tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72402672429555468012024-02-26T02:03:29.092-05:00Historical Fiction ObsessionI originally created this blog to keep track of the books that I read throughout the year, but it has definitely become so much more for me! The title may say Historical Fiction Obsession, but I do read & review ALL genres of books. I am a lover of historical fiction & just reading in general!Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.comBlogger293125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-50839848711565856882017-05-15T22:14:00.001-04:002017-05-19T22:07:13.130-04:00BLOG TOUR: Under the Approaching Dark by Anna Belfrage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Under the Approaching Dark
by Anna Belfrage</h3>
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Publication Date: April 28, 2017
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Matador
eBook & Paperback; 424 Pages
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Genre: Historical Fiction</div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34626203-under-the-approaching-dark" rel="attachment wp-att-10765" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft wp-image-10765 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Adam de Guirande has cause to believe the turbulent times are behind him: Hugh Despenser is dead and Edward II is forced to abdicate in favour of his young son. It is time to look forward, to a bright new world in which the young king, guided by his council, heals his kingdom and restores its greatness. But the turmoil is far from over.
After years of strife, England in the early months of 1327 is a country in need of stability, and many turn with hope towards the new young king, Edward III. But Edward is too young to rule, so instead it is his mother, Queen Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who do the actual governing, much to the dislike of barons such as Henry of Lancaster.
In the north, the Scots take advantage of the weakened state of the realm and raid with impunity. Closer to court, it is Mortimer’s increasing powers that cause concerns – both among his enemies, but also for men like Adam, who loves Mortimer dearly, but loves the young king just as much.
When it is announced that Edward II has died in September of 1327, what has so far been a grumble grows into voluble protests against Mortimer. Yet again, the spectre of rebellion haunts the land, and things are further complicated by the reappearance of one of Adam’s personal enemies. Soon enough, he and his beloved wife Kit are fighting for their survival – even more so when Adam is given a task that puts them both in the gravest of dangers.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Anna Belfrage does an amazing job at completing the third book in The King's Greatest Enemy series. Under the Approaching Dark is the third book in the series, and it really brings all of the action and drama together for the reader. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While reading this series, I definitely became connected to the main characters, Kit and Adam. The ability to connect with, and to like the main character(s) (or at least admire), is always my number one requirement for a great book. I also love when historical fiction authors are able to stay relatively close to being true to history, yet use a bit of creative license in order to make things interesting, and to add elements of adventure and suspense throughout the book. Anna Belfrage does a great job of creating adventure upon adventure for her main characters, yet also keeping true to the history of England at that time. The events happening at this time in England did not really need an author to make them interesting, as the real people of that time were doing a good job of creating drama all on their own! During this time period, King Edward II has been captured and put in prison, his crown taken from him due to his poor leadership, and his son, King Edward III is newly crowned. However, due to his young age, he is being led by his mother, Queen Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer. Things are definitely strained in the country, and sides are being chosen. Many of the nobles are angry at the closeness of Mortimer to the crown, and his influence on the new King; not to mention his position in the Queen's bed. Also, King Edward III is beginning to grow weary of his mother and her lover micromanaging his every move, and undermining his power. As he grows more resentful of their relationship and gains more confidence in himself, it is clear that something is going to give. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ms. Belfrage weaves the lives of her main characters, Kit and Adam, in among those historical figures who are well known throughout history. They are forced to find their way in a court full of intrigue and danger, and to be successful in doing so. Definitely a great book to read, especially if you love historical fiction. Although this novel CAN be read as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend beginning with book one of the series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Storm-Kings-Greatest-Enemy/dp/1785893505/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494900262&sr=8-1&keywords=anna+belfrage" target="_blank">In the Shadow of the Storm</a>. There is so much that happens in the first two novels, both historically and with Kit and Adam, that there would definitely be some confusion if you began with this novel. Plus, the books are great, so why wouldn't you start with the first one? <i><b>A solid FIVE out of FIVE stars from me</b>!</i></span><br />
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<em><strong>"The writing is impeccable. The story has everything. Under the Approaching Dark is just perfect in every sense" - Sharon Bennett Connolly, History The Interesting Bits</strong></em></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2pm1wS2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-the-approaching-dark-anna-belfrage/1126189615?ean=9781788035095" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Under-the-Approaching-Dark-Ann-Belfrage/9781788035095" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/under-the-approaching-dark-the/9781788035095-item.html?ikwid=under+the+approaching+dark&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0" target="_blank">Chapters</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781788035095?aff=goodreads" target="_blank">IndieBound</a> | <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-the-approaching-dark" target="_blank">Kobo</a></h3>
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About the Author</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/undertheapproachingdarkblogtour/03_anna-belfrage/" rel="attachment wp-att-10879" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-10879" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/03_Anna-Belfrage.jpg" height="266" width="235" /></a>Anna was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result she's multilingual and most of her reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, she has drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. She was always going to be a writer - or a historian, preferably both. Ideally, Anna aspired to becoming a pioneer time traveller, but science has as yet not advanced to the point of making that possible. Instead she ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for her most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career Anna raised her four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive…
For years she combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Nowadays Anna spends most of her spare time at her writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and she slips away into her imaginary world, with her imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in her life pops his head in to ensure she's still there.
Other than on her website, <a href="http://www.annabelfrage.com/">www.annabelfrage.com</a>, Anna can mostly be found on her blog, <a href="http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com/">http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com</a> – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel.<br />
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You can also connect with Anna on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theAlexandMatthewstory/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Anna_Belfrage" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tuesday, May 2</span></strong><br />
Interview at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 3</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookdrunkard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Book Drunkard</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 4</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://ahollandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Holland Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 5</strong></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://thereadingqueen.com/" target="_blank">The Reading Queen</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 10</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookaholicswede.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookaholic Swede</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, May 11</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 12</strong></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, May 15</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://backporchervations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Back Porchervations</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.alisonstuart.com/ms-stuarts-visitors" target="_blank">Ms. Stuart Requests the Pleasure of Your Company</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 17</strong></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Literary Vacation</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 18</strong></span><br />
Review at S<a href="http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">vetlana's Reads and Views</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 19</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Beth's Book Nook Blog</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, May 22</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.museinthefog.com/" target="_blank">The Muse in the Fog Book Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 24</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://josbookblog.co.uk/" target="_blank">Jo's Book Blog</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://www.princessofpaperback.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Paperback Princess</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 26</strong></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://dogsmomvisits.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Laura's Interests</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, May 28</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookramblings.net/" target="_blank">Bookramblings</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.booksandbenches.com/" target="_blank">Books and Benches</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 29</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.yelenacasale.com/" target="_blank">Yelena Casale's Blog</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 30</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://dianneascroft.com/blog/" target="_blank">Dianne Ascroft's Blog</a>
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Giveaway</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>To win a copy of Under the Approaching Dark by Anna Belfrage, please enter via the Gleam form below. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b> Rules</b></span><br />
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– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open <strong>internationally</strong>.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– 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.<br />
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.<br />
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/2f2eV/under-the-appraoching-dark" rel="nofollow">Under the Appraoching Dark</a><br />
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/undertheapproachingdarkblogtour/" rel="attachment wp-att-10881" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-10881 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/04_Under-the-Approaching-Dark_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="304" width="640" /></a>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-70298332583809156972017-03-16T21:39:00.000-04:002017-03-16T21:39:13.962-04:00BLOG TOUR: The Enemies of Versailles by Sally Christie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Enemies of Versailles
by Sally Christie</h3>
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Publication Date: March 21, 2017</div>
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Atria Books
eBook & Paperback; 416 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction </div>
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Series: The Mistresses of Versailles, Book Three</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26116605-the-enemies-of-versailles" rel="attachment wp-att-9770" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9770 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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In the final installment of Sally Christie’s “tantalizing” (New York Daily News) Mistresses of Versailles trilogy, Jeanne Becu, a woman of astounding beauty but humble birth, works her way from the grimy back streets of Paris to the palace of Versailles, where the aging King Louis XV has become a jaded and bitter old philanderer. Jeanne bursts into his life and, as the Comtesse du Barry, quickly becomes his official mistress. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“That beastly bourgeois Pompadour was one thing; a common prostitute is quite another kettle of fish.” </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> After decades of suffering the King's endless stream of Royal Favorites, the princesses of the Court have reached a breaking point. Horrified that he would bring the lowborn Comtesse du Barry into the hallowed halls of Versailles, Louis XV’s daughters, led by the indomitable Madame Adelaide, vow eternal enmity and enlist the young dauphiness Marie Antoinette in their fight against the new mistress. But as tensions rise and the French Revolution draws closer, a prostitute in the palace soon becomes the least of the nobility’s concerns.
Told in Christie’s witty and engaging style, the final book in The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy will delight and entrance fans as it once again brings to life the sumptuous and cruel world of eighteenth century Versailles, and France as it approaches irrevocable change.</span><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2m5mwtx" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-enemies-of-versailles-sally-christie/1122858656;jsessionid=9349FF2CA37E7009985BAF7AE30C42B7.prodny_store02-atgap03?ean=9781501103025&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501103025" target="_blank">IndieBound</a> | <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-enemies-of-versailles" target="_blank">Kobo</a></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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Having read the first two novels in this series, I couldn’t
wait for Enemies of Versailles to come out! While it did start a little slower
than the first two, it definitely picked up and I enjoyed it as much as the
others in the series. Her portrayal of characters, both major and minor, is
amazing. I always feel like I’m reading an actual historical novel, and that
the dialogue and actions of these historical figures is how everything really
played out in the past. The author, Sally Christie, obviously does her research
when writing her novels, because everything she writes about feels like it
could have actually happened the way it is written. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Madame Adelaide, the king’s daughter, is a bit difficult to
take at times. She is so full of herself and believes that if SHE thinks one
way about something, than everyone around her also thinks that way. In the end,
I do believe she always means the best for those she loves, but she is a
demanding figure that was very off putting for many in her time, and a big for myself
as well! Comtesse du Berry was fun to read about. I had heard of her in a few books that
I have read about Marie Antoinette, and she always came across as a horrible
person. It was nice to see a different perspective of her. One that shows her
as charming and sweet, yet not particularly intelligent, at least as far as
book smarts go. However, she was raised the position she ended up in through more
than just her good lucks. She knew what the king needed, and she became that
person. The king was older, and he didn’t want a woman to match wits with, he
wanted a woman to love him and in a way, to “mother” him. He definitely got
that with Comtesse du Berry. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall, this book is a great read. I would definitely
recommend the entire series to readers who are interested in historical
fictions, especially in what was going on in Versailles that helped to lead up
to the French Revolution. You get an idea of just how frivolous the people of
wealth were during this time, and how little room they had in their minds to care
about what was going on outside of Versailles. They were all in their own
little world full of intrigue, far from the downtrodden people of France who
had nothing. It’s easy to see how these people might become bitter after seeing
the amount of money the court went through for unnecessary items. Definitely a
great book worth purchasing!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Praise for The Sisters of Versailles</span></h2>
“Such an extraordinary tale makes for compelling reading and, as the lead book in a planned trilogy, will draw in readers who are interested in royal lives before the French Revolution….historical fiction fans, unfamiliar with the history of the Nesle sisters, will be intrigued.”<b> (Library Journal)</b><br />
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"Sally Christie's The Sisters of Versailles is an intriguing romp through Louis XV's France. Filled with lush backdrops, rich detail, and colorful characters, fans of historical fiction will enjoy this glimpse into the lost golden era of the French monarchy."<b> (Allison Pataki, author of THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS )</b><br />
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“A stunning breadth of period detail, offered in a fresh, contemporary voice.” (Juliet Grey, author of the acclaimed Marie Antoinette trilogy )
“Tantalizing descriptions and cliff-hangers will leave the reader rapidly turning the pages in anticipation… A wickedly delightful read.”<b> (New York Daily News)
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">About the Author</span></h2>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/theenemiesofversaillesblogtour/03_sally-christie_author/" rel="attachment wp-att-10742" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_sally-christie_author" class="alignright wp-image-10742" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/03_Sally-Christie_Author-200x300.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sally Christie is the author of The Sisters of Versailles and The Rivals of Versailles. She was born in England and grew up around the world, attending eight schools in three different languages. She spent most of her career working in international development and currently lives in Toronto.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Visit <a href="http://sallychristieauthor.com/" target="_blank">SallyChristieAuthor.com</a> to find out more about Sally and the Mistresses of Versailles trilogy.
You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sallychristieauthor/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13854110.Sally_Christie" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sally-Christie/e/B00WQ2PN66/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, March 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://teresanoel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">T's Stuff</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, March 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://leeanna.me/" target="_blank">Leeanna.me</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, March 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" target="_blank">History From a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, March 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://staceyschneller06.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Books, Dreams, Life</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, March 19</strong></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, March 20</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, March 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, March 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.firstimpressionsreviews.com/" target="_blank">First Impressions Reviews</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, March 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Friday, March 24</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, March 26</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://chantalgadoury.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Gadoury Dreamer</a><br />
Review & Interview at <a href="https://clarissareadsitall.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads It All</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, March 27</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://thereadingqueen.com/" target="_blank">The Reading Queen</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, March 28</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Nerd</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://luxuryreading.com/" target="_blank">Luxury Reading</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Svetlana's Reads and Views</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, March 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Impressions in Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookaholicswede.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookaholic Swede</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, March 30</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.curlingupbythefire.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Curling up by the Fire</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, March 31</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookramblings.net/" target="_blank">Bookramblings</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a>
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<h2>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Giveaway</span></h2>
Five copies of The Enemies of Versailles are up for grabs during the blog tour! To enter, please see the Gleam form below.<br />
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-18860689213395341432016-12-27T14:59:00.000-05:002016-12-27T14:59:21.765-05:00BOOK REVIEW: Death at St. Vedast: A Bianca Goddard Mystery by Mary Lawrence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Death at St. Vedast: A Bianca Goddard Mystery by Mary Lawrence</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>5/5 Stars</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VaH8JydQtbXdCXIzI5-ZfHQsssLw45booiVVQmGMuDh1I6YgDYfbsMUqRKOoM35LsbgM-gWQcs1gDIECSglfp4vLgBMtGzj6S1HyyWXhyZUmbZpsLmuLS-Unp48wIvzEA3yObhrsv8E/s1600/51xPY1PYoaL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VaH8JydQtbXdCXIzI5-ZfHQsssLw45booiVVQmGMuDh1I6YgDYfbsMUqRKOoM35LsbgM-gWQcs1gDIECSglfp4vLgBMtGzj6S1HyyWXhyZUmbZpsLmuLS-Unp48wIvzEA3yObhrsv8E/s320/51xPY1PYoaL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>Print Length:</b> 304 pages</div>
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<b>Publisher:</b> Kensington (December 27, 2016)</div>
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<b>Publication Date:</b> December 27, 2016</div>
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<b>Sold by:</b> Penguin Random House Publisher Services</div>
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<i>During the tempestuous reign of Henry VIII, London alchemist Bianca Goddard has seen up close what keeps a man alive—and what can kill him. A good thing, for she will need all her knowledge to keep a friend away from the gallows . . .</i></div>
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Bianca and her husband John are delighted to share in the glad fortune of their friend, Boisvert, the silversmith, who is to wed Odile, the wealthy widow of a goldsmith. But a pall is cast over the upcoming nuptials when the body of a pregnant woman is found beneath the bell tower of St. Vedast, the very church where the betrothed are to be married.</div>
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Tragedy strikes again at the couple’s reception, when Odile suddenly drops dead in the middle of the wedding feast. The constable suspects Boisvert poisoned his new bride for her money, but there’s not a trace of poison in her food or wine. Could the two deaths be connected? To prove their friend’s innocence, Bianca will need to employ her knowledge of alchemy—for if she can determine how the bride was killed, she may find the person responsible for her murder—before another victim is added to the death toll . . .</div>
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This is the third book in a series involving the talented
and intelligent alchemist, Bianca Goddard. I was immediately drawn to this
novel, as it is set during the reign of King Henry VIII. This was a time period
where no one was truly safe, even the king's wives. Whether it be disease,
childbirth, infection, witchcraft, plague, or other illnesses, both physical
and mental; it was a very dangerous time to be alive in!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bianca is determined to discover what is causing the
mysterious deaths that are happening right around and involving the Church at
St. Vendast. In one instance a pregnant woman climbs to the top of the church
spire, all while singing and acting in an insane manner, than falls to her
death. Then there is another death, this one a wealthy widow. Bianca begins to
piece together this mystery, and the reader is kept on the edge of their seat
as she does. I found myself wanting to skip pages to find out what was going to
happen next! The writer definitely has a great talent when it comes to writing
mystery novels. Usually I am not a huge fan of mysteries, however I love most
novels that are set during medieval times, especially Tudor times, and this
novel is no different.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you're looking for a novel that is going to keep you up
at night, because you can't put the book down until you find out what happens
next, than this is perfect for you! It's a lovely historical mystery novel, and
I definitely recommend it! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Bianca Goddard Mystery Series:</b></span></div>
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<b>Book One:</b> The Alchemist's Daughter</div>
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<b>Book Two: </b>Death of an Alchemist</div>
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<b>Book Three:</b> Death at St. Vedast</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary Lawrence lives in Maine and worked in the medical field for more than twenty-five years before publishing her debut mystery, The Alchemist’s Daughter (Kensington, 2015). The book was named by Suspense Magazine a “Best Book of 2015” in the historical mystery category. Her articles have appeared in several publications, including the national news blog The Daily Beast. Book 2 of the Bianca Goddard Mysteries, Death of an Alchemist, released in February 2016. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit the author at www.marylawrencebooks.com.</span></div>
Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-7882014329961624532016-11-29T18:54:00.001-05:002016-11-29T18:54:25.878-05:00BOOK REVIEW: A Kingdom's Cost: A Novel of Scotland by J.R. Tomlin <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LVzf3uvVu648Awudsae7B7pXw6USFZE_NHU832WEK6kiIb-ckoQOe8v_l2zxmm54thzwQT9LzUb6L0C1vZ1UbL5bv1NpuHf5G1iHiU1rMM1ELyq9g6RsFpcMyjO7inCHHz3jA3txJyE/s1600/51vJAcucmiL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LVzf3uvVu648Awudsae7B7pXw6USFZE_NHU832WEK6kiIb-ckoQOe8v_l2zxmm54thzwQT9LzUb6L0C1vZ1UbL5bv1NpuHf5G1iHiU1rMM1ELyq9g6RsFpcMyjO7inCHHz3jA3txJyE/s400/51vJAcucmiL.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>5/5 Stars</b></span></div>
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<b>Publisher:</b> Albannach Publishing (April 5, 2016)</div>
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<b>Publication Date:</b> April 5, 2016</div>
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<b>Print Length:</b> 281 pages</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Eighteen-year-old James Douglas can only watch, helpless, as the Scottish freedom fighter, William Wallace, is hanged, drawn, and quartered. Even under the heel of a brutal English conqueror, James's blood-drenched homeland may still have one hope for freedom, the rightful king of the Scots, Robert the Bruce. James swears fealty to the man he believes can lead the fight against English tyranny.<br /><br />The Bruce is soon a fugitive, king in name and nothing more. Scotland is occupied, the Scottish resistance crushed. The woman James loves is captured and imprisoned. Yet James believes their cause is not lost. With driving determination, he blazes a path in blood and violence, in cunning and ruthlessness as he wages a guerrilla war to restore Scotland's freedom. James knows he risks sharing Wallace's fate, but what he truly fears is that he has become as merciless as the conqueror he fights.</span><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a fan of the historical fiction author, J.R. Tomlin, as well as a huge fan of
Scotland's history, especially The Black Douglas, I was more than excited to
read this novel. The author does an amazing job of staying as true to Scotland's history as possible, without coming across as though you were reading a textbook. "A
Kingdom's Cost" is yet another great historical fiction novel by J.R. Tomlin, and The Black Douglas, aka James Douglas, is
brought to life for the reader. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've read a couple of books dealing with his
life, and I felt that I was able to get to "know" him, and what drove him to become so determined and loyal to Scotland, best with this
novel. James Douglas was loved by Scotland's people and their king, Robert the
Bruce; however, this meant that he was one of England's greatest enemies at one point in time. His
intelligence and knowledge of ways to beat the English, even though greatly outnumbered and having much less artillery, made him a legend in his country. This novel is the first in a
series of three, and it gives you a look into exactly why he chose the path of
fighting for his country's freedom, no matter the personal cost; and he did suffer a great amount of personal loss. The author
does a great job of showing his readers what James Douglas was up against, his
strength of character, as well as his loyalty to his country and king.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are a fan of Scotland's history, with William
Wallace, The Bruce, The Black Douglas, etc., than I 100% recommend this book
(and series) to you. In fact, I recommend all of J.R. Tomlin's novels, as I am
a huge historical fiction fan, and she does a fantastic job of bringing real
people, who died long ago, back to life for the reader. She is definitely one of
my top 10 favorite authors for this genre. A solid five out of five star rating
from me!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />J. R. Tomlin is the author of seven historical novels: The Black Douglas Trilogy (A Kingdom's Cost, Countenance of War, and Not for Glory), A King Ensnared, A King Uncaged and Freedom's Sword, as well as a historical mystery, The Templar's Cross. She has also co-authored several fantasies with C. R. Daems: Blood Duty, Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, The Shadow Ryana, and The Shadow Gypsy. <br /><br />She has close ties with Scotland since her father was a native Scot, and she spent substantial time in Edinburgh whilst growing up. Her historical novels are set in Scotland. You can trace her love of that nation to the stories of the Bruce and the Good Sir James her grandmother read her when she was small and to her hillwalking through the Cairngorms where the granite hills have a gorgeous red glow under the setting sun. <br /><br />In addition to spending time in Scotland, she has traveled in the US, Europe and the Pacific Rim. She now lives in Oregon.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.jrtomlin.com/" target="_blank">J.R. Tomlin's Website</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/J.R.-Tomlin/e/B002J4ME1S/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0" target="_blank">J.R. Tomlin's Amazon Page</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/JRTomlinAuthor" target="_blank">J.R. Tomlin's Twitter</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Purchase The Black Douglas Trilogy on Amazon</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdoms-Cost-Historical-Scotland-Douglas-ebook/dp/B01DWTHKFI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">A Kingdom's Cost (Book 1)</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E0LZ18A/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="_blank">Countenance of War (Book 2)</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E1PP5EK/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="_blank">Not for Glory (Book 3)</a></div>
Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-90592603332282936542016-11-10T12:56:00.000-05:002016-11-10T12:56:20.233-05:00BLOG TOUR: Annelisa Christensen, Author of The Popish Midwife - Why I Love Seventeenth Century Midwives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK696vdcMgJ6s6BMaoqBeyvC53NdOWyiu9CDDtf5JkxBcocZ7i4nxk0rL2NgbUIem9_ImhvJ5MMLZE9DOAp_RVGT5pZ7qXyCvMmqaM8h_jQzXEs6b_cqSWMCrCHgyGXY6W6vvivVK5to/s1600/OutlookEmoji-1469784120621_The.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK696vdcMgJ6s6BMaoqBeyvC53NdOWyiu9CDDtf5JkxBcocZ7i4nxk0rL2NgbUIem9_ImhvJ5MMLZE9DOAp_RVGT5pZ7qXyCvMmqaM8h_jQzXEs6b_cqSWMCrCHgyGXY6W6vvivVK5to/s400/OutlookEmoji-1469784120621_The.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why I Love Seventeenth Century Midwives<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If there’s any group of women anywhere I
have the greatest respect for, it’s the midwives. The job they do, even now,
requires different roles. They support a pregnant woman before birth; they can
be present at the birth and then they often provide post-birth advice and care.
