In this regular series for 2026, you are invited to share an excerpt of 400 to 500 words from any book you have written you would like to give a boost to.

This feature is for any author who has been promoted on Smorgasbord previously.

Please read full details of how to participate at the end of the post and I will respond to your emails as soon as possible.

The aim of the series

• To showcase any of your books you would like to give a boost to.
• To gain more reviews for the book.
• Promote a selection of your other books that are available

Today an excerpt from the fascinating historical novel by Patricia Furstenberg which is a book I can highly recommend. When Secrets Bloom.

About the book

Transylvania, 1463 – Some secrets heal. Others kill.

Kate Webber, a 28-year-old Saxon healer, has long walked the line between reverence and suspicion. Trained in the healing arts under the guidance of Lord Vlad Dracula, she has learned that skill alone cannot protect a woman in a city ruled by fear. Her marriage to the powerful but secretive Magyar promised stability, yet left her silenced and watched. On a bitter Advent night, when a mother and her newborn face death, Kate defies her husband’s command and steps into danger — for life, not reputation.

When Kate succeeds, the city notices. Some with awe. Others with fury. The town physician, threatened by her talent and humiliated by her success, seizes his moment. And as rumors flare into accusations, old alliances stir. Iancu, Kate’s childhood friend and now captain of the Militia, comes to her aid during the perilous birth — rekindling memories of freedom, laughter, and trust, before marriage shackled her to duty.

Back in her workshop, a girl appears, pleading for a love potion. But Margit brings more than need. She leads a mob. Elsewhere in the city, Moise, a Jewish apprentice at the printing press, notices a cloaked figure drifting across the square: a Shaman whose presence draws whispers of Magyar’s hidden dealings. When a rare manuscript disappears from the press Moise begins to uncover a darker purpose: a sought-after book. On the day of execution Kate performs a final act of defiance, she saves another child, while Moise is framed for more than he could have ever imagined.

Kate and Moise’s fates, as well as the map’s legacy, unfold as some secrets must be read not in books, but in the hearts of those who hide them.

Author’s Note.

Kate is a fictional character, yet through her eyes When Secrets Bloom offers a vivid, textured glimpse into 15th-century life in Kronstadt, Transylvania (today Brasov). From the daily rhythms of a fortress ruled by Saxon and Szekler men to the endearing hopes of Vlach and Jewish communities; from the quiet power women wield behind closed doors to the looming shadow of the Church and to whispered fears of plague and heresy, this novel immerses the reader fully in a world both beautiful and brutal. The presence of Vlad the Impaler’s memory — observed not through myth but through Kate’s wary, intimate lens — adds a haunting tension to the tale. It’s the kind of historical fiction that doesn’t just tell a story, it transports you into its bones.

Fans of rousing historical fiction with a feminist bent will find much to love in When Secrets Bloom.

An excerpt for When Secrets Bloom

That morning, after I fought for the life of a babe deemed lost by the Kronstadt physician, I knew not that by nightfall I’d be fighting for mine. Hope bloomed wildly in my chest. A chance at happiness, long elusive, drifted close and I dared to believe I might taste it too. I dared to ignore the soldier from my dreams, his unblessed mouth full of warning.

The night before, the door knock found me working in the barn. My barn. Sagging, half-swallowed by thistle and snow, but mine. Inside, a familiar scent of thyme and lavender clung to the air. The rhythmic hum of mortar against stone, the soft hiss of boiling suet, the slow drip-drip of tinctures into glass — all muffled the north wind’s cry. In this space, I remembered who I was. What I could do.

So when the sick came knocking I was ready. I would never turn them away. No matter the cost.

The feverfew I crushed between my fingers, dried and dull but still sharp with promise, had been once a vibrant green, like spring itself. Change was necessary. Even when it hurt. Without it, the feverfew held no power. Without it, neither did I.

I worked steadily, mixing the feathered leaves with dried marigold — the secret that coaxed strength from their bitterness turning it magical, for some, when it dispelled a headache or a joint ache.

My hands knew the rhythm; they had done this a thousand times. Once, by torchlight. Once, with blood under my nails. I had learned to heal not from books, but from necessity. From wounds torn open by steel. Staunching blood on rocky ground still slick with it. Stitching skin while a soldier’s breath already rattled in his throat; men too broken for prayers, who had no time for superstition, only for results. At Lord Vlad’s side, where death stalked like a wolf, I had become a healer not of faith, but of flesh. There, knowledge meant survival, not whispers of witchcraft.

And I had learned more than herbs. How to hold a blade to clean a wound and defend myself. How to aim a dagger when cornered. Skills no girl was meant to know—but Vlad never said so. To him, life was to be defended, with whatever tools one had. I had been one of his tools. A sharp one.

But here, in Kronstadt, my hands were a suspect. My skill, a threat.

And when the Magistrate sneered, his warty finger almost touching my nose, the growth bobbing in front of my eyes, I only smiled — soft as a prayer, sharp as a blade. Devil’s milk did work wonders and far better than the advice he’d been given, to rub with raw meat. But, of course, I didn’t say ‘devil’s milk.’ I cloaked my defiance in piety; I let the words slip from my tongue like prayer beads. ‘St. John’s Wort,’ I smiled.

