Hurry!! The Woman Behind the Mirror–99 Cents, only for a short time!!

For the next three days (April 16-18), award-winning historical fiction writer, Jan Selbourne, is offering her newest book. The Woman Behind the Mirror for 99 cents on Amazon! That’s a real bargain for a book you’re sure to love! In fact, it’s my current favorite Jan book. 😉

You might know, Jan’s Lies of Gold won Coffee Pot Book Club’s Silver Award for 2019. With The Woman Behind the Mirror, I see more awards in her future. At any rate, that’s the future and Jan writes about history. The Woman Behind the Mirror starts in 1775 England, but quickly shifts to Boston where the American Revolution is rumbling into being. What happens to Sarah Forsythe has to be read to be believed!

Blurb

Betrothed by her father to a man twice her age, Sarah Forsythe does the unthinkable—she escapes her arranged marriage and runs away with the son of a Methodist minister. Not to Gretna Green, to colonial America—the New World. For Sarah, a “new world” of broken promises, abandonment, poverty and shame. Around her, the American Revolution is quickly developing and the siege of Boston worsens by the day. As British soldiers seek out traitors and treason, a desperate Sarah breaks open a safe looking for cash. Instead, she finds a box holding Bank of England documents. Through willpower, bitter determination, and lying through her teeth, Sarah manages to make her way home to England. What she doesn’t know is that two men follow, and they will do anything to claim those documents.

Bank investigator Neil McAlister faces an almost impossible task—to determine the true owner of the documents by deciding who is lying. Most of all, as danger creeps ever closer, he needs to know who wants the secretive, beautiful Sarah dead.

Excerpt

Legs shaking, Sarah walked downstairs to face her furious father and white-faced mother.

“I cannot believe your wilfulness, your complete lack of propriety,” her father said icily. “You deliberately encouraged”—he frowned at her mother—“what was his name?”

“David Langford.”

“You encouraged this penniless nobody behind my back, knowing I have approved and accepted Mr Gerald Whitehead’s offer of marriage.”

“Papa, Mr Whitehead is over forty years old!”

“A mature man of independent means with homes in Norfolk and London. Now sadly widowed, he needs the comfort of a wife and mother to his children.”

Sarah’s fingers clenched. “His children are almost my age.”

Her mother spoke. “Albert dear, I do think Sarah and Mr Whitehead should be given more time to become better acquainted.”

Her father pointed his finger at her mother. “I hold you responsible for giving the girl far too much freedom. I can only pray Mr Whitehead does not hear of this shameful cavorting while he’s attending to business affairs.”

“I was not cavorting with David,” Sarah said hotly. “We met at the church fair when mama presented prizes for the best puddings. We were never alone, not even when Eliza and I showed David and Freddie the country dances because the Methodists don’t approve.”

Her father’s eyes had turned slate grey, filling her with fear.

“I am sorry papa. I will do whatever you bid.” She held her breath waiting for a hand across her face or worse.

“You will not leave this house until the banns are read.” Albert Forsythe strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Her mother touched her arm. “You have made papa very angry.”

Sarah’s eyes met her mothers. “If he beats me again, I will leave, David or no David.”

“Sarah! You are under-age and cannot defy papa. You know it is his fervent wish to see you and your brothers well set up.”

“You mean Peter’s commission and Robert’s year in London will cost papa a lot of money. Mr Whitehead’s offer of marriage relieves him of more financial burden.”

Her mother’s mouth fell open. “That is a dreadful thing to say.”

“Mama, please, Mr Whitehead is ugly, and I cannot bear him near me.”

“Your father will provide a generous dowry,” her mother said quietly. “Do not defy him or we all suffer.”

“Yes mama, excuse me mama,” Sarah’s eyes blurred as she climbed the stairs again to her bedchamber. Closing the door, she sat at her dressing table and as she stared at her reflection her resolve grew. A glance at the closed door and she sharpened a quill and began to write. Signing the note S, she rang for her maid.

“Go to the Methodist manse. This letter must be handed to Mr David Langford and no one else.”

“Yes miss. I will, miss.”

Sarah put two shillings in her hand. “Not a word to anyone and you may have the rest of the day off.”

The maid blinked at half a week’s pay in her hand. “Thank you miss.”

When the door closed, Sarah’s knees turned to water. They’d talked about it, they’d held hands while declaring their love for each other, and now it was a frightening reality. She sat by the window as the minutes turned into one hour, then another hour and then her heart thudded in her chest. David, wearing a cloak and hat pulled low over his forehead rode past the front gates and placed a small sprig of leaves on the railing. He’d received her message.

Jan

Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.