13 May Alison Huntingford Beyond the Dark Oceans #HistoricalFiction #FamilyHistory #WorldWar1 #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour @ahuntingford9 @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: ALISON HUNTINGFORD

I’m delighted to welcome Alison Huntingford as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between April 30th –  May 21st, 2026. Alison Huntingford is the author of the Historical Fiction, Beyond the Dark Oceans, published by Lupin Publications on March 31st, 2026 (386 pages). 

Below are highlights of Beyond the Dark Oceans, , Alison Huntingford’s author bio, and her guest post, “Writing from the Past: Turning Family History into Fiction.”

Tour Schedule Link: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/04/blog-tour-beyond-the-dark-oceans-by-alison-huntingford.html

HIGHLIGHTS: BEYOND THE DARK OCEANS

BEYOND THE DARK OCEANS
by ALISON HUNTINGFORD

Blurb:

A family united, a family divided…

In 1906, the Huntingford family leaves England for a hopeful new life in Canada, but for eldest son Georgy, the promise of opportunity quickly becomes a test of endurance, responsibility, and fate. As he comes of age amid the hardships of immigrant life, the outbreak of the First World War pulls him back across the ocean and into a world forever changed by loss and sacrifice.

When Georgy’s brother disappears in the chaos of war, grief and uncertainty fracture the family he is fighting to hold together. Reunited with his cousin Nellie, Georgy finds solace in a love as powerful as it is forbidden—one that offers hope in the darkest of times while threatening to tear his family apart.

Based on true events, Beyond the Dark Oceans is a moving story of love, loyalty, and resilience, exploring how ordinary lives are shaped—and divided—by extraordinary moments in history.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3LPxV5

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: ALISON HUNTINGFORD

Alison Huntingford is a writer with a deep passion for family history and storytelling. With a background rooted in the rich traditions of the Huntingford family, Alison seeks to honour the stories passed down through generations. She is the author of a successful series of works that explore historical and personal narratives. She is an only child of two only children and so has always felt a distinct lack of family. This has inspired her work.

After an upheaval in her personal life, Alison achieved a degree in humanities with literature through the Open University which helped to give her a new start. A teaching career followed which then led naturally to writing. She is now retired from full-time work, but busier than ever.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their pets, listening to music, going to the cinema, and gardening on her allotment. She also runs the South Hams Authors Network, a local writers collective based in South Devon.

Author Links:

Website     Twitter / X     Facebook     Instagram     Threads

Pinterest     Book Bub     Amazon Author Page     Goodreads

GUEST POST
Writing from the Past: Turning Family History into Fiction

All of my novels are rooted in my own family history — because, quite simply, that’s what fascinates me most. I’m drawn to the stories of real people and the challenges they faced in their everyday lives. My ancestors weren’t rich or famous. They didn’t change the course of history or make headlines, but their lives still matter. Their stories are just as valuable as those of more celebrated figures.

Family history has become increasingly popular in recent years, with countless websites and television programmes dedicated to uncovering the past. My own journey into genealogy, however, began from a very personal place. I am an only child of two only children, and as a result, I grew up with very few relatives — no siblings, cousins, aunts or uncles, and grandparents who passed away early. It left me with a strong desire to understand where I came from and who my ancestors were.

Through a combination of online research, archive exploration, and contact with distant relatives, I’ve managed to build an almost complete picture of my family background. Writing novels was never the original goal, but once I uncovered these remarkable stories, I felt they needed to be shared. Without children to pass them on to, writing became the natural way to preserve them. Now, four novels later, I find myself wondering where this journey might take me next.

This particular novel began with a single discovery: the army service record of a missing soldier, William Huntingford, found in the Canadian archives from the First World War. That one document sparked my curiosity and led me to explore the story of the entire family. I was fortunate that the Canadian archives are freely accessible online, allowing me to trace the military records of several individuals. The Canadian national library proved to be an invaluable resource.

To deepen my understanding, I reached out to distant relatives, sending questionnaires to gather their memories and insights. The responses were often surprising — sometimes inconsistent — but they provided a rich emotional foundation for the novel.

From there, I began verifying the details through more formal research. Family history websites, along with official birth, marriage, and death certificates, became essential tools. In the UK, these records can be ordered through official government channels, although accuracy depends on having the right details. I’ve certainly had moments of frustration when a certificate turned out to belong to the wrong family — but that’s all part of the process.

Having an unusual surname like Huntingford proved helpful. I discovered a “one-name study” dedicated to the name, where researchers compile records of everyone sharing that surname and attempt to map out family connections. Resources like this can offer valuable leads and sometimes reveal documents or images you might never otherwise find.

Some aspects of this novel would not have been possible to write even a few years ago. The release of the 1921 census records opened up new avenues of research, providing details about occupations, family structures, and daily life. Census records are invaluable for understanding a particular moment in time. Through them, I discovered, for example, that one family member had joined the newly formed RAF, and I was able to trace my heroine’s work at the London telephone exchange, which still holds staff records from that period.

Another key resource was the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, where I found information on burials and memorials for First World War soldiers. Medal cards also revealed awards for bravery, adding further depth to the historical picture.

In shaping the novel, I chose to focus on Georgy, the eldest son. His position in the family meant he experienced both life in England before emigration and the challenges of building a new life in Canada, before being drawn into the upheaval of the First World War. Through his story, I uncovered not only hardship and resilience, but also a complicated and controversial love story — one that highlighted social attitudes of the time in ways I hadn’t fully appreciated before.

Ultimately, my aim is always to tell a story rich in historical detail without it ever feeling like a history lesson. Facts and research provide the foundation, but it is the people – their emotions, relationships, and lived experiences — that truly bring the story to life.

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