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Wednesday, June 8, 2022

HFVBT Presents Jeanne Roland’s Journeys Book Blast, June 20-July 8

Posted By amy @ 11:13 am | No Comments

Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastian
by Jeanne Roland

Publication Date: November 13, 2021
Nepenthe Press

Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction/Young Adult
Series: Archers of Saint Sebastian, Book One

 

 

A barracks full of beautiful boys. A girl in disguise, living among them.

It’s the 14th century, and the longbow is king. But in the northern European principality of Ardennes, archery isn’t just the nation’s defense. It’s the national obsession.

MEET THE JOURNEYS

12 young Journeyman archers, the best in the country
2 years of public competitions, in which looks count almost as much as ability
6 will win a coveted membership in the Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian
1 will become the prince’s new Guardsman

MEET MARIEKE

15-year-old Marieke is as obsessed with St. Sebastian’s as everyone else in Ardennes. Only it’s the middle ages, and girls just don’t become elite archers. Except Marieke’s prospects as a girl aren’t promising either, after a well-timed kick from a mule has left her with a face that’s badly scarred and ruined for marriage. But when circumstances force her to leave her old life behind and flee to the guild for refuge, there are only two things Marieke really knows about the place. One is that a mysterious accident ended her own father’s time as a Journey. The other?
There are no women allowed inside St. Sebastian’s.

Marieke knows disguising herself as a boy and infiltrating the guild means embarking on a dangerous deception. But it may be her only chance to find out the truth about her father’s past and to stop a murderous plot from coming to fruition. When the dashing young Journeyman Tristan takes her under his wing as his squire, she’s got to stay – at least long enough to help him beat out his brutal arch-rival to win the competitions.

Keeping her identity a secret will be hard. Living in close quarters with a pack of gorgeous boys? That will be harder still. But the hardest thing of all will be keeping the vow she makes for herself: to see Tristan become the next Guardsman, without ever letting him find out she’s a girl – a girl, who loves him.

Part Robin Hood and part Princess Bride, with a pinch of Mulan and a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac in the mix, The Archers of St. Sebastian I: Journeys is a humorous action and adventure saga inspired by late medieval/early Renaissance Belgium and packed with romance, wit, and longbow archery. Perfect for adults who love young adult themes, Journeys is an escape into the past that reads more like romantic historical fantasy than pure historical fiction.

Unrequited love? Ugly heroines who stay ugly? Friendship, coming of age, romance, adventure, and plenty of archery competitions? A unique setting inspired by the glorious city of Bruges, with a richly imagined, immersive world set within the walls of a male-only archers’ guild? Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastianhas it all, so if you’re looking for a great escape, don your disguise and join Marieke as she enters the forbidden world of Saint Sebastian’s, and prepare to fall in love with the Journeys – that is, the twelve best and most beautiful archers in all of Ardennes, the Journeyman archers of St. Sebastian’s.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Roland hails from Davis, California, where she spent most of her youth lounging at the pool, soaking up the sun, and daydreaming. She had a key ring that read ‘I’m running away to join the circus,’ and her favorite moment of the day was when the local movie theater went dark, and the slogan ‘escape to the movies’ appeared on the screen. As an adult, her passions include all things melodramatic and beautiful — everything from classic movies, British romantic poetry, ancient tragedy and epic, to Italian opera. She is now a professor of Classics in a small midwestern town, where she lives with her Greek husband, her fraternal twins, and a Bernese mountain dog named Franco Corelli.

Visit www.jeanneroland.com and www.nepenthepress.com for more about Roland’s upcoming projects. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, June 20
Passages to the Past

Wednesday, June 22
Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Thursday, June 23
Coffee and Ink

Thursday, June 30
Historical Fiction with Spirit

Saturday, July 2
Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, July 5
The Page Ladies

