Head over to this fabulous blog spot to find out what inspired the award-winning Victorian saga, WORKHOUSE WAIF!
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2021/08/wednesday-wanderings-to-woollen-mills.html
If you don’t know the book, here’s the story-
How can Bella Hart escape the hell of the Victorian workhouse?
Fleeing the abuse that she suffered there, the lonely outcast hopes her new life in a factory town can provide the esteem and affection she craves. Torn between the worlds of masters and workers, Bella falls for the enigmatic Jack, but their relationship shatters when his true identity is revealed. In a desperate bid to revive her love, Jack unearths Bella’s past, with tragic consequences.
After a devastating fire, a secret emerges that seals Bella’s fate, and that of everyone and everything she holds dear.
Fans of Catherine Cookson and Victorian historical romances will love this book.
And if you want to find out what readers thought of the book, there’s a fabulous review on the Discovering Diamonds website.
You can get a copy of the book here.
The WWII Romance you have to read!
Don’t miss out on this fantastic book. It’s called The Promise – A World War II Historical Romance.
By Kathleen Harryman and Lucy Marshall
How far would you go to keep a promise?
In the heat of battle, one man’s promise to another will be tested.
September 1939
As Britain is gripped by the fear and uncertainty of war, Tom Armitage stands to gain the one thing that he never thought possible – his freedom.
Rosie Elliot sees her future crumbling to dust as Will Aarons leaves Whitby with Jimmy Chappell to fight in the war. As she begins work at The Turnstone Convalescent Home, Rosie finds something she thought she had lost. Friendship. But friendship soon turns to love. Can this new love replace Will?
This is not an ordinary love story.
It’s a story of love, loss, courage, and honour.
Of promises that must be kept or risk losing everything you’ve ever held dear.
Get your copy here on Amazon
Want to know how this incredible book came into being? Read on.
Kathleen Harryman, the historical aspect behind
The Promise ~ A World War II Historical Romance
The Promise has been written based on the telling of stories by the soldiers who fought in WWII. It is also based on the lives of those left behind who kept the country going and tended to the wounded as they returned home.
I wanted The Promise to have a deep personal meaning, something that the reader could connect with on an emotional level. The dates and occurrences, though some are tweaked, such in the case of Tom and the German bomber, happened. A German bomber was shot down over Whitby, only the circumstances have changed.
I didn’t want to bog the reader down with too many dates and events. To try and incorporate everything that happened during WWII would take more than one book, and so I centred the story around Whitby and the people.
Whitby is an intriguing place and has been mentioned by many authors over the years. It’s famous links with Dracula are well documented and portrayed. And there are many key links with Whitby and WWII.
The Turnstones is fictional; however the German soldiers being washed up on the Whitby shores did occur. These key facts are what made me choose Whitby for The Promise.
My grandfather Lance – Corporal James Chappell in his Seaforth Highlander 5th Battalion uniform
I have been challenged on some aspects of the book, in which it was said such things never happened. I wish that this was true. However, they did. And perhaps it is the magnitude of war itself which challenges our own beliefs on reality.
The notice of my grandfather’s death was hand delivered to his wife. The officer in question thought too highly of my grandfather and requested that he deliver it in person to Horner Street, York where my grandfather lived with his wife’s mother and sister.
Notice of Death given to my Nana Elizabeth Nutman informing her of her husband’s death
We may question why one man made such a huge impact that when a soldier sought him out, he broke down on seeing the black veil covering his photograph. Or perhaps some people touch us so deeply we cannot help but feel the immense loss.
I have read and researched many aspects of WWII. However facts of events printed in a book, or on screen will never replace the human element. And one thing I have learnt through the many stories told, is that our emotions are what gets us through life. Even in war soldiers keep their humour. They laugh and they cry, but they are always there for each other. It is the human emotion which I have tried so diligently to capture in The Promise.
About the author- Kathleen Harryman
Kathleen Harryman is a storyteller and poet in the historically rich city of York, North Yorkshire, England, with her husband, children and pet dog and cat.
Kathleen was first published in 2015, a romantic suspense entitled The Other Side of the Looking Glass. Since then, Kathleen has developed a unique writing style which readers have enjoyed, and she became a multi-genre author of suspense, psychological thrillers, poetry and historical romance.
Connect with Kathleen: Website • Facebook • Instagram • YouTube • Twitter • IAN
Don’t forget, you can get your copy of this heart-rending book from Amazon
Enjoy!
E.K x
Seduction, Scandal & Spies 