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Courage: Tales of History, Mystery and Hope
A short story anthology
by
Judith Arnopp
Anna Belfrage
Derek Birks
Cathie Dunn
Patricia Furstenberg
Jean Gill
Kathy Hollick-Bater
Helen Hollick
Carolyn Hughes
Amy Maroney
Alison Morton
Elizabeth St.John
Marian L. Thorpe
Antoine Vanner
Annie Whitehead
With an introduction by Lorna Fergusson
*Release Day Blog Tour*
June 17th, 2026
Publication Date: June 17th, 2026
Publisher: Taw River Press
Pages: 380
Genre: Anthology of historical-based Short Stories
Fifteen historical short stories, covering eras from Roman to present-day by Judith Arnopp, Anna Belfrage, Derek Birks, Cathie Dunn,
Patricia Furstenberg, Jean Gill, Kathy Hollick-Bater, Helen Hollick, Carolyn Hughes, Amy Maroney, Alison Morton, Elizabeth St.John,
Marian L Thorpe, Antoine Vanner, Annie Whitehead.
With an introduction by Lorna Fergusson.
The lion has long been a symbol of courage, loyalty, and hope. A creature of power and, in some traditions, of the divine. We imagine it unflinching, unafraid. Yet the truest bravery is not found in the open, but within, where the lion lies hidden, waiting to be called upon. In moments of uncertainty or grief. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to face it. It is the moment when we would rather flee, but instead, find a strength we did not know we possessed.
These powerful and often emotional stories follow men, women, and children as they face profound adversity, the resilience to endure, cling to hope for the future, and the courage to change their lives forever.
Join these ordinary people as they uncover extraordinary strength and emerge, in their own way, lion-hearted.
Buy Links:
Book Trailer:
Participating Authors & their Stories:
In appearance order:
(collated by Helen Hollick)
THE SENTRY by Alison Morton
Roman province of Noricum, AD 395
When danger strikes and you are on your own with only fear as a companion
About Alison:
Alison writes the thrillers she always wanted to read – ones featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her eleven-book Roma Nova thriller series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue.
All six full-length Roma Nova novels have won the BRAG Medallion, the prestigious award for indie fiction. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, INSURRECTIO and JULIA PRIMA have been selected as Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. The Bookseller selected SUCCESSIO as Editor’s Choice in its inaugural indie review.
Six years’ military service, a fascination with ancient Rome and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction have inspired her writing. She lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her contemporary thrillers, Double Identity, Double Pursuit and Double Stakes.
Website: https://alison-morton.com
Amazon author page: https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon
THE SAXON by Derek Birks
Southern Britain, the frontier between the Belgae and the Atrebates. AD 471
When escape means more than just running for your life
About Derek:
Derek writes character-driven, action-packed fiction. His debut historical novel, Feud, is the first of a series of eight books and one novella, entitled The Wars of the Roses. which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family. He has also written the Amazon bestselling series, The Last of The Romans, which focuses on the real fifth century Romano-British character of Ambrosius Aurelianus. His first non-fiction book is A Guide to the Wars of the Roses. Under the pen name Tom Hadley, he has also written the Liv Fisher modern thriller series, which begins with Eyes Like Blades.
Derek has written and produced over 40 podcasts on the Wars of the Roses, and now co-hosts the podcast series, A Slice of Medieval, with historian, Sharon Bennett Connolly.
Website: https://derekbirks.com/
Amazon author page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Derek-Birks/author/B0090EKZDY
THE PHOENIX by Marian L Thorpe
Ésparias, a fictional country bordering the western sea circa AD 900
A mother’s dilemma? To keep them safe – or let them go?
About Marian:
Marian’s novels are historical fiction of an imagined world, one that is close to Britain, Northern Europe, and Rome, but isn’t any of them. Her short stories, either in multiple-author anthologies or her own collections range from urban fantasy to historical fiction, slice-of-life to climate fiction.
After two careers as a research scientist and an educator, she decided it was time to do what she’d always wanted, and be a writer. Her first book was published when she was in her mid-50s. Her life-long interest in Roman and post-Roman European history provided the inspiration for her first series, while her other interests in landscape archaeology and birding provide background.
Website: www.marianlthorpe.com
Amazon Author Page: https://relinks.me/MarianLThorpe
SIFLEDE by Judith Arnopp
London, October 1066
When the Normans come, Southwark’s residents need to fight, flee, hide or die
About Judith:
Multi award-winning author, Judith Arnopp’s novels are set in the late medieval and Tudor period. Her main focus is on the women of the era, her meticulous research offering deep psychological analysis of well-known figures such as Margaret Beaufort, Marguerite of Anjou, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII himself. She has also written non-fiction How to Dress like a Tudor.
Website: http://www.judithmarnopp.com
Amazon Author Page: author.to/juditharnoppbooks
DAISY CHAIN by Annie Whitehead
England, 1141
A mother’s love. A mother’s grief
About Annie:
Annie is a prize-winning writer, historian, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and has written four award-winning novels set in ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Mercia. She has contributed to fiction and nonfiction anthologies and written for various magazines.
She has twice been a prize winner in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing Competition, and won First Prize in the 2012 New Writer Magazine’s Prose and Poetry Competition, a finalist in the Tom Howard Prize for nonfiction and shortlisted for the Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley Award 2021. She was the winner of the inaugural Historical Writers’ Association HWA / Dorothy Dunnett Prize 2017 and subsequently a judge for that same competition.
She has also been a judge for the HNS (Historical Novel Society) Short Story Competition, and was a 2024 judge for the HWA Crown Nonfiction Award and chaired the same panel in 2025.
Her nonfiction books are Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom (a #1 Amazon Best-seller, published by Amberley books) and Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England (Pen & Sword Books). In 2023 she contributed to a new history of English monarchs, published by Hodder & Stoughton, and in 2025, Murder in Anglo-Saxon England was published by Amberley Books.
In February 2026 she signed a contract for a new nonfiction book about the Anglo-Saxons, to be published by The History Press in 2027.
Website: https://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk/
Amazon Author Page: http://viewauthor.at/Annie-Whitehead
STEPPING BETWEEN by Anna Belfrage
Ludlow Castle, England, 1308
When all you can do is to endure
About Anna:
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing.
Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy, which is set in 14th century England, and The Castilian Saga, which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales.
She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel, Times of Turmoil, and is now considering how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding.
Website: www.annabelfrage.com
Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/ABG
CONFRONTING PLAGUE by Carolyn Hughes
England, 1361
When courage must survive in the face of history’s cruellest plague
About Carolyn:
Carolyn is the author of The Meonbridge Chronicles series, historical fiction set in fourteenth century England. The first Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, is set in the immediate aftermath of what we call The Black Death.
Times of social change are always fascinating, and trying to depict the great upheaval in society brought about by the plague was the inspiration for the book. In the subsequent novels, Carolyn has sought to reveal the lives of mostly ordinary medieval folk through stories that tell of experiences especially pertinent to the time but which also resonate today. The stories focus particularly on the lives of women, if only because women in history often have not had much opportunity to “speak”.
There are now eight books in the series. More will follow.
Website: www.carolynhughesauthor.com
Amazon series: https://mybook.to/MhkUql
KATE’S LETTER by Patricia Furstenberg
Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, 1478
One letter, sealed in dragon’s wax
About Patricia:
Patricia is a Romanian-born, South Africa-based author of character-driven historical fiction set in medieval Eastern Europe. Her latest novel, When Secrets Bloom, part of the Blood of Kings, Heart of Shadows saga, explores the turbulent world of Vlad the Impaler, weaving meticulous research with moral complexity, faith, and the quiet resilience of women navigating power and peril.
Her short stories, poetry, and travel features have appeared in anthologies and online publications.
Patricia blogs about overlooked corners of history and cultural heritage on her website:
https://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/
Amazon author page: https://author.to/PatFurstenberg
THE PORTRAIT’S SECRET by Amy Maroney
Paris, 1536
When a woman holds a secret, does she keep it, or share it?
About Amy:
Amy lives in Oregon, U.S.A., and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction. Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail; and the Sea and Stone Chronicles, which features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean.
To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s community of readers on her website: https://www.amymaroney.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Maroney/author/B01LYHPXEO
LEGACY by Jean Gill
Tudor England, 1558
When a man loses everything, what is his legacy?
About Jean:
Award-winning Welsh author and photographer Jean Gill lives in Provence with the best scent-hound in the world, a Nikon D750 and a man. Best known for writing epic medieval adventures in The Troubadours and The Midwinter Dragon series, Jean has published twenty-seven multi-genre books since 1988, including the dog bestseller, Someone To Look Up To.
For many years, she taught English, and was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in the Welsh county of Dyfed. She is mother or stepmother to five children so life is hectic. With Scottish parents, Welsh and French residence and an English birthplace, she can usually shout for the winning team in sporting events.
She loves to hear from readers.
Website: www.jeangill.com
Amazon author pages:
US: https://www.amazon.com/author/jeangill
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Jean-Gill/author/B001KDUN1C
A TALETELLER’S TALE by Helen Hollick
Somewhere in the Caribbean, 1709
When the only sound is the song of the sea, do you listen? Or do you drown in the embrace of a mermaid?
About Helen:
Originally first published in 1993, and now known for her captivating storytelling and attention to historical detail, Helen’s historical fiction, nautical adventures, cosy mysteries and short stories, invite readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between fiction and history blend together. Her historical novels span a variety of periods, with a particular focus on the Early Medieval.
Her Pendragon’s Banner series offers a vivid portrayal of the King Arthur story set against a plausible reality setting, while the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings shows her ability to bring historical figures and settings to life. Her novel about Queen Emma (The Forever Queen – USA title) became a USA Today best-seller.
In the Sea Witch Voyages, she subtly weaves in elements of supernatural fantasy against the Golden Age of Piracy, creating an immersive and addictive nautical adventure experience.
Her Jan Christopher cosy mystery series is set during the 1970s, based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant.
