#TheGirlfromOto #AmyMaroney #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

The Girl from Oto
by Amy Maroney

Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Artelan Press
eBook & Paperback; 532 Pages

Genre: Historical Mystery
Series: The Miramonde Series, Book 1

 

 

A Renaissance-era woman artist and an American scholar. Linked by a 500-year-old mystery…

The secrets of the past are irresistible—and dangerous.

1500: Born during a time wracked by war and plague, Renaissance-era artist Mira grows up in a Pyrenees convent believing she is an orphan. When tragedy strikes, Mira learns the devastating truth about her own origins. But does she have the strength to face those who would destroy her?

2015: Centuries later, art scholar Zari unearths traces of a mysterious young woman named Mira in two 16th-century portraits. Obsessed, Zari tracks Mira through the great cities of Europe to the pilgrim’s route of Camino de Santiago—and is stunned by what she finds. Will her discovery be enough to bring Mira’s story to life?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Praise for The Girl from Oto

“I loved the lush descriptions and the hard-nosed female characters who find a way to get what they want in a man’s world. An exquisite novel.” -Martha Conway, winner of the North American Book Award for Thieving Forest

“An absorbing debut novel. I couldn’t put it down.” -Deborah Swift, author of The Gilded Lily

“A rich and intriguing evocation of the fifteenth century is interwoven with an emotionally satisfying mystery in the present day.” -Emma Darwin, author of A Secret Alchemy

“A powerful story and an intriguing mystery. A Red Ribbon winner and highly recommended.” -The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, U.K.

“From the very beginning I was enthralled with Mira, Zari, and their entwined journeys through history and the world of art. As a curator and art historian, it’s a rare treat for me to find a novel that so lovingly reflects our joys and challenges. The Girl from Oto delivers–and I can’t wait to spend more time with Mira.” -Jennifer Dasal, host of the ArtCurious podcast

The Miramonde Series

 

About the Author

Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She studied English literature at Boston University and public policy at Portland State University, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, painting, drawing, dancing and reading. The Girl from Oto and Mira’s Way are books 1 & 2 in The Miramonde Series.

For a free prelude to The Girl from Oto, for the full scoop on the research behind the book, and for news about the sequel, please visit www.amymaroney.com.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Coffee and Ink’s Review

This splendid, multi-timeline novel is engrossing and had me in tears at the conclusion. I can only hope Zari is going to keep on with her search for more details about Mira and Arnaud and the life they shared, and we’ll be a part of it.

My favorite things–art, the mortuary roll, the Way, the landscape, the secret child, and the mountain woman Elena. The masterful weave of the stories, the immersion into the artist Mira’s process as she learns to paint, learns to trust herself.

In the present, art historian Zari is on the trail of an artist believed to be someone else, and she wants to find this artist and reveal her and her life to the world.

Mira is secreted away, the only female Oto to survive in generations, to a convent where she is much loved. Friends outside the convent, Elena and Arnaud, come and go in her life with the seasons, but she learns much from them also. So much so, she wants to leave the convent life, to see the world beyond the walls.

Meanwhile, her evil father and his equally evil faithful retainer are teaching darker skills to Mira’s twin brother, keeping her mother hostage, and terrifying both the servants and their enemies in battle. When Ramon learns his daughter still lives, his anger and revenge sweep through the story like a wildfire.
The story takes place in sun-drenched valleys and winter-whipped mountains, with the star-filled sky pointing toward the Way and to the sea. The story is far more complicated than I can reveal. Brilliant writing and seamless research—I’ve been walking around with this story in my head for a few days now. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel!!

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, March 11
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 12
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages

Thursday, March 14
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Friday, March 15
Feature at What Is That Book About
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Saturday, March 16
Feature at Broken Teepee

Sunday, March 17
Interview at T’s Stuff

Monday, March 18
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Tuesday, March 19
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, March 20
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Thursday, March 21
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads

Friday, March 22
Review at Coffee and Ink
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away 10 eBooks of The Girl from Oto by Amy Maroney! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion 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.

The Girl from Oto

 

#Sunday Review #SayNothing #NetGalley

Author: Patrick Radden Keefe

Publisher: Doubleday

Publishing date: February 26, 2019

Wow.

I thought this was a True Crime novel about the murder of a mother of ten during the Troubles. And it is, but it’s so much more. The author provides a setting and background for the tragic narrative that is chilling and disturbing, fueled by the ruthlessness on both sides of the conflict. As much as I wanted to put it down, as it struck too close to home, I just couldn’t. The most excellent writing, the attention to detail, the stitching together of this crazy blood quilt to make a coherent whole is mesmerizing. I read so few non-fiction books, not for lack of interest but for time, and this one will stand out for me for years to come.

I remember watching Northern Ireland in the 1960s explode on our black and white television, the neighborhoods with their backyards and laundry lines, the outward charm and simplicity wracked by a war zone mentality, steeped in long held hatred between families and rivals. Ostensibly the labels are Protestants and Catholics, but it was never a religious war, a war of theology, but a tribal war against the ancient invader.

The True Crime investigative aspect is most evident toward the end of the novel, as some of the IRA members begin to age and unravel, confessions and regrets accompanying the push toward peace. A fascinating story well told.

From NetGalley

Description

“A masterful history of the Troubles. . . extraordinary. . .[Keefe] captures the complexities of a historical moment by digging deep into the lives of people on all sides of the conflict. . .As powerful as Keefe’s account of the Troubles is, it’s the aftermath that makes for a truly agonizing story. . . panoramic. . .as in the most ingenious crime stories, Keefe unveils a revelation — lying, so to speak, in plain sight — that only further complicates the moral dimensions of his tale.”
—Maureen Corrigan, NPR

From award-winning New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions

In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Her abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville’s children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress–with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.

Patrick Radden Keefe’s mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders. From radical and impetuous I.R.A. terrorists such as Dolours Price, who, when she was barely out of her teens, was already planting bombs in London and targeting informers for execution, to the ferocious I.R.A. mastermind known as The Dark, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British Army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his I.R.A. past–Say Nothing conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish.

 

#TemptationRag #ElizabethHutchisonBernard #HFVBTBlogTours#Review

Temptation Rag: A Novel
by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

Publication Date: December 3, 2018
Belle Epoque Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 308 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

From the author of The Beauty Doctor, Finalist for the 2018 Eric Hoffer Book Award, 2017 AZ Literary Awards, and a Medallion Honoree of the Book Readers Appreciation Group.

Seventeen-year-old May Convery, unhappy with her privileged life in turn-of-the-century New York City, dreams of becoming a poet. When she meets the talented young Mike Bernard, an aspiring concert pianist, she immediately falls in love. But after their secret liaison is discovered, neither is prepared for the far-reaching consequences that will haunt them for decades. As Mike abandons serious music to ruthlessly defend his hard-won title, Ragtime King of the World, May struggles to find her voice as an artist and a woman. It is not until years after their youthful romance, when they cross paths again, that they must finally confront the truth about themselves and each other. But is it too late?

The world of ragtime is the backdrop for a remarkable story about the price of freedom, the longing for immortality, and the human need to find forgiveness. From vaudeville’s greatest stars to the geniuses of early African American musical theater, an unforgettable cast of real-life characters populates this richly-fictionalized historical saga.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Chapters | IndieBound

Praise for Temptation Rag

“Fascinating real-life characters make Temptation Rag an emotional and page-turning story of passion, ambition, and desire.” – Megan Chance, bestselling author of Bone River and Inamorata

“Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard captures the style of the ragtime era. Music, art and culture spring from every page of this delightfully artistic work.” – Readers’ Favorite Book Review, 5 stars

“Terrific historical research and deft writing provide a striking portrait of racial and gender inequality in the ragtime era. An unforgettable and deeply human story.” – Frederic Tulsky, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

“Ms. Bernard weaves her knowledge of music with true historical characters and fictionalized ones into a syncopated symphony of human drama.” -Kathryn Wood, author of Sea Snow: the gentle haunting of a 19th century lighthouse

“A gripping page-turner that has romance, history and music. A smart retelling of history through multiple points of view.” – SA Examiner Book Review

About the Author

Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Her novel The Beauty Doctor is a suspenseful tale that takes place in the early days of cosmetic surgery—when the world of medicine was a bit like the Wild West and beauty doctors were the newest breed of outlaw. Temptation Rag: A Novel immerses readers in the bawdy atmosphere of vaudeville and early twentieth-century African American musical theater in a story about the price of freedom, the longing for immortality, and the human need to find forgiveness.

Elizabeth currently lives in Arizona with her husband and their much-loved and very spoiled black Lab.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Coffee and Ink’s review

Another winning novel set during the early 20th century with multiple voices and a lively atmosphere. The men in the story are vying to be either the King of Ragtime or the inventor of ragtime—they play in dive bars and vaudeville stages, travel across the country, write the music that everyone wants to hear and fight to be heard. The women who love them, singers, poets, mothers, support them when they can and try to catch them when they fall.

The dark note of the novel is the stain of racial and gender inequality that many of the characters endure-the predatory men, the violence perpetrated on the men of color. But a well-written history encompasses all facets of a particular era, and these episodes are well represented.

There are many characters to this book, but the author manages to give each a sense of depth and humanity, interconnected by their love of ragtime. The descriptions of the music are fantastic and the twining of the different narratives masterful, their lifetimes covering the rise and fall ragtime (which gave way to jazz).

You know I love a good Afterword, and this novel has one of the best.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 18
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, February 19
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Wednesday, February 20
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Friday, February 22
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages

Saturday, February 23
Guest Post at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Reviews

Monday, February 25
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.

Tuesday, February 26
Excerpt at CelticLady’s Reviews

Wednesday, February 27
Interview at Passages to the Past

Friday, March 1
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Monday, March 4
Review at Macsbooks

Wednesday, March 6
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Friday, March 8
Excerpt at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, March 12
Review at Reader then Blogger

Friday, March 15
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away copies of Bernard’s other novel, The Beauty Doctor. One paperback and two eBooks are up for grabs. To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to 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.

Temptation Rag

 

#BrandonTudorKnight #TonyRiches #HFVBTBlogTour#Review

Brandon – Tudor Knight
by Tony Riches

Publication Date: December 3, 2018
Preseli Press
eBook; ASIN: B07L3YGBWJ

Genre: Historical/Tudor/Biographical

 

 

From the author of the international bestselling Tudor Trilogy comes a true story of adventure, courtly love and chivalric loyalty.

Handsome, charismatic and a champion jouster, Sir Charles Brandon is the epitome of a Tudor Knight. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Brandon has a secret. He has fallen in love with Henry’s sister, Mary Tudor, the beautiful widowed Queen of France, and risks everything to marry her without the King’s consent.

Brandon becomes Duke of Suffolk, but his loyalty is tested fighting Henry’s wars in France. Mary’s public support for Queen Catherine of Aragon brings Brandon into dangerous conflict with the ambitious Boleyn family and the king’s new right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell.

Torn between duty to his family and loyalty to the king, Brandon faces an impossible decision: can he accept Anne Boleyn as his new queen?

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a thriller set in present day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other international best sellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.

For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Coffee and Ink’s Review

This series is based on the lives of historical people—there really was a Charles Brandon in the Tudor court who struggled upwards toward knighthood, toward security for his family and their descendants, and who came to the attention of the court by his talent at jousting. The story catches him in a transgression, from which he manages to escape punishment, but his life is a continual series of vicissitudes as he rises and falls in his career as a knight.  The privilege of becoming a knight did not come cheap, and if you’re interested in what life was really like for a knight and his family, this book is a wonderful example of this. There is not much emotional depth to the story, but the story isn’t really about how he feels, but how he fights to succeed. The afterword, one of my favorite parts of reading historical fiction, is fascinating and sheds more light on the character of Charles Brandon. I loved this book :).

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, February 28
Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, March 1
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Monday, March 4
Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 5
Review at Donna’s Book Blog

Wednesday, March 6
Guest Post at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Thursday, March 7
Feature at T’s Stuff

Friday, March 8
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Monday, March 11
Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail

Tuesday, March 12
Review at Hisdoryan
Feature at To Read, Or Not to Read

Wednesday, March 13
Review at For the Sake of Good Taste

Thursday, March 14
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Friday, March 15
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at A Darn Good Read

Sunday, March 17
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Monday, March 18
Review at Maiden of the Pages
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Tuesday, March 19
Review at The Tudor Enthusiast
Review at Just One More Chapter

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of Brandon-Tudor Knight! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 19th. 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 suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Brandon Tudor Knight

#JosephinesDaughter #ABMichaels #BookBlast #PreOrder #HFVBTBlogTours

Josephine’s Daughter
by A.B. Michaels

Publication Date: March 10, 2019
Red Trumpet Press
eBook; 395 Pages

 

 

What’s worse than a mother like Josephine? Turning out to be just like her.

In the late nineteenth century, wealthy and headstrong Kit Firestone chafes under the strictures of the Golden City’s high society, especially the interference of her charming but overbearing mother, Josephine. Kit’s secret rebellion leads to potentially catastrophic results and keeps her from finding true happiness.

When her brother nearly dies from a dangerous infection, Kit defies convention and becomes a working nurse. Through her troubled romance with a young doctor and a series of dramatic events, including a natural disaster and her mother’s own critical illness, Kit begins to understand who her mother truly is and what their relationship is all about. She may not get the chance to appreciate their bond, however, because, through no fault of her own, a madman has Kit in his crosshairs.

“…the novel’s fast-paced narrative and engaging dialogue will draw readers in from the start. It’s full of intriguing details about San Francisco near the turn of the last century,… A solidly entertaining, feminist tale that’s also well-suited for medical-history buffs.” Kirkus Reviews

Now Available on Amazon

 

About the Author

A native of northern California, A.B. Michaels earned masters’ degrees in history and broadcasting, and worked for many years in public relations and marketing. Now that she’s an empty nester, she has time to write the kinds of stories she loves to read. Her historical series, “The Golden City,” follows characters who make their way in turn of the twentieth century San Francisco. “I love creating flawed characters I can relate to, who have to make difficult choices, and who long for happiness like the rest of us. So much was happening in the early 1900’s that help shape my novels. Once I tear myself away from the underlying research, they are fascinating stories to write.”

Currently, Ms. Michaels lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two furry creatures who are unclear on the concept that they are just dogs. In addition to writing, she loves to read and travel. A dabbler in fabric art, she also plays bocce in a summer league.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

#FindingLordFarlisle #CassandraDean #HFVBTBlogTours#Review

Finding Lord Farlisle
by Cassandra Dean

Publication Date: November 27, 2018
eBook; 86 Pages
ASIN: B07JLWSFJG

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency

 

 

READ AN EXCERPT.

The girl he finally remembers

Eleven years ago, a shipwreck robbed Lord Maxim Farlisle of his memory. Recovering himself, he journeys to his childhood home to find Waithe Hall shut and deserted. Unwilling to face what remains of his family, Maxim makes his home in the abandoned hall…only to have a determined ghost hunter invade his uneasy peace.

The boy she never forgot

Fascinated by spirits, Lady Alexandra Torrence cannot disregard the opportunity to investigate the estate she knew so well. She arrives at the shuttered hall to discover a ghost of a different kind—the boy she thought to never see again. Maxim had been the boy next door, her best friend, her soul mate…and then he’d vanished.

As the two rediscover their connection, the promise of young love burns into an overwhelming passion. But the time apart has scarred them both—will they discover a love that will draw them together or will the past tear them apart forever?

“Finding Lord Farlisle is a lovely story: sweet, witty, flirtatious, emotional, touching. A truly delightful way to spend a couple of hours.” Anna Campbell, author of the bestselling Dashing Widows series

“Sweet, fun, and delightful! If you love friends to lovers, you’ll adore Finding Lord Farlisle.” -Tamara Gill, author of the Lords of London series

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Barnes and Noble | iTunes

About the Author

Cassandra Dean is an award-winning, best-selling author of historical and fantasy romance. She is a 2018 recipient of the coveted Romance Writers of Australia Ruby Award.

Her next novel will be FINDING LORD FARLISLE, kicking off a new series, LOST LORDS.

Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter

Coffee and Ink’s review:

I wish the author had started earlier in the story—their shared childhood, the sudden loss—as I feel I would have connected more strongly. However, that doesn’t keep me from loving the story of haunted, ghost-hunting Lady Alexandra Torrence and the lost and broken Lord Farlisle.

Eleven years previously, young Lord Farlisle had left for America, leaving Alexandra devastated. Worse, he was reported lost at sea six months later. Now he’s returned with broken memories to a strange but joyful woman whom he barely remembers, but who remembers him very well. Vivid, emotional writing, lovely setting and premise.

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, February 28
Excerpt at To Read, Or Not to Read

Friday, March 1
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Saturday, March 2
Feature at Maiden of the Pages

Monday, March 4
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, March 5
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, March 6
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, March 7
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Friday, March 8
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Monday, March 11
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 12
Review at Coffee and Ink

Wednesday, March 13
Excerpt at Bookish Rantings

Thursday, March 14
Feature at What Is That Book About

Friday, March 15
Feature at T’s Stuff

Saturday, March 16
Interview & Excerpt at Jorie Loves a Story

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to 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.

Finding Lord Farlisle

 

#TheLostHistoryofDreams #KrisWaldherr #BookTrailer #HFVBTBlogTours

The Lost History of Dreams
by Kris Waldherr

Publication Date: April 9, 2019
Atria Books
Hardcover & eBook; 320 Pages

Genre: Historical/Gothic/Mystery

 

 

A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale.

All love stories are ghost stories in disguise.

When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, The Lost History of Dreams.

However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.

As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave.

Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.

Here is the exclusive Book Trailer…

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Praise for The Lost History of Dreams

“Scheherazade-like . . . haunting. . . Waldherr avoids cliché in her rich descriptions and hints of supernatural presence that never cross into melodrama. Additionally, while most gothic tales offer only darkness and tragedy, a surprising amount of light and joy imbues the ending here. Fitting, perhaps, for a novel that uses stained glass as a symbol for heavenly possibility, even in the face of death. Waldherr writes that “love stories are ghost stories in disguise.” This one, happily, succeeds as both.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Wuthering Heights meets Penny Dreadful in Kris Waldherr’s The Lost History of Dreams, a dark Victorian epic of obsessive love, thwarted genius, and ghostly visitations….Eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written, The Lost History of Dreams is a Gothic fairy-tale to savor.” –Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network and The Huntress 

“The Lost History of Dreams refuses to be categorized as anything other than excellent. Within the framework of a gothic, Kris Waldherr confronts our ideas about love, grief, poetry, and the nature of storytelling. With skillfully nested stories, Waldherr has done the remarkable, rendering the ephemeral into something real and tangible. Brooding, romantic, and thoughtful, The Lost History of Dreams is a rare bird in that it shines throughout with wit. I loved every page of it.” –Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation

“Reminiscent of du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel, The Lost History of Dreams is a complex, haunting and deeply absorbing historical novel that is sure to delight fans of classic Gothic fiction. With luminous prose, stunning poetry and a fascinating cast of characters, Waldherr weaves a wonderfully atmospheric tale. Not to be missed!” –Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

“In The Lost History of Dreams, Kris Waldherr delivers a novel of haunting mystery and passion reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and Byatt’s Possession. Layered within the pages of this gorgeous gothic tale is a story of several loves, each masterfully wrought in dazzling, poetic detail that will leave the reader longing for more.” –Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow and The Chef’s Secret 

“In this accomplished debut, Kris Waldherr transports the reader to the fascinating world of Victorian England and its tradition of post-mortem photography with a deft hand. An atmospheric tale of lost love, family secrets, and an inquiry into how our own histories define us, I relished every poetic page. Mesmerizing, lyrical, and deliciously brooding, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a terrific contribution to Gothic literature.” –Heather Webb, international bestselling author of Last Christmas in Paris

“The Lost History of Dreams plunges the reader into a sumptuous feast for all the senses. Through the perspective of a very Victorian yet empathetic male protagonist, Waldherr cleverly depicts the confining roles women of the era were forced to play. This creepily delicious tale will rob readers of their sleep as it asks and answers its own question: “‘How can there be so much beauty in this world amid so much sorrow?’ The only solution was to create more beauty.” With this novel, Waldherr has done exactly that.” –Clarissa Harwood, author of Impossible Saints and Bear No Malice

“Kris Waldherr’s The Lost History of Dreams is very aptly titled, as reading this novel feels indeed like entering into a dream, one from which I have yet to fully awaken. With beautiful prose and poetry, Waldherr weaves a darkly seductive Gothic tale of love, art, death, and obsession. You’ll want to keep reading this one late into the night.” –Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel

About the Author

Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers.

Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era house with her husband, the anthropologist-curator Thomas Ross Miller, and their young daughter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub

 

Trailer Blast Schedule

100 Pages a Day
A Book Geek
A Bookish Affair
Bookish Rantings
Clarissa Reads it All
Coffee and Ink
Donna’s Book Blog
Historical Fiction with Spirit
Just One More Chapter
Let Them Read Books
Macsbooks
Passages to the Past
So Many Books, So Little Time
Suzy Approved Book Reviews
Tar Heel Reader
The Book Junkie Reads
To Read, Or Not to Read
View from the Birdhouse
What Is That Book About

Giveaway

In addition, Kris is hosting a The Lost History of Dreams giveaway worth $220. The gift package includes a Campo Marzio pen gift box with calligraphy nibs and ink, a handcrafted Lover’s Eye pendant, bookmark and bookplate, and a signed copy of The Lost History of Dreams.

Learn more at http://www.losthistorybook.com/sweepstake.html.

#ClaimingMyPlace #PlanariaPrice #HFVBTBlogTours

Claiming My Place: Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Holocaust
By Planaria Price with Helen Reichmann West

Publication Date: March 13, 2018
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Hardcover, eBook, AudioBook

Genre: YA/NF/History/Holocaust/WWII

 

 

A Junior Library Guild selection

Claiming My Place is the true story of a young Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust by escaping to Nazi Germany and hiding in plain sight.

Meet Gucia Gomolinska: smart, determined, independent, and steadfast in the face of injustice. A Jew growing up in predominantly Catholic Poland during the 1920s and ’30s, Gucia studies hard, makes friends, falls in love, and dreams of a bright future. Her world is turned upside down when Nazis invade Poland and establish the first Jewish ghetto of World War II in her town of Piotrkow Trybunalski. As the war escalates, Gucia and her family, friends, and neighbors suffer starvation, disease, and worse. She knows her blond hair and fair skin give her an advantage, and eventually she faces a harrowing choice: risk either the uncertain horrors of deportation to a concentration camp, or certain death if she is caught resisting. She decides to hide her identity as a Jew and adopts the gentile name Danuta Barbara Tanska. Barbara, nicknamed Basia, leaves behind everything and everyone she has ever known in order to claim a new life for herself.

Writing in the first person, author Planaria Price brings the immediacy of Barbara’s voice to this true account of a young woman whose unlikely survival hinges upon the same determination and defiant spirit already evident in the six-year-old girl we meet as this story begins. The final portion of this narrative, written by Barbara’s daughter, Helen Reichmann West, completes Barbara’s journey from her immigration to America until her natural, timely death. Includes maps and photographs.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Praise

“Price has boldly elected to tell the story in Basia’s own first-person, present-tense voice. The result is a dramatic, suspenseful account of survival in extremis, told in collaboration with Basia’s American daughter.” ―Booklist

“Price’s rendering of West’s mother’s early life reads like suspenseful historical fiction, telling a rarely heard side of the Jewish experience during WWII . . . Family, friendships, and romance give poignancy to this unique coming-of-age story, which is further enhanced by maps, a glossary, and an afterword.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A rich exploration of a Holocaust survivor’s sheltered childhood, the atrocity that failed to destroy her, and her later life as an immigrant.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“I was completely engrossed by this drama of survival. Barbara Reichmann’s story is quite extraordinary. It is sad, and terrible, and yet somehow captivating. The whole story of those who survived the Shoah by passing as Christians and working in Nazi Germany is an often forgotten part of the historical record.” ―Kai Bird, Executive Director, Leon Levy Center for Biography at CUNY Graduate Center, and co-author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

“As occurs with The Diary of Anne Frank, this book merges the dire circumstances of the Holocaust with the tenuousness of being a teenager. But Claiming My Place expands the view provided in the diary for one critical reason. Anne Frank’s story is told within an isolated cocoon. In Barbara’s story, however, the Holocaust is in full view as her experiences unfold.” ―David H. Lindquist, Ph.D., IPFW College of Education and Public Policy / Regional Museum Educator, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

“This frightening true story of a young Jewish girl’s flight from the deadly grip of the Nazis celebrates the surprising ingenuity and raw courage found only in the depths of the human spirit. Risking what few others dared, Barbara Reichmann, née Gucia Gomolinska, speaks with wisdom and uncommon self-awareness through her detailed, colorful, and evocative recollections from earliest childhood. In the final portion of this book, her daughter, Helen West, continues Barbara’s journey in an insightful and loving overview of Barbara’s life from the family’s arrival in New Orleans in 1951 until her death in 2007. This is a great read with the suspenseful, inspiring and uplifting appeal of a novel, about a character who will capture the reader’s heart.” ―Allan Holzman, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director and editor (Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Holocaust, Old Man River, The Native Americans)

“Thanks to the detailed memories and the conversational tone, this book provides an engaging and informative reading experience with as much appeal as a fiction title. Recommended for most YA nonfiction collections.” ―Magdalena Teske, West Chicago Public Library District School Library Journal

“This book was truly a celebration of the human spirit. What a gift she has for putting you in the story. Her way with words, plus her weaving of the actual events recounted to her by the unbelievably courageous Basia and her daughter Helen, was nothing short of magical. The included photographs and epilogue served to fully round out this amazing tale. I never wanted this book to end!” ―Rabbi Lynn Brody Slome

About the Author

After graduating from Berkeley and earning a Master’s Degree in English Literature from UCLA, Planaria Price began her career teaching English to adult immigrants in Los Angeles. She has written several textbooks for University of Michigan Press and has lectured at over 75 conferences. In addition to her passion for teaching and writing, Planaria has worked with her husband to save and restore over 30 Victorian and Craftsman homes in her historic Los Angeles neighborhood. Claiming My Place is her first book for young adults.

For more information, please visit Planaria’s website at www.planariaprice.com.

Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, March 1
Interview at Passages to the Past

Sunday, March 3
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Monday, March 4
Interview at The Book Connection
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, March 5
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Feature at To Read, Or Not to Read

Wednesday, March 6
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Thursday, March 7
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, March 8
Feature at T’s Stuff
Review at Hopewell’s Public Library of Life

Sunday, March 10
Review at Clarissa Reads it All

Monday, March 11
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Review at Jathan & Heather
Review at Impressions In Ink

Tuesday, March 12
Feature at Maiden of the Pages

Wednesday, March 13
Review at Just One More Chapter

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a signed copy of CLAIMING MY PLACE! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 13th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Claiming My Place Tour

​

#AGuardianofSlaves #NaomiFinley #HFVBTPartner

A Guardian of Slaves
by Naomi Finley

Publication Date: January 30, 2019
Huntson Press Inc.
eBook & Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Willow Hendricks is now the Lady of Livingston. She manages this plantation with her father and best friend Whitney Barry. The two women continue her parents’ secret abolitionist mission. They use the family’s ships and estates to transport escaped slaves along the channels to freedom. Willow’s love for Bowden Armstrong is as strong as ever, but she is not ready to marry and have a family because of her attention to these noble pursuits. Torn by her love for him, can their bond survive his reluctance to support her efforts with the Underground Railroad?

Meanwhile, whispers among the quarters sing praises of a mysterious man in the swamps helping slaves escape. He is called the Guardian. They believe he will save them from brutal slave catchers and deliver them to the promised land. Masked bandits roam the countryside, but the Guardian and the criminals evade capture. A series of accidents and mysterious disappearances raise alarm throughout the region. Who can Willow and Whitney trust? One false move or slip could endanger the lives of everyone they love and bring ruin to the Livingston Plantation.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes

About the Author

Naomi lives in Northern Alberta. Her love for travel means her suitcase is always on standby while she awaits her next plane ticket and adventure. Her love for history and the Deep South is driven by the several years she spent as a child living in a Tennessee plantation house. She comes from a family of six sisters. She married her high school sweetheart and has two teenage children and two dogs named Ginger and Snaps.

Creativity and passion are the focus of her life. Apart from writing fiction, her interests include interior design, cooking new recipes, throwing lavish dinner parties, movies, health, and fitness.

For more information, please visit Naomi Finley’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, February 15
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, February 19
Feature at Maiden of the Pages

Wednesday, February 20
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Feature at Christine’s Book Corner

Thursday, February 21
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Friday, February 22
Excerpt at Random Things Through My Letterbox

Monday, February 25
Review at Macsbooks

Tuesday, February 26
Excerpt at Among the Reads

Wednesday, February 27
Feature at Cover To Cover Cafe

Thursday, February 28
Feature at The Caffeinated Bibliophile

Monday, March 4
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, March 6
Feature at Old Timey Books

Thursday, March 7
Feature at What Is That Book About

Friday, March 8
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving a paperback copy of A Guardian of Slaves! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 8th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to 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.

A Guardian of Slaves

#GoldDigger #RebeccaRosenberg #CoverReveal #HFVBTBlogTours

Gold Digger
by Rebecca Rosenberg

Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Lion Heart Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 312 Pages

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Historical/American

 

 

One look at Baby Doe and you know she was meant to be a legend! She was just twenty years old when she came to Colorado to work a gold mine with her new husband. Little did she expect that she’d be abandoned and pregnant and left to manage the gold mine alone. But that didn’t stop her!

She moved to Leadville and fell in love with a married prospector, twice her age. Horace Tabor struck the biggest silver vein in history, divorced his wife and married Baby Doe. Though his new wife was known for her beauty, her fashion, and even her philanthropy, she was never welcomed in polite society.

Discover how the Tabors navigated the worlds of wealth, power, politics, and scandal in the wild days of western mining.

Praise for Gold Digger

“Rosenberg’s rollicking Western adventure strikes gold with a gutsy, good-hearted spitfire of a heroine and action aplenty.” —THELMA ADAMS, bestselling author of Bittersweet Brooklyn and The Last Woman Standing

“Gold Digger tells the true story of Lizzie ‘Baby Doe’ Tabor, a beautiful young woman who in 1878 marries the son of a wealthy miner in order to save her family from penury. Shrewd and stubborn, Lizzie fights back-biting Victorian society, wins and loses vast fortunes, and bests conniving politicians in her larger-than-life story. A twisting tale worthy of Mark Twain, with a big-hearted heroine at the center.” —MARTHA CONWAY, author of The Underground River

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

A California native, Rebecca Rosenberg lives on a lavender farm with her family in Sonoma, the Valley of the Moon, where Jack London wrote from his Beauty Ranch. Rebecca is a long-time student of Jack London’s works and an avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian London. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is her debut novel.

Rebecca and her husband, Gary, own the largest lavender product company in America, selling to 4000 resorts, spas and gift stores. The Rosenbergs believe in giving back to the Sonoma Community, supporting many causes through financial donations and board positions, including Worth Our Weight, an educational culinary program for at-risk children, YWCA shelter for abused women, Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center to provide performances for children, Sonoma Food Bank, Sonoma Boys and Girls Club, and the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home.

For more information, please visit Rebecca’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads. Visit the Facebook page for The Secret Life of Mrs. London.

Cover Reveal Schedule

Thursday, February 28
A Bookish Affair
Diana_bibliophile
Clarissa Reads it All
Oh the Books She Will Read

Friday, March 1
T’s Stuff
A Chick Who Reads
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Orange County Readers

Saturday, March 2
Maiden of the Pages
Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Sunday, March 3
100 Pages a Day
Passages to the Past

Monday, March 4
The Lit Bitch
Pursuing Stacie
History From a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, March 5
CelticLady’s Reviews
The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, March 6
Comet Readings
Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Thursday, March 7
Coffee and Ink
Donna’s Book Blog
Lisa-Queen of Random