Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 21, 2026
January 21, 2026 By 2 Comments
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
Humorous Book Titles
The Door, The Key and the Kingdom by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
January 20, 2026 By 2 Comments
The Door, The Key and the Kingdom by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by RoseLife is complicated enough when living in one era, but when Anne finds herself gravitating back in time to the sixth century, she’s not sure what to expect, or what to believe. Pulling the legendary Excalibur from its stoney sheath, she’s amazed at the power she possesses and the chance to make some things right for the post-Arthurian era.
This is a charming book…easy to follow and as I am a lover of all things Arthur and Merlin, I was really invested. It was fun seeing favorite characters from the legends and great seeing the new things the author did with the time.
It’s set first in the 21st century (I wish we had had more time to spend with her grandmother) and then during the 6th century after Arthur’s death and the fall of Camelot. The book touched on a lot of history during that time, and I loved how Anne fought to change the time and her people’s lives for the better. At times I was reminded of another old favorite, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
I absolutely loved this book, but unfortunately due to a number of easily fixable typos I have to give it a four instead of a five. I realize this is the editor in me and they are things that might not bother the average reader, but I would be remiss not to mention them as they did detract from my enjoyment of the book.
Well done…I would love to read more about Anne and her adventures in her court.
Undisciplined Catalyst by Gail Koger – Spotlight and Giveaway
January 15, 2026 By 2 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gail Koger will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I was sixteen when I found out not only am I an alien hybrid, but monsters called the Tai-Kok were getting ready to invade our world. Guess who gets to stop them? Me! How?
My uncle, the mad scientist, created a machine called the portal that instantaneously sends a test subject from one location to another by converting them into energy. His idea is to port me onto a Tai-Kok ship. All I have to do is leave a bomb, hit the retrieval button on my spiffy traveler’s belt and poof! I’m back on Earth before the Tai-Kok ship goes kaboom. Sounds simple, right?
Wrong. Uncle Ben doesn’t have a clue where I’ll actually appear on the ship. It could be the engine room, the crew quarters, or even the bridge. It’s like playing Russian roulette. The Tai-Kok don’t like surprises or uninvited guests.
To make things even more fun, I have an alien battle commander stuck in my head and I’m related to a powerful Coletti warlord. Yippee. The chances of me living to see eighteen aren’t good.
Enjoy an Excerpt
“Give ‘em hell.” A wild look in his eyes, Uncle Ben tapped on the console.
The circles of light surrounded me, but this time it felt like a zillion fire ants were crawling over my body. Holy hell! Something had gone wrong! I appeared in midair and dropped like a rock. Smack! I slammed into someone, and my Glock went flying.
My eyes bugged. I was on the bridge of a futuristic warship, and the viewscreen showed one hell of a space battle going on. To make things even more fun, I was lying across the lap of a huge, muscle-bound male wearing black battle armor. Since he was sitting in the captain’s chair, I was assuming he was the boss.
A very angry-looking boss. I blinked. Holy cow was he good-looking, if you were into the whole merciless predator thing. Huh? The red chains woven into his black warrior’s braids matched the communication device on his left wrist. Who knew aliens accessorized and why did I care? I took a deep breath trying to control the panic streaking through me.
A low growl rumbled in his chest.
One look into his disturbingly hostile amber eyes and I knew I was in big trouble. I reached for my retrieval button.
His arms clamped around me painfully, and he spat a bunch of gobbledygook.
“Sorry, I don’t speak that language,” I replied mentally. Somehow, I knew he was psychic.
A harsh voice sounded in my head, “How did you get through our shields.”
“Dunno. My uncle is the scientific genius, not me. I’m just the delivery girl.”
“What do you deliver?”
Did I look stupid? The minute I told him bombs; he’d kill me. I pasted a friendly smile on my face. “Stuff. I’m Lexi and you are?”
“Battle Commander Kaelen. I serve Zarek the Coletti Overlord.”
About the Author: I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.
Buy the book at Amazon.
Why I Write Historical Fiction by Amber Leigh Williams – Guest Blog and Giveaway
January 14, 2026 By 2 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Amber Leigh Williams will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I have always loved historical fiction. I think I knew I wanted to write historical fiction from the moment I read The Diary of Anne Frank. Long after I read her last diary entry, I was still immersed in her world. The secret to writing is that there is always more than one story floating around most writers’ minds. When I dipped my toe in the writing pool for the first time, I wrote mystery. Then historical fiction. Then romance. The first book I sold to a publisher was a romantic adventure then a romantic suspense and a contemporary romance.
Always at the back of my mind was my fixation with historical fiction. It refused to let me go. For over a decade, I dabbled in the story I knew I wanted to tell but it never seemed to come together like my other books. Mostly because I was afraid I would mess it up. I wanted it to be perfect because I knew that this would be the book of my heart. It was the book I had wanted to write since being introduced to Anne Frank in junior high.
During the pandemic, I started fresh. I was going to tackle this historical fiction novel from a new approach, one I already knew and loved. I decided to write my historical like a suspense novel. From the opening paragraph, I established the backdrop of danger and a ticking clock that didn’t let up until the story’s conclusion. I gave every character a secret that would endanger them if shared with the wrong individual. I used years of research about the spies of World War II to my advantage, stirring intrigue into the pot. Even undercurrents of romance and spice were built in.
Finally, Madame Rebelle came together so fluidly, I knew that it was at last ready for publication. It has truly been a labor of love and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I hope you enjoy this story and these characters as much as I have!
Rebel. Smuggler. Spy.
Champagne, France 1943
Meet Madame Rebelle. Edmee Guillon is a smuggler. She hides people from the German troops surrounding her ancestral home. When a dying man in a German uniform seeks refuge at Maison Boutet, Edmee struggles to believe his claims that he is French. Her life, the maison and the people she loves are already at stake. Can she take the chance that this mysterious spy is who he says he is? And which side of this war is he really on?
Christian Vovk has been betrayed by someone inside his resistance organization. He knows asking the striking young war widow to hide him will put her in certain danger. However, Christian can help Edmee save as many refugees as she can. Falling in love with her will hinder his duty to the operation that brought him to her doorstep in the first place. When love and duty become inevitably tangled, will Christian sacrifice one for the other?
Enjoy an Excerpt
“Go home, Edmée. Do not come back to this part of the woods.”
As the soldier moved away, Edmée couldn’t believe it. They were letting her go?
Just like that?
Her feet tripped over one another as she moved into the trees. That was far easier than it should have been. They hadn’t asked to search her bags. They hadn’t asked what she was doing in the woods in the dark after curfew.
They’d only asked her name.
It made no sense.
She fled, her hands locked around the handles of the suitcases.
She didn’t risk taking her usual path back to Maison Boutet. She weaved and wandered for a while through brambles that caught her clothes and mud that sucked at the bottoms of her boots.
It felt like minutes…or maybe hours before she was back at her uncle’s vineyard.
The cases dangled weightily at the ends of her arms. Her knuckles had been white around them for so long, she could no longer feel them.
The maison was so dark, she failed to distinguish it from the landscape.
She looked at her muddy shoes, her trousers soaked past the ankles. The suitcases would have to be hidden, half of the contents destroyed…
She rushed into the heart of the rows. Her beacon was now the limestone mound with its rough-hewn back to the sky, the entrance to the hidden network of caves underneath the estate.
She wedged past the rocky entrance and stumbled down the steps toward the light.
At the bottom, the barrel of a pistol greeted her.
Her heart slammed into her ribs. Her knees threatened to fold.
She gaped at the man behind the gun.
Christian’s face was red and sweat-sheened. In the lantern’s low throbbing light, his features looked harsh. Moisture cloaked his bare chest like a second skin.
She’d searched him—his clothes, his personal effects… How did he get a gun?
Her lips trembled. She lifted her chin, regardless. The words were rough against her throat. “Are you going to shoot me?”
