Friday, July 18, 2025

Blog Tour: The Wanderer and the Way by G. M. Baker



Join The Coffee Pot Book Club on tour with…


The Wanderer and the Way

Cuthbert’s People

by G. M. Baker



Tuesdays, August 12th - September 2nd, 2025

Publication Date: March 10th, 2025
Publisher: Stories All The Way Down
Pages: 249
Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction


The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, now the most famous pilgrimage route in the world, was founded in the early ninth century, largely due to the efforts of Bishop Theodemir of Iria Flavia. As with most people of this period, nothing seems to be known of his early years. What follows, therefore, is pure invention.


Theodemir returns footsore and disillusioned to his uncle’s villa in Iria Flavia, where he meets Agnes, his uncle’s gatekeeper, a woman of extraordinary beauty. He falls immediately in love. But Agnes has a fierce, though absent, husband; a secret past; another name, Elswyth; and a broken heart.


Witteric, Theodemir’s cruel and lascivious uncle, has his own plans for Agnes. When the king of Asturias asks Theodemir to undertake an embassy on his behalf to Charles, King of the Franks, the future Charlemagne, Theodemir plans to take Agnes with him to keep her out of Witteric’s clutches.


But though Agnes understands her danger as well as anyone, she refuses to go. And Theodemir dares not leave without her.



Buy Link:




G. M. Baker


Born in England to a teamster's son and a coal miner's daughter, G. M. (Mark) Baker now lives in Nova Scotia with his wife, no dogs, no horses, and no chickens. He prefers driving to flying, desert vistas to pointy trees, and quiet towns to bustling cities.

As a reader and as a writer, he does not believe in confining himself to one genre. He writes about kind abbesses and melancholy kings, about elf maidens and ship wreckers and shy falconers, about great beauties and their plain sisters, about sinners and saints and ordinary eccentrics.

In his newsletter, Stories All the Way Down, he discusses history, literature, the nature of story, and how not to market a novel.

Author Links:





Tour Schedule

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Join us as author Jane Loftus introduces Hugh and Rafi – protagonists in her fabulous new novel, The Herb Knot #MedievalFiction #HistoricalFiction #RecommendedReading



The Herb Knot

by Jane Loftus


 The Hundred Years’ War comes to life in this spellbinding tale of love, betrayal and conspiracy…


A quest born on the battlefield will change a young boy’s destiny…


Rafi Dubois is five years old when his mother is murdered after the Battle of Crecy in 1346. Alone and lost, Rafi is given a token by the dying Englishman who tried to save his mother’s life: a half-broken family seal which he urges Rafi to return one day to Winchester.


Years later, when Rafi saves a wealthy merchant’s wife from a brutal robbery, he is rewarded with the chance to travel to England, taking the seal with him.


But when he reaches Winchester, Rafi finds himself in a turbulent world full of long-held allegiances, secrets and treachery. His path is fraught with danger and with powerful enemies working against him, Rafi falls in love with Edith, a market apothecary. But in doing so, Rafi unleashes a deadly chain of events which threatens to overwhelm them both…


The Herb Knot is a sweeping and passionate novel set in one of the most tumultuous times in English history, from a powerful new voice.



Rafi and Hugh and the Power of Research

I hate to admit this, but I didn’t make Rafi up with the power of my own imagination. Winchester, specifically researchers of the city, did it for me. 

They didn’t mean to, but they did. The novel wasn’t even supposed to be written from a male perspective, and yet, here we are. Research gave me Hugh directly because he really existed so his name and background were all over the records. But Rafi had to be created.

I’m not a medieval historian – my specialism is 1485-1714, and even then, I spent most of my studies on Europe, - political, not social. French Wars of Religion, Thirty Years War, that kind of thing. Fascinating though they are I felt like a change, as Rafi said when he threw himself off a balcony instead of using the stairs. Believe me, this felt much the same. So I had to start completely from scratch. And I was rusty. It had been a long, long time since I’d been a history student.

I found Hugh in the survey of Medieval Winchester by Derek Keene, an incredible piece of research listing every house, every tenant, rents, gardens, commercial properties. And there he was, over and over again – owned by Hugh Le Cran, paid rent to, rented out by. If I walk through Winchester, which I often do, I find myself muttering ‘he owned this, oh, and that one, erm, and those ones as well…’ Stand in front of the Buttercross and look anywhere – he owned virtually the entire street. Staple Gardens, which you pass on your way to the train station well, who was Master of the Staple back then? Go on, guess, you’ll be right.

