Blog tour ~ guest post + a giveaway for UK residents: A Long Time Burning by J A Higgins

Genre ~ paranormal mystery

Series ~ A Nell Montague Mystery #2

Publication date ~ October 1, 2022

Page count ~ 328

I am excited to have J A Higgins as a guest today ~ thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.

check out what my fellow bloggers thought of this one ⤵

In February 2020, I was writing the final draft of A LONG TIME BURNING when the first rumours of Covid-19 began to circulate. Then, in March, our Prime Minister made a special announcement which changed the way I worked, shopped, and socialised for the next two years. I had been researching the various plagues in medieval England for my book, and the irony was not lost on me. Restrictions to our movements, food shortages, and terror of death every time we heard someone cough close by, was new to my generation, but not to the characters I had been writing about.

1666 was a year when everything went wrong. Charles II was on the throne but there was still religious unrest, a devastating fire in London destroyed over 13,000 houses and 87 churches, and the warm spring saw a rise in plague cases and the death pits were filling.

I had read about the cures that were advertised, of how sage, sorrel, and dandelion could save your life, and thought about the similar cures that were circulating the internet. I also read about the beaked leather masks that the plague doctors wore, stuffed with herbs, and saw the protective clothing that our nurses and doctors wore in the intensive care units. In medieval times, laws were passed that prevented people straying from their towns, with those who were suspected of having plague even being nailed into their houses, and suddenly in 2020 I found my own movements restricted. I work non clinically in a hospital and so was able to go to work as normal, but the moment I left my office I had to wear a mask and keep my distance from my colleagues. We had to work with windows open, even on the coldest days, and to wash our hands and wipe surfaces repeatedly.

I attended a concert at the end of 2020, masked, and first having to show my paperwork that declared I was vaccinated and had the results of a clear test that day. As I sat amongst similarly masked people and I listened to the singers, I couldn’t help wondering how many of the audience would survive the winter. A week later I learned of the death of one of the singers; he had displayed symptoms the day after the concert and although had received the best of care, he died soon afterwards. He was the same age as me.

The Nell Montague mystery series, of which A LONG TIME BURNING is the second book, explores how horrors from the past are still very relevant today. The bulk of the story is set in modern times, but one section takes us back to 1666 so we can learn what kicked off the horrors in the first place. My main subject was the persecution of so-called witches which saw many innocent souls killed. Men as well as women were put to death for being witches. Living alone, having an interest in herbs and remedies, being a midwife, or even just being disliked by your neighbours, was enough to have you arrested. I found it ironic that during the plague days, when so many were turning to the only medicine they had available – herbs and vinegar – the very people who had knowledge to help were being condemned.

Never has my phrase horrors from the past are still very relevant today made more sense. But I find it comforting to know that whatever we go through, globally, or personally, someone, at some other time in history, has gone through something similar. We are told to study history so that we don’t repeat it and A LONG TIME BURNING reminds us that persecution of those who seem different to us, and living through a pandemic, has all been survived before.

Book blurb:

Nell has had a terrible year, so she travels to North Chase to find some true Christmas magic. But the town has its own problems; its solstice festival is tainted by the disappearance of two teenage boys and a witch’s curse is blamed.

Then, nine-month-old Ava is threatened. Has a medieval killer been awoken or does something else haunt the woods?

Nell must battle through horrific nightmares and face her own demons to expose the truth before another child is spirited away. There is magic in the air this Christmas, but behind the tinsel and baubles glitters a terrifying secret that one family has hidden for centuries, and only Nell can uncover it.

Purchase Links

Author Bio –

J A Higgins was born and raised at Porton Down in Wiltshire, and currently works for the NHS in Salisbury. She has always been fascinated by history, crime and the unexplained.

A Long Time Burning is the second book in the Nell Montague Mystery series which explores how horrors from the past are still very relevant today. The first book, Finding Ruby, was a

Page Turner Book Award winner in 2021.

Social Media Links –

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AuthorJahiggins

Instagram – higgins_author

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of A Long Time Burning and matching bookmark (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494571/?

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