About the Author: 
Amber Leigh Williams writes pulse-pounding romantic suspense, historical fiction, and contemporary romance. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling and being outdoors with her family and dogs. She is fluent in sarcasm and is known to hoard books like the book dragon she is. An advocate for literacy, she is an ardent supporter of libraries and the constitutional right to read.
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Perilous Shores by Thomas M. Wing – Spotlight
January 14, 2026 By Leave a Comment
Book 2 of The Sea Hawkes Chronicles
Historical
Fiction/Nautical Fiction
Fiction/Nautical Fiction
Date Published: April 1, 2026.
Publisher:
Acorn Publishing
Acorn Publishing
Fueled by the murder of his wife at the hands of British soldiers, American
privateer Captain Jonas Hawke is determined to make Britain pay.
Grief-stricken
and filled with fury, Jonas delves deeper into war, accompanied by a personal
vendetta and his loyal crew. During a brutal raid on a port city, one of his
men crosses an unthinkable line, forcing Jonas to reckon with his distorted
definition of vengeance.
and filled with fury, Jonas delves deeper into war, accompanied by a personal
vendetta and his loyal crew. During a brutal raid on a port city, one of his
men crosses an unthinkable line, forcing Jonas to reckon with his distorted
definition of vengeance.
Concerned that his wrath will bring
irreparable harm to the cause for America’s freedom, Jonas grapples with
his role as a soldier and as a man. When he learns the Royal Navy is tracking
his ship, he fears his deadly decisions may have cost him everything.
It’s too late to turn back now. Instead, he must continue to face the
inevitable perils of war.
irreparable harm to the cause for America’s freedom, Jonas grapples with
his role as a soldier and as a man. When he learns the Royal Navy is tracking
his ship, he fears his deadly decisions may have cost him everything.
It’s too late to turn back now. Instead, he must continue to face the
inevitable perils of war.
Action-packed and rich with authentic historical
detail, Perilous Shores is a gripping tale of revenge, survival, and the
relentless pursuit of justice.
About the Author
Thomas M. Wing, a Naval Academy and Naval War College graduate, retired after
thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. A dedicated sailor for
half a century, he created the Continental Navy Foundation, served as its
executive director, and commanded its brigantine, Megan D.
thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. A dedicated sailor for
half a century, he created the Continental Navy Foundation, served as its
executive director, and commanded its brigantine, Megan D.
Tom’s
first novel, Against All Enemies, earned gold medals from the Military Writers
Society of America and Literary Titan. In Harm’s Way, the first in the
Sea Hawkes Chronicles series has also garnered several awards.
first novel, Against All Enemies, earned gold medals from the Military Writers
Society of America and Literary Titan. In Harm’s Way, the first in the
Sea Hawkes Chronicles series has also garnered several awards.
He
resides in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter and a cat and a dog.
Whatever free time he has is still spent on the water.
resides in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter and a cat and a dog.
Whatever free time he has is still spent on the water.
For more about the
author and to follow his blog about nautical and naval trivia, visit his
website ThomasMWing.com.
author and to follow his blog about nautical and naval trivia, visit his
website ThomasMWing.com.
Contact Links
Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 14, 2026
January 14, 2026 By 1 Comment
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
The First TV Show I Remember Watching
Where Do Ideas Come From? by Margaret Izard – Guest Blog and Giveaway
January 12, 2026 By 2 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Margaret Izard will be awarding a Stone of Faith Book Swag box (a $100 value) to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Writers are often asked: Where do your ideas come from? For me, the answer is everywhere—but it always starts with a spark that refuses to let me go.
Sometimes that spark is history. While reading about Scotland, I learned how the Coronation Stone—the Stone of Destiny—once traveled from the sacred Isle of Iona through Dunstaffnage Castle, the seat of the MacDougall clan. For those who don’t know, the coronation stone is what the king/queen of England sits on when crowned. That single thread of fact rooted itself in my imagination. I asked myself: What if that stone was magical? And what if there were many stones hidden across time, each with its own power and legacy? That was the moment the Stones of Iona series was born.