Hugh wasn’t the only one. There were other rich merchants listed, I pored over the names in the library but I picked on him. And then he became the protagonist, briefly, but I still couldn’t get a plot. Then I found Roger Writel, recorded as selling woad for his master, Hugh. And THEN I found Hugh’s seal in the Hampshire records office. But somehow, he still didn’t feel right as the main protagonist.

So I had lots of history, some names, a seal, but no plot. And no hero. What to do, what to do?

But this is the wonderful thing about research. It created Rafi for me, because of course, a cloth merchant would trade with Flanders. But what if there was some conflict there, perhaps someone French? Yes, England and France are at war, we’ve had Crecy and Poitiers.

Crecy? Aha! To quote Supt. Hastings, now we’re sucking diesel. Love interest? No brainer. So poor old Rafi was really a passive find, which fitted his character, to be fair. But who was he? Apprentice was fine but not enough.

The misericorde dagger in the local museum gave me an idea and then, courtesy of Winchester Cathedral, I uncovered a world of backstory for him. Painting. Medieval paints and materials and sculpting and masonry and woodwork and carving, all being exhibited, rather beautifully, it has to be said, in a building these characters would have known well.

There he was, finally. An artist. Or, specifically, an illuminator. Creative of course, but studious and thoughtful, an introvert too prone to prevarication. Look at everything from lots of angles, catch the light, how does it fall? Not a hero. He’d have to spend the entire novel trying to find his spine, and there was his character arc.

Someone told me to add a bit of comedy as it was becoming too “worthy and serious” so Serlo and the incident with the meat cart appeared (Serlo also existed in the survey, but from a previous century). Shouty Raymond was mine. The survey index alerted me to Thurstin, a clerk. I loved that name. I wanted a Thurstin. Hugh would have had a clerk, of course he would. Without the research there’d have been no Thurstin holding all those secrets. Without Winchester library, there’d have been a different book, or maybe no book at all.

I am very fond of Rafi and Hugh and it’s been hard working on Book II where they’re no longer in focus. They’re there a bit, but it’s not about them anymore. Roger is also a favourite and I miss him too. Not sure if a “Rafi and Roger Roadtrip” will ever happen. I’m honestly tempted, though.

And as it happens, I’ve left the world of religious wars and political intrigue. Finding ordinary people in their daily life has become much more appealing. I wish I’d studied medieval history all those (too many to count) years ago, but I’m doing it now and loving it.

Oh, and as ever, support your local library (she said, preaching to the converted).


Check out our upcoming Blog Tour for The Herb Knot HERE!





*Only 99p for a limited time!*


Jane Loftus


 Jane Loftus gained a degree in 16th Century European and British history from Surrey before taking a postgraduate degree in modern political history. As a lone parent, she worked in Winchester Waterstones before returning to IT once her son was older. Hugely passionate about the Middle Ages, she drew inspiration for this novel from the medieval layout of Winchester which has been painstakingly documented.

Jane is originally from London but has lived in Winchester for over twenty years. When not writing, she is usually out walking or watching costume dramas on Netflix – the more medieval the better. She also plays far too many rpgs.

Connect with Jane:

 Website • Facebook • Bluesky • Instagram




Thursday, July 17, 2025

Have a sneak peek between the pages of A Prodigy in Auschwitz: Simon by Fred Raymond Goldman #HistoricalFiction #WWII #RecommendedReading



A Prodigy in Auschwitz: Simon 

A Holocaust Story, Book #1

by Fred Raymond Goldman




When Nazi Germany troops enter Krakow, Poland on September 2, 1939, fourteen-year-old Simon Baron learns two truths that have been hidden from him.


One, the people who have raised him are not his biological parents. Two, his birth mother was Jewish. In the eyes of the Germans, although he has been raised Catholic, this makes Simon Jewish. Simon's dreams of becoming a concert violinist and composer are dashed when his school is forced to expel him, and he is no longer eligible to represent it at its annual Poland Independence Day Concert. There, he had hoped to draw the attention of representatives of a prestigious contest who might have helped him fulfill his dreams.


Simon vows to never forgive his birth father for abandoning him, an act resulting in unspeakable tragedies for his family and in his being forced to live the indignities of the ghetto and the horrors of Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen concentration camps.


Throughout his ordeals, Simon wavers between his intense anger toward his birth father and his dreams of being reunited with him. Through his relationships with Rabbi Rosenschtein and the rabbi's daughter, Rachel, Simon comes to appreciate his Jewish heritage and find purpose in his life. Driven by devotion to family and friends and his passion for music, Simon holds on to hope. But can he survive the atrocities of the Nazi regime?


