Friday Featured: J,K

Welcome to Friday Featured. I'm publishing, working from A-Z, a weekly list of authors whose works I think you should check out. Maybe I've read some of their works, maybe I've worked with them on various projects, perhaps their books are on my To-Be-Read pile, or perhaps they are friends of mine who have news that needs to be shared. The only rule here is that it is totally unsolicited. The authors don't know I'm going to feature them, and in that way you'll know that this is simply my honest opinion. If I haven't read their work yet I'll be candid and say so, but at least one book by each of these authors is either on my shelves, or on my Kindle; it might be that I just haven't got to them yet 😊


This week, J,K: (clicking on the names will take you to the author website; book titles will take you to Amazon)

Regina Jeffers is a prolific writer of Regency fiction. Our paths have crossed in various online author groups. I was gifted  His American Heartsong by the author via her website. It is a companion piece to a series of novels and I would say that it's preferable to read those novels first, so that you have a clearer idea about who the characters are. But, having said that, I really enjoyed it. The characters were very well drawn, and acted and spoke very much in line with the period setting. Furthermore, the author stays 'in character' too - writing as if she were a Regency author but with a lightness of touch which I, as a modern reader, appreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it was really entertaining. It may not be the best one to start with, but there are plenty of Regina's books to choose from. Bliss for Regency fans!

Maria Johnson The Boy from the Snow is the debut novel from Maria Johnson and I've just only recently finished reading it, so I'm still gathering my thoughts before reviewing. Ms Johnson certainly knows how to weave a tale and this is well plotted and the pacing is excellent. The content could easily be marketed as a Young Adult book. In order to tell her story, the author introduces elements bordering on fantasy which would entice a slightly younger audience - there are castles, for example, which didn't exist in this time and place but add to the idea that this realm is not quite 'real'. An accomplished debut and the sequel has recently been published, which continues the story of the main protagonist, Daniel. Fantasy and adventure - a winning combination.

Philippa Jane Keyworth When an author announces on Twitter that one of her books is on special offer, it seems rude not to buy. So I picked up The Unexpected Earl on Kindle and so far have read the first chapter. We're back in the Regency era here, and as the blurb explains, Six years after being jilted without a word of explanation, Julia Rotherham finds Lucius Wolversley standing before her once again--unexpected, unannounced, unwelcome. With her heart still hurting and, more importantly, her pride, Julia must chaperone her younger sister, fend off fortune hunters, orchestrate a fake engagement, and halt an elopement--all whilst keeping the man who jilted her at arm's length. But what Julia doesn't know is that this time, the Earl has no intention of disappearing, and this time, he has more than an explanation to offer....

Jacqueline Kirk I 'know' Jacqueline from Twitter and I read this book on Kindle. Time after Time is now available again in Kindle format, as well as large print paperback. It's a time slip novel, and concerns Alice, who buys an old rectory which her frankly awful 'ex' is trying to get his hands on. The gateway in the garden is a portal to Victorian times, and Alice slips through. She seems to hold the key to solving a murder which had taken place in the rectory in times gone by and she also seems to have found love. I was really happy to suspend disbelief and enjoyed this tale, particularly the array of characters, both past and present. Some of the 'bedroom' scenes were a little racy for my taste, but not so salacious that it put me off the book. Although this is part murder-mystery, it's also a warm, feel-good book.

Judith Koll Healey Unfortunately I couldn't find a website for Judith. It also seems that The Lost Letters of Aquitaine might not be so readily available; I bought this in a secondhand bookshop when I was out with another writer friend who'll feature next week. It's 1200 and Alais Capet, once in line for the French throne, lives at the mercy of her stepbrother, King Philippe. Alais was once betrothed to Richard the Lionheart, but blames Eleanor of Aquitaine for the failed betrothal. Alais is sent on a mission to retrieve some secret letters but before she can do so, she is abducted and caught up in a conspiracy which involved King John, add the Knights' Templar... This looks like a great read, so it might be worth searching out, even if it's no longer available on the you-know-where site.

Perhaps you'll find your next favourite read here. If not, join me again next time when I'll be highlighting books I own written by authors whose names begin with L 😊