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The Butcher's Daughter - Book Tour and Giveaway

8/15/2018

56 Comments

 
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The Butcher's Daughter
by Mark M. McMillin
Genre: Historical Nautical Romantic Adventure 

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In an age ruled by iron men, in a world of new discovery and Spanish gold, a young Irishwoman named Mary rises from the ashes of her broken childhood with ships and men-at-arms under her command. She and her loyal crew prowl the Caribbean and prosper in the New World for a time until the ugly past Mary has fled from in the old one finds her.

Across the great ocean to the east, war is coming. The King of Spain is assembling the most powerful armada the world has ever seen - an enormous beast - to invade England and depose the Protestant “heretic queen.” To have any chance against the wealth and might of Spain, England will need every warship, she will need every able captain. To this purpose, Queen Elizabeth spares Mary from the headman’s axe for past sins in exchange for her loyalty, her ships and men.

Based on true historical events, this is a tale about war, adventure, love and betrayal. This is a story about vengeance, this is a tale of heartbreak…

“… a pleasurable and action-packed read … a delicious spin to the otherwise tired clichés of male captains … the joy of the open seas - as well as the danger churning below - pulses throughout this rip-roaring, hearty tale of the high seas.” - Kirkus Reviews



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​I stood on the poop deck next to MacGyver, Michael MacGyver, my best man at the helm, watching the morning sun, dressed in brilliant red, rise majestically above the sea’s shimmering green waters. A good, flowing wind filled our sails and the ship was cruising along nicely. We had Dowlin’s magnificent ship in tow and I could hear my men with their saws and hammers working to repair her shattered rudder. It was a glorious morning. It was a hallelujah morning.
“Good day, Mum,” Hunter said with a mischievous grin as he made his way up the companionway and handed me a mug of steaming, black coffee. “Sleep well my lady?”
“I did indeed, Master Hunter, I did indeed. And you?”
“I have no complaints. I feel most refreshed.”
From the corner of my eye, I could see MacGyver crack a thin smile. A ship is a small place, too small for secrets. The whole crew knew that Hunter and I were lovers.
I savored the coffee’s rich aroma for a bit before I took a sip. “What course, MacGyver? Did old Gilley even give you one before he retired to his hammock or are you sailing aimlessly about on the open sea to only God knows where?”
“We sail for the Na Sailtí, my lady.”
“Ahhh, the Saltee Islands,” I said. “I thought as much.”
No one had ever accused Dowlin of being clever. The Saltee Islands, lying just off Kilmore Quay between Waterford and Wexford, was an obvious choice. The islands were remote and uninhabited and not far from Dowlin’s base at Youghal. Still, without a map or guide, one could roam those small islands for years and not find any buried treasure.
Hunter grabbed my mug of coffee from my hand and took a sip. “Dowlin’s brothers,” he said soberly, staring absently out at the horizon, “ghastly brutes the pair of them, will want revenge when they hear of what we’ve done, Mary. Righteous or not, the gods always exact a price for a killing.”
Only Hunter and Gilley ever addressed me by my given name. Mary had been my mother’s name. But I did not know her. She had died when I was very young. They say she had been a rare beauty. They say that before my father took her in and married her, she had been a whore.
“No doubt,” I said evenly, stealing a secret moment to admire Hunter’s exquisite face in the soft, morning light.
He had not yet shaved. He wore no hat and had neglected braiding his long, black hair into a queue. The breezes toyed with the loose strands, brushing them across his face. His eyes were striking blue. His chin was square and strong. I thought him the most handsome man in all of Ireland, perhaps in all of Christendom.
Hunter used his fingers to comb the tangled mess off his forehead. He turned to face me and gave me a puzzled look.
“Out with it, Hunter,” I demanded.
“I’d rather see it comin’ than get it in the back. That’s all, my lady.”
“I agree,” MacGyver chimed in, “with Hunter.”
“You agree with Hunter do you now?” I asked mockingly as I placed my hands on my hips. “As if I give a damn what you two agree on! Do I smell a mutiny brewing aboard my ship?”
Hunter and MacGyver exchanged knowing glances and chuckled. As every man in my crew knew, any one of them could speak his mind freely and without fear. Honest speech was protected by one of the Ten Rules, though precisely which one I doubt any of us knew.
Then Gilley, climbing up the ladder from the main deck, stepped onto the quarter deck carrying a basket of bread from the ship’s galley. The bread was freshly baked, still warm and smelled delicious.
“Mutiny is it?” Gilley asked while handing out his loaves. “Never trusted the likes of these two, Mum. Be happy to gut them both for you after they finish their breakfast. I’ll hang their worthless carcasses off the main yardarm to rot. Let them serve as a warnin’ to all other would be mutineers.”
“Hunter,” I said, “is worried about Dowlin’s brothers.”
“Ah, and well he should be, Mum,” replied Gilley with a serious nod. “Well he should be. Them two aren’t no better than Dowlin. Worse maybe. An ill-tempered litter sprung from the angry womb of an ill-tempered bitch.”
“Aye,” I agreed. “So gentlemen, we must be the first to strike. And when we strike we must do so with deadly purpose.”




