So Many Books, So Little Time

Review and Giveaway: "Distant Signs" by Anne Richter

2019-11-25T12:59:00.002-06:00

Synopsis: Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor’s daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war. As East German history gradually unravels, with collision of the personal and political, their two families’ hidden truths are quietly revealed. An exquisitely written novel with strongly etched characters that stay with you long after the book is finished and an authentic portrayal of family life behind the iron curtain based on personal experience of the author who is East German and was 16 years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why do families repeat destructive patterns of behaviour across generations? Should the personal take precedence over the political? Can we rise above our histories and political identities to forge a new understanding of the past and to welcome change?

My Thoughts: Distant Signs is a beautifully written story showcasing the complexities of life in Germany and Eastern Europe after World War II. The story follows the lives married couple Hans and Margaret as they navigate their relationship with each other, their children, and their parents' lives. It is a very unique story and unlike any I have read before. The author contrasts the lives of those in the countryside with those in the city and shows how each had survived the war and how Soviet rule affected everyone. I think the author's East German background really helped to bring to life these characters and their histories.

The story moved along slowly but I think this was necessary. It gave the author time to lay out the setting and the nuances of each character and their relationships. If things had moved more quickly, I don't think I would have been able to take everything in. The characters were so well-developed and while I don't know that anyone was particularly likable, they all had their reasons for being that way and it made the story seem more real.

Distant Signs is a truly pleasurable read that highlights a period of history that is not normally covered in works of historical fiction. This is definitely a good read when you're looking for something new and different. 3 stars.

About the Author:

Anne Richter was born in 1973 in Jena, in the former German Democratic Republic. Her degree in Romance languages and English included study periods in England, Italy and France. In 2011, Anne was nominated for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, a highly regarded German-language literary award. Her debut novel, Distant Signs, was published in Germany in 2013. Anne is currently writing her second novel.

Douglas Irving is Scottish. He studied German and Spanish at Aberdeen University. In 2014 he completed a Masters in Translation at Glasgow University. His first translation, Crossing: A Love Story by Anna Seghers was published in 2016 in the US to positive reviews. His translation of Anna Seghers’ last work published in her lifetime, Three Women from Haiti, is set to follow.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of A Distant Signs by Anne Richter! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Distant Signs

I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway: "This Son of York" by Anne Easter Smith

2019-11-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

Synopsis: Now is the winter of our discontent, Made glorious summer by This Son of York…” — William Shakespeare, Richard III

Richard III was Anne’s muse for her first five books, but, finally, in This Son of York he becomes her protagonist. The story of this English king is one of history’s most compelling, made even more fascinating through the discovery in 2012 of his bones buried under a car park in Leicester.

This new portrait of England’s most controversial king is meticulously researched and brings to vivid life the troubled, complex Richard of Gloucester, who ruled for two years over an England tired of war and civil strife. The loyal and dutiful youngest son of York, Richard lived most of his short life in the shadow of his brother, Edward IV, loyally supporting his sibling until the mantle of power was thrust unexpectedly on him.

Some of his actions and motives were misunderstood by his enemies to have been a deliberate usurpation of the throne, but throughout his life, Richard never demonstrated any loftier ambitions than to honorably discharge his duty to his family and his country.

In a gentler vein, despite the cruel onset of severe scoliosis in his teens, Richard did find love, first with a lover and then in his marriage to Anne Neville. Between these two devoted women in his life, he sired three and perhaps four children.

Bringing the Plantagenet dynasty to a violent end, Richard was the last king of England to die in battle. This Son of York is a faithful chronicle of this much maligned man.

My Thoughts: I love Anne Easter Smith's books and have read them all. They are some of the first books I read when I started getting really hooked on historical fiction and I absolutely love her work. Her newest book, This Son of York is an amazing addition to the historical fiction genre and I'm so excited to share it with you all.

This Son of York is a very detailed look at the life of Richard III beginning with his early childhood. The author clearly did some extensive research in order to write this book and I loved how she went so deep into the intricacies and alliances during the War of the Roses. It was a very complicated time in England's history but the author did a great job of keeping all of the information interesting.

The story is told mostly from the point of view of Richard III but also has these really unique points where you get to see Richard from the point of view of those around him. I feel like it gave the reader a more complete picture of who Richard was and how his contemporaries saw him. It was completely different than anything I've read before but I really enjoyed it. Richard III is such a complex historical figure and I still can't decide how I feel about him. I definitely feel sympathy toward him; his life was incredibly tumultuous and full of loss. Whether I like him or not, his life was so interesting and he's such an enigma that I can't help but want to read more about him.

Another thing I enjoyed was the commentary related to the finding of Richard's remains in the present day. There was a little blurb before each chapter and then more in the epilogue. I know the discovery of his remains a few years back was a huge deal and really quite fascinating so I'm glad that she included that along with the story of his life.

Overall, this is another great book from Anne Easter Smith. You can see how much she cares about putting forth a fair portrayal of Richard and this is definitely a labor of love on her part. I would strongly encourage anyone to read this book! 4 stars.

About the Author:

Anne is the award-winning author of The King’s Grace and the best-selling A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, Queen By Right, and Royal Mistress. She is an expert on Richard III, having studied the king and his times for decades. Her sixth book, This Son of York, will be published soon. She grew up in England, Germany and Egypt, and has been a resident/citizen of the US since 1968. Anne was the Features Editor at a daily newspaper in northern New York State for ten years, and her writing has been published in several national magazines.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of His Son of York by Anne Easter Smith! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

This Son of York

I received a copy of this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway: "The Highlander's Christmas Bride" by Vanessa Kelly

2019-10-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

Synopsis: In bestselling author Vanessa Kelly’s irresistible Clan Kendrick series, Christmas in the Highlands means family, celebration—and for one brother, the beginning of a passionate adventure . . .

Being thrown over by the man she expected to marry was humiliating enough. Now that Donella Haddon, grandniece of the Earl of Riddick, has also proven a failure as a nun, she has no choice but to return to her family’s estate. The brawny Highlander sent to escort her is brash, handsome, and the only thing standing between Donella and a gang of would-be kidnappers. But the scandal in her past can’t be so easily outrun . . .

Wealthy widower Logan Kendrick was expecting to meet a plain, pious spinster—not a gorgeous, sharp-tongued lass who can hold her own in any ambush. Though she’s known as the Flower of Clan Graham, Donella is no shrinking violet. In fact, she might be the perfect woman to bring happiness back to his lonely little son’s life, just in time for Christmas. But first he must protect her from ugly gossip and a mysterious threat—and convince her that their wild, unexpected desire is heaven sent.

My Thoughts: I loved this book so much! I am a huge fan of romance novels centered around the holidays but this book was so much better than the usual holiday stories I've read. Ms. Kelly is a masterful storyteller; this book was action packed, the characters were great, and the romance was equal parts sweet and steamy. It was completely perfect!

I was sucked in immediately; I mean who wouldn't be intrigued by a wannabe nun getting kicked out of a convent? I loved seeing Donella and Logan avoid the kidnappers and try to avoid the growing attraction between them. They were really quite adorable. I also loved seeing them fight back against the judgemental people in their circle who had issues with Logan's son and Donella's mother. Donella was pretty feisty and managed to stir up a lot of trouble in defense of those she cared about.

I also enjoyed the large cast of supporting characters. Logan and Donella's family members were completely lovable and each had their own unique back story. Ms. Kelly built a wonderful little world made up of amazing characters and the day I finished this book, I went to the library and found as many of her other books as I could to get to know these characters even better. I'm completely hooked at this point!

I feel like this is a must read for any fan of the romance genre. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book, it's one of my new favorites for the year! 4 1/2 stars.

I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Vanessa Kelly is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated in a number of contests, and she has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Her books have been published in nine languages.

Vanessa’s latest book, The Highlander Who Protected Me, was a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, and BookScan bestseller. Her Renegade Royals Series was a national bestseller, as was The Improper Princesses Series. My Fair Princess was named a Goodreads Romance of the Month and is a USA Today and BookScan bestseller. The Highlander’s Princess Bride, book 3 in the series, was a Barnes and Noble top 50 bestseller.

When she’s not dreaming of plots for her next Regency novel, Vanessa is writing USA Today Bestselling books with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.

You can find Vanessa at vanessakellyauthor.com or at vksykes.com. For all of Vanessa’s latest news and contests–and to receive a free story–please sign up for her newsletter on her website.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away signed copies of THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE and THE HIGHLANDER WHO PROTECTED ME + a $20 Amazon gift card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Review and Giveaway: "The First Lady and the Rebel" by Susan Higginbotham

2019-10-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Synopsis:

A Union’s First Lady
As the Civil War cracks the country in two, Mary Lincoln stands beside her husband praying for a swift Northern victory. But as the body count rises, Mary can’t help but fear each bloody gain. Because her beloved sister Emily is across party lines, fighting for the South, and Mary is at risk of losing both her country and her family in the tides of a brutal war.

