In the spotlight today is That Catskill Summer by Bart Charlow

That catskill summer

Lived-In Love TM

By Bart Charlow

Publication Date: April 21st, 2026

Publisher: independently published

Pages: 318

Genre: Historical Romance / Literary Romance

He wrote the book he lived. Now she wants to rewrite the ending.

For fans of the 1960s Catskills era of Dirty Dancing, this is a very different kind of love story.

Author Aaron Ben-Ami’s steamy novel, based on a failed youthful love affair in the "Summer of Love" Borscht Belt, is a sensation. Love was easy to come by in the resort culture of the early sexual revolution, but not so easy to keep. Now, as his story is being made into a movie starring Isobel “Izzy” Sandler, the past and present are about to collide.

Ironically, it was a chance meeting with Izzy that inspired Aaron to write the book in the first place—she was his muse. But as they grow close during filming, Izzy discovers the raw truth behind the fiction. She is the granddaughter of Elyse, the real woman who modeled for the novel’s lead—and Aaron's greatest "what if".

Set against the richly textured backdrop of a disappearing American era, That Catskill Summer is a story of what we miss in the moment and what stays with us long after. It is a journey through the humor, the heat, and the heartbreak of youth, told through the reflective eyes of someone who survived it.

Perfect for readers of emotionally rich, time-layered fiction who value reflection over resolution – and those who believe that a single summer can define a lifetime.

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Bart Charlow

Bart A. Charlow is an author, consultant, and retired therapist whose writing explores the intricate intersections of memory, legacy, and the human heart. With over 45 years as a visual artist and photographer, Bart brings a painterly eye to his prose, capturing the atmospheric beauty and lingering shadows of the people and places that shape us.

Born into the carnival life of a Borscht Belt Catskills hotel family, he has never let the ordinary constrain him.

His first book, A Catskill Carnival: My Borscht Belt Life Lived, Lost and Loved, is a memoir of his early years in a unique setting, coming to terms with it and cherishing its life lessons. Pickle Barrel Tales: More Borscht Belt BS is the companion book of over 50 wry vignettes from several “mountain rats”.

A true son of the Catskills, Bart’s deep connection to the "Borscht Belt" Dirty Dancing era serves as the foundation for his storytelling. His novels delve into the complex emotional landscapes of mature characters, often focusing on the ways the past refuses to stay buried and how new love must contend with old ghosts. His latest series is “Lived-In LoveTM”, dedicated to telling realistic relationship stories with deep emotional connections, not the usual tropes.

Whether through a camera lens, a paintbrush, or the written word, Bart is dedicated to capturing the "circus of memories" that defines the mature experience.

He writes a regular column, “Bart on Art”, for The San Mateo Daily Journal.

Bart has been a favored speaker on TV, radio and in print media for decades and is recognized for his service in the United States Congressional Record.

Among honors he holds is the Jefferson Award for his community leadership and service.

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, grown children and grandchildren.

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Read an excerpt from Rescued by the Rakish Lord by Sarah Mallory

 

Rescued by the Rakish Lord

By Sarah Mallory

Publication Date: April 23rd, 2026

Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon

Pages: 276

Genre: Historical Romance

A man of such dubious reputation…

that he was called Devil Blackbourne!

When Lord Deveril Blackbourne meets Selina Wynter, he is intrigued. For she has all the accomplishments of a lady, but the fiery temper and spirit of a tavern maid! Then she is abducted by a dastardly suitor, and Deveril—for all his roguish reputation— can’t stand idly by… 

Lord Deveril is Selina’s least likely rescuer, but when they’re stranded together in a snowstorm and her reputation is at risk, he surprises her with a gallant proposal! Deveril’s no honourable suitor, yet his actions say otherwise…

Just who is the real Devil Blackbourne? Selina’s determined to find out!

