Blog Tour & Giveaway: Anvil of God by J. Boyce Gleason

Today kicks off the virtual tour for J. Boyce Gleason's Anvil of God (Book One, Carolingian Chronicles) and I am thrilled to be hosting a giveaway!  

J. Boyce will be on tour through November 29 and you can find the full tour schedule below.

Publication Date: July 26, 2013
iUniverse
Paperback; 440p
ISBN-10: 1475990197

It is 741. After subduing the pagan religions in the east, halting the march of Islam in the west, and conquering the continent for the Merovingian kings, mayor of the palace Charles the Hammer has one final ambition-the throne. Only one thing stands in his way-he is dying.

Charles cobbles together a plan to divide the kingdom among his three sons, betroth his daughter to a Lombard prince to secure his southern border, and keep the Church unified behind them through his friend Bishop Boniface. Despite his best efforts, the only thing to reign after Charles's death is chaos. His daughter has no intention of marrying anyone, let alone a Lombard prince. His two eldest sons question the rights of their younger pagan stepbrother, and the Church demands a steep price for their support. Son battles son, Christianity battles paganism, and Charles's daughter flees his court for an enemy's love.

Based on a true story, Anvil of God is a whirlwind of love, honor, sacrifice, and betrayal that follows a bereaved family's relentless quest for power and destiny.

Buy Links

AbeBooks
Alibris
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Better World Books
Book Depository
Google Play
IndieBound
Indigo
Kobo

About the Author

After a 25-year career in crisis management and public affairs, J. Boyce Gleason began writing historical fiction and is publishing his first novel ANVIL OF GOD, Book One of the Carolingian Chronicles. With an AB in history from Dartmouth College, Gleason brings a strong understanding of the past to his historical fiction. He is married, has three sons and lives in Virginia.

For more information please visit www.jboycegleason.com.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 29
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Wednesday, October 30
Review at Library of Alexandra

Monday, November 4
Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, November 5
Review at Reading the Ages

Wednesday, November 6
Guest Post at HF Connection

Thursday, November 7
Interview & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court

Monday, November 11
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Tuesday, November 12
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Wednesday, November 13
Review at From LA to L.A.
Review at The Most Happy Reader

Thursday, November 14
Review at Bibliophilic Book Blog
Interview & Giveaway at The Most Happy Reader

Monday, November 18
Review & Giveaway at The Bookworm

Tuesday, November 19
Review at A Book Geek

Wednesday, November 20
Review at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, November 21
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Friday, November 22
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie

Monday, November 25
Review at Griperang's Bookmarks
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Wednesday, November 27
Review at The Calico Critic

Thursday, November 28
Review & Giveaway at WTF Are You Reading?

Friday, November 29
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Giveaway 

Passages to the Past has one paperback copy of Anvil of God up for grabs. Giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on November 8th. To enter, please complete form below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Giveaway: Forgetting Tabitha: The Story of an Orphan Train Rider by Julie Dewey (International)

To wrap up the virtual tour for Julie Dewey's novel, Forgetting Tabitha, Passages to the Past is pleased to bring you a giveaway!

Julie Dewey was on tour from October 7th and you can find all of the links from the tour at the end of this post.  There are a few other giveaways still going, so be sure to enter them as well.

Publication Date: August 3, 2013
CreateSpace
Paperback; 280p
ISBN-10: 1491039248

Raised on a farm outside of West Chester County, Tabitha Salt, the daughter of Irish immigrants, leads a sheltered existence. When tragedy strikes the family, the ten year old and her mother are forced to move to the notorious Five Points District in New York City. Known for its brothels, gangs, gambling halls, corrupt politicians, and thieves, the Five Points is a chaotic slum. The women find work as laundresses, struggling every day to survive in their squalid living conditions.

When tragedy strikes again, Tabitha finds herself on the streets of New York City, alone. Summoning her courage and willing her legs that are numb with fear and grief to move, she takes to a life on the streets. Stealing food and running from the law, Tabitha dreams of the future.

During this time the Sisters of Charity were plucking orphans off the streets with promises of a new life. Children were told to forget their pasts, including their religious beliefs, families, and names. They were to become Christian and were given new identities, only then could they board the orphan trains. The orphan trains carried the destitute children out west in search of new homes. Siblings were often ripped apart and many didn’t find homes but became indentured workers in exchange for room and board.