A Confederate Rebel’s Wife
Emily Todd Helm has married the love of her life. But when her husband’s southern ties pull them into a war neither want to join, she must make a choice. Abandon the family she has built in the South or fight against the sister she has always loved best.

With a country’s legacy at stake, how will two sisters shape history?

My Thoughts: I'm going to start by saying that I love Susan Higginbotham's books! They were some of my favorites when I was first discovering the historical fiction genre. The First Lady and the Rebel was the first book of hers that I've read set in the United States and I think she picked some phenomenal women to focus on in her latest novel.

Mary Todd Lincoln is such an interesting, unique, and, in my mind, misunderstood historical character and I feel like Ms. Higginbotham did a wonderful job of creating a much more fair picture of her than we usually see. She portrays Mary as an intelligent, well-educated woman who knew who her own mind; she did introduce some of her extravagant spending habits and her temper but overall, I think it was a very considerate way of treating her and I really enjoyed this character. I did not envy Mary's position at all; she lost three sons, two brothers, and her husband so it could not have been an easy road to her and I hate that people were so unkind to her. All that to say that this book has inspired me to learn more about Mrs. Lincoln.

Mary's younger sister, Emily, was a very neat character. Despite the fact that she was on the wrong side of history, she was one tough cookie and I was in awe of her tenacity. She had no problem dragging her family all over the South during a brutal war and she handled every setback with so much strength. She was quite the force to be reckoned with! I really love reading about women who were unconventional for their time and Emily fit this category perfectly.

Ms. Higginbotham did an extensive amount of research for this book and it really showed in every detail. I also very much appreciated her author's note at the end because I'm a sucker for a good author's note. I will say that because of the level of detail, the story did seem to move a little slow at times but despite that, it remained a really engaging book. I very much enjoyed The First Lady and the Rebel;the Todd sisters made for some great reading! 4 stars.

I received this book from HFBVT in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Susan Higginbotham is the author of seven historical novels, including Hanging Mary, The Stolen Crown, and The Queen of Last Hopes. The Traitor’s Wife, her first novel, was the winner of ForeWord Magazine’s 2005 Silver Award for historical fiction and was a Gold Medalist, Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book wards. She writes her own historical fiction blog, History Refreshed. Higginbotham has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in Maryland with her family.

GIVEAWAY:

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of The First Lady and the Rebel! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Cover Reveal: "Dreamland" by Nancy Bilyeau

2019-08-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau

Publication Date: January 16, 2020

Endeavor Quill

Genre: Historical Fiction

The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.

But the invitation to Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer at the Moonrise Bookstore where she works voluntarily, than keeping up appearances with Brooklyn socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of Coney Island affords Peggy more of the freedom she has been longing for. For one, she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.s

It is up to Peggy to overcome the oppression of her family and clear the name of her vulnerable lover, before she or her beloved sister become the next victims of Dreamland.

Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession.

About the Author

"Dreamland" is Nancy Bilyeau's fifth novel of historical suspense. She is the author of the best-selling historical thriller “The Blue” and the Tudor mystery series “The Crown,” “The Chalice,” and “The Tapestry,” on sale in nine countries.

Nancy is a magazine editor who has lived in the United States and Canada. She studied History and English Literature at the University of Michigan. After moving to New York City, she worked on the staffs of “InStyle,” “Good Housekeeping,” and “Rolling Stone.” She is currently the deputy editor of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at the Research Foundation of CUNY and a regular contributing writer to “Town & Country" and "Mystery Scene Magazine."

Nancy’s mind is always in past centuries but she currently lives with her husband and two children in Forest Hills in the borough of Queens. "Dreamland" is her first novel set in her adopted hometown of New York City.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub

Cover Reveal Schedule

Monday, August 19
A Bookish Affair
Gwendalyn's Books
What Is That Book About

Tuesday, August 20
Clarissa Reads it All
Just One More Chapter
Books In Their Natural Habitat

Wednesday, August 21
Unabridged Chick
Donna's Book Blog
Let Them Read Books

Thursday, August 22
A Book Geek
The Lit Bitch
Tar Heel Reader
Kris Waldherr Art & Words

Friday, August 23
I'm All About Books
Lost_in_a_book_reviewer
Historical Fiction with Spirit

Saturday, August 24
Broken Teepee
Passages to the Past
Locks, Hooks and Books

Sunday, August 25
A Darn Good Read
Orange County Readers
So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, August 26
Coffee and Ink
Jessica Belmont
Maiden of the Pages

Spotlight and Giveaway: "Castle of Concrete" by Katia Raina

2019-08-23T16:11:00.000-05:00

Castle of Concrete by Katia Raina

Publication Date: June 11, 2019

Young Europe Books

eBook & Paperback; 304 Pages

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

In 1990-1991, when the history of Russia and the entire Soviet Union is being revisited and the rules are changing, a fifteen-year-old Jewish girl, Sonya Solovay, reunites with her dissident mother after twelve years of hiding out in Siberia--her life's dream realized. Still, she sees herself as a typical Soviet citizen: a shy, quiet, obedient, barely-there girl, dissolving into the past, her country's and her own. Determined to break into her new existence, Sonya tries out a shining new persona, but most of her efforts backfire. One mysterious boy notices her, wants to hear her stories, makes her feel like she is the shiniest part of his world. Everything else might as well fade away--her distant and hungry-for-gossip classmates, the equally shy Jewish friend who doesn't always seem to understand her, the growing tension with her fiercely Jewish Mama, the rumors of an impending communist coup. More and more, Sonya spends time with her "rescuer" at a construction site she calls "castle." So what if he uses an occasional anti-Semitic slur?

In the shadow of a crane, among metal pipes and concrete blocks, she finds it easy, falling, falling in love with a muddy-eyed boy she knows so little about. As for being Jewish in a country where the Republics are supposed to be "sisters" and the People brothers," what does one's nationality have to do with anything?

All the while, Sonya's mama is falling in love also: she is falling in love with shiny America, a land where being different seems to be celebrated, and not everyone is so very Russian and snow-white. The place sounds amazing, but so far away. Will Sonya ever find her way there?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Praise

“This book stole my heart. Gorgeously crafted and deliciously romantic, Castle of Concrete left me breathless until the very end.” ―Heather Demetrios, author of I’ll Meet You There

“In Katia Raina’s fascinating and sympathetic Castle of Concrete, the concerns of young adulthood are amplified tenfold against a background of historical upheavals. . . . [A] riveting story about growing up in dark political times.” ―Foreword Reviews (starred review)

“Castle of Concrete is constructed of the finest story materials: complex characters, page flipping suspense, and exquisite details. All in a troubled historical landscape. The story kept me reading with pounding heart.” ―Joyce Moyer Hostetter, author of the award-winning Bakers Mountain Series

“Readers won’t easily forget spunky Sonya, struggling to understand her Jewish roots amid rising anti-Semitism, her activist mother’s secrets, and her attraction to two boys, each of them dangerous in their own way.” ―Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of the award-winning Gringolandia

"A tour de force about the Russian people, and their first, tentative steps toward what had been denied for generations--a private life in all its imperfect glory. And then comes the ending." ―Lynda Durrant, author of The Last Skirt

About the Author

When she was a child, Katia Raina played at construction sites and believed in magic mirrors. She emigrated from Russia at the age of almost sixteen. A former journalist and currently a middle school English teacher in Washington, D.C., she has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives with her family just outside of D.C., and still believes in magic.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, August 16
Review at Fictitiouswonderland

Sunday, August 18
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, August 19
Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, August 22
Excerpt at I'm All About Books

Friday, August 23
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, August 26
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, August 27
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Wednesday, August 28
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of Castle of Concrete! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Review and Giveaway: "The Undertaker's Assistant" by Amanda Skenandore

2019-08-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Synopsis:

Set during Reconstruction-era New Orleans, and with an extraordinary and unforgettable heroine at its heart, The Undertaker’s Assistant is a powerful story of human resilience–and of the unlikely bonds that hold fast even in our darkest moments.

“The dead can’t hurt you. Only the living can.”Effie Jones, a former slave who escaped to the Union side as a child, knows the truth of her words. Taken in by an army surgeon and his wife during the War, she learned to read and write, to tolerate the sight of blood and broken bodies–and to forget what is too painful to bear. Now a young freedwoman, she has returned south to New Orleans and earns her living as an embalmer, her steady hand and skillful incisions compensating for her white employer’s shortcomings.

Tall and serious, Effie keeps her distance from the other girls in her boarding house, holding tight to the satisfaction she finds in her work. But despite her reticence, two encounters–with a charismatic state legislator named Samson Greene, and a beautiful young Creole, Adeline–introduce her to new worlds of protests and activism, of soirees and social ambition. Effie decides to seek out the past she has blocked from her memory and try to trace her kin. As her hopes are tested by betrayal, and New Orleans grapples with violence and growing racial turmoil, Effie faces loss and heartache, but also a chance to finally find her place . . .

