#SmokeInHerEyes #AnnaBelfrage #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

Smoke In Her Eyes
by Anna Belfrage

Publication Date: March 15, 2019
Timelight Press
eBook & Paperback; 352 Pages

Series: The Wanderer, Book Two
Genre: Romance/Erotica/Paranormal

 

 

Six months ago, Helle Madsen would have described herself as normal. Now she no longer knows if that terms applies, not after her entire life has been turned upside down by the reappearance of not one, but two, men from her very, very distant past.

Helle Madsen never believed in mumbo-jumbo stuff like reincarnation—until she came face to face with Jason Morris, a man who purportedly had spent fifty lives looking for her. Coping with being reunited with the lover from her ancient past was one thing. Having Sam Woolf, her vindictive nemesis from that same ancient past join the party was a bit too much. Suddenly, Helle finds herself the reluctant heroine of a far-flung, time-transcending epic story, one in which pain and loss seem to play a very big part.

This time round, Jason and Helle are determined to make it to the happily ever after. Unfortunately, Sam Woolf will stop at nothing to crush them. That ride into the golden sunset seems awfully far away at times…

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

About the Author

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history and writing.

Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17^th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14^th century England. (Medieval knight was also high on Anna’s list of potential professions. Yet another disappointment…)

With Jason and Helle, Anna has stepped out of her historical comfort zone and has loved doing so.

Find out more about Anna by visiting her website, www.annabelfrage.com, You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Coffee and Ink’s Review

This was one of the more challenging reads for me lately. I read A Torch in His Heart, the first book and recommend you start there. The stories stayed with me and kept me wanting more. I loved the concept, the recollections of the first, ancient love and the lives after. I liked Jason and Nigel and the moms and family of both Helle and Jason were kindly and wise. Woolf was properly bad and fun to hate. The erotic romance…well, the first few scenes were well written, but mostly I skip sex scenes in the romances I read these days. Nothing personal to the author. If you’re looking for a good, time traveling erotic romance with a complicated plot and plenty of twists and turns, this trilogy is for you.

I just…didn’t like Helle. She was lovely in the first life but very spoiled and screechy in the present. Selfish and a bit annoying. That may just be me. I still found it an enjoyable read.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 30
Feature at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, May 1
Feature at What Is That Book About

Monday, May 6
Review & Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, May 8
Interview at The Book Connection

Thursday, May 9
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Monday, May 13
Review at Bri’s Book Nook

Tuesday, May 14
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Friday, May 17
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Saturday, May 18
Feature at The Lit Bitch

Monday, May 20
Review at Bookish

Thursday, May 23
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Monday, May 27
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, May 28
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Friday, May 31
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away two copies of Smoke In Her Eyes by Anna Belfrage! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 31st. 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.

Smoke in Her Eyes

#Listentothewind #SusanneDunlap #HFVBTPartner #Review

Listen to the Wind
by Susanne Dunlap

Publication Date: April 22, 2019
Bellastoria Press
eBook & Paperback; 388 Pages

Series: The Orphans of Tolosa, Book 1
Genre: Historical Fiction/Medieval

 

 

Sent away from their families for their own protection when they were very young, Azemar and Azalaïs become separated when they are forced to flee from the band of outlaws who served as their supposed protectors. Armed only with scraps of memories and the wits and intelligence that have helped them survive brutal conditions, they struggle to find each other again and discover the mysterious past that links them across distance and time. Who are they? And do they hold the secret of the legendary Cathar treasure? All they know is that knights and monks spell danger, and they must find a way to survive at all costs if they are to fulfill their destiny—and preserve their vanishing culture.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Kobo

About the Author

Susanne Dunlap is the author of six works of historical fiction. Two are for adults (Emilie’s Voice and Liszt’s Kiss, both published by Touchstone books of Simon & Schuster). Four are for young adults (The Musician’s Daughter, Anastasia’s Secret, In the Shadow of the Lamp, and The Academie, published by Bloomsbury). A graduate of Smith College with a PhD in Music History from Yale University, Susanne grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in London, Brooklyn and Northampton, MA. She now lives in Northampton with her long-time partner, Charles, has two grown daughters, three granddaughters, a grandson, a stepson and a stepdaughter, four step-grandsons and one step-granddaughter—that’s a total of four children and nine grandchildren!

