2014 Release: Silent Murders (A Roaring Twenties Mystery) by Mary Miley


 Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Minotaur Books
Hardcover & eBook; 320p

Genre: Historical Mystery
Series: A Roaring Twenties Mystery (Book 2)

Vaudeville actress Leah Randall took on her most daring role ever when she impersonated missing heiress Jessie Carr in order to claim Jessie’s inheritance in The Impersonator. Now that the dust has settled around that tumultuous time in her life, Leah has adopted Jessie’s name as her own and moved to Hollywood, where she's taken a modest but steady job in the silent film industry.

Jessie’s thrilled when Bruno Heilmann, a movie studio bigwig, invites her to a party. She’s even more delighted to run into a face from her past at that party. But the following day, Jessie learns that sometime in the wee hours of the morning both her old friend and Bruno Heilmann were brutally murdered. She’s devastated, but with her skill as an actress, access to the wardrobes and resources of a film studio, and a face not yet famous enough to be recognized, Jessie is uniquely positioned to dig into the circumstances surrounding these deaths. But will doing so put her own life directly in the path of a murderer?

With Silent Murders, MB/MWA First Crime Novel Competition winner Mary Miley has crafted another terrifically fun mystery, this time set in the dizzying, dazzling heart of jazz-age Hollywood.

Book Blast & Giveaway: Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift

I am very excited to be hosting Deborah Swift's Book Blast for Shadow on the Highway, the first book in her YA historical series, The Highway Trilogy. There are 5 eBooks and 5 paperback copies up for grabs!

01_Shadow on the Highway

Publication Date: July 15, 2014 | Endeavor Press | Formats: eBook, Paperback; 200P

Series: The Highway Trilogy
Genre: Historical Fiction/YA (14+)

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May 1651. England has been in the midst of a civil war for nearly ten years. The country has been torn in two, and the King is getting ready to make his last stand against Cromwell’s New Model Army.

Abigail Chaplin, a young mute girl, has lost her father to the parliamentarian cause. But with her family now in reduced circumstances, she is forced to work as a servant at a royalist household - the estate of Lady Katherine Fanshawe.

Abi is soon caught up in a web of sinister secrets which surround the Fanshawe estate. The most curious of which is the disappearance of Lady Katherine late at night.

Why are her husband’s clothes worn and muddy even though he hasn’t been home for weeks? How is she stealing out of the house late at night when her room is being guarded? And what is her involvement with the robberies being committed by the mysterious Shadow on the Highway?

‘Shadow On The Highway’ is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as ‘The Wicked Lady’. It is the first book in ‘The Highway Trilogy’.

Praise for Deborah Swift

"There is no greater compliment than 'Give me more!'" - Author Susanna Gregory

"realistic dialogue, an author’s obvious love for history, and characters that leap off the pages" - Romance Reviews Today

"genuinely engrossing… with characters you can get interested in" - The Mum Website

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK

Deborah SwiftAbout the Author

Deborah Swift used to work in the theatre and at the BBC as a set and costume designer, before studying for an MA in Creative Writing in 2007. She lives in a beautiful area of Lancashire near the Lake District National Park. She is the author of The Lady’s Slipper and is a member of the Historical Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, and the Romantic Novelists Association.

For more information, please visit Deborah’s website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Shadow on the Highway Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 25
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, August 26
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at Princess of Eboli

Wednesday, August 27
Guest Post at Reading the Past
Book Blast at Broken Teepee

Thursday, August 28
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Book Blast at Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, August 29
Book Blast at Passages to the Past
Book Blast at What Is That Book About

Monday, September 1
Review at The Maiden's Court
Book Blast at Reading Lark

Tuesday, September 2
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, September 3
Review at A Bookish Affair

Friday, September 5
Book Blast at Curling Up By the Fire

Saturday, September 6
Book Blast at A Book Geek

Monday, September 8
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Tuesday, September 9
Review at Brooke Blogs
Book Blast at CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, September 10
Review at Unabridged Chick
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Thursday, September 11
Review & Guest Post at Just One More Chapter
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Book Blast at Luxury Reading

Friday, September 12
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, September 15
Review at Historical Tapestry
Book Blast at A Bibliophile's Reverie

Giveaway

To win a Paperback or eBook of Shadow on the Highway please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Five copies of each are up for grabs. Giveaway is open internationally.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on September 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on September 16th and notified via email.
Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
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Audiobook Giveaway: Tower of Tears by Rhoda D'Ettore

Today on the blog I am pleased to be hosting Rhoda D'Ettore's Blog Tour for Tower of Tears, the first book in The McClusky Series, with a giveaway for two Audiobooks!

Through the tour there will be giveaways of eBooks and print copies, so be sure to see the schedule of stops below to know when & where to enter!

02_Tower of Tears

Pub Date: May 25, 2014 | CreateSpace Independent Publishing | Formats: eBook, Paperback, Audio Book

Genre: Historical Fiction

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Betrayal. Despair. Murder. Mystery. Romance. Blackmail. "If God be good, Mr. Landon will burn in the eternal flames of hell. If God be bad, he will suffer much worse." In 1820, a young woman and her son leave Ireland for a better life in America. She soon suffers heartache and tragedy, while residing with family whom she has never met. Unbeknownst to her, the family had already set her up with employment in a factory--a factory run by a lecherous man. This is the first book in a series that will follow the McClusky family while they become Americanized while face with the Potato Famine, the US Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution.

