Meet Nichola de la Haye – from my favorite time period in British history (12th/13th centuries) – in Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s new historical fiction biography! Enjoy this excerpt as part of the Coffee Pot Book Club Tour.
Lady of Lincoln
by Rachel Elwiss Joyce
narrated by Sarah Kempton
A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need?
12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.
Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.
Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?
In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.
Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale.
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
CHAPTER ONE
The Barracks, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln, England, April 1168
Nicola coaxed a fragile flame from the hearth’s dying embers, the taper trembling in her grip. The air inside the barracks clung to her throat—thick with sweat, spilled ale, and damp straw. She raised the light. Its glow barely pierced the gloom stretching over the pallets sprawled out in uneven rows.
Her gaze locked on a solitary shape in the corner. It had to be Suardinc, his bed set apart from the others, half-swallowed in shadow, its young occupant curled against the stone wall as if trying to vanish.
She set her jaw. This couldn’t continue. She had to help.
The low drone of snoring and heavy breathing filled the air. Good. The taper hadn’t woken them. Lifting her skirts, she stepped between the beds, her boots silent on the straw-strewn floor.
A guttural snore cracked the stillness. Nicola gasped. The taper slipped from her hand, hit the straw, flared briefly, and died. The barracks plunged into darkness.
Heart pounding, she froze. The men didn’t stir. Their breathing continued, heavy and undisturbed.
Moonlight from a narrow window painted a pale path through the murk. She edged forwards and knelt beside the shadowed pallet. The boy lay with knees drawn to his chest. It was Suardinc. Her chest tightened. She couldn’t undo the others’ cruelty, but she could try to help.
She could still hear Miles’s taunt whilst the squires were at swordplay in the training yard: “Your father mistook you for a boy!” the older squire had mocked. “You can’t ride without holding onto the reins.” He bashed his wooden sword against the younger boy’s. “You can’t hold a lance… you’re nothing but a girl in men’s clothes!”
Suardinc had winced, his freckled face burning crimson. His footing faltered, and he sprawled in the mud. The other squires, and even some sergeants, laughed as Miles forced Suardinc’s submission.
Nicola had watched from the other side of the fence. Miles was twenty-one and full-grown, whereas Suardinc was thin, thirteen, and only just grown facial hair. Her hands had gripped her eating knife until her knuckles whitened. She couldn’t help feeling protective. She might only be a fourteen-year-old girl, dismissed as weak like Suardinc, but this was her father’s castle, and she had a duty to do best by these boys.
She lowered herself onto the edge of the pallet and clamped a hand over his mouth. “Wake up,” she whispered.
Suardinc jolted beneath the blanket. His eyes flashed open; wide and startled. “Lady Nicola?” he mumbled against her palm, voice thick with sleep.
She pulled her hand back and glanced around. No movement. “Thank God. I couldn’t be sure in the dark.”
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night!”
“Two hours before dawn,” she corrected. “Keep your voice down. There are two horses saddled on the Lawn. The gate-ward has let out the bridge. We’re stepping up your training. Now.”
“Training? Now? With you?”
About the Author
After a rewarding career in the sciences, Rachel returned to her first love—history and the art of storytelling. Fascinated by the women history neglected, or tried to forget, she creates meticulously researched, emotionally resonant fiction that brings her characters’ stories vividly to life.
Her fascination with the past began early. At six years old, she was already inventing tales about medieval women in castles, inspired by her treasured Ladybird books and other picture-rich stories that transported her to another time. By the time she discovered Katherine by Anya Seton as a teenager, she knew the joy and escape that only great historical fiction can bring.
Rachel’s two grown-up children still tease her (fondly) about childhoods spent being “dragged” around castles, archaeological sites, and historical re-enactments. For Rachel, history and imagination have always gone hand in hand.
There was, however, a long gap between the stories of her childhood and her decision to write her own novel. The spark came when she discovered the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye—the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion and became known as “the woman who saved England,” Rachel knew she had found her heroine, and a story she was destined to tell.
Rachel lives in the UK, where she continues to explore the lives of women who shaped history but were left out of its pages.
Connect with Rachel
Website: https://www.rachelelwissjoyce.com/
Twitter / X: https://x.com/RachelElwJoyce
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelElwissJoyce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheljoycehello/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rachelelwjoyce.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-elwiss-joyce
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Rachel-Elwiss-Joyce/author/B0G25Q32PV
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61878154.Rachel_Elwiss_Joyce
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Charlene Newcomb’s passion for historical fiction and Star Wars led to her writing a bit of both. She has multiple short stories in the Star Wars Adventure Journal, published a space opera Echoes of the Storm, and has written medieval historical fiction short stories and five novels: the Battle Scars trilogy, and Tales of Robin Hood.
Download her free medieval short story, A Boy’s Life – about 9 year old Allan A Dale – and dive into 12th century England.
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