In her spare time she cycles in the beautiful Pioneer Valley.

For more information, please visit The Orphans of Tolosa website. You can follow author Susanne Dunlap on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and BookBub.

Coffee and Ink’s Review

Once upon a time, I fell down the research rabbit hole to write a paper on Cathars and the crusade against them, so it was a mixed pleasure to be able to read this novel and revisit that world again. Mixed as a visit to that sun-drenched place in the South of France, the music, the people and their culture is overshadowed by the coming of the northern knights. Ugh, crusade. Invasion and takeover; death and destruction.

Orphaned brother and sister Azalais and Azemar live in the woods with a gang of adult criminals, learning about life the hard way. As a raid scatters the gang, the brother and sister go their separate ways, vowing to meet up some day in a far away city.

Azalais, disguised as a boy, finds her way to the relative safety of a blind hermit and herbalist who teaches her everything he knows, including how to read and write. The nearby abbey he is attached to, however, is well known for hunting out heretics, i.e. Cathars.

Azemar’s education begins at the home of a former knight whose lands have recently been returned to him, as he fought in the last invasion against the northern knights. Azemar learns how to tend the vineyard, to read and write, and eventually is sent out to learn how to be a knight.

As the brother and sister come of age, the storm cloud of war is on the horizon, and they are both entrusted with secrets but find themselves on opposite sides.

The ensemble cast and their ensuing complications, the inevitability of war, and the much anticipated reunion of the brother and sister kept me reading long past my bedtime. Well-written and researched, I loved this book. Looking forward to the sequel!

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 13
Review at Bibliophile Reviews

Tuesday, May 14
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Wednesday, May 15
Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, May 16
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Friday, May 17
Review at Bookish Sarah
Review at Comet Readings
Feature at What Is That Book About

Monday, May 20
Review & Guest Post at Clarissa Reads it All
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Tuesday, May 21
Feature at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Wednesday, May 22
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, May 23
Interview at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, May 24
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, May 27
Review at Macsbooks
Feature at The Lit Bitch

Tuesday, May 28
Review at Coffee and Ink
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review & Guest Post at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away one copy of Listen to the Wind by Susanne Dunlap! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 28th. 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.

Listen to the Wind

#TheStrongmanandtheMermaid #KathleenShoop #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

The Strongman and the Mermaid
by Kathleen Shoop

Publication Date: February 28, 2019
eBook & Paperback; 573 Pages

Series: The Donora Story Collection (Book 2)
Genre: Historical Fiction/Saga

 

 

Myscowa, Poland—1910
Once upon a time in tiny, rural Myscowa, Lukasz Musial competes in feats of strength against his lifelong nemesis to win passage to America. He leaves behind grinding poverty and despair, to seek the clear blue skies, and better life he sees on a postcard. Settled in Donora’s Polish community, Lukasz secures a coveted job in the wire mill, and is matched to marry Donora’s very own Polish princess. Life is set on course. The American Dream is nearly his.

Donora, Pennsylvania—1910
Mary Lancos is no princess. A tall, athletic girl who loves the water, she spends her days keeping house for families in town, digging coal out of a backyard seam and rowing her father across the Monongahela River for work. Mary is dependable, tenacious, and always ready to help when someone needs her. She dreams of a gas-heated home, a bedroom for each of her future children, and good meals on the table each night. To help make that happen Mary attends local dances, waiting for the few men who are taller than her to ask her to dance, hoping one of them is right for her.

An unexpected Christmas Eve visitor brings bad luck, and Lukasz’s world crumbles. Meanwhile, tension grows at the Lancos home when money is short and Mary’s dreams clash with her parents’ old world expectations. Just when Mary and Lukasz are at their lowest, they find themselves under an odd pink moonlit sky and Lukasz rescues Mary from a fall into frigid river water. The attraction between them is sudden and consuming, turning the pair onto an unexpected path. With mounting disapproval from Mary’s parents, and increased pressure on Lukasz, they must decide if love is enough to risk losing everything else that matters.