READ AN EXCERPT.

Buy the Book

Amazon
Amazon (Audio Book)
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

NMFA_LOGO_TAGNational Military Family Association

$1 per sale will be donated, regardless of what format is purchased---ebook, print, audiobook & regardless of site purchased---will be donated to the National Military Family Association. This organization helps families reconnect when the parents return from deployments, as well as helping families with other transitions and keeping the children active while the parents are deployed.

About the Author

03_Rhoda D'EttoreRhoda D'Ettore was born in Woodbury, New Jersey, into a family of 5 siblings--which has provided her with plenty of comical material. She began working at the United States Postal Service at 25 years old, and over the past 15 years has accumulated many humorous stories about situations that the public never gets to know about. Her first ebook, "Goin' Postal: True Stories of a U.S. Postal Worker" was so popular that readers requested it in paperback. Recently, she published the humorous "Goin' Postal" in paperback along with another story entitled, "The Creek: Where Stories of the Past Come Alive". Combining these two into one book may seem strange, as one is humorous and the other is a heart wrenching historical fiction, however, doing so proves to the reader Rhoda D'Ettore's versatility.

Rhoda D'Ettore received her degree in Human & Social Services while working at USPS, has travelled extensively, and loves history. Over the years she has volunteered for several community service organizations, including fostering abused and neglected dogs for a Dalmatian rescue.

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

Tower of Tears Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 25
Spotlight & Giveaway at What Is That Book About

Tuesday, August 26
Spotlight & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, August 27
Guest Post at Mythical Books

Friday, August 29
Spotlight & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Monday, September 1
Guest Post at Book Babe

Thursday, September 4
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Monday, September 8
Interview & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, September 9
Review at Griperang's Bookmarks

Thursday, September 11
Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Friday, September 12
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, September 15
Review at WV Stitcher

Tuesday, September 16
Review & Giveaway at Beth's Book Reviews

Friday, September 19
Review at Unshelfish
Review & Giveaway at Brooke Blogs

Giveaway

To win an audiobook of Tower of Tears, please complete the form below. Giveaway is open internationally and ends on September 7th.

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Giveaway: Revenge & Retribution by Anna Belfrage #HFVBTBlogTour

Today I am pleased as punch to be hosting Anna Belfrage's HFVBT Blog Tour for Revenge & Retribution, book six of the Graham Saga, with a giveaway!

02_Revenge & Retribution

Publication Date: July 1,2014 | SilverWood Books | Formats: Ebook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction/Time-Slip
Series: The Graham Saga

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Revenge and Retribution is the sixth book in Anna Belfrage’s time slip series featuring time traveller Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham.

Life in the Colony of Maryland is no sinecure – as Alex and Matthew Graham well know. But nothing in their previous life has prepared them for the mayhem that is about to be unleashed upon them.

Being labelled a witch is not a good thing in 1684, so it is no wonder Alex Graham is aghast at having such insinuations thrown at her. Even worse, it’s Matthew’s brother-in-law, Simon Melville, who points finger at her.

Not that the ensuing hearing is her main concern, because nowadays Alex’s entire life is tainted by the fear of what Philip Burley will do to them once he gets hold of them – there is no longer any ‘if’ about it. On a sunny May afternoon, it seems Philip Burley will at last revenge himself on Matthew for every single perceived wrong. Over the course of twenty-four hours, Alex’s life – and that of her family’s – is permanently changed.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Alex also has to cope with the loss of one of her sons. Forcibly adopted by the former Susquehannock, Samuel is dragged from Alex’s arms to begin a new life in the wilderness.

How is Alex to survive all this? And will she be able to put her damaged family back together?

Graham Saga Titles

Book One: A Rip in the Veil
Book Two: Like Chaff in the Wind
Book Three: The Prodigal Son
Book Four: A Newfound Land
Book Five: Serpents in the Garden
Book Six: Revenge & Retribution
Book Seven: Whither Thou Goest (November 2014)
Book Eight: To Catch a Falling Star (March 2015)


About the Author

Anna BelfrageI was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical – both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am – I have achieved my dream.

For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Friday, August 15
Review at Just One More Chapter

Monday, August 18
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, August 19
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Guest Post at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, August 20
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Friday, August 22
Review at Layered Pages

Monday, August 25
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, August 26
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, August 27
Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews

Friday, August 29
Review at Book Nerd

Monday, September 1
Review at Dianne Ascroft Blog

Tuesday, September 2
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, September 3
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Thursday, September 4
Review at Kincavel Korner

Friday, September 5
Guest Post at Kincavel Korner
Guest Post at bookworm2bookworm's Blog

Giveaway

To win a copy of Revenge & Retribution please complete the form below. Giveaway is open internationally and ends on September 6th.

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Giveaway: The Captive Queen by Danny Saunders #HFVBTBlogTour

02_The Captive Queen

Pub Date: April 24, 2014 | CreateSpace Independent Publishing | Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

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Political schemes, religious partisanship and unbridled love shake the Royal Court of Scotland at the end of the Stuart dynasty.

