#still praying about Erin’s injury

[pernillecfcw]

The girlies having fun 💙🏀

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour and ARC Review: By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter

Welcome to my stop on the By Any Other Name book tour with Colored Pages Blog Tours. (This blog tour is also posted on my wordpress book blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Book info:

TITLE: By Any Other Name AUTHOR: Erin Cotter PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2023 GENRES: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy PAGES: 464 REPRESENTATION: Queer MCs

Goodreads StorygraphBlackwellsAmazonBarnes & NobleBookshop USOther Retailers

Synopsis:

A down-on-his-luck actor and an English lord reluctantly team up to solve the murder of Christopher Marlowe in this Shakespearean-era young adult romp perfect for fans of F.T. Lukens and Mackenzi Lee.

London, 1593. Sixteen-year-old Will Hughes is busy working on Shakespeare’s stage, stuffing his corsets with straw and pretending to be someone else. Offstage, he's playing a part, too. The son of traitors, Will is desperate to keep his identity secret—or risk being killed in the bloody queen’s imperial schemes. All he wants is to lay low until he earns enough coin to return to his family.

But when his mentor, the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Will’s plans are hopelessly dashed. What’s worse, Marlowe was a spy for the queen, tasked with stalking a killer rumored to be part of an elusive order of assassins, and his secrets and untimely death have put Will under a harsh spotlight. And so, when Will unwittingly foils an attempt on the queen’s life, she names him her next spymaster.

Now, to avoid uncomfortable questions, prison, or an even more terrible fate, Will reluctantly starts his new career, which—yes—will secure him the resources to help his family…but at what cost? Adding insult to injury is the young Lord James Bloomsbury, Will’s new comrade in arms, whose entitled demeanor and unfairly handsome looks get under Will’s skin immediately.

Together, the two hunt the cunning assassin, defend the queen’s life, and pray to keep their own...all while an unexpected connection blossoms between them.

Author Bio:

Erin Cotter writes young adult fiction. Originally from Buffalo, New York, she currently calls Austin home. When not writing she spends time with her partner and pets, eating tacos, and searching for Golden-cheeked Warblers in the Texas Hill Country.

Author Links:

Goodreads WebsiteInstagram

My Rating: ★★★★

*My Review, Favorite Quotes, and Tour Schedule below the cut.

My Review:

I can’t give this five stars because I didn’t love it and I definitely wouldn’t read it again, but it absolutely deserves four for how very much I didn’t love the setting - purely a case of personal preference - and at the same time how much I loved the characters. It takes skill to pull such a visceral response of dislike from me and at the same time endear the characters to me so strongly.

The thing I like least about this book, and the thing that makes me admire the skill of the author the most, is the rawness of life in this medieval world. These characters live in filth. They are accustomed to it. Humanity here, from the aristocrats to the peasants, is only a step away from animals. Life is unpredictable, brutal, full of disease and filth and crassness and betrayal. And no one bats an eye.

It reminds me of Catherine Called Birdy (a book I still vividly remember viscerally hating when I had to read it for school all those years ago) in the way it portrays a world of casual brutality and scrabbling in the mud for a life. Honestly it’s probably at least in part a bit of germaphobia that makes me hate this world so.

Will and his friends go through so much over the course of the novel, and there are so many plot twists, that I was constantly surprised by events and by their tenacity and determination to survive. I never saw a single thing coming in the course of the assassination and murder investigation. I could see, after each piece had fallen into place, exactly how it fit, but not how it got there.

The characters and events were melodramatic and sometimes strained credulity, but it all fits with the underlying theme of plays and players. Shakespeare and Marlowe are even characters. Will begins as an actor playing girls on stage in Marlowe's plays, and he keeps all of those actor characteristics to his personality throughout the story.

Will is likable no matter his selfishness and many faults, and i found myself continually rooting for him and his star-crossed love. And I came away loathing the nobility, especially Elizabeth. Her court was rotten and she was the worst of them all.

The way the story played out was very satisfying and wrenched a lot of feelings from me. Not least of which was the conviction that I absolutely positively never want to visit this world.

Seriously though, James' sister Catherine deserved so much better. Her part of the story is the one thing that really disappointed me.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Colored Pages Blog Tours, and Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

Goddamn it. I’ve been trying not to let these two become my friends, but they became my friends anyway.

---

Whatever lack of experience Bloomsbury claims he has, his inspired performance as the most vexing person I’ve ever met is certainly coming from somewhere.

---

To hell with Marlowe and Bloomsbury and all the other people who tug me into their dark intrigues and give me no lantern to light my way. I am tired of being left in the dark.

---

“We don’t need your coin!” Maggie snarls. “’Tis coin. We always need coin,” Inigo amends in a small voice.

---

Should I fail, the stakes are dire; impersonating a man of the noble class is a crime punishable by death. Though to be fair, most of the crimes in England are punishable by death.

---

’Tis a brave and dangerous thing to go about this world having dreams. A dream is even more fickle and fleeting than a life.

---

“So we’re not here to have fun?” I say, to be cetain I’m understanding Foxwell correctly. Because it very much appears as though we’re in the midst of fun.

---

’Tis Reamonn, the swashbuckling pirate lad. He prickles with knives like an adorable, bloodthirsty hedgehog.

Tour Schedule:

October 4th

@monikasbookblog - Review + Favorite Quotes

raavenreads - Review Post

October 5th

Yourlocalbookreader - Review + Reel

@monarchsandmyths - Review + Favorite Quotes

October 6th

_perpetualpages_ - Review Post

Whimsical Dragonette - Review + Favorite Quotes

October 7th

ofpagesandprint - Review + Reel

@moyashi_girl - Review Post

October 8th

@poatic.library - Review + Reel

@gingerly_reading - Review Post

October 9th

Readreviewcoffee - Review + Favorite Quotes

Spacey Ghost - Review Post

October 10th

​​@rubyraereads - Review Post

Bangalimeyreads - Review + Reel

[allisonreader]

Was it really just a couple of weeks ago that he and Jess had been curled up on the couch, talking baby names? How things could change in an instant. He felt sick to his stomach.

He left Abby with Nanna, as luckily, she had started staying with them now that Jess had been entering her third trimester. Seven months in and she was starting to become much less mobile.

He all but raced to the hospital Jess was in. He hadn't been told much, other than she had been in a bad accident. He didn't know what he was going to be walking into. He prayed it wasn't going to be anything like her previous wreck. He went straight to the desk to inquire about Jess.

"I'm Erik Piston, I got a phone call about my wife Jessica being admitted after an accident...."

"She's in surgery right now, but you can go up to the waiting room there." He thanked her quietly before heading up to the designated waiting room.

Dread building with every step. He didn't know if his stomach could feel anymore twisted without losing the last thing he ate. It couldn't be good if Jess and in turn their unborn child were in surgery.

The waiting room had a phone, so he phoned Nanna and his father to tell them the little that he knew. After he sat down, he started fiddling with a business card he had been carrying around with him for years.

Smokey's Garage, Thomasville, Georgia.

He'd fiddle with the card for a bit before looking at the clock and going back to the card. He did that for maybe 10-15 minutes before getting up with a sigh. He still didn't know what was happening with Jess and their baby or how bad it was, but Henry should know. He should have known a long time ago where Jess was.

Card still in hand, he was back at the phone, waiting for it to ring and someone to pick up.

"Smokey's Garage, how-"

"Is this Henry?" He thought it was, but better to check for something like this.

"This is Smokey."

"Good, it's Erik Piston-"

"What do you want?" He winced at Henry's tone.

"This isn't a business call, but a personal one. Please, just, give me a moment or two to explain." He was watching the one set of doors for any sign of a doctor or nurse who might be able to tell him what was happening with Jess.

"Make it quick. I don't have time to be wasting."

"I married Jess, your sister. We're expecting our second child. I just got a call today saying Jess was in an accident. I'm at the hospital now, but all I know is that she's in surgery and haven't been told anything else."

"Hold up Piston, you're not making sense. I know I said to explain quick, but I'm gunna need more than that. What were you trying to say about my sister?"

"I'm married to her, and she's in the hospital-"

"You've said that, but it doesn't explain anything to me."

"Back in '58, I married one Jessica Erin Hudson, who wanted nothing to do with me at first. Wouldn't accept my help or anyone else's in town at first. Still occasionally suffering bad days left from her wreck-"

"Erik Piston?"

"I'm sorry, I'll have to phone you back. I might be finding something out." He didn't wait for a response before hanging up and following the doctor. He'd didn't like that he wasn't taken to Jess. He didn't want to hear that she was gone.

"Mr. Piston, we have a lot to discuss."

"My wife and child?"

"Your wife is still in surgery. She's sustained a heavy amount of injuries. Many are internal, and are taking some time to repair. We are going to have to remove her spleen, as it can't be fixed. She has multiple broken ribs, one that has punctured her lung and has nicked her heart. She's had a fair amount of internal bleeding due to that."

"What about our child? You've failed to mention anything about my baby."

"Your child was in distress. As much as we tried to save the pregnancy, it was better for both mother and child, to deliver early."

"How are they?"

"Your son is doing well for being about 30 weeks along. He'll have to be under strict supervision for the next few weeks at least. We'll take you to him, but he won't be able to be handled much at this point yet. It will be good to start getting him used to your touch."

"If Jessica- if Jessica pulls through, will she be able to breastfeed at all?"

"We'll have to see after she's out of surgery and starts recovering. We won't know until then. Here he is. I'll give you a couple moments with your son. It would be best to leave him laying there. His little lungs could have a hard time of it."

The doctor left the room, leaving him with his little son.

He couldn't be much longer than a foot and was maybe three pounds. He couldn't stop the tears from coming as he softly placed his hand on his son. He shouldn't have had to be born so soon. Or worry about Jess not pulling through.

And he knew how important breastfeeding was to Jess. How much she enjoyed that time with Abby, claiming that's what gave mothers such a special bond with their children.

He was so tiny. He carefully brushed his son's head. Jess had liked Eli Henry as a name, it seemed to fit for him. He tried his son's name out.

"Hi Eli, I'm your daddy, Emery. I go more by Erik, but your momma likes calling me Emery, or Em." He might never get to hear Jess call him either of those again.

It made him fall into the chair at the thought. It hadn't been feeling real, even as panicked as he was.

He didn't know how long the doctor was gone before he came back.

Long enough he could have a short cry, and go back to giving his son careful pets, just leaving his hand in one place. The doctor knocked before he entered.

"Mr. Piston, there is still more we have to talk about. We can talk here, so you don't have to leave your son."

"His name is Eli, Eli Henry Piston." The doctor just nodded his head before continuing on.

"It's more about your wife yet. It looks like one of her vertebra has a hairline fracture. We'll only know once she's awake if she'll have any nerve damage. And then her reproductive system is in a right mess, one of the reasons we had to deliver. She won't be able to have kids after this. Even if her reproductive system was in a healthy condition, it still wouldn't have been recommended to do so, as the stress of carrying would have been extremely taxing. We do need to talk about her medical history a bit."

He cleared his throat before speaking. "She was in a bad accident back in '54. That's when her appendix was taken out. She had some broken ribs, broken arm, I don't really remember what all she told me then."

"That's helpful though. We'll let you know when she's out of surgery and you can see her."

"Thank you."

"You can come and go as much as you want during visiting hours to see your son."

He just nodded as the doctor left the room. He probably should have asked about Eli's survival chances, but he didn't think he could stand hearing if it was low.

A nurse came in to see about feeding his newest family member and he went to phone his dad and Nanna, updating them on all that he knew.

He stayed as late as they let him, switching between Eli and Jess once she was set up in a room. He was utterly exhausted when he got home, and fell into Nanna's comforting arms before falling asleep on the couch.

Nanna and Abby came back to the hospital with him the next day. He took them to Jess first, still unconscious, before taking them to meet Eli.

"Abby, you have to be careful momma's very hurt." He showed her how to hold mom's hand and to give her a kiss.

He carried her into where Eli was. Telling her she could touch his head softly, and his little hands.

"Can I hold him?"

"Not yet love. Daddy hasn't even been allowed to hold him quite yet."

It was at lunch that he realized he never phoned Henry back. He left Abby with Nanna again, much to his little girl's displeasure.

"Don't go daddy."

"Daddy just has to make an important phone call and then he'll be right back." He hoped Henry would be at his garage again today.

"Smokey's Garage-"

"Henry?"

"Piston. I'm surprised you actually phoned back."

