The winner of Eadric the Grasper is...

Misha1989! Thank you for posting a comment on Eadric the Grasper. Jayden Woods would be delighted to send you a copy of the novel. Please contact her directly.

Fatfingers: A Tale of Old New Orleans by Charlie White

Reviewed by: L. Gregory Graham

Etienne is a simple man. What he wants most in life is a profession that is less hard on his hands. His sobriquet, Fatfingers, comes from the damage he does to his digits as a carpenter. Unfortunately, Nova Scotia in 1755 is not a place where the British care much about what an Acadian wants. England, Spain, and France are fighting over large chunks of North America, and if a few settlers die in the process, then so be it.

Pretty grim, right? In fact, the story is a romp through an unsettled period that rings truer in this book than it does in the history books.

The widow Partridge was a comely sort of woman, who having lost her husband to a wasting fever at the age of twenty, cultivated a lost and melancholic air that left persons of the opposite sex strangely disoriented.

That is how a very minor character in the story is described.

It was the type of air that, once having breathed it, you had to sample it again to see if it was as bad as you first thought.

That is how the smell inside an Indian lodge house is described.

Yes, it is a funny book. How does funny mix with historical novel? It mixes very well in this case. There is no time for stoical heroes, or bosomy heroines. This book deals with practical questions like who do you pay off when the French have vacated the city, and the Spanish haven’t arrived yet? Or, where do you get the flour for his bread when the Spanish governor eats at your restaurant every evening?

Etienne does what he must to survive and thus begins a story that stretches from Nova Scotia to New Orleans with side trips to South Carolina, Florida, Haiti and Cuba thrown in. Along the way he collects a motley group of characters that hang together because none of them has had a better offer. They include a former mistress to a government official in Haiti, a Spanish journalist sent to Cuba to get her out of Spain, an Indian, a former pirate turned food inspector, a former ship’s captain who may or may not be a pirate, smugglers and, of course, a boat load of angry Spanish prostitutes.

The city of New Orleans is a character also. It is a malevolent place much prone to giving its inhabitants incurable diseases, where anything left untended succumbs to rot, or sinks out of sight in the firm mud that passes for dry land. It is an immoral place where the major economic activity is smuggling. Drinking, rioting and knife fights are the entertainment. The city resists all attempts by the various authorities to bring law and order to the masses. One gets the impression that it was named New Orleans only because the names Sodom and Gomorrah had already been taken.

Etienne is pragmatic; he opens a restaurant, makes excellent food, and pays off anyone who comes through the door demanding a bribe. Unfortunately, nothing stays simple for long. Soon he becomes a smuggler to buy flour from the British to make the rolls and breads that governor craves in his restaurant. His brother-in-law, the Indian, is wounded on a smuggling run requiring that they kidnap a surgeon from Pensacola; the woman he loves is accused of murder and witchcraft requiring a rescue from a prison ship in Havana harbor; half-hearted revolutionaries plot government overthrow at dinner at his restaurant; and a Yankee bounty hunter by the name of Cudgel tirelessly dogs him at every step.

Etienne finds himself in a topsy-turvy world. Bravery and ethical behavior are punished while lying, slander, smuggling, cowardice, and drinking carry the day. Money and power are always corrupt, and the guilty must be punished even when they are not guilty. Where others see moral turpitude, Etienne sees opportunity.

As busy as he is trying to stay alive, Etienne still finds time to invent Cajun cooking, and develop the perfect mixed drink for Kentucky bourbon if only he could remember the ingredients the next morning. Yes, it is that kind of book.

I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who is tired of the standard fare in historical novels. These characters come off fresh and funny. The women rescue the men, the men rescue the women, Etienne becomes a hero only after every other option is closed to him, government at its worst is subverted, and life goes on in a tiny town on a small rise beside a very muddy river.

Deep Creek by Dana Hand

The time is 1887. The place is Deep Creek, along the banks of the Snake River (Idaho and Oregon's natural boundary line).

A murder mystery ensues, set in the West when moneyed men and women (and countries) plot and play politics in their strategic game of power and greed.

What goes around, comes around. Eventually. From this side of reality and beyond.

A Judge, a Company investigator, and a Metis tracker band together to solve the mass murder of more than 30 Chinese gold miners. Secrets abound from all sides. Who is telling the truth?

Based on real events during the fading Gold Rush days of America's West. Relive the last days of the fated mining camp, the personal struggles of the investigating party, and the choices to be made that will eventually change the course of everyone's life!