Witness to sordid murders, spy for Her Majesty among the Protestants of the infamous preacher John Knox, forced to give up her one true love, thrown out onto the streets then ruthlessly attacked by a drunkard, Charlotte Gray will do everything in her power to remain the sovereign’s lady-in-waiting.

As for the Queen of Scots, she faces turmoil of a completely different kind: prisoner in a castle under the command of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, Mary Stuart learns that she is the victim of a vast conspiracy and that her English counterpart has ordered her imminent execution.

Despite their hardships, Mary and Charlotte will keep their dignity throughout the storm. The two women will finally find serenity, one in the arms of a man and the other in the arms of God.

Interwoven with historical facts of the era, the thrilling The Captive Queen saga is worthy of the greatest royal intrigues that still fascinate us several centuries later.

Watch the Book Trailer



Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CAN
Amazon AUS
Barnes & Noble

About the Author

03_Danny Saunders AuthorDanny Saunders is a true European history enthusiast. He has always been keenly interested in royalty. Danny holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and also pursued communication studies at the university level. He has worked as a journalist for various written and electronic media. Of Scottish descent, Danny takes genuine pride in his British roots. The Captive Queen: A Novel of Mary Stuart is his first historical novel.

To find out more about the author Danny Saunders, you can visit his website at www.dannysaunders.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Captive Queen: A Novel of Mary Stuart Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 25
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, August 26
Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, August 27
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, August 28
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, August 29
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, September 1
Review at JulzReads

Tuesday, September 2
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, September 3
Interview at To Read or Not To Read

Friday, September 5
Review & Giveaway at Book Lovers Paradise

Monday, September 8
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, September 9
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, September 10
Excerpt & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Friday, September 12
Review at Princess of Eboli

Giveaway

To win a copy of The Captive Queen please complete the form below. Giveaway is open to US, UK, AUS, NZ, and CAN residents only. Giveaway ends on September 5th.

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2015 Historical Fiction Releases


The Dream Lover
by Elizabeth Berg

Pub Date: April 7, 2015
Random House
Hardcover; 368p

A passionate and powerful novel based on the scandalous life of the French novelist George Sand, her famous lovers, untraditional Parisian lifestyle, and bestselling novels in Paris during the 1830s and 40s. This major departure for bestseller Berg is for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.

George Sand was a 19th century French novelist known not only for her novels but even more for her scandalous behavior. After leaving her estranged husband, Sand moved to Paris where she wrote, wore men’s clothing, smoked cigars, and had love affairs with famous men and an actress named Marie. In an era of incredible artistic talent, Sand was the most famous female writer of her time. Her lovers and friends included Frederic Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugene Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and more. In a major departure, Elizabeth Berg has created a gorgeous novel about the life of George Sand, written in luminous prose, with exquisite insight into the heart and mind of a woman who was considered the most passionate and gifted genius of her time.

The Mapmaker's Children
by Sarah McCoy

Pub Date: May 5, 2015
Crown Publishing Group
Hardcover; 320p

By New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy, a poignant and ultimately uplifting story about the power of community to nurture and strengthen us through the generations.

When Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, realizes that her artistic talents may help save the lives of slaves fleeing north, she becomes one of the Underground Railroad’s leading secret mapmakers, taking her cues from slave code quilts and hiding her maps within her paintings. She boldly embraces this calling after being told the shocking news that she can’t bear children, but as the country steers toward bloody civil war, Sarah faces difficult sacrifices that could put all she loves in peril.

Eden, a modern woman desperate to conceive a child with her husband, moves to an old house in the suburbs and discovers a porcelain head hidden in the root cellar—the remains of an Underground Railroad doll with an extraordinary past of secret messages, danger and deliverance.

Ingeniously plotted to a riveting end, Sarah and Eden’s lives connect the past to the present, forcing each of them to define courage, family, love, and legacy in a new way.

The Book of Strange New Things
by Michael Faber

Pub Date: June 23, 2015
Hogarth
Paperback; 480p

A monumental, genre-defying novel over ten years in the making, Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things is a masterwork from a writer in full command of his many talents.

It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of strange new things.” But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter.

Suddenly, a separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us.

Marked by the same bravura storytelling and precise language that made The Crimson Petal and the White such an international success, The Book of Strange New Things is extraordinary, mesmerizing, and replete with emotional complexity and genuine pathos.

A Touch of Stardust
by Kate Alcott

Pub Date: February 17, 2015
Doubleday
Hardcover;304p

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker, comes a blockbuster novel that takes you behind-the-scenes of the filming of Gone with the Wind, while turning the spotlight on the passionate romance between its dashing leading man, Clark Gable, and the blithe, free-spirited actress, Carole Lombard.

When Julie Crawford leaves Fort Wayne, Indiana for Hollywood, she never imagines she’ll cross paths with Carole Lombard, the dazzling actress from Julie’s provincial Midwestern hometown. Although the young woman has dreams of becoming a screenwriter, the only job she’s able to find is one in the studio publicity department of the notoriously demanding producer David O. Selznick - who is busy burning through directors, writers and money as he begins filming Gone with the Wind.

Although tensions run high on the set, Julie finds she can step onto the back lot, take in the smell of smoky gunpowder and soft rustle of hoop skirts, and feel the magical world of Gone with the Wind come to life. Her access to real-life magic comes when Carole Lombard hires her as an assistant and invites her into the glamorous world she shares with Clark Gable - who is about to move into movie history as the dashing Rhett Butler.

Carole Lombard, happily profane and uninhibited, makes no secret of her relationship with Gable, which poses something of a problem for the studio as Gable is technically still married—and the last thing the film needs is more negative publicity. Julie is there to fend off the overly-curious reporters, hoping to prevent details about the secret affair from slipping out. But she can barely keep up with her blond employer, let alone control what comes out of Carole’s mouth, and - as their friendship grows - soon finds she doesn’t want to. Carole - both wise and funny - becomes Julie’s model for breaking free of the past.

In the ever-widening scope of this story, Julie is given a front-row seat to not one, but two of the greatest love affairs of all time: the undeniable on-screen chemistry between Scarlett and Rhett, and off-screen, the deepening love between Carole and Clark. Yet beneath the shiny façade, things in Hollywood are never quite what they seem, and Julie must learn to balance career aspirations and her own budding romance with outsized personalities and overheated drama on set. Vivid, romantic and filled with Old Hollywood details, A Touch of Stardust will entrance, surprise and delight.

The Virgin's Daughter
by Laura Andersen

Pub Date: May 19, 2015
Ballantine Books
Paperback; 352p

What if Elizabeth the First, the celebrated Virgin Queen, had a daughter? For those who just can’t get enough of the scandalous Tudors, the author of the wildly popular Boleyn King series offers an enthralling new saga of the royal family, set in Elizabethan England. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir.

Andersen explores the thrilling possibility of a Tudor heir, the daughter of Elizabeth I, in her new trilogy, a captivating continuation of the alternate history of the Tudors launched in the award-winning Boleyn King trilogy. With her originality and imagination, Andersen breathes fresh life into this ever-fascinating epoch. Peppered with realistic period-details and genuine historical figures to add dimension and texture to her captivating story, Andersen brings the seduction and glamour of the Tudor court to life in this spellbinding new novel.

The Eterna Files
by Leanna Renee Hieber

Pub Date: February 3, 2015
Tor Books
Hardcover; 336p

Imagine The X-Files meets Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series and set in Victorian London and New York City, written by “the brightest new star in literature”(True-Blood.net)

London, 1882: Queen Victoria appoints Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police to Special Branch Division Omega. Omega is to secretly investigate paranormal and supernatural events and persons. Spire, a skeptic driven to protect the helpless and see justice done, is the perfect man to lead the department, which employs scholars and scientists, assassins and con men, and a traveling circus. Spire's chief researcher is Rose Everhart, who believes fervently that there is more to the world than can be seen by mortal eyes.

Their first mission: find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality. Catastrophe destroyed the hidden laboratory in New York City where Eterna was developed, but the Queen is convinced someone escaped—and has a sample of Eterna.

Also searching for Eterna is an American, Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln nearly destroyed her nation. Haunted by the ghost of her beloved, she is determined that the Eterna Compound—and the immortality it will convey—will be controlled by the United States, not Great Britain.

The Jazz Palace
by Mary Morris

Pub Date: April 7, 2015
Nan A. Talese
Hardcover; 288p

Acclaimed author Mary Morris returns to her Chicago roots in this sweeping novel that brilliantly captures the dynamic atmosphere and the dazzling music of the Jazz Age.

In the midst of boom-town Chicago, two Jewish families have suffered terrible blows. The Lehrmans, who run a small hat factory, lost their beloved son Harold in a blizzard. The Chimbrovas, who run a saloon, lost three of their boys on the SS Eastman when it sank in 1915. Each family holds out hope that one of their remaining children will rise to carry on the family business. But Benny Lehrman has no interest in making hats. His true passion is piano—especially jazz.

At night he sneaks down to the South Side, slipping into predominantly black clubs to hear jazz groups play. One night he is called out and asked to “sit in” on a group. His playing is first-rate, and the other musicians are impressed. One of them, the trumpeter, a black man named Napoleon, becomes Benny’s close friend and musical collaborator, and their adventures together take Benny far from the life he knew as a delivery boy. Pearl Chimbrova recognizes their talent and invites them to start playing at her family’s saloon, which Napoleon dubs “The Dream Palace.” But Napoleon’s main gig is at a mob establishment, which doesn’t take too kindly to freelancing. And as the 20s come to a close and the bubble of prosperity collapses, Benny, Napoleon, and Pearl must all make hard choices between financial survival and the music they love.

eBook Giveaway: Bianca's Vineyard by Teresa Neumann

Today I am pleased to be hosting Teresa Neumann's Blog Tour & Giveaway for her historical fiction novel, Bianca's Vineyard! Teresa is currently on tour with HF Virtual Book Tours through August 26th, be sure to check out the schedule of stops and don't forget to enter the giveaway below. There are two eBooks up for grabs!

02_Bianca's Vineyard 

Publication Date: November 12, 2010 | All's Well House Publishing | Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

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Bianca Corrotti’s vineyard is more than a piece of mouth-watering real estate in Tuscany. It’s an inheritance; a storehouse harboring the secrets of her Uncle Egisto Bertozzi, a world-class sculptor, and his troubled wife — a woman whose destiny converges with Mussolini’s when WWII overtakes them all. Based on a true story, Bianca’s Vineyard follows a devoted family of strong-willed men and lion-hearted women waging an epic battle against a gathering storm intent on destroying their lives.

Praise for Bianca's Vineyard

"Bianca’s Vineyard is many things: a striking portrait of wartime Italy under the Fascist reign of Benito Mussolini; a poignant story of family, torn apart and brought back together in the decades that spanned the Second World War; a love letter to the Tuscan countryside through its downfall and triumph. But beneath the lush descriptions of the Italian wine country and the startling brutality of a gruesome war that left a lasting impression on the entire world, it’s a story about forgiveness and second chances, and true love that prevails. The novel, ultimately, is a beautifully descriptive piece of historical fiction that spans nearly ninety years of one family’s history, focusing on one of the most pivotal moments of the twentieth century. The plot twists and turns with all of the provocative intrigue of family lore, but never fails to delight." -- The Portland Review

"Bianca's Vineyard is involving and smoothly written, which is not surprising because Neumann is a journalist. Her dialogue is crisp and believable, and her evocation of the battle between partisans and Nazis is painful to read. Most of all, her story is of the secrets, compassion, family loyalty and long memories of people in small villages." -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Filled with drama and mystery, this page turner will have you longing for a vineyard of your own. Recommended for readers of historical fiction with lush settings and fans of family sagas." -- JoAnne Drake, Willamette Woman Magazine

Bianca’s Vineyard is beautifully written and is rich in culture and complex characters. Neumann gives you a realistic picture of what people went through during the war and how they survived a terrible force bent on destroying everything they have worked hard for and loved. I highly recommend this story! You will fall in love with it the moment you start the first page. Five Stars! -- Historical Novel Society, Layered Pages

"Teresa Neumann's wonderful novel, born in the contemporary history of Italy, has the impact that only a true and deeply human story could deliver. This is no fluffy Under the Tuscan Sun affirmation of all the cliches about Italy that you've read in recent years. Yes, the long family table under the sun, the wine and the wonderful Italian food, and the charming Italian eccentricity are all there … but this book is a riveting human story told by a master storyteller. It transcends place and time. With the instincts of a detective, Neumann investigated the tangled and often missing threads of a family story that found its way through the decades down to her. She has created a story that a absorbs, stuns, and sometimes overwhelms the reader with its reality and immediacy." -- Dick Paetzke, Author of Postcards: Little Letters From Life

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

About the Author

03_Teresa NeumannTeresa Neumann was raised in a large, boisterous Irish-Catholic family from Iowa and is the author of "Bianca's Vineyard," and its sequel, "Domenico's Table." Both books are based on the true stories of her husband's Italian family in Tuscany. She has lived in Oregon for over 30 years with her husband and three children. In addition to enjoying family, writing, reading, meeting her readers, wine tasting, traveling, and all things Italian, Teresa loves playing the fiddle with other musicians.

For more information on Teresa Neumann and her novels please visit her website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Bianca's Vineyard Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 11
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, August 12
Spotlight at Reading Lark
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, August 13
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Thursday, August 14
Review at Beth's Book Reviews

Friday, August 15
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Monday, August 18
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Tuesday, August 19
Spotlight at Historical Tapestry

Wednesday, August 20
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Friday, August 22
Review & Interview at Bookish

Tuesday, August 26
Review at Luxury Reading

Giveaway

To win a Kindle eBook of Bianca's Vineyard please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Two copies are up for grabs. Giveaway is open to US residents only.
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 26th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 27th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
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Amber Lin's Betraying Mercy Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Today I am pleased to be hosting Amber Lin's Blog Tour with HF Virtual Book Tours for her historical romance novel, Betraying Mercy! Check out the new release below and enter to win a copy of Amber's previous book, Falling For the Pirate!

02_Betraying Mercy 

Publication Date: August 4, 2014 | Harlequin E | eBook; ASIN: B00JTPU42G

Genre: Historical Romance

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Can she be more than a mistress?

With a tarnished reputation, Mercy Lyndhurst expected to become the Earl of Rochford’s mistress, not his wife. Immediately abandoned by her husband after their wedding, Mercy transformed herself from commoner to countess, vowing to protect the lands and people her husband was forced to leave.

Over the past six years, William has restored the family fortune all the while tortured by his memories of Mercy…and the dark night he killed a man. When a threat draws him home, William learns just how much has changed—including his wife. While the passion still flares between them, he fears he has wounded her too badly to regain her trust. But as the danger grows they must unite to save the estate…and possibly their marriage.

Praise for Amber Lin’s Books

"Amber Lin shows us that romance isn’t just for the rich and shiny. Love can find its way even into the dark corners of the most damaged hearts." - Tiffany Reisz, bestselling author

“Amber’s work cuts deeper than that of anybody else I can think of—her prose is beautiful, the dark emotions are darker, the sex is sexier.” - Ruthie Knox, New York Times Bestselling Author

“She has a beautiful, atmospheric writing style and you’re not going to find sentimental love here, nor are you going to find hearts and flowers. This is taut, compelling, thoughtful and also gritty, earthy and unembellished.” - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews

“Oh and as for Amber Lin, well she was already on my shelf as a favourite Author of mine and yet again she proved just why. Her writing style is beautiful, flawless and so evocative you live and breathe her stories.” -TotallyBooked Blog

“Amber Lin has created an incredible story that is a captivating mix of redemption, love, and psychological suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I highly recommend it to more adventurous readers!” - The Autumn Review

“Since the release of Giving It Up, the first book in her Lost Girls series, I have been a die-hard fan of this author and have been singing her praises to everyone who wants to listen. Four full-length novels later and it is evident that Amber Lin’s talent is not restricted to dark romances, she also writes wonderful steamy and sweet contemporaries.” - Swept Away by Romance

Buy the Book

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks

About the Author

03_Amber LinAmber Lin writes erotic romance with damaged souls and deep emotion.

Her debut novel, Giving It Up, received The Romance Review’s Top Pick, Night Owl Top Pick, and 5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies. RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 stars, calling it “truly extraordinary.” She has been published by Loose Id, Carina Press, and Entangled.

Amber married her high school sweetheart, birthed a kid who’s smarter than she is, and spends her nights writing down her dirty thoughts. In other words, life is good.

For more information on Amber Lin and her novels please visit her website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. Sign up for Amber Lin's Newsletter.

Betraying Mercy Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 4
Review at Reviews by Molly

Tuesday, August 5
Spotlight & Excerpt at Romantic Historical Reviews

Wednesday, August 6
Review at The Librarian Fatale

Thursday, August 7
Review at From the TBR Pile
Interview & Giveaway at Girl Meets Books

Saturday, August 9
Spotlight at I Heart Reading

Monday, August 11
Review at Pure Textuality

Tuesday, August 12
Review at Book of Secrets

Wednesday, August 13
Spotlight & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, August 14
Spotlight & Giveaway at SOS Aloha

Monday, August 18
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, August 19
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Friday, August 22
Interview at Curling Up by the Fire

Giveaway

To enter to win a signed copy of Amber Lin's FALLING FOR THE PIRATE, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open internationally.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 23rd and notified via email.
Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

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Anna Belfrage's Graham Saga Book Blast + Giveaway!

Passages to the Past is very excited to share with you Anna Belfrage's Book Blast for her fabulous time-slip series, The Graham Saga! If you haven't heard about this series yet I highly recommend you checking them out, especially lovers of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Anna is a fantastic writer, and her novels are a perfect mix of historical, romance, with some humor thrown in...and I'm not just saying that because I worked on the blog tours. You only need to read the rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and you'll see I'm not the only one who is a fan.

In honor of the Book Blast we are giving away two sets of the series, books 1-6, to two lucky winners! See giveaway below.

About The Graham Saga

The Graham Saga Series

This is the story of Alex and Matthew, two people who should never have met - not when she was born three hundred years after him.

It all began the day Alex Lind got caught in a thunderstorm. Not your ordinary storm, no this was the mother of all storms, causing a most unusual rift in the fabric of time. Alex was dragged three centuries backwards in time, landing more or less at the feet of a very surprised Matthew Graham.

In a series of books we follow the life and adventures of the expanding Graham family, both in Scotland and in the New World - and let me tell you it is quite an exciting life, at times excessively so in Alex' opinion.

Sometimes people ask me why Alex had to be born in the twentieth century, why not make her a woman born and bred in the seventeenth century where the story is set? The answer to that is I have no idea. Alex Lind is an insistent, vibrant character that sprung into my head one morning and simply wouldn't let go.

Seductively she whispered about terrible thunderstorms, about a gorgeous man with magic, hazel eyes, about loss and sorrow, about love - always this love, for her man and her children, for the people she lives with. With a throaty chuckle she shared insights into a life very far removed from mine, now and then stopping to shake her head and tell me that it probably hadn't been easy for Matthew, to have such an outspoken, strange and independent woman at his side.

At this point Matthew groaned into life. Nay, he sighed, this woman of his was at times far too obstinate, with no notion of how a wife should be, meek and dutiful. But, he added with a laugh, he wouldn't want her any different, for all that she was half heathen and a right hand-full. No, he said, stretching to his full length, if truth be told not a day went by without him offering fervent thanks for his marvelous wife, a gift from God no less, how else to explain the propitious circumstances that had her landing at his feet that long gone August day?

Still, dear reader, it isn't always easy. At times Alex thinks he's an overbearing bastard, at others he's sorely tempted to belt her. But the moment their fingertips graze against each other, the moment their eyes meet, the electrical current that always buzzes between them peaks and surges, it rushes through their veins, it makes their breathing hitch and ... She is his woman, he is her man. That's how it is, that's how it always will be.