One of the reviews for the book 

When Secrets Bloom is Book One in Patricia Furstenberg’s series, Blood of Kings, Heart of Shadows. The beauty of the writing captured me immediately. A gifted Saxon healer in Krondstadt, Transylvania, who is told she can’t save the “wrong” people on a holy night, Kate does it anyway, at the threat of brutal 15th-Century justice, an example of which is here: “The air thickened in my throat for just a moment. Not because I feared fire, but because I had seen it all before. I knew what it smelled like when flesh blackened. When screams were choked by smoke.” This one quote shows us the fear and brutality of the time.

I could fill this entire review with amazing quotes, and here is one more: “To me Father had always been a pillar–weathered but unbroken. Yet in that moment, against the tide of self-interest, he seemed smaller. Not less, but alone. Like the last tower still standing after the fortress has fallen.” This is just one example of how Furstenberg, throughout this work, displays her strong ability to use people, places, and nature itself to not only convey meaning, but to pull the reader in and show them the story.

The novel’s characters are all intriguing. The relationship between Kate and Iancu is one of longing and regret. This book is not full of love scenes, but whenever they are together, the intensity and deep feelings between them are clear to see. The most mysterious character is the Shaman. He pulses throughout the novel, shadowy and dark, described as an almost mythical figure. But who is he? We first meet the Shaman when we meet Moise, a Jewish apprentice who seems to see the Shaman at every turn, and who begins a search for a missing book that will draw him to Kate. Other characters, many dark, greedy, and judging, seem to be everywhere, and the history of Transylvania at that time flows through it all.

This novel is what happens when exquisite writing meets meticulous, caring research. I look forward to Book Two in the series. Highly recommended.

 Head over to buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – And Universal link: When Secrets Bloom

A small selection of other books by Patricia Furstenberg (some in Afrikaans)

Head over to find out more about Patricia, read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Blog: Alluring Creations Goodreads: Goodreads – Twitter: @PatFurstenberg – Bluesky: Pat Furstenberg

About Patricia Furstenberg

Amazon Bestseller and Award Winning writer Patricia Furstenberg is the author of JOYFUL TROUBLE, SILENT HEROES: When Love and Values Are Worth Fighting for (chosen One in Five Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime), and new releases DREAMLAND and TRANSYLVANIA’S HISTORY A to Z. With a medical degree behind her, Patricia writes about unconditional love and war, while her keen interest for history and dogs brought her writing, through a perfect loop, to her native Romania, Patricia being the creator of #Im4Ro hashtag, sharing positive stories.

Her latest books, “Dreamland” and “Transylvania’s History A to Z” are “a wonderful combination of stories, photos, history, and legends”, “a novel idea and a captivating read”.

Her contemporary military novel “Silent Heroes: When Love and Values Are Worth Fighting for” is a highly emotional read, action-packed, a vivid story of enormous sacrifice and bravery. “Silent Heroes” is a narrative about the value of life. A new look at the War in Afghanistan, at the MWD, Military Working Dogs and the brave Marines fighting it, but also at the Afghans caught in it.

Her historical fiction book “Joyful Trouble” is an Amazon Bestseller – read about real dogs caught in WW2.

Through her children’s books Patricia is well known for her uplifting, charming themes and lovable, enchanting characters: dogs, cats, elephants, cheetahs, lions, but also squirrels and snails. Using her inner child she crafts stories and poems that are great fun, as well as teaching empathy. Her stories are filled with “creativity and vivid imagery” and she knows how to “capture the reader’s imagination.”

Her words “truly make the world a happier and more beautiful place!”

Her prolific writing is described as: positive, diverse, crisp, joyful and uplifting.

Patricia Furstenberg came to writing though reading, her passion for books being something she inherited from her parents. As a winner of the Write Your Own Christie Competition, the Judges “were impressed by her thorough investigation and admired the strength of her narrative; they were impressed by her style”. The judges thought Patricia’s writing style is “well structured, with a great sense of tension and suspense”, “confident and intriguing”. The Judges were Mathew Prichard, David Brawn from Harper Collins UK and Daniel Mallory from Harper Collins US.

Patricia Furstenberg received Author of the Year at the Spillwords Press Awards MMXXIII.

When she doesn’t writes Patricia enjoys reading, researching for forthcoming books and traveling with her family. She never counts how many cups of coffee she enjoys in a day.

Patricia lives happily with her husband, children and dogs in sunny South Africa.

What will be in the post and how to get in touch

• I will top and tail the post in the usual way with your other books and links, bio, photo and social media.
• I will also select one of the reviews from Amazon or Goodreads for the book.
• Please share a book that has reviews to select from.
  
• This series is open to all authors who have previously been featured in the promotions on Smorgasbord.
• I do have a younger readership for the book posts so please consider that when selecting your excerpt.
• I suggest an excerpt of around 400 to 500 words that you feel would encourage a reader to buy the book, or a poem that you feel best reflects the theme of your collection.
• No need to send the cover as I will have that or will access from Amazon.
• Please send your excerpt to sallygcronin@gmail.com
• I only ask that authors share the link to their social media and respond to each comment individually as a matter of courtesy.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.