A talented book cover designer, Hannah Spencer, designed a new cover for my 2021 historical fantasy and I LOVE it!

Margery Pendele has been cheated by life. Alice Yonge has been cheated by death.

Nestled in the heart of the English Cotswolds lies a village largely unchanged by the passing of time, surrounded by the ancient, haunted forest called Parsonage Wood. In the year 1642, the peaceful existence of Castle Combe’s inhabitants is about to be shattered. King Charles’ soldiers are coming to fight Cromwell and the Parliamentarians. War is coming to Castle Combe.

Alice Yonge, the only child of a poor weaver, lives in one of the cottages with her parents. She has a simple life, a good life. Until it abruptly comes to an end, and she is flown away to the Vale. At only sixteen years, she is torn away from all those she loves.

Margery Pendele is a servant who works in the kitchens of the manor house. When she learns from her mother that the Lord of the Manor is her father, she is determined to get all she feels she deserves. Full of bitterness, she scorns Johnny, the peasant boy who loves her, and lets him leave for war with only her words of rejection.

Alice is given a chance to return to Castle Combe, and Margery’s life becomes intertwined with hers. In her efforts to help Margery, Alice enlists the aid of Antonius, the ghost of the Roman soldier who guards the bridge, and the fearsome ninth-century Saxons and Danes who still fight each other in the Wood. Soon, Alice discovers that her own love has gone missing. This time her only weapons are the white stone given to her by the Seraph and the power of her love.

Inspired by historical author Carol Pratt Bradley’s visit to the English village of Castle Combe, this allegorical novel weaves together vivid historical details of the 17th century English Civil war with the ancient legends surrounding the village. It is also a tribute to the language of Shakespeare, Milton and other authors of the time, as Bradley explores the power of words to lift and change us.

A thoughtful novel about life and loss and the transforming power of hope.

This novel was published in 2016. During my MFA studies in 2008 I stumbled across the account of a 16th century Englishwoman. It became my thesis novel. Writing about Anne Askew was painful but I’m glad that I did. She was a woman of deep conviction who valued scripture more than her own life. She became caught in the middle of political factions who used people’s religious ideals for their own power and gain. Her story changed how I view history and also my own time. Human nature does not change.

“Paul and I have been reading Carol Pratt Bradley’s new book “Daughter of Anne-Hoeck.” We are finding it exceptional! She is a very gifted writer, and I think this is her best yet. I would encourage you all to read it. Her book can be purchased on Amazon, so you don’t even need to leave home.”

Biblical fiction draws me. That must be why I write it. Lloyd C. Douglas published The Robe in 1942, a story of a Roman soldier who found Christ. The book in the library had an inscription dated 1945, given as a gift to a loved one. On the back cover, Douglas wrote about his interest in biblical novels: “My father was a country parson….Father loved to tell stories….they were the old Bible stories, but Father thought of every one in the Bible as alive, and he made them seem alive…..Well, I grew up and became a preacher and told stories, but I wanted to write….” I’m so glad he did. My life is enriched because of his stories.

One the front cover of the book was a small square message, written in red: “War has made people eager for books. It has also created a scarcity of paper. Books must be smaller now and thinner than the ones you have been used to. However, on the average such books are not shorter and your dollar buys as much reading matter as it ever has.” The Robe was published during the second world war, described as “a distinguished, disturbing, and exciting novel about another terrible era in history not unlike our own.” Douglas and his readers found perspective on the troubling time they lived in by searching the past. We can do the same. That must be one of many reasons why historical novels are valued.

With a title change, which I like much better, my fourth historical novel will be released on February 25, 2020. It is up on Goodreads and available for pre-sale on WiDo Publishing’s website.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49329260-daughter-of-anne-hoeck

“Uplifting and powerful. I could not put this book down. I felt uplifted and encouraged with the powerful message of hope. This was a love story I didn’t know I needed.”

Amazing Book “This is one that I am sure I will re-read many times. Excellent work by an amazing author. Kudos Carol Pratt Bradley!”

In 2016, when my historical novel, Fire of the Word, was released, I wrote a post about writing it for Colleen Story’s blog, Writing and Wellness. She retweeted it today, so I reread it. Interesting how our own words return to us, reminding us of what we reflected on in the past:

“Is writing a spiritual practice for me? Yes.

There are many terms associated with the word spiritual: sacred, inner dimension, bliss, search for meaning, supernatural, the soul, sense of self, to name a few. For me, spirituality is searching for something larger and wiser and better than myself, to be able to comprehend with more than my own limited ability.

I want to combine the physical and spiritual to enable me to reach higher, dig deeper in my search for understanding.

To write with power and wisdom, I must search deep inside myself, reaching for a place not seen but only felt.”

That is still my goal….

The whole blog post is here: http://www.writingandwellness.com/2016/09/13/writing-to-find-the-hero-in-ourselves/

It’s hard to see, but I just had to take a picture. My books are going to be in the library of the school where I received my MFA in 2009. I am thrilled!

My novel was listed as #9 in Carmel Reviews Things Top Ten List of favorite books for 2017:

“This historical fiction novel is about Anne Askew, who was also the main character of Alison Macleod’s The Heretics, my top novel of 2016. While The Heretics leans more on the political side of Askew’s martyrdom, Fire of the Word is clearly a religious novel. And rarely is religious fiction written so well. Bradley’s writing is exciting and detailed, and the sermons are sparse. Nothing is written that does not push the story forward. It is also relatively unbiased towards Catholicism; freedom of religion is repeatedly emphasized. Though it’s clear who the antagonists and protagonists are, Anne comes off more of a human martyr than a glorified saint, making her all the more inspirational. Heck, the whole book is inspirational, and I’m agnostic. Simply put, this book is a shining example of religious historical fiction.”

Thank you!

https://carmelreviewsthings.wordpress.com/2017/12/31/top-10-books-ive-read-in-2017/

And two reviews:

“Exceptionally researched, beautifully written. Carol Bradley has given flesh and blood to the Babylonian exile, its characters and emotions. It is easy to imagine what it may have been like for them to leave their homeland and settle as a conquered people in a new country. She brings the prophet Daniel to life in a marvelous way – showing his majesty as a prophet, but also his humanity as a real person. I highly recommend this book!”

“Well written and researched. This sequel to “Light of the Candle”, allowed me to see into the past and feel what it might have been like to live in the time of Daniel, to get a sense of the perilous nature of living in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, and to grow old in a foreign land knowing you are not likely to ever see the land of your birth again. Ms. Bradley has taken someone who was not much more than a name in the Bible and made him live. Well done!”