The Truth of Who You Are
by Sheila Myers

Publication Date: April 28, 2022
Black Rose Writing

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

When his family is plunged into poverty during the Great Depression, Ben Taylor takes a job with the US Civilian Conservation Corps developing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A tragic accident puts him in a dilemma: does he let someone else take the fall for what he did so he can keep his position? The repercussions of his decision plague him all the way to the Battle of the Bulge in World War II where Ben is reunited with an old friend from his time with the Corps. Inspired by actual events and the people who once lived in the Smoky Mountains before it became a National Park, this saga explores how people use stories to hide uncomfortable truths.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | iBook | IndieBound | Kobo

Praise

​”An affecting tale of a man’s odyssey and an astute peek into a troubled time.” -Kirkus Reviews

“With meticulous attention to detail, this book provides a window into a lost way of life and explores the accomplishments of the US Civilian Conservation Corps. An emotional tale of family and resiliency, this is a quiet book that will stay with the reader long after the final page.” -Rebecca Hodge, author of Over the Falls

“Drawing her inspiration from true life stories from the Great Smokies, she tells a tale that conveys the subtle, nonlinear, organic drama of human life.” – David Williams, author of When the English Fall

About the Author

Sheila Myers is an award-winning author and college professor in Upstate New York. Her penchant for research and meanderings through the wilderness, lakes, mountains, and vistas (and the occasional trip to a cemetery) in the U.S. and abroad, inspire her novels and short stories. She is adapting her stories to screenplays.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Love Ever Lasting
by Michelle Helen Fritz & E.A. Shanniak

Publication Date: July 14, 2022

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency
Series: Bramley Hall Regency Romance, Book 3

 

 

Miss Grace Buchanan has given up any hope of marrying. She’s been too occupied raising her younger siblings while her drunkard father spends all of their funds. When a horrid sickness envelops the cottage, she meets the new Parson of Bramley, whom she’s never forgotten. All she desires is an everlasting love, but with her family dynamics, it makes any sort of relationship a touch complex.

When tragedy is set to strike, Matthew Morten is called home suddenly. It’s time for him to take his place as the parson of Bramley. With his meddling mother and a sickness that is sweeping through the town, Matthew has to lean on his faith to get him through. But when he sets eyes upon one industrious woman, he can’t seem to keep her, nor her hazel eyes, far from his thoughts.

Will these two wounded souls find a Love Ever Lasting, or will responsibilities and family drama keep them forever apart?

Love Ever Lasting is a clean Regency Romance and the third book in a three-story series that will entertain and delight you with its swoon-worthy heroes and the compelling leading ladies that capture their hearts. Each book can be read as a standalone, but are best read in release order.

Available on Amazon

About the Authors

Michelle Helen Fritz was born and raised in Maryland and Arizona with lots of traveling throughout the States. She began her literary career as a personal assistant to Indie authors and loves to see the process of an idea turn into a finished book. Michelle loves to write about dashing heroes, and the compelling women that tempt them, with a dash of intrigue, an abundant amount of romance, and scenes that hopefully make her readers swoon. She is the mother of four children whom she homeschools and currently resides in Maryland with her own jaunty hero who makes all of her dreams come true.

Author Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram

E.A. (Ericka Ashlee) Shanniak is the author of the successful fantasy romance series – A Castre World Novel. She is hobbit-sized, barely reaching over five feet tall on a good day. When she wears her Georgia Romeo’s not only does she gain an inch, she is then able to reach the kitchen cabinets. Ericka loves to write at her desk that her daughter’s cat destroyed. Fortunately for everyone, she can see over it.

Ericka resides in the small town of Coldwater, Kansas with her husband, two kids, two dogs and two grumpy cats. The cats were her kids’ idea.

Author Facebook Page | Instagram

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, July 14
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks
Excerpt at Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance

Saturday, July 16
Feature at Passages to the Past

Monday, July 18
Review at Bookworlder

Tuesday, July 19
Review at Ms. Darcy Reads

Friday, July 22
Excerpt at Heidi Reads

Monday, July 25
Feature at Lisa Everyday Reads
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, July 26
Review at Pages and Paws

Wednesday, July 27
Review at Cover Lover Book Review

Giveaway

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Love Ever Lasting

The Scent of Gardenias
by Lorraine Haas

Publication Date: April 19, 2022
Morewellson, Ltd.