How do you reconcile a decision you made in the past when the world erupts in war, threatening the life of someone you love and believe you were protecting?




From Chapter 55:


The winter of 1943 to 1944 passed slowly for Simon. During the colder months the orchestra didn’t play on Sundays as frequently for the entertainment of the SS officers, but he continued to visit Rachel regularly. He brought her slices of bread and sausages he’d been able to sneak from the kitchen for her to share with some of her friends who didn’t have as much access to extra food.


Although the musicians received larger portions of food than other prisoners, they were affected by the rationing. As members of the orchestra succumbed to the diseases and malnutrition that ran rampant through the camp, the influx of new prisoners made up for the labor needs. The commander saw to it the orchestra remained complete.


Simon became aware of prisoners from a camp in Terezin, Czechoslovakia who had arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in several transports. Large numbers of them, he learned, were exterminated upon arrival. The survivors lived in a separated area of Auschwitz-Birkenau called Terezin. They were unseen by other prisoners and received special privileges, he was led to believe, including not having their hair shaved and being allowed to wear their own clothes. Nevertheless, they were treated as prisoners.


Simon heard rumors that the International Red Cross had requested a visit with these prisoners at their former camp after hearing about their bad treatment there. Under pressure, the Germans conceded and allowed for such an appearance, but not before beautifying the camp by cleaning up the housing and grounds and providing nice clothing and healthy meals for the prisoners to make it look as though they were being treated well. As a result, the International Red Cross unintentionally but falsely projected to the public that the camp residents were receiving humane treatment


On a Sunday visit with Rachel, Simon told her about the rumor he’d heard. The following week, while they were walking hand in hand, Rachel said she had told Dr. Fridman about the rumor.


Simon stopped, let go of her hand, and faced Rachel. “What did he say?”


“He said he thought the only reason the Germans would have let the Red Cross come was to convince them there was no German plan to murder Jews.”


Simon frowned. “If that is true, the Germans’ strategy likely worked.” 








Fred Raymond Goldman


Fred Raymond Goldman graduated from Western Maryland College in Westminster, MD (now named McDaniel College) in June 1962 with a BA in psychology. Two years later, in 1964, he earned an MSW degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Most of Fred's career was spent in Jewish Communal Service. He served as the administrator of Northwest Drug Alert, a methadone maintenance program at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. In this role, he also acted as a community resource, guiding individuals struggling with addiction toward Jewish services that supported abstinence, counseling, and job placement. Following that, Fred was hired as the Assistant to the Director of Jewish Family Services in Baltimore.

His final professional role was with Har Sinai Congregation, a Jewish Reform Synagogue in Baltimore, where he served as Executive Director for 23 years, retiring in October 2005.

In retirement, Fred pursued his love of hiking with The Maryland Hiking Club and spent time volunteering at The Irvine Nature Center. There, he led schoolchildren on nature hikes and assisted in the center’s nature store.

Writing had always been a passion for Fred, dating back to childhood, but it wasn't until retirement that he began to take it seriously. He started writing children's books and became a member of the Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Association.

Among the titles he wrote are: Vera and the Blue Bear Go to the ZooNever Bite an Elephant (And Other Bits of Wisdom)The Day the School Bus Drivers Went on StrikeIf You Count, and The Day the School Devices Went on Strike.

Though none of these books has been published, Fred remains hopeful that if the CONCERTO books gain recognition, opportunities for the earlier works may follow.

Fred’s journey of writing the CONCERTO companion books began when he saw a note on a local library bulletin board about a new writer's group led by a local author. He joined and, along with nine other participants, learned the fundamentals of writing: staying in the protagonist’s point of view, building narrative tension, developing distinctive and flawed characters, and the process of writing and rewriting.

Over the course of more than four years, Fred dedicated time to writing, researching, rewriting, and submitting the manuscript. What began as a single book titled The Auschwitz Concerto was eventually split into two volumes and self-published. For a time, the manuscript was also titled The Box.

The encouragement from the group’s teacher and fellow members played a key role in shaping the novels, and Fred hopes his feedback was equally helpful to others in the group.

In the 'Author’s Notes' of the CONCERTO books, Fred outlines the goals behind sharing these stories. Prior to writing them, he had only a general understanding of the Holocaust—knowing that nine million lives were lost and that it was a horrific chapter in history. Through the writing process, he gained deeper insights into both historical events and human suffering, fostering a greater sensitivity to contemporary issues. He firmly believes that what affects one group can quickly impact everyone, and that such awareness is critical today.