Available on Amazon

Praise

Kathleen Shoop has bejeweled this book with her magnificent imagination and impeccable writing. The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop is a romance that goes beyond looks and settles deep into the souls of readers. Every so often, a love story comes that your heart can’t let go. One of those love stories, for me, has been Mr. Darcy and Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice. Now Mary and Lukasz in The Strongman and the Mermaid will stay with me for a long time to come. –Ankita Shukla for Readers’ Favorite

The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop is a gorgeous story, a gripping romance with a strong setting. The plot structure is unusual and it has beautiful twists. I love stories with great characters and a well-developed conflict and I always want to see characters evolve through the conflict. It is something that this author does impeccably well. The narrative is emotionally rich…The writing is cinematic, punctuated by exciting dialogue. The Strongman and the Mermaid will keep you awake through the night. –Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite

I was hooked from the very start…The Strong Man and the Mermaid is skillfully plotted and written in beautiful prose. The reader is pulled into a fairytale-like world with strong and memorable characters. The love adventure between Mary and Lukasz is one of the key elements that add to the entertaining potential of this narrative. Kathleen Shoop keeps it real and human, succeeding in creating an emotional connection between the reader and the characters.—Ruffina Oserio for Readers’ Favorite

About the Author

Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | BookBub

Coffee and Ink’s Review

This is a jewel of a story, multilayered, the precise prose emotionally evocative of time and place. As Mary picks her way amongst the minefields of family and earning a living in Donora, Lukasz is losing and winning, losing and winning as he makes his way from Poland to Donora. The mills and mines await them both and a thick fog hangs over a town that rarely sees a glimpse of blue sky and sun. Lukasz brings with him the dream of America—a job, a house of his own, a family. Mary dreams of getting out of Donora, becoming like her employer, Mrs. Dunn, a lady with fine things, someone who knows things and the world.

Mary and Lukasz glow like something bright at the bottom of a clear river, taking their time to reach the surface.

Lukasz also brings with him his dream of the mermaid who told him truly he would win the immigration lottery because there was another ticket. Though he knows the mermaid is a myth, he carries her in his heart even as he labors in the mill heaving big bundles of metal into trucks.

Twists and turns finally bring these two together, the plot as finally crafted as Lukasz’s wire figurines. However, I found reading about women’s roles in that era, in that cultural context almost as suffocating as the fog from the mills. Realistic but painful, the story echoes with some of the sorrows of the women who emigrated generations ago in my own family.

I loved the novel and found it hard to put down once I was immersed in Donora.  

Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, May 1
Review at Passages to the Past

Thursday, May 2
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Feature at Comet Readings

Friday, May 3
Review at Bibliophile Reviews

Saturday, May 4
Feature at Book Addict Rambles

Tuesday, May 7
Excerpt at To Read, or Not to Read
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, May 8
Feature at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, May 10
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Feature at What Is That Book About
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Monday, May 13
Review at Orange County Readers

Tuesday, May 14
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, May 15
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Thursday, May 16
Interview at Passages to the Past

Monday, May 20
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Tuesday, May 21
Review at Macsbooks

Wednesday, May 22
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Peaceful Pastime
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at My Reading Chronicles

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a copy of The Strongman and the Mermaid and a $50 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 22nd. 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.

Strongman and Mermaid

#AMurderousMalady #ChristineTrent #HFVBTBlogTours #Spotlight

A Murderous Malady
by Christine Trent

Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Crooked Lane Books
Hardcover & eBook; 336 Pages

Genre: Historical Mystery

 

 

For fans of Charles Todd and Deanna Raybourn comes Christine Trent’s second Florence Nightingale mystery.

Cholera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when people begin dying of a far more intentional cause—murder.

The London summer of 1854 is drawing to a close when a deadly outbreak of cholera grips the city. Florence Nightingale is back on the scene marshaling her nurses to help treat countless suffering patients at Middlesex Hospital as the disease tears through the Soho slums. But beyond the dangers of the disease, something even more evil is seeping through the ailing streets of London.

It begins with an attack on the carriage of Florence’s friend, Elizabeth Herbert, wife to Secretary at War Sidney Herbert. Florence survives, but her coachman does not. Within hours, Sidney’s valet stumbles into the hospital, mutters a few cryptic words about the attack, and promptly dies from cholera. Frantic that an assassin is stalking his wife, Sidney enlists Florence’s help, who accepts but has little to go on save for the valet’s last words and a curious set of dice in his jacket pocket. Soon, the suspects are piling up faster than cholera victims, as there seems to be no end to the number of people who bear a grudge against the Herbert household.

Now, Florence is in a race against time—not only to save the victims of a lethal disease, but to foil a murderer with a disturbingly sinister goal—in A Murderous Malady.

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

About the Author

Christine Trent is the author of the Florence Nightingale Mysteries, the Lady of Ashes historical mystery series, about a Victorian-era undertaker, and three other historical novels. Christine’s novels have been translated into Turkish, Polish, and Czech. She writes from her two-story home library, where she lives with her husband, four precocious cats, a large doll collection, entirely too many fountain pens, and over 4,000 catalogued books.

Learn more about Christine at www.christinetrent.com. You can also follow her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 6
Interview at Let Them Read Books
Review & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, May 7
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.

Wednesday, May 8
Review at Proverbial Reads
Review at Impressions In Ink
Excerpt & Giveaway at Old Timey Books

Thursday, May 9
Guest Post at Short Book and Scribes

Friday, May 10
Review at Broken Teepee
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All

Saturday, May 11
Review at Donna’s Book Blog

Sunday, May 12
Review at A Bookish Affair

Monday, May 13
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Feature & Giveaway at Queen of Random
Interview at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Tuesday, May 14
Excerpt & Giveaway at To Read, Or Not to Read

Wednesday, May 15
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Excerpt & Giveaway at Kimber Li’s Blog

Thursday, May 16
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Friday, May 17
Review at The Lit Bitch

Saturday, May 18
Review at Just One More Chapter

Sunday, May 19
Review, Q&A, and Giveaway at Maiden of the Pages

Monday, May 20
Spotlight at Coffee and Ink
Review & Excerpt at Jathan & Heather

#TheGirlPuzzle #KateBraithwaite #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

The Girl Puzzle
by Kate Braithwaite

Publication Date: May 5, 2019
Crooked Cat Books
eBook & Paperback; 263 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Her published story is well known. But did she tell the whole truth about her ten days in the madhouse?

Down to her last dime and offered the chance of a job of a lifetime at The New York World, twenty-three-year old Elizabeth Cochrane agrees to get herself admitted to Blackwell’s Island Lunatic Asylum and report on conditions from the inside. But what happened to her poor friend, Tilly Mayard? Was there more to her high praise of Dr Frank Ingram than everyone knew?

Thirty years later, Elizabeth, known as Nellie Bly, is no longer a celebrated trailblazer and the toast of Newspaper Row. Instead, she lives in a suite in the Hotel McAlpin, writes a column for The New York Journal and runs an informal adoption agency for the city’s orphans.

Beatrice Alexander is her secretary, fascinated by Miss Bly and her causes and crusades. Asked to type up a manuscript revisiting her employer’s experiences in the asylum in 1887, Beatrice believes she’s been given the key to understanding one of the most innovative and daring figures of the age.

“Novelist Braithwaite (The Road to Newgate, 2018, etc.) delivers a well-researched and engrossing tale that focuses on female empowerment. A story of grit and perseverance that will appeal to readers interested in the history of women in journalism.” – Kirkus Reviews

Available at Amazon

About the Author

Kate Braithwaite grew up in Edinburgh but now lives with her family in the Brandywine Valley in Pennsylvania. Her daughter doesn’t think Kate should describe herself as a history nerd, but that’s exactly what she is. Always on the hunt for lesser known stories from the past, Kate’s books have strong female characters, rich settings and dark secrets.

The Girl Puzzle is her third novel.

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

Coffee and Ink’s Review

I don’t know if enough can be said about the bravery of Nellie Bly these days. The Girl Puzzle is an excellent addition to the 19th century journalist’s oeuvre. What I loved about this take on her life is the fictional Beatrice, her secretary toward the end of her life. The juxtaposition of the past and present make a nice contrast and Beatrice’s observations and devotion help us to understand their world and Nellie Bly a little better. The week she spent at the insane asylum must have felt nearly a lifetime and the author does an excellent job threading the past and present together to emphasize this. Well written and well researched; I loved it!

Blog Tour Schedule

Sunday, May 5
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, May 6
Interview at Jorie Loves A Story
Guest Post at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, May 8
Feature at What Is That Book About

Thursday, May 9
Review at Orange County Readers

Friday, May 10
Review at Macsbooks

Monday, May 13
Interview at Bookish Rantings

Wednesday, May 15
Review at Kate Rock Lit Chick
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, May 17
Review at A Book Geek
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a signed copy of The Girl Puzzle by Kate Braithwaite! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 17th. 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.

The Girl Puzzle

#SongofSongs #MarcGraham #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

Song of Songs: A Novel of the Queen of Sheba
by Marc Graham

Publication Date: April 16, 2019
Blank Slate Press
Paperback; 400 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Lift the veil of legend for the untold story of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and Bathsheba, wife and mother of Israel’s first kings.

When Makeda, the slave-born daughter of the chieftain of Saba, comes of age, she wins her freedom and inherits her father’s titles along with a crumbling earthwork dam that threatens her people’s survival. When she learns of a great stone temple being built in a land far to the north, Makeda leads a caravan to the capital of Yisrael to learn how to build a permanent dam and secure her people’s prosperity.

On her arrival, Makeda discovers that her half-sister Bilkis (also known as Bathsheba) who was thought to have died in a long-ago flash flood, not only survived, but has become Queen of Yisrael. Not content with her own wealth, Bilkis intends to claim the riches of Saba for herself by forcing Makeda to marry her son. But Bilkis’s designs are threatened by the growing attraction between Makeda and Yetzer abi-Huram, master builder of Urusalim’s famed temple. Will Bilkis’s plan succeed or will Makeda and Yetzer outsmart her and find happiness far from her plots and intrigue?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Marc Graham studied mechanical engineering at Rice University in Texas, but has been writing since his first attempt at science fiction penned when he was ten. From there, he graduated to knock-off political thrillers, all safely locked away to protect the public, before settling on historical fiction. His first novel, Of Ashes and Dust, was published in March 2017.

He has won numerous writing contests including, the National Writers Assocation Manuscript Contest (Of Ashes and Dust), the Paul Gillette Memorial Writing Contest – Historical (Of Ashes and Dust, Song of Songs), and the Colorado Gold Writing Contest – Mainstream (Prince of the West, coming from Blank Slate Press in Fall 2019).

He lives in Colorado on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, and in addition to writing, he is an actor, narrator, speaker, story coach, shamanic practitioner, and whisky afficianado (Macallan 18, one ice cube). When not on stage or studio, in a pub, or bound to his computer, he can be found hiking with his wife and their Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Coffee and Ink’s Review

I’ve read so many good to excellent books for the HF tours, and this book is one of the best so far. Set in a far away place in a far away time, the writing and meticulous attention to detail creates a story and characters as vivid and real as yesterday. The story intersects between three characters, their rise and fall and rise again in the ancient world of the fertile crescent. Makeda is a striking contrast to her sister Bilkis; both are matriarchal rulers of their respective lands, keepers of law and culture. Yetzer’s journey, both spiritual and professional, is a fascinating look at early Freemasonry, and it’s no surprise that when the three cross paths dams threaten to break and the earth shakes. What I truly love about the author’s style is how accessible the ancient world becomes through the eyes of his characters. This will definitely be a re-read in my future.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 16
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, April 17
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Feature at The Caffeinated Bibliophile

Thursday, April 18
Review at Bookfever
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages

Friday, April 19
Feature at What Is That Book About
Guest Post & Excerpt at To Read, Or Not to Read

Saturday, April 20
Excerpt at Spellbound by History

Monday, April 22
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, April 23
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, April 24
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, April 25
Feature at Let Them Read Books
Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Friday, April 26
Review at Red Headed Book Lady

Tuesday, April 30
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All

Wednesday, May 1
Review at Library of Clean Reads

Friday, May 3
Review at Historical Fiction Reviews

Monday, May 6
Review at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, May 7
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, May 9
Excerpt at Kimber Li

Friday, May 10
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, May 13
Review at Curling up by the Fire

Tuesday, May 14
Review at Amy’s Booket List

Wednesday, May 15
Feature at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, May 17
Review at Coffee and Ink
Interview at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away two paperback copies of Song of Songs! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US & Canada 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.

Song of Songs

#Passengers #ElizabethCollums #HFVBTPartner

Passengers
by Elizabeth Collums

Publication Date: December 7, 2018
Amite River Press
eBook; 185 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

During the Great Irish Famine the Ewing family made their way from their rural cottage to the village of Highland Way. Annie, the oldest daughter was left to care for her mother and younger sister after her father left to find work in Dublin.

A mysterious letter arrives from America forcing Annie, Lily, and Katy into a harrowing journey. The hand written note not only will expose deep secrets, it will also challenge the strength and fortitude of the Ewing women, leading each member into their own soul searching voyage.

Follow this extraordinary passage that begins in Ireland and leads each woman to uncover their own courage and truths in this new world.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Ann C. Purvis, chose to publish her first novel under her birth name, Elizabeth Collums; this is her true roots and where she has drawn from many of the experiences she wrote about. She lives in Denham Springs, Louisiana and enjoys DIY projects. She has two daughters, a stepdaughter, son-in-law, two amazing granddaughters, and her dog Daisy.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 13
Review at Bookish Sarah
Review at Comet Readings

Tuesday, May 14
Feature at What Is That Book About
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, May 15
Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Thursday, May 16
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Feature at Coffee and Ink

Friday, May 17
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Guest Post at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away two $20 Amazon Gift Cards! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 17th. 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 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.

Passengers

#LindaBennettPennell #AlCaponeattheBlancheHotel #MaimiDaysHavanaNights #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel
by Linda Bennett Pennell

Publication Date: July 9, 2013
Soul Mate Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 320 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel tells a story of lives unfolding in different centuries, but linked and irrevocably altered by a series of murders in 1930.

Lake City, Florida, June, 1930: Al Capone checks in for an unusually long stay at the Blanche Hotel, a nice enough joint for an insignificant little whistle stop. The following night, young Jack Blevins witnesses a body being dumped heralding the summer of violence to come. One-by-one, people controlling county vice activities swing from KKK ropes. No moonshine distributor, gaming operator, or brothel madam, black or white, is safe from the Klan’s self-righteous vigilantism. Jack’s older sister Meg, a waitress at the Blanche, and her fiancé, a sheriff’s deputy, discover reasons to believe the lynchings are cover for a much larger ambition than simply ridding the county of vice. Someone, possibly backed by Capone, has secret plans for filling the voids created by the killings. But as the body count grows and crosses burn, they come to realize this knowledge may get all of them killed.

Gainesville, Florida, August, 2011: Liz Reams, an up and coming young academic specializing in the history of American crime, impulsively moves across the continent to follow a man who convinces her of his devotion yet refuses to say the three simple words I love you. Despite the entreaties of friends and family, she is attracted to edginess and a certain type of glamour in her men, both living and historical. Her personal life is an emotional roller coaster, but her career options suddenly blossom beyond all expectation, creating a very different type of stress. To deal with it all, Liz loses herself in her professional passion, original research into the life and times of her favorite bad boy, Al Capone. What she discovers about 1930’s summer of violence, and herself in the process, leaves her reeling at first and then changed forever.

Praise for Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel

5 Star Top Pick “…brilliantly written…” – BTSemagazine

“…The characters were so well done that I latched onto them and wanted to know where their journey was going to end up. It’s a fascinating read. The way the author wrote this story made it so easy to get a visual of the characters, the setting and just life in general – you could feel yourself in the ’30′s, living what they were living and you could feel yourself in the present time, living what Liz was living. I highly recommend it.” – Maggie Thom, The Write to Read

4 out of 4 Stars “… a compelling, multifaceted book. It captured my attention from beginning to the end.” – OnlineBookClub.org

Available on Amazon

Miami Days, Havana Nights
by Linda Bennett Pennell

Publication Date: June 18, 2018
Soul Mate Publishing
eBook; 302 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romantic Suspense

Sometimes our biggest debts have nothing to do with money.

1926. When seventeen-year-old Sam Ackerman witnesses a mob hit, he is hustled out of New York under the protection of Moshe Toblinsky, A.K.A., the mob’s bookkeeper. Arriving in Miami with no money, no friends, and no place to hide, Sam’s only choice is to do as the gangster demands. Forced into bootlegging, Sam’s misery is compounded when he falls in love. Amazingly, the beautiful, devout Rebecca wants only him, but he cannot give her the life she deserves. When Prohibition ends, Sam begs the mobster to set him free. The price? A debt, as Toblinsky puts it, of friendship. A debt that will one day come due.

Present Day. History of American Crime professor Liz Reams has it all—early success, a tantalizing lead on new info about Moshe Toblinsky, and a wonderful man to love. Life is perfect. So what’s keeping her from accepting her guy’s marriage proposals? Confronting a long-standing personal debt sets her on a journey of self-discovery. While she delves ever deeper into Sam’s and Toblinsky’s relationship, her understanding of her own relationships increases as well, but the revelations come at a price. The emotional and physical dangers of her dual journeys may prove too big to handle.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother’s porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work.

As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to herself or himself, “Let’s pretend.”

I currently reside in the Houston area with my sweet husband and a German Shorthaired Pointer who thinks she’s a little girl.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Coffee and Ink’s Review

A dark and gritty story told on two timelines, 1930s Florida and modern day Florida.  The author deftly alternates between both worlds, worlds as unlike as milk and glass. Jack, Zeke, Meg and her fiancé deWitt in the 1930s become embroiled in a murder that puts their lives in danger from the KKK, bootleggers, and Al Capone. In the present, Liz struggles with her new job as professor of American Crime at the local college, her bad boy fiancé, and an editor who stubbornly believes in her fiction, but for which Liz has zero time. Despite the new and old demands on her, she is driven to solve an 80-year-old murder the locals barely remember.

Strong writing, and the voices of the ensemble cast ring true.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 13
Review at Macs Books

Tuesday, May 14
Review at Coffee and Ink

Wednesday, May 15
Review at Bookish Sar

Thursday, May 16
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads

Monday, May 20
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, May 21
Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, May 22
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a signed set of Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel & Miami Days, Havana Nights! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 22nd. 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 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.

Linda Bennett Pennell

#TheTimeCollector #GwendolynWomack #HFVBTBlogTours #Review

The Time Collector
by Gwendolyn Womack

Publication Date: April 16, 2019
Picador USA
eBook & Paperback; 368 Pages

Genre: Historical/Romantic Suspense

 

 

Travel through time with the touch of a hand.

Roan West was born with an extraordinary gift: he can perceive the past of any object he touches. A highly skilled pyschometrist, he uses his talents to find and sell valuable antiques, but his quiet life in New Orleans is about to change. Stuart, a fellow pyschometrist and Roan’s close friend, has used his own abilities to unearth several out-of-place-artifacts or “ooparts”—like a ring that once belonged to the seventeenth-century mathematician and philosopher René Descartes, but was found buried in prehistoric bedrock.

The relics challenge recorded history, but soon after the discovery, Stuart disappears, making him one of several psychometrists who have recently died or vanished without a trace. When Roan comes across a viral video of a young woman who has discovered a priceless pocket watch just by “sensing” it, he knows he has to warn her—but will Melicent Tilpin listen? And can Roan find Stuart before it’s too late?

The quest for answers will lead Roan and Melicent around the world—before it brings them closer to each other and a startling truth—in the latest romantic thriller from Gwendolyn Womack, the bestselling, PRISM Award-winning author of The Memory Painter and The Fortune Teller.

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

Praise for The Time Collector

“A wonderfully intriguing tale, filled with the mystery of objects that tell a story. The Time Collector’s fast pace and fascinating premise will delight history and romance lovers.”―Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Ghost Bride

“A compelling exploration of time, history, and our primal need to connect with the past, The Time Collector is also a rollicking adventure through ancient mysteries and the moving story of two stunningly drawn characters, chasing the answer to the question of what it means to be human.”―Charlie Lovett, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookman’s Tale and The Lost Book of the Grail

“Gwendolyn Womack weaves a suspenseful tale that tackles the question of ‘time’―how it’s measured, its impact on nature and human consciousness―and I could hardly put it down! The Time Collector is a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, mysticism, and intrigue, sprinkled with a dash of romance―my very favorite things. What a book!”―Heather Webb, international bestselling author of Meet Me in Monaco

“The Time Collector is a fascinating tale of psychometrists, people who touch an object and sense the stories embedded within them. Pick up this book and you too will be transported across the globe and the centuries into exhilarating worlds filled with history and mystery, magic and mysticism, romance and danger. Its pages make the past come alive. Once you hold this object in your hands, you won’t be able to put it down.”―Amy Weiss, author of Crescendo

About the Author

Originally from Houston, Texas, GWENDOLYN WOMACK studied theater at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and holds an MFA in Directing Theatre, Video, and Cinema from California Institute of the Arts. She is the USA Today bestselling author of The Fortune Teller and the RWA Prism Award-winning reincarnation thriller, The Memory Painter. She resides in Los Angeles with her family.

For more information please visit Gwendolyn Womack’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

Coffee and Ink’s Review

This is a fascinating, well-written novel and charming thriller. As a history geek, I wish I could follow Roan around as he touches everything on the planet and opens the window on their invisible histories

The mysterious Roan enters hapless Melicent’s life when she accidently reveals, on The Antiques Roadshow, she touched a watch in a bin of watches at a flea market and found the one worth over a million dollars. It’s the answer to her financial prayers, and she finally has answers about her strange gift, but the price for this is also high as she enters Roan’s world of psychometry. Financial security makes nothing in Melicent’s life better at the moment, besides helping her younger brother, as she and Roan race to stop a man obsessed with the past. A member of Roan’s team is missing, and Roan needs to find him before more people die and someone causes irreparable damage to the fabric of Time itself.

This was a riveting read, hard to put down and with the feel of solid research and concepts behind it all. It has a dark charm, as when Roan buys all of Melicent’s snow globes but doesn’t touch them, or the music box which once belonged to a violinist who played with Mozart. I started re-reading the novel to refresh my thoughts, and I’ve got sucked in again, even knowing the answers! 😀

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 16
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, April 17
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Thursday, April 18
Feature at What Is That Book About
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Friday, April 19
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, April 22
Review at My Reading Chronicles
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, April 23
Feature at Cover To Cover Cafe
Excerpt at To Read, Or Not to Read

Wednesday, April 24
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, April 25
Interview at Passages to the Past

Friday, April 26
Feature at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, April 30
Excerpt at Kimber Li

Wednesday, May 1
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All

Thursday, May 2
Review & Excerpt at Broken Teepee

Friday, May 3
Review at Tar Heel Reader

Saturday, May 4
Review & Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Sunday, May 5
Review at Carole’s Ramblings

Monday, May 6
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, May 8
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, May 9
Review at Henry & Benny’s Book Nook

Friday, May 10
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a signed copy of The Time Collector! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 10th. 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.

Time Collector