Excerpt

Selina playing the piano 

Despite an argument, Deveril finds himself even more intrigued by Selina… 

Like all the young ladies of her acquaintance, music was one of Selina’s accomplishments. She enjoyed playing, but knew herself to be a competent, rather than a brilliant pianist. She was therefore happy to perform at the end of the evening, when almost everyone was engaged in cards or conversation and paying scant attention to the music.

She sorted through the sheets of music beside the pianoforte and began with pieces that she knew Papa would enjoy before moving onto a Mozart sonata that was a particular favourite of her own. She was so engrossed in her playing that she had finished the first movement before she realised someone had come up and was watching her. She looked up, fingers lingering on the last chord.

‘I beg your pardon, please go on,’ said Deveril quickly.

She looked so startled to find him there that he thought for a moment she would jump up and run away. He leaned forward to turn the page, saying,

‘There are two more movements yet.’

She took a breath, composing herself before she continued to play. Deveril studied her, noting the moment she began to relax and lose herself in the music again. She had removed her gloves and, in the candlelight, he could see faint cuts and scratches on her hands. Evidence that she did not “sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,” as the nursery rhyme went.

He watched her fingers flying over the keys and remembered those same bare hands gripping the broom when she confronted the drunkards at the White Horse. What a strange creature she was. All the breeding and accomplishments of a lady, but the temper and spirit of a tavern wench.

He felt again that tug of interest, but he quickly squashed it. This was Richard’s doing, blast him, reminding him of his dead fiancée and wanting him to find another woman to love. That certainly would not be Selina Wynter. She bore no comparison with Belinda, who had been a gentle soul, softly-spoken and sweet-natured. She had died so young, before they had had a chance to do more than share a few chaste kisses.

His eyes were drawn to Selina’s lips. He remembered how they had felt beneath his when he kissed her. Soft, warm, the slight hesitation before she responded, albeit briefly. He felt his pulse quicken at the memory. It had hardly been a kiss at all but it had ignited a fire that still smouldered within. It meant nothing, no more than attraction for a pretty woman. A damned nuisance, but it would pass, given time. It always did. Better to think of the cold way she had received him at Reigney Abbey. How she had looked at him as if he was not fit to clean her boots and dismissed him forthwith.

Deveril turned and walked away. Of all the females he had met, Selina Wynter was the very last woman who would ever capture his heart.

*

The final notes of the sonata died away and was greeted with warm applause.

‘Brava, Miss Wynter,’ cried the Squire, clapping loudly. ‘You will delight us with another piece, will you not?’

Selina’s smile was perfunctory. Lord Deveril had walked off before she had finished the second movement and he was now the centre of a lively group standing by one of the windows, paying no heed at all to the music. He must consider her performance very mediocre after the London salons.

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Sarah Mallory

Sarah Mallory is an award-winning author who has published more than 40 historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon. She loves history, especially the Georgian and Regency.

She won the prestigious RoNA Rose Award from the Romantic Novelists Association in 2012 and 2013 and nominated in 2022. She also won the RNA’s Romantic Historical Novel Award in 2024 for The Night She Met the Duke. Sarah also writes romantic historical adventures as Melinda Hammond.

Sarah was born in the West Country but lived for many years on the Yorkshire Pennines, taking inspiration from the wild and rugged moors. Then in 2018 she fell in love with Scotland and ran away to live on the rugged North West Coast, which is proving even more inspiring!

Connect with Sarah:

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In the spotlight today is Lady of Lincoln: A Novel of Nicola de la Haye, the Medieval Heroine History Tried to Forget (The Nicola de la Haye Series Book 1) by Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Lady of Lincoln: 

A Novel of Nicola de la Haye, the Medieval Heroine History Tried to Forget

(The Nicola de la Haye Series Book 1) 

By Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Publication Date: February 27th, 2026

Publisher: Hedgehog Books

Page Length: 462

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction / Medieval Historical Fiction

A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need?

12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.

Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.

Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?

In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.

Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale.

Praise for Lady of Lincoln:

"Joyce’s vivid prose and masterful storytelling immerse the reader deeply into the emotional landscapes of her protagonists, making their struggles and triumphs resonate long after the final page has been turned. This debut is not only impressive in its narrative depth but also remarkable in its ability to evoke thought and reflection long after the final page is turned."

~ The Coffee Pot Book Club 5* Editorial Review

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Rachel Elwiss Joyce

After a rewarding career in the sciences, Rachel returned to her first love—history and the art of storytelling. Fascinated by the women history neglected, or tried to forget, she creates meticulously researched, emotionally resonant fiction that brings her characters’ stories vividly to life.

Her fascination with the past began early. At six years old, she was already inventing tales about medieval women in castles, inspired by her treasured Ladybird books and other picture-rich stories that transported her to another time. By the time she discovered Katherine by Anya Seton as a teenager, she knew the joy and escape that only great historical fiction can bring.

Rachel’s two grown-up children still tease her (fondly) about childhoods spent being “dragged” around castles, archaeological sites, and historical re-enactments. For Rachel, history and imagination have always gone hand in hand.

There was, however, a long gap between the stories of her childhood and her decision to write her own novel. The spark came when she discovered the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye—the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion and became known as “the woman who saved England,” Rachel knew she had found her heroine, and a story she was destined to tell.

Rachel lives in the UK, where she continues to explore the lives of women who shaped history but were left out of its pages.

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In the spotlight today is Infidel: The Daughters of Aragon (Six Tudor Queens) by Nicola Harris

 

Infidel: The Daughters of Aragon 

(Six Tudor Queens)

By Nicola Harris

Publication Date: 5th March 2026

Publisher: ‎Independently Published

Print Length: 268 Pages

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction | Tudor Fiction | Historical Fiction

Born in the glittering courts of Castile and Aragon and forged in the shadow of war, Catalina de Aragón grows up surrounded by queens, rebels, and explorers. She is her mother’s last daughter, the final jewel of a dynasty built on conquest and faith, and the one child Isabella of Castile cannot bear to lose.

But destiny has already claimed Catalina.

Promised to Prince Arthur of England since childhood, she is raised to bind kingdoms, soothe old wounds, and carry the hopes of an empire across the sea. Yet, Spain fractures under rebellion, grief, and the ruthless zeal of its own rulers.

From the burning streets of Granada to the storm lashed Bay of Biscay, Catalina and her sisters must navigate a treacherous path shaped by ambition, betrayal, and the dangerous love of men who fear the power of queens. She learns to read cyphers, to read hearts, and to stand unbroken even as her childhood is stripped from her piece by piece.

And when she finally sails for England armed with her mother’s lessons, her father’s steel, and the ghosts of the Alhambra at her back, Catalina steps into her fate not as a girl, but as a force.

A princess.

A survivor.

A daughter of Aragon.

Infidel is the story of a young woman raised for greatness and destined to reshape the fate of nations. This is Catalina, as she has never been seen before. She is fierce, vulnerable, and unforgettable.

A sweeping, intimate portrait of sisterhood, survival, and the making of a dynasty, Infidel reveals the hidden lives of a woman whose courage shaped the Tudor world.

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Nicola Harris

I’ve always been a writer, but it was only when illness forced me to stop everything that I finally had the time to write a novel. After decades of misdiagnosis, I learned I was born with a serious genetic condition, not rare, but profoundly misunderstood. The clues were there from birth, and suddenly, a lifetime of struggle made sense.

Writing became my lifeline: a way to step beyond my pain, to shape my experience into a story, and to find meaning where there had once been only endurance.

I have a lifelong love of children, Counselling, and Psychotherapy Theory and history.

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In the spotlight today is Bride of the Devil: Agnes, Wife of Robert de Belleme by J.P. Reedman

Bride of the Devil:

Agnes, Wife of Robert de Belleme

Medieval Babes

By J.P. Reedman

Publication Date: August 4th, 2025

Publisher: independently published

Pages: 248

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction / Medieval Fiction

She is a great heiress; he is the wickedest man in Normandy.

Known to men far and wide as 'The Devil,' Robert de Belleme terrorises France alongside his equally fearsome mother, Mabel the Poisoner. But even a Devil needs an heir, and Mabel chooses the wealthy heiress Agnes of Ponthieu to be her son's bride. The marriage is unhappy, though the longed-for son and heir is eventually born...but when Robert is away on one of his military campaigns, Agnes flees back to her father's castle.

She is not safe; her young son William is not safe.

The Devil will seek to claim his own.

BOOK 13 IN THE MEDIEVAL BABES SERIES.

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J.P. Reedman

J.P. Reedman was born in Canada but has lived in the U.K. for over 30 years. Interests include folklore and anthropology, prehistoric archaeology (neolithic/bronze age Europe; ritual,burial & material culture), as well as The Wars of the Roses and the rest of the medieval era. Novels include the popular  I, Richard Plantagenet series about Richard III, The Falcon and the Sun (featuring other members of the House of York), and Medieval Babes, an ongoing series about lesser-known medieval queens and noblewomen.

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Read an excerpt from Sarah’s Destiny (The Ancestors) by Vicky Adin

Sarah’s Destiny
(The Ancestors)
By Vicky Adin

Publication Date: April 9th, 2025

Publisher: AM Publishing New Zealand

Pages: 354

Genre: Historical Fiction / Women's Historical Fiction

Young Sarah Daniels is the heart, soul and future of The White Hart Inn on the Welsh Back. Alongside the quay and wharves on Bristol’s floating harbour, she dreams of finding love, and a destiny where she can escape the drudgery and tragedy that life usually delivers Victorian women. But dreams are free, and few share her ideals. When reality strikes, and Sarah learns the hard way that life is unkind, one man offers her hope.

Through many decades of heart-aching loss, false promises and broken dreams, the young widow clings to that one hope. With six children to care for, she takes risks few others would consider. She breaks conventions and makes sacrifices to keep that hope alive.

Will her wishes come true, or is she destined to be another unfortunate in the sea of many?

Excerpt

Early one morning, a few weeks later, while readying for the breakfast crew but before she’d unbolted the main doors, she heard screams like nothing she’d heard before. 

Terror-struck, she ran towards the kitchen. She could smell burning as smoke wafted into the corridor, and knew they were in serious trouble. As she ran through the kitchen door, she was met by a wall of fog. She raised her arm instinctively to protect her eyes, trying to see what had happened. Embers from the cooker lay on the stone floor and flames were starting to eat at the wooden table. 

“Ma? Molly? Where are you?” she shrieked at the top of her voice. 

From a distance, somewhere towards the outside door, she heard Molly shouting. “Outside. Out back.” 

“Stay there!” ordered Sarah.

“Oh, whatever shall we do?” Molly wailed. 

Overtaken with black smoke, Sarah began to cough. She backed out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. She reached for the leather fire bucket they kept by the stairs and threw water at the door to damp it down. Then she rolled up the floor rug and stuffed it into the gap to prevent the smoke escaping. 

Muttering to herself, her thoughts raced ahead. “Hope that holds. For now. Must call the brigade. I can’t lose this place. Not now. I’ve got to save it. I just have to.” 

Bucket in hand, she raced into the taproom, gathered up a second pail, and tried to unbolt the door. 

“Come on, you stupid thing!” she cried, frustrated that it hadn’t slid easily the first time. Wasting precious seconds, she put the buckets down and used two hands. Finally, the bolt freed, she again grabbed the buckets and ran around into the alley that took her to the rear of the building. Breathless, she was glad to see Ma safely sitting on a stool well away from the kitchen wall. Molly was throwing water ineffectually from the trough into the doorway. 

“We need a chain of people, Molly. Go sound the alarm. Make sure the brigade’s been called and send people this way.” 

“I sent Ada. They should be on their way.”