This means they are frequently the source of the most constant contact between
the mother, her children and the medical profession throughout large portions
of her childbearing years. Having a good midwife can make the difference between
being comfortable and happy with the new role of motherhood, help recovering
physically, and mentally and emotionally adapting to a life with a new
dependent. A good midwife can help make that transition smooth; a more
disengaged one can leave a new mother feeling uncertain, insecure, unhappy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that’s now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E86uh_zDr3IKJ06DeI75dcvA_hD-O4oia_KBrnjf3PMFJ4AWeKrPnurwMh_r0u6heL1qpwG15mmcu-AXVXk57PtKxdGVlXnj9ZwUkId4kyaT-pxebDfyxNNJYmVe08jLA3Ygt8k6clI/s1600/Anne+Hutchinson%252C+The+Colonial+Midwife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E86uh_zDr3IKJ06DeI75dcvA_hD-O4oia_KBrnjf3PMFJ4AWeKrPnurwMh_r0u6heL1qpwG15mmcu-AXVXk57PtKxdGVlXnj9ZwUkId4kyaT-pxebDfyxNNJYmVe08jLA3Ygt8k6clI/s320/Anne+Hutchinson%252C+The+Colonial+Midwife.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three hundred years ago, many women could
act as a midwife for the birth of a family member, friend or neighbour. And,
indeed, it often fell on ladies of quality to tend to births not only one of their
own household, but also of those working for them. For many of these women, the
only experience they might have is of being present at other births, perhaps
watching their mother or another female relative at the bedside. There was no
formal training, only networking. Any woman might fall into this group.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But there was another group: midwives who
regularly attended births both near and far away, and were paid for it, made a
living from it. A decent living at that, in many cases. Good midwives were
highly sought after, and when a woman found one, they continued to retain them
for future births, as well as spread the word this was a midwife you could
trust. These woman often learned their trade through apprenticeships lasting
many years, and obtained a licence to practice based on the testimonials of
several different women who had been birthed by them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve discovered something special about
this group of women. They have certain qualities that make them stand out at a
time when women were supposed to be subservient. Perhaps it is because they
were able to retain a certain level of independence, or perhaps it is because
they were given certain privileges of entry into places other women were
forbidden (if the wife of a coffee house owner was having a baby, the midwife
was bound to be allowed entry, when they wouldn’t otherwise be). Or perhaps it
is because they had to bravely walk to and from births whether by day or
through dark, unlit streets at all hours of the night. Something made this
group of </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6W9rK_J_ehPNkckPcHJupDdBkzJOoTHDWrq7nQmwTKf97lBqA8DvQY6Xj1olIqDapERT3xd2Vr_NgoKVTTAMknRBPBOhriino-PpyS1cgfDlGRgGf66tQGmXMwMpiSLUGcFvU1-jeAg/s1600/Elizabeth+Cellier%252C+The+Popish+Midwife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6W9rK_J_ehPNkckPcHJupDdBkzJOoTHDWrq7nQmwTKf97lBqA8DvQY6Xj1olIqDapERT3xd2Vr_NgoKVTTAMknRBPBOhriino-PpyS1cgfDlGRgGf66tQGmXMwMpiSLUGcFvU1-jeAg/s320/Elizabeth+Cellier%252C+The+Popish+Midwife.jpg" width="253" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">women brave.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I did my seventeenth century research
for The Popish Midwife, delving into the life of Elizabeth Cellier who stood up
in court for her belief, I came across Anne Hutchinson in Boston, famous for defending
the right of a person to think for herself. At least three others wrote a book
(Louise Bourgeois in France; and Jane Sharp and Elizabeth Cellier in England). There
were many more outstanding midwives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story I’m currently writing is
different from these. It’s about infamous rather than famous midwife, Marie
Desormeaux. She murdered her husband and planted bits of his body to be found
all over London. However, I argue that, after years of abuse, she was desperate
enough to take her life into her own hands. I no way condone murder, but in
that time beating your wife <i>was</i>
condoned, desirable even, to bring her under control. And when that power fell
into the hands of a man who physically, emotionally and sexually abused his
wife, several times to the point of near-death, I can understand her
desperation. It was either him or her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even in this awful situation, Marie showed
aspects of character similar to the other midwives of the time – that inner
strength, confidence and belief in herself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahqCj2judBrRzcaVNbapGWDtUB3Ir6JDE0oyZIpteCCowgMepzd__fSIH9lUcSSc1uU_aENCHvxn_qm5Z_oCh21UZ_JImpOBjmX7mOr2Kus6N94UxfWo7yqqrnbRS-5Gzyi-QZgLG3J0/s1600/Louise+Bourgoise%252C+The+Scholarly+Midwife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahqCj2judBrRzcaVNbapGWDtUB3Ir6JDE0oyZIpteCCowgMepzd__fSIH9lUcSSc1uU_aENCHvxn_qm5Z_oCh21UZ_JImpOBjmX7mOr2Kus6N94UxfWo7yqqrnbRS-5Gzyi-QZgLG3J0/s320/Louise+Bourgoise%252C+The+Scholarly+Midwife.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="201" /></a><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So many midwives of the time stood out,
whether for good or for bad; accused of witchcraft but more likely employed to
search for witch-marks; of being a whore, yet conversely of their wisdom in the
lore of nature and birth; of being drunks or for their calm in dealing with births
going wrong. Whatever their reputation, there was something about them that
brought forth strong feelings one way or another. And for that I’m grateful. It
means they were talked about, recorded, for good or ill, leaving traces and
trails to follow today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I came upon Elizabeth Cellier’s story by
accident (I won pages recording her trial in an auction), but once I saw what
an interesting person she was, her notoriety, that she was talked about, made
fun of, I was able to find clues about her in so many different places, all
waiting for me to put together and create her story. I think you’ll agree her
story is exciting and worth reading.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-42722163782014804012016-10-26T21:29:00.001-04:002016-10-27T16:42:16.286-04:00REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Blog Tour - Roma Amor: A Novel of Caligula's Rome by Sherry Christie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/romaamorblogtour/02_roma-amor/" rel="attachment wp-att-10151" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="02_Roma Amor" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10151" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/02_Roma-Amor.jpg" height="475" width="315" /></a></div>
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Roma Amor: A Novel of Caligula's Rome by Sherry Christie</div>
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Publication Date: April 15, 2016</div>
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Bexley House Books </div>
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Paperback; 496 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29796632-roma-amor" rel="attachment wp-att-9770" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9770 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.roma-amor.com/excerpts/excerpt.php/Chapter-1-Hostage-1/">READ EXCERPT</a>. </h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Marcus Carinna hears a voice whisper, "Your turn," as he rides past his family tomb. An unseen presence also startles the Germanic priestess Aurima, whom he is bringing to Rome. But hardheaded Romans scoff at ghosts, and Marcus can't believe it's a warning from his brother, who killed himself three years earlier. 37 AD: To great acclaim, 25-year-old Caligula Caesar has become Rome's new master. No one is more pleased than Senator Titus Carinna, who helped him succeed to the throne. It's a shame the Senator's older son--Caligula's closest friend--committed suicide after being charged with treason. But that still leaves Marcus, his second son. Headstrong and hot-tempered, Marcus would rather prove his courage by leading legions against Rome's enemies than take his brother's place. Yet when his father orders him to befriend Caligula, he has no choice. Caught in a web of deceit, conspiracy, and betrayal, he will uncover a secret that threatens his family, the woman he desires, even his life... and may bring chaos to the young Roman Empire.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Roma Amor: A Novel of Caligula’s Rome", is a complete page
turner by author Sherry Christie! I had shied away from reading historical fiction set
during the Roman Empire the past couple of years, but I thought this one
sounded interesting, so I gave it a chance. So glad I did! I feel like I was able to learn so much about the inner workings of the Roman Empire as I read, but never once did I feel as though it lagged or became overly text book like. Prior to this novel, my only experience with
Caligula was a movie I picked up at Family Video with the title “Caligula.” What a
mistake that was! It was a 1970’s or 80’s film, and it was basically a soft
core porno! It wouldn’t have been so bad, except for the fact that I had sat
down to watch it with my parents, thinking it would be an interesting historically based movie! I think I turned 10 shades of red before finally making an awkward exit up to my bedroom. This
book was a MUCH better experience than that one!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Marcus’ character is definitely one that draws female
attention. He’s strong, wealthy, from the upper class, a warrior, and a bit of a bad boy. However, he
is set on reforming himself, and making his father as proud of him as he was of
his first son, Publius, who had been sentenced to death by the previous Roman Emperor, Tiberius.
Marcus also develops a fascination with a Marcomanni Priestess named Aurima,
who is a hostage of Rome after being taken prisoner during battle. His
fascination leads him to do things that could possibly have serious consequences
for his family’s good name, and possibly his life, but he finds that he is drawn to her, and unable to stop thinking about her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Roma Amor" is definitely one of the better books I’ve read
recently. I found myself reading until two or three in the morning sometimes, unable to put it down for the night. Though it is a good sized book, I finished it quickly, because it was impossible to walk away from!
If you are a fan and/or have interest in historical fiction, especially history dealing with the Roman Empire, than I would highly suggest
getting this book. The author’s writing is fantastic, and never feels stiff or
uneven, and the characters are so well-written that you can truly believe they
were all real people, straight out of the past. Without a doubt, this is a FIVE out of FIVE STAR novel!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Reviews</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<i><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"The first installment in a page-turning saga that revisits the heroes and villains of the grandest city of the ancient world.... Comes alive with the long gone characters who were its lifeblood"</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b>-Kirkus Reviews</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>''Combines current political concerns, the wide lens of the serious historical novel, and emotional maturity and realism with an utterly splendid grasp of what it must have been like to live in Rome under Caligula's reign.''</i> <b>-Sarah Smith, Agatha Award winner and New York Times Notable author</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2b2m4qs" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/roma-amor-sherry-christie/1123801012?ean=9780692596326&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780692596326" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/romaamorblogtour/03_sherry-christie/" rel="attachment wp-att-10152" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_Sherry Christie" class="alignright wp-image-10152" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/03_Sherry-Christie.jpg" height="195" width="170" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After earning a Phi Beta Kappa creative award in college for an early draft about a nobly born charioteer, Sherry Christie spent many years of research and revision developing ROMA AMOR into the story about fathers and sons that it wanted to be. It's a joy to immerse myself in the lives of first-century Romans--and a distinct change from my day job as a . In addition to writing, Sherry is a professional copywriter. She lives on the coast of Maine with a native-born Viking and two cats.
For more information, please visit Sherry Christie's <a href="http://www.roma-amor.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/sherryechristie" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1265725" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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Blog Tour Schedule</h2>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, October 24</span></strong><br />
Kick Off at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, October 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wednesday, October 26</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="https://kinxsbooknook.org/" target="_blank">Kinx's Book Nook</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, October 28</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, October 31</strong></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookfever11.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bookfever</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 4</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Svetlana's Reads and Views</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, November 7</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookramblings.net/" target="_blank">Bookramblings</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Literary Vacation</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 10</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Beth's Book Nook</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The True Book Addict</a>
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<h2>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Giveaway</span></h2>
To win a paperback copy of Roma Amor: A Novel of Caligula's Rome by Sherry Christie, please enter via the Gleam form below. 2 copies are up for grabs!<br />
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<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Rules</span></strong><br />
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– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 11th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– 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.<br />
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.<br />
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/alHzT/roma-amor" rel="nofollow">Roma Amor</a><br />
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-89511094009089701482016-10-05T12:22:00.006-04:002016-10-05T12:22:56.242-04:00TWO Years Since Serial's Debut on Audio--Check Out Serial's Best Spin-Offs!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Two years since Serial's audio debut </i></span>
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On Friday 3rd October 2014, the podcast that became a worldwide cultural
phenomenon made its debut. Serial, described by critics as an audio
game-changer, gripped the world with its exploration of Adnan Syed’s 1990
conviction for the murder of his former girlfriend, Hay Min Lee. The podcast
was downloaded over 20 million times in 2014 alone and went on to win a Peabody
Award in 2015. Two years on from Serial, the editors at <a href="http://audible.co.uk/" target="_blank">Audible.co.uk</a> have
selected the best Serial spin-offs and investigatory true-crime, for those who
still can’t let go…</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>1. Adnan's Story: The Case That Inspired the Podcast
Phenomenon Serial<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Author: Rabia Chaudry<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Narrated by: Rabia Chaudry</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvslcwP4gB3kyRJwm0DN2xHIgVcyB_irNHTewrX5JOHOcMW8TOOs2CB0KbxqbpZOXLYt7agFkemQNuhUrYfOtUvytEcYns41vg068QTWeA8lw7hFJxQcqwYl_3U47qT3h-kCKTVdLut4/s1600/artworks-000175949434-c2rsex-t500x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvslcwP4gB3kyRJwm0DN2xHIgVcyB_irNHTewrX5JOHOcMW8TOOs2CB0KbxqbpZOXLYt7agFkemQNuhUrYfOtUvytEcYns41vg068QTWeA8lw7hFJxQcqwYl_3U47qT3h-kCKTVdLut4/s200/artworks-000175949434-c2rsex-t500x500.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'The first letter I received after being arrested in 1999
was from Rabia. Since that time until now, she has believed in my innocence and
been committed to my exoneration.... There is no one better to help tell my
story, and no one that I trust more to tell it, than Rabia.' (Adnan Syed)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rabia Chaudry, a family friend, always believed him and has
never given up the hope that he might someday be released. By 2013, however,
after almost all appeals had been exhausted, things looked bleak. That was when
Rabia contacted Sarah Koenig, a producer at This American Life, in the hopes of
finding a journalist who would bring greater attention to Adnan's story and
might shed new light on the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Woven with personal reflections from Adnan himself, and the
story of his family, community, and public advocate Chaudry, the audiobook
offers new insight into the story that captivated the attention of millions as
his legal and investigatory team seek to find out the truth of what really
happened on that day in 1999.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>2. In The Dark<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Created by APM Reports<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Free on the iTunes store</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmpizCSEy1pH1gPBRNirKSR3ofut6CSP4jsBjFObk4pFTobvHqe3mCbMGWX4D-l2wg7RlLue5Og_vh7d3xX0RqWfRL8pUJ2ognZPRVyCxjdrzdhyWfythcoOzgNHf9T9xeZsxuqMZVR0/s1600/600x600bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmpizCSEy1pH1gPBRNirKSR3ofut6CSP4jsBjFObk4pFTobvHqe3mCbMGWX4D-l2wg7RlLue5Og_vh7d3xX0RqWfRL8pUJ2ognZPRVyCxjdrzdhyWfythcoOzgNHf9T9xeZsxuqMZVR0/s200/600x600bb.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A podcast about a 27-year child abduction investigation that
changed the nation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Child abductions are rare crimes. And they're typically
solved. For 27 years, the investigation into the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">abduction of Jacob Wetterling
in rural Minnesota yielded no answers. In the most comprehensive reporting on
this case, APM Reports and reporter Madeleine Baran reveal how law
enforcement mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions in the
country and how those failures fueled national anxiety about stranger danger,
changed how adults parent their kids and led to the nation's sex-offender
registries.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>3. Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Author: Val McDermid<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Narrated by: Sarah Barron</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ctn2Wo-zlTJhLrfjFA5P0lrmXMHZS9S-z0zZhsgtfd0M2r6n7ONNlphE3GRUB25UHxVf9tJshYxhZ3QbIjar3OGeEBimVgHR6GDXVCnnQQoQbSNjUqrPJhyphenhyphendnGLXIffAD-7Cis9LoV4/s1600/51mcAFN3yZL._SL160_SL150_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ctn2Wo-zlTJhLrfjFA5P0lrmXMHZS9S-z0zZhsgtfd0M2r6n7ONNlphE3GRUB25UHxVf9tJshYxhZ3QbIjar3OGeEBimVgHR6GDXVCnnQQoQbSNjUqrPJhyphenhyphendnGLXIffAD-7Cis9LoV4/s200/51mcAFN3yZL._SL160_SL150_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dead talk. To the right listener, they tell us all about
themselves: how they lived, how they died--and who killed them.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Val McDermid uncovers the secrets of forensic medicine with
groundbreaking research and her own experience. Along the way you'll wonder at
how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine time of death and how a
DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a
killer.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>4. Undisclosed<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZUMHVhQdTm2ufw-cfo6F6432QF4hi1ouJID_TaPgGC5XDk1v0KcDuUOxA5S9f-3G0YvZ0wt7EyzItggq6glxNogtWfPY5UP4_-xbyrms9cMT8Tj8NO0POlf0X5QUX7PLi8eGzttPyAI/s1600/hsVheA4pQSqNAzHIE3CLT2LDarlqXn0BKCk0sYaOHVQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZUMHVhQdTm2ufw-cfo6F6432QF4hi1ouJID_TaPgGC5XDk1v0KcDuUOxA5S9f-3G0YvZ0wt7EyzItggq6glxNogtWfPY5UP4_-xbyrms9cMT8Tj8NO0POlf0X5QUX7PLi8eGzttPyAI/s320/hsVheA4pQSqNAzHIE3CLT2LDarlqXn0BKCk0sYaOHVQ.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Written and narrated by: Rabia Chaudry, Susan Simpson
and Colin Miller</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Undisclosed podcast investigates wrongful convictions,
and the U.S. criminal justice system, by </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZUMHVhQdTm2ufw-cfo6F6432QF4hi1ouJID_TaPgGC5XDk1v0KcDuUOxA5S9f-3G0YvZ0wt7EyzItggq6glxNogtWfPY5UP4_-xbyrms9cMT8Tj8NO0POlf0X5QUX7PLi8eGzttPyAI/s1600/hsVheA4pQSqNAzHIE3CLT2LDarlqXn0BKCk0sYaOHVQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">taking a closer look at the
perpetration of a crime, its investigation, the trial, and ultimate verdict...