My Thoughts: The Undertaker's Assistant is a beautiful story with an amazing cast of characters. The author brings to life the city of New Orleans in the post Civil War era and it's complicated politics. The author did a great job of giving the reader a view of the different parts of New Orleans and what they would have looked like. Her descriptions of the city are fantastic!

Effie was such an endearing and fascinating character. The fact that she was a female undertaker was an intriguing concept in and of itself but Effie's past and her upbringing made her into an incredibly unique character and story. It was so unlike anything I've read before and I liked that she was such a complex female character. She was very much unlike any character I've seen before and the reader gets to follow her as she not only discovers her past but also who she is and who she aspires to be. She really is an admirable character and I so enjoyed getting to know her. I also really enjoyed seeing the politics of the era play out through Effie's eyes though it was very frustrating to see the South holding on to it's racist institutions and people powerless to stop it.

As Effie made friends, she definitely started to come out of her shell but some of her friends were questionable and it was heartbreaking watching her realize who her true friends were and who wasn't to be trusted. Her romance with Samson was awkward and I kind of felt bad seeing how naive she was. I also thought the ending was a little too fast compared to the pacing of the rest of the story. I like how she ended the story but I really wanted to know more! That being said, I really liked this book and it was refreshing to read something a little different. 3 1/2 stars.

About the Author:

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.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Giveaway:

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two signed copies of The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

The Undertaker's Assistant

Spotlight and Giveaway: "The Impaler's Wife" by Autumn Bardot

2019-07-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading The Impaler's Wife and am really enjoying it. However, I got behind and did not have time to finish and review it today. So here is some more information about this fascinating book and a giveaway so that you can read it too! My review should be posted in a few days.

THE IMPALER’S WIFE BY AUTUMN BARDOT

Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Flores Publishing
eBook; 452 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Legend, history, and passion collide in this gritty, evocative, and sensual story about history’s most notorious price and the woman who paid love’s ultimate price.

The year is 1464, and young King Matthias controls Hungary, his family, and the fate of the world’s most notorious political prisoner, Prince Vlad Dracula.

Ilona Szilágy, the king’s cousin, is young and ambitious. Dracula is determined to marry into the Hunyadi family. It is love at first sight…but the king has other plans. The Impaler Prince, however, never takes no for an answer.

This begins Ilona’s journey into the treacherous world of court intrigues, family betrayals, and her husband’s dark desires. Eager to become Vlad’s trusted confidant, Ilona soon discovers that marriage to a man tortured by his past comes with a price.

Woven throughout is a peek into the life and times of one of the world’s most enigmatic and maligned rulers…the man before the legend.

With Bardot’s decadent period detail and a cast of gritty evocative characters, The Impaler’s Wife offers a fierce yet sensuous glimpse into the violent 15th century

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND BARNES AND NOBLE

About the Author

Autumn Bardot writes historical fiction and erotica about sassy women and daring passions!

Her erotic fiction includes Legends of Lust, Erotic Myths from around the World, published by Cleis Press. Confessions of a Sheba Queen (erotica) will be available Jan 2020.

The Impaler’s Wife is her debut historical fiction, releasing in April 2019.

Autumn has a BA in English literature and a MaEd in curriculum and instruction. She’s been teaching literary analysis for fourteen years

When Autumn’s not writing or working, you’ll find her hanging out with her ever-growing family, spoiled husband, and pampered rescue pooch. Her favorite things include salty French fries, coffee, swimming, and a great book.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away one paperback copy of the Impaler’s Wife! ENTER HERE!

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Review and Giveaway: "Project Duchess" by Sabrina Jeffries

2019-07-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries comes a sparkling new series about an oft-widowed mother’s grown children, who blaze through society in their quest for the truth about their fathers . . . and in the process find that love just might conquer all . . .

A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have left Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart, enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey’s focus on expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman managing his stepfather’s funeral, he’s shocked to discover how much they have in common. Still, Grey isn’t interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully outspoken, the lady . . .

Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn’t exactly changing her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest “project”: schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that Beatrice is seeing through Grey’s charms to his wounded heart, she’s having trouble keepingGi him at arm’s length. But once Grey starts digging into her family’s secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family . . . or with the man whose lessons capture her heart . . .

My Thoughts: I loved this book so much! I couldn't help but be intrigued from the first moment I saw the family tree and the thrice widowed Duchess. The Pryde family is so endearing and I loved reading about them. The author did a great job of making their interactions with each other seem very relatable and they're such a fun group of characters.

Beatrice is awesome! She's such a tough cookie and I loved how she had a mind of her own and wasn't afraid to share her opinion. Her relationship with the Pryde family felt very genuine and she always seemed to fit with them in any situation. She and Grey both dealt with some trauma in their younger years but finding each other seemed to help them let go of that trauma. They really are a great couple; they have so much chemistry! Grey is the perfect hero and I can't think of anything I didn't like about him. The romantic aspect of the story was HOT and just reinforced what a good match Grey and Beatrice were.

There is a mystery that runs through the story and that, combined withe great characters, kept me turning pages as fast as I could. Due to this mystery, there is a cliffhanger ending but I could not care less. I am so excited to read the next installment in this series! I can't wait to see more of this family but in the meantime, I'll be picking up some of Ms. Jeffries' other books. I loved this one so much that I'm eager to read more of her work. I highly recommend Project Duchess! 4 stars.

About the Author:

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over 9 million books in print in more than 20 languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.

Giveaway:

We have two paperback copies of Project Duchess up for grabs! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway: "Rogue Most Wanted" by Janna MacGregor

2019-06-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Synopsis:

Wanted: an engagement of convenience. Found: A noble suitor.

Raised on a remote Scottish estate by her adoring grandfather, Lady Theodora Worth has inherited an earldom as well as the land itself. But when an upstart duke challenges her claim to the title and the Ladykyrk estate, Thea is suddenly in need of a husband—in name, at least. An elderly neighbor with a thoroughly modern sensibility and a dashing great-nephew just might be the answer to Thea’s prayers. Except she has no intention of marrying the first man she meets. That would be utterly ridiculous.

It just can’t be him. . .

Lord William Cavensham is entirely too devoted to his family’s estate—ever since he was jilted as a lad–to wed, but he agrees to meet the woman his aunt has taken under her wing—and introduce her to possible suitors. But after just one meeting with beautiful, spirited Thea, Will is determined to help her reclaim her title. And even moreso, he can’t stop thinking that perhaps marriage to this bold, passionate woman may be the one thing he’s been missing all along?

My Thoughts:

Rogue Most Wanted is a solid and enjoyable romance read. The prologue hooked me right away; I couldn't wait to see whether Lord William would get a happy ending after being jilted at the start. He was definitely made into a rogue by the gossip papers but I found him to be the complete opposite. He was simply perfect; a good businessman with a kind heart who is devoted to his family. Who could ask for more?

Thea joined a number of unconventional women in the story and I loved that aspect. All of the women seemed to live outside the norms for the period and were just wonderful. Aunt Stella and Lady Edith were a hoot and really added some comic relief to the story.

The romance between William and Thea was swoon-worthy. It was really sweet and yet totally steamy at the same time; my favorite combination! I loved how hard they tried not to be in love with each other.

I didn't realize that this book was part of a series but I will definitely check out the rest of the books. I loved the Cavensham family and want to get to know the rest of them better. If you are a looking for a good romance with great characters, check out Rogue Most Wanted. You won't regret it! 3 stars.

About the Author:

Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs.

GIVEAWAY!

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two paperback copies of Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blast and Giveaway: "Lacewood" by Jessica James

2019-06-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Lacewood by Jessica James

Publication Date: June 18, 2019

Patriot Press

eBook; 348 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…

Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.

MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.

Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.

The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.

Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.

A haunting story from award-winning author Jessica James that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

About the Author

Jessica James is an award-winning author of suspense, historical fiction, and military fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War to modern day. Her highly acclaimed Civil War novel Shades of Gray won numerous national literary awards, and is often compared to Gone with the Wind.

By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, duty, and dedication into each book, James attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military--past and present--and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service. Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.

James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, NINC, Sisters in Crime, and the Romance Writers of America. She is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.

Sign up for her free newsletter at www.jessicajamesbooks.com and ask for a free copy of From the Heart: Civil War Love Letters and Stories. You can also find Jessica on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Tuesday, June 18
To Read, Or Not to Read
Book Reviews from Canada
Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Wednesday, June 19
A Book Geek
Jorie Loves a Story

Thursday, June 20
CelticLady's Reviews
What Is That Book About

Friday, June 21
A Darn Good Read
Just One More Chapter

Saturday, June 22
The Book Junkie Reads

Sunday, June 23
So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, June 24
Passages to the Past

Tuesday, June 25
Locks, Hooks and Books
Books In Their Natural Habitat

Wednesday, June 26
Maiden of the Pages
Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, June 27
Coffee and Ink
100 Pages a Day

Friday, June 28
The Lit Bitch
Let Them Read Books

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Review and Giveaway: "Smoke in Her Eyes" by Anna Belfrage

2019-05-27T13:35:00.000-05:00

Synopsis: Six months ago, Helle Madsen would have described herself as normal. Now she no longer knows if that terms applies, not after her entire life has been turned upside down by the reappearance of not one, but two, men from her very, very distant past.

Helle Madsen never believed in mumbo-jumbo stuff like reincarnation—until she came face to face with Jason Morris, a man who purportedly had spent fifty lives looking for her. Coping with being reunited with the lover from her ancient past was one thing. Having Sam Woolf, her vindictive nemesis from that same ancient past join the party was a bit too much. Suddenly, Helle finds herself the reluctant heroine of a far-flung, time-transcending epic story, one in which pain and loss seem to play a very big part.

This time round, Jason and Helle are determined to make it to the happily ever after. Unfortunately, Sam Woolf will stop at nothing to crush them. That ride into the golden sunset seems awfully far away at times…

My Thoughts: Smoke in Her Eyes was so good!! I read almost the entire book in one sitting! This is the second book in The Wanderer series and I think it was even better than the first.

In the first book, Jason and Helle's relationship was all puppies and rainbows and I like that in this book, there was some conflict and they faced some real challenges. Not just in the form of Sam Woolf but also with relatively normal relationship issues. I enjoyed seeing the depth of their love for each other as they struggled with their own personal demons and tried to keep their relationship on track. This conflict made their relationship seem more real and provided some more depth to the characters.

Sam Woolf is still as evil as ever and definitely creates some conflicts for Jason and Helle. Just when I think he can't get any worse, he does. Ms. Belfrage is a master at writing the most heinous villains and Woolf is no exception to this. We also got to know him a little more in this book and I almost felt a tiny bit bad for him. You don't normally get to know wha the villain is thinking and I really like that his point of view is included in the story.

We got to meet a few new wanderers in this book which added an interesting element to things. I also liked getting to know Nigel's character better. He's probably one of my favorites in the story.

There was so much action in the story so it made for a really exciting read. It felt like I every time I let my guard down, something big happened. The ending was crazy and what a cliffhanger! I absolutely can't wait to read the next installment! 4 stars.

About the Author:

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history and writing.

Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. (Medieval knight was also high on Anna’s list of potential professions. Yet another disappointment…)

With Jason and Helle, Anna has stepped out of her historical comfort zone and has loved doing so.

Find out more about Anna by visiting her website, www.annabelfrage.com, You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY - ENTER HERE!

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away two copies of Smoke In Her Eyes by Anna Belfrage! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

This book is part of my personal collection and the opinions in this review are my own.

Trailer Blast and Giveaway: "The Lost History of Dreams" by Kris Waldherr

2019-03-12T12:51:00.002-05:00

The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr

Publication Date: April 9, 2019

Atria Books

Hardcover & eBook; 320 Pages

Genre: Historical/Gothic/Mystery

A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale.

All love stories are ghost stories in disguise.

When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, The Lost History of Dreams.

However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.

As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave.

Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.

Here is the exclusive Book Trailer...

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Praise for The Lost History of Dreams

“Scheherazade-like . . . haunting. . . Waldherr avoids cliché in her rich descriptions and hints of supernatural presence that never cross into melodrama. Additionally, while most gothic tales offer only darkness and tragedy, a surprising amount of light and joy imbues the ending here. Fitting, perhaps, for a novel that uses stained glass as a symbol for heavenly possibility, even in the face of death. Waldherr writes that “love stories are ghost stories in disguise.” This one, happily, succeeds as both.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Wuthering Heights meets Penny Dreadful in Kris Waldherr's The Lost History of Dreams, a dark Victorian epic of obsessive love, thwarted genius, and ghostly visitations….Eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written, The Lost History of Dreams is a Gothic fairy-tale to savor." --Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network and The Huntress

"The Lost History of Dreams refuses to be categorized as anything other than excellent. Within the framework of a gothic, Kris Waldherr confronts our ideas about love, grief, poetry, and the nature of storytelling. With skillfully nested stories, Waldherr has done the remarkable, rendering the ephemeral into something real and tangible. Brooding, romantic, and thoughtful, The Lost History of Dreams is a rare bird in that it shines throughout with wit. I loved every page of it." --Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation

"Reminiscent of du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel, The Lost History of Dreams is a complex, haunting and deeply absorbing historical novel that is sure to delight fans of classic Gothic fiction. With luminous prose, stunning poetry and a fascinating cast of characters, Waldherr weaves a wonderfully atmospheric tale. Not to be missed!" --Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home and The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

“In The Lost History of Dreams, Kris Waldherr delivers a novel of haunting mystery and passion reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and Byatt's Possession. Layered within the pages of this gorgeous gothic tale is a story of several loves, each masterfully wrought in dazzling, poetic detail that will leave the reader longing for more." --Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow and The Chef's Secret

"In this accomplished debut, Kris Waldherr transports the reader to the fascinating world of Victorian England and its tradition of post-mortem photography with a deft hand. An atmospheric tale of lost love, family secrets, and an inquiry into how our own histories define us, I relished every poetic page. Mesmerizing, lyrical, and deliciously brooding, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a terrific contribution to Gothic literature." --Heather Webb, international bestselling author of Last Christmas in Paris

"The Lost History of Dreams plunges the reader into a sumptuous feast for all the senses. Through the perspective of a very Victorian yet empathetic male protagonist, Waldherr cleverly depicts the confining roles women of the era were forced to play. This creepily delicious tale will rob readers of their sleep as it asks and answers its own question: "'How can there be so much beauty in this world amid so much sorrow?' The only solution was to create more beauty." With this novel, Waldherr has done exactly that." --Clarissa Harwood, author of Impossible Saints and Bear No Malice

"Kris Waldherr's The Lost History of Dreams is very aptly titled, as reading this novel feels indeed like entering into a dream, one from which I have yet to fully awaken. With beautiful prose and poetry, Waldherr weaves a darkly seductive Gothic tale of love, art, death, and obsession. You'll want to keep reading this one late into the night." --Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel

About the Author

Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers.

Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era house with her husband, the anthropologist-curator Thomas Ross Miller, and their young daughter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub

Trailer Blast Schedule

100 Pages a Day
A Book Geek
A Bookish Affair
Bookish Rantings
Clarissa Reads it All
Coffee and Ink
Donna's Book Blog
Historical Fiction with Spirit
Just One More Chapter
Let Them Read Books
Macsbooks
Passages to the Past
So Many Books, So Little Time
Suzy Approved Book Reviews
Tar Heel Reader
The Book Junkie Reads
To Read, Or Not to Read
View from the Birdhouse
What Is That Book About

Giveaway

Kris is hosting a The Lost History of Dreams giveaway worth $220! The gift package includes a Campo Marzio pen gift box with calligraphy nibs and ink, a handcrafted Lover's Eye pendant, bookmark and bookplate, and a signed copy of The Lost History of Dreams.

Learn more at http://www.losthistorybook.com/sweepstake.html.

Cover Reveal: "Shakespeare's Witch" by Samantha Grosser

2019-03-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser

Publication Date: March 20, 2019

Sam Grosser Books

Genre: Historical Fiction

Love, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Madness.

A fortune told …
When Sarah Stone foresees Will Shakespeare’s latest play has opened doors to evil, she begs the playwright to abandon it. But Will refuses, aware the play is one of his best. And so rehearsals for Macbeth begin.

Forbidden desires …
After her vision, Sarah fears for her life – she has never known the shewstone to lie, and she turns to her brother Tom for comfort. A strange darkness seems to haunt the playhouse, and when Tom sets out to seduce John Upton, the boy actor who plays Lady Macbeth, the boy sees the hand of witchcraft in his own forbidden desires for men. Then Sarah weaves a spell to win the love of the new lead actor, and John, terrified for the safety of his soul, begins to make his accusations.

The Spirits have spoken …
As rehearsals continue, Sarah and Tom must struggle to convince John he is mistaken and that his sins are his own – their lives and the fortune of the play are at stake. But the Spirits have spoken – will the fate that Sarah foresaw come to pass or is their destiny their own to decide?

Set against the first production of Macbeth in 1606, Shakespeare’s Witch is a seductive tale of the origins of the curse of the Scottish Play.

Available for Pre-Order on Amazon US and Amazon UK

About the Author

Historical fiction author Samantha Grosser originally hails from England, but now lives on the sunny Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.

Combining a lifelong love of history with a compulsion to write that dates from childhood, Samantha is now bringing her passion for telling compelling stories to the world.

Samantha has an Honours Degree in English Literature and taught English for many years in Asia and Australia. She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place and The Officer’s Affair, and The King James Men, set during the turbulent early years of 17th Century.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Pinterest | Instagram

Cover Reveal Schedule

Monday, March 4
Passages to the Past
CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, March 5
Amy's Booket List
Donna's Book Blog
For the Sake of Good Taste

Wednesday, March 6
A Book Geek
Coffee and Ink
Clarissa Reads it All

Thursday, March 7
Hisdoryan
Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals
So Many Books, So Little Time

Friday, March 8
Pursuing Stacie
Just One More Chapter
To Read, Or Not to Read

Review and Giveaway: "Claiming My Place" by Planaria Price

2019-03-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Synopsis: Claiming My Place is the true story of a young Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust by escaping to Nazi Germany and hiding in plain sight.

Meet Gucia Gomolinska: smart, determined, independent, and steadfast in the face of injustice. A Jew growing up in predominantly Catholic Poland during the 1920s and ’30s, Gucia studies hard, makes friends, falls in love, and dreams of a bright future. Her world is turned upside down when Nazis invade Poland and establish the first Jewish ghetto of World War II in her town of Piotrkow Trybunalski. As the war escalates, Gucia and her family, friends, and neighbors suffer starvation, disease, and worse. She knows her blond hair and fair skin give her an advantage, and eventually she faces a harrowing choice: risk either the uncertain horrors of deportation to a concentration camp, or certain death if she is caught resisting. She decides to hide her identity as a Jew and adopts the gentile name Danuta Barbara Tanska. Barbara, nicknamed Basia, leaves behind everything and everyone she has ever known in order to claim a new life for herself.

Writing in the first person, author Planaria Price brings the immediacy of Barbara’s voice to this true account of a young woman whose unlikely survival hinges upon the same determination and defiant spirit already evident in the six-year-old girl we meet as this story begins. The final portion of this narrative, written by Barbara’s daughter, Helen Reichmann West, completes Barbara’s journey from her immigration to America until her natural, timely death. Includes maps and photographs.

My Thoughts: Claiming My Place was a fascinating read! It provides an intimate look at the life of Barbara Reichmann (formerly Gucia Gomolinska) in the years leading up to, during, and after World War II. Barbara's tale of survival was extraordinary and so different than anything I've read before.

One of my favorite parts about this book was all of the background information. I really appreciated getting the full story on who Barbara was as a child and her home and family life leading up to the war. There was a lot of detail describing her home, school, family business, and neighbors, and I enjoyed getting to see life in her Polish town through her eyes. I think this background information helped me to see how truly devastating things were for her family when the war started. I was also intrigued by the story of how Barbara survived the Holocaust. I have never heard a story quite like hers! To think she was literally hiding in plain sight, in Germany! It boggles the mind and I was in awe of her strength and fortitude throughout the war.

A big section of the book is written by Barbara's daughter, Helen, and she talks about her mother's life after the war from her point of view. You could see how much she loved her mother and really see what an amazing life Barbara had after the war. There were also photographs of many of the people mentioned in the book and it was really neat to get to see what everyone looked like. It was also kind of a gut punch as a number of the photographs were of people who had not survived the Holocaust.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II/Holocaust. I enjoyed meeting Barbara and reading her tale of survival during one of the darkest periods in history. 3 1/2 stars.

About the Author:

After graduating from Berkeley and earning a Master’s Degree in English Literature from UCLA, Planaria Price began her career teaching English to adult immigrants in Los Angeles. She has written several textbooks for University of Michigan Press ad has lectured at over 75 conferences. In addition to her passion for teaching and writing, Planaria has worked with her husband to save and restore over 30 Victorian and Craftsman homes in her historic Los Angeles neighborhood. Claiming My Place is her first book for young adults.

For more information, please visit Planaria’s website at www.planariaprice.com.

GIVEAWAY:

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a signed copy of CLAIMING MY PLACE! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 13th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Review and Giveaway: "Finding Lord Farlisle" by Cassandra Dean

2019-03-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

Synopsis:

The girl he finally remembers

Eleven years ago, a shipwreck robbed Lord Maxim Farlisle of his memory. Recovering himself, he journeys to his childhood home to find Waithe Hall shut and deserted. Unwilling to face what remains of his family, Maxim makes his home in the abandoned hall…only to have a determined ghost hunter invade his uneasy peace.

The boy she never forgot

Fascinated by spirits, Lady Alexandra Torrence cannot disregard the opportunity to investigate the estate she knew so well. She arrives at the shuttered hall to discover a ghost of a different kind—the boy she thought to never see again. Maxim had been the boy next door, her best friend, her soul mate…and then he’d vanished.

As the two rediscover their connection, the promise of young love burns into an overwhelming passion. But the time apart has scarred them both—will they discover a love that will draw them together or will the past tear them apart forever?

My Thoughts: Finding Lord Farlisle is a such fun, steamy little treat! I've been in a bit of a reading funk lately and this book was just what I needed!

Alexandra was such a cool main character. I loved that she was a ghost hunter and took her work studying the paranormal so seriously. She never showed fear in her pursuit of the ghost at Waithe Hall and it was neat to see her take down calculations and really study every possibility. It definitely added a unique twist to the story. So that brings us to Maxim. SWOON. He was sexy and sweet and his determination to learn to read just melted my heart. He was the perfect love interest for Alexandra and I loved seeing them banter with each other. They had some serious chemistry.

I liked the author's writing style a lot. I think she did a wonderful job of setting the scene of the story. I know the scenery kind of takes a backseat to the romance but I did enjoy her descriptions of Waithe Hall. She really 'drew a picture' with her words of what the place looked like and the different parts of the house that Alexandra and Maxim traveled through. I almost felt like I was there!

Finding Lord Farlisle sucked me in from page one and I would definitely recommend this spicy romance. 3 stars.

I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Cassandra Dean is an award-winning, best-selling author of historical and fantasy romance. She is a 2018 recipient of the coveted Romance Writers of Australia Ruby Award.

Her next novel will be FINDING LORD FARLISLE, kicking off a new series, LOST LORDS.

Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.

WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Giveaway:

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Finding Lord Farlisle

Review and Giveaway: "A Holiday by Gaslight" by Mimi Matthews

2018-11-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Synopsis:

A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion–or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book! I really didn't know what to expect but I was so pleased with the story. It was a super sweet romance with a wonderful holiday backdrop. It definitely put me in the holiday spirit! Ms. Matthews' descriptions of Appersett House were just lovely and I could easily imagine what it must have looked like all decorated for the holidays. I want to spend Christmas there!

All of the characters were wonderful and even though the story was short, I thought the characters were so well-developed. I especially loved Edward; it cracked me up that he was trying to follow a silly 'how to' book while courting Sophie. No wonder things got off to a rocky start! I really liked that he was a self-made man in a society that didn't necessarily appreciate that in a person.

Sophie was a refreshing character too. She was very no - nonsense and knew her own mind (for a girl of that time period). She really softened by the end of the story and I enjoyed seeing her become more open and trusting of people besides herself. I felt really bad that she had to deal with all of her father's shenanigans. He was completely ridiculous and irritated me to no end. Her sister was almost as ridiculous at times but ended up being quite endearing.

Overall, this was just a feel good holiday story that I could not put down. I would love to see more stories like this from Ms. Matthews. 4 stars!

About the Author

Mimi Matthews (A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty, The Lost Letter) writes both historical non-fiction and traditional historical romances set in Victorian England. Her articles on nineteenth century history have been published on various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and are also syndicated weekly at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, two Shelties, and two Siamese cats.

For more information, please visit Mimi Matthews’ website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, BookBub, Pinterest, Google+, and Goodreads.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a signed copy of A Holiday By Gaslight! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

ENTER HERE!

Book Blast and Giveaway: "Claiming My Place" by Planaria Price

2018-11-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

Claiming My Place: Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Holocaust

by Planaria Price with Helen Reichmann West

Publication Date: March 13, 2018

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Hardcover, eBook, AudioBook

Genre: YA/NF/History/Holocaust/WWII

A Junior Library Guild selection

Claiming My Place is the true story of a young Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust by escaping to Nazi Germany and hiding in plain sight.

Meet Gucia Gomolinska: smart, determined, independent, and steadfast in the face of injustice. A Jew growing up in predominantly Catholic Poland during the 1920s and ’30s, Gucia studies hard, makes friends, falls in love, and dreams of a bright future. Her world is turned upside down when Nazis invade Poland and establish the first Jewish ghetto of World War II in her town of Piotrkow Trybunalski. As the war escalates, Gucia and her family, friends, and neighbors suffer starvation, disease, and worse. She knows her blond hair and fair skin give her an advantage, and eventually she faces a harrowing choice: risk either the uncertain horrors of deportation to a concentration camp, or certain death if she is caught resisting. She decides to hide her identity as a Jew and adopts the gentile name Danuta Barbara Tanska. Barbara, nicknamed Basia, leaves behind everything and everyone she has ever known in order to claim a new life for herself.

Writing in the first person, author Planaria Price brings the immediacy of Barbara’s voice to this true account of a young woman whose unlikely survival hinges upon the same determination and defiant spirit already evident in the six-year-old girl we meet as this story begins. The final portion of this narrative, written by Barbara’s daughter, Helen Reichmann West, completes Barbara’s journey from her immigration to America until her natural, timely death. Includes maps and photographs.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Praise

“Price has boldly elected to tell the story in Basia’s own first-person, present-tense voice. The result is a dramatic, suspenseful account of survival in extremis, told in collaboration with Basia’s American daughter.” ―Booklist

“Price's rendering of West’s mother’s early life reads like suspenseful historical fiction, telling a rarely heard side of the Jewish experience during WWII . . . Family, friendships, and romance give poignancy to this unique coming-of-age story, which is further enhanced by maps, a glossary, and an afterword.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A rich exploration of a Holocaust survivor’s sheltered childhood, the atrocity that failed to destroy her, and her later life as an immigrant.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“I was completely engrossed by this drama of survival. Barbara Reichmann's story is quite extraordinary. It is sad, and terrible, and yet somehow captivating. The whole story of those who survived the Shoah by passing as Christians and working in Nazi Germany is an often forgotten part of the historical record.” ―Kai Bird, Executive Director, Leon Levy Center for Biography at CUNY Graduate Center, and co-author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

“As occurs with The Diary of Anne Frank, this book merges the dire circumstances of the Holocaust with the tenuousness of being a teenager. But Claiming My Place expands the view provided in the diary for one critical reason. Anne Frank’s story is told within an isolated cocoon. In Barbara’s story, however, the Holocaust is in full view as her experiences unfold.” ―David H. Lindquist, Ph.D., IPFW College of Education and Public Policy / Regional Museum Educator, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

“This frightening true story of a young Jewish girl's flight from the deadly grip of the Nazis celebrates the surprising ingenuity and raw courage found only in the depths of the human spirit. Risking what few others dared, Barbara Reichmann, née Gucia Gomolinska, speaks with wisdom and uncommon self-awareness through her detailed, colorful, and evocative recollections from earliest childhood. In the final portion of this book, her daughter, Helen West, continues Barbara’s journey in an insightful and loving overview of Barbara’s life from the family’s arrival in New Orleans in 1951 until her death in 2007. This is a great read with the suspenseful, inspiring and uplifting appeal of a novel, about a character who will capture the reader’s heart.” ―Allan Holzman, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director and editor (Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Holocaust, Old Man River, The Native Americans)

"Thanks to the detailed memories and the conversational tone, this book provides an engaging and informative reading experience with as much appeal as a fiction title. Recommended for most YA nonfiction collections." ―Magdalena Teske, West Chicago Public Library District School Library Journal

"This book was truly a celebration of the human spirit. What a gift she has for putting you in the story. Her way with words, plus her weaving of the actual events recounted to her by the unbelievably courageous Basia and her daughter Helen, was nothing short of magical. The included photographs and epilogue served to fully round out this amazing tale. I never wanted this book to end!" ―Rabbi Lynn Brody Slome

About the Author

After graduating from Berkeley and earning a Master's Degree in English Literature from UCLA, Planaria Price began her career teaching English to adult immigrants in Los Angeles. She has written several textbooks for University of Michigan Press and has lectured at over 75 conferences. In addition to her passion for teaching and writing, Planaria has worked with her husband to save and restore over 30 Victorian and Craftsman homes in her historic Los Angeles neighborhood. Claiming My Place is her first book for young adults.

For more information, please visit Planaria's website at www.planariaprice.com.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, October 15
Spellbound By History

Tuesday, October 16
100 Pages a Day
Clarissa Reads it All

Wednesday, October 17
Bibliophile Reviews

Thursday, October 18
A Chick Who Reads
To Read, Or Not to Read

Friday, October 19
Locks, Hooks and Books

Saturday, October 20
CelticLady's Reviews

Monday, October 22
The Book Mind

Tuesday, October 23
Books and Glamour
History From a Woman's Perspective

Wednesday, October 24
Maiden of the Pages

Thursday, October 25
Book Nerd
Bri's Book Nook

Friday, October 26
Puddletown Reviews

Saturday, October 27
Donna's Book Blog

Monday, October 29
Dressed to Read
What is That Book About

Tuesday, October 30
The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, October 31
Just One More Chapter

Thursday, November 1
So Many Books, So Little Time

Friday, November 2
Passages to the Past

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a signed hardcover copy of Claiming My Place by Planaria Price! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 2nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Book Blast and Giveaway: "A Different Kind of Fire" by Suanne Schafer

2018-10-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

A Different Kind of Fire by Suanne Schafer

Publication Date: November 1, 2018

Waldorf Publishing

Paperback & AudioBook

Genre: Historical Fiction

Ruby Schmidt has the talent, the drive, even the guts to enroll in art school, leaving behind her childhood home and the beau she always expected to marry. Her life at the Academy seems heavenly at first, but she soon learns that societal norms in the East are as restrictive as those back home in West Texas. Rebelling against the insipid imagery woman are expected to produce, Ruby embraces bohemian life. Her burgeoning sexuality drives her into a life-long love affair with another woman and into the arms of an Italian baron. With the Panic of 1893, the nation spirals into a depression, and Ruby’s career takes a similar downward trajectory. After thinking she could have it all, Ruby, now pregnant and broke, returns to Texas rather than join the queues at the neighborhood soup kitchen. She discovers her life back home is as challenging as that in Philadelphia.

A Different Kind of Fire depicts one woman’s battle to balance husband, family, career, and ambition. Torn between her childhood sweetheart, her forbidden passion for another woman, the nobleman she had to marry, and becoming a renowned painter, Ruby’s choices mold her in ways she could never have foreseen.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | BookBub | Waldorf Publishing

Praise

"Writer Suanne Schafer spins a unique tale of a turn of the 19th century Texas heroine and her way of artistic expression. Her paintings shock her contemporaries and the love she's drawn to shocks herself. A Different Kind of Fire depicts the journey of a determined woman to meet life on her own terms." --Pamela Morsi, USAToday Bestselling Author of 26 books including The Cotton Queen and Bitsy's Bait & BBQ

"If you love historical novels about women who throw off the shackles of feminine convention, then this book is for you. In spare but sensuous prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy and E. Annie Proulx, Schafer brings Ruby Schmidt to life--a woman who doesn't belong in the late nineteenth century but gradually finds her place in the twentieth. You can't help but root for Ruby as she grows from Texas farm girl, to a freethinker and lover of men and women in Philadelphia, and finally into a consummate artist. This is a powerful and deeply satisfying read." --Helena Echlin, co-author of Sparked and author of Gone

"An exceptional first novel. Schafer has woven a cohesive tale from disparate elements--a stark life in the rugged countryside of 1890s Texas vs the gentility of an arts academy in the East; a traditional marriage and motherhood vs a secret and haunting sexuality. Unequivocally recommended!" --Michael R. Hardesty, Author of Amazon Best Seller, The Grace of the Ginkgo

"With rare artistry, Schafer paints a life both creative and cursed in A Different Kind of Fire.--Willa Blair, Award-winning Amazon and Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling author of His Highland Love, Highland Troth, Highland Seer, and ten other books

"The saga of a young woman determined to follow her dream, whatever obstacles cross her path." --MJ Fredrick, author of A Texas Kind of Love, Smitten in a Small Town, and twenty-five other books, a two-time Epic Awards winner and a four-time RWA Golden Heart finalist

Suanne Schafer's A Different Kind of Fire is a powerful story of a Gilded Age artist who brooks convention both in her art and her love. Read this book: It has both the depth of emotion of a modernist novel and the epic scope of a historical saga.--Alicia Rasley, author of The Year She Fell, an Amazon bestseller

"I absolutely LOVED A Different Kind of Fire. Suanne Schafer is a passionate writer with a gift to transport the reader back to the 1800's. With her book in one hand and my iPad in the other, I learned so much about artists and their work. Ms. Schafer's words are so visual, I actually watched the story play out with every riveting page I turned. Fantastic character development. There was no stone left unturned. "A Different Kind of Fire" gets a standing ovation and five stars from me. Five stars." --Tracy Stopler, Award-winning author of The Ropes That Bind

"I was amazed by Suanne Schafer's poetic and laconic turns of phrase. She has the gift of being simultaneously ornate and succinct, which is no easy task." --Joshua Mohr, Author Sirens, All This Life, Fight Song, Damascus, Termite Parade, Somethings That Meant the World to Me

"Told in a rich, sensual, style, A Different Kind of Fire is a book about reconciling the irreconcilable. It is a book about boundaries: the dilemmas they place upon those would dare rise above them. The book is also a study in contrasts rather than a polemical treatise. Is Ruby a heroine or a victim?--a free spirit or a narcissist? These questions are ultimately left to the reader to decide." --James Hanna, Author of The Siege, Call Me Pomeroy, and A Second, Less Head and Other Rogue Stories.

"Suanne Schafer's A Different Kind of Fire tackles the sensitive subject of bisexuality in 19th century America with grace, compassion, and empathy through fully developed characters in a story readers will cherish long after the book ends." --C.S. Fuqua, author of Walking after Midnight ~ Collected Stories

"An evocative and compelling story of a Texas-bred ranch girl-to-woman straddling the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and her conflicting and sometimes illicit desires for her art, her lovers and the freedoms some women were just beginning to glimpse. Ferberesque in scope, A Different Kind of Fire harbors the twists and turns of a thriller and the braided threads of explosive affairs that cannot possibly coexist. Schafer's marvelous book exudes undiminished spirit in the face of terrible loss." --Guinotte Wise, author of Night Train, Cold Beer, winner of H. Palmer Hall Award

"Insightful, loving, and endearing, A Different Kind of Fire, will draw you in and keep you spellbound. Suanne Schafer weaves Ruby Schmidt's journey from love in rural Texas to art school in sophisticated 1890s Philadelphia. Ruby's struggles and triumphs over 100 years ago ring true to the challenges still faced by 21st century women." --Kristine Mietzner, Founder, The Women Veterans Writing Workshop of California

About the Author

Suanne Schafer, born in West Texas at the height of the Cold War, finds it ironic that grade school drills for tornadoes and nuclear war were the same: hide beneath your desk and kiss your rear-end goodbye. Now a retired family-practice physician whose only child has fledged the nest, her pioneer ancestors and world travels fuel her imagination. She originally planned to write romances, but either as a consequence of a series of failed relationships or a genetic distrust of happily ever-after, her heroines are strong women who battle tough environments and intersect with men who might—or might not—love them.

Suanne completed the Stanford University Creative Writing Certificate program. Her short works have been featured in print and on-line magazines and anthologies. Her debut women’s fiction novel, A Different Kind of Fire, explores the life of Ruby Schmidt, a nineteenth century artist who escapes—and returns—to West Texas. Suanne’s next book explores the heartbreak and healing of an American physician caught up in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, October 29
Book Nerd
Creating Herstory
A Chick Who Reads
Passages to the Past
The Reading Woman

Tuesday, October 30
Jathan & Heather
CelticLady's Reviews
The Book Junkie Reads
Svetlana's Reads and Views
Historical Fiction with Spirit
So Many Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, October 31
A Book Geek
Umut Reviews
100 Pages a Day
Just One More Chapter
What Is That Book About

Thursday, November 1
Tea Book Blanket
Amy's Booket List
Donna's Book Blog
Clarissa Reads it All
What Cathy Read Next

Friday, November 2
The Writing Desk
Puddletown Reviews
Hoover Book Reviews
Locks, Hooks and Books

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away A Fiery Bookish Prize Pack, including a literary scarf, beaded velvet bookmark, a copy of A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE & $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 2nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to readers in the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: "At the Mountain's Edge" by Genevieve Graham

2018-10-29T09:08:00.004-05:00

From bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a sweeping new historical novel of love, tragedy, and redemption set during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.

In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before.

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza’s family nears the mountain’s peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever.

Inspired by history as rich as the Klondike’s gold, At the Mountain’s Edge is an epic tale of romance and adventure about two people who must let go of the past not only to be together, but also to survive.

Pre-order the book now!

Amazon
Amazon Canada
Barnes and Noble
Chapters

Review and Giveaway: "A Torch in His Heart" by Anna Belfrage

2018-10-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Synopsis: In the long lost ancient past, two men fought over the girl with eyes like the Bosporus under a summer sky. It ended badly. She died. They died.

Since then, they have all tumbled through time, reborn over and over again. Now they are all here, in the same place, the same time and what began so long ago must finally come to an end.

Ask Helle Madsen what she thinks about reincarnation and she’ll laugh in your face. Besides, Helle has other stuff to handle, what with her new, exciting job in London and her drop-dead but seriously sinister boss, Sam Woolf. And then one day Jason Morris walks into her life and despite never having clapped eyes on him before, she recognises him immediately. Very weird. Even more weird is the fact that Sam and Jason clearly hate each other’s guts. Helle’s life is about to become extremely complicated and far too exciting.

My Thoughts: I loved the concept of this story! I find the idea of reincarnation to be fascinating so 'A Torch in His Heart' was right up my alley. The thought that Jason and Helle were true soulmates and that Jason searched for her for centuries was just so swoonworthy. It was also super interesting to hear Jason tell a little bit about some of his past lives. To think of all the historical events he's seen! I loved the flashbacks to Helle and Jason's first life and how the author peppered them through the story to give the reader more context.

'A Torch in His Heart' is the first in a series so there was a lot of world building and character development happening in this book. At times the story moved a bit slow but knowing that the author was setting the stage for many things to come gave me the patience to stick with it. The pace definitely picked up as the story progressed and by the end, I was begging for more!

One thing I've learned from Ms. Belfrage's books is that she writes the BEST villains ever. Samion/Sam Woolf is completely terrifying and the quintessential bad guy. He is just so evil and creepy as all get out even with his handsome outward appearance. He seemed impossible to fight and yet I think Helle and Jason are going to give him a run for his money.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'm very excited to see what's next for Jason and Helle! 3 stars.

About the Author:

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history and writing.

With Jason and Helle, Anna has stepped out of her historical comfort zone and has loved doing so.

Find out more about Anna by visiting her website, www.annabelfrage.com, You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY!

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

ENTER HERE!

Feature and Giveaway: "Tiffany Blues" by M.J. Rose

2018-08-07T14:09:00.001-05:00

Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Atria Books

Hardcover & eBook; 336 Pages

ISBN: 978-1501173592

Genre: Historical Fiction

New York, 1924. Twenty‑four‑year‑old Jenny Bell is one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious artists’ colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall.

But Jenny’s past has followed her to Long Island. Images of her beloved mother, her hard-hearted stepfather, waterfalls, and murder, and the dank hallways of Canada’s notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women overwhelm Jenny’s thoughts, even as she is inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany’s charismatic grandson.

As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany’s New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny’s childhood trauma to expose her.

Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny’s past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment, that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Praise for Tiffany Blues

“A lush, romantic historical mystery with a unique setting. Tiffany Blues explores an interesting lost bit of American history and gives us a heroine to root for." —Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale

“A fascinating novel about a young, struggling artist mentored by the celebrated jeweler and stained-glass creator Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany Blues brings together an enchanting glimpse of Jazz Age New York and an inspired fictional story about Jenny Bell and the terrible secret she's hiding.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and A Piece of the World

"The New York Times bestselling author of The Library of Light and Shadow crafts a dazzling Jazz Age jewel—a novel of ambition, betrayal, and passion about a young painter whose traumatic past threatens to derail her career at a prestigious summer artists’ colony run by Louis Comfort Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. fame. “[M.J. Rose] transports the reader into the past better than a time machine could accomplish” —The Associated Press

"M.J. Rose must have plunged her pen into a vale of tears, radiance, and crime to write this novel. Tiffany Blues melds a tragic mother-daughter relationship, the shimmer of Tiffany’s creations, the jolting life of artists and their shocking jealousy, in a captivating story that illuminates how far we'll go for love. MJ Rose broke this reader’s heart and then, as though using the ancient art of Kintsugi, healed me by sealing the future with golden veins of hope." —Randy Susan Meyers, International Bestselling Author

"Intriguing... [Rose's] best creation yet." —Publishers Weekly

"Intricate plotting, sensuous descriptions... captivating. A lush, mesmerizing story." —Kirkus

"Rose keeps readers spellbound... with a touch of Gatsby-esque flavor and opulence and a research-rich mix of facts and fiction." —Library Journal - Starred review

"Rose's talent for delivering believable characters and plot shines in her latest novel...Readers are in for a treat and the jaw-dropping climax well have them enthralled." —RT Book Reviews

"A stunning look at the Jazz Age, told in M.J. Rose's inimitable style." —PopSugar 25 Best Summer Books

About the Author

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Rose's work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com

Her most recent novel THE LIBRARY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW (Atria/S&S) was chosen as an Indie Next Pick.

The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield.

For more information, please visit her website and her blog, Museum of Mysteries. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 6
Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Feature at Naomi Finley

Tuesday, August 7
Feature at So Many Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, August 8
Review at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, August 9
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Friday, August 10
Review at Donna's Book Blog

Sunday, August 12
Review at Carole Rae's Random Ramblings

Monday, August 13
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, August 14
Feature at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Wednesday, August 15
Feature at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Thursday, August 16
Review at The Lit Bitch

Monday, August 20
Review at The Book Mind
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, August 21
Feature at Maiden of the Pages

Wednesday, August 22
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Friday, August 24
Feature at I'm Shelf-ish

Monday, August 27
Review at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, August 28
Feature at A Holland Reads

Wednesday, August 29
Review at Bookish
Review at Library of Clean Reads

Thursday, August 30
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Friday, August 31
Interview at History From a Woman's Perspective

Saturday, September 1
Review at A Darn Good Read

Monday, September 3
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, September 5
Review at Laura's Interests

Thursday, September 6
Review & Interview at Clarissa Reads it All

Friday, September 7
Review at Bookramblings

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a Louis Comfort Tiffany glass paperweight from the Metropolitan Museum of Artder! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Feature: "The Romanov Empress" by C.W. Gortner

2018-07-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Life and Blog Update

2018-06-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! It's been a long time since I've posted or done much with this blog. Things have been a challenge here lately and I've fallen way behind. I'm almost 34 weeks pregnant and this pregnancy has been so hard on me, both physically and mentally. Pregnancy combined with work and home as been almost more than I can handle right now.

So now that I've had the pity party, I'm writing because I'm going to take a break from the blog for a while. I don't know if it will just be until after the baby comes or for good but I need to completely take it off my plate for a while. I'm not going to be accepting any review requests for the forseeable future and I'm going to have to drag myself away from NetGalley. : )

This has been a really tough decision but I have really dropped the ball on things. I have accepted books for review and then never got around to reviewing them and I have a serious backlog of books from NetGalley to read. I'm extremely embarrassed about these mistakes and I can't keep doing that to myself and the people who provide me the books. I'm also reading at a super slow pace and I just can't keep up even though I would like to.

I do have a couple reviews coming up in the next month or so but otherwise, I'll be on hiatus. Thank you all for sticking with me through all of this.

Cover Reveal!!!: 'The Blue' by Nancy Bilyeau

2018-05-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

Publication: Fall 2018
Endeavour Quill

Genre: Historical Fiction

What would you do to possess the most coveted color in the world? The year is 1758, and a headstrong woman artist, 24-year-old Genevieve Planche, is caught up in a high-stakes race to discover the ultimate color, one that threatens to become as deadly as it is lucrative. When Genevieve's mission is complicated by her falling in love with the chemist behind the formula, she discovers the world of blue is filled with ruthless men and women and how high the stakes really are. The story sweeps readers from the worlds of the silk-weaving refugees of London’s Spitalfields and the luxury-obsessed drawing rooms of Grosvenor Square to the porcelain factory of Derby and, finally, magnificent Sevres Porcelain in the shadow of Versailles. And running through it all: the dangerous allure of the color blue.

"Bilyeau’s sumptuous tale of mystery and intrigue transports the reader into the heart of the 18th century porcelain trade—where the price of beauty was death"’ E.M. Powell, author of the Stanton & Barling medieval mystery series.

Praise for Nancy Bilyeau's Fiction

"Bilyeau deftly weaves extensive historical detail throughout, but the real draw of this suspenseful novel is its juicy blend of lust, murder, conspiracy, and betrayal." —Review of The Crown published in Oprah, which made the book a pick of the month.

"English history buffs and mystery fans alike will revel in Nancy Bilyeau's richly detailed sequel to The Crown." —Parade magazine review of The Chalice

"The story in The Tapestry is fiction, but it is a sheer joy to have Henry’s court recreated with an eye to the reality of its venality, rather than the trendy Wolf Hall airbrushing of its violence and rapacity. The tone is always modern and light, but with none of the clumsy thigh-slapping faux period language. Bilyeau’s writing is effortless, vivid, gripping and poignant, bringing Tudor England to life with sparkling zest. If you want to see the Reformation from the side of the English people rather than the self-serving court, it is tough to do better than this trilogy." —Review of The Tapestry by Dominic Selwood, published in The Catholic Herald

"As always, Bilyeau has done her historical homework, bringing the drama, and details of Henry VIII’s court to life. You’re basically watching the rise and fall of Catherine Howard, Thomas Cromwell, Walter Hungerford and Thomas Culpepper through Joanna’s eyes. Her private moments with the king were among my favorites in this book. This a true historical thriller. It’s a Tudor novel full of suspense, intrigue, brutality, and death. It’s a well researched page turner. If you’re looking for an exciting historical read, this will be on your list." —Review of The Tapestry by Sandra Alvarez for Medievalists.net

“Nancy Bilyeau's passion for history infuses her books and transports us back to the dangerous world of Tudor England. Vivid characters and gripping plots are at the heart of this wonderful trilogy. Warmly recommended!” —Alison Weir, author of The Marriage Game: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I and many bestsellers

"Nancy Bilyeau's polished, inventive debut has all the ingredients of the best historical fiction: a broad cast of characters, well-imagined settings, and vivid story-telling... In Joanna Stafford, Bilyeau has given us a memorable character who is prepared to risk her life to save what she most values, while Stafford's desperate search for a lost religious relic will satisfy even the most ardent mystery fans." —Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau has worked on the staffs of InStyle, DuJour, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Good Housekeeping. She is currently a regular contributor to Town & Country and the editor of the digital magazine The Big Thrill. Her screenplays have placed in several prominent industry competitions. Two scripts reached the semi-finalist round of the Nicholl Fellowships of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

A native of the Midwest, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. THE CROWN, her first novel and an Oprah pick, was published in 2012; the sequel, THE CHALICE, followed in 2013. The third in the trilogy, THE TAPESTRY, was published by Touchstone in 2015. The books have also been published by Orion in the UK and seven other countries.

Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

For more information, please visit Nancy Bilyeau's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Cover Reveal Schedule

Wednesday, May 16
Passages to the Past
Clarissa Reads it All
Just One More Chapter
To Read, or Not to Read
Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, May 17
Bri's Book Nook
CelticLady's Reviews
Kris Waldherr Books
What Is That Book About

Friday, May 18
A Book Geek
The Lit Bitch
Broken Teepee

Saturday, May 19
Books and Glamour
Writing the Renaissance
So Many Books, So Little Time

Sunday, May 20
Cup of Sensibility
Kate Rock Lit Chick
Teaser Addicts Book Blog

Monday, May 21
The Maiden's Court
SilverWoodSketches
View from the Birdhouse

Tuesday, May 22
100 Pages a Day
Bibliophile Reviews
History From a Woman's Perspective

Wednesday, May 23
Pursuing Stacie
Creating Herstory
Donna's Book Blog

So Many Books, So Little Time

Review and Giveaway: "Distant Signs" by Anne Richter

Review and Giveaway: "This Son of York" by Anne Easter Smith

Giveaway

Review and Giveaway: "The Highlander's Christmas Bride" by Vanessa Kelly

Giveaway

Review and Giveaway: "The First Lady and the Rebel" by Susan Higginbotham

Cover Reveal: "Dreamland" by Nancy Bilyeau

Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub

Cover Reveal Schedule

Spotlight and Giveaway: "Castle of Concrete" by Katia Raina

Castle of Concrete by Katia Raina

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Praise

About the Author

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Blog Tour Schedule

Giveaway

Review and Giveaway: "The Undertaker's Assistant" by Amanda Skenandore

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Giveaway:

The Undertaker's Assistant

Spotlight and Giveaway: "The Impaler's Wife" by Autumn Bardot

THE IMPALER’S WIFE BY AUTUMN BARDOT

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND BARNES AND NOBLE

About the Author

Giveaway

Review and Giveaway: "Project Duchess" by Sabrina Jeffries

Review and Giveaway: "Rogue Most Wanted" by Janna MacGregor

Book Blast and Giveaway: "Lacewood" by Jessica James

Lacewood by Jessica James

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Review and Giveaway: "Smoke in Her Eyes" by Anna Belfrage

Trailer Blast and Giveaway: "The Lost History of Dreams" by Kris Waldherr

The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr

Here is the exclusive Book Trailer...

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Praise for The Lost History of Dreams

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Learn more at http://www.losthistorybook.com/sweepstake.html.

Cover Reveal: "Shakespeare's Witch" by Samantha Grosser

Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser

Available for Pre-Order on Amazon US and Amazon UK

About the Author

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Cover Reveal Schedule

Review and Giveaway: "Claiming My Place" by Planaria Price

Review and Giveaway: "Finding Lord Farlisle" by Cassandra Dean

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Giveaway:

Finding Lord Farlisle

Review and Giveaway: "A Holiday by Gaslight" by Mimi Matthews

About the Author

Giveaway

Book Blast and Giveaway: "Claiming My Place" by Planaria Price

Claiming My Place: Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Planaria Price with Helen Reichmann West

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Book Blast and Giveaway: "A Different Kind of Fire" by Suanne Schafer

A Different Kind of Fire by Suanne Schafer

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | BookBub | Waldorf Publishing

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Giveaway

Cover Reveal: "At the Mountain's Edge" by Genevieve Graham

Review and Giveaway: "A Torch in His Heart" by Anna Belfrage

Feature and Giveaway: "Tiffany Blues" by M.J. Rose

Claiming My Place: Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Holocaust

by Planaria Price with Helen Reichmann West