From there, mythology layered itself over history. Tales of selkies, sirens, firebirds, and cursed dragon shifters gave me characters who could inhabit these magical stones’ world. For Stone of Faith, the ocean itself became the stage. Because the stone had been lost at sea in Stone of Lust, I turned to legends of Lorelei and selkie folklore for inspiration. The Kópakonan statue in the Faroe Islands—depicting a selkie shedding her seal skin—captured the essence of a woman caught between two worlds, and it became the visual spark for Lorelei’s character.
Ideas also come when I least expect them—a song lyric, a castle ruin, a piece of art. Sometimes even being “stuck” sends me back into research, where a single artifact or legend offers the key to the next scene.
So where do ideas come from? From the places where history and myth overlap, where real people once lived and loved, and where imagination asks what if. My stories grow in that space—where love, sacrifice, and magic can endure across generations.
The heart’s most extraordinary battle is the one fought for love.
Haunted by a family legacy that threads magic through the ages, Captain Ewan MacDougall and his ghostly crew sail between worlds—freeing enslaved people. A worthy goal, yet he longs for what eludes him—true love. When he crosses paths with a legendary siren of the sea, bound to a cruel, power-hungry madman, Ewan finds the woman destined to claim his heart.
Trapped and forced to use her voice to lure ships into the clutches of evil, the spark in Ewan’s eyes awakens hope in Lorelei’s soul—a chance to break free and protect her Fae family. Yet, the wicked monster holding her captive will stop at nothing to kill the human who touches and loves her as no one has ever done before.
Will the fated connection they share break the chains of dark magic or claim two more victims in a quest to find the Stone of Faith?
Enjoy an Excerpt
The cannons drowned out Low’s response as Ewan spied the woman again, standing on the bow alone—the same as she had every time he’d robbed Low. No one else seemed to see her, and the battle raged on without hitting her her once.
As the wind tossed her bright red hair, the mane spread around her head. That scent—fresh seaweed and sun-warmed air—washed over him, just as it did every time he saw her. Her cream-colored skin glowed. When their eyes connected, a blush rose on her cheeks. She possessed Fae eyes, a brilliant white-blue that shone on their own. A siren she was, a woman from his dreams. Someone, no one else saw but Ewan. She took his breath away each time, touching his soul and making his heart beat harder. Butterflies erupted in his belly.
He whispered, “Tha thu bòidheach.” You’re beautiful.
Doug shifted in front of him, breaking the spell. The sounds of the battle rushed back like a freight train.
His friend yelled, “Ewan, ye must shift us before the ship breaks up! We’ve taken the plunder and already freed the slaves. It’s time for Blackbeard’s ghost to disappear.”
Cannon fire broke apart pieces of his prized ship. Doug was right. It was past time to disappear.
Ewan gathered energy, concentrating on the Chapel in the Woods at Dunstaffnage Castle in the future. He thrust his hand out, opening the portal, and sent a ball of energy through. He called the ship, and all within forward in time.
The world swirled, and the ship tilted as Doug’s cheer rang in Ewan’s ears, drowning out all sound when the vessel flew through space and time, popping out of the chapel door and landing in the loch beyond Dunstaffnage Caste, rocking a bit from the force. He and Doug tumbled on the chapel floor, coming to rest, lying on their backs. The crew Ewan knew faded—spirits brought back to serve him who dissipated with his spell. Ewan lay there for a moment, allowing his body and mind to rest. Doug did too, their breaths echoing in the empty nave.
Boot steps sounded, and before Ewan could rise, his da’s angry face appeared over him, upside down. “About damn time ye returned! I’ve waited half a day for ye to get yer pirate ass home!”
His da strode away, calling out when he neared the chapel door, “Both ye sorry mongrels get yer asses into the study! And, Ewan, make that scraggly beard disappear!”
Ewan sat up, waving at his chin, the long hair fading as Doug stood. “Mr. Mac, it’s just a bit of fun, that’s all!”
Colin Roderick MacDougall stopped, straightened his back, and turned slowly.
