as the able-bodied men carried their injured companions into the grey stone solidity of the barn. ‘We heard the sounds of the battle. Where was it?’ Perdita threw the question to Adam, as he helped one of the more lightly injured soldiers off his horse.
‘Kineton village. A place they call Edgehill.’

BUY LINKS (click to go straight to the link)

Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Nook, Smashwords

For more information... including the Pinterest Board and Goodreads Reviews, click the button below!

More Info

But wait there's more... a Rafflecopter contest to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author in the Spotlight: Alison's Escape Publishing Titles on sale

12/15/2016

Only last week I posted a blog about my lovely 'boys' from the Guardians of the Crown series. (Click HERE).

And now for my Australian readers... as a Christmas present from Harlequin Aus... ALL my Escape Publishing titles (the three Guardians of the Crown books and Lord Somerton's Heir) are on sale for Au$2.99 in the Amazon Australia store.

They are also available on iTunes (Aus), Kobo, Google and Booktopia so get in quick to snaffle them at this price!

Links are below...

Alison's Books on Amazon Australia (Click the image to go straight to the site)

KOBO

GOOGLE PLAY

iBooks

Alison's Books on BOOKTOPIA

Alison on Escape Publishing

COVER REVEAL - AND THEN MINE ENEMY

11/17/2016

PREORDER

This is absolutely the best part of being a writer... the moment when all that hard work suddenly takes shape and form!

So... ta da... the cover for Book 1 of THE FEATHER IN THE WIND SERIES - AND THEN MINE ENEMY.

All credit is due to my amazing cover designer... Fiona Jayde. We did loops and cartwheels when we found exactly the right image for Adam and Perdita. As I have probably complained in the past, I WILL write books set in the English Civil War and finding the right cover imagery is an extra challenge!

Needless to say the cover for Book 2 (NOW MY SWORN FRIEND) is equally stunning but you will have to wait for that one (and I have to finish writing the book!).

You may ask why the strange title? The titles of both books and also the title of the series comes from Shakespeare's THE WINTER'S TALE. It fits the story concept of a family divided by the civil war.

POLIXENES
...He's all my exercise, my mirth, my matter,
Now my sworn friend and then mine enemy,
My parasite, my soldier, statesman, all...

The inspiration comes firstly from Perdita's name (also from the same play) and also because of the proximity of the principal location for this story - Stratford Upon Avon!

About AND THEN MINE ENEMY

A family ripped apart in a country divided by war . . .

England 1642: Hardened mercenary, Adam Coulter returns to England sickened by violence, seeking only peace, but he finds England on the brink of civil war. He has seen first-hand what that will mean for every man, woman and child and wants no part of it.

King or Parliament? Neutrality is not an option and Adam can only be true to his conscience, not the dictates of his family.

Having escaped a loveless marriage, Perdita Gray has found much needed sanctuary and the love of a good man, but her fragile world begins to crumble as Adam Coulter bursts into her life. This stranger brings not only the reality of war to her doorstep but reignites an old family feud, threatening everything and everyone she holds dear.

As the war and family tensions collide around them, Adam and Perdita are torn between old loyalties and a growing attraction that must be resisted.

PREORDER

READ AN EXTRACT...

England
July 1642

A shudder of rain slewed across the sodden countryside, sending its cold fingers cutting through Adam’s already saturated cloak. He huffed out a misty breath and straightened his aching shoulders. Not for the first time he cursed his brother for summoning him to a meeting Adam knew would inevitably end in grief and recrimination.

The remote inn loomed out of the gloaming and led on by the cheerful light spilling through the front windows, Adam urged his weary horse forward. The miserable beast, the mud dragging at its every step, plodded forward.
A young boy ran from the stable, a sack over his head and shoulders. Adam threw him the reins e and, taking a deep breath, strode into the inn. He tossed his hat and gloves to the innkeeper, his numbed fingers fumbled at the ties of his cloak.

‘His Lordship’s in the private parlour.’ The innkeeper scowled as he held the dripping garb at arm’s length.

Adam pushed open the door the man indicated. The two men seated beside a cheerful fire that burned in the wide hearth rose to their feet. His half-brothers schooled their faces to a neutrality that Adam knew would not last. As they faced him across the room, a growing sense of despondency gripped him as he stood before them. Once more the cuckoo in the nest, always the acknowledged baseborn son but not even given the protection of his father’s name.

Denzil Marchant, just as Adam remembered him, tall and powerful, with a mane of tawny hair like his father, and his younger brother Robin, as tall but of a slighter, elegant build, his hair more auburn and sleekly curling.

‘Denzil, Robin,’ Adam acknowledged them as he stepped into the room. ‘I wish I could say, well met, but I would be lying.’

‘Adam Coulter.’ The deliberate use of his full name jarred, as Denzil no doubt intended. ‘I would scarcely have recognized you. Hardly the darling of the court now, are you?’

‘I found lovelocks and pearl earrings something of a hindrance to the life of a soldier.’ Without waiting to be invited, Adam poured himself a full measure from the bottle of wine that stood on the table, hoping that they would not mark that his hand shook.

The full extract of Chapter 1 is available HERE

PREORDER

Friendship Forged in Battle - Meet THE GUARDIANS OF THE CROWN

11/7/2016

Worcester - 2nd September 1651

‘We’re not going to lose.’ Daniel declared. ‘We are the guardians of the crown. We’ll fight for the King and for glory and honour,’ he continued, oblivious to the cynical silence of his audience.
Jonathan considered the boy for a moment, seeing himself in the youthful romanticism of a cause in which he had believed so passionately, but wanting desperately to prevent the futile loss of another life.
‘Daniel, war has nothing to do with glory and honour,’ he said and leaned forward, fixing the boy with a hard gaze. ‘Have you ever smelt the stench of death? Have you ever seen a man with his guts hanging out and still living or a man with his face shot away? Have you watched a friend die of gangrene?’
Jonathan knew his words were brutal, and Daniel paled and swallowed. But he met Jonathan’s gaze.
‘I was there when they took and burned our home,’ the young man said. ‘I saw men die. I saw my father killed.’ He glanced at his brother. ‘He died in Kit’s arms. So, yes, I have seen death.’ (Excerpt from BY THE SWORD)

Meet The Guardians of the Crown...

England 1651... Three young men came together at Worcester for one last battle, one last attempt to regain the throne of England for the exiled young King, Charles II. This one battle will mark a turning point in all their lives...

JONATHAN THORNTON (BY THE SWORD): Exiled and hunted for his loyalty to the King's cause, he has returned to England to garner support for the cause of the young King. Haunted by the demons of his past, Jonathan risks death at every turn and brings danger to those who love him.
KIT LOVELL (THE KING'S MAN): A cynical and disillusioned Royalist who passes his time cheating at cards, living off his wealthy and attractive mistress, and plotting the death of Oliver Cromwell. He will abandon his honour to save his brother...
DANIEL LOVELL (EXILE'S RETURN): An idealistic youth in 1651, bound to concepts of honour and vengeance, he will return to England in 1659 after years of imprisonment, exile and torture, determined to kill the man who murdered his father. But his plans for revenge must wait, as the King has one last mission for him.

And for the women who love them, life will be a bitter hand to mouth existence...
KATE ASHLEY (BY THE SWORD): Will find her loyalty to the Parliamentary cause tested when she inherits responsibility for the estate of the Royalist Thornton family. To protect the people she cares about, she will need all her wits to restore its fortunes and fend off the ever-present threat of greedy neighbours.
THAMSINE GRANVILLE (THE KING'S MAN): Penniless and friendless, Thamsine Granville has lost everything. Terrified, and alone, she hurls a piece of brick at the coach of Oliver Cromwell. Only the quick thinking of a stranger saves her from death but Kit Lovell will plunge her into a world of espionage and betrayal – a world that has no room for falling in love.
AGNES FLETCHER (EXILE'S RETURN): Following the death of her lover, his two orphaned children are torn from her care by their scheming guardian. Agnes desperately seeks anyone willing to accompany her on a perilous journey to save the children and return them to her care.

NOW FOR A GIVEAWAY...

In the comments tell Alison about your favourite period of history and why you love it and go in the draw to win one of two digital editions of Alison's latest English Civil War stories... AND THEN MINE ENEMY. Click HERE for more information.

But wait... there's more. EVERYONE who subscribes to Alison's newsletter will be able to download a copy of SECRETS IN TIME for FREE... so everyone wins!

To subscribe, simply complete the form below...

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Moments in History...

Awesome giveaway for lovers of Historical Fiction #BookSweeps

Release day for AND THEN MINE ENEMY

AND THEN MINE ENEMY

Read an Excerpt...

BUY LINKS (click to go straight to the link)

But wait there's more... a Rafflecopter contest to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card

Author in the Spotlight: Alison's Escape Publishing Titles on sale

Alison's Books on Amazon Australia (Click the image to go straight to the site)

Alison's Books on BOOKTOPIA

COVER REVEAL - AND THEN MINE ENEMY

About AND THEN MINE ENEMY

READ AN EXTRACT...

Friendship Forged in Battle - Meet THE GUARDIANS OF THE CROWN

Meet The Guardians of the Crown...

FREE BOOKS and READS

Archives

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Moments in History...

Awesome giveaway for lovers of Historical Fiction #BookSweeps

Release day for AND THEN MINE ENEMY

AND THEN MINE ENEMY

Read an Excerpt...

BUY LINKS (click to go straight to the link)

But wait there's more... a Rafflecopter contest to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card

﻿Author in the Spotlight: Alison's Escape Publishing Titles on sale

Alison's Books on Amazon Australia (Click the image to go straight to the site)

Alison's Books on BOOKTOPIA

COVER REVEAL - AND THEN MINE ENEMY

About AND THEN MINE ENEMY

READ AN EXTRACT...

Friendship Forged in Battle - Meet THE GUARDIANS OF THE CROWN

Meet The Guardians of the Crown...

Subscribe to Alison Stuart's Readers List

FREE BOOKS and READS

Archives

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Author in the Spotlight: Alison's Escape Publishing Titles on sale