Genre: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction

 

 

She had big dreams. But will war, tragedy, and naïveté ruin her aspirations?

America, the 1940s. Margaret Rose longs to escape her family’s poverty. So against her domineering father’s wishes, the determined young woman elopes with an older man. But shortly after the US enters WWII, her grand ambitions sink when her husband’s ship is torpedoed.

Training to become a nurse to give herself a future, Margaret’s despair deepens when she discovers she’s pregnant and must quit to have the baby. And now without income to support a child, the desperate widow marries a man who takes her far from home… and into disaster.

Will Margaret rise above catastrophic misfortune and create the life she deserves?

Poignant and heartfelt, The Scent of Gardenias chronicles the struggle of a Twentieth-Century woman carving a place in a society stacked against her odds for success. Inspired by her mother’s true story, Lorraine Haas lays bare a brave and challenging journey of grit and self-discovery you won’t soon forget.

The Scent of Gardenias is a beautifully crafted women’s fiction novel. If you like raw emotional battles, family drama, and gut-wrenching dilemmas, then you’ll love Lorraine Haas’s tale of courage and tenacity.

Amazon | Apple | Barnes and Noble | Google | Kobo

About the Author

Lorraine Haas is a lover of life, learning, and leisure. She’s been accused far too often of being a strong woman, and even that she was raised to be too “independent.” She loves stories of women overcoming obstacles and thus, decided to write about them. She loves men–being married to one, the mother of one, and friends with many.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 27
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Tuesday, June 28
Interview at Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance

Wednesday, June 29
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Book Reviews and More

Thursday, June 30
Review at Cover Lover Book Review

Friday, July 1
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Tuesday, July 5
Guest Post at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, July 6
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Friday, July 8
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Saturday, July 9
Review at Older & Smarter

Monday, July 11
Feature at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, July 12
Review at A Baker’s Perspective

Giveaway

Enter to win a signed hardcover of The Scent of Gardenias by Lorraine Haas!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Scent of Gardenias

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Kimberly Sullivan on Blog Tour for Dark Blue Waves, June 27-July 6

Posted By amy @ 10:12 am | 1 Comment

Dark Blue Waves
by Kimberly Sullivan

Publication Date: May 27, 2022

Genre: Time Travel Romance/Regency

 

 

When you wake up in Bath, England two hundred years in the past, how far can a love of Jane Austen get you?

Janet Roberts dreams of an academic career in literature, so she can hardly believe her good fortune when she’s accepted into a Jane Austen graduate seminar in Bath, England. Settled in Georgian splendor among her seminar colleagues, Janet and her classmates live, eat and breathe Jane Austen.

An accident interrupts this idyll when Janet regains consciousness in her own room—back in Regency England. For a scholar of nineteenth-century literature, this should be a dream come true.

But Janet quickly learns there’s a world of difference between scholarly knowledge of the written page and maneuvering real life as a reluctant time traveler.

Her burgeoning friendship with Emma Huntington eases her entrée into nineteenth-century society. However, Emma’s brother, the handsome, proud and frustratingly magnetic Sir Edward, is far less welcoming.

While desperately attempting to make sense of her dilemma, Janet treads a thin line between trying to blend into her new world and not being unmasked as the imposter she is. Can she find the way to return to her twenty-first century life before her secret is discovered? After working so hard to create a rewarding nineteenth-century life for herself, does she even want to?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Praise

“Sullivan has crafted a detailed and immersive time-traveling romance populated with colorful characters and plot twists that would make Jane Austen proud.” -IndieReader Review

“A transporting drama of love, desire, and hope. Sullivan’s deft, assured narrative is interwoven with wry humor and shrewd observations as she delves into love, passion, courage, integrity, honor, duty, and sacrifice. The assured prose, visceral images, and sharp dialogue create a suitably period feel, and the swift plot advances unpredictably. Janet is an endearing heroine, and her inner turmoil at the core of the story is beautifully conveyed. Steeped in period feeling and written with intelligence and authenticity, this time-travel tale makes for a winner.” -The Prairies Book Review

