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Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin

Heating Up History

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history

The border spanning between England and Scotland was a treacherous land where boundaries were blurred, loyalty was subjective and survival was forefront. In attempt to allay the chaos, the borderlands were fractured into six marches with each one assigned a warden. Peace was precarious, especially with the unclaimed Debatable Lands which was owned by neither England nor Scotland and housed the worst of the dreaded border reivers.

It was one of these clans of border reivers, the Grahams, who exacted the fiercest of attacks on Werrick. Before the protective curtain wall was erected, the castle sat atop of hill of lush green grass, seemingly impenetrable and yet fatally vulnerable. After heavy rains and frigid temperatures left food scarce, the Grahams attacked Werrick Castle in an act of desperation. The defenses crumbled and the reivers stormed the castle, their enormous victory quickly escalating to wild blood lust.

People were slain, stores were taken, homes burned. Through it all the Earl of Werrick fought valiantly to defend his wife and their four golden haired little girls. His efforts, however, were in vain and a dark-haired Graham reiver managed to break through the small stronghold established within the castle’s chapel. Unconscious and bleeding, Lord Werrick could do nothing to save his family and so it was Lady Werrick who stepped forward to protect their daughters. The price of such protection was steep and nearly left her dead.

But Lady Werrick did survive. At least in body. For as each day that her belly swelled with an unwanted child, her spirit dimmed that much more. Her comely face, once bright with laughter and joy, had ceased to smile.

On the night of a violent storm came a violent birth. Amid screams and maddening pain, a life was given and a life taken. Lady Werrick survived long enough to deliver a dark-haired little girl into the world before the remainder of her spirit faded forever. Despite the child’s origin, despite the partial relation to the earl’s daughters, they all loved the babe with her wide, solemn blue eyes, for she was the last gift they would ever receive from their beloved Lady Werrick.

With the loss of his love, the earl fell into deep melancholy. Marin, the eldest daughter at only ten, resumed care for her sisters as well as running the household, seeing to things as her mother had once done. It was said the earl should never have had his family in so treacherous a land. It was also said that the love between Lord and Lady Werrick was such that it made them inseparable.

In the chasm of sadness, the earl made plans for his daughters to leave Werrick. But amid their own consuming sorrow, they refused. Having lost a mother, they would not now lose a father as well. The Earl of Werrick, ever soft in his love for his girls, gave into their pleas under one condition: if only warriors and reivers survived these hostile lands, then his young daughters would be raised to act like ladies, but to fight like men.

 

And so begins the Borderland Ladies.

 

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madelinemmartin

👩🏻‍💻USA Today Bestselling author of #historicalromance, mother of minions, watcher of cat videos, drinker of wine, poster of pics

When the heart on the back of your cat’s neck le When the heart on the back of your cat’s neck lets you know they love you 😻
I’m beyond excited to share my gorgeous new cove I’m beyond excited to share my gorgeous new cover for The Last Bookshop in London - a WWII Historical Fiction

The art team at @hanoversquarepress did such a gorgeous job on this cover! I love it so much!!! 

Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London is dismal under the weight of impending war with Germany as Hitler’s forces continue to sweep across Europe. Into this uncertain maelstrom steps Grace Bennett, young and ready for a fresh start in the bustling city streets she’s always dreamed of—and miles away from her troubled past in the countryside.

With aspirations of working at a department store, Grace never imagined she’d wind up employed at Primrose Hill, an offbeat bookshop nestled in the heart of the city—after all, she’s never been much of a reader. Overwhelmed with organizing the cluttered store, she doesn’t have time to read the books she sells. But when one is gifted to her, what starts as an obligation becomes a passion that draws her into the incredible world of literature.

As the Blitz rains down bombs on the city night after night, a devastating attack leaves the libraries and shops of London’s literary center in ruins. Miraculously, Grace’s bookshop survives the firestorm. Through blackouts and air raids, Grace continues running the shop, discovering a newfound comfort in the power of words and storytelling that unites her community in ways she never imagined—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of war-torn London.

Link in bio!
Tomorrow is my official cover reveal for The Last Tomorrow is my official cover reveal for The Last Bookshop in London!! I'm so excited!! 😆
How to Tempt a Duke in Italian and Swedish - the l How to Tempt a Duke in Italian and Swedish - the latter just came in the mail! 😆 
I love how Harlequin Historical sends us copies of the translated versions of our books! It’s just such a cool thing to see and hold 🥰
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