Author Talk with Sarah Raughley

The first author talk on the Cup of Tea…platform!

We are only couple of weeks away from the start of 2025, but let us be excited for the new year with exciting book releases in the new year. And I am so happy to begin 2025 with an author talk, the first for the Cup of Tea…platform!

Join me on Sunday, January 13 at 3 PM EST where I will be interviewing YA author, Sarah Raughley, writer of The Bones of Ruin fantasy series, as we talk about her upcoming book, The Queen’s Spade, a historical thriller that is The Count of Monte Cristo meets Bridgerton! This will be perfect for readers who enjoy revenge thrillers filled with court intrigue.

A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge . . .

The year is 1862 and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all else: revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial “humanitarianism,” which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.

Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle–even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once again: marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.

Inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, The Queen’s Spade is a lush and riveting historical thriller perfect for fans of A Dowry of Blood and Grave Mercy. (Credit: HarperCollins)

Author Bio:

Sarah Raughley is the Nigerian-Canadian author of The Effigies Series and The Bones of Ruin Trilogy. A finalist of the Aurora Award, Raughley is also an English professor and public intellectual who has written for journals such as The Walrus, CBC, and Teen Vogue. Her creative work is inspired by a messy confluence of experiences, from being a huge fangirly blerd to being a postcolonial researcher and academic. You can find out more about her work at sarahraughley.com.

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