#TheBareknuckleGroom#HollyBush #HFVBTBlogTours

The Bareknuckle Groom by Holly Bush

Publication Date: March 9, 2021
Holly Bush Books

Series: The Thompsons of Locust Street, Book #2
Genre: Historical Romance

Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…

1869 Bareknuckle champion, James Thompson, is confident his future continues with beautiful women and victories in the boxing ring. Men admire his skills, power, and quick fists, and are more than willing to bet their hard-earned coins on his name. Women admire his handsome face, his undaunted confidence, and his powerful body. Nothing will change his successfully plotted course, until…

Lucinda Vermeal arrives on the Philadelphia social scene when her father moves them to the city in the hopes that his only daughter will find a suitable partner. After all, her husband will be intimately involved with Vermeal Industries whose business interests and political connections touch France, England and all of the United States. Lucinda’s pale statuesque beauty attracts the finest of Philadelphia’s young men, but her cool and reserved attitude keep them at arm’s length. Until she meets a man willing to challenge her at every turn. Will James Thompson expose Lucinda’s passionate nature like no other man ever could?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

An Excerpt:

“You are looking particularly lovely, Lucinda,” Aunt Louisa said when she came into her dressing room as Giselle was putting the final touches on her hair.

“You look very nice too, Aunt.”

“Your father wants to see us before we leave.”

Lucinda looked in the mirror as Giselle dabbed rose water on her neck and wrists. “I’m sure he wants to tell us how lovely we look. Thank you, Giselle. That will be all.”

The door closed softly as the maid departed. “He is in a mood, dear. Let us go and hear his tirade and then enjoy ourselves to the fullest at the Pendergasts’ ball.”

Lucinda would have opened the library door without knocking, but knowing that any casual behavior only irritated her father, she would take any advantage, even if it were to wait until Laurent opened the door for her. She was quite certain what her father was going to say. There was no need to anger him further.

“Good evening, Papa. Aunt Louisa said you wished to speak to us before we left?”

Henri Vermeal stood at their entrance to the room and trained his eyes on his daughter. He waited until the door had closed behind the two women. “I trust that you will conduct yourself in a manner befitting your family’s place in society. And your aunt will make sure that all the proprieties are observed. I do not want to hear of you making a spectacle of yourself with that . . . that street ruffian. Am I understood?”

“Of course, Papa. I understand everything you have said,” she replied. She walked to his chair and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I will see you tomorrow. Sleep well.”

The two women climbed into the Vermeal carriage and were seated side by side for the short ride to Nathan and Isadora Pendergast’s home.

“I don’t know what game you are playing, child, but your father is not a fool.”

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Aunt.” Lucinda turned to look out the window as the streetlights were beginning to shine.

But she did know what her aunt meant. She understood everything her father had said, but that did not necessarily mean she would abide by it. She intended to have a conversation with James Thompson. If he attended. If she did not lose her nerve. She would tell him exactly what she thought of him and his comments about her. Her stomach rolled over with the thought of confronting him. But she chided herself. She was not the daughter of Henri Vermeal for nothing. She would put that man, that street fighter, in his place.

About the Author

“Love always has something to say. Sometimes it shouts from the highest hill, and sometimes it whispers so softly one must listen closely to hear. Do not turn away. It is a rare and precious commodity. Treasure it.” The Gentrys of Paradise

Holly Bush’s historical romances are set during the turbulent and transformative years of the late 1800’s. The first two books in her newest series, The Gentrys of Paradise, released in the spring of 2017 and began with the novella Into the Evermore where readers meet Virginia horse breeders, Eleanor and Beauregard Gentry. The following books feature their children, Adam, Matthew, and Olivia. For the Brave is Matthew’s story and is the first full length book of the series. Olivia’s book, For This Moment, released in the spring of 2018. The final book, For Her Honor, is now available.

The Crawford Family Series following the fortunes of the three Boston born Crawford sisters and includes Train Station Bride, Contract to Wed, Her Safe Harbor, and companion novella, The Maid’s Quarters. Cross the Ocean and Charming the Duke are both British set Victorian romances. Fan favorites stand-alone historical romance novels include Romancing Olive and Reconstructing Jackson. Holly’s books are described as ‘emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance.’

She also writes General Fiction under the name of Hollis Bush.

Holly makes her home with her husband, one happy Labrador Retriever and a clever Jack Russell rescued from the pound, and two difficult cats in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com, on Twitter @hollybushbooks, on Instagram, and on Facebook at Holly Bush. Follow Holly on her Amazon author page to receive new release updates and on BookBub to check out her reviews and get sale information.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 19
Review at Probably at the Library
Review at American Historical Novels

Tuesday, April 20
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Wednesday, April 21
Excerpt at American Historical Novels
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, April 22
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Bookish Rantings

Monday, April 26
Review + Excerpt at Elodie’s Reading Corner

Tuesday, April 27
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, April 28
Review at Unabridged Chick

Friday, April 30
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at The Enchanted Shelf

Giveaway

Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Bareknuckle Groom Tour

#HighlandWarrior #HeatherMcCollum #HFVBTBlogTours

Highland Warrior by Heather McCollum

Publication Date: April 27, 2021
Entangled Amara

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Sons of Sinclair, Book 2

Joshua Sinclair was once the fiercest and most notorious warrior of the mighty Sinclair clan of Northern Scotland. But now there’s nothing and no one that can make him take up arms again. Except a beautiful woman, it seems.

When Kára Flett, daughter of a fallen Norse chief, finds herself unexpectedly sheltering the strongest, most brutal warrior in the land, she throws together a risky and outrageous plan to bring him to her side. Threats of violence bounce right off him. Offers of gold seem to entice him even less. Desperate enough to use the pleas of the village children to sway him, she’s shocked when he’s completely unmoved. There’s only one tactic left for her: seduction.

Her hasty proposition falls completely by the wayside, though, as she and the Highlander come together in a carnal inferno. But bringing him into her life also brings his enemies to her clan’s doorstep—the very clan Kára is trying to protect. And as their feelings deepen, Joshua will have to decide between duty and love once and for all.

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

About the Author

Heather McCollum is an award-winning, historical romance writer. With over twenty books published, she is an Amazon Best Seller and a Readers’ Choice winner.

The rugged beauty and rich history of Great Britain captivates Ms. McCollum each time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her stories since her very first book.

When she is not dreaming up adventures and conflict for brawny Highlanders and feisty heroines, she spends her time educating women on the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. She is a survivor and resides with her very own Highland hero and three spirited children in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.

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Release Day Blast Hosts

Coffee and Ink Jessica Belmont Two Bookish Babes Passages to the Past Books, Cooks, Looks Reading is My Remedy Historical Fiction with Spirit Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

#IntotheHeartland #JackCasey #HFVBTBlogTours

Into the Heartland by Jack Casey

Publication Date: March 8, 2021
Diamonds Big As Radishes, LLC
Paperback & eBook; 404 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

A forbidden love.
An impossible dream.
And a daring venture to open America…

The year is 1810. For decades men have dreamed of reaching west of the Hudson – of unlocking the untold riches in America’s heartland. Yet, these visionaries lacked the necessary skill, willpower, and political might.

Enter: DeWitt Clinton, mayor of New York City.

Ignoring naysayers and cynics, Clinton vows to construct an audacious waterway through the wilderness to Lake Erie. For this he needs support from the highest echelons of New York society. And there is only one woman with the talent and connections for the job.

Eleanora Van Rensselaer, an aristocratic widow, rules a vast Hudson Valley estate, but her wealth and power will vanish if a dark secret is revealed. Clinton enlists her charm and intelligence to battle his formidable opponent Martin Van Buren. When Eleanora encounters Daniel Hedges, a dashing ship captain with frontier ingenuity, she knows he is the key to this massive project. Eleanora’s social savvy and Hedges’ skills make them an ideal team – if they can fight the powerful feelings growing between them.

But as America plunges into the war of 1812, they could lose all that they have built.

From America’s stunning naval victory on Lake Erie to the British invasion of Washington, D.C., Daniel and Eleanora persevere through tragedy and deep personal loss. Despite Van Buren’s plot to sabotage Clinton and expose Eleanora’s secret, Daniel and Eleanora won’t stop until they make their colossal dream a reality.

And somewhere along the way, they might just find a love that will change them, and America, forever.

Amazon

EXCERPT

“Love?” Lady Eleanora turned and frowned at her maid. “Did you say you were in love?”

Again, Kate’s idle tongue had betrayed her. Her face flushed and her nimble fingers, braiding her ladyship’s hair, darted and wove more quickly. “Yes, mum,” Kate thrust her chin up heroically. “Leastways, I believe I’m in . . . in love.”