The looming decision would alter her life course; boarding the train meant leaving everything and everyone she knew behind. Vulnerable and afraid she made her decision.

The story is a true to life chronicle reflecting the saga of hundreds of thousands of homeless or neglected children who were placed on orphan trains from 1854 to 1929. The orphan train movement led to numerous reforms having to do with welfare and child labor laws. Many people believe it is the origin of modern foster care.

About the Author

Julie Dewey is a novelist who resides with her family in Central New York. Her daughter is a singer/songwriter, and her son is a boxer. Her husband is an all-around hard working, fantastic guy with gorgeous blue eyes that had her falling for him the moment they met.

In addition to researching and writing she is an avid reader. She is also passionate about jewelry design and gemstones. She loves anything creative, whether it be knitting, stamping, scrapping, decoupaging, working with metal, or decorating.

Visit her at www.juliedewey.com to get your reading guide for this book and to read an excerpt from One Thousand Porches, her second novel.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, October 7
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, October 8
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Guest Post at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, October 9
Review at West Metro Mommy

Thursday, October 10
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Review & Giveaway at The Eclectic Reader

Friday, October 11
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Giveaway

Passages to the Past has one copy of Forgetting Tabitha up for grabs. To enter, please complete the form below. Giveaway is open internationally and ends on October 22.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: The Loyalist's Wife by Elaine Cougler

Elaine Cougler's virtual tour for The Loyalist's Wife begins today and to kick off the festivities Passages to the Past is hosting a giveaway!

Elaine will be on tour through October 21 and you can find the full schedule of stops below.


Publication Date: June 20, 2013
CreateSpace
Paperback; 342p
ISBN-10: 1490414894

When American colonists resort to war against Britain and her colonial attitudes, a young couple caught in the crossfire must find a way to survive. Pioneers in the wilds of New York State, John and Lucy face a bitter separation and the fear of losing everything, even their lives, when he joins Butler’s Rangers to fight for the King and leaves her to care for their isolated farm. As the war in the Americas ramps up, ruffians roam the colonies looking to snap up Loyalist land. Alone, pregnant, and fearing John is dead, Lucy must fight with every weapon she has.

With vivid scenes of desperation, heroism, and personal angst, Elaine Cougler takes us back to the beginnings of one great country and the planting of Loyalist seeds for another. The Loyalist’s Wife transcends the fighting between nations to show us the individual cost of such battles.

The Loyalist’s Wife is the first of three books in The Loyalist Trilogy. The Loyalist’s Luck is scheduled for release in June, 2014 and The Loyalist Legacy in June, 2015. 

Praise for The Loyalist's Wife

“Elaine Cougler has written a page-turning novel of the American Revolution through the eyes of a conflicted loyalist soldier and his indomitable wife. You’ll feel the hardship of homesteading, the fear of the enemy, the blows of battle, and the pain of separation. You’ll be transported through history. This is not just a novel written about another time, it seems written in another time.” Terry Fallis, author of The Best Laid Plans, Stephen Leacock medal winner

Buy Links

Amazon US
Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble 
Kobo Books
 
About the Author

A native of Southern Ontario, Elaine taught high school and with her husband raised two children until she finally had time to pursue her writing career. She loves to research both family history and history in general for the stories of real people that emanate from the dusty pages. These days writing is Elaine’s pleasure and her obsession. Telling the stories of Loyalists caught in the American Revolutionary War is very natural as her personal roots are thoroughly enmeshed in that struggle, out of which arose both Canada and the United States.

For more information please visit Elaine's website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. 

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, October 7
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, October 8
Review at West Metro Mommy

Wednesday, October 9
Review at Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, October 10
Review at Unabridged Chick
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, October 11
Review & Giveaway at Kinx's Book Nook

Monday, October 14
Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, October 15
Review at A Bookish Affair
Guest Post at Book Lovers Paradise

Thursday, October 17
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Friday, October 18
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Monday, October 21
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Giveaway

Passages to the Past has one copy (eBook or Print - winner's choice) of The Loyalist's Wife up for grabs. To enter, please complete form below. Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Ends on October 17. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: The Nine Fold Heaven by Mingmei Yip

As part of the virtual book tour for The Nine Fold Heaven by Mingmei Yip, Passages to the Past has one copy to giveaway to a lucky winner!  

