Alison Stuart - Writer
  • Home Page
  • Alison's Books
    • Gather the Bones
    • Australian Historical Romance >
      • The Postmistress
      • The Gold Miner's Sister
      • The Homecoming
    • English Civil War Books >
      • By the Sword (GOTC 1)
      • The King's Man (GOTC 2)
      • Exile's Return (GOTC 3)
      • And Then Mine Enemy
      • Her Rebel Heart
      • Secrets in Time
      • The Guardians of the Crown
      • Feathers in the Wind Collection
    • Regency Romance >
      • About Lord Somerton's Heir
      • A Christmas Love Redeemed
      • Sebastian's Waterloo
    • AUDIO BOOKS
    • Alli Stewart (Contemporary Romance)
    • Free and Short Reads
    • Anthologies
  • A.M. Stuart Books (Historical Mystery)
  • BOOK STORE
  • About Alison
    • Media and Press
    • The English Civil War
    • Gallery
  • Alison's News
    • Moments in History (Blog) >
      • Alison Stuart Blog Archive
      • Hoydens and Firebrands (Archive)
      • Historical Hearts Blog (Archive)
  • Workshops and Talks
  • Readers List Page (password protected)
  • Privacy Policy

Moments in History...

Welcome to Alison's archive blog page.
To find out more about Alison and for a chance for free reads and contests click the link below.

Click Here for a free book

COVER REVEAL - AND THEN MINE ENEMY

11/17/2016

 
Picture
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

Comments are closed.

    FREE BOOKS and READS

    Click the Button below for more details  

    FREE READ

    Archives

    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    Alison Stuart
    Amy Rose Bennet
    And Then Mine Enemy
    Anzac Day
    A Person Of No Consequence
    Archer
    Aubrey Wynne
    Author Spotlight
    Battle Of Worcester
    Belinda Williams
    Beverley Eikli
    Blue Stocking Belles
    Book Giveaway
    Book Sale
    Book Sweeps
    Box Set]
    Brugel
    Bunyip
    By The Sword
    Charity Anthology
    Clean Read
    Contemporary Romance
    Convict Ancestor
    Cover Reveal
    Dante's Gift
    Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire
    Ebony McKenna
    Edward Gibbons
    English Civil War
    English Civil War Fiction
    Escape Publishing
    Etienne DeMestre
    Eurovision
    Exile's Return
    Family History
    First World War Fiction
    Flying Into The Mist
    Free Kindle Book
    Friday Fun Facts
    Gather The Bones
    Ghost Stories
    Gift Card Giveaway
    Guardians Of The Crown Series
    Gwydir Castle
    Halloween
    Halloween Ghosts
    Historical Fiction Giveaway
    Historical Novel Society
    Historical Romance
    HNS Conference 2017
    If I Kissed You
    Jo Beverly
    John Black
    Louise Reynolds
    Mary Hyde
    Matthew Hopkins
    Melbourne Cup
    Mistletoe Marriage And Mayhem
    MJ Logue
    Modern Heart
    New Release
    Ondine Series
    Organic Writing
    Plotting Or Pantsing
    Pozieres
    Prosper DeMestre
    Rafflecopter Giveaway
    Regency Christmas
    Regency Christmas Novellas
    Richard Conway Lowe
    #RWA17
    Sasha Cottman
    Simeon Lord
    Spencer Percival
    St. Luke's Hospice Plymouth
    Tales From The Sergeant's Pack
    Tea Cooper
    The Commandery
    The King's Man
    Traveller Weddings
    Virginia Taylor
    Walhalla
    Warwick Assizes
    Williamstown Literary Festival
    Witches
    World War One
    World War Two Fiction
    Writing And Publishing
    Writing Career
    Wrtiing Craft
    Wtichfinder General

    RSS Feed

    Email Alison