“A captivating story about finding love and discovering where you belong. Sullivan’s novel is absolutely enchanting, and it’s a joy to see Janet reassess her contemporary prejudices, offering a compelling take on both the time period and on period literature. Dark Blue Waves is an effortlessly charming novel about following your heart, which is recommended for all fans of Austen and historical romance.” -Self-Publishing Review

About the Author

Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and two novels: Three Coins and Dark Blue Waves.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 27
Feature at Bookworlder
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, June 28
Guest Post at The Romance Book Fairy

Wednesday, June 29
Review at Booking with Janelle

Thursday, June 30
Excerpt at Books Blog
Review at Bonnie Reads and Writes

Friday, July 1
Review at Books, Writings, and More

Monday, July 4
Excerpt at Reading is My Remedy

Tuesday, July 5
Review at Michelle the PA Loves to Read

Wednesday, July 6
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of Dark Blue Waves by Kimberly Sullivan!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Dark Blue Waves

 

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Jane Davis on Blog Tour for Small Eden, June 24-July 15

Posted By amy @ 9:37 am | No Comments

Small Eden
by Jane Davis

Publication Date: April 30, 2022
Rossdale Print Productions

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

A boy with his head in the clouds. A man with a head full of dreams.

1884. The symptoms of scarlet fever are easily mistaken for teething, as Robert Cooke and his pregnant wife Freya discover at the cost of their two infant sons. Freya immediately isolates for the safety of their unborn child. Cut off from each other, there is no opportunity for husband and wife to teach each other the language of their loss. By the time they meet again, the subject is taboo. But unspoken grief is a dangerous enemy. It bides its time.

A decade later and now a successful businessman, Robert decides to create a pleasure garden in memory of his sons, in the very same place he found refuge as a boy – a disused chalk quarry in Surrey’s Carshalton. But instead of sharing his vision with his wife, he widens the gulf between them by keeping her in the dark. It is another woman who translates his dreams. An obscure yet talented artist called Florence Hoddy, who lives alone with her unmarried brother, painting only what she sees from her window…

‘Life as it is, in all its terrible beauty.’ – Jean Gill, author of Historical Fiction series The Troubadours Quartet

‘With an eye for precise detail balanced by a sweeping imagination, this beautifully constructed book is built on deep foundations.’ – JJ Marsh, author of the Beatrice Stubbs Series

About the Author

Jane Davis is the author of ten thought-provoking novels. Her debut, Half-truths and White Lies, won the Daily Mail First Novel Award and was described by Joanne Harris as ‘A story of secrets, lies, grief and, ultimately, redemption, charmingly handled by this very promising new writer.’ The Bookseller called her ‘One to Watch.’ In 2016, Writing Magazine named An Unknown Woman their Self-Published Book of the Year. Her 2018 novel Smash all the Windows won the inaugural Selfies (Best Independently Published Work of Fiction) Award at London Book Fair. At the Stroke of Nine O’Clock was shortlisted for the Selfies, is an Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice and was featured by The Lady Magazine as one of their favourite books set in the 1950s.

Jane lives in Carshalton, Surrey with her Formula 1 obsessed, star-gazing, beer-brewing partner, surrounded by growing piles of paperbacks, CDs and general chaos.

For further information, or to sign up for pre-launch specials and notifications about future projects, visit the author’s website at www.jane-davis.co.uk.

Be sure to follow Jane on BookBub for the latest on sales.

Giveaway

Enter to win a signed copy of Small Eden by Jane Davis!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Small Eden

Thursday, March 24, 2022

A.M. Linden on Blog Tour for The Oath & The Valley, June 28-July 22

Posted By amy @ 6:38 am | No Comments

The Oath
by A.M. Linden

Publication Date: June 15, 2021
She Writes Press
Paperback & eBook; 336 pages

Series: The Druid Chronicles, #1
Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

In the wake of a betrayal that threatens an end to their way of life, the last members of a secluded pagan cult send the youngest of their remaining priests in search of Annwr, their chief priestess’s sister, who was abducted by a Saxon war band fifteen years ago. With only a rudimentary grasp of English and the ambiguous guidance of an oracle’s prophecy, Caelym manages to find Annwr living in a hut on the grounds of a Christian convent.

Annwr has spent her years of captivity caring for the timid Aleswina, an orphaned Saxon princess who was consigned to the cloistered convent by her cousin, King Gilberth, after he assumed her father’s throne. Just as Caelym and Annwr are about leave together, Aleswina learns that Gilberth, a tyrant known for his cruelty and vicious temper, means to take her out of the convent and marry her. Terrified, she flees with the two Druids–beginning a heart-pounding adventure that unfolds in ways none of them could have anticipated.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Praise

“Linden’s well-researched tale eloquently brings to life a lesser-known period of transition in Britain…The author has created a strong foundation for her series with well-developed characters whom readers can embrace…[a] layered, gripping historical fiction…”
–Kirkus Reviews

“A fantastic well-crafted, well-written historical novel, about early medieval Anglo-Saxon Britain and with great characters! 5 stars”
–Readers’ Favorite

“Linden uses a fairy tale-like style almost as though this story has been passed down orally over the centuries. Though the kingdoms are fictional, Linden’s tale draws on meticulous historical research, especially in her dramatization of the Christian persecution of the druids.”
–Booklist

“The story rolls along at a lively pace, rich with details of the times and a wide cast of characters….Those interested in goddess-worshipping religions will be drawn to the novel. Any reader curious about 8th-century Britain will enjoy Linden’s innovative focus on the little-known Druids as well as early medieval Christians. Her plotting, shifting points of view of the three engaging protagonists, and evocative writing style make The Oath a pleasure to read. Highly recommended!”
–Historical Novels Review

“The Oath urges readers along on a richly textured quest among the Saxons and Celts of 8th-century Britain. Young and rather humorously naïve Druid priest-healer Caelym swears to ‘rescue’ a damsel in distress who turns out to be neither a young damsel nor in distress. With a feminist slant, this engaging tale brings the conflict between Druids and early Christians to vivid life through sympathetic and well-rounded characters. I particularly enjoyed the ironic voice of the aging midwife Annwr. Brava!”
–Sara Stamey, author of The Ariadne Connection

“Thrilling historical fiction with heart and soul.”
–Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy

“The Oath will appeal to a wide-ranging readership, reflecting Linden’s rich imagination and gift for weaving tales within tales evoking the romance of medieval Britain. Vibrant, determined, and relatable characters with disparate ethnic and religious identities discover their own strengths, and each other’s, as the intricate and engaging plot unfolds.”
–Anne Marie Tietjen, PhD, clinical psychologist and instructor at Western Washington University

“Linden’s knowledge and passion for history is soaked into every word of The Oath, combined with an obvious skill at storytelling. Linden succeeds at every level, but the world building is truly spectacular. Historical fantasy is hard to do well, but Linden makes it look easy. What could be dry details are presented so effectively that the world is elevated to almost being a character of its own. And in a cast of characters as well drawn as these, that’s saying something. I can’t wait to see what else this skilled author comes up with!”
–Bishop O’Connell, author of the American Faerie Tale series

The Valley
by A.M. Linden

Publication Date: June 28, 2022
She Writes Press
Paperback & eBook; 464 pages

Series: The Druid Chronicles, #2
Genre: Historical Fiction/Medieval

 

 

Llwddawanden is a hidden sanctuary where remnants of a once-powerful pagan cult carry on their ancient ritual practices, supported by a small but faithful following of servants, craftsmen, and laborers.

Cut off from the outside world by both geography and conviction, the Druids of Llwddawanden continue to venerate the Great Mother Goddess and to view themselves as the first-born and favorite of Her mortal children. While the belief that the most important of all divine beings gave birth to their ancestors and that Her spirit inhabits the body of their highest priestess is a tenuous conclusion in view of their reduced lot in life, the Druids of Llwddawanden believe it and are, for the most part, committed to carrying on the traditions handed down to them by their forbears.

Herrwn, the shrine’s chief priest and master bard, has the responsibility of overseeing the education of Caelym, the orphaned son of the cult’s previous chief priestess, as well as keeping the peace within the upper ranks of their order—two tasks that grow more difficult as the rivalry over which of the three highest priests will claim Caelym as his disciple grows, and as mounting conflicts between the current chief priestess and her only living daughter threaten to rend the fabric of a society that has endured for more than a millennium.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Advance Praise

“A. M. Linden brings her imagined druid community to life with a skillful combination of research and informed guesswork. The Valley provides an intriguing glimpse into an 8th century Britain that might have been.”
–Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters and Warrior Bards series

“With the attention to detail, explanation of ancient rituals, and the mythology within the clan’s legends, this novel builds a community, exploring a people about which little is actually known. It’s an extraordinary portrayal, breathing life into a long-dead civilization….Highly recommended!”
–Chanticleer Book Reviews

About the Author

Ann Margaret Linden was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up on the East Coast before returning to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. She has undergraduate degrees in anthropology and in nursing and a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. After working in a variety of acute care and community health settings, she took a position in a program for children with special health care needs where her responsibilities included writing clinical reports, parent educational materials, provider newsletters, grant submissions and other program related materials. The Oath is the first installment of The Druid Chronicles, a five-volume series that began as a somewhat whimsical decision to write something for fun and ended up becoming a lengthy journey that involved Linden taking adult education creative writing courses, researching early British history, and traveling to England, Scotland, and Wales. Retired from nursing, she lives with her husband, dogs, and cat in Bellingham, WA.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, June 28
Review at Jessica Belmont
Excerpt at Jathan & Heather

Thursday, June 30
Excerpt at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Friday, July 1
Review at The Page Ladies

Monday, July 4
Review at Jorie Loves a Story (The Oath)

Tuesday, July 5
Interview at Books and Benches

Wednesday, July 6
Feature at Pursuing Stacie

Friday, July 8
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Monday, July 11
Review at Bookworlder
Review at Novels Alive

Tuesday, July 12
Review at Potpourri of Opinions

Wednesday, July 13
Guest Post at Jorie Loves a Story

Thursday, July 14
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Friday, July 15
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, July 18
Review at Jorie Loves a Story  (The Valley)

Wednesday, July 20
Review at The Book Junkie Reads

Friday, July 22
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Giveaway

Two readers will win copies of The Oath & The Valley by A.M. Linden!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Oath

Monday, February 28, 2022

Kate Forsyth on Blog Tour for The Crimson Thread, June 28-July 29

Posted By amy @ 10:15 am | 2 Comments

The Crimson Thread
by Kate Forsyth

Publication Date: July 5, 2022
Blackstone Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

In Crete during World War II, Alenka, a young woman who fights with the resistance against the brutal Nazi occupation, finds herself caught between her traitor of a brother and the man she loves, an undercover agent working for the Allies.

May 1941. German paratroopers launch a blitzkrieg from the air against Crete. They are met with fierce defiance, the Greeks fighting back with daggers, pitchforks, and kitchen knives. During the bloody eleven-day battle, Alenka, a young Greek woman, saves the lives of two Australian soldiers.

Jack and Teddy are childhood friends who joined up together to see the world. Both men fall in love with Alenka. They are forced to retreat with the tattered remains of the Allied forces over the towering White Mountains. Both are among the seven thousand Allied soldiers left behind in the desperate evacuation from Crete’s storm-lashed southern coast. Alenka hides Jack and Teddy at great risk to herself. Her brother Axel is a Nazi sympathiser and collaborator and spies on her movements.

As Crete suffers under the Nazi jackboot, Alenka is drawn into an intense triangle of conflicting emotions with Jack and Teddy. Their friendship suffers under the strain of months of hiding and their rivalry for her love. Together, they join the resistance and fight to free the island, but all three will find themselves tested to their limits. Alenka must choose whom to trust and whom to love and, in the end, whom to save.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound 

About the Author

Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven, and is now the internationally bestselling author of 40 books for both adults and children.

Her books for adults include ‘Beauty in Thorns’, the true love story behind a famous painting of ‘Sleeping Beauty’; ‘The Beast’s Garden’, a retelling of the Grimm version of ‘Beauty & the Beast’, set in the German underground resistance to Hitler in WWII; ‘The Wild Girl’, the love story of Wilhelm Grimm and Dortchen Wild, the young woman who told him many of the world’s most famous fairy tales; ‘Bitter Greens’, a retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale; and the bestselling fantasy series ‘Witches of Eileanan’ Her books for children include ‘The Impossible Quest’, ‘The Gypsy Crown’, ‘The Puzzle Ring’, and ‘The Starkin Crown’

Kate has a doctorate in fairytale studies, a Masters of Creative Writing, a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, and is an accredited master storyteller.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, June 28
Excerpt at Novels Alive

Wednesday, June 29
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Thursday, June 30
Review at The Lit Bitch

Friday, July 1
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Monday, July 4
Review at A Girl Reads Bookss

Tuesday, July 5
Review at My Reading Getaway

Wednesday, July 6
Review at Books, Writings, and More

Friday, July 8
Review at Dive Into a Good Book

Sunday, July 10
Review at Carole’s Ramblings

Monday, July 11
Review at Jessica Belmont

Tuesday, July 12
Excerpt at Bonnie Reads and Writes

Wednesday, July 13
Review at The Page Ladies

Thursday, July 14
Review at Momma Doc Reads

Friday, July 15
Review at Girls Just Reading

Monday, July 18
Feature at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, July 19
Interview at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Thursday, July 21
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Friday, July 22
Excerpt at CelticLady’s Reviews

Saturday, July 23
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, July 25
Review at A Darn Good Read

Tuesday, July 26
Review at A Potpourri of Opinions

Wednesday, July 27
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Thursday, July 28
Review at Bibliotica

Friday, July 29
Review at Reading the Past
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth! We have 10 copies up for grabs!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Crimson Thread

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Camille Booker on Blog Tour for What If You Fly?, June 20-July 8

Posted By amy @ 8:13 am | No Comments

What If You Fly?
by Camille Booker

Publication Date: October 16, 2021
Hawkeye Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

For Frances Davies the war is far away, and she and best friend Maggie are more concerned with how to spend their time once they graduate high school. That is, until Frances’s older brother, Thomas, is reported MIA in Singapore.

When Frances meets Leo, a boat-loving immigrant from Italy, she falls in love. Local attitudes and something more sinister tear them apart. To what lengths will Frances go to find her brother and the man she loves?

The woman code-named Funnel Web bears little resemblance to innocent Frances Davies.

Home beckons…and those who betrayed her true love should pay attention.

A page-turning epic historical adventure that starts in Australia and travels the world through the eyes of Frances, code named Funnel Web.

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Praise

“Finally, we have a story where the male is captured and the female is the hero. Booker skilfully describes the challenges posed during the 1940’s era in Australia by covering racism, immigration, sexism, power and political and economic instability. Pulsating with twists and adventure, this book is just too exciting-a clever interpretation of life back in the 1940s with of course, a wonderful and unapologetic creative exploration.” -Peta Carolan, @UnfoldedEdges

“A page turner. What If You Fly? follows the story of adventure-bound Frances Davies as she travels the world, discovers her callings and talents, and navigates the complex social and political terrain of World War II. Clear, engaging prose with compelling characters” -Associate Professor Shady Cosgrove

“This is a book that will live on within readers long after they’ve read it. Strong characterisation, vivid locations. If ever a book deserved the moniker of ‘epic’, it’s What If You Fly?” -Cate Sawyer, Author

“Some books you just read, this one swallowed me up and kept me turning the pages. It was so good I had to read it in one sitting. Five stars” -Patricia Hammond, Reviewer

“Set during World War II, Camille Booker’s rollicking, fast-paced debut novel is an unusual bildungsroman: the engaging protagonist Frances grows from a teenager in love to a fighter pilot, chanteuse, and spy. This is a story of love, betrayal, strength, and survival under pressure.” -Kim Magowan, Author

“Intriguing from the beginning, and at times had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. Once I started, I couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to wrap up this amazing story; I finished the novel in one sitting and went to bed that night still thinking about Frances and her adventures.” -Darci Robbins, Reviewer

About the Author

Camille Booker has a Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Creative Writing through the University of Wollongong, where she lives with her husband, young son and baby daughter.What If You Fly? was long-listed for the 2019 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. Finessing her manuscript using the feedback from that prize, Camille went on to place second in the 2020 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize, and What If You Fly? was later signed for publication. As the saying goes, If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.Camille has always loved words and language, so her interest in writing fiction was a natural progression. She hopes this book will give readers a deeper understanding of the roles of women in wartime Australia, the power to rethink their idea of a woman’s place, and the courage to follow their inner voice.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Amanda Skenandore on Blog Tour for The Nurse’s Secret, June 28-July 22

Posted By amy @ 9:13 am | No Comments

The Nurse’s Secret
by Amanda Skenandore

Publication Date: June 28, 2022
Kensington Books

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

From acclaimed author and registered nurse Amanda Skenandore, The Alienist meets The Light of Luna Park in a fascinating historical novel based on the little-known story of America’s first nursing school, as a young female grifter in 1880s New York evades the police by conning her way into Bellevue Hospital’s training school for nurses…

In the slums of 1880s New York, Una Kelly has grown up to be a rough-and-tumble grifter, able to filch a pocketbook in five seconds flat. But when another con-woman pins her for a murder she didn’t commit, Una is forced to flee. Running from the police, Una lies her way into an unlikely refuge: the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital.

Based on Florence Nightingale’s nursing principles, Bellevue is the first school of its kind in the country. Where once nurses were assumed to be ignorant and unskilled, Bellevue prizes discipline, intellect, and moral character, and only young women of good breeding need apply. At first, Una balks at her prim classmates and the doctors’ endless commands. Yet life on the streets has prepared her for the horrors of injury and disease found on the wards, and she slowly gains friendship and self-respect.

Just as she finds her footing, Una’s suspicions about a patient’s death put her at risk of exposure, and will force her to choose between her instinct for self-preservation, and exposing her identity in order to save others.

Amanda Skenandore brings her medical expertise to a page-turning story that explores the evolution of modern nursing—including the grisly realities of nineteenth-century medicine—as seen through the eyes of an intriguing and dynamic heroine.

“A spellbinding story, a vividly drawn setting, and characters that leap off the pages. This is historical fiction at its finest!” – Sara Ackerman, USA Today bestselling author of The Codebreaker’s Secret

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About the Author

Amanda is the author of Between Earth and Sky, winner of the American Library Association’s 2019 Reading List Award for Best Historical Fiction, and The Undertaker’s Assistant, released from Kensington in July 2019.

She grew up in the mountains of Colorado and sang and danced her way through 68 cities on both sides of the Atlantic with the service organization Up with People before starting college. Her love of historical fiction started early with the stories of Kenneth Thomasma, Mark Twain, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

When she’s not writing, Amanda works as an infection prevention nurse. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their pet turtle Lenore.

Amanda Skenandore is a historical fiction writer and registered nurse. Between Earth and Sky was her first novel. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Readers can visit her website at www.amandaskenandore.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, BookBub, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, June 28
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks
Interview at Books and Benches
Review at A Potpourri of Opinions

Wednesday, June 29
Review at MTM Reads

Thursday, June 30
Review at Smashley Reads
Review at A Girl Reads Bookss
Review at Library of Clean Reads

Friday, July 1
Review at Bookworlder

Monday, July 4
Review at Reader_ceygo

Tuesday, July 5
Review at Momma Doc Reads

Wednesday, July 6
Review at The Page Ladies

Thursday, July 7
Review at Dive Into a Good Book

Saturday, July 9
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, July 11
Review at Book Reviews and More

Tuesday, July 12
Review at Rebecca is Reading

Wednesday, July 13
Review at Momfluenster

Thursday, July 14
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Review at Older & Smarter
Review at McCombs on Main

Friday, July 15
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Monday, July 18
Review at Novels Alive

Tuesday, July 19
Feature at Impressions in Ink

Wednesday, July 20
Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, July 22
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The Nurse’s Secret by Amanda Skenandore!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Second Life of Mirielle West