Mingmei Yip is on tour through October 11 and you can see the full schedule of stops below.

Publication Date: June 25, 2013
Kensington Publishing
Paperback; 320p
ISBN-10: 0758273541

In this mesmerizing new novel, Mingmei Yip draw readers deeper into the exotic world of 1930s Shanghai first explored in Skeleton Women, and into the lives of the unforgettable Camilla, Shadow, and Rainbow Chang.

When Shadow, a gifted, ambitious magician, competed with the beautiful singer spy Camilla for the affections of organized crime leader Master Lung, she almost lost everything. Hiding out in Hong Kong, performing in a run-down circus, Shadow has no idea that Camilla, too, is on the run with her lover, Jinying – Lung’s son.

Yet while Camilla and Shadow were once enemies, now their only hope of freedom lies in joining forces to eliminate the ruthless gangster Big Brother Wang. Despite the danger, Shadow, Camilla, and Jinying return to Shanghai. Camilla also has her own secret agenda – she has heard a rumor that her baby son is alive. And in a city teeming with spies and rivals – including the vengeful gossip columnist Rainbow Chang – each battles for a future in a country on the verge of monumental change.

Praise for The Nine Fold Heaven

A guilty pleasure....enjoy the exotic location and characters.... This is a large, luscious box of chocolates. Go on. You know you want to." -RTBook 4 star Review, June 2012

Entertaining diversion is (a strength of this book) -Publisher's Weekly

Poignant and often heartbreaking story captivatin mix of worldly and ethereal, mystery and drama kept me interested and kept me reading with her journal cum memoir style that few authors pull off. I loved how she incorporated in her narrative Chinese customs, legends, myths and beliefs and especially how she quoted from long ago texts on war and strategies, it was her characters that dominated the pages. -Bookclub.BarnesandNoble.com, June 1, 2012

What a phenomenal novel!! The characters are well-developed and the storyline is amazing and reads fast. So much is going on you won't be able to put the book down and you'll be turning the last page before you know it. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone. Great job Mingmei!!! -Bookbag Lady, June 13, 2012

Book Trailer


Buy Links

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
IndieBound
Kensington Publishing


About the Author

When she was a child, Mingmei Yip made up stories like “how the moon reached to slap the sun” and “how the dim sum on my plate suddenly got up to tango.” At fifteen, she was thrilled that not only her article got published but she was paid ten dollars for it. Now Mingmei is a best selling novelist and children’s book writer and illustrator.

Mingmei believes that one should, besides being entertained, also get something out of reading a novel. She has now twelve books to her credit, including five novels by Kensington Books: The Nine Fold Heaven, Skeleton Women, Song of the Silk Road, Petals from the Sky, and Peach Blossom Pavilion. Book Examiner praises her novels as “A unique and enthralling style…flawless.” Her two children’s books are Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories and Grandma Panda’s China Storybook, both by Tuttle Publishing.

Mingmei is accomplished in many other fields. A professional player of the Guqin, Chinese zither, for over thirty years, she was recently invited by Carnegie Hall to perform in “A Festival celebrating Chinese Culture” in the same program with cellist Yo Yo Ma and pianist Lang Lang. She had her solo Goddess exhibition at the New York Open Center Gallery to great acclaim, gave calligraphy workshop at New York’s Metropolitain Museum of Art, and Taichi at the International Women’s Writing Guild.

For more information please visit Mingmei's website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Amazon.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, September 16
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, September 17
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, September 18
Review at Must Read Faster
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, September 19
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, September 20
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Monday, September 23
Guest Post at Closed the Cover

Thursday, September 26
Guest Post at HF Connection

Tuesday, October 1
Review at Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, October 3
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Friday, October 4
Guest Post at History Undressed

Tuesday, October 8
Review at A Bookish Libraria

Wednesday, October 9
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, October 11
Review at Silver's Reviews

Giveaway 

Passages to the Past has one copy up for grabs. To enter, please complete form below. The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 13. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway