✧ Book Spotlight ✧ The Queen’s Maid (The Anne Boleyn Chronicles #Book 2) by Rozsa Gaston

The Queen’s Maid

The Anne Boleyn Chronicles #Book 2

By Rozsa Gaston

Publication Date: February 13th, 2026

Publisher: Sapere Books

Pages: 244

Genre: Tudor Historical Fiction / Historical Saga

The Tudor series continues! For fans of Philippa Gregory, Elizabeth Chadwick, Carol McGrath and Anne O’Brien.

A new adventure begins for Anne…

France, 1514

After an enlightening period of training as a lady’s maid at Margaret of Austria’s court, Anne Boleyn has been sent to France.

She arrives at the Palace of Tournelles, home of ageing King Louis and his new English wife, Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII. As Anne speaks French, her main role is to serve as translator for Queen Mary.

Anne’s sister Mary is also at the French court, and Anne soon learns that not everyone is pleased about the union between the French king and his young queen.

The king’s cousin-in-law, Louise of Savoy, is desperate for Queen Mary not to fall pregnant, so that her son Francis will ascend the throne.

And with Louise and the English queen pulling Anne in two different directions, it will not be possible to appease everyone.

Can Anne successfully navigate the familial politics at the French royal court? Will she make her mark as one of the queen’s maids?

Or could her divided loyalties prove to be her undoing…?

THE QUEEN’S MAID is a thoroughly researched, fascinating historical novel set during the 16th century in Europe. It is the second book in the Anne Boleyn Chronicles series.

THE ANNE BOLEYN CHRONICLES SERIES:
Book One: Maid of Honour
Book Two: The Queen’s Maid
Book Three: Queen of Diamonds

 ✧ Praise ✧

‘Wonderfully detailed and entirely enjoyable. This is a young Anne in whom I absolutely believe, and who does much to explain the woman she’d become.’
~ Sarah Gristwood, author of Game of Queens

‘... a wonderful glimpse into history and a reminder of Anne Boleyn’s enduring legacy as a woman who was ahead of her times, and paid the ultimate price. This novel is packed full of deftly-woven research. It has many standout features, but the highlight is the completely immersive nature of Gaston’s writing.’
~ Historical Novel Company

✧ Buy Links ✧

Book 1 – Maid of Honour Universal Buy Link

Book 2 – The Queen's Maid Universal Buy Link

Book 3 – Queen of Diamonds (coming soon)

Series Buy Link Amazon UK

Series Buy Link Amazon US

Rozsa Gaston

Rozsa Gaston is a historical fiction author who writes books on women who reach for what they want out of life.

She is the author of Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria's Court, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction, The Queen's Maid: Anne Boleyn in France, Queen of Diamonds: The French Royal Court, Margaret of Austria, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction, the four-book Anne of Brittany Series: Anne and Charles; Anne and Louis, 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗟𝗬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲; Anne and Louis: Rulers and Lovers; and Anne and Louis Forever Bound, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction.

Other works include Sense of Touch, Marguerite and Gaston, The Least Foolish Woman in France, Paris Adieu, and Budapest Romance.

Gaston studied European history at Yale and received her master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia. She worked at Institutional Investor, WR Capital, and as a columnist for The Westchester Guardian before becoming a novelist. 

She is currently working on Book Four of The Anne Boleyn Chronicles, covering Anne Boleyn's time at the 1520 Field of Cloth of Gold. She lives in Bronxville, New York with her family.

Her motto? History matters.

Connect with Rozsa:

Website ✧ Twitter / X ✧ Facebook ✧ Instagram ✧ TikTok ✧ BookBub 

Amazon Author Page ✧ Goodreads

All on a Summer's Day by Judy Gardiner

 

RAVEL FROM LIVERPOOL TO PARIS IN THIS INCREDIBLE WW2 SAGA ABOUT LOVE AND SISTERHOOD.

Liverpool, 1930s.

Miranda Whittaker is a lonely teenage girl who makes a dear friend in Natalie Ellenberg, the daughter of an affectionate Jewish family.

For a time, life is good, and the two grow closer than sisters.

But it isn’t to last.

A tide of anti-Semitism sweeps the streets of Liverpool during a fascist march on the eve of World War Two, and the lives of the two girls are changed forever by a terrible tragedy.

Years pass, and the distance between the girls grows. Miranda, still haunted by that tragic day, joins the Red Cross, while Natalie flees to Paris to study art.

But she soon disappears after Nazis invade the city . . .

Miranda follows the allies as they move through France and then Germany, shaken to her core by the horrors of the concentration camps.

She’s determined to find out what happened to her dear friend who took her under her wing all those years ago. But will Miranda ever discover what really happened to Natalie?

 ✧ Review ✧

Miranda Whittaker begins as a quiet, lonely girl in 1930s Liverpool, and that sense of isolation makes her immediate bond with Natalie Ellenberg feel all the more powerful. Natalie, coming from a warm and loving Jewish family, brings light into Miranda’s life, and their friendship quickly grows into something that feels as strong as sisterhood. It’s the kind of connection that seems unshakeable—until the world around them begins to change.

The novel doesn’t shy away from that shift. The rise of anti-Semitism and the tension building in Liverpool are handled with a steady, grounded approach, leading to a moment of tragedy that reshapes both girls’ lives. That turning point genuinely caught me off guard, and it lingers quietly throughout the rest of the story, influencing everything that follows.

As the years pass, the distance between Miranda and Natalie becomes both physical and emotional. Miranda’s decision to join the Red Cross gives her storyline a sense of purpose, but it also exposes her to the brutal realities of war. Her journey through France and into Germany, especially as she encounters the concentration camps, is written with restraint and respect. I found those sections especially difficult to read at times—not because of how they were written, but because of what they represent.

Natalie’s path, moving to Paris to study art before vanishing during the Nazi occupation, adds a layer of quiet urgency to the narrative. I kept hoping for answers alongside Miranda, which made her search feel all the more personal. Natalie never feels distant or forgotten; her presence continues to shape the story in meaningful ways.

What stands out most is how the novel balances its emotional core with its historical backdrop. The friendship between Miranda and Natalie remains central, even as the story expands into a wider portrayal of war, displacement, and survival. Even after finishing, I found myself still thinking about how easily their lives were torn apart, and how much of that loss lingers.

All on a Summer’s Day is a thoughtful and deeply affecting WW2 saga. It brings together friendship, grief, and resilience in a way that feels both intimate and far-reaching. For readers who appreciate historical fiction grounded in personal stories, this is a compelling and memorable read.

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✧ Book Excerpt!!! ✧ The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney

The Green Baize Door

By Eleanor Birney

Publication Date: January 27th, 2026

Publisher: Parlor & Dock Press

Pages: 295

Genre: Historical Mystery

An atmospheric historical mystery where every character has their own agenda, and their own truth.

In the fashionable mansions on Chestnut Hill, a simple green baize door separates the masters’ world from the servants’. That door is thrown wide when an elderly housekeeper is found brutally murdered on the first day of the new century. Marie Chevalier, the housekeeper’s poor but ambitious granddaughter, and James Lett, the mansion owner’s kind but indolent son, suspect the killer is connected to one of their families—but which one?

From drawing rooms to alleyways, their separate investigations lead them through the sometimes lavish, sometimes brutal, landscape of turn-of-the-century New England. When long-buried secrets begin to unravel the fragile threads that hold both households together, Marie and James must find a way to bridge the gulf between them—if only to prove that the murderer belongs not to their own world, but to that strange and foreign land on the other side of the green baize door.

Inspired by real-life events, The Green Baize Door is a richly layered historical mystery that explores themes of class identity, family loyalty, and the sometimes blurry line between virtue and vice.

