Pema Donyo's Stars in Their Eyes Blog Tour & Giveaway


Stars in Their Eyes by Pema Donyo

Publication Date: September 18, 2017
Crimson Romance
eBook; 120 Pages

Genre: Historical Romance


This beautifully sweeping story of dueling ambitions and restless hearts in the roaring twenties will captivate fans who loved the romance of the Oscar-winning film La La Land and Paula McLain's bestselling novel The Paris Wife.

The bohemian salons and wild cabarets of 1920s Paris are just the place for Owen Matthews to pursue his writing and make the right connections in the literary scene. But six years after leaving Los Angeles and the love of his life, he still strives for success. Penning a new screenplay for his friend’s film might just help keep the lights on a bit longer in the City of Lights.

Iris Wong is used to sacrifice and rejection as an Asian-American actress. She’s determined to take full advantage of her new leading role in a Parisian silent film—and the director’s romantic interest in her. Playing the game almost guarantees she’ll be able to break through the industry’s racism and become the silver screen star she’s dreamed of being since she earned her first nickel as a Hollywood extra.

When these two star-crossed lovers unexpectedly reunite, they get a second chance to reconcile their hearts’ desires with their dreams of fame and fortune.

Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

About the Author

Pema Donyo is a full-time finance professional, part-time author, and at-all-times coffee lover. She believes creativity can be infused into all endeavors, whether building a brand new story world or solving a quantitative problem. She currently lives in San Francisco.

Pema's novels include The Innocent Assassins, One Last Letter, and Revolutionary Hearts.

For more information, please visit Pema's website. You can also find her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon. Sign up to receive news & updates from Pema Donyo.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 18
Spotlight at Mello & June, It's a Book Thang!

Tuesday, September 19
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Wednesday, September 20
Review & Interview at The Book Junkie Reads

Thursday, September 21
Spotlight at Faery Tales Are Real

Friday, September 22
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Monday, September 25
Review at Creating Herstory

Tuesday, September 26
Spotlight at A Holland Reads

Wednesday, September 27
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 2 eBooks of STARS IN THEIR EYES! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Stars in Their Eyes


Helen R. Davis Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway

Please join Helen Davis as she tours the blogosphere with her three historical novels, Cleopatra Unconquered, Evita...My Argentina, and The Most Happy: An Alternate History of Anne Boleyn. Today I have an interview with Helen & a chance for you to win one of her three historicals!


Interview with Author Helen R. Davis

To begin, can you please tell us a little about yourself?

I live the United States. I have traveled to Spain, Argentina, France, Israel, Canada, and Argentina. I am very interested in history.

You've written about Eva Peron, Anne Boleyn, and Cleopatra. What inspired you to write about these particular women in history?

With Cleopatra, I always sensed a kindred spirit. She was very intellectual and the far-reaching consequences of her defeat made for a fascinating wondering about what if she had won, which was the genesis for this series. Eva Peron was a teenage fascination that culminated in a novel and a research trip to Argentina. Anne Boleyn was more of a request from fans than an inspiration, but I always feel she was unfairly treated, especially in recent historical fiction

Did you find anything in while researching your novels that challenged your perception of Anne, Eva, or Cleopatra?

With Eva, I admired her more until I went down to Argentina and saw the long term economic consequences of her husband's politics on that nation. She was still an amazing woman, but unfortunately, her good intentions did not outweigh the devastating consequences not just for Argentina but most of Latin America. With Anne Boleyn, I was somewhat always in her camp, so I was surprised to hear how many people still hated her, almost as though the war between her and Katharine of Aragon was still going on today. As such, I was reluctant to take her on, even in an alternate history setting, since so many people's minds were made up that she was a bad woman who deserved her fate for toppling a saint. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to hear of Anne's religious convictions and her charity giving. I also learned during my research that she did not want to be queen, and had no initial interest in Henry VIII at all. As for Cleopatra, I studied her in biographies before I saw any movies, so it was more than the movies brought to life a fascinating story than the biographies or research I read surprised me. It was more when others spoke to me about the research I had done that they did not realize Cleopatra was so intelligent.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What do you find the most difficult?

Writing is actually easy for me, so a better answer is which project was the most difficult. The answer was Evita. Except for Evita's trip to Paris, I hated every second of writing Evita: My Argentina.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Don't give up. Expect rejections and bad reviews, but continue to market and sell your work.

If you could read any book again for the first time, what would it be and why?

The research I have done on Cleopatra.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Did you always want to write historical fiction?

I have not always wanted to be a writer, no. I wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger. It was after I did a senior research paper on Cleopatra that my English teacher suggested my talents were best suited elsewhere. I did not always want to write historical fiction, but with my love of history and imagination, I supposed it was only a matter of time before I delved into alternate history.

What authors have inspired you?

Jean Plaidy, Susan Kay, Maurice Druon, CS Lewis, Philippa Gregory, Elena Maria Vidal, Michelle Moran, and many others.

Lastly, what can readers expect next from you?

A joint project with my co-author, Carolina Casas, called ISABELLA UNASHAMED which is about Queen Isabella I of Castile. It is available now on Amazon!


Cleopatra Unconquered by Helen R. Davis

Publication Date: December 2, 2015
Savant Books & Publications LLC

eBook & Paperback; 328 Pages

Genre: Alternative Historical Fiction


The first book of three in a richly imagined ancient world where the course of history is altered by one battle. In this world, Antony and Cleopatra triumph at the Battle of Actium, and Cleopatra emerges as a queen, stateswoman, and politician. Those around her come to life as the reader returns to those days to live them with her.

"The first in a series, Cleopatra Unconquered by Helen R. Davis is a treat for those fascinated by Egypt and the lost glories of antiquity. The author weaves the fruits of her careful research into a fascinating combination of both the historical fiction and fantasy genres. It gives readers a look into history as it was, as well as into what might have been." - Elena Marie Vidal, author of The Paradise Tree

Amazon | Barnes & Noble



Evita...My Argentina by Helen R. Davis

Publication Date: February 10, 2017
Custom Book Publications
eBook & Paperback; 228 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Biographical


EVITA … My Argentina

Evita Perón tells her own spectacular story.

Tracing her life back to her humble beginnings, when she is abandoned by her father, Evita takes the reader on her journey to become an actress and later, to the pivotal moment when she meets Colonel Juan Perón. Never content to stay in her husband’s shadow, Evita reveals how she shares his belief that Peronism will help the working class. Eventually she begins doing work on her own as the president of the Society of Benevolence, helping the poor and winning the peoples’ trust.

As the times change and women get the vote, Evita becomes even more powerful, running the Ministries of Labor and Health, starting a foundation, and organizing the first female party, The Female Peronist Party.

A larger-than-life story, told in her own fictional words, the powerful novel is as educational as it is entertaining.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble



The Most Happy by Helen R. Davis

Publication Date: July 25, 2017
Callipe Editorial

Genre: Alternative Historical Fiction


Anne Boleyn is known throughout the world as the beheaded wife of King Henry VIII, a woman for whom Henry discarded a Spanish princess and who was later discarded for the woman who gave Henry his longed-for son. Love her or hate her, it cannot be denied her romance with Henry VIII changed the course of English and European, and perhaps World History, forever.

This is a novel that imagines Anne Boleyn giving Henry a son and taking the reins of power as Regent of England when Henry VIII perishes in a jousting accident.

Told in the voice of the infamous Anne Boleyn, we are treated to the 16th century world that has recently become famous through programs such as The Tudors. We meet Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII, and many of the personalities of the mid-16th century albeit in an altered setting.

How would this era and time, a pivotal one in Western Civilization, have changed if one of the movers and shakers of the period, Anne Boleyn, had not been struck down in her prime by the man who once adored her?

Amazon

About the Author

Helen R. Davis is an American author. Her first novel, Evita: My Argentina was previously published as Evita: My Life and republished with Custom Book Publications in Hong Kong. Her second novel, CLEOPATRA UNCONQUERED, which is the first in a series, imagines a world in which Antony and Cleopatra, rather than Augustus Caesar, are the victors of the Battle of Actium. the sequel, CLEOPATRA VICTORIOUS, will be released soon, followed by the titles CLEOPATRA MAGNIFICA and CLEOPATRA TRIUMPHANT. Her third novel, or at least, her third historical novel/alternate history, THE MOST HAPPY, will be published with Callipe Editorial, based out of Madrid Spain, on July 25th, 2017.

For more information, please visit Helen Davis' website. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 25
Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, September 26
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective (The Most Happy)

Wednesday, September 27
Review at A Bookish Affair
Guest Post at A Holland Reads

Thursday, September 28
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Cleopatra Unconquered)

Friday, September 29
Review at A Chick Who Reads (Evita)
Review at 100 Pages a Day (The Most Happy)

Monday, October 2
Review at Must Read Faster (The Most Happy)

Tuesday, October 3
Review at Book Nerd (Evita)

Wednesday, October 4
Review at Tudor Enthusiast (The Most Happy)

Thursday, October 5
Review at Faery Tales Are Real (The Most Happy)

Friday, October 6
Review at Pursuing Stacie (The Most Happy)

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away eBooks of Cleopatra Unconquered & Evita...My Argentina & a paperback of The Most Happy! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on October 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Helen R. Davis






Laura Libricz's The Soldier's Return Book Blast


The Soldier's Return by Laura Libricz

Publication Date: September 15, 2017
eBook & Paperback

Series: Heaven's Pond Trilogy, Book Two
Genre: Historical Fiction


The year is 1626. A senseless war rips through parts of Germany. Ongoing animosity between the Catholics and the Protestants has turned into an excuse to destroy much of the landscape situated between France, Italy and Denmark. But religion only plays a minor role in this lucrative business of war.

The young dutchman, Pieter van Diemen, returns to Amsterdam in chains after a period of imprisonment in the Spice Islands. He manages to escape but must leave Amsterdam in a hurry. Soldiers are in demand in Germany and he decides to travel with a regiment until he can desert. His hope of survival is to reach Sichardtshof, the farm in Franconia, Germany; the farm he left ten years ago. His desire to seek refuge with them lies in his fond memories of the maid Katarina and her master, the humanist patrician Herr Tucher. But ten years is a long time and the farm has changed. Franconia is not only torn by war but falling victim to a church-driven witch hunt. The Jesuit priest, Ralf, has his sights set on Sichardtshof as well. Ralf believes that ridding the area of evil will be his saving grace. Can Pieter, Katarina and Herr Tucher unite to fight against a senseless war out of control?

The Soldier’s Return is the second book in the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy and will be released on September 15, 2017.

Available on Amazon


About the Author

Laura Libricz was born and raised in Bethlehem PA and moved to Upstate New York when she was 22. After working a few years building Steinberger guitars, she received a scholarship to go to college. She tried to ‘do the right thing’ and study something useful, but spent all her time reading German literature.

She earned a BA in German at The College of New Paltz, NY in 1991 and moved to Germany, where she resides today. When she isn’t writing she can be found sifting through city archives, picking through castle ruins or aiding the steady flood of musical instruments into the world market.

Her first novel, The Master and the Maid, is the first book of the Heaven's Pond Trilogy. The Soldier’s Return and Ash and Rubble are the second and third books in the series.

For more information, please visit Laura Libricz's website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 4
A Book Geek
Mello & June, It's a Book Thang!

Tuesday, September 5
100 Pages a Day
The Reading Queen

Wednesday, September 6
Must Read Faster
Just One More Chapter

Thursday, September 7
The Writing Desk
The Maiden's Court
To Read, Or Not to Read

Friday, September 8
Book Nerd
CelticLady's Reviews

Saturday, September 9
Passages to the Past
Books, Dreams, Life

Sunday, September 10
I Heart Reading

Monday, September 11
A Literary Vacation
Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Tuesday, September 12
Jo's Book Blog
WS Momma Readers Nook

Wednesday, September 13
Laura's Interests
Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Thursday, September 14
A Holland Reads
Svetlana's Reads and Views

Friday, September 15
T's Stuff
Pursuing Stacie
Books of All Kinds

Jessica Brockmole's Woman Enters Left Blog Tour & Giveaway


Woman Enters Left by Jessica Brockmole

Publication Date: August 8, 2017
Ballantine Books/Penguin Random House
Paperback & eBook; 352 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Women’s Fiction


A woman sets out on a cross-country road trip, unknowingly tracing in reverse the path her mother traveled thirty years before.

In the 1950s, movie star Louise Wilde is caught between an unfulfilling acting career and a shaky marriage when she receives an out-of-the-blue phone call: She has inherited the estate of Florence “Florrie” Daniels, a Hollywood screenwriter she barely recalls meeting. Among Florrie’s possessions are several unproduced screenplays, personal journals, and—inexplicably—old photographs of Louise’s mother, Ethel. On an impulse, Louise leaves a film shoot in Las Vegas and sets off for her father’s house on the East Coast, hoping for answers about the curious inheritance and, perhaps, about her own troubled marriage.

Nearly thirty years earlier, Florrie takes off on an adventure of her own, driving her Model T westward from New Jersey in pursuit of broader horizons. She has the promise of a Hollywood job and, in the passenger seat, Ethel, her best friend since childhood. Florrie will do anything for Ethel, who is desperate to reach Nevada in time to reconcile with her husband and reunite with her daughter. Ethel fears the loss of her marriage; Florrie, with long-held secrets confided only in her journal, fears its survival.

In parallel tales, the three women—Louise, Florrie, Ethel—discover that not all journeys follow a map. As they rediscover their carefree selves on the road, they learn that sometimes the paths we follow are shaped more by our traveling companions than by our destinations.

“Tender, touching, original, and rich with delicious period detail of Hollywood’s heyday—buckle up, because you’ll definitely want to go on a road trip after reading this delightful book!”—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | iTunes | IndieBound | Kobo


About the Author

Jessica Brockmole is the author of At the Edge of Summer, the internationally bestselling Letters from Skye, which was named one of the best books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly, and Something Worth Landing For, a novella featured in Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War. She lives in northern Indiana with her husband, two children, and far too many books.

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

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 4
Review at Creating Herstory
Feature at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Tuesday, September 5
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, September 7
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Interview at T's Stuff

Friday, September 8
Feature at Passages to the Past

Monday, September 11
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, September 13
Feature at To Read, Or Not to Read

Thursday, September 14
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Friday, September 15
Review at Trisha Jenn Reads

Sunday, September 17
Review at Carole Rae's Random Ramblings

Monday, September 18
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, September 19
Interview at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, September 20
Feature at BookLiterati

Friday, September 22
Review at A Literary Vacation

Monday, September 25
Review at Portebello Book Blog

Tuesday, September 26
Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Wednesday, September 27
Feature at Books of All Kinds

Thursday, September 28
Review at Jenn's Book Vibes

Friday, September 29
Review at The Lit Bitch
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, October 2
Review at What Cathy Read Next

Thursday, October 5
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Friday, October 6
Review at Broken Teepee

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 2 signed copies of Woman Enters Left! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on October 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Woman Enters Left


Cover Reveal: The Phantom's Apprentice by Heather Webb

Holy HistFic Cover, Batman! I cannot wait for this release...I adore Heather's books and this sounds amazing!


The Phantom's Apprentice by Heather Webb


Publication Date: February 6, 2018 | Sonnet Press

In this re-imagining of Phantom of the Opera, meet a Christine Daaé you’ve never seen before…

Christine faces an impossible choice: be a star at the Paris opera as Papa always wanted, or follow her dream—to become a master of illusions. First, she must steal the secrets of the enigmatic master who haunts her, survive a world of treachery and murder, and embrace the uncertain promise of love. To succeed, she will risk her life in the grandest illusion of all.

"Webb combines music and magic seamlessly in The Phantom's Apprentice, weaving glittering new threads into the fabric of a classic story. Romantic, suspenseful and inventive, this novel sweeps you along to its breathless conclusion." -- Greer Macallister, USA Today bestselling author of The Magician's Lie and Girl in Disguise

"A performance worthy of the Paris Opera...Christine’s evolution from 'damsel in distress’ to self-reliant woman is masterfully done, hooking the reader from the first page. Webb's work is immersive, well-crafted, and beautifully paced. A must-read!"--Aimie K. Runyan, author of Daughters of the Night Sky

2017 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: September Reviews


Welcome to the September link page for the 2017 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. This is the page where you will enter the links to your reviews during the month of September 2017.

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

Links to previous months...

January 2017
February 2017
March 2017
April 2017
May 2017
June 2017
July 2017
August 2017

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!

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