Graham Saga Titles

Book One: A Rip in the Veil
Book Two: Like Chaff in the Wind
Book Three: The Prodigal Son
Book Four: A Newfound Land
Book Five: Serpents in the Garden
Book Six: Revenge & Retribution
Book Seven: Whither Thou Goest (November 2014)
Book Eight: To Catch a Falling Star (March 2015)

About the Author

Anna BelfrageAnna was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result she's multilingual and most of her reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, she has drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. She was always going to be a writer - or a historian, preferably both. Ideally, Anna aspired to becoming a pioneer time traveller, but science has as yet not advanced to the point of making that possible. Instead she ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for her most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career Anna raised her four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive…

For years she combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Nowadays Anna spends most of her spare time at her writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and she slips away into her imaginary world, with her imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in her life pops his head in to ensure she's still there.

For additional information regarding Anna, her characters, extra scenes, and teasers for her next books, have a look at Anna's website at: www.annabelfrage.com. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, July 28
Broken Teepee
Kincavel Korner
bookworm2bookworm's Blog

Tuesday, July 29
So Many Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, July 30
A Bibliotaph's Reviews

Thursday, July 31
Book Drunkard

Friday, August 1
The Lit Bitch

Saturday, August 2
Book Nerd

Sunday, August 3
Literary Chanteuse
Just One More Chapter

Monday, August 4
A Bookish Girl
Historical Tapestry
To Read, Or Not to Read

Tuesday, August 5
CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, August 6
The True Book Addict

Thursday, August 7
Impressions in Ink

Friday, August 8
A Bookish Affair
The Mad Reviewer

Saturday, August 9
Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, August 11
Gobs and Gobs of Books

Tuesday, August 12
Pages of Comfort

Wednesday, August 13
History Undressed

Thursday, August 14
Passages to the Past

Friday, August 15
Mina's Bookshelf

Giveaway

To win a set of Anna Belfrage's Graham Saga (Books 1-6) please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Two winners will be chosen. Giveaway is open internationally!

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 16th and notified via email.
Winners have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

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Review & Giveaway: The Splintered Kingdom by James Aitcheson


Pub Date: August 5, 2014 | Sourcebooks | Hardcover; 300p

Acquired via Publisher/Edelweiss | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Genre: Historical Fiction/Adventure/Medieval


This brilliant second novel, featuring the hero of Sworn Sword, begins in June 1069 on the war-torn Welsh Marches and ends with William the Conqueror's brutal campaign known as the Harrying of the North.

The story begins on the Welsh Marches, where Tancred has been given land by his new lord, Robert Malet, in return for his services in the battle for York. Now a lord in his own right, he has knights of his own to command and a manor to call home. But all is far from peaceful. The Welsh are joining forces with the English against the Normans and when skirmishes turn into a full scale battle at Shrewsbury, Tancred is betrayed by a rival border lord and taken prisoner by the Welsh. Meanwhile the woman he loves is taken hostage by enemy English forces and the Vikings invade the east coast. Never has Tancred faced a more impossible situation.

Praise for James Aitcheson’s Conquest series

“Aitcheson skillfully blends history and fiction … Those who enjoy Bernard Cornwell’s books will also revel in the historical details and derring-do.” – Library Journal

“Brings excitement and intrigue to a bloody period of medieval history” – Publishers Weekly

“An addictive, bloody adventure across a fantastically realized historical setting.” – Shelf Awareness

“Action-packed ... More on offer here than just the clash of arms.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

About the Author

James Aitcheson was born in Wiltshire, England and studied History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The first book in the Conquest series, Sworn Sword, was released in the U.S. in August 2013. www.jamesaitcheson.com

My Review

The Splintered Kingdom is the follow up to Aitcheson's follow up novel to Sworn Sword and picks up after the Battle of Hastings, where Tancred a Dinant made a name for himself as a fierce fighter. He is now happy and content as lord of his own lands until word comes that his enemy, Eadger the Aetheling, is teaming up with the Welsh and has a prize out for the capture of Tancred. Ever obedient to his Lord, Tancred picks up his sword again and joins the battle. What follows is non-stop action! 

I deemed this year to be the one where I read books that fall outside the box so to speak with my reading choices and so far I haven't regretted that decision. The Splintered Kingdom is another fine example, and I am very happy that I picked it up. Aitcheson's writing is impeccable and his battle scenes were very well done. This book is definitely not for the squeamish, war is a bloody business and Aitcheson doesn't shy away from bringing it to life in all it's grisly horror. Just as today in Syria, Iraq, and the Ukraine it's the innocents that are caught between the major powers that are the real victims and it was heartbreaking to read!

While The Splintered Kingdom is the second book in the series, I didn't feel lost despite not having read the first book. But, you can bet that I'll be picking up Sworn Sword very soon for more Tancred!

All in all, The Splintered Kingdom was a powerhouse of a novel and I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy medieval historical fiction, fans of Bernard Cornwell, and historical action/adventures!

Giveaway

Thanks to Sourcebooks I have one copy of The Splintered Kingdom up for grabs. Giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only. Giveaway ends on August 23rd.

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2015 Release: Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen

I am feeling some serious cover love for Tessa Arlen's 2015 release, Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman! It's absolutely stunning! Tessa will be touring with HF Virtual Book Tours in January, stay tuned for more details!


