“The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.”
—Maya Angelou
All About Me
Nicolette Croft can’t remember a time when she was not creating imaginary worlds inspired by her Hungarian and American ancestors. As a neuro-divergent learner, however, putting those stories to paper proved more challenging than imagining them. Because her determination would not allow her to settle, she pursued an English B.A. to improve her writing.
Young motherhood also brought unexpected challenges, which motivated her to pursue graduate work in twice-exceptional learners and education. She would later add an M.A. degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in neurodivergent people, trauma, and grief. Nicolette uses her natural gift of storytelling as an exploratory method for her clients.
The Curse of Maiden Scars is also an outgrowth of her personal journey and marks her first publication as a novelist, having previously published short fiction. When not at her counseling practice or researching historical facts for her latest story, Nicolette shares treasured time with family, friends, and her husband. Whether writing, cooking, traveling, or learning, the act of creation is always at the center of her colorful life.
My HP Books
A Yorkshire orphan struggling for opportunity against 18th-century odds reluctantly transforms into a Venetian courtesan during the Empire's last days.
Sixteen-year-old Renna Covert toils away in the shadows of a Yorkshire workhouse, her days filled with the mundane task of shelling cotton and the dangerous duty of scouting for punters. One fateful night, she crosses paths with two sailors and finds herself thrust into the heart of a chilling encounter at the local asylum.
These harrowing experiences catalyze Renna's journey, promising newfound opportunities and revealing long-buried family secrets. Yet, at every turn, powerful forces conspire to thwart her quest for truth, forcing her to abandon her scullery work and embark on a daring escape to Venice alongside her steadfast companions.
In the labyrinthine alleys of Venice, Renna's fate takes yet another twist. She is ensnared by a cunning Madam who trains her as a Venetian courtesan. But beneath the veneer of luxury lies a world fraught with danger, where Renna must rely on her witts and resilience to navigate the treacherous waters of deceit and betrayal.
Set against the backdrop of Venice's tumultuous Napoleonic invasion of 1797, this is a tale of a girl's struggle for survival. It is a story of resilience, defiance in the face of adversity, and, ultimately, one young woman's determination to reclaim her identity.
THE CURSE OF MAIDEN SCARS is a coming-of-age, women's fiction novel with gothic flair set in the tradition of Victoria Mas' THE MADWOMAN'S BALL, and Sarah Dunant's IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN, with the sensuality of LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER.
Book Excerpt
Yorkshire, England
Autumn, 1795
ORPHAN
Light Attributes: Independent, able to be alone, survivor
Shadow Attributes: Abandonment stifles maturation, inappropriate surrogate relationships
I rushed through a dense fog toward my evening post outside the Board Inn. The bells of the York Minster clanged through the walled city. Mist hindered my vision, and I stumbled, tripping over two women clinging together for warmth under the low-hanging eaves of a crowded mug house.
Scurrying around them, I settled into my place on the walk outside the Inn. Inescapable dampness seeped into my muscles. I inched my feet aside from a rain puddle—a vain effort to stay dry—and played with my greasy hair. I scratched at the bites on my legs and tried to ignore my aching, empty belly as I watched passersby.
During the day, I plucked cotton. But at night, I was tasked with a different job—Scout out culls for the more seasoned girls. The cotton house matron, Camilla, would hold back my dinner until I completed her bidding. I was grateful not to make a living by whoring and dutifully stood watch.
My story must have begun before life as a stray waif, but I didn’t know the tale. The cotton house takes in children as little as three—the unwanted offspring of criminals, crazies, and the contagious. By sixteen, we were expected to make room for younger sprogs and pursue meaningful work. It was weeks until my sixteenth birthday, and I didn’t have a plan. Choices for a girl like me were limited, so Camilla told me. I had some learning and hoped I might find a maid’s position. Whatever I was to become, I didn’t want it to include lurking about the seedy, dank Yorkshire streets like a wet cur.
Book Trailer
Maiden Scars Book Trailer
Book Awards
Book Reviews
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"Croft's homage to the classic Gothic novel follows a plucky heroine's adventures.
The novel is set in the late-18th-century Regency period and centers on Renna, a confident waif who's loosely attached to a "cotton house" in York, England. Renna is under the care of Camilla and is befriended by a burly and mysterious fellow named Donovan McGuiness, but she's romantically drawn to a sailor named Capt. Henry Moore. Soon she and Camilla find themselves elevated to maid status at Harewood House, an estate where Renna loses her virginity (not unwillingly) to Capt. Moore. The book has a number of plot twists and characters, but with Donovan's help, they escape to Venice, where Camilla's sister, Danielle (aka "Mother"), grooms Renna to be a courtesan. Renna is not wild about her new occupation, but she's good at what she does. Much intrigue follows, and by book's end, as Venice falls to Napoleon's army, Renna has a choice of three suitors: the young and idealistic Alistair, the buff and honest Donovan, or the aristocratic Capt. Moore. Readers might think she ends up making the worst choice possible, but perhaps the implied moral is that one learns more from bad choices than good. Croft strongly hints at a trilogy, based on the idea of "Maiden, Mother, Crone." The book is a worthy tribute to Gothic literature, with surprising revelations at every turn, although the numerous surprises toward the end flirt with parody. All the ingredients are here: randy and arrogant aristocrats, grand manors with secret passageways, spunky young heroines, perverted clergy, secret potions, and madness and wretched asylums. The coming-of-age theme involves a young woman trying to make her way in a harsh world, with everything playing out amid the baroque trappings of the late 18th century. The writing can sometimes be eccentric and over-the-top ("Am I doomed to this life of chaos that befalls me?"), but on balance this is an engaging historical novel with plenty of melodrama to hold readers' interest.
An entertaining romp, with a female protagonist who will constantly subvert readers' expectations." - KIRKUS REVIEWS
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BOOKLIFE REVIEW: "This first installment in Croft's Maiden, Mother, Crone trilogy debut begins on a rainy night in 1795 Yorkshire, tracing the sometimes mysterious and often difficult life of nearly 16-year-old Renna, an orphan working in a cotton house by day and culling clients for her guardian, Camilla, by night. When a chance encounter with a sailor named Donovan leads her to a notorious asylum one evening, Renna is haunted by the noises emanating from within its walls—and by the young girl she spies through the window, who bears scars similar to her own but is clearly not well. That image sticks with Renna throughout the novel and hints at startling revelations about her own life.
Croft's novel is rich in imagery and history, clearly bolstered by her own research into the era, and historical fiction fans will relish following Renna's compelling life. The power of "scars [to] tell stories" is a recurring motif throughout the book, threading the past with the present, the known with the unknown, and when Camilla's son, Max, Renna's sole friend, divulges a dark secret to Renna—that the scarred girl in the asylum is her sister—it triggers a dangerous avalanche of events that put Renna, Max, and Camilla in harm's way. As a result, Renna and co. must flee to Venice, where Camilla's sister, Danielle, an enigmatic figure herself, takes them in.
Renna's time in Venice, where she's fashioned into a courtesan for the Venetian elite by Danielle, is crafted in shades of excess, wealth, and her fight to have some semblance of control over her own future, all set against the stark backdrop of an ever-changing Venice beset by its efforts to stay neutral amid Napoleon Bonaparte's shocking victory. In the end, Renna, much like Venice, is forced into a controversial decision in her pursuit of security, highlighting Croft's shrewd grasp of history and its treatment of women.
Takeaway: 18th century orphan girl fights for belonging in this rich historical fiction.
Comparable Titles: Alyssa Palombo's The Assassin of Venice, Harriet Constable's The Instrumentalist."
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5.0 out of 5 stars This is a MUST READ! Get your copy Today!
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. This artful work of historic fiction captivated me with its complex character development and suspenseful plot to the very last page. The author crafts chapters that compel you to read one after another, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. However, it is so beautifully written, you want to savor it. If you like a book that is on your mind even when you are not reading it, you will love this book!
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5.0 out of 5 stars a captivating story
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2024
This is such a beautifully written novel. It is filled with descriptive details that truly bring the story to life, and there are several unexpected plot twists along the way, which had me captivated until the very end. There are definitely moments of intense emotion and dark imagery as well, which was expected given the difficult topics addressed, and adds another layer of interest to the story. The novel is excellent, and I am left eager to read what happens next!
