Welcome to one of the December 28th stops on the blog tour for The Salty Rose by Beth M. Caruso, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more excerpt spotlights and a giveaway, and look for this book making the rounds again in a review-only tour shortly!
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
About the Book
The Salty Rose
Alchemists, Witches, & A Tapper In New Amsterdam
by Beth M. Caruso
Published 1 September 2019
by Lady Slipper Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 308
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Marie du Trieux, a tavern keeper with a salty tongue and a heart of gold, struggles as she navigates love and loss, Native wars, and possible banishment by authorities in the unruly trading port of New Amsterdam, an outpost of the Dutch West India Company.
In New England, John Tinker, merchant and assistant to a renowned alchemist and eventual leader of Connecticut Colony, must come to terms with a family tragedy of dark proportions, all the while supporting his mentor’s secret quest to find the Northwest Passage, a desired trading route purported to mystically unite the East with the West.
As the lives of Marie and John become intertwined through friendship and trade, a search for justice of a Dutch woman accused of witchcraft in Hartford puts them on a collision course affecting not only their own destinies but also the fate of colonial America.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | B&N
Excerpt
Chapter 5
John Tinker picked up the crisp document, eyed the signature of Mr. Keayne and rolled it up again, placing it into a satchel of important papers. Sitting down at his desk, he reviewed several more in the hand of Governor Winthrop. Everything was in order. He would represent legal transactions on behalf of those powerful men and bring their affairs in England to a close.
He dabbed his quill into the inkwell and wrote the final notes of an agenda that he hoped would be free of complications and hasten a quick return to the Bay. His family relationships and business affairs had been on hold for far too long. He was anxious to bring his cousin to Windsor in Connecticut Colony where the rest of his family had relocated from Dorchester, Massachusetts.
A knock at the door interrupted his concentration. Looking up, John saw the face of Robin Cassacinamon, the Winthrops’ servant and a Pequot tribesman. He held a stack of folded clothes in his hands.
“The clothes from the tailor are ready for your voyage,” he said, placing the pile of personal supplies into John’s hands. His English was fluent.
John rose from the desk and placed the breeches, stockings, and other apparel into one of the many traveling chests that stood open. Only one was for his personal use. The others held items from the New World including Indian masks, the furs and bones of native animals, dried plants, colorful feathers, and other New World treasures to be bequeathed to dignitaries and the King. Robin eyed the opened chests. He had contributed fathoms of wampum to the collection. It was impressive and meant to elicit more support and interest in the fledgling colony.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | B&N
About the Author
Award-winning author, Beth M. Caruso, is passionate to discover and convey important and interesting stories of women from earlier times. She recently won the literary prize in Genre Fiction (2020) from IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) for her most recent novel The Salty Rose: Alchemists, Witches & A Tapper In New Amsterdam (2019). The Salty Rose is Beth’s second historical novel and explores alchemy in early colonial times, an insider’s view of the takeover of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, and the Hartford Witch Panic with information she gathered from previous and ongoing research. Beth’s first historical novel is One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America’s First Witch Hanging (2015), a novel that tells the tale of Alice ‘Alse’ Young and the beginnings of the colonial witch trials. She based the story on original research she did by exploring early primary sources such as early Windsor land records, vital statistics, and other documents. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Beth kayaks and gardens to unwind.
Email: oneofwindsor@yahoo.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
One lucky follower of the tour will walk away with a $25 gift cad to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice!
December 14: The Avid Reader
December 15: Rogue’s Angels
December 15: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’
December 16: Bibliomanaic Aza
December 17: Phoebe’s Randoms
December 18: All the Ups and Downs
December 28: The Whispering Bookworm
December 28: Westveil Publishing
December 29: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
December 30: Locks, Hooks and Books
December 31: The Reading Addict
January 1: Seven Troublesome Sisters
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for hosting!
You’re welcome!
Beth M. Caruso is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this. I always love meeting new authors. Thanks to this blog for the introduction.
Thank you for hosting The Salty Rose!
You’re welcome!
I like the excerpt, thank you.
Great post – sounds like a good book!
I enjoyed reading the excerpt, sounds like a fascinating read! Thanks for sharing it!
Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest.