Giveaway: The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn

I received an extra ARC of Judith Kinghorn's new release, The Last Summer, so I'm giving it away to one lucky reader!

Pub Date:  December 31, 2012
NAL Trade
464p

{SYNOPSIS}

I was almost seventeen when the spell of my childhood was broken...It was the beginning of summer and, unbeknown to any of us then, the end of a belle epoque...

In July of 1914, innocent, lovely Clarissa Granville lives with her parents and three brothers in the idyllic isolation of Deyning Park, a grand English country house, where she whiles away her days enjoying house parties, country walks and tennis matches. Clarissa is drawn to Tom Cuthbert, the housekeeper's handsome son. Though her parents disapprove of their upstairs-downstairs friendship, the two are determined to see each other, and they meet in secret to share what becomes a deep and tender romance. But soon the winds of war come to Deyning, as they come to all of Europe. As Tom prepares to join the front lines, neither he nor Clarissa can envision what lies ahead of them in the dark days and years to come. Nor can they imagine how their love will be tested, or how they will treasure the memory of this last, perfect summer.

About the Author

Judith Kinghorn was born in Northumberland, England, educated there and in the Lake District, at a boarding school once attended by the Brontë sisters. She is a graduate in English and History of Art and worked in London, formerly as Director of a Plc and Managing Director of a company then owned by the novelist, the late Josephine Hart. Judith was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and nominated a Woman of the Year before giving up her career in order to focus on her family and pursue her dreams of writing. She now lives in Hampshire, England, with her husband, children, and various cats and dogs.

www.judithkinghornwriter.com

Giveaway (US Only)

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway). 

- +5 additional entries become a follower of Passages to the Past. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries. 

- +3 additional entries join the Passages to the Past FB Page. 

- +3 additional entries follow PTTP on Twitter. 

- +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on Facebook or Google+. You can use the SHARE buttons below. 

- Giveaway ends on January 7th.

Good luck!

2013 Release: Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall

UK Cover

Shadows on the Nile 
by Kate Furnivall

UK Pub Date: June 20, 2013 (Sphere)
US Pub Date: October 2, 2013 (Berkley Trade) 

{SYNOPSIS} 

 1932, London. 27-year-old Jessica Kenton's stable life is torn apart when her younger brother, Timothy, vanishes. Vowing to find him, she follows Timothy's trail to the lush and exotic lands of Egypt but she doesn't expect the danger she is confronted with. There are powerful people who do not want her brother found but not everything is as it seems... 

A dramatic story of courage and betrayal and of a determined young woman's search for her brother and her discovery of an all-consuming love in the shifting deserts of Egypt. 

Pre-order at AMAZON US | AMAZON UK

About the Author

Kate Furnivall was raised in Penarth, a small seaside town in Wales. Her mother, whose own childhood was spent in Russia, China and India, discovered at an early age that the world around us is so volatile, that the only things of true value are those inside your head and your heart. These values Kate explores in The Russian Concubine.

Kate went to London University where she studied English and from there she went into publishing, writing material for a series of books on the canals of Britain. Then into advertising where she met her future husband, Norman. She travelled widely, giving her an insight into how different cultures function which was to prove invaluable when writing The Russian Concubine.

It was when her mother died in 2000 that Kate decided to write a book inspired by her mother's story. The Russian Concubine contains fictional characters and events, but Kate made use of the extraordinary situation that was her mother's childhood experience - that of two White Russian refugees, a mother and daughter, stuck without money or papers in an International Settlement in China.

Other books by Kate Furnivall: The Russian Concubine, The Red Scarf, The Girl from Junchow, The Jewel of St. Petersburg and The White Pearl.  

www.katefurnival.com

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa was good to you and brought you lots of great books!

This was our son's first Christmas and Santa sure spoiled him...as he did his big sister! Here are a few pictures from our Christmas... 

Vedder's First Christmas

Vedder and big sis, Danielle

Already devouring his books!

Okay, so this wasn't from this morning but it's my favorite pic of him so I just had to post it!

 

Giveaway Winners!

Time to announce the lucky winners of Passages to the Past's most recent giveaways, including the Historical Holiday Blog Hop!  

Please help me in congratulating the following winners...

The Emperor's Conspiracy by Michelle Diener - Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired

The Raven's Heart by Jesse Blackadder - Margaret Literary Chanteuse

The Sign of the Weeping Virgin by Alana White - Stephanie Rosche


And here are the winners of the 1st Annual Historical Holiday Blog Hop...

$25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card - Theresa Newbury

Prize Package #1 - Jori Jordan

Prize Package #2 - Liana Brooks

Prize Package #3 - Kathleen Carrow Ingram

Prize Package #4 - Colleen Lane


Emails have been sent to the winners.  Thanks to all who entered and helped spread the word.  And a GINORMOUS thank you to the authors who donated their books to the blog hop grand prizes and to the bloggers who participated in the hop.  I look forward to seeing the winners of the other fabulous giveaways!

I had such a great time with this hop and it's convinced me to host more throughout the year, so stay tuned for news on the next blog hop!!
 

1st Annual Historical Holiday Blog Hop, hosted by Passages to the Past!

Welcome to the 1st Annual Historical Holiday Blog Hop, hosted by Passages to the Past!

What better way to celebrate the holidays than by giving away Historical Fiction goodness?!  

The Historical Holiday Blog Hop will run from December 10 - 17 and in addition to the grand prizes listed below, there are over 30 blogs that will be running their own amazing giveaways, so be sure to see the linky list at the bottom of this post to see who is participating!  

I would like to thank the authors (and one publisher) who so graciously and generously contributed a book (or four) to the grand prizes.  I can't tell you how appreciative I am for the fantastic response to the blog hop - you are all so amazing!

Follow the hop on Twitter: #HistoricalHolidayBlogHop

Here are the prizes that are up for grabs on Passages to the Past.  Good luck to all who enter!

Grand Prizes (Open to US only)

$25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card (sponsored by Amy)

Prize Package #1 

The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan (PB) 
The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick (PB w/Signed Bookplate) 
What You Long For by Anne Clinard Barnhill (PB) 
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig (Signed PB) 
Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell (PB) 
Selene of Alexandria by Faith L. Justice (eBook, author will send) 
A Dance of Manners: A Regency Anthology by Susan Flanders, Kristi Ahlers, Gerri Bowen, Cynthia Breeding and Erin E.M. Hatton (PB) 
By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan (PB) 
The King's Daughter by Barbara Kyle (PB) 
The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell (PB) 
Four Sisters, All Queens by Sherry Jones (PB) 
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (ARC, sponsored by Penguin Publishing) 
The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry (PB) 
I, Jane by Diane Haeger (PB)
Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara (Signed HC) 
Illuminations by Mary Sharratt (HC) 
The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin (Signed PB)
The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen (Audiobook)  

Prize Package #2 

The Master of Verona by David Blixt (HC) 
The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick (PB w/Signed Bookplate) 
At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill (PB) 
The King's Grace by Anne Easter Smith (Signed PB) 
Oleanna by Julie K. Rose (PB) 
The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan (PB)
Rebel Puritan by JoAnn Butler (Signed PB) 
The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen (Audiobook) 
The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchahan (ARC, sponsored by Penguin Publishing) 
The King's Concubine by Anne O'Brien (PB) 
The September Queen by Gillian Bagwell (PB) 
The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd (PB w/Tower of London Tea Sachets) 
Selene of Alexandria by Faith L. Justice (PB) 
The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase (PB) 
The Sign of the Weeping Virgin by Alana White (HC) 
The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger (PB) 
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig (Signed HC) 
The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin (Signed PB)

Prize Package #3 

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose (HC) 
Sea Witch by Helen Hollick (PB w/Signed Bookplate) 
The Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland (Signed PB) 
Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell (Audiobook) 
Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth (PB) 
A Thing Done by Tinney S. Heath (PB) 
The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan (PB) 
By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan (PB) 
Royal Romances by Leslie Carroll (PB) 
The Rose of York: Love & War (Book 1, War of the Roses trilogy) by Sandra Worth (PB) 
The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman (Signed PB) 
Above All Things by Tanis Rideout (ARC, sponsored by Penguin Publishing) 
Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri (ARC, sponsored by Penguin Publishing) 
Three Maids for a Crown by Ella March Chase (PB) 
The Queen's Rival by Diane Haeger (PB) 
The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau (Signed PB) 
The Courtier's Secret by Donna Russo Morin (Signed PB)

Prize Package #4 

A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick (PB, US Edition) 
Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell (PB) 
The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner (PB, UK Edition) 
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell (PB) 
The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift (PB, UK Edition) 
Before Versailles by Karleen Koen (PB) 
The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Thornton (PB w/Theodora Bookmark)
The Forgotten Queen by D.L. Bogdan (ARC)
The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot (PB) 
Movement of Stars by Amy Brill (ARC, sponsored by Penguin Publishing) 
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn (PB)
Second Lisa by Veronica Knox (eBook) 
To Serve a King by Donna Russo Morin (Signed PB)
Into the Path of Gods (Book 1, Macsen's Treasure Series) by Kathleen Cunningham Guler (PB) 
In the Shadow of Dragons (Book 2, Macsen's Treasure Series) by Kathleen Cunningham Guler (PB) 
The Anvil Stone (Book 3, Macsen's Treasure Series) by Kathleen Cunningham Guler (HC) 
A Land Beyond Ravens (Book 4, Macsen's Treasure Series) by Kathleen Cunningham Guler (HC)


Giveaway Sponsors (Alpha by First Name | Click on name to visit their website) 

Alana White
Anne Clinard Barnhill 
Anne Easter Smith 
Anne O'Brien 
Barbara Kyle
C.W. Gortner 
Cathy Marie Buchanan 
D.L. Bogdan 
David Blixt
Deborah Swift
Diane Haeger
Donna Russo Morin 
Ella March Chase 
Ellen Marie Wiseman 
Elizabeth Chadwick
Faith L. Justice
Gillian Bagwell 
Helen Hollick 
Jo Ann Butler 
Julie K. Rose 
Karleen Koen 
Kate Quinn 
Kathleen Cunningham Guler
Lauren Willig
Leslie Carroll 
Mary Sharratt 
Maryanne O'Hara 
Mitchell James Kaplan 
MJ Rose 
Nancy Bilyeau 
Penguin Publishing 
Rebecca Rasmussen
Robin Maxwell
Sandra Byrd 
Sandra Gulland 
Sandra Worth 
Sherry Jones 
Sophie Perinot 
Stephanie Cowell 
Stephanie Thornton 
Susan Coventry
Susan Mianulli 
Tinney S. Heath
Veronica Knox

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For blogs that are particpating in the blog hop:  Please make sure to enter the URL to your giveaway in the linky list.  You will also need to enter in the geographic restrictions for your giveaway (ex. US, US/CAN or INT) after your blog name.  If you forgot, just leave a comment here or email me at passagestothepast@gmail.com and I will add it for you.

Click HERE to see the guidelines/rules.

Here are the blogs that are participating in the blog hop - make sure you check out their giveaways!  
 

Win a copy of The Sign of the Weeping Virgin by Alana White

In honor of Alana White's novel, The Sign of the Weeping Virgin, being released today Passages to the Past has one copy to give away to a lucky reader!

Happy Publication Day, Alana!!

*Alana will be touring with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours from February 11-22, click HERE to see the schedule of stops.

Publication Date: January 9, 2013
Five Star Publishing
384p

{SYNOPSIS}

Romance and intrigue abound in The Sign of the Weeping Virgin an evocative historical mystery that brings the Italian Renaissance gloriously to life. In 1480 Florentine investigator Guid Antonio Vespucci and his nephew Amerigo are tangled in events that threaten to destroy them and their beloved city. Marauding Turks abduct a beautiful young Florentine girl and sell her into slavery. And then a holy painting begins weeping in Guid Antonio s church. Are the tears manmade or a sign of God s displeasure with Guid Antonio himself? In a finely wrought story for lovers of medieval and renaissance mysteries everywhere Guid Antonio follows a spellbinding trail of clues to uncover the thought-provoking truth about the missing girl and the weeping painting s mystifying and miraculous? tears all pursued as he comes face to face with his own personal demons.

Praise for The Sign of the Weeping Virgin

“Fans of historical mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this chance to visit the Italy of 1480 in the company of real-life historical figure Guid’Antonio Vespucci, a Florence lawyer. Backed up by sure-handed storytelling and scrupulous research into the period, White creates richly evocative descriptions of Renaissance-era Florence certain to please the amateur historian and armchair tourist.” - Publishers Weekly Review

“A Florentine lawyer must solve a murder to keep his city from imploding. One hopes that White’s clever tale, meticulously researched and pleasingly written, is the first in a series that will bring Florence and its many famous denizens to life.” - Starred Kirkus Review

About the Author

Alana White's fascination with the Italian Renaissance led to her first short historical mystery fiction, then to a full-length novel, The Sign of the Weeping Virgin, forthcoming from Five Star Mysteries in December 2012. Set in Renaissance Florence, The Sign of the Weeping Virgin features lawyer Guid'Antonio Vespucci and his adventurous young nephew, Amerigo Vespucci, as they investigate crime in Renaissance Florence. Alana's articles and book reviews appear regularly in Renaissance Magazine and the Historical Novels Review. In young adult+ books, she is the author of Come Next Spring, a novel set in 1940s Appalachia, and a biography, Sacagawea: Westward with Lewis and Clark. She is currently working on her second Guid'Antonio Vespucci mystery.

www.alanawhite.com

Giveaway (Open Internationally)

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway). 

- +5 additional entries become a follower of Passages to the Past. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries. 

- +3 additional entries join the Passages to the Past FB Page. 

- +3 additional entries follow PTTP on Twitter. 

- +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on Facebook or Google+. You can use the SHARE buttons below. 

- Giveaway ends on December 17th.

Good luck to all!

 

 

 

Robin Maxwell's THE SECRET DIARY OF ANNE BOLEYN

 
In celebration of the 24th printing of THE SECRET DIARY OF ANNE BOLEYN, author Robin Maxwell is hosting a giveaway for one copy of her book and a beautiful leather bound journal on Facebook! Click HERE to enter.

With the new printing, not only is there a fabulous new cover but Robin has written a fantastic Author's Note.  It's quite lengthy, but totally worth the read!  Check it out HERE.

About the Book

Original Publication Date: May 28, 1998 
Touchstone Publishing 
281p 

{SYNOPSIS} 

In this "energetic" (Kirkus Reviews) re-creation of Anne Boleyn's tragic life -- and death -- Robin Maxwell offers a pitch-perfect version of a bawdy and exuberant time filled with lust, betrayal, love, and murder. When the young Queen Elizabeth I is entrusted with Anne Boleyn's secret diary, she discovers a great deal about the much-maligned mother she never knew. And on learning the truth about her lascivious and despotic father, Henry VIII, she vows never to relinquish control to any man. But this avowal doesn't prevent Elizabeth from pursuing a torrid love affair with her horsemaster, Robin Dudley -- described with near-shocking candor -- as too are Anne's graphic trysts with a very persistent and lustful Henry. Blending a historian's attention to accuracy with a novelist's artful rendering, Maxwell weaves compelling descriptions of court life and devastating portraits of actual people into her naughty, page-turning tale. The result is a masterpiece of historical fiction -- so prophetic of our time that one would think it were ripped from today's headlines. 

 Praise for The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn 

"Long before Philippa Gregory, there was Robin Maxwell, whose novel The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn changed the way readers perceived Henry VIII's second wife. In this dramatic retelling of Anne's life, Maxwell creates an historical fiction classic. But beware: this is truly addictive reading." - Michelle Moran, author of Madame Tussaud "History doesn't come more fascinating - or lurid - than the wife-felling reign of Henry VIII." — Entertainment Weekly 

"A wonderfully juicy historical novel so convincing that it's difficult to believe it is the author's first...Maxwell brings all of bloody Tudor England vividly to life." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) 

"Vivid and immediate, penned in the queen's own words, The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn intertwines Anne's tumultuous rise and fall with the early reign of her daughter, as Elizabeth struggles to assert her power. With a unique gift for bringing the past to life, Robin Maxwell catapults us into the hearts and minds of two women bound by blood and fate in the perilous intrigues of the Tudor court. The result is dazzling, historical fiction at its finest." — C. W. Gortner, author of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici 

About the Author 

Robin Maxwell grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, graduated from Tufts University School of Occupational Therapy, and practiced in that field for several years before moving to Hollywood to become a parrot tamer, casting director and finally a screenwriter. Working for the major studios and networks she wrote comedy, drama and even feature animation for Disney. Her credits include "Passions", a CBS movie of the week, starring Joanne Woodward. 

www.robinmaxwell.com

 

2013 Release: The Forbidden Queen by Anne O'Brien

Oooh, I am really looking forward to this release!  I only see a UK release date at the moment, but I'll be on the lookout for when it's released in the US.  Isn't it a great cover!?

UK Publication Date: March 1, 2013 
Mira Books 
464p 

{SYNOPSIS} 

1415. The Battle of Agincourt is over, and the young princess Katherine de Valois is the prize to be offered to Henry V of England. The innocent Katherine is smitten with Henry, but soon understands that her sole purpose is to produce an heir to unite England and France. When Henry leaves her a widow at the age of 21, Katherine is forced to resign herself to a quiet life as the Dowager Queen; her duty is to raise her son, the young King of England, and little more.

But Katherine is still young and passionate. Many desire her, and her hand in marriage is worth a kingdom. Setting aside those driven by ambition, Katherine falls in love with her servant Owen Tudor, and glimpses the happiness that love can bring. But their enemies are circling, all battling for power and determined to prevent their marriage. Katherine will have to fight to control her own destiny…

In this compelling and beautifully written book, Anne O’Brien tells the story of the innocent young princess, Katherine de Valois, a pawn in a ruthless political game between England and France, and the woman who founded the most famous royal dynasty of all – the Tudors.

Win a copy of The Raven's Heart: A Story of a Quest, a Castle and Mary Queen of Scots by Jesse Blackadder!

Today is the kick-off day for Jesse Blackadder's virtual book tour for The Raven's Heart: A Story of a Quest, a Castle and Mary Queen of Scots and in celebration I am hosting a giveaway for one copy!

Jesse is touring with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours from December 3 - 21, please see the schedule of stops at the end of this post to follow the tour.

About the Book 

Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Bywater Books
464p

{SYNOPSIS}

Scotland, 1561, and a ship comes across the North Sea carrying home Mary, the young, charismatic Queen of Scots, returning after 13 years in the French court to wrest back control of her throne.

The Blackadder family has long awaited for the Queen’s return to bring them justice. Alison Blackadder, disguised as a boy from childhood to protect her from the murderous clan that stole their lands, must learn to be a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, building a web of dependence and reward.

Just as the Queen can trust nobody, Alison discovers lies, danger and treachery at every turn. Then, unexpectedly, she finds love…

This sweeping, imaginative and original tale of political intrigue, misplaced loyalty, secret passion and implacable revenge is based on real characters and events from the reign of Mary Queen of Scots. The Raven’s Heart is a breathtaking epic from a bold, fresh Australian voice.

Book Trailer



About the Author

Yes, Jesse Blackadder really was born with that surname. When she finally had enough of people asking if she was related to Rowan Atkinson, she travelled to Scotland to find the origins of her surname. Her novel The Raven’s Heart grew from there. It won the Varuna HarperCollins Manuscript Development Award in 2009 and was published in Feb 2011.

Jesse is an award winning Australian novelist, short story writer and freelance journalist, fascinated by landscapes and belonging. Her first novel was After the Party (Hardie Grant Books 2005), which made the Australian Book Review list of all time favourite Australian novels in February 2010. She’s been a writer in residence in Sitka Alaska, in outback New South Wales, at Byron Bay and at Varuna in the Blue Mountains. Jesse’s next book, which she is writing as part of a Doctor of Creative Arts at the University of Western Sydney, is about the first woman to see Antarctica and Jesse recently travelled to Antarctica as part of her research.

Connect with Jesse Blackadder:  WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Virtual Tour Schedule

Monday, December 3
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, December 4 
Giveaway at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Wednesday, December 5
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Thursday, December 6 
Review & Giveaway at Griperang's Bookmarks

Friday, December 7
Review & Giveaway at Paperback Princess

Monday, December 10
Review at Book Journey
Review & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Tuesday, December 11
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, December 12
Review at Bonjour Cass
Review at The Worm Hole

Thursday, December 13
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Friday, December 14
Review at Book Dilettante

Monday, December 17
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Tuesday, December 18
Review at One Book at a Time
Review & Giveaway at Book of Secrets

Wednesday, December 19
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Thursday, December 20
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Friday, December 21
Review at JulzReads
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Review at Raging Bibliomania

Giveaway (Open Internationally)

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway). 

- +5 additional entries become a follower of Passages to the Past. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries. 

- +3 additional entries join the Passages to the Past FB Page. 

- +3 additional entries follow PTTP on Twitter. 

- +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on Facebook or Google+. You can use the SHARE buttons below. 

- Giveaway ends on December 12th.

Good luck to all!

Interview with Michelle Diener + Giveaway of The Emperor's Conspiracy

Please welcome author Michelle Diener to Passages to the Past! Michelle is here as part of her virtual tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for The Emperor's Conspiracy and she was kind enough to answer a few questions for me! 

Be sure to check out the schedule of stops for her virtual tour below, as well as enter to win a copy of The Emperor's Conspiracy!

What was the inspiration behind writing The Emperor’s Conspiracy?  And what drew you to set it in Regency London? 

I really find it hard to nail down a favorite historical period, because I love so many, but the characters for this story, specifically Charlotte, arrived in my mind complete with setting, and the very real plot by Napoleon wormed its way into the story, so that defined the actual date of 1811. As for insprication, I started out writing The Emperor's Conspiracy more than five years ago, and in those early days it was much more light-hearted. As I researched the life of a London sweep and a child labourer, I realized the whole story would have to be grittier and darker, and I mulled things over for years before actually rewriting what little I had already written, and finishing the story. 

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? And why historical fiction? 

I've always wanted to be a writer. I love reading, I love books, but I always wanted more stories, and I wanted the stories to go a specific way. I didn't always agree with the author. LOL. What choice did I have but to write stories of my own? If I can keep someone up late, transport them away to another world, just like I do when I'm reading a wonderful book, then I consider myself sucessful. As for historical fiction, well, I love history. I absolutely love it. I studied it at high school and university, and read all historical non-fiction I can find. But I have to admit I love fantasy and sci-fi, too. And you may be seeing some books from me in those genres in a year or so. :) But I'll never not write historical fiction. I have way too many historical fiction stories in me for that to ever happen. 

Can you take us through a day in your life while you are writing a novel? 