"I said I would. I'm sorry for just hanging up on you, but a doctor was finally giving me news. It's bad, really bad. She's still unconscious and they don't know when or if she'll wake up yet. They had to deliver our son. For both their sakes. Jess didn't want to contact anyone back east, as much as I tried to convince her otherwise. I think you should come see her. I'd appreciate it and I'll bring you and your family in. You can meet your niece and new nephew...."

"If you're bringing us in, I hope you're ready to pay for five of us. My wife our two kids and your father in law."

"Father in law?"

"That's just as complex a story as how you ended up with my sister, which you can finish explaining once we're there."

"Easier in person." They exchanged contact information, and by the end of the week the Hudson family would be here.

[allisonreader]

💬

:D

This is an older piece that has only previously been shared with one person, but I do still love it. Technically speaking, it’s a piece of Cars fanfic, that’s actually more fanfic of my friend’s Cars fanfic. Though you don’t need that background to understand what’s happening in this piece. It’s kind of a sad one, because sad is fun to write and it’s a little long, but here it is.

🌻🌷💐

Was it really just a couple of weeks ago that he and Jess had been curled up on the couch, talking baby names? How things could change in an instant. He felt sick to his stomach.

He left Abby with Nanna, as luckily, she had started staying with them now that Jess had been entering her third trimester. Seven months in and she was starting to become much less mobile.

He all but raced to the hospital Jess was in. He hadn't been told much, other than she had been in a bad accident. He didn't know what he was going to be walking into. He prayed it wasn't going to be anything like her previous wreck. He went straight to the desk to inquire about Jess.

"I'm Erik Piston, I got a phone call about my wife Jessica being admitted after an accident...."

"She's in surgery right now, but you can go up to the waiting room there." He thanked her quietly before heading up to the designated waiting room.

Dread building with every step. He didn't know if his stomach could feel anymore twisted without losing the last thing he ate. It couldn't be good if Jess and in turn their unborn child were in surgery.

The waiting room had a phone, so he phoned Nanna and his father to tell them the little that he knew. After he sat down, he started fiddling with a business card he had been carrying around with him for years.

Smokey's Garage, Thomasville, Georgia.

He'd fiddle with the card for a bit before looking at the clock and going back to the card. He did that for maybe 10-15 minutes before getting up with a sigh. He still didn't know what was happening with Jess and their baby or how bad it was, but Henry should know. He should have known a long time ago where Jess was.

Card still in hand, he was back at the phone, waiting for it to ring and someone to pick up.

"Smokey's Garage, how-"

"Is this Henry?" He thought it was, but better to check for something like this.

"This is Smokey."

"Good, it's Erik Piston-"

"What do you want?" He winced at Henry's tone.

"This isn't a business call, but a personal one. Please, just, give me a moment or two to explain." He was watching the one set of doors for any sign of a doctor or nurse who might be able to tell him what was happening with Jess.

"Make it quick. I don't have time to be wasting."

"I married Jess, your sister. We're expecting our second child. I just got a call today saying Jess was in an accident. I'm at the hospital now, but all I know is that she's in surgery and haven't been told anything else."

"Hold up Piston, you're not making sense. I know I said to explain quick, but I'm gunna need more than that. What were you trying to say about my sister?"

"I'm married to her, and she's in the hospital-"

"You've said that, but it doesn't explain anything to me."

"Back in '58, I married one Jessica Erin Hudson, who wanted nothing to do with me at first. Wouldn't accept my help or anyone else's in town at first. Still occasionally suffering bad days left from her wreck-"

"Erik Piston?"

"I'm sorry, I'll have to phone you back. I might be finding something out." He didn't wait for a response before hanging up and following the doctor. He'd didn't like that he wasn't taken to Jess. He didn't want to hear that she was gone.

"Mr. Piston, we have a lot to discuss."

"My wife and child."

"Your wife is still in surgery. She's sustained a heavy amount of injuries. Many are internal, and are taking some time to repair. We are going to have to remove her spleen, as it can't be fixed. She has multiple broken ribs, one that has punctured her lung and has nicked her heart. She's had a fair amount of internal bleeding due to that."

"What about our child? You've failed to mention anything about my baby."