A great look into a window of time past, of the reality and harshness of prairie life, for foreigners and American-born alike. Well written, with twists and turns that hold the reader's interest far beyond the last pages of the story.

Book Giveaway: Eadric the Grasper: Sons of Mercia Vol. 1 by Jayden Woods

“His name was Eadric, which meant ‘power,’ and he had been acquiring it consistently his entire life.

Once a bastard and a swineherd, now a thegn. Who could say what he might become tomorrow?”

Eadric the Grasper: Sons of Mercia Vol. 1

Author Jayden Woods explores the life of the “worst Briton of the 11th century” in her new novel, Eadric the Grasper: Sons of Mercia Vol. 1. From Eadric’s humble beginnings as a fatherless swineherd, to his meteoric rise as ealdorman of Mercia in northern England, Woods has provided readers a multifaceted view of one of history’s supposed villains.

A casual conversation about the Danish invaders plaguing England occurs between Eadric and a young boy, revealed as the king’s son. It swiftly leads to a summons to the court of King Ethelred the Unready, where, after some shock the king demands to know what he should do about the Danes. Eadric’s answer seems simple enough: deal with the invaders, as they have done with the English in the past, a history mired with their broken promises. Eadric is unprepared when his answer precipitates a massacre of the Danes, including his master Wulfric’s host. In the aftermath, Eadric soon has an unforgettable encounter with the king’s daughter Aydith, which will influence the course of his life in years to come.

Throughout the intervening years, Eadric attempts to survive the politics, famines and Danish raids that threaten to destroy England. However, he cannot remain ignorant of the upheaval for long because Ethelred soon demands that he kill a great Saxon landowner. Seeing little choice, Eadric submits to the command and gains land for his troubles. By then, his reputation is growing unfavorably in the kingdom, as people question his influence. In an attempt to impress Aydith, he leads a ragtag band against the Danes and gets himself captured. Although he survives the ordeal, it is a turning point for Eadric, the moment where it becomes clear that prevailing winds of change can easily sway his loyalties.

For her part, the princess Aydith is a staunch, defiant enemy of the Danes. She harbors a dangerous secret, one that often imperils her life. Not even the mutual attraction between her and Eadric and their later marriage can distract her from the goal of riding England of the invaders. She refuses to stand by helplessly while her father vacillates and capitulates to every Danish demand for even more bribes. The worse betrayal for her is when she thinks Eadric’s sole focus is on his selfish interests, and that he cares nothing for the fate of England. Although she tries to remain a dutiful wife, they clash and mutual suspicions ruin their former happiness. When Eadric finally discovers the secret that his wife has held from him, he must decide whether his own interests or her safety is his paramount concern. His choice surprised me.

Like Aydith, sometimes I struggled to reconcile Eadric’s character. I understand that for Ms. Woods it is no easy feat to turn the “worst Briton of the 11th century” into a man with distinct motivations. It was not often clear whether Eadric was on a quest for peace throughout the kingdom, or just in his domain, in an idyllic world of his own creation. Because of this ambiguity, he could easily swing from supporting Ethelred and his children to betraying them in the next instant. Although his relationship with Aydith grew difficult over time because of those actions, I never got the sense that they had ever stopped loving each other. Many of the characters refer to him as a coward, but I never thought of him in that way. If anything, he acted boldly and through astute observation of the swift changes coming to England, he did his best to forge a good life for him and his family. Still, his boldness accompanied a strange and dangerous naiveté that did not allow him to appreciate the full consequences of his actions at times. As in life, Jayden Woods’ Eadric remains a complicated character.

Jayden Woods has graciously offered a FREE copy of her new novel, Eadric the Grasper: Sons of Mercia Vol. 1. Please leave a comment on the blog this week for your chance to win.

 AVAILABLE OCTOBER 5, 2010

An Unforgettable Journey Through Italy and Life by Federico G. Martini

An Unforgettable Journey Through Italy and Life by Federico G. Martini


For anyone trapped in the rat race of a big city who juggles career, family, and the pressures of life, this novel will certainly strike a chord.

In this fascinating contemporary story, Davide is a manager in a factory, and one day, while trapped in a traffic jam on Milano’s ring road, he suffers a panic attack. Plagued by anxiety and exhausted by the demands of a stressful career, on an impulse, he decides to leave his work and family and wander through Italy in search of healing. Without clear direction, he throws caution to the wind, and embarks on a journey of discovery through small towns, major tourist centres, and visiting historical locations. Along the way, he meets many colourful characters who touch his life in a myriad of ways, teaching him to focus on the richness of life.  With each encounter, he learns the meaning of simplicity and tranquillity, and his spirit slowly begins to heal.

This tiny novel is vivid with descriptions of Italy and the Italian lifestyle. As I read along, it felt as if I was being taken on a grand tour of Italy visiting Florence and Venice and the many quaint towns and villages along the way. The novel describes the beauty of the Italian countryside and the splendour of its cuisine. Davide sweeps us along a fabulous voyage from the north to the southernmost regions of the Italian countryside. Through its poignant prose, I could not help but feel Davide’s pain and yearning for a better life.

Federico G. Martini is an award winning Italian novelist. For further information on Federico and his books, I encourage you to visit http://www.federicogmartini.it/

Magician's Spell by Debra Denson

In early 19th century Europe, Lady Johanna Cornehl is an Admiral’s daughter who boards the Magician’s Spell, a ship under the command of Captain Harold Monroe who was dishonorably discharged from the navy by her father. This sets the tone for much tension by a colorful cast of characters throughout this romantic sea yarn.

Magician’s Spell is Debra Denson’s first novel. It is an easy read with a compelling story line. The main characters struggle against adversity and enmity in the form of those who conspire to keep them apart. At times, I found the main character, Johanna, to be a feisty heroine who sometimes came across a little spoiled, but who slowly improved as the romance between her and Harold bloomed. The villain, a ruthless shipping mogul is well drawn and adds good overall tension to the tale. Like many first novels by debut authors, Magician’s Spell does have some minor flaws, which is expected, but it has a compelling storyline and the climax was well written with a captivating, satisfying conclusion. A sequel, His Apprentice is scheduled for release in the next several months.

What Alice Knew by Paula Marantz Cohen

Ms Marantz has brought together the characters of the author Henry James, his doctor brother William and their sister Alice, into the Victorian thriller story of the Whitechapel murders of the 1888.

The three siblings with their various idiosyncrasies add colour and entertainment to the story. Henry the self- opinionated and in many ways shallow writer, whom I liked as he was well meaning and harmless in his conceits. William the self-effacing medical man who still grieves for the loss of his baby son and Alice, who, to save herself the trouble of visiting her friends and relations, decides to become an invalid so they all have to pay court to her as she reclines in bed.

William is enlisted from his sanitised world of medical academia in America to assist Scotland Yard in their hunt for The Ripper. Alice decides that she is best placed to work out the identity of the man all London wants to find, so she sets her brothers to accumulate clues and information that she can seive through to solve the crime.

Among the contemporary characters the James’ siblings discuss and some they entertain, are John Singer Sergeant, Oscar Wilde, George du Maurier, Ellen Terry and Mark Twain. Alice develops an affinity for Walter Sickert, who also has a keen interest in the murders, and she asks him to paint her portrait.

The investigation itself takes a while to get underway, as the author likes to set scenes of intellectual discussion about social mores of the times, recent developments in psychology and commonplace attitudes toward the working class. Her research is extensive but sometimes the narrative is dragged down by the minutiae of everything circa 1888.

Two incidents add tension at the beginning of the story, an enigmatic gentleman who helps Henry into a carriage when he has gorged himself at a dinner party and collapses in the street. Then Henry narrowly escapes being pushed in front of a speeding curricle. When William and Henry enter the East End, they are taken aback that the ‘ignorant classes’ are suspicious of authority and less than eager to co-operate with their questions.

William develops an attraction for a beautiful woman, though in a typical male manner he also expresses jealousy of Alice’s attentions to Mr Sickert. His interest in psychology means he delves into his motivation, his attitude to his own ‘Alice’ at home in America and Alice’s reasons for her attraction to Mr Sickert. Unfortunately this tends to get very heavy and is a distraction from the original plot, turning this work into less a work of fiction and rather an academic and social exercise.

Alice does prove very observant with the clues the brothers supply, spotting minor details which I feel only a woman would notice, like the quality of notepaper etc. I did enjoy the atmospheric Victorian world in which these characters exist and their observations about themselves and each other are very entertaining. There is a scene with a spiritualist which was particularly amusing.

I didn’t expect a conclusive solution to this story as there wasn’t one in real life, but even so the end was unsatisfactory in its vagueness.

Ms Marantz Cohen says at the beginning that she wrote the book to bring life to historical characters and events. She has certainly done that, and as a slice of Victorian life this book is fascinating, but you won't find out the identity of Jack The Ripper.