I get up and get the kids ready for school, then I walk them over, and keep going on my walking route, which is roughly 5 kms. Then I get home and shower, and then if I'm not expecting any urgent email, I go straight to writing for a couple of hours. I do some chores, open up my email, and attend to the other business of being a writer that isn't writing, then try to fit in another couple of hours of writing before I fetch the kids and take them off to their after-school activities, homework, etc. At night, if I have the energy, I'll try to write for another hour when the kids are in bed. 

What authors inspire you? 

Oh, so many! My critique partners, Liz Kreger and Edie Ramer, inspire me for their dedication to their craft, their perseverance and their generosity of spirit. Authors such as Jayne Anne Krentz, Dick Francis, Terry Pratchett, Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts, Iain M. Banks, Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, Patricia Briggs, Sulman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood inspire me with their consistent excellence and ability to totally lose me in their worlds. And they are just the ones that leapt into my mind this minute, I'm sure there are plenty I'll think of later. 

What book would you like to read again for the first time? 

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks. It has such a twist at the end, any re-reading you do, you can't help but read in the light of that final revelation, which changes the way you see so many characters. So you can never re-read with the same sense of discovery. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? 

Understand that it is hard. It is supposed to be hard. And when you've finished something, I highly recommend leaving it for at least a month, before taking it out and doing a final edit. You won't regret it! 

What project on you working on next? 

I just finished a book that is a sequel to The Emperor's Conspiracy, tentatively entitled Banquet of Lies. Charlotte and Edward are secondary characters in this book, but it stands on its own, like The Emperor's Conspiracy. To give myself a break, I'm working on writing a full length novel inspired by my short story contribution to the Entangled Anthology. Breaking Out, my contemporary paranormal contribution, has resulted in a barrage of emails from readers asking me to continue the story. I'm obliging. I will probably put a book together which includes Breaking Out as the first four chapters, and carries on from there. 

About the Book

Publication Date:  November 27, 2012
Gallery Books
336p

{SYNOPSIS}

From nineteenth-century London’s elegant ballrooms to its darkest slums, a spirited young woman and a nobleman investigating for the Crown unmask a plot by Napoleon to bleed England of its gold.

Chance led to Charlotte Raven’s transformation from chimney sweep to wealthy, educated noblewoman, but she still walks a delicate tightrope between two worlds, unable to turn her back on the ruthless crime lord who was once her childhood protector.

When Lord Edward Durnham is tapped to solve the mystery of England’s rapidly disappearing gold, his search leads him to the stews of London, and Charlotte becomes his intriguing guide to the city’s dark, forbidding underworld. But as her involvement brings Charlotte to the attention of men who have no qualms about who they hurt, and as Edward forges a grudging alliance with the dangerous ghosts of Charlotte’s former life, she faces a choice: to continue living in limbo, or to close the door on the past and risk her heart and her happiness on an unpredictable future.

About the Author

Michelle Diener has always had a passion for reading and writing. She began writing stories when her parents gave her a typewriter for her twelfth birthday, and she hasn’t stopped since. Born in London and raised in South Africa, she now lives on the west coast of Australia with her husband and two small children.  

She is the author of Dangerous Sanctuary, In a Treacherous Court and Keeper of the King's Secrets.

Connect with Michelle Diener: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

The Emperor's Conspiracy Virtual Tour Schedule

Monday, November 26
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, November 28
Review & Giveaway at Books Devoured

Friday, November 30
Author Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Monday, December 3
Review & Giveaway at My Reading Room
Review, Author Interview & Giveaway at A Bookish Libraria

Tuesday, December 4
Review at Historical Tapestry & The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Wednesday, December 5
Review & Giveaway at Book of Secrets

Friday, December 7
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading   

Monday, December 10
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair 


Giveaway (US ONLY)

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway). 

- +5 additional entries become a follower of Passages to the Past. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries. 

- +3 additional entries join the Passages to the Past FB Page. 

- +3 additional entries follow PTTP on Twitter. 

- +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on Facebook or Google+. You can use the SHARE buttons below. 

- Giveaway ends on December 10th.

Good luck to all!