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Born in 1954 in Indiana, Mark McMillin has lived in a number of states throughout the U.S. as well as overseas. He attended Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, focusing his studies mostly on military history, and served as a cadet in Canisius's nationally recognized ROTC program. After graduating in 1976, Mark was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army and was stationed in Bad Kissingen, Germany where he served with the elite 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

In 1986, Mark received his J.D. degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois and began his legal career with a law firm in White Plains, New York focusing his attention on general corporate law. In 1994, Mark moved to Virginia and ventured out into hazardous world of litigation where, in 1999, he won what was reported to be at the time one of the largest and longest federal criminal trials in Virginia's history. Mark thereafter moved to Georgia where he resumed his general corporate practice and served as general counsel for several companies, including a $1B publicly-traded airline.

Mark has been a life-long student of military history. And he has always had a passion for reading and love for writing and wanted to someday write his own book. But write a book about what? Mark had no desire to write about some subject that 100 authors before him had already delved into. And then, almost by accident, this fascinating, little known story of Captain Luke Ryan fell into his lap. It was an opportunity was too good to pass on and so Mark began the long and tedious journey of researching, writing and rewriting. The twelve year project ended in 2011 with Gather the Shadowmen (The Lords of the Ocean), Prince of the Atlantic and Napoleon's Gold.

Mark currently lives in the Southeastern part of the United States.



Website * Amazon * Goodreads


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Q: What inspired you to write this book? 
A: I wrote a series of books in the omnipresent voice about a little known, real life hero named Captain Luke Ryan, Benjamin Franklin’s most dangerous privateer during the American War of Independence. When I was ready to write again, I wanted to try something a little different, something a bit challenging from a writer’s perspective. I wanted to write about a strong female character in the first person (even though I am a guy) and choose the Elizabethan Era.

Q: What can we expect from you in the future? 
A: I am nearly finished with the sequel to The Butcher’s Daughter (A Journey Between Worlds). The title to this new book is Blood for Blood (The Uncertain Journey).

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in book? 
A: Mary is the main character and our heroine. She is a strong, fearless woman trying to survive in a world of men during a time when women where thought of as chattel. While Mary is fictional, there were amazingly several female ship captains in the 1500’s.

Q: How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book? 
A: Initially I started my research on a woman named Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen, a real life historical figure who I found fascinating. I intended to write a historical fiction novel about her but discovered that someone had beat me to it so I invented Mary, Grace’s half-sister.

Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book? 
A: I enjoyed the challenge of trying to write from a woman’s perspective and recreating life in the ‘wild west’ days of the West Indies.

Q: Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick? 
A: There are a number of supportive characters in the book, but everything revolves around Mary. She is the only main character. It is the violence in Mary’s childhood that shapes her.

Q: How did you come up with the title of your first novel? 
A: Mary is the (step) daughter of a common butcher who is slaughtered before her eyes.