His angry countenance was one Ewan rarely witnessed. “Just a bit of fun, Douglas MacArthur? Just a bit of fun?”
His da fisted his hands. “Yer pirate games have gone too far!” He slashed his hand to the side. “The study, now!” The last he bellowed, echoing beyond the chapel.
Ewan stood, knowing his da’s wrath did not easily rise to the surface. Even when disciplining his children, except when… “Wait, Da, what has happened?” He and his sister Evie had gotten away with so much as kids and on into adulthood. Most of the time, his da had grunted while applauding their Fae skills. But when a Fae Fable showed and a magic Iona stone needing hunting for the Fae…
His sire pointed a finger at him. “A Fae fable has appeared. That’s what’s happened!” He strode to Ewan and aimed the finger, hitting Ewan’s broad chest, jabbing when he yelled, “The Stone of Faith!”
Ewan blinked. The Stone of Faith fable had two stories they knew of—both including the Stone of Lust.
Ewan tilted his head. “Ainslie’s story or the other one of the island and treasure?”
His da folded his arms, then growled his answer. “The island of treasure.” He leaned forward till their noses nearly touched. “And the tale is not about yer ma. The fable’s one of its own, and the damn thing has an ending!” He turned and strode out of the chapel.
Ewan blinked. “The Stone of Faith has a fable?”
About the Author: 
Margaret Izard is a multi-award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her passion for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets and loves to hear from readers.
The Stone of Doubt Book Swag Box
Inside the box
Teardrop Lab Sapphire Necklace
Signed copy of the book.
Large Stone of Doubt book bag
Small Stone of Doubt book bag
Insulated wine glass with Stone of Doubt logo
Dublin shot glass with etched Stone of Doubt logo
Stone of Doubt bookmark
Stone of Doubt recipe card
Wild Rose Press (publisher) 2025 calendar (While supplies last)
Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 7, 2026
January 7, 2026 By 2 Comments
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
New Books I’m Looking Foward To This Year
A Return to French Foreign Legion Adventure Fiction by Edward Parr – Guest Post and Giveaway
January 6, 2026 By 2 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A few years ago I began looking at novels written in the early 1900’s thinking to compliment the First World War trilogy I had previously written and I found and read many of the terrific action-adventure stories written about the French Foreign Legion set in the tumultuous northern Africa of that time period. While I was drawn to the format, I did not want to write anything pro-colonialist or anti-Muslim – biases which are deeply embedded in some (but not all) of the stories written in that time period. But I also did not want to dismiss the honor and fortitude of the men who served in the French Foreign Legion, what they brought to that brotherhood, and what they sacrificed in the sands of the Sahara.
I ended up writing a broader novel with four main protagonists, one of whom is a French Foreign Legionnaire. The novel is entitled Tamanrasset: Crossroads of the Nomad, a work of historical fiction, set in the Maghreb in the early 1900s, which traces multiple intersecting storylines: French Foreign Legionnaires engaged in desert campaigns, Moroccan tribal resistance, a Swedish widow living in Fez, and an American archaeologist searching for lost treasure. While many French Foreign Legion memoirs depict the lives of new recruits to La Legion, one of my four main characters is an older, long-time Foreign Legion NCO, Sergent Jacques Demoreau, who has made a home for himself in the fortresses of the Sahara. Fact-based episodes in the story include the Doui-Menia attack near Igli in 1900, the battle at Taghit in 1903, and the French bombardment of Casablanca in 1907. Through these narratives, the book depicts military actions, cross-cultural encounters, and the challenges of survival in the Sahara, at a time when the old Maghreb was rapidly being changed by French colonialism. But I also want to convey something of the camaraderie of the Legionnaires and their sense of honor and tradition.
Certainly in researching the novel, I read many adventure stories from the old pulp fiction magazines, but these mostly helped me with writing an adventurous narrative. For hard facts, I mostly used memoirs of actual Legionnaires of that time period (and memoir-based fiction) like these: A Soldier of the Legion by George Mannington (1907); In the Foreign Legion by Erwin Rosen (1911); Life in the Legion: From a Soldier’s Point of View by Frederic Martyn (1911); The Wages of Virtue by P.C. Wren (1914); A Soldier of the Legion by C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson (1914); and The French Foreign Legion by Douglas Porch (2010).
I hope it’s a novel that anyone interested in the French Foreign Legion would enjoy and appreciate.
TAMANRASSET is historical fiction set on the edge of the Sahara as the ancient world begins to fade and great empires collide. Four strangers—a mature Foreign Legionnaire, a Sharif’s wrathful son, an ambitious American archaeologist, and an abandoned Swedish widow—become adrift and isolated, but when their paths intersect, the fragile connections between them tell a story of survival and fate on the edge of the abyss. Blending the sweep of classic adventure with the horror of a great historical calamities, Edward Parr’s TAMANRASSET is a saga about the crossroads where nomads meet.
Enjoy an Excerpt
The Sun had not yet risen above the ruins of the Mechouar Palace, but at the mosque nearby many Muslim people of the city of Tlemcen were already at their morning prayer. It was a great privilege to be admitted to one of the oldest mosques in Algeria, over eight hundred years old, and an even greater privilege to be allowed to pray before the mihrab there among the great white columns that lined the enormous hall. As the prayers ended, there was a gentle rustling of movement as the faithful rose and exited to the open and airy marble-tiled courtyard of the mosque, still quiet in the twilight of dawn. Isabel retrieved her leather boots and exited a side door beneath the shadow of the towering brick minaret. Covered by her tightly drawn dark brown burnouse, khaki pants, white shirt, and a black hijab, Isabel walked along the great stone wall to the main gate of the palace. The few buildings in the complex that were still usable had been made into offices for the French army, but the pool and gardens of the central courtyard were peaceful and shadowy. She passed an alcove that featured Islamic calligraphy carved into the stucco, and Isabel stopped to read it: “Allah is God, there is no god but He: the King.”
A quiet voice behind her asked: “Madame Pedersen?”
She turned to find a short, elegantly dressed French officer approaching her. His flat-topped white hair was soldierly, but his crisp, tailored uniform, polished boots, and wide waxed mustache displayed a carefully composed appearance.
“Peace be with you,” she said, casting her eyes downward and crossing her arm over her chest as she nodded.
“Peace be with you, Madame. I apologize if I disturbed you; will you come inside?”
“As you wish.”
She followed the French colonel to a charming wood-paneled room overlooking an orchard of citrus trees bearing large green fruit. The colonel sat on a bare wood chair beside a wide wooden table, crossed his legs, and twirled the end of his wide mustache. Isabel stood silently before him in a respectful posture.
“I have the greatest respect for your beliefs, my dear, but it would be helpful to me if you would sit and speak to me informally. Would you be so kind?”
“Of course,” she said and she sat on the chair beside his. Her demeanor now expressed more of her experience and self-assurance, her hijab more a symbol of her confidence than of her humility. The colonel raised an eyebrow in appreciation of her serene face and brilliant blue eyes.
© 2025 by Edward Parr and Edwardian Press (New Orleans, Louisiana)
About the Author: 
Edward (“Ted”) Parr studied playwriting at New York University in the 1980’s, worked with artists Robert Wilson, Anne Bogart, and the Bread and Puppet Theater, and staged his own plays Off-Off-Broadway, including Trask, Mythographia, Jason and Medea, Rising and an original translation of Oedipus Rex before pursuing a lengthy career in the law and public service. He published his Kingdoms Fall trilogy of World War One espionage adventure novels which were collectively awarded Best First Novel and Best Historical Fiction Novel by Literary Classics in 2016. He has always had a strong interest in expanding narrative forms, and in his novel writing, he explores older genres of fiction (like the pulp fiction French Foreign Legion adventures or early espionage fiction) as inspiration to examine historical periods of transformation. His main writing inspirations are Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Bernard Cornwell, Georges Surdez, and Patrick O’Brien.
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Barnes and Noble.