Sarah nodded as she repeatedly filled the bucket and tossed water as far into the kitchen as possible. She doused the door and frame. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear Ma shouting, and in that moment an extra jolt of panic surged through her. Where was JJ? He should have been with Ma. 

Shortly after, people arrived, and men took over the front position. Bucket after bucket was passed from hand to hand, but from her now safe position at the back she feared they wouldn’t save much, but hoped they might save the upstairs. She prayed the door in the stone wall held, between the main part of the building and the kitchen. 

The clanging of bells and the clop of hooves announced the arrival of the fire engine. 

“Step out of the way, lady,” said one of the uniformed firemen, pushing her aside. “Let the professionals do their job.” 

The adrenaline that had kept Sarah going drained away as soon as the pump was going and the hose began to make short work of the fire. Smoke billowed everywhere, irritating eyes and throats, and visibility was minimal. Suddenly, Sarah’s earlier sense of panic returned as she realised she had no idea who had JJ. 

“Ma,” she called croakily, breaking into a spasm of coughing. “Ma?” She tried again, her throat burning with the effort. She felt her way along the wall to where she remembered seeing her mother last. “Ma?” she sobbed. 

“I’m here,” Betsey finally answered, sounding a lot further away than Sarah thought. “Where are ya, girl? I need ya to help me. I can’t see for all this smoke, and it’s hurting my lungs.” 

“I’m here, Ma,” Sarah said, finally reaching Ma, her eyes red with weeping as she struggled for breath. 

“Give me an ’and and ’elp me up.” 

Taking hold of Betsey’s arm, Sarah helped her mother to her feet. “But Ma, where’s JJ? I can’t see him. I must find him!” 

“He’s fine. I sent him round to Mary’s.”

 

Sarah sucked as much air into her lungs as she could, almost sobbing with the pain. “On his own? Why? He’s not safe on his own. He’s only four.” 

“Phht! He’ll be fine. It’s only round a corner or two. He knows the way and he’s much better there than here.” 

Sarah had to agree he was safe at Mary’s – if he got there.  “I have to go check, Ma. I have to see him.” 

“What for?” she snapped but, after seeing her daughter’s face, capitulated. “Al’right. Off with ya then. Molly’ll help me.” 

Sarah picked up her skirts and began to run, but within moments was forced to stop. Bent over nearly double, she struggled to breathe as a coughing fit took hold. Using the walls of the houses for support, she made her way to her sister, her mind arguing with her instinct. She needed to see for herself that her boy was safe. 

Shortly, Mary’s door opened before her. Sarah stepped into the gloomy hall searching everywhere for JJ. “He’s in the kitchen, sis. And perfectly well,” said Mary. 

Sarah hurried down the corridor and, seeing the child sitting on a stool at the table, swept him up into her arms. “Mama’s here now, JJ. You’re safe, my boy. You’re safe. Thank God.” 

JJ started squirming and wriggling but Sarah didn’t care. She clung on tightly, even while scenes of the devastation at The White Hart, awaiting her return, played on her mind. “I can’t lose you. I can’t. I wouldn’t survive if anything happened to you.” 

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Vicky Adin

Like the characters in her books, Vicky has a passion for family history and a love of old photos, antiques, and treasures from the past. After researching the history of the time and place, and realising the hardships many people suffered, Vicky knew she wanted to write their stories. Tales of love and loss, and triumph over adversity. Her latest release, Sarah’s Destiny, Book 1 of The Ancestors series, is inspired by a true love story set in Bristol.

Vicky particularly enjoys writing inter-generational sagas, inspired by true stories of early immigrants to New Zealand, linked by journals, letters, photographs, and heirlooms.

She’s an avid reader of historical novels, family sagas and women’s stories and loves to travel when she can. She has a MA (Hons) in English and Education. Her story of Gwenna won gold in The Coffee Pot Book Club Women’s Historical Fiction Book of Year in 2022 and several of her books carry the gold B.R.A.G medallion.

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