I Piped, That She Might Dance by Iain MacDonald, with a foreword by Hugh Cheape, is an historical novel based on the life of Angus MacKay (1813-1859), first Piper to the Sovereign, appointed by Queen Victoria. Mackay, who is one of the most significant figures in the history of Scottish music, died after a long battle with physical and mental illness, though he left behind collections of pipe music still played today. This account of his life traces his long journey, from humble origins on the isle of Raasay to the height of fame in Her Majesty’s service and beyond. His story is one that has long deserved to be told, and Iain MacDonald has obliged in style.

"Revealing, sensitively written and eminently readable. Besides piping, it provides insights into the social life of the time, from croft to palace, as well as into the treatment of mental illness." John Purser, author of Scotland's Music

It’s 1582. Banned books in tow, Martin, an accused seditionist, narrowly escapes the pyre and finds safety with Nicolas’s family. When Nicolas and his love, Catherine, are caught with the books, all three of them are plunged into a fight for their lives. Based on the author’s family tree, FROM THE DROP OF HEAVEN, by Juliette Godot (Sunbury Press, August 2022)

Reviews:

DK Marley, historical fiction author of Blood and Ink and CEO of the Historical Fiction Club: “For lovers of rich, immersive history wrapped in a captivating and heartbreaking story, this book grabs hold from the very beginning and refuses to release until the very last word. Juliette Godot is a master storyteller, taking her own astounding family history and offering the reader a beautifully crafted tale worthy of ten stars!"

City of Acre, Holy Land, Friday, 17th of June, in the year 1272 of the incarnation of Christ, on the eve of Edward's birthday. The Crusaders and Mamluks have recently signed a peace treaty when Peter Longsword, an orphan raised in a monastery, is caught in the storm of an assassination attempt on the royal Crusader. When he saves the life of the crown prince of England on his first day as a guard in the royal household, Peter is drawn irreversibly into a deep plot to discover who ordered the assassination and why. Peter encounters knights, mercenaries, infidels, and nobility and he learns about treachery, love, and loyalty in his journey toward the truth of his own origins as well as the truth of the murder attempt. Peter will ride to the edge of the realm to prove the strength of his bloodline. Enemies will unite in the struggle for power and peace. Longsword shows you the world of sword brothers' bravery and friendship.

Recipient of the Literary Titan's Book Award July 2022

In 1756, sixteen-year-old Cate Malone waves goodbye to her Da, leaving a troubled childhood behind. Along with two classmates, Daisy and Carie, fellow indentured servants-to-be, the trio excitedly sails on The Fancy for Philadelphia. The expense of the voyage to the colonies from Port London would be "worked-off" by her servitude.

The voyage doesn't last three weeks as expected: it is much extended through horrendous storms, starvation, murderous pirates, an uncharted island, kidnapping, a taste of love, buried treasures, and the birth of a child. With buoyancy and the luck of Cate's Irish blood, will they manage to survive the odds against them?

After months of being assumed "lost at sea," a few of the original two hundred manage to live, still exuberant and with hopes for a new life - just in time for rumors of a revolution against King George. At this point, the friends go their various assigned ways as servants to wealthy Colonists for five years without pay. After that time, they would be free, without obligation, to create a free life in the New World.

At the plantation owned by Colonel Beecham, a rare benevolent master, Cate, and Elsie, a house slave, are manumitted (set free) by Beecham. Cate, detesting slavery, teaches Elsie to read, which is against the law, and the girls establish a compound in Appalachia, where all strays are welcomed, educated, given work, and have rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But how long will this "New American Family" last? Will others come who will want more than to share?

There is a rather personable seagull involved, implying the transmigration of souls. Some suspension of disbelief is required when the seagull, a loving and caring old bird, revisits his life as a father of a daughter. He does not meddle and keeps a respectful distance - just keeping an eye on things.

Billy and Tommy Jones, are born out of wedlock in Blackmoor, Lancashire in 1921. Mary, their mother is pressured by the Catholic church to put them into an orphanage. Neither boy knows he has a brother until thirty-two years later. The Soldier and The Orphan follows the unpredictable lives of each protagonist as they go to different parts of the world where they suffer consequences, not of their own making. Billy is injured in WW2, Tommy is sent to Canada as a Home Child and is in Jersey, a Channel Island when the Germans invade and occupy the islands.

...As we travel here and there, we are given glimpses of pre-and post-World War II England, the Channel Islands, and Quebec; the changing settings almost become characters themselves. Mr. Henry has written this book in an easy, approachable style, that makes it a quick read for the 'hungry' voracious reader, but one that will also appeal to the casual reader who wants to enjoy small bites at their own pace...

21st-century Olivia thinks traveling back in time to 1934 to attend a party with her friend Steven will be fun. And it is...until she witnesses a murder, and fears the killer saw her face. The smart move is to return to the safety of the present, but Olivia possesses a secret and is about to defy the unwritten rules of time-travel. She convinces Steven to let her stay in his time and help unravel the motives behind the murder, even if it means risking her own life to save another. When Steven delves into the investigation, he discovers how a bitter relationship, a chance encounter, and a fateful decision converged to set the stage for murder. In a maze full of unreliable clues and misdirection, dark secrets refuse to stay buried and forgotten ghosts won’t fade away. Steven is reminded that old sins cast long shadows.

This highly inventive series serves up a real treat--a perfect combination of mystery, time travel, & romance.
Deborah Crombie, New York Times Bestselling Author

On a sunny spring day in 1934, local lothario Frankie Russo is murdered in broad daylight. It seems no one saw anything, but things are not always what they seem in this small New York town. Tackling the investigation, Detective Steven Blackwell discovers Frankie’s little black book, a coded list of dozens of flings, affairs, and one-night stands−and a solid motive for the widow. Soon, what appeared to be a straight-forward case gets complicated. A witness goes missing, a second body turns up, the victim’s cousin disappears, and an old flame surfaces. Faced with conflicting pieces of evidence, lies, and false alibis, Steven creates a psychological portrait of the killer. He realizes he’s looking for someone wearing a mask. But the killer is not the only one in disguise.

How can a police procedural be so much fun? Clever and compelling, this intriguing time-traveling puzzle will keep you guessing.
Hank Phillippi Ryan, International Bestselling Author of Her Perfect Life

The past collides with the present in a small New York town, where secrets lurk and betrayal is just around the corner. The morning after the worst blizzard of 1934, Detective Steven Blackwell takes on a highly charged murder case. The investigation starts badly: one clue, lots of lies and alibis. To make things worse, Steven is seeing visions of a woman in his house. One night, she speaks. Her name is Olivia Watson and she lives in 2014. She believes time has folded over in the house they share. As their relationship deepens, Steven’s investigation intensifies. Soon he can no longer trust anyone in his own time. Can Olivia help crack the case—and catch a killer?

There's nothing I like more than a time-travel tale, but how much better to get a crisp, fair-play police procedural, too. The atmosphere grabbed me. The ending surprised me. I'm already looking forward to Steven and Olivia's next adventure.
Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of In Place of Fear

In the action-packed opening of “Armistice”, the first book of the “Bogeys” early twentieth-century aviation-centered historical fiction series, two Allied aviators are downed in action on a French farm near the Western Front. The pilots and their rescuers find friendship and love amidst the destruction, despite a sinister German stuck on the wrong side of the line. When World War One ends, what happens to their relationships? Their military obligations require leaving for their homelands, but their futures lie in their adopted French village with the women they leave behind. But first, can they survive their journeys home?

Shattered by heartbreak...

“When a heart breaks, it does not break evenly, cleaving in half exactly down the middle.”
Surrounded by her large, boisterous family in 1840s Ireland, Lara Flannigan has never known anything but love and belonging—until the day tragedy strikes, leaving her abandoned and forced into indentured servitude.

Remade in a new world.

With barely a chance to look back, she’s swept away to a bustling new continent—and a dizzying new reality. One of petticoats, opulent townhouses, and the cold reaches of Philadelphia high society. Desperate for a future, Lara works tirelessly to fit into her new life... while still haunted by a past that won’t let her go.

If you had a unique set of skills and could save your best friend
from a fate worse than death, would you?
The year is 1804 and Lady Olivia Sophia Allen Townsend just turned 20. She is young and beautiful but considered by some in polite society to be far too eccentric for her own good.
Olivia can see spirits. In fact, she has been speaking to the dearly departed since she was a little girl.
When Olivia was younger, she was very open about her gifts. But years of shunning by her peers has caused Olivia to turn her back on those who needed her the most; the spirits who are caught between the two worlds.
That is until the day her best friend, Lilly Collins comes to her in the middle of the night and asks for her help. Lilly can’t remember what happened to her, but she finds herself in need of Olivia’s unique gifts.Olivia’s younger sister, Coco is also gifted with a unique set of skills, and together, the sisters set off on a sea voyage, to solving the mystery of Lilly’s untimely death

If you had a twin, what would you do to save their life?
It is 1783 England and Isabella Deveraux is an independent, fearless young woman who has hardened her heart to everyone that mattered to her, until the night she experiences a disturbing dream about her twin brother, Charlie, on the eve of their 19th birthday. Charlie and his schoolmates have been abducted by the devil incarnate and Isabella is resolved to do whatever it takes to save him, even if that means reconciling with her estranged family and placing her faith and life in the hands of an intimidating Irish mercenary Captain.
Captain Aiden Townsend is more than willing to save the lives of three privileged schoolboys, for the right price. Jaded by his own devastating loss, Aiden has worked hard to keep his distance from the female persuasion. That is, until the day he is introduced to Isabella, who has already captured his heart with her fierce nature, and iron strong will.