Her 2025 release of Ghost Encounters, co-produced with her adult daughter, Kathy, reveals some benign ghosts of North Devon where the family moved to in 2013.
Helen has written several short stories, further exploring the echoes of the past, all with her compelling and convincing signature style.
Website: https://blog.helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
THE GATE by Elizabeth St.John
London, 1900
When courage costs everything
About Elizabeth:
Elizabeth’s critically acclaimed historical fiction brings to life the stories of her ancestors—extraordinary women whose close connections to England’s kings and queens offer an intimate perspective on Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times. Inspired by family archives and historic residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, she explores ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens—and occasionally encounters a ghost. Discovering a whole different family history in The Gate, Elizabeth expands her storytelling into the early 20th century, adding a new era to her repertoire.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park and curator of The Lydiard Archives, where she is always searching for inspiration for her next novel. Her works include The Lydiard Chronicles, set during the English Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, exploring the mystery of the princes in the Tower. In The King’s Intelligencer, set in the court of Charles II, a young woman must decide what she is willing to risk to reveal the whereabouts of the missing princes.
Website: www.elizabethjstjohn.com
Amazon Author Page: https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn
DARKNESS RISING by Cathie Dunn
Venezia, June 1923
Can the mystery of a secluded island, and a murder, be solved before time runs out?
About Cathie:
Cathie is an award-winning, Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, mystery, dual-timeline, and romance set in Scotland, England, and France.
Her latest release, Ascent – the story of Poppa of Bayeux, handfasted wife of Rollo the Viking – is her sixth novel, and she is currently working on the sequel, Treachery. In her House of Normandy series, Cathie seeks to showcase the forgotten women behind the famous warriors who forged early medieval Normandy.
Cathie lives in the south of France with her husband and two rescue pets, enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine and visiting the many historic sites whenever she can.
Website: www.cathiedunn.com
Amazon author page: https://author.to/CathieDunn
A SACK OF POTATOES by Antoine Vanner
Groenhorst, outskirts of Amersvoort, The Netherlands
November 11th, 1954
Courage meant survival for many – but others relied on greed
About Antoine:
Antoine spent four decades in international business, latterly at senior executive level, and lectured in academia afterwards. He lived through military coups, a guerrilla war, negotiations with governments, storms at sea and life in mangrove swamps, tropical forest, offshore oil-platforms, and the boardroom. He has lived and worked long-term in eight countries, has travelled widely in all continents except Antarctica and is fluent in three languages.
He has a passion for nineteenth-century political and military history and has a deep understanding of what was the cutting-edge technology of the time. His knowledge of human nature and his first-hand experience of the locales – often surprising – of the most important conflicts of the period provide the impetus for his chronicling of the lives of Royal Navy officer Nicholas Dawlish and his magnificent wife, Florence. There are thirteen volumes so far in the Dawlish Chronicles series, the actions set in the period 1858 to 1915.
Vanner now lives in Britain with his wife, Eva Lagassé (a journalist by background), their dog and five horses.
Website: www.dawlishchronicles.com
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/4sB0MUR
GRUMPY OLD GRANDFATHER by Kathy Hollick-Bater
Anywhere, Present-day
It takes courage to fight the memory of fear
About Kathy:
Kathy is severely dyslexic and struggles with her reading and writing. Her passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had her own pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after. Kathy is now a Devon farmer’s wife, runs Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training. EFT, or ‘tapping’, uses the body’s pressure points to aid calm relaxation and to promote gentle healing around emotional, mental or physical issues. She hopes to extend her training in order to help ex-servicemen overcome PTSD.
Kathy regularly competes at British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals. She also has the ability to see, hear and talk to friendly ghosts, several of whom share our 1769 farmhouse.
Website: https://www.white-owl.co.uk/
Amazon Ghost Encounters Page: https://mybook.to/GhostEncounters
With an introduction by Lorna Fergusson
About Lorna:
Lorna Fergusson is an award-winning short story writer and novelist. Founder of Fictionfire Literary Consultancy, she is an experienced editor, writing coach and speaker. She has taught on various Oxford University writing programmes since 2002.
Her stories have won an Ian St James Award, the Historical Novel Society’s Short Story Award, and been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, Pan Macmillan’s Write Now prize and the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters prize. She was twice runner-up for the Mogford Prize.
Author of The Chase and An Oxford Vengeance, her latest book is a collection of stories set in France, One Morning in Provence. She is currently developing one of the Mogford stories as a novel, as well as working on poetry and a book on mindset for writers.
Born in Scotland, she is married with two sons and lives in Oxford, England.
Website: https://www.lornafergusson.com
Amazon author page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Lorna-Fergusson/author/B0034PRAP6
Tour Schedule
June 17th
The Mysterious Universe of Books
Epic stories. Timeless journeys.
Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s Official Blog
Sarandipity’s
Thank you for being a valued stop on the Courage blog tour..
Thanks ever so much for celebrating the release day of Courage with us! We’re delighted you joined us.
Take care,
Cathie xo
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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