Between the Cracks Blog Tour & Giveaway

Today is the last day of Carmela Cattuti's Between the Cracks: One Woman's Journey from Sicily to America Blog Tour, and the last day to enter to win a Kindle Touch eReader, loaded with an eBook of Between the Cracks!

02_Between the Cracks_Cover 

Publication Date: August 15, 2013 | Three Towers Press | Formats: eBook, Paperback | Pages: 324

Genre: Historical Fiction


Add to GR Button

Join Angela Lanza as she experiences the tumultuous world of early 20th century Sicily and New York. Orphaned by the earthquake and powerful eruption of Mt. Etna in 1908, Angela is raised in the strict confines of an Italian convent. Through various twists of fate, she is married to a young Italian man whom she barely knows, then together with her spouse, immigrates to the U.S. This novel is an invitation to accompany the young Angela as she confronts the ephemeral nature of life on this planet and navigates the wide cultural gaps between pre-World War II Italy and the booming prosperity of dynamic young America. Author, artist, and teacher Carmela Cattuti created Between the Cracks as an homage to her great-aunt, who survived the earthquake and eruption of Mt. Etna and bravely left Sicily to start a new life in America.

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

03_Carmela Cattuti_AuthorAbout the Author

Carmela Cattuti started her writing career as a journalist for the Somerville News in Boston, MA. After she finished her graduate work in English Literature from Boston College she began to write creatively and taught a journal writing course at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education As fate would have it, she felt compelled to write her great aunt's story. "Between the Cracks" has gone through several incarnations and will now become a trilogy. This is the first installment. To connect with Carmela email her cattutic@gmail.com or leave a comment at betweenthecracksnovel.blogspot.com.

Between the Cracks Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 9
Guest Post at Book Babe

Tuesday, February 10
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Thursday, February 12
Guest Post at Boom Baby Reviews

Monday, February 16
Review at Back Porchervations
Spotlight at Bookish

Wednesday, February 18
Review at Book Nerd

Thursday, February 19
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Friday, February 20
Spotlight at My Book Addiction and More

Tuesday, February 24
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, February 25
Guest Post at A Literary Vacation
Spotlight at Layered Pages

Thursday, February 26
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Friday, February 27
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Giveaway

To enter to win a Kindle Touch eReader (valued at $59) & eBook of Between the Cracks, sponsored by author Carmela Cattuti, please complete the giveaway form below.
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on February 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Only one entry per household.
All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
Winner will be chosen via GLEAM on February 28th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Please email Amy @ hfvirtualbooktours@gmail.com with any questions.

Between the Cracks


 photo 2fb04189-29aa-4a83-9944-d50f9c3a42af.png

Kick off Day for Nnaziri Ihejirika's A Rainy Season Blog Tour!

Please join Nnaziri Ihejirika as he tours the blogosphere for A Rainy Season, from February 23-28. Today I have a spotlight & excerpt to share with you!

A RAINY SEASON is a work of historical fiction using eight interconnected short stories to shine another light on life in late 20th rapidly-changing Nigeria. It is the first published book by Nigerian-Canadian author Nnaziri Ihejirika who shares his commentary through eight fictional characters surviving in a morally ambiguous system that throws them into unfortunate and desperate situations. From martial state to a leap into western democracy, life in Nigeria is an intricate map of the human condition through the eyes of Hamed, Ekei, Jude, Kurdi, Tamara, Elechi, Mutiu and Nonye. The characters are intertwined unwittingly by their personal ambitions and struggles as they traverse gender, religion, and social class norms which will either make them stronger for the coming change or break them altogether.

01_A Rainy Season_Cover 

Publication Date: August 1, 2014 | FriesenPress | Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook | Pages: 280

Genre: African Historical Fiction

Add to GR Button

It is the rainy season of 1998. An autocratic and corrupt ruler has just died in the arms of courtesans at the presidential villa leaving one hundred million citizens of Africa's most populous country in co-mingled states of joy, grief and uncertainty.

Through the eyes of eight fictional characters, A Rainy Season tells the story of Nigeria's latest journey to democracy. Hamed, the government contractor. Ekei, the desperate fashionista. Jude, the underground radical. Kurdi, the womanizing pastor. Tamara, the ambitious divorcee. Elechi, the inquisitive schoolboy. Mutiu, the disillusioned guard. Nonye, the blossoming idealist. The sprawling metropolis of Lagos is the junction where their stories intersect. In this most chaotic of cities, they are as divided by ethnicity, religion, gender and social class as they are united by a desire to survive at any cost.

Praise for A Rainy Season

"Ihejirika masterfully presents the complex systems of patronage, exploitation and outright theft that exist at all levels of society. He illustrates his characters' harsh pragmatism with sympathetic exactness even as he continually reminds readers of the idealism that lies dormant within them... At his best... he presents characters of moral complexity that are suited to their times and suggests that they can only begin to evolve when confronted with the startling fact that their system is moving on without them." - Kirkus Reviews


Chapter Excerpt - Part 2, Elechi

“I was in seventh heaven and pressed closer to the window.

After a few minutes, she reached out and turned off the green lamp beside her bed. My public show was over. With a disappointed sigh, I stepped away from the shadows and into the light by tank. I gave one wistful look back and there she was, standing by the window, peering out. At once, I panicked and ran off toward the back stairwell of the building, hoping to God she’d not seen me, making noise as I ran. I didn’t care. Clearly she knew someone was outside her window. I was determined that she not match a face to the deed. Reaching the stairwell, I paused. I had left the bucket beside the tank. If Tamara decided to go outside to check, she would find it. The buckets I used to fetch water were distinctive because they
were made of iron. Almost everyone else used plastic. I had to retrieve the bucket before she went outside or raised an alarm. If she reported the incident to my parents, I would be on the hook immediately. My two brothers were younger than me and, besides, I was the one responsible for fetching water. My father would kill me with his cane if such an incident reached his ears. And I would have to bear the stigma of being known as a peeping tom, although, in truth, most young adolescents were guilty of that at one point or another, given the communal living conditions of Lagos. I waited another five minutes, then, decided to be brave. I silently crept forward and picked up my bucket, escaping back up the stairwell.
I had been gone for the better part of an hour. Hopefully, I could sneak to my room without my parents noticing.

No such luck.

As I tried to slide from the kitchen to the corridor leading to the bedrooms, my father’s voice boomed out from the living room.

“And where have you been, young man?”

I stammered. “J-j-just fetching water, daddy.”

“For the last hour? I was not born last night.” He glared at me. I tried to think.

“I ran into someone downstairs and we started talking. I must
have lost track of the time. I’m sorry.”

With my parents, especially my father, it was better to be sorry before they asked if you were. It had saved me many a beating.

“Who were you talking to that distracted you from your chores? Not that useless gateman Mutiu, I hope?”

My father disliked Mutiu intensely. He blamed him for the recent thefts of diesel and petrol from the tanks stored by the various owners in a secluded area of the compound, although, he did not have any proof. It was another paradox that for a country, which was one of the world’s largest exporters of crude oil, there were not enough petroleum products for the daily use of Nigerians. As a result, most people of means had taken to hoarding fuel from the black market to ensure that they were always supplied. Others who could not afford the black market prices had simply given up driving and were now in the habit of taking public transportation. One such person was Mr. Ekwe who lived above our flat. In fact, the rumour among some of the other owners, confirmed to me by his niece, Nonye, was that he could no longer afford the rent on the flat and would be forced to leave for a cheaper place soon.

“No, dad, I was talking to Jude. He was also fetching water.”

That was as safe as it could get for me. My parents were fond of Jude, viewing him as a son, and they encouraged me to cultivate his friendship. Of course, my father was not in favour of his work with the military regime, but they liked his personal habits and comportment. He was often invited to Sunday lunch with us.

“Jude is a sensible young man, even if he needs to find a new job and stop dining with the devil. You won’t be getting into trouble hanging around with him. But, try to be mindful of the time in the future.”

“Yes, daddy.”

“You need to be studying for your certificate exams, not fooling around.”

The senior secondary certificate examination was the common exam written by all students as they left Secondary School. It was required for entry into a Nigerian university. I was expected to achieve distinctions in at least six of my nine subjects and to better the scholastic abilities of my parents. I hoped for more than that, but my studying was yet to kick into high gear, so wishes remained horses at this point.

“Yes, daddy. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, son.”

I resolved to ask Jude to cover for me since my father was not above asking him to verify our meeting, or even berating him for delaying me from completing my chores. A few days later, I discovered just how narrow my escape had been.”

Buy the Book

Amazon
Kindle
Nook
iTunes & Google Play
Kobo

About the Author

02_Nnaziri Ihejirika_Author PhotoNnaziri Ihejirika is a proud Nigerian-Canadian writer who is inspired by his and third-party experiences growing up in Nigeria during the late 20th century. He currently resides in Canada and is enthusiastic about providing social commentary on ethnicity, gender, religious, and social class issues in Nigeria. The same topics are tackled in his first book, “A Rainy Season”, casting a spotlight on the human condition during that period. Nnaziri is a frequent contributor to online social media with an emphasis on socio-political issues. Follow Nnaziri on Twitter.

For more information visit www.arainyseason.com. You can also follow A Rainy Season on Twitter.

A Rainy Season Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 23
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, February 24
Spotlight at Boom Baby Reviews

Thursday, February 26
Spotlight at Book Babe

Friday, February 27
Spotlight at Cheryl's Book Nook

Saturday, February 28
Review at Unshelfish
Review at Genre Queen
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

 photo 1d2dafbb-c1c2-4e52-b606-72afb5c7b245.jpg

Forgotten Histories Reading Challenge

Hello dear readers!

I have an exciting new Reading Challenge that I think you will all enjoy! Blogger and Reviewer Jess at Curiouser and Curiouser has announced her Forgotten Histories Reading Challenge!

This will be tied into the HF Reading Challenge that has already begun, so books read for the Forgotten Histories Challenge can count towards your HF Reading Challenge as well!



The challenge will run for four weeks, from the 2nd-29th of March, and each week will feature a different challenge:

Week 1 - Read an alternate history book (e.g. Dominion by C. J. Sansom)

Week 2 - Read a book with a non-white protagonist (e.g. The Queen's Secret by Victoria Lamb)

Week 3 - Read a book with an LGBT protagonist (e.g. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters)

Week 4 - Read a book that is NOT set in Europe (including Britain) or North America (e.g. Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin)


Each week you can post pictures of what you're reading on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or Tumblr, or your blog! Be sure to use the hashtag #2015FHRC so the rest of us can find what you're reading!

This challenge is open to everyone, whether you're an avid reader of historical fiction or you're a complete newbie to the genre!

Release Day for The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki!!

Happy Release Day to Allison Pataki...The Accidental Empress hits stores today! I am reading it now and loving it!

New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki follows up on her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Traitor’s Wife, with the little-known and tumultuous love story of “Sisi,” the Austro-Hungarian Empress and captivating wife of Emperor Franz Joseph.

The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.

Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Intrigued by Sisi’s guileless charm and energetic spirit, not to mention her unrivaled beauty, Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead.

Plucked from obscurity and thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi has no idea what struggles and dangers—and temptations—await her. Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world.

With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, compelling characters, The Accidental Empress offers a captivating glimpse into the bedrooms and staterooms of one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Habsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”

Buy the Book

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
IndieBound
Simon & Schuster

Watch the trailer for The Accidental Empress



Praise for The Accidental Empress

“This novel is captivating, absorbing, and beautifully told—I can’t wait for the sequel!”
-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House

“The Accidental Empress is lush, romantic, and enlightening—a truly lovely novel.”
-Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times Bestselling author of Z

“Another absolutely compelling story. I loved it.”
-Mary Higgins Clark

“Once again Pataki stuns by diving deep into the pages of history and bringing up a heroine who is not only a jewel, but a red-blooded, complicated woman, allowing us to see history through a refreshingly new perspective. Smart, interesting, and chock-full of betrayal, intrigue, and love—The Accidental Empress had me glued to the page.”
-Lee Woodruff, New York Times Best-Selling author and CBS This Morning contributor

“With her meticulous attention to historical detail and powerfully entertaining storytelling skills, Allison Pataki is a force in historical fiction. Set amid the grand landscapes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the wilds of the human heart, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS is an epic tale of honor, power, and love. Breathtaking!”
-Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl

The Accidental Empress is a stunning masterpiece of imagination, enriched with lavish historical detail. Utterly riveting, amazingly insightful. A splendid saga sure to capture the heart.
-Jan Moran, bestselling author of Scent of Triumph