Q: Who designed your book covers? 
A: Fiona Jayde and I was pleased with the final product.

Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? 
A: I’m sure a thoughtful editor with a skilled hand can improve my work but, honestly, I’m not aware of anything I would change.

Q: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book? 
A: Oh yes, I learned a great deal about the 1500’s. The 16th Century was a Golden Age in many ways.

Q: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? 
A: Ah, now there’s a pleasant thought! Mary’s character is beautiful, smart and complex. She has a tender heart and an iron fist – and she’s Irish. An actress with the talent and depth of Kate Blanchett comes to mind.

Q: Anything specific you want to tell your readers? 
A: I welcome any (constructive) criticisms or praise.

Q: What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? 
A: I do some preliminary research about the era I intend to write about and then I just write. I fill-in the historical details later to add an element of authenticity. I know, I know, my process is backwards. For example, this book takes place in the late 1550’s. When I wrote some scene with Mary (who wears men’s clothing as most of her time is spent at sea) and a refined lady, I just write the scene and research the types and colors of dresses the lady might have worn later. I’ve tried hard to strike a balance between adding enough detail to create realism but not too much detail that can bog a story down.

Q: What do you think about the current publishing market? 
A: It’s hard, nearly impossible, for and unknown new writer to break into. I know that much.

Q: What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? 
A: Just write, ignore the rules and processes and just write. Then polish, polish and polish your story and when you think you’re done, go back and polish it some more.

Q: How long on average does it take you to write a book? 
A: Six months or so – but then it takes me eighteen months or more on the rewrites. I bet I wrote well over 600,000 words to get the 100,000 + words for The Butcher’s Daughter.

Q: Do you believe in writer’s block? 
A: Of course, no question. When it happens, just walk away from your work - but keep a notebook handy or voice recorder nearby if that’s your thing. At some point an inspiration will hit you square in the face out of the blue and then you’ll know you are ready to write again.




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Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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56 Comments
Janet W.
8/15/2018 07:33:02 am

This sounds like such an interesting read! I love the cover!

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James Robert
8/15/2018 10:08:29 am

Congrats on the tour and thank you for the opportunity to read about another great book. With so many readers in my family, always great to hear about more choices I think they'd enjoy reading.

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Calvin
8/15/2018 12:10:30 pm

Some how the title seems bizarre to me, catchy!

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Rita Wray
8/15/2018 12:49:14 pm

Sounds like a good book.

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Elizabeth Sullivan
8/15/2018 02:12:39 pm

Looks pretty cool, really nice cover.

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Amy Green
8/15/2018 02:39:54 pm

I love your story. I love the idea of female pirates. I think there's so much untapped potential there. Who would you cast in the roles of a live-action movie based on your book?

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Debbie P
8/15/2018 03:48:55 pm

Cool cover and this book sounds like a fantastic read.

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Victoria
8/15/2018 05:12:35 pm

This sounds interesting, thanks for sharing!

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shelly peterson
8/15/2018 05:50:23 pm

This sounds really good.

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Dale Wilken
8/15/2018 07:25:16 pm

Sounds great.

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Mary Cloud
8/15/2018 09:17:53 pm

No questions - the cover is interesting

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Linda Fast
8/15/2018 09:30:12 pm

I love the cover, it becons "Come with me for an adventure"

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wendy hutton
8/16/2018 03:18:52 pm

love the cover, and the book sounds great thanks

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Corey Hutton
8/16/2018 10:05:19 pm

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32540875-corey-hutton

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Corey Hutton
8/16/2018 10:06:25 pm

Good luck with the book and Thanks for the giveaway.

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marisela zuniga
8/16/2018 11:32:22 pm

this book sounds very good

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Barbara Montag
8/16/2018 11:39:19 pm

The Butcher's Daughter - that sounds interesting.
Great cover!
thank you

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Kelly Nicholson
8/17/2018 04:36:00 am



What do you think of the book or the cover?

i only like chicks with swords on book covers only

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Leona Olson link
8/17/2018 06:38:42 am

I do like the cover but personally I liked the top picture and the ship. No questions at this time. Appreciate the giveaway.