“And what, poor lamb, would you know of love?” Lady Eleanora’s eyes gleamed with mirth. The maid stepped behind the chair to avoid her gaze, but Eleanora turned fully around. “Well?”

Kate pulled the braid and her ladyship winced. “P’rhaps it weren’t that neither.”

“But you said you were in love! I heard you!”

Kate’s eyes welled with tears. She longed to be away, out in the cool evening river breeze. “Well, to me, mum, it is!” Her breath came short and quick. “And it mayn’t be so grand as you knew, neither, but it’s the best I can ever hope for!” Now she dared to look into her mistress’ eyes and saw her smile. When Lady Eleanora smiled it was like the sun beaming on a summer morn. Only now her dark eyes held a gleam of ridicule, so Kate concentrated mightily on her work.

“Who is he?”

Kate threw up her hands and the braid fell, slowly untwining. “You mock me, mum! It’s not as though we’ll be setting up a household and scrapin’ the ground for a few bushels of corn, and raisin’ brats and growin’ mean and sour to each other! But if he should pr’pose, and mind you I believe he will, then I must think on it hard, and if I accept, as I’m not saying I won’t, then I’ll be his wife.”

Lady Eleanora spoke softly, “Who is he?”

“A groom of the stables here at the general’s manor. I’ll fetch the wig so’s you can descend the stairs to the ball. I can hear them fiddles now.”

Indeed, the strains of a Viennese waltz lilted up the stairs above the low rumble of men’s laughter.

“Let them wait, pet.” Eleanora turned to face her reflection in the mirror. She wore a low-cut sapphire gown with a lace bodice, and though her rich dark hair usually hung freely, tonight it would be tightly pinned under the heavy old-fashioned powdered wig. “Tell me more about him.”

“Why, he’s ever so nice. Joel Kipp’s his name. From Connetty-cut. He’s tall, mum, and lean, and he has such happy gray eyes. He can ride the most spirited of the general’s steeds with ease and skill. I bet he could ride your Hecate first time.”

“How does this, this love make you feel?”

Kate blushed. “It’s ever so wonderful, mum! When he speaks my name, I quiver, . . . though I’d never compromise my virtue! Never!” She shook her head seriously, then her eyes widened. “But I did kiss him once, and it stole my very breath away.” Kate pinned up the braid. “A-course it’s nothing, like you must’ve felt with Master Jacob . . . ”

The mention of her late husband stung Eleanora.

About the Author

JACK CASEY is an attorney who has handled civil, criminal and constitutional matters for thirty years in his solo practice. In HAMILTON’S CHOICE, Casey dramatizes the last three years of Alexander Hamilton’s life, and plausibly explains why he went to his first and fatal duel. Casey’s newest release, INTO THE HEARTLAND, is a sweeping saga of adversity and triumph around the building of the Erie Canal (1810–1825). His other published historical novels are LILY OF THE MOHAWKS and THE TRIAL OF BAT SHEA.

Casey graduated with honors from Yale University and Albany Law School, and has studied literature at Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities. He lives in Troy, NY and Raleigh, NC with his wife and editor, Victoria.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 19
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, April 20
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Thursday, April 22
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Friday, April 23
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Saturday, April 24
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Sunday, April 25
Review at The Enchanted Shelf

Wednesday, April 28
Review at Novels Alive

Thursday, April 29
Excerpt at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, April 30
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews

Monday, May 3
Review at Jorie Loves A Story

Wednesday, May 5
Review at Sheila Myers Author

Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback copy of Into the Heartland by Jack Casey!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Into the Heartland

#TheForsakenChildren #NaomiFinley #HFVBTBlogTours

The Forsaken Children by Naomi Finley

Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Huntson Press

Series: The British Home Children, Book 1
Genre: Historical Fiction

A riveting tale of endurance and resilience, illustrating the spirit of a child and the bond between siblings.

It’s 1922. Fifteen-year-old Hazel Winters and her six-year-old brother, William, are placed on a ship by an organization that relocates British orphans and children of poverty to new homes in Canada. Arrivals in the new land are exported to distributing houses, where devastation and heartache greet the youngsters as headmistresses govern their fate.

The assurance of a better life across the ocean is far from what Hazel experiences. Through hardships and loneliness, she is determined to survive. Finding refuge in memories of the past, she clings to the dream of returning to her homeland while preserving a reunion in her heart.

In 1890, orphaned Charlotte Appleton and her sister Ellie were scooped up from London’s streets and sent to new homes across the ocean. Although mere miles kept them apart, Charlotte never knew her sister’s whereabouts until a chance interaction reunites them. Together the siblings vow to make a difference for the families and home children of an institution in Toronto, Ontario.

Can an unexpected guardian give Hazel renewed strength and resolve for a future of promise?

Based on the child emigration movement that occurred from 1869 through the late1930s, this poignant tale follows the lives of siblings who were burdensome byproducts of Britain’s poverty.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Naomi is an award-winning author living in Northern Alberta. She loves to travel and her suitcase is always on standby awaiting her next adventure. Naomi’s affinity for the Deep South and its history was cultivated during her childhood living in a Tennessee plantation house with six sisters. Her fascination with history and the resiliency of the human spirit to overcome obstacles are major inspirations for her writing and she is passionately devoted to creativity. In addition to writing fiction, her interests include interior design, cooking new recipes, and hosting dinner parties. Naomi is married to her high school sweetheart and she has two teenage children and two dogs named Egypt and Persia.

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

EXCERPT

The innocence in his sweet voice gripped my chest, and thoughts I’d grappled with since our departure filled me with despair. The sea had swallowed up Liverpool and all hopes of our return to the safety of Mum’s arms. All we had left in the world was each other.

I pulled him close, into the crook of my arm. “I reckon it’ll be mighty ’ard.”

He was quiet for a minute or two, then he said, “You ain’t gonna leave me, right, ’azel? ’Cause I don’t want to be alone.”

“You shan’t. Dad is watching over us.”

“But I can’t see ’im,” he said.

“You don’t need to. Just know ’e is.” I stroked his hair.

His brown eyes pleaded with me. “You won’t let no one take me from you?”

“You’re tired. Close your eyes and try to fink of ’appy thoughts.”

“I try to fink of Mummy. ’Er eyes and the sound of ’er ’eart against me ear. I’m afraid I will forget Mummy like I did Daddy.”

Soon after Dad had left for the war, Mum found out she was pregnant. William never knew the man who’d walked through life with pride and devotion to his family. I recalled Dad’s countless stories of the bonny lass from Ireland and my parents’ courtship. And how his eyes sparkled when he swept Mum into his arms and broke out in dance while singing “Molly Malone.” After releasing her, he would swing me around our small flat until, breathless, we’d collapse into a chair. I had resisted the memories of happy times because to think on them meant to recall all I’d lost. However, as the ship took us far from all we’d ever known, I clung to the mere glimpses in time. I bit down to stifle my sob and turned my head to hide the anguish twisting my heart.

“We must never forget where we came from,” I said. “Sleep now. When you wake, I’ll be right ’ere.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” I said.

He rolled onto his side, and I scooped into the warmth of his body.

“Sing it, ’azel.”

I hummed the Welsh lullaby Dad had sung to me.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 12
Review & Excerpt at Novels Alive

Tuesday, April 13
Review at Nursebookie

Wednesday, April 14
Review at Girl Who Reads
Excerpt at Books & Benches

Thursday, April 15
Review at The Caffeinated Bibliophile

Friday, April 16
Review at Library of Clean Reads

Saturday, April 17
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Monday, April 19
Review at Reader_ceygo

Tuesday, April 20
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, April 21
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Thursday, April 22
Review at Impressions in Ink
Excerpt at Reading is My Remedy

Friday, April 23
Review at Bibliostatic
Excerpt at Gwendalyn’s Books

Giveaway

Enter to win a mystery box of goodies + a copy of The Forsaken Children by Naomi Finley!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 23rd. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Forsaken Children

#TheRebelNun #MarjCharlier #HFVBTBlogTours

The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier

Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Blackstone Publishing
Hardcover, AudioBook, & eBook

Genre: Historical Fiction

Marj Charlier’s The Rebel Nun is based on the true story of Clotild, the daughter of a sixth-century king and his concubine, who leads a rebellion of nuns against the rising misogyny and patriarchy of the medieval church.

At that time, women are afforded few choices in life: prostitution, motherhood, or the cloister. Only the latter offers them any kind of independence. By the end of the sixth century, even this is eroding as the church begins to eject women from the clergy and declares them too unclean to touch sacramental objects or even their priest-husbands.

Craving the legitimacy thwarted by her bastard status, Clotild seeks to become the next abbess of the female Monastery of the Holy Cross, the most famous of the women’s cloisters of the early Middle Ages. When the bishop of Poitiers blocks her appointment and seeks to control the nunnery himself, Clotild masterminds an escape, leading a group of nuns on a dangerous pilgrimage to beg her royal relatives to intercede on their behalf. But the bishop refuses to back down, and a bloody battle ensues. Will Clotild and her sisters succeed with their quest, or will they face ex-communication, possibly even death?

In the only historical novel written about the incident, The Rebel Nun is a richly imagined story about a truly remarkable heroine.

Amazon | B&N | BAM | IndieBound | Hudson’s Booksellers

Praise

‘The Rebel Nun is a boldly imagined story of one early medieval woman’s struggle against the societal forces that constrained her. It draws on historical sources that briefly mention — and condemn — the insurrection that two noble nuns led within their abbey, in Poitiers, in 589. On the basis of this sparse information, Marj Charlier imagines the incident from the perspective of one of these nuns, the noblewoman Clothild, and embeds these events within the larger story of Clothild’s life. The result is an engaging and thought-provoking tale.’ –Samantha Kahn Herrick, Associate Professor of History, Syracuse University

‘Marj Charlier takes an obscure sixth-century tale and turns it into a stunning story of a nun caught up in the misogyny of the early Christian church. Led by Clotild, a king’s bastard daughter, a group of nuns attempts to rescue their monastery from the all-male church hierarchy. Extensively researched and rich in historical detail, The Rebel Nun tells of a time when women were chattel, when priests questioned whether females had souls. Charlier’s artfully written account of Clotild’s struggle to save her medieval sisterhood from the dominance of kings and bishops is a perfect novel for today’s women.’ — Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author

‘Vividly imagines one of the most fascinating events to occur in sixth-century Gaul, bringing into focus the complexity of the early centuries of Western Christianity as the Church struggled to define its positions on clerical celibacy, the role of women, pre-Christian traditions, and its relationship to secular power. Scholars have long been fascinated with Gregory of Tours’s account of how a rebellion of nuns from the monastery of the Holy Cross in Poitiers supposedly resulted in acts of murder, plunder, and unplanned pregnancies. It is a moment that has been calling out for a writer to do it justice in a work of historical fiction, but which feat no one has dared to attempt — until now. Marj Charlier’s The Rebel Nun brings the sights, sounds, and smells of this event and its aftermath to life in a richly imagined story that is firmly rooted in equal parts rigorous historical research and inspired, creative imagination.” –Dorsey Armstrong, PhD, professor of English/medieval studies at Purdue University, and lecturer for The Great Courses (The Medieval World, The Black Death, and others)

‘What could lead nuns to armed rebellion?…This thoughtful imagining of the underlying causes and characters involved in the revolt centers on Clotild, the leader of the insurrection…Charlier carefully constructs a narrative that positions Clotild, a pagan at heart despite her outward piety, as a reluctant revolutionary who pushes for fairness in a Christian world increasingly dominated by men. With power available to so few women, Clotild dares to imagine freedom, despite its cost.’ –Booklist

‘The Rebel Nun is a gripping, well-told story of women fighting against a church and society dominated by men who are determined to defeat them in body and spirit. A great tale that will immerse you in a world so different — and not so different — from our own.’ –Philip Freeman, Fletcher Jones Chair of Western Culture at Pepperdine University, author of Saint Brigid’s Bones

‘The Rebel Nun is a wildly original, suspenseful account of a group of nuns in medieval France who must endure hardships and treachery from both outside and within their walls. It feels both historically authentic and startlingly contemporary, and I loved every word of it.’ –Elizabeth Stuckey-French, author of The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady

‘The Rebel Nun is a gripping tale of heroism and audacity in the least likely of guises — a renowned cloister under the heel of the medieval church. With meticulous research and in exacting detail, Marj Charlier brings to light the remarkable exploits of Clotild, who leads her fellow sisters on a daring escape that culminates in bloody revolt, and a place in history.’ –Denise Heinze, author of The Brief and True Report of Temperance Flowerdew

‘The story of a community of women in crisis and the power they found through their will to save themselves, The Rebel Nun tells the fictional truth behind the historical rebellion of the Holy Cross nuns in 589 CE, as recounted in her latter days by one of the rebellion’s leaders, Clotild … Rich in facts and foreshadowing, the historical novel The Rebel Nun finds in the nuns’ rebellion, and in Germanic tribal paganism, an inspirational morality tale and historical precedent for modern women to connect with their own powers, no matter the stakes.’ –Foreword Reviews

‘The Rebel Nun is a well-written window into the life of a sixth-century royal bastard and the changing landscape of holy power structures. Charlier writes a strong voice for Clotild, with vivid descriptions of a daily life that brings readers along into her world. The research shows, and Charlier does an excellent job of seamlessly integrating the historical record with her own fiction.’ –Historical Novels Review

‘A startling look into a world I never imagined visiting — a sixth-century nunnery, where one bride of Christ only a generation away from paganism breaks her vows of obedience to the church’s male hierarchy and makes it her mission to battle the corruption of bishops oppressing the sisters of the Holy Cross. A well-wrought yarn reflective of historical fact.’ –Darryl Ponicsán, author of Eternal Sojourners

About the Author

Marj Charlier began her writing career at daily and mid-size newspapers before joining the Wall Street Journal as a staff reporter. After twenty years in journalism, she pursued her MBA and began a second career in corporate finance. The Rebel Nun is her first historical novel, and her eleventh published novel.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, April 14
Feature at Reading is My Remedy
Review at With A Book In Our Hands

Thursday, April 15
Review at Two Bookish Babes

Friday, April 16
Excerpt at Madwoman in the Attic

Tuesday, April 20
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at The Enchanted Shelf

Wednesday, April 21
Review at Crystal’s Library

Thursday, April 22
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Monday, April 26
Guest Post at Books, Ramblings, and Tea

Tuesday, April 27
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Wednesday, April 28
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Thursday, April 29
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Into the Hall of Books

Monday, May 3
Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, May 7
Review at Bookramblings

Monday, May 10
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews

Friday, May 14
Feature at Books, Cooks, Looks
Interview at Passages to the Past

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 14th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Rebel Nun

#TheTestofGold #ReneeYancy #HFVBTBlogTours

The Test of Gold by Renee Yancy

Publication Date: March 15, 2021
Vinspire Publishing
Paperback & eBook; 350 pages

Series: Hearts of Gold, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance

Heiress Evangeline “Lindy” Lindenmayer has been groomed since childhood to marry into the British aristocracy as her mother’s ultimate ambition is a royal title for the family name. But literature fascinates Lindy far more than ballgowns, and she spends all her free time in the library, the only room in the Fifth Avenue mansion where she can safely indulge her passion for reading and find refuge from the prying eyes of her mother.

Jack Winthrop is studying for the ministry at Union Theological Seminary and has been invited to use the Lindemayer’s library for his studies. His sole experience of upper-class young women has occurred at his uncle’s church, where he has found these young debutantes universally featherbrained. When he meets Lindy, he is pleasantly surprised to discover she has wide-ranging interests and is highly intelligent. Although cautioned by his uncle to stay away from her, he finds Lindy a kindred spirit and over animated discussions of books and life, they fall in love.

But to reach happily ever after, Lindy will need to challenge her mother’s long-laid plans, and weathering the approaching storm will take more backbone than she even knew she had.

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

About the Author

Renee Yancy is a long time history and archaeology nut who has been living vicariously through historical fiction since she was a young girl. Now she writes the kind of books she loves to read—stories filled with historical and archaeological detail on every aspect of living in a different time period, interwoven with strong characters and a tale full of pathos and conflict. She wants to take you on a journey into the past so fascinating that you can’t put the story down.

When she’s not writing, Renee Facetimes with her twin grandbabies, and lives in Kentucky with her husband and two mutts. She enjoys reading, antiquing, and collecting pottery.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 5
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Tuesday, April 6
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Wednesday, April 7
Feature at Reading is My Remedy

Thursday, April 8
Review at Reading Is My SuperPower

Friday, April 9
Review at Novels Alive
Feature at View from the Birdhouse

Saturday, April 10
Interview at Passages to the Past

Sunday, April 11
Feature at The Lit Bitch

Monday, April 12
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, April 13
Review & Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, April 14
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Review at The Enchanted Shelf

Giveaway

Enter to win an eBook of The Test of Gold by Renee Yancy! Two eBooks are up for grabs!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 14th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Test of Gold

#TheVirginandtheViscount #RobynDeHart #HFVBTBlogTours

The Virgin and the Viscount by Robyn DeHart

Publication Date: April 12, 2012
Entangled Publishing/Scandalous

Series: Lords of Vice, Book Four
Genre: Historical Romance

As a Lady of Virtue, Matilda Brooks swears to reform the most despicable man of her acquaintance, her brother-in-law, Sullivan Chase, Viscount Glenbrook. Well he may not be the most despicable, but he is certainly arrogant, flirtatious, and entirely too charming. To make matters worse, he has the irritating tendency to poke fun of her and rile her emotions as no other man does. However, when she confronts him, he laughs off her concern about his slothful ways.

But when a carriage accident forces Sullivan to play knight to Tilly’s damsel, his unexpected act of chivalry ends up costing them both their freedom. Her compromised reputation and his honorable declaration forces them into a marriage neither of them wants. Which is most inconvenient, given that she has sworn to despise him forever.

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About the Author

A life-long lover of stories and adventure, it was either become a stuntwoman for the movies or live out those adventures from the safety of her PJ’s and computer. Award-winning author, Robyn DeHart chose the latter and couldn’t be happier for doing so. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers. Publishers’ Weekly claims her writing to be “comical and sexy” while the Chicago Tribune dubs her “wonderfully entertaining.” Robyn is an award-winning author as well as being a four-time RT Bookclub Reviewers’ Choice award nominee, and a three-time RomCon Reader’s Crown nominee.

Look for Robyn’s new series about the seven deadly sins coming in 2017. When not writing, you can find Robyn hanging out with her family, husband (The Professor) a university professor of Political Science and their two ridiculously beautiful and smart daughters. They live in the hill country of Texas where it’s hot eight months of the year, but those big blue skies make it worth it.

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Queenie’s Place by Toni Morgan

Publication Date: December 6, 2018 Adelaide Books Publishers Paperback & eBook; 302 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Queenie’s Place, set in rural North Carolina in the early seventies, is the story of an unusual sisterhood between a thirty-something white woman from California and a fifty-something black woman from the south. From the moment Doreen Donavan sees the “Welcome to Klan Country” sign outside Goldsboro, North Carolina is one culture shock after another. She thinks the women she meets on the military base, where she and her family now live, are the dullest, stuffiest, most stuck-up women she’s ever run across, and frankly, they don’t think much of her either. She’s hot, miserable, and bored. Then one day, BAM, her car tire goes flat, right in front of a roadhouse outside the town of Richland, near where MCB Camp Puller is located. Inside, Queenie is holding forth at the piano. The place is jumping. Besides the music, there’s dancing and the best barbecue in North Carolina. Doreen’s husband, Tom arrives and must practically peel her out of the place. Queenie doesn’t expect to see Doreen again, but Doreen comes back and their unlikely friendship begins. Without warning, Queenie’s place is closed, the women accused of prostitution and bootlegging. A born crusader (she cut her teeth demonstrating against the Vietnam War—yes, even with her husband over there), Doreen quickly dons her armor and saddles up. Things don’t go quite as planned.

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excerpt

Doreen and family arriving in eastern North Carolina and the town outside Marine Corps Base Camp Puller and Tom’s new assignment:

After six long days of driving, with Tom still half-feral from his thirteen months in the jungles of Vietnam—silent one moment and boisterous the next, jumping at the slightest noise—Billy in the back seat with his nose buried in one of his comic books, ignoring us and determined to remain on a path of semi-passive rebellion, and me struggling with my guilt for this move, we finally arrived in the part of North Carolina where MCB Camp Puller was located.

I’d never seen country so flat. In California, if not the ocean, then mountains, cliffs or rolling hills filled the horizon.  Here, the highway stretched out in front of us like a long grey ribbon between stands of loblolly pines—toothpick trees Tom called them—and tobacco fields that seemed to go on and on. I had the surreal feeling there wasn’t anything holding us down, that we might simply lift off the pavement and fly into nothingness. I closed my eyes and tried to shake the vision from my head. After a while, I must have dozed. When I woke, my eyes locked on a sign looming high above yet another field: 

WELCOME TO KLAN COUNTRY

My responsibility for Tom’s transfer to Camp Puller, because of my anti-war protest marches, were forgotten. I whipped around to face Tom. “My God, what kind of place have you brought us to? What kind of people would advertise their own racism?” 

Billy leaned over the seat. “How come they spelled clan with a k?”

Tom ignored our questions.  Although he kept his eyes on the road, the muscle in his cheek twitched, a sure sign he was upset—whether with me or the sign, I didn’t know.  Right then, I didn’t care.

            We traveled on in silence. Billy went back to his comics. I continued to brood about the sign and the future.

Billy spoke up. “That sign was about the Ku Klux Klan, wasn’t it?”

I glanced over my shoulder and nodded at him.

“We’ll be living on base, though, right? Not in town?”

I nodded again.

He leaned back in his seat, appearing satisfied the Klan wouldn’t be something he needed to add to his list of worries.

***

By the time we drove into Richfield, the town outside Camp Puller, it was early afternoon, and I’d managed to regain my determination to find a bright side to this move.  “Put your comic book away Billy. This is Church Street we’re coming to.  I bet we’ll see one of those beautiful old southern churches surrounded by hundred-year-old magnolia trees.”

            “Yeah.”  He didn’t bother looking up.  

            Tom wasn’t buying our son’s rude behavior any longer.  “You’re beginning to overstate your position, Billy.”  I knew by his tone he was about one more ‘yeah’ away from losing his temper entirely.  “I know you’ll miss your friends in California.  I know you’re sore about losing your spot on the baseball team, but we’re going to live in North Carolina now.  Get used to it.”

            “Tom…”  I hesitated, not finishing my thought, but I wanted to warn him that he needed to ease up, that Billy needed a little more time.  Our son had run out of time as far as Tom was concerned. 

“No, Doreen.  We’ve been patient long enough.”  He looked at Billy in the rearview mirror.  “You got that, son?  I want that attitude of yours changed and I want it changed now.”

            “Yes, sir.” Tom didn’t pull rank often, but when he did, Billy got it. 

            “Good.  Now do what your mother said.”

            Billy put Captain America and the War of the World on the seat next to him as we turned onto Church Street.

My breath caught in my throat. All I saw were bars and tattoo parlors. Three scantily dressed women, hands, arms, and hips all in motion, stood laughing and talking in front of a bar advertising Go-Go dancers.  A fellow with a Marine haircut strolled up to them. One of the three broke from the group and went inside with him.  A man with a mean look on his hatchet-thin face came from inside the bar and spoke to the other two.  He grabbed the smaller one’s arm, said something to her then went back inside.  She made a face at his back and the other woman laughed.

About the Author

A longtime military spouse, TONI MORGAN has lived in many parts of the US and also for nearly four years in rural Japan. There she had the good fortune to work part-time in a Japanese pottery factory. That rich experience led to the first in her WWII trilogy ECHOES FROM A FALLING BRIDGE, which gives a unique view of life in rural Japan during the war. Second in the trilogy is HARVEST THE WIND, partially set in a Japanese internment camp in Idaho’s Magic Valley. The third in the series is LOTUS BLOSSOM UNFURLING, which continues the saga after the war ends. She also wrote PATRIMONY, and TWO-HEARTED CROSSING, companion books set in Montreal Quebec Canada during the Quebec Separatist Movement and 20 years later, in northern Idaho. Her novel QUEENIE’S PLACE is a 2019 National Book Award in Literature nominee. Her short stories have appeared in various literary magazines and journals, and her short story “Tin Soldier” was included in MOORING AGAINST THE TIDE, a creative fiction and poetry textbook published by Prentice Hall. Her most recent release is BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE, a collection of short stories, including Pushcart Prize nominee “The House on East Orange Street” and the aforementioned “Tin Soldier.”

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, March 15

Review at Passages to the Past



Tuesday, March 16

Review at Pursuing Stacie



Wednesday, March 17

Interview at Passages to the Past



Friday, March 19

Feature at View from the Birdhouse



Saturday, March 20

Review at Rajiv’s Reviews



Monday, March 22

Excerpt at Bookworlder



Wednesday, March 24

Review at YA, It’s Lit



Friday, March 26

Guest Post at Novels Alive



Saturday, March 27

Review at Reading is My Remedy



Sunday, March 28

Interview at Reader_ceygo



Monday, March 29

Review at Reader_ceygo



Wednesday, March 31

Interview at Jathan & Heather



Thursday, April 1

Review at American Historical Novels Book Club



Friday, April 2

Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

Enter to win a set of signed paperback copies of Toni Morgan’s WWII Trilogy!



The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 2nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.



Queenie’s Place