In her latest novel, Allison Pataki brings to life one of the most enigmatic, intelligent, and stunningly beautiful women ever to have graced a court in Europe. A remarkable novel about a truly remarkable empress!”
-Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Rebel Queen

“A glorious novel about a misunderstood empress…With a sumptuous sense of history and evocative attention to detail, Allison Pataki conjures the rebellious, glamorous spirit of Sisi of Austria.”
-C.W. Gortner, bestselling author of The Queen’s Vow

“I felt as if I’d been transported to Austria in this powerful and sweeping novel. A heart wrenching, beautiful story, rich with historical detail and political intrigue. Skillful and utterly captivating.”
-M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch of Painted Sorrows

“The Accidental Empress is a tale of royal love we don’t know but should, and who better to share it with us than the supremely gifted and entertaining historical novelist, Allison Pataki. A delightful gift for readers…The Accidental Empress is enthralling.”
-Allegra Jordan, author of The End of Innocence

“Allison Pataki so vividly depicts the world of the Habsburg court, you’ll feel the silk of Sisi’s gowns under your very fingers as you eagerly turn the pages of THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS. As a woman both ahead of her time and wholly situated within it, Sisi makes for a captivating central figure, and rarely has an author so heartbreakingly captured the exquisite tragedy of getting what you want. Sumptuous, surprising, and deeply felt.”
-Greer Macallister, author of The Magician’s Lie

“A love match alters the course of history…Pataki deserves kudos for choosing her subject matter well—Sisi’s life is ideal fictional fodder.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“Pataki’s fully drawn ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS is an indelible portrayal—not only of one of the most complicated and misunderstood Habsburgs, but of a turbulent royal marriage during a tumultuous era.”
-Juliet Grey, author of Marie Antoinette trilogy

sisi_franz_joseph_helene_habsburgs

Blog Tour Kick-Off & Giveaway: The Witch of Napoli by Michael Schmicker

Please join Michael Schmicker as he tours the blogosphere with HF Virtual Book Tours for The Witch of Napoli, from February 16-March 20, and enter to win your own copy below!

02_The Witch of Napoli Cover 

Publication Date: January 15, 2015 | Palladino Books | Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Add to GR Button

Italy 1899: Fiery-tempered, erotic medium Alessandra Poverelli levitates a table at a Spiritualist séance in Naples. A reporter photographs the miracle, and wealthy, skeptical, Jewish psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi arrives in Naples to investigate. When she materializes the ghost of his dead mother, he risks his reputation and fortune to finance a tour of the Continent, challenging the scientific and academic elite of Europe to test Alessandra’s mysterious powers. She will help him rewrite Science. His fee will help her escape her sadistic husband Pigotti and start a new life in Rome. Newspapers across Europe trumpet her Cinderella story and baffling successes, and the public demands to know – does the “Queen of Spirits” really have supernatural powers?

Nigel Huxley is convinced she’s simply another vulgar, Italian trickster. The icy, aristocratic detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums launches a plot to trap and expose her. The Vatican is quietly digging up her childhood secrets, desperate to discredit her supernatural powers; her abusive husband Pigotti is coming to kill her; and the tarot cards predict catastrophe.

Praised by Kirkus Reviews as an “enchanting and graceful narrative” that absorbs readers from the very first page, The Witch of Napoli masterfully resurrects the bitter 19th century battle between Science and religion over the possibility of an afterlife.

Praise for The Witch of Napoli

"Impressive...an enchanting, graceful narrative that absorbs readers from the first page." -Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

03_Michael Schmicker AuthorMichael Schmicker is an investigative journalist and nationally-known writer on the paranormal. He's been a featured guest on national broadcast radio talk shows, including twice on Coast to Coast AM (560 stations in North America, with 3 million weekly listeners). He also shares his investigations through popular paranormal webcasts including Skeptiko, hosted by Alex Tsakiris; Speaking of Strange with Joshua Warren; the X-Zone, with Rob McConnell (Canada); and he even spent an hour chatting with spoon-bending celebrity Uri Geller on his program Parascience and Beyond (England). He is the co-author of The Gift, ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People (St. Martin's Press). The Witch of Napoli is his debut novel. Michael began his writing career as a crime reporter for a suburban Dow-Jones newspaper in Connecticut, and worked as a freelance reporter in Southeast Asia for three years. He has also worked as a stringer for Forbes magazine, and Op-Ed contributor to The Wall Street Journal Asia. His interest in investigating the paranormal began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand where he first encountered a non-Western culture which readily accepts the reality of ghosts and spirits, reincarnation, psychics, mediums, divination,and other persistently reported phenomena unexplainable by current Science. He lives and writes in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a mountaintop overlooking Waikiki and Diamond Head.

Connect with Michael Schmicker on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Witch of Napoli Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 16
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, February 17
Review at Book Babe

Wednesday, February 18
Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews

Thursday, February 19
Review & Giveaway at A Dream Within a Dream
Interview at Books and Benches

Saturday, February 21
Spotlight at Flashlight Commentary

Sunday, February 22
Review at Carole's Ramblings

Monday, February 23
Review & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation
Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Tuesday, February 24
Guest Post & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Wednesday, February 25
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, February 27
Spotlight at Let Them Read Books

Saturday, February 28
Spotlight at I Heart Reading

Monday, March 2
Review at A Book Drunkard
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Obsession

Tuesday, March 3
Review at Unshelfish

Wednesday, March 4
Review at Carpe Librum

Thursday, March 5
Interview at Carpe Librum

Friday, March 6
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Monday, March 9
Review at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, March 10
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, March 11
Spotlight at The Never-Ending Book

Thursday, March 12
Review at Dianne Ascroft Blog

Tuesday, March 17
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Wednesday, March 18
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Thursday, March 19
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Friday, March 20
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Giveaway

To enter to win a paperback copy of The Witch of Napoli please leave a comment below with your email address.

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on February 26th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US, UK & AUS residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

 photo ecab4883-b4b9-475d-95a0-5ef7a10ef736.jpg

 photo ecab4883-b4b9-475d-95a0-5ef7a10ef736.jpg

Win a copy of I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War by Jerome Charyn

On the blog today I have a chance for one of you to win a copy of author Jerome Charyn's new release, I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War!

Jerome Charyn is currently on BLOG TOUR with HF Virtual Book Tours, you can follow the rest of the tour below!

02_I Am Abraham

PB Publication Date: February 9, 2015 | Liveright Publishing Corporation | Paperback; 480p

Genre: Historical Fiction

Add to GR Button

Narrated in Lincoln’s own voice, the tragicomic I Am Abraham promises to be the masterwork of Jerome Charyn’s remarkable career.

Since publishing his first novel in 1964, Jerome Charyn has established himself as one of the most inventive and prolific literary chroniclers of the American landscape. Here in I Am Abraham, Charyn returns with an unforgettable portrait of Lincoln and the Civil War. Narrated boldly in the first person, I Am Abraham effortlessly mixes humor with Shakespearean-like tragedy, in the process creating an achingly human portrait of our sixteenth President.

Tracing the historic arc of Lincoln's life from his picaresque days as a gangly young lawyer in Sangamon County, Illinois, through his improbable marriage to Kentucky belle Mary Todd, to his 1865 visit to war-shattered Richmond only days before his assassination, I Am Abraham hews closely to the familiar Lincoln saga. Charyn seamlessly braids historical figures such as Mrs. Keckley—the former slave, who became the First Lady's dressmaker and confidante—and the swaggering and almost treasonous General McClellan with a parade of fictional extras: wise-cracking knaves, conniving hangers-on, speculators, scheming Senators, and even patriotic whores.

We encounter the renegade Rebel soldiers who flanked the District in tattered uniforms and cardboard shoes, living in a no-man's-land between North and South; as well as the Northern deserters, young men all, with sunken, hollowed faces, sitting in the punishing sun, waiting for their rendezvous with the firing squad; and the black recruits, whom Lincoln’s own generals wanted to discard, but who play a pivotal role in winning the Civil War. At the center of this grand pageant is always Lincoln himself, clad in a green shawl, pacing the White House halls in the darkest hours of America’s bloodiest war.

Using biblically cadenced prose, cornpone nineteenth-century humor, and Lincoln’s own letters and speeches, Charyn concocts a profoundly moral but troubled commander in chief, whose relationship with his Ophelia-like wife and sons—Robert, Willie, and Tad—is explored with penetrating psychological insight and the utmost compassion. Seized by melancholy and imbued with an unfaltering sense of human worth, Charyn’s President Lincoln comes to vibrant, three-dimensional life in a haunting portrait we have rarely seen in historical fiction.

Praise for I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War

“Thoughtful, observant and droll.” — Richard Brookhiser, New York Times Book Review

“Not only the best novel about President Lincoln since Gore Vidal’s Lincoln in 1984, but it is also twice as good to read.” — Gabor Boritt, author of The Lincoln Enigma and recipient of the National Humanities Medal

“Jerome Charyn [is] a fearless writer… Brave and brazen… The book is daringly imagined, written with exuberance, and with a remarkable command of historical detail. It gives us a human Lincoln besieged by vividly drawn enemies and allies… Placing Lincoln within the web ordinary and sometimes petty human relations is no small achievement.” — Andrew Delbanco, New York Review of Books

“Audacious as ever, Jerome Charyn now casts his novelist’s gimlet eye on sad-souled Abraham Lincoln, a man of many parts, who controls events and people—wife, sons, a splintering nation—even though they often are, as they must be, beyond his compassion or power. Brooding, dreamlike, resonant, and studded with strutting characters, I Am Abraham is as wide and deep and morally sure as its wonderful subjects.” — Brenda Wineapple, author of Ecstatic Nation: Confidence, Crisis, and Compassion: 1848-1877

“If all historians—or any historian—could write with the magnetic charm and authoritative verve of Jerome Charyn, American readers would be fighting over the privilege of learning about their past. They can learn much from this book—an audacious, first-person novel that makes Lincoln the most irresistible figure of a compelling story singed with equal doses of comedy, tragedy, and moral grandeur. Here is something beyond history and approaching art.” — Harold Holzer, chairman, Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation

“Jerome Charyn is one of the most important writers in American literature.” — Michael Chabon

“Jerome Charyn is merely one of our finest writers with a polymorphous imagination and crack comic timing. Whatever milieu he chooses to inhabit, his characters sizzle with life, and his sentences are pure vernacular music, his voice unmistakable.” — Jonathan Lethem

“Charyn, like Nabokov, is that most fiendish sort of writer—so seductive as to beg imitation, so singular as to make imitation impossible.” — Tom Bissell

“One of our most intriguing fiction writers takes on the story of Honest Abe, narrating the tale in Lincoln’s voice and offering a revealing portrait of a man as flawed as he was great.” — Abbe Wright, O, The Oprah Magazine

“Jerome Charyn, like Daniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg’s superb 2012 movie, manages a feat of ventriloquism to be admired… Most of all, Lincoln comes across as human and not some remote giant… With that, Jerome Charyn has given Lincoln a most appropriate present for what would have been his 205th birthday this month: rebirth not as a marble memorial but as a three-dimensional human who overcame much to save his nation.” — Erik Spanberg, Christian Science Monitor

“Daring… Memorable… Charyn’s richly textured portrait captures the pragmatism, cunning, despair, and moral strength of a man who could have empathy for his bitterest foes, and who ‘had never outgrown the forest and a dirt floor.’” — The New Yorker

Jack Ford presents the new Lincoln novel by Jerome Charyn



Buy the Paperback

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

03_Jerome Charyn_Author PhotoAbout the Author

Jerome Charyn is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him "one of the most important writers in American literature." New York Newsday hailed Charyn as "a contemporary American Balzac,"and the Los Angeles Times described him as "absolutely unique among American writers." Since the 1964 release of Charyn's first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture. Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009. In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn's book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong." Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

For more information please visit Jerome Charyn's website. You can also find him on Twitter and Goodreads.

I Am Abraham Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 9
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, February 10
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, February 11
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, February 12
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Friday, February 13
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Monday, February 16
Review & Excerpt at A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Haus

Tuesday, February 17
Interview & Giveaway at A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Haus
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, February 18
Review at Back Porchervations

Thursday, February 19
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Friday, February 20
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Saturday, February 21
Spotlight at Historical Readings & Reviews

Monday, February 23
Interview & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Tuesday, February 24
Audio Book Review & Interview at Just One More Chapter

Wednesday, February 25
Review at Bookish

Thursday, February 26
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, March 2
Review at Forever Ashley

Tuesday, March 3
Interview at Books and Benches

Wednesday, March 4
Spotlight at Caroline Wilson Writes

Thursday, March 5
Review & Reader's Guide at She is Too Fond of Books

Friday, March 6
Review at Impressions in Ink

Giveaway

To enter to win a paperback copy of I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War please leave a comment below with your email address.

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on February 21st. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

 photo 914148de-11fd-452e-8d73-f31093b70254.jpg

Giveaway Winners!


Congratulations to the following giveaway winners...

The Spoils of Avalon by Mary F. Burns - Sandy McCarthy

The Clever Mill Horse by Jodi Lew-Smith - Amy Campbell

Past Encounters by Davina Blake - Anita Yancey

Peyote Fire by Mary S. Black - Judith Barbiaux

A Home for Christmas by MK McClintock - Kimberly Sue

A Grave Inheritance by Kari Edgren - Dee Stevens

The Oblate's Confession by William Peak - Carl Scott

The Sharp Hook of Love by Sherry Jones - Kathy Davis

The Twelfth Night Wager & The Thistle & the Rose by Regan Walker - Holly

The Iris Fan by Laura Joh Rowland - Sophia Rose

Newborn Nazi by Rhonda D'Ettore - S Korman

The Oracles of Delphi by Marie Savage - Marci

The Light in the Labyrinth by Wendy J. Dunn - Cheryl Elaine Williams

A Christmas Reunion by Susanna Fraser - Dee Stevens

The Towers of Tuscany by Carol M. Cram - Yves Fey

Heir to a Prophecy by Mercedes Rochelle - Lisa Brown

The Blood of the Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell - Amanda (Nellista)

A Soldier of Substance by D.W. Bradbridge - Carol Wong

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen - Beth (Cillianagatha)


Emails have been sent to the winners. Winners have 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered and stay tuned for more giveaways soon!

HFVBT Presents Colin Falconer's The School of Night Blog Tour, January 10-February 6

Please join Colin Falconer as he tours the blogosphere for the first book in his William Shakespeare Detective Agency series, The School of Night, from January 10-February 6.

02_The William Shakespeare Detective Agency-The School of Night_Cover 

Publication Date: October 7, 2014 | Cool Gus Publishing | Formats: eBook, Paperback | Pages: 168

Series: The William Shakespeare Detective Agency
Genre: Historical Mystery

Add to GR Button

"My name is William Shakespeare. No, not that Shakespeare; and no jests please, I’ve heard them all. I’m the other one, the ne’er do well cousin, the loafer, known to family and friends as the dunce, the one who could not recite Cicero or Horace, who could never be as good as his clever cuz, the one who has just come to Bishopsgate from Stratford with silly dreams in his head and a longing to make something more of himself than just a glover’s handyman.”

What he finds in London is Lady Elizabeth Talbot, who is willing to pass a few shillings to this blundering brawler if he will help her find her husband. Poor William does not realize the trail will lead to the truth behind the death of Shakespeare’s great rival, Christopher Marlowe - or to a lifelong love affair with a woman far above his station.

Each book tells the story of William’s adventures as England’s first gumshoe, set against turbulent Elizabethan politics; of his romantic pursuit of the impossible Elizabeth Talbot; while charting the career of his up and coming dramatist cousin, the bard of Stratford, but just Will to his family.

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

Colin FalconerAbout the Author

Born in London, Colin first trialed as a professional football player in England, and was eventually brought to Australia. He went to Sydney and worked in TV and radio and freelanced for many of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines. He has published over twenty novels and his work has so far been translated into 23 languages.

He travels regularly to research his novels and his quest for authenticity has led him to run with the bulls in Pamplona, pursue tornadoes across Oklahoma and black witches across Mexico, go cage shark diving in South Africa and get tear gassed in a riot in La Paz.

He currently lives in Barcelona.

For more information please visit Colin Falconer’s website. You can also find him on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

The School of Night Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, January 10
Spotlight at Historical Readings and Views

Monday, January 12
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, January 13
Spotlight at Layered Pages

Thursday, January 15
Interview & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Friday, January 16
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Monday, January 19
Spotlight at Susan Heim on Writing

Tuesday, January 20
Review at Book Nerd

Thursday, January 22
Review at Just One More Chapter

Friday, January 23
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Saturday, January 24
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Obsession

Sunday, January 25
Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog

Monday, January 26
Review at Boom Baby Reviews

Wednesday, January 28
Review at Carpe Librum

Thursday, January 29
Interview at Mina's Bookshelf
Interview at Books and Benches
Spotlight at The Never-Ending Book

Friday, January 30
Review at Brooke Blogs

Friday, February 6
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

 photo 1895d159-2357-493f-9339-1549369f837d.png

Book Blast & Giveaway: J.F. Ridgley's Red Fury Revolt

Please join author J.F. Ridgley as her novel, Red Fury Revolt is featured around the blogosphere and enter to win a copy of the book plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card! See giveaway details below!

02_Red Fury Revolt_Cover 

Publication Date: January 31, 2015 | R Pride Publishing | eBook; 412p | ASIN: B00QJJFCYK

Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Book One, The Agricola Series

Add to GR Button

Something keeps drawing G. Julius Agricola to Britannia again and again…

This is where it starts… book one, Red Fury…Revolt

A.D. 60…

Camulodunum! Londinium! Verulaneum!

Three towns writhe under the Iceni queen’s wrath, as she leads her warriors intent on destroying all things Roman – be it Roman temples, Roman villas, or entire families sympathetic to Rome. At stake is Suetonius Paulinus’s reputation. With only 80,000 legionaries, will he destroy Boudica or will he endure the disgrace in Rome for losing–to a woman?

Julius Agricola-Rome’s tribune, and Rhianna-Boudica’s youngest daughter, become ensnared in this horrific historical revolt against Roman injustice. Just as Julius and Rhianna reveal their love to each other, they are hurled back into the harsh reality of their differing worlds that are determined to destroy each other.

Who will survive?

Book two in the Agricola series, Red Fury Rebellion, coming 2016!

Praise for Red Fury Revolt

“…Ms. Ridgley has done very well at telling her story, while being respectful to the events that devastated Britannia, and even shook the Roman Empire itself, in 60 to 61 A.D.” - James Mace, Author of ‘Soldier of Rome – The Artorian Chronicles’

Watch the Book Trailer



Buy the eBook

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Smashwords

About the Author

03_Author JF RidgleyMs Ridgley loves the ancient world. Even after years of researching and many trips to the sites of her stories, she is still fascinated by what she can use for her next story. One thing she does enjoy more is bringing this world to life in her award-winning stories of power, greed, violence, and love.

Be sure to stop by her website to discover her books and novellas available on Amazon.com. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter to stay up with her next book or her next giveaway!

You can also connect with JF Ridgley on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+.

Book Blast Schedule

Saturday, January 31 - Release Day!
Flashlight Commentary

Sunday, February 1
Book Nerd
100 Pages a Day

Monday, February 2
A Literary Vacation
With Her Nose Stuck In A Book

Tuesday, February 3
Passages to the Past
Back Porchervations

Wednesday, February 4
Let Them Read Books

Thursday, February 5
CelticLady's Reviews
A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Haus

Friday, February 6
What is That Book About
The Never-Ending Book

Saturday, February 7
A Book Geek
Just One More Chapter

Giveaway

To enter to win a copy of Red Fury Revolt and a $25 Amazon Gift Card, sponsored by author J.F. Ridgley, please complete the giveaway form below.
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on February 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via GLEAM on February 8th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Please email Amy @ hfvirtualbooktours@gmail.com with any questions.
Red Fury Revolt Book Blast


 photo d4cce036-3067-40e9-ba9c-a7ba127be0c4.jpg

2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: February Reviews


Welcome to the February link page for the 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. This is the page where you will enter the links to your reviews during the month of February.

Visit the link page for January reviews here.

If you haven't already signed up for the challenge, it's not too late! The sign up post is here.

HF Reading Challenge Instructions...

  • Add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review). A direct link to your Goodreads review is also acceptable
  • Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, etc.)
  • Don't forget to look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!

Please leave your links for your January reviews in Mr. Linky below or if you don't have a blog, in the comments below.

If you have any questions or need assistance please email Amy at passagestothepast.com

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
Related Posts with Thumbnails
 

Passages to the Past
All rights reserved © 2013

Custom Blog Design by Blogger Boutique

Blogger Boutique