Blog Tour: Till Taught by Pain by Susan Coventry

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Till Taught by pain

by Susan Coventry

January 13th, 2026

Publication Date: November 4th, 2025

Publisher: Regal House Publishing

Pages: 310

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction

Inspired by the groundbreaking discoveries of ether and chloroform anesthesia, William Stewart Halsted pursues a surgical career with ruthless ambition, daring to perform operations deemed impossible by his peers. His reputations skyrockets with each bold success—until his quest for an effective local anesthetic leads him to inject himself with cocaine.

Caroline, the niece of Confederate General Wade Hampton, seeks to escape the constraints of post-war South Carolina by training as a nurse. When she takes a position at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital, she finds herself captivated by the brilliant yet troubled chief of surgery, Dr. Halsted.

Till Taught by Pain is a poignant exploration of love and sacrifice, as Caroline grapples with the difficult choice between enabling her husband’s addiction and supporting his pioneering career. As their lives intertwine, both must confront the consequences of ambition, the nature of love, and the toll of personal demons on their shared dreams.

Praise for Till Taught by Pain:

“Susan Coventry pulled me in quickly to this intriguing and shocking late 19th century story of early medical research and the challenges it brought to personal and professional relationships. The gripping love story carries emotional pain along with the compelling facts surrounding the famous Dr. William Halsted and Caroline Hampton. Till Taught by Pain taught me of the gratitude and sympathy owed to these two historical figures from whom we learned so much. A wonderful novel.”

~ Leigh, Amazon 5* Review

“Especially for those interested in medical history, TILL TAUGHT BY PAIN by Susan Coventry will be a winner. The late-1800s framework gives a rather shocking picture of how much was yet to be learned concerning the surgical theatre.”

~ Speedy Grandma, Amazon 5* Review

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Susan Coventry

Susan Coventry is a retired physician with a lifelong historical fiction obsession. Her first novel, The Queen’s Daughter, was a YA historical set in the Middle Ages. For Till Taught by Pain, she switched from YA to adult novels and moved on from Medieval Europe to turn-of-the-20th century U.S..

She lives in Louisville, KY with her historian husband, Brad Asher.

Connect with Susan:

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Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

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Blog Tour: Storks in a Blue Sky by Carol Anne Dobson

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Storks in a Blue Sky

by Carol Anne Dobson

January 12th - 16th, 2026

Publication Date: January 12th, 2011

Publisher: Appledrane Books

Pages: 280

Genre: Historical Romance / Family Saga

A historical romance played out between the wild coast and moors of North Devon and the mountains and river-crossed plain of Alsace.

The beautiful, red-haired Sarah Durrant is an uneducated servant who takes the place of her mistress when she suddenly dies at Lynmouth as they are travelling across the remote wilderness of 18th century Exmoor. Her origins are a mystery. She only knows she is illegitimate and possesses a gold locket which contains a miniature of a woman who resembles her.

North Devon at first proves a sanctuary from the violence of her past but then the French aristocrat, Jean Luc de Delacroix, a soldier and a scientist, arrives from the New World; the local activities of smuggling and wrecking surface; her life becomes a tangle of love, deception and fear.

Praise for Storks in a Blue Sky:

“The storyline is strong with vivid descriptions of the North Devon and French countryside, complete with storks, so a part of Alsace. I thoroughly recommend this book.”

~ Anna, Amazon Review, 5*

“A wonderful romantic read.”

~ Amazon Review, 4*

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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Carol Anne Dobson

Carol Anne Dobson is a qualified teacher and librarian with a B.A. in English, French and Russian. She has lived in Devon for most of her life, and North Devon provides the setting for much of Storks in a Blue Sky. Alsace in France came to be a second home when her daughter lived there for six years and it is this Germanic region of France which also features in the novel.

In 2009 Storks in a Blue Sky won the David St John Thomas Fiction Award.

Connect with Carol Anne:

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Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

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Book of the Week: Annie's Secret by Marcia Clayton #HistoricalFiction #VictorianEngland #FamilySaga #RecommendedReading

Annie’s Secret

Hartford Manor Series, Book #6

by Marcia Clayton

1887, North Devon, England

When Lady Eleanor Fellwood gave birth to a badly deformed baby, she insisted that the child be adopted as far away as possible. However, that proved difficult to accomplish, and so, in return for payment, Sabina Carter, an impoverished widow living locally, agreed to raise the little boy as a foundling. The child’s father, Lord Charles Fellwood of Hartford Manor, warned Sabina that the matter must be treated in the strictest confidence or her family would be evicted from their home. As far as Lady Eleanor was concerned, the child was being cared for miles away.

All was well for several years until fate took a hand and, against his parents’ wishes, Robert Fellwood, the heir to the Hartford Estate, married Sabina’s daughter, Annie. Robert arranged for his mother-in-law, Sabina, and her family to reside in the Lodge House, situated at the end of the Manor House driveway. A house that Lady Eleanor passed regularly, and it was not long before she spotted Danny’s dark curls among the Carter redheads. As she looked into the child’s eyes and noted his disabilities, she recognised her son.

Now, at seven years old, Danny has had numerous operations to correct his disabilities and is a happy, healthy child. However, his presence is a source of constant anguish for his birth mother as, day after day, she watches him play in the garden. Her husband, Charles, and son, Robert, are aghast when she announces that she wants him back! An impossible situation for all concerned, and a rift develops between Robert and Annie as he struggles to find a solution to suit everyone.

Over the years, Lady Eleanor has steadfastly refused to acknowledge her daughter-in-law, for she disapproves of Annie’s lower-class origins. When a freak accident forces the two women to spend time together, they inevitably find themselves drawn into conversation, and before long, the years of pent-up resentment and family secrets surface as home truths are aired.

Will the two women be rescued from their precarious situation unscathed? And, if so, will the family survive the scandal that is about to be unleashed?

Praise for Annie's Secret:

“I loved this latest book in the Hartford Manor saga. The characters are well crafted, and their interactions are all in character and believable. I enjoyed the way that all the threads from previous books were skillfully interwoven throughout this book. It is an awesome story and immensely captivating.

Marcia is Devon's answer to Catherine Cookson.”

~ Snowdrop1941, Amazon 5* Review

“Marcia Clayton has written another wonderful story to add to the ever-growing Hartford Manor Series. I enjoyed it greatly and can highly recommend it.”

~ Miss G, Amazon 5* Review

“This is another beautifully written and expertly crafted story. I admire the research done especially around the history of Queen Victoria’s jubilee. Like the other books in the series this is clean, easy reading but with many plot threads that will keep you invested through out and it looks promising that there will be a seventh book. ”

~ S.A. Griffiths, Amazon 5* Review

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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.