"Your child was in distress. As much as we tried to save the pregnancy, it was better for both mother and child, to deliver early."

"How are they?"

"Your son is doing well for being about 30 weeks along. He'll have to be under strict supervision for the next few weeks at least. We'll take you to him, but he won't be able to be handled much at this point yet. It will be good to start getting him used to your touch."

"If Jessica- if Jessica pulls through, will she be able to breastfeed at all?"

"We'll have to see after she's out of surgery and starts recovering. We won't know until then. Here he is. I'll give you a couple moments with your son. It would be best to leave him laying there. His little lungs could have a hard time of it."

The doctor left the room, leaving him with his little son.

He couldn't be much longer than a foot and was maybe three pounds. He couldn't stop the tears from coming as he softly placed his hand on his son. He shouldn't have had to be born so soon. Or worry about Jess not pulling through.

And he knew how important breastfeeding was to Jess. How much she enjoyed that time with Abby, claiming that's what gave mothers such a special bond with their children.

He was so tiny. He carefully brushed his son's head. Jess had liked Eli Henry as a name, it seemed to fit for him. He tried his son's name out.

"Hi Eli, I'm your daddy, Emery. I go more by Erik, but your momma likes calling me Emery, or Em." He might never get to hear Jess call him either of those again.

It made him fall into the chair at the thought. It hadn't been feeling real, even as panicked as he was.

He didn't know how long the doctor was gone before he came back.

Long enough he could have a short cry, and go back to giving his son careful pets, just leaving his hand in one place. The doctor knocked before he entered.

"Mr. Piston, there is still more we have to talk about. We can talk here, so you don't have to leave your son."

"His name is Eli, Eli Henry Piston." The doctor just nodded his head before continuing on.

"It's more about your wife yet. It looks like one of her vertebra has a hairline fracture. We'll only know once she's awake if she'll have any nerve damage. And then her reproductive system is in a right mess, one of the reasons we had to deliver. She won't be able to have kids after this. Even if her reproductive system was in a healthy condition, it still wouldn't have been recommended to do so, as the stress of carrying would have been extremely taxing. We do need to talk about her medical history a bit."

He cleared his throat before speaking. "She was in a bad accident back in '54. That's when her appendix was taken out. She had some broken ribs, broken arm, I don't really remember what all she told me then."

"That's helpful though. We'll let you know when she's out of surgery and you can see her."

"Thank you."

"You can come and go as much as you want during visiting hours to see your son."

He just nodded as the doctor left the room. He probably should have asked about Eli's survival chances, but he didn't think he could stand hearing if it was low.

A nurse came in to see about feeding his newest family member and he went to phone his dad and Nanna, updating them on all that he knew.

He stayed as late as they let him, switching between Eli and Jess once she was set up in a room. He was utterly exhausted when he got home, and fell into Nanna's comforting arms before falling asleep on the couch.

Nanna and Abby came back to the hospital with him the next day. He took them to Jess first, still unconscious, before taking them to meet Eli.

"Abby, you have to be careful momma's very hurt." He showed her how to hold mom's hand and to give her a kiss.

He carried her into where Eli was. Telling her she could touch his head softly, and his little hands.

"Can I hold him?"

"Not yet love. Daddy hasn't even been allowed to hold him quite yet."

It was at lunch that he realized he never phoned Henry back. He left Abby with Nanna again, much to his little girl's displeasure.

"Don't go daddy."

"Daddy just has to make an important phone call and then he'll be right back." He hoped Henry would be at his garage again today.

"Smokey's Garage-"

"Henry?"

"Piston. I'm surprised you actually phoned back."

"I said I would. I'm sorry for just hanging up on you, but a doctor was finally giving me news. It's bad, really bad. She's still unconscious and they don't know when or if she'll wake up yet. They had to deliver our son. For both their sakes. Jess didn't want to contact anyone back east, as much as I tried to convince her otherwise. I think you should come see her. I'd appreciate it and I'll bring you and your family in. You can meet your niece and new nephew...."

"If you're bringing us in, I hope you're ready to pay for five of us. My wife our two kids and your father in law."

"Father in law?"

"That's just as complex a story as how you ended up with my sister, which you can finish explaining once we're there."

"Easier in person." They exchanged contact information, and by the end of the week the Hudson family would be here.