Shining a bright New Release Book Spotlight on Mistress of Dartington Hall by Rosemary Griggs #HistoricalFiction #WomensFiction #BookSpotlight #RecommendedReading

* New Release Book Spotlight *

Mistress of Dartington Hall

Daughters of Devon, Book #3

by Rosemary Griggs

Publication Date: July 10th, 2025

Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Pages: 292

Genre: Historical Fiction / Women's Fiction / Biographical Historical Fiction

1587. England is at war with Spain. The people of Devon wait in terror for King Philip of Spain’s mighty armada to unleash untold devastation on their land.

Roberda, daughter of a French Huguenot leader, has been managing the Dartington estate in her estranged husband Gawen’s absence. She has gained the respect of the staff and tenants who now look to her to lead them through these dark times.

Gawen’s unexpected return from Ireland, where he has been serving Queen Elizabeth, throws her world into turmoil. He joins the men of the west country, including his cousin, Sir Walter Raleigh, and his friend, Sir Francis Drake, as they prepare to repel a Spanish invasion. Amidst musters and alarms, determined and resourceful Roberda rallies the women of Dartington. But, after their earlier differences, can she trust Gawen? Or should she heed the advice of her faithful French maid, Clotilde?

Later Roberda will have to fight if she is to remain Mistress of Dartington Hall, and secure her children’s inheritance. Can she ever truly find fulfilment for herself?

Praise for Daughters of Devon Series:

"Rosemary Griggs has created a fascinating niche within the historical fiction genre with her 'Daughters of Devon' series of novels. She focuses on the noble women now almost forgotten by the history books."

~ Crimefictionfan, Amazon Reviewer, 5*

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Rosemary Griggs

Author and speaker Rosemary Griggs has been researching Devon's sixteenth-century history for years. She has discovered a cast of fascinating characters and an intriguing network of families whose influence stretched far beyond the West Country. 

She loves telling the stories of the forgotten women of history — the women beyond the royal court; wives, sisters, daughters and mothers who played their part during those tumultuous Tudor years: the Daughters of Devon.

Her novel A Woman of Noble Wit, set in Tudor Devon, is the story of the life of Katherine Champernowne, Sir Walter Raleigh’s mother. The Dartington Bride follows Lady Gabrielle Roberda Montgomery, a young Huguenot noblewoman, as she travels from war-torn France to Elizabethan England to marry into the prominent Champernowne family. Mistress of Dartington Hall, set in the time of the Spanish Armada, continues Roberda’s story.

Rosemary is currently working on her first work of non-fiction — a biography of Kate Astley, childhood governess to Queen Elizabeth I.

Rosemary creates and wears sixteenth-century clothing, and brings the past to life through a unique blend of theatre, history and re-enactment at events all over the West Country. Out of costume, Rosemary leads heritage tours at Dartington Hall, a fourteenth-century manor house that was home of the Champernowne family for 366 years.

Connect with Rosemary:

Website • Facebook • Instagram • Threads • Bluesky

Amazon Author Page • Twitter / X • GoodReads

Book of the Week: Ascent – The Story of Poppa of Bayeux by Cathie Dunn #MedievalFiction #Vikings #RecommendedReading

ASCENT: The Story of Poppa of Bayeux

House of Normandy, Book #1

by Cathie Dunn

*Only 99p / 99c for a limited time!*

A brutal Viking raid heralds the dawn of a new, powerful dynasty

– the House of Normandy

Neustria, Kingdom of the West Franks

AD 890

Fourteen-year-old Poppa’s life changes when Northmen land near Bayeux. Count Bérengar, her father, submits to them, and she is handfasted to Hrólfr, the Northmen’s heathen leader, as part of their agreement.

To her relief, Hrólfr leaves immediately in search of further conquest, only returning to claim her years later. In the face of retaliating Franks, they flee to East Anglia, where she gives birth to their son and daughter.

When Hrólfr and Poppa return to reclaim Bayeux, his new campaign strikes at the heart of Frankish power, and King Charles of the West Franks offers him a pact he cannot refuse. In exchange for vast tracts of land in Neustria, Hrólfr must convert to Christianity and accept marriage to Gisela, the king’s illegitimate daughter.

Poppa’s world shatters. She remains in Bayeux, with her daughter, Adela. When Gisela arrives one day, demanding she hand over Adela, to be raised in Rouen, Poppa’s patience is at an end. But Gisela makes for a dangerous enemy, and only one woman will survive their confrontation high up on the cliffs.

Will Poppa live to witness the dawn of a new era?

ASCENT is the first in a new series about the early women of the House of Normandy – women whose stories have been forgotten through time. Until now!

Readers of Viking and medieval fiction will enjoy ASCENT, a fictional account of the life of Poppa of Bayeux, handfasted wife of Rollo the Viking.

Praise for Ascent:

"Although much of Lady Poppa's life has been lost to history, she finally has a voice. Dunn has breathed new life into this almost forgotten heroine and she has done so in such a way that is deserving of recognition. Dunn reminds her readers that although history primarily focuses on the men of this era, the women were just as formidable, just as brave, and just as deserving of having their stories told."

~ Mary Anne Yarde, Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion

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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.