Excerpt

The Inquest

Chapter 9 — January 8, 1900 (715 Words)

The courtroom was packed. The "suspicious" death of a prominent family's housekeeper on the first day of the new century had fired the public's imagination. Headlines concerning "The Murder on Chestnut Hill" leapt off the front page of every rag in town.

"There they are!" Eliza yanked Marie to the left, and Papa's bulky frame came into view.

Papa stood encircled by at least half a dozen people and was gesturing emphatically. The moment he spotted them, he broke off and extended his arm. "There you are, my darlings! I was worried sick."

Eliza glanced at Marie, a hint of a smile bending her lips.

Papa closed the distance between them and took Marie's elbow. "Come, my angels. Rest yourselves. You must be cold and weary."

The people nearby bent curious gazes in their direction, and Marie had to resist the urge to pull her elbow free and storm from the room. The crowd parted, and Papa led them to their seats. The moment they were seated, Papa resumed his position in the heart of the semi-circle, his head high and his chest puffed out. In his chocolate striped suit and sapphire-blue silk vest, he looked like a carnival barker.

"What a terrible ordeal these little lambs have endured," Papa announced to no one in particular. "They were very close to their grandmother, and she, poor soul, dearly loved them."

Marie dropped her gaze to the floor, her face burning. How could he be so undignified?

Charlie sat a couple of chairs over. His face was pinched and worry lines creased his brow. Marie moved to the seat next to him and whispered, "Papa is making a perfect spectacle of us."

Charlie shrugged. "At least he's enjoying himself."

"I only wish his enjoyment didn't come at our expense."

"You should try to be more generous. He's had a tough time of it, what with those idiot policemen hounding him day and night."

Marie looked away, abashed. There was, she supposed, no real harm in his theatrics, but just this once, she wished he would refrain from making them conspicuous. Before she could say this, Charlie pointed to a group of men sitting a few tables over. "Do you see that fellow over there? The pale gent in the high-backed chair?"

Marie scanned the crowd until she spotted a likely candidate: an older man with the gaunt, sallow countenance of someone recently ill. "What about him?"

Charlie leaned in to whisper, "That is Mr. Lett."

"Oh." Marie straightened to get a better view. According to Mémé, Marie had met the family when she was very young, but, try as she might, she couldn't remember it. They did not seem like strangers, though. Mémé had spoken of the Letts so often, and with such regard, that Marie had developed a great admiration for them. In her imagination, they represented everything that was fine and noble in the world; that is to say, everything that her own family was not.

Several men in dark suits, all holding tall, gleaming hats, stood near Mr. Lett's chair. She wondered who they were and hoped they would disperse once the inquest began. If Mr. Lett were alone, it would be easier to work up the courage to introduce herself.

"I wonder if he brought the old girl's money?" Charlie asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Marie's head snapped toward him. "This is neither the time nor the place for that conversation, Charlie."

Charlie heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"I mean it," she hissed. "Don't you dare disgrace us."

Charlie rolled his eyes and stood. "I'm going to get some air."

Marie glanced at their father, wondering if she should enlist his aid. He remained ensconced in the crowd's center, one arm flung casually around a bald man she didn't recognize, the other cutting a wide swathe through the air as he spoke. No, she thought, Papa would be no help at all.

Her attention was drawn to the front of the room, where several men had approached a scarred oak table. One of them banged a gavel, and the crowd fell silent. Marie returned to the seat next to Eliza. Her sister sat rigid, twisting her hands on her lap. Marie grabbed one of those pale hands and squeezed it. The inquest had begun.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link

Universal Buy Link incl. Amazon

Eleanor Birney

Eleanor Birney writes historical mysteries about class, moral ambiguity, and people who aren’t satisfied with life on their side of the green baize door.

She received a BA in History from UC Berkeley, and works as a legal research attorney, a day job that feeds her love of precision, research, and puzzles.

Growing up in foster care gave her a lifelong fascination with the way society steers people into assigned places—and how some of those people refuse to stay in them.

She lives in Northern California with her family. The Green Baize Door is her debut novel.

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