Pub Date: January 6, 2015 | Minotaur Books | Hardcover; 320p

Genre: Historical Fiction


Lady Montfort has been planning her annual summer costume ball for months, and with scrupulous care. Pulling together the food, flowers and a thousand other details for one of the most significant social occasions of the year is her happily accepted responsibility. But when her husband’s degenerate nephew is found murdered, it's more than the ball that is ruined. In fact, Lady Montfort fears that the official police enquiry, driven by petty snobbery and class prejudice, is pointing towards her son as a potential suspect.

Taking matters into her own hands, the rather over-imaginative countess enlists the help of her pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to investigate the case, track down the women that vanished the night of the murder, and clear her son’s name. As the two women search for a runaway housemaid and a headstrong young woman, they unearth the hidden lives of Lady Montfort’s close friends, servants and family and discover the identity of a murderer hiding in plain sight.

In this enchanting debut sure to appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, Tessa Arlen draws readers into a world exclusively enjoyed by the rich, privileged classes and suffered by the men and women who serve them. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is an elegant mystery filled with intriguing characters and fascinating descriptions of Edwardian life—a superb treat for those who love British novels.

2015 Release: Mistress Firebrand by Donna Thorland



Pub Date: March 3, 2015 | NAL Trade | eBook, Paperback; 416p

Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Renegades of Revolution (Book 3)

British Occupied Manhattan, 1777. American actress Jennifer Leighton has been packing the John Street Theater with her witty comedies, but she longs to escape the provincial circuit for the glamour of the London stage. When the playwright General John Burgoyne visits the city, fresh from a recent success on the Continent, she seizes the opportunity to court his patronage. But her plan is foiled by British intelligence officer Severin Devere.

Severin’s mission is to keep the pleasure-loving general focused on the war effort…and away from pretty young actresses. But the tables are turned when Severin himself can’t resist Jennifer Leighton…

Months later, Jenny has abandoned her dreams of stage glory and begun writing seditious plays for the Rebels under the pen name “Cornelia,” ridiculing “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne and his army—and undermining the crown’s campaign to take Albany. By the time Severin meets up with Jenny once again, she is on a British hanging list, and Severin is ordered to find her—and deliver her to certain death. Soon, the two are launched on a desperate journey through the wilderness, toward a future shaped by the revolution—and their passion for each other…

2014 Release: The Undertaking by Audrey Magee


Pub Date: August 19, 2014 | Grove Press | Hardcover; 304p 

Genre: Historical Fiction


From a remarkable new talent in Irish fiction comes a terrifyingly intimate story of a war marriage caught up in the calamity of World War II, a much anticipated debut which has garnered prepublication praise from Colm Toibin, Hugo Hamilton, A.D. Miller, and Chris Cleave.

In a desperate bid to escape the trenches of the Eastern front, Peter Faber, an ordinary German soldier, marries Katharina Spinell, a woman he has never met, in a marriage of convenience that promises ‘honeymoon’ leave for him and a pension for her should he die in the war. With ten days’ leave secured, Peter visits his new wife in Berlin and both are surprised by the passion that develops between them.

When Peter returns to the horror of the front, it is only the dream of Katharina that sustains him as he approaches Stalingrad. Back in Berlin, Katharina, goaded on by her desperate and delusional parents, ruthlessly works her way into Nazi high society, wedding herself, her young husband, and her unborn child to the regime. But when the tide of war turns and Berlin falls, Peter and Katharina find their simple dream of family cast in tragic light and increasingly hard to hold on to.

Reminiscent of Bernard Schlink’s The Reader, this is an unforgettable novel of marriage, ambition, and the brutality of war, which heralds the arrival of a breathtaking new voice in international fiction.

2015 Release: Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner

Be still my heart...check out the incredible next book that C.W. Gortner will be sharing with the world on March 17, 2015!

Cover Not Final
Pub Date: March 17, 2015 | William Morrow | Hardcover; 384p

For readers of The Paris Wife and Z comes a vivid novel full of drama, passion, tragedy, and beauty that stunningly imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel—the ambitious, gifted laundrywoman’s daughter who revolutionized fashion, built an international empire, and become one of the most influential and controversial figures of the twentieth century.

Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her siblings are sent to orphanage after their mother’s death. The sisters nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel the willful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood.

Transforming herself into Coco—a seamstress and sometime torch singer—the petite brunette burns with ambition, an incandescence that draws a wealthy gentleman who will become the love of her life. She immerses herself in his world of money and luxury, discovering a freedom that sparks her creativity. But it is only when her lover takes her to Paris that Coco discovers her destiny.

Rejecting the frilly, corseted silhouette of the past, her sleek, minimalist styles reflect the youthful ease and confidence of the 1920s modern woman. As Coco’s reputation spreads, her couturier business explodes, taking her into rarefied society circles and bohemian salons. But her fame and fortune cannot save her from heartbreak as the years pass. And when Paris falls to the Nazis, Coco is forced to make choices that will haunt her.

An enthralling novel of an extraordinary woman who created the life she desired, Mademoiselle Chanel explores the inner world of a woman of staggering ambition whose strength, passion and artistic vision would become her trademark.
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