and finding new evidence that never made it to court.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Series One explores the State of Maryland's case against
Adnan Syed. The podcast revisits the case from the beginning, looking at all
available evidence - not only what was presented in Serial, but new evidence
that we uncovered in the team’s investigation. The podcast is written by three
attorneys and as such it delves deeply into the legal side of the case, aiming
to get to the truth of what happened on January 13, 1999.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>5. The Innocent Man<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Author: John Grisham<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Narrated by: Craig Wasson</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV8qVBukGvFOhhVloMTprEzEWTZdVFU15_1vnozBGaXR2kHGD6TcnOC3g3NEmm3-Eukub9zHSP3Cx62oppxQ0FaIV1nYkAV7N2cIaGjAt3EgOcFZfu0D8NXvYDTpqKcokBTK849_NASs/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV8qVBukGvFOhhVloMTprEzEWTZdVFU15_1vnozBGaXR2kHGD6TcnOC3g3NEmm3-Eukub9zHSP3Cx62oppxQ0FaIV1nYkAV7N2cIaGjAt3EgOcFZfu0D8NXvYDTpqKcokBTK849_NASs/s200/unnamed.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of
Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A's, he said
goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league
glory.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad
arm and bad habits-drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental
illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra
Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not
solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron
Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987
and charged with capital murder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With no physical evidence, the prosecution's case was built
on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis
Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to
death row.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven
guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this
book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this
book will infuriate you.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>6. Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Author: Jeff Ashton<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b> Narrated by: Jeff Ashton</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1ij-bT-EkiT1znI6kj7tU8Dg5n4kxHbef8hlgCB3fRsD_GXYHGRTOhPetADgrktMA6dkOWhs3CM6Amc-eFxcs1OOJMDsKtI094vVZVbz-5pSw7k9oZpZr0c2xgIf_XPHDHUV1qQqRUI/s1600/6128H5rCrAL._SL375_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1ij-bT-EkiT1znI6kj7tU8Dg5n4kxHbef8hlgCB3fRsD_GXYHGRTOhPetADgrktMA6dkOWhs3CM6Amc-eFxcs1OOJMDsKtI094vVZVbz-5pSw7k9oZpZr0c2xgIf_XPHDHUV1qQqRUI/s200/6128H5rCrAL._SL375_.jpg" width="200" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was the trial that stunned America. On July 5, 2011,
nearly three years after her initial arrest, Casey </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anthony walked away, virtually scot-free, from one of the
most sensational murder trials of all time. She'd been accused of killing her
daughter, Caylee, but the trial only left behind more questions: Was she
actually innocent? What really happened to Caylee? Was this what justice really
looked like?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Imperfect Justice, prosecutor Jeff Ashton, one of the
principal players in the case's drama, sheds light on those questions and much
more, telling the behind-the-scenes story of the investigation, the trial, and
the now-infamous verdict. Providing an inside account of the case, Ashton, a
career prosecutor for the state of Florida, goes where the press and pundits
have only speculated, detailing what really happened during the investigation,
showing how the prosecution built their case, and explaining how a woman so
shrouded in suspicion was proclaimed innocent. Ashton examines what the
prosecution got right, what they got wrong, and why he remains completely
convinced of Casey Anthony's guilt.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>7. Criminal<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><o:p> </o:p>Co-created by: Phoebe Judge, Lauren Spohrer, Eric Mennel</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZl-DZnzJ7yIRuBFs0SGc217WRMKMS3xP8_ZDyPkYWSATz7bcJXVEckSOuEqy4J-8J-1YUEPZinRe1ZT_urmNUQZ7tKz3QBDhUYBKMVma0CJf3Cv-lbldBH-DFGFhHbdHilEI66vhjUs/s1600/aee6971f-3f98-4303-b763-7bf83146e267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZl-DZnzJ7yIRuBFs0SGc217WRMKMS3xP8_ZDyPkYWSATz7bcJXVEckSOuEqy4J-8J-1YUEPZinRe1ZT_urmNUQZ7tKz3QBDhUYBKMVma0CJf3Cv-lbldBH-DFGFhHbdHilEI66vhjUs/s200/aee6971f-3f98-4303-b763-7bf83146e267.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Criminal is a podcast about crime. Not so much the "if
it bleeds, it leads," kind of crime. Something a little more complex.
Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught
somewhere in the middle. Hosted by Phoebe Judge, this podcast is just as
addictive as Serial, and one that’s sure to get you hooked.</span></div>
<o:p></o:p>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-13076342026693944892016-09-29T12:13:00.002-04:002016-09-29T12:13:41.944-04:00GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Blog Tour for In the Garden Room by Tanya Eby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqysifAe2wxHJd0bZ6m7_3M_VCyZBTyGE9gMNH4uO5O0nGz9WQ138cIY3rXo0FReYU278eqHVtUnSsRwHByzd2_oVSMm8QKABtonY5PGQwopCwL0Urk6H-ulRgkrxiCC2Lrs3_cpXXc-8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-06+at+3.57.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqysifAe2wxHJd0bZ6m7_3M_VCyZBTyGE9gMNH4uO5O0nGz9WQ138cIY3rXo0FReYU278eqHVtUnSsRwHByzd2_oVSMm8QKABtonY5PGQwopCwL0Urk6H-ulRgkrxiCC2Lrs3_cpXXc-8/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-07-06+at+3.57.22+PM.png" width="265" /></a></div>
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Historical Suspense, Gothic</div>
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Date Published: July 18, 2016</div>
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Publisher: Blunder Woman Productions</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span></div>
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It is Chicago. 1910. Eleven-year-old Lillian March looks over her mother’s dead body with a sense of relief.<br />
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As a poor woman, her mother, Cora, never had any real choices or happiness with her life. Cora and Lillian flee to the bustling city of Chicago, where she is certain she will have the life of opulence she deserves.<br />
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Cora and Lillian face deep hardships in turn-of-the-century Chicago as Cora’s mind continues its downward spiral. With no money and no hope for income, Cora sells Lillian to The Garden Room, a brothel, where young girls and desperate women are kept like flowers in a jar.<br />
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John March comes looking for his daughter and his wife in an attempt to rescue them, but even if he finds them alive, is rescue really possible?<br />
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IN THE GARDEN ROOM is an exploration of madness, desire and two women’s choices in a time when they weren’t really allowed to choose.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the Garden Room was a welcome reminder that sometimes it’s
good to step outside of my usual genre of reading material, and try something a
little different! While this novel is historical fiction, which is what I like,
it is set in a period of time that I very rarely read about. I was immediately
drawn in by Cora’s character. She the beautiful mother, who lives her life
thinking about the “what if’s” and dreaming about being anywhere else in the world
other than where she is at. She’s in a loveless marriage, which she believes she
is too good for, and has a child who is something she considers to just be in
her way. She a dreamer and she is naïve, which is the perfect combination for
Zeke to take advantage of. She ends up leaving her husband, and dragging her
daughter, Lillian along with her to Chicago. Cora has high hopes that she will
end up wealthy and worshipped by Zeke, but things turn out nothing like she
expected. Lillian loves her father, but now believes he is dead (thanks to her
mother). The hard-scrabble city life turns Lillian into something she
completely different than what she was when they arrived. Both Cora and Lillian
change drastically, and do what it takes to stay alive in a city without mercy.
Lillian’s father, John, is alive and well, and is determined to find his daughter
and bring her home, but he has no soft feelings towards the wife who turned his
life upside down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is definitely a darker novel, and it’s easy to get caught
up in the strong emotions that each of the characters displays. I definitely
felt a little depressed and shocked at times as I read. As a mother, it was
difficult for me to imagine ever putting my children in the position that Cora
placed Lillian. It is definitely the type of book that is hard to put down once
you get into it. I typically read historical fiction that is set prior to the
industrialized age, but I am glad that I gave this one a chance. I definitely
suggest picking a copy up, you won’t be disappointed! A solid FIVE out of FIVE
stars from me!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Tanya Eby is a writer and an award-winning audiobook
narrator. She has published a variety of novels from romantic comedies to
mysteries to dark historical pieces. While her writing crosses genres they all
share quirky characters and complicated relationships. Visit her at
tanyaeby.com or follow her on Twitter @Blunder_Woman.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Contact Info</b></span></div>
<br /><br /><br />Website: <a href="http://www.tanyaeby.com/">www.tanyaeby.com</a><br /><br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TanyaEbyNarrator">https://www.facebook.com/TanyaEbyNarrator</a><br /><br />Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Blunder_Woman">https://twitter.com/Blunder_Woman</a><br /><br />Blog: <a href="https://twitter.com/Blunder_Woman">https://twitter.com/Blunder_Woman</a><br /><br />Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30979784-in-the-garden-room">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30979784-in-the-garden-room</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Purchase Links</b></span></div>
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<br /><br />Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Room-Tanya-Eby-ebook/dp/B01I62LDB8">https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Room-Tanya-Eby-ebook/dp/B01I62LDB8</a><br /><br />Barnes and Noble: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-garden-room-tanya-eby/1124115482">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-garden-room-tanya-eby/1124115482</a><br /><br />Kobo: <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/in-the-garden-room">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/in-the-garden-room</a><br /><br />iBooks: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1132906795">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1132906795</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>GIVEAWAY</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Audible Download of Tanya Eby novel In the Garden Room!</span></b></div>
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-59298194061538455192016-09-02T01:45:00.003-04:002016-09-02T01:45:40.274-04:00GUEST POST: One Writer's Dreams by Christy English, Author of Aphrodite's Choice<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>One Writer’s Dreams<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Christy English<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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How does a writer go from obsessing about Eleanor of
Aquitaine to being possessed by the need to write about a goddess? For any of
you who have read my historical fiction novels THE QUEEN’S PAWN or TO BE QUEEN,
both of which have Eleanor of Aquitaine as a narrator, you know that it is not
that far a leap from queen to goddess. Indeed, I think Eleanor would have
enjoyed the comparison. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But as with more than one of my novels, APHRODITE’S CHOICE
first came to me in a dream.<o:p></o:p></div>
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During the summer and fall of 2010, I was traveling around
the Southeastern US going to book signings and literary festivals to support my
first published novel, THE QUEEN’S PAWN. While I did this, I took time out to
see friends and family along my route, and I stopped at my godmother’s on my
way back to my home base (at the time, that was Wilmington, NC.) We got to
talking about books, as we so often do, and she asked me why I had never
written a paranormal novel, a genre she loved to read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t have an answer for her, other than to say that a
character with a paranormal story had never shown up on the doorstep of my
mind. If one ever did, I said, I was sure to write it. Because, in my world,
the book is always the boss.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That night I slept well, tucked away in her frilly guest
bedroom downstairs. And as the early morning light began to creep in at the
windows, I dreamed of a goddess of love, of her mortal friends, and of the man
who was hunting her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first fifty pages of the novel came from my very
involved, very detailed dream, pretty much as they appear now in APHRODITE’S
CHOICE. While my Aphrodite, or Addy Stanfield as she calls herself in modern
Boston in 2016, is an immortal being who came down to earth to offer an aspect
of the healing of Divine Grace, she is also a woman. A woman with a perspective
out of time, a woman who belongs to all times and places, and to none. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Addy loves her mortal friends, though she knows that she will
very likely live long enough to watch them die. She keeps an immortal lover,
the war god Ares, who comes into and out of her life on his own whims, and in
his own time, often wreaking havoc as he passes through her world. And for the
last eight hundred years or more, the same group of men has hunted Addy and her
sisters, fellow goddesses who do the work of serving humanity, each in their
own way. This group, the Brotherhood of the Light, destroy her sisters when
they can, and as the novel opens, Addy discovers that they have found her yet
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paranormal thrillers are a lot of fun to read, but before
APHRODITE’S CHOICE, I had never written one. She opened my eyes to a whole new
world, as each of my characters has, as I pray each new character always will.
I am very grateful for that conversation with my godmother, and her
off-the-cuff question about paranormal story-telling. My life is infinitely
richer for having met and worked with Addy, and I hope that, if you read her story,
she enhances your life half as much as she has blessed mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-53121738565895931092016-09-02T01:38:00.000-04:002016-09-02T01:38:27.763-04:00GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Blog Tour - Aphrodite's Choice by Christy English<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aphrodite's Choice
by Christy English</h3>
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Publication Date: May 20, 2016 </div>
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eBook; ASIN: B01FZQ80F0 </div>
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Series: The Goddess Diaries #1
Genre: Fantasy/Mythology/Paranormal/Romance</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30247575-aphrodite-s-choice" rel="attachment wp-att-9770" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9770 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, still walks the modern world. No longer thronged by worshipers, Aphrodite heals the bodies and souls of the men she touches, one man, one night, at a time. But not everyone thinks of her as a long-dead myth. Someone is stalking her. The men who have hunted her kind as witches for centuries have passed their hatred on to their sons.
As she flees her enemies and tries to warn her sisters of the danger facing them once again, Aphrodite is followed by one of the members of the Brotherhood, a man who has been given the task of killing her, and any of her sisters who cross his path. But it does not take her long to discover that Steven Wharton is not a murderer, and his soul is one she has known before.
In this paranormal romance, a goddess’s past is brought to life, from the Greek city of Corinth to the shores of the island of Cyprus, at the court of Versailles to the burning city of Persepolis. But it is not until she meets Steve that Aphrodite falls in love for the first time. As she faces an ancient enemy, Aphrodite discovers that the love she feels, not the love she gives, is the root of her soul. And that love might even be the path to her freedom...
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<a href="http://amzn.to/292qHlT" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aphrodites-choice-christy-english/1123833380;jsessionid=71600555D5A8760C0ADEC48D934D75D1.prodny_store02-atgap07?ean=2940158529498&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Review</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have been a fan of Christy English for several years now,
and one of my favorite things about her novels is the seamless way that she is
able to weave historical fact and fiction into her stories. “Aphrodite’s Choice”
is more of a paranormal romance novel, and less of a historical romance/fiction
novel, yet the reader is still transported to the past with Ms. English’s
fantastic descriptions and well-researched historical details. As Aphrodite has
been around for 9,000 years, her story covers many different periods of
history, as well as fascinating places like Versailles, Corinth, Cyprus, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Despite being the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite has somehow
avoided truly falling in love during her many, many interactions with members
of the opposite sex. That is, until she meets Steven Wharton, who is a danger
to more than just her heart. Aphrodite (who goes by Addy in modern times) is
faced with the daunting task of not only keeping herself safe from those who
want to destroy her, but also to protect her sisters. This novel is full of
drama and intrigue, and the author does a great job of creating romance and
passion, without it coming across as a tacky bodice-ripper. Paranormal romance
is definitely not a genre I would normally read, but I wanted to give it a
chance after I discovered that Christy English was the author. There was enough
of a historical aspect added to the novel to keep my interest, so in the end I
was happy that I gave it a chance. I probably won’t run out and look for
another book in this genre, but I enjoyed “Aphrodite’s Choice” enough to give
it a FOUR out of FIVE stars!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">About the Author</span></h2>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/aphroditeschoiceblogtour/olympus-digital-camera-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-9915" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-9915" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/03_Christy-English.jpg" height="182" width="145" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ever since Christy English picked up a fake sword in stage combat class at the age of fourteen, she has lived vicariously through the sword-wielding women of her imagination. Sometimes an actor, always a storyteller, Christy works happily with Sourcebooks Casablanca to bring the knife-throwing women of her novels to life. A banker by day and a writer by night, she loves to eat chocolate, drink too many soft drinks, and walk the mountain trails of her home in western North Carolina.
Please visit her at <a href="http://www.christyenglish.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ChristyEnglish.com</a>. You can also find Christy on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christy.english.779" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristyEnglish" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2994919.Christy_English" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/aceng2511/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 30</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://luxuryreading.com/" target="_blank">Luxury Reading</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 31</strong></span><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Dagger Scriptorium</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
Review & Guest Post at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://wtfareyoureading.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">WTF Are You Reading?</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" target="_blank">History From a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 6</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 7</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://buriedunderromance.com/" target="_blank">Buried Under Romance</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Literary Vacation</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://heatherosborneauthor.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne</a>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
To win an eBook of Aphrodite's Choice by Christy English, please enter via the Gleam form below. 5 eBooks are up for grabs!<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Rules</span></strong></div>
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– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 9th. You must be 18 or older to enter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">– 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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.</span></div>
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/oXVjk/aphrodites-choice" rel="nofollow">Aphrodite's Choice</a><br />
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/aphroditeschoiceblogtour/04_aphrodites-choice_blog-tour-banner_final/" rel="attachment wp-att-9916"><img alt="04_Aphrodite's Choice_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9916" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04_Aphrodites-Choice_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="257" width="640" />Mytho</a>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-33166992252961739572016-08-29T23:41:00.000-04:002016-08-29T23:41:07.819-04:00REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Blog Tour - Days of Sun & Glory by Anna Belfrage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/daysofsunandgloryblogtour/02_days-of-sun-and-glory-4/" rel="attachment wp-att-9642" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="02_Days of Sun and Glory" class="alignleft wp-image-9642 " src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/02_Days-of-Sun-and-Glory-3.jpg" height="560" width="350" /></a></div>
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Days of Sun and Glory (The King’s Greatest Enemy #2)
by Anna Belfrage</h3>
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Publication Date: July 4, 2016</div>
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Matador
eBook & Paperback; 418 Pages </div>
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Series: The King's Greatest Enemy </div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30621973-days-of-sun-and-glory" rel="attachment wp-att-9770" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9770 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span><br />
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Adam de Guirande has barely survived the aftermath of Roger Mortimer’s rebellion in 1321. When Mortimer manages to escape the Tower and flee to France, anyone who has ever served Mortimer becomes a potential traitor – at least in the eyes of King Edward II and his royal chancellor, Hugh Despenser. Adam must conduct a careful balancing act to keep himself and his family alive. Fortunately, he has two formidable allies: Queen Isabella and his wife, Kit. England late in 1323 is a place afflicted by fear. Now that the king’s greatest traitor, Roger Mortimer, has managed to evade royal justice, the king and his beloved Despenser see dissidents and rebels everywhere – among Mortimer’s former men, but also in the queen, Isabella of France.
Their suspicions are not unfounded. Tired of being relegated to the background by the king’s grasping favourite, Isabella has decided it is time to act – to safeguard her own position, but also that of her son, Edward of Windsor. As Adam de Guirande has pledged himself to Prince Edward he is automatically drawn into the queen’s plans – whether he likes it or not.
Yet again, Kit and Adam are forced to take part in a complicated game of intrigue and politics. Yet again, they risk their lives – and that of those they hold dear – as the king and Mortimer face off. Once again, England is plunged into war – and this time it will not end until either Despenser or Mortimer is dead.
Days of Sun and Glory is the second in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2bZEz0w" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Days-Sun-Glory-Kings-Greatest/dp/1785893513/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472154996&sr=1-1&keywords=days+of+sun+and+glory" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/days-of-sun-and-glory-anna-belfrage/1124081207;jsessionid=F17D625222D698E31528471046FB5E93.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=9781785893513&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781785893513" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Review</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am absolutely in love with Anna Belfrage’s novel “Days of
Sun & Glory”, which is the second book in The King’s Greatest Enemy Series.
It is so well-written and researched, and completely reaches out and grabs and
holds the reader’s attention. I wish I had been able to read the first book in
the series prior to reading this one, because it’s obvious a lot of interesting
adventures happened in that one as well! Although it is the second book in the
series, I was able to read it as a standalone. The author did a great job of
mentioning certain instances from the first book that helped to explain what
was going on as I read the second. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Kit and Adam de Guirande are perfect. Perfect for each
other, perfect foils for other characters in the book, and just perfectly
written by an author who obviously put a lot of time and research into creating
such an interesting pair. The action is pretty much non-stop throughout this
book, and while the author uses creative license, she still sticks with
historical figures and details that are specific to the time period. The way
Despenser, Mortimer, Queen Isabella, and King Edward II are described really
rang true to me. I feel like the author captured their personalities perfectly,
and honestly, the way she described them is the way I have always pictured them
to be like as I read other books of this time period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am already looking into getting the first novel in the series,
and then any that follow. I also saw that Anna Belfrage has a series about a
family called the Grahams, so I hope to get the first book in that series as
well! I’m the type of reader who finds an author I really like, and then reads
everything by them that I can get my hands on! This is one of those authors! I
definitely recommend this novel/series to fans of historical fiction. It’s
packed full of adventure, intrigue, romance, and betrayal, and definitely a
page turner until the very end! Definitely a FIVE out of FIVE stars from me!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></h2>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/daysofsunandgloryblogtour/03_annna_belfrage-2015-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-9588" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_Annna_Belfrage 2015" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9588" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/03_Annna_Belfrage-2015.jpg" height="266" width="235" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. As such a profession does as yet not exists, she settled for second best and became a financial professional with two absorbing interests, namely history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours.
When Anna fell in love with her future husband, she got Scotland as an extra, not because her husband is Scottish or has a predilection for kilts, but because his family fled Scotland due to religious persecution in the 17th century – and were related to the Stuarts. For a history buff like Anna, these little details made Future Husband all the more desirable, and sparked a permanent interest in the Scottish Covenanters, which is how Matthew Graham, protagonist of the acclaimed The Graham Saga, began to take shape.
Set in 17th century Scotland and Virginia/Maryland, the series tells the story of Matthew and Alex, two people who should never have met – not when she was born three hundred years after him. With this heady blend of romance, adventure, high drama and historical accuracy, Anna hopes to entertain and captivate, and is more than thrilled when readers tell her just how much they love her books and her characters.
Presently, Anna is hard at work with her next project, a series set in the 1320s featuring Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power. The King’s Greatest Enemy is a series where passion and drama play out against a complex political situation, where today’s traitor may be tomorrow’s hero, and the Wheel of Life never stops rolling.
The first installment in the Adam and Kit story, In the Shadow of the Storm, was published in 2015. The second book, Days of Sun and Glory, will be published in July 2016.
Other than on her website, <a href="http://www.annabelfrage.com/" target="_blank">www.annabelfrage.com</a>, Anna can mostly be found on her blog, <a href="http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com</a> – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel. You can also connect with Anna on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theAlexandMatthewstory/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Anna_Belfrage" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 29</strong></span><br />
Kick Off at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 30</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Beth's Book Nook Blog</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 31</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://queenofallshereads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Queen of All She Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.lampshadereader.com/" target="_blank">Lampshade Reader</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Nerd</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 6</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 7</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Literary Vacation</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 8</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.booksandbenches.com/" target="_blank">Books and Benches</a><br />
Character Interview at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://ahollandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Holland Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 13</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 14</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.cavehominemuniuslibri.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Seize the Words: Books in Review</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 19</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookdrunkard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Book Drunkard</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 20</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://maddan3.booklikes.com/" target="_blank">It's a Mad Mad World</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The True Book Addict</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://thereadingqueen.com/" target="_blank">The Reading Queen</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 26</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://dianasbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Diana's Book Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 27</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookramblings.net/" target="_blank">Bookramblings</a>
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<h2>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Giveaway</span></h2>
To win a copy of Days of Sun & Glory by Anna Belfrage, please enter via the Gleam form below.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<strong>Rules</strong> </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
– Only one entry per household. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
– 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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/oVmiR/days-of-sun-and-glory" rel="nofollow">Days of Sun and Glory</a></div>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/daysofsunandgloryblogtour/" rel="attachment wp-att-9895" target="_blank"><img alt="04_Days of Sun and Glory_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter wp-image-9895 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/04_Days-of-Sun-and-Glory_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="257" width="640" /></a>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-19191865799533705312016-08-23T00:49:00.000-04:002016-08-23T00:49:15.317-04:00BOOK TOUR & GIVEAWAY - With Excerpt & Guest Post by Bethany Swafford Author of "A Chaotic Courtship" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXhRumRP1mCrSvbOFcGgFs01UVXlGmDxliQg5OWQLUagagfI04WijLiP5EA8VKxJizfajbFCFKSI_NR0UhNuTxML-PEIsMRR7_qsztkvA9-_-fqTI_Rck6r-FFYAS10Bw9r4SlspaZGQ/s1600/chaotic+courtship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXhRumRP1mCrSvbOFcGgFs01UVXlGmDxliQg5OWQLUagagfI04WijLiP5EA8VKxJizfajbFCFKSI_NR0UhNuTxML-PEIsMRR7_qsztkvA9-_-fqTI_Rck6r-FFYAS10Bw9r4SlspaZGQ/s400/chaotic+courtship.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>Title:</b> A Chaotic Courtship<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Author:</b> Bethany Swafford<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Genre:</b> Historical Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br />Twenty year old Diana Forester, a country bred young woman fears that her inexperience and uncertainties has driven Mr. John Richfield away. On arriving back home from London, she learns that he is already there, ready to continue their acquaintance. If Diana thought that it was difficult in London, courting takes on a whole new aspect when Diana's younger siblings become involved. She finds herself dealing with her own feelings, her sister, her younger brother, jealous members of a house party, a jilted suitor, and a highwayman as she falls in love with the charming Mr. Richfield.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Guest Post</b></span><br />
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First of all, I’d like to say I’m honored to be a guest here today. I make no claims at being an expert of the Regency era, or a historian. I can only offer my own opinion based on what I have learned from my research.<br />
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Many Regency based novels feature daring ladies, either with a title of their own, breathtaking beauty, or the wealth to grant them entry into the highest level of society. An official coming out, with balls and soirees, vouchers to Almack’s, all with the aim of marrying well. But what about a well born woman from a more humble background?<br />
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From infancy, a girl would be trained to manage a household. Likely, due to her family’s circumstances, this practical training, along with accomplishments such of a musical or artistic nature, would come from her mother. Once she reached the age of about seventeen, a young woman ought to have been ready to move on to the next stage in her life: marriage. <br />
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Of course, meeting an eligible man could present a bit of a problem. Being raised in a small community, young lady might be required to seek such a man elsewhere. Spending a season in London would have been near impossible. She would have to rely on an invitation from family members to visit new places where she would have the opportunity to expand her circle of acquaintance. <br />
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In a time when men held all the power, a woman really only had one right: she could accept or refuse a gentleman’s offer of marriage. This would not be a simple decision for her. After all, this was a decision that would set the course for her entire future. Not to mention, how the expectations of her family and friends would be a strong motivator for her. <br />
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Still, a young lady with patience could find love, if she kept her wits about her and took advantage of every opportunity presented to her.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Book Excerpt</b></span><br />
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<span lang="NL-BE">“I thought you’d never get here!” Sarah
said, ignoring my question completely as she spun to face me. I frowned at her
as I put my outside garments away. She seemed highly agitated, a state which I
had seldom seen her in. “Diana, I must speak with you!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">“About what?” I asked calmly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">Sarah took up pacing, and for a moment I
believed she wasn’t going to continue with whatever she wanted to say. “You
must listen to me for once in your life!” she finally said, as<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">though I had been disagreeable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">Sinking onto our bed, I tried to hide a
smile. “Then come out and tell me what has you in such a state.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">“I think Mr. Richfield is the highwayman!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">My smile faded instantly as I stared at
her. How had she come up with this ridiculous idea? “You what?” I asked in
astonishment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">“There, I’ve said it!” Sarah collapsed into
the chair at the dressing table. “I’ve considered the matter carefully, Diana,
and as your sister, I could not let you become attached to such a black-hearted
criminal!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">I couldn’t help but laugh in response to
that absurd notion. “Blackhearted criminal? You cannot be serious, Sarah. I
have never heard anything so outlandish. Have you been reading my novels?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">“Diana, I am being completely serious! Stop
laughing!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">“How can I take you seriously when
everything you say is utter nonsense? Why would you possibly think Mr.
Richfield, a true gentleman if I’ve ever met one, is a common criminal?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">Sarah leaned forward, her eyes wide. “Don’t
you remember what Aunt Forester said at dinner yesterday?” she asked, lowering
her voice for some reason. She acted like she was about to disclose some deep
secret to me, and I found myself leaning closer. “About the highwayman being
around the Bath area?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">Thinking back, I did in fact remember the
conversation and our aunt’s comment. “Yes, of course I remember. What about
it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">“Mr. Richfield was there!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">I failed to follow her line of reasoning.
“I’m sure a great many people were in Bath at the same time, Sarah. Aunt and
Uncle Forester, for example, were there for two months, I believe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="NL-BE">Shaking her head, Sarah groaned. “Don’t be
obtuse, Diana! You have to see the connection here. Mr. Richfield was in Bath
when a highwayman terrorized innocent people. And now, he’s here, where a
highwayman has mysteriously appeared to threaten our peaceful home!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Author Bio<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For as long as she can remember, Bethany Swafford has loved reading books. That love of words extended to writing as she grew older and when it became more difficult to find a ‘clean’ book, she determined to write her own. Among her favorite authors is Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer. When she doesn’t have pen to paper (or fingertips to laptop keyboard), she can generally be found with a book in hand. In her spare time, Bethany reviews books for a book site called More Than A Review.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><b>Author's Links</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bethanyswafford/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bethany-Swafford-Author-303302543339828/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6420812.Bethany_Swafford?from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><b>Giveaway</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Giving away a PDF copy of A Chaotic Courtship!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-54562910559285882052016-08-15T14:50:00.000-04:002016-08-15T14:50:17.863-04:00REVIEW, GIVEAWAY, & EXCERPT - Blog Tour: Rebel of Ross by Mary Lancaster<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/rebelofrossblogtour/02_rebel-of-ross/" rel="attachment wp-att-9937"><img alt="02_Rebel of Ross" class="alignleft wp-image-9937" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/02_Rebel-of-Ross.jpg" height="488" width="325" /></a></div>
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Rebel of Ross by Mary Lancaster</h3>
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Publication Date: July 31, 2016</div>
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eBook & Paperback; 340 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Romance/Medieval</div>
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<a href="http://www.marylancaster.com/rebel.html" target="_blank">READ AN EXCERPT</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31352111-rebel-of-ross" rel="attachment wp-att-9770" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9770 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a></div>
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Scotland, 1156.<br />
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Malcolm MacHeth, one time Earl of Ross, languishes a prisoner in Roxburgh Castle while his sons raise rebellion in his name. Optimistically, the King of Scots promises the earldom of Ross to landless Norman knight, Sir William de Lanson, if he can somehow defeat the infamous MacHeths.<br />
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It wasn’t quite how William’s disgraced wife Christian dreamed of coming home. Capture by the strange and ferocious Adam MacHeth was hardly part of her plan either, although she and William quickly become pawns in his.<br />
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Adam, warrior and seer, fights for his father’s freedom and for his family’s right to claim the kingdom of the Scots. Plagued by waking dreams which threaten his sanity and his life, he’s learned to use his prophecies to further his family’s goals. But when he abducts his enemy’s lady, his dreams and his desires are suddenly more personal.<br />
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Surrounded by intrigue, ambition and betrayal, Christian must choose between loyalty and love in order to keep a fragile peace for her people and for the man she loves beyond all reason.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JG0O1MW" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01JG0O1MW" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1124229228" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/rebel-of-ross" target="_blank">iTunes</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1139792130" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rebel of Ross by Mary Lancaster was an interesting look into
Scotland during the early 12<sup>th</sup> century. The author did an amazing
job of bringing this era to life for the reader, and obviously a lot of
research was done. Of course, it probably helps that she is Scottish herself! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I admired the main female character, Christian de Lanson.