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stephanie
8/17/2018 12:55:22 pm

i love the cover!!

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Nikki
8/18/2018 06:27:03 am

It's a very inviting cover.

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Amy F
8/18/2018 11:04:37 am

Great cover art!

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Sherry
8/18/2018 12:59:15 pm

I love the cover and think this will be a good book.

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Kim Salmi
8/18/2018 05:56:12 pm

Intriguing

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Mood Reader
8/19/2018 02:04:11 pm

Sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the excerpt! :)

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Wendy Jensen
8/19/2018 11:40:13 pm

The book cover caught my eye!

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Leonie Townsend
8/20/2018 06:44:50 am

Love the cover!

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Maria
8/24/2018 09:46:39 pm

Love the cover, how did you come up with the plot for the story?

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Doreen
8/25/2018 04:38:52 pm

The cover is fierce! :) Congrats on the tour!

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lynn clayton
8/25/2018 09:37:09 pm

interesting title i like the cover

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Dave Gibb
8/25/2018 09:38:43 pm

looks good.

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heather
8/28/2018 02:19:38 pm

Super cool cover on this one makes me want to read it even more.

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Sunnymay
8/28/2018 09:44:09 pm

The cover shows a strong female who knows her way around a sword and more. She can hold her own with anybody who tries to cross her.

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aaron reck
8/30/2018 02:26:34 pm

So long as it's a fun read I'm interested in seeing how the story goes.

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Laura Rubenstein
8/30/2018 05:46:49 pm

This books sounds great and the cover is nice too

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Ann Fantom
8/31/2018 09:15:48 pm

I like the cover. Very interesting!

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Serge B
9/2/2018 03:40:54 pm

I liked the cover

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Lacey Waters
9/3/2018 01:05:26 pm

Interesting excerpt, thank you

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courtney b
9/4/2018 06:49:21 pm

I love the cover! thanks for sharing it ! xoxo

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jennifer stapp
9/5/2018 10:37:40 am

I just love that cover!! This sounds like it will be an adventurous read. I kind of want to be the main character.

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Sarah Hayes
9/5/2018 12:37:57 pm

the cover is fierce! my kind of book

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Marcy Meyer
9/5/2018 06:56:18 pm

I enjoyed reading the guest post. This book sounds good. Thanks for sharing.

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Heather D
9/6/2018 10:45:29 am

I didn’t get the cover and title being together at first. I get it after reading in description.

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Gabrielle Kinman
9/6/2018 04:51:33 pm

It seems fairly appropriate for what the book is about.

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Deborah D
9/7/2018 08:16:10 am

The cover is great. This sounds like a great book.

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Zoey
9/10/2018 01:43:13 am

It's interesting to see a book about a woman with ships!

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MelodyJ
9/10/2018 03:42:38 am

The cover makes the story look like a grand adventure.

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Kristen
9/11/2018 02:49:34 pm

I love this cover & will definitely be purchasing The Butcher's Daughter in the near future. It looks awesome!

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Danny
9/11/2018 03:46:02 pm

Very piratey cover! :)

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Mick Murphy
9/13/2018 10:52:14 am

Love the cover and the excerpt! Definitely adding this to my TBR!

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Daniel M
9/13/2018 07:14:10 pm

really like the cover

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Carrie Lancon
9/14/2018 03:43:46 pm

It looks intriguing.

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Lisa
9/14/2018 04:23:28 pm

I think the book cover is really cool and interesting.

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Minta Boggs
9/15/2018 04:45:36 pm

I love the cover!! The book is a definite must read.

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Cassandra Exley
9/15/2018 07:28:51 pm

Sounds great

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Jerry Marquardt
9/15/2018 11:26:53 pm

The cover of The Butcher's Daughter makes me want to read this very soon. I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings. I wish the best in keeping up the good work in the future.

Reply



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