She is in a loveless marriage, and has a facial disfigurement, but despite
this, she is strong and passionate. She is captured by Adam MacHeth, who is on
a mission to free his father, who has been imprisoned since he was very young,
and then to help him take back Scotland’s throne. Adam and Christian end up
having an inexplicable connection between one another, and fate keeps throwing
them together time and again. They are obviously on opposite sides when it
comes to who they are loyal to, so they have to find out which side they stand
on if they are ever to find a way to be together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love the time period that this novel is set in. Not only am
I a huge fan of novels about Scotland’s history, but I also try to read as much
about England’s King Henry II as possible. The fact that this novel includes
both elements grabbed my attention right away. The author did a great job of portraying
the events and individuals of this specific time period, all while staying as
true to history as possible. As it was so long ago, much of the history of this
time is either lost or is very one-sided.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are a lot of characters that have pretty large parts in
this book, and at times it does get a little confusing, especially at the
beginning. I was a bit lost in the first chapter or so. Once the action picked
up, I was hooked, and ended up really enjoying it. I would definitely recommend
it for historical fiction fans who enjoy a bit of a love story! I give it a
FOUR out of FIVE stars!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">
About the Author</span></h3>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/rebelofrossblogtour/03_mary-lancaster/" rel="attachment wp-att-9938" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="03_Mary Lancaster" class="alignright wp-image-9938" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/03_Mary-Lancaster.jpg" height="199" width="265" /></a>Mary Lancaster's first love was historical fiction. Since then she has grown to love coffee, chocolate, red wine and black and white films - simultaneously where possible. She hates housework.<br />
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As a direct consequence of the first love, she studied history at St. Andrews University, after which she worked variously as editorial assistant, researcher and librarian. Although she has always written stories for her own entertainment, she began to make serious efforts toward publication in order to distract herself from a job she disliked. She now writes full time at her seaside home in Scotland, which she shares with her husband and three children.<br />
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Mary is the author of three historical novels:<br />
An Endless Exile - the story of Hereward, 11th century outlaw hero<br />
A World to Win - a Scottish governess finds love in revolutionary Hungary<br />
A Prince to be Feared: the love story of Vlad Dracula<br />
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Mary loves to hear from readers. You can email her at <a href="mailto:Mary@MaryLancaster.com" target="_blank">Mary@MaryLancaster.com</a>, and connect on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaryLancasterNovelist/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Find out more about Mary and her books at <a href="http://www.marylancaster.com/" target="_blank">www.MaryLancaster.com</a>.<br />
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<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Monday, August 8</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookdrunkard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Book Drunkard</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Tuesday, August 9</b></span><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.booksandbenches.com/" target="_blank">Books and Benches</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Wednesday, August 10</b></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://thereadingqueen.com/" target="_blank">The Reading Queen</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.onebookshy.com/" target="_blank">One Book Shy of a Full Shelf</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Thursday, August 11</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.onebookshy.com/" target="_blank">One Book Shy of a Full Shelf</a><br />
Guest Post & Excerpt at <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Dagger Scriptorium</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Friday, August 12</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Saturday, August 13</b></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Monday, August 15</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Impressions in Ink</a><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">
Giveaway</span></h3>
To enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card, please see the GLEAM form below.<br />
<br />
<b>Rules</b><br />
<br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on August 26th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to internationally.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– 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.<br />
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.<br />
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/nJiWC/rebel-of-ross" rel="nofollow">Rebel of Ross</a>
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<br />
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/rebelofrossblogtour/" rel="attachment wp-att-9940" target="_blank"><img alt="04_Rebel of Ross_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter wp-image-9940 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04_Rebel-of-Ross_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="257" width="640" /></a>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-55039250415693136382016-08-11T19:42:00.000-04:002016-08-11T19:42:44.857-04:00BOOK REVIEW: The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland's Black Douglas *5 Stars*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJFitEeB2tbhoxeD7rOhXrx2bCDd_hbQde_VoZSC6T2zG9lVx8wHiiCP9b-gb5EBmDtcSARKBkyv_jCWnUgBYa-fVpMZaN_GLIfYPGbIsEWGWoY_K_jc6aBzSMU5zGabUn2FTJjtQ0SY/s1600/51hOnalIn8L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJFitEeB2tbhoxeD7rOhXrx2bCDd_hbQde_VoZSC6T2zG9lVx8wHiiCP9b-gb5EBmDtcSARKBkyv_jCWnUgBYa-fVpMZaN_GLIfYPGbIsEWGWoY_K_jc6aBzSMU5zGabUn2FTJjtQ0SY/s400/51hOnalIn8L.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland's Black
Douglas</b></div>
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Paperback and ebook editions</div>
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432 pages</div>
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Brigid's Fire Press (2014)</div>
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<b>* * * 2015 CHAUCER AWARD FIRST-PLACE HISTORICAL FICTION
CATEGORY * * *<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>* * * FOREWORD REVIEWS MAGAZINE BOOK-OF-THE-YEAR
FINALIST * * *<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>* * * indieBRAG MEDALLION WINNER * * *<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>* * * BTS MAGAZINE READER'S CHOICE HONORABLE
MENTION AWARD * * *</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She will crown a king.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">He will carry a king’s heart. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Both will pay an unthinkable price for Scotland.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the 14th century dawns, Scotland’s survival hangs by a
spider’s thread. While the clans fight among themselves for their empty throne, Edward
Longshanks of England schemes to annex the northern kingdom to his growing
realm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But one Scot lad refuses to move from the brutal monarch’s
path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">James Douglas is cherished by his fellow countrymen as
the Good Sir James. Yet his daring raids across the border wreak such havoc
that the English brand him the Black Douglas and nearly bankrupt their treasury
to capture him. As a boy, James falls in love with the ravishing Isabelle
MacDuff, whose clan for centuries has inaugurated Scottish kings on the
hallowed Stone of Destiny. Their bliss is threatened when James befriends Robert
Bruce, a bitter enemy of the MacDuffs. Forced to choose between love and clan
loyalty, James and Isabelle make a fateful decision that will lead the armies
to the bloody field of Bannockburn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the little-known but true story of Scotland’s War of
Independence and the remarkable events that followed the execution of William
Wallace, whose legend was portrayed in the movie Braveheart. At last, James
Douglas takes his rightful place with Wallace and Bruce in the pantheon of
Scottish heroes. This thrilling epic leads us to the miraculous Stone of
Destiny, the famous Spider in the Cave, the excommunicated Knights
Templar, the suppressed Culdee Church, and the unprecedented Declaration
of Arbroath that inspired the American Declaration of Independence four
hundred years later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Spider and the Stone is the unforgettable saga of
star-crossed love, spiritual intrigue and heroic sacrifice that saved Scotland
and prepared the way for the founding of the United States.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.glencraney.com/The%20Spider%20and%20the%20Stone-Prologue.pdf">Read the First Chapter!</a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland’s Black
Douglas” by Glen Craney is the best book I’ve read this summer! I have been
extremely interested in Robert Brue and James Douglas for several years now,
even since reading a trilogy about Robert Bruce a few years back. All of the
novels that I have read about this time period have been focused on either
Queen Isabella, King Edward II, Mortimer, Robert the Bruce, etc., so a book
with the focus on James Douglas, Bruce’s right hand while fighting the English,
was exactly what I had been wanting to read! The author, Glen Craney, does an
amazing job taking the reader through Scotland during the time that Longshanks
(King Edward I) and his inept son, King Edward II, were attempting to bring
Scotland to its knees. The strength and fortitude that Douglas, Bruce,
Randolph, and the Scottish people had during this time period was almost
unbelievable. The author does note at the end that much of Douglas’ history is
based on legend, but in order to inspire those legends, I’m sure the stories
must have had some truth to them. The descriptions of Douglas’ methods of
fighting the English are completely ingenious. The Scottish were outnumbered by
thousands, yet Douglas had a deep-seated understanding of battle tactics, and
the English were no match to his methods on the battle field. Not to mention
the absolute respect and devotion he inspired in his men, which caused them to
follow him anywhere, and never question his command. He inspired Robert the
Bruce to be a good and just king, and inspired Scotland to fight for its
freedom. This did not come without personal sacrifice for James Douglas, and
though it is not a historical fact that he and Belle, The Duchess of Buchan,
were in love. This does add an interesting romantic element to the novel, and
definitely becomes a driving force for James Douglas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had put off reading this book for a little bit,
because I was finishing my master’s degree, and there were other books on my
list. Now that I know just how amazing this book is, I wish that I had read it
as soon as the author sent it to me for review. So, I do apologize to the
author for not getting to it sooner. Once I began reading it, I honestly had
difficulty putting it down at night to go to sleep. It is the perfect novel to
get wrapped up in if you are a fan of historical fiction. There is a lot out
there about this period in time. Anyone who has ever watched Braveheart knows
how fierce the people of Scotland were, and how hell bent they were on keeping
their independence from England. “The Spider and the Stone” delves a little
deeper into some of the legends and tales that were born during this period of
time. Usually I am not a fan of anything that leans towards fantasy or the
supernatural in historical fiction novels, but the author does it in a way that
brings to attention Scottish lore and legend, but does not make that part the
forefront of this novel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I 100% recommend getting your hands on this novel. It’s
a great read, and really gives you a up close look at one of the most
fascinating periods of time in Scotland and England’s long history that was
fraught with chaos and discord.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Definitely a FIVE out of FIVE stars from this
historical fiction fan!</b></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Editorial Reviews</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The book is an interesting, well-crafted scenario ...
[Craney] has woven an interesting tale proposing that the crowning of Robert
the Bruce occurred largely because of the help and sacrifice of James,
Scotland's Black Douglas and the love of his life, Isabelle MacDuff." —<i>
Historical Novel Society</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The best book I've read this year." — <i>John
Graham, seneschal of the Society of Creative Anachronism</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The battle scenes are detailed and vivid, giving the
reader a ringside seat at Scotland's desperate fight for freedom. ... 'Spider'
will hold readers in suspense. ..." — <i>InD'tale Magazine</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author</b></span><br />
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A native Hoosier, GLEN CRANEY is a screenwriter, novelist,
journalist, and lawyer. He holds degrees from Hanover College, Indiana
University School of Law-Indianapolis, and Columbia University's Graduate
School of Journalism.<br />
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As a member of the Washington, D.C. press corps, he covered national politics
and the Iran-contra scandal for Congressional Quarterly magazine. His feature
screenplay, Whisper the Wind, about the Navajo codetalkers of World War II, was
awarded the Nicholl Fellowship prize by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts
and Sciences for best new screenwriting.<br />
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His debut historical novel, The Fire and the Light, received several honors,
including being named Best New Fiction by the National Indie Excellence Awards
and a Finalist/Honorable Mention Winner by Foreword Reviews for its Book of the
Year in Historical Fiction. In 2014, he was named a double BOTYA finalist by
Foreword Reviews for The Spider and the Stone and The Yanks Are Starving. He is
also a two-time recipient of the indieBRAG Medallion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.glencraney.com/" target="_blank">Author's Website</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1516207.Glen_Craney" target="_blank">Author's Goodreads Page</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/GlenCraneyAuthor" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Follow Glen on Facebook!</span></a></div>
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<br />Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-70220982494654316562016-08-10T20:50:00.000-04:002016-08-10T20:50:54.496-04:00Richard Masefield BLOG TOUR - REVIEW of Painted LadyPlease join Richard Masefield as he tours the blogosphere for his novels The White Cross, Chalkhill Blue, Painted Lady, and Brimstone, from July 15-August 15.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Painted Lady</b></span></div>
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Publication Date: April 30, 2014 </div>
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Red Door Publishing Ltd </div>
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eBook & Paperback; 240 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical Romance</div>
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<img alt="Add to GR Button" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjZlqNSPPCja_jVrkEL_P7bsGrANDE0kBRBZHPkHB9wWN4Lxe6g_10Tai_xGZuqluvg1sqNJM2vKz_DlyXIAfp6IyY_ZVNJcZ1664jFtD44uCnsHJW9SJQADhRhD3t4TsZTErcYzkLSFk0SjxU2r7uZi9K6ZP76IREtuBN8hgWdS2x1w_b5vZESaATedk0=" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">From her luxurious mansion in St James’s, London, Milady looks back through the years – to hear the church bells ringing in celebration of Wellington’s great victory at Waterloo, at the time when she left clacking tongues behind her in the Sussex village of Alfriston for adventure and employment in fashionable Brighton, the ‘second capital of England’. There as the seventeen-year-old Sary Snudden, with her reputation already ruined, she becomes a prostitute, the ‘Painted Lady’ of the title. Yet even Regency conventions are to prove too narrow for a girl of Sary’s flamboyant character. Caught up in a passionate affair with young David Stanville, heir to Lord Southbourne’s great estate of Hadderton, she and her lover cross the Alps on a perilous journey by coach and sled to the excitement of a popular revolution in Turin and an erotically charged idyll in the Italian lakes. But the question of how she’ll cross the greater gulf, which lies between her humble origins and the noble status David seeks for her, remains the central problem of Milady’s life. Moving from the great military encampments of Napoleonic Sussex to the pleasure grounds of nineteenth century Europe, from the practical routines of a well-run brothel, to the elegant manners of St James’s, Painted Lady spans a colourful half-century of European history. A delightful, romping adventure, the novel introduces an unforgettable new heroine to historical fiction.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The novel, Painted Lady by Richard Masefield was an
interesting adventure through Regency England, as well as through different
social classes. As an older women, the main character looks back on her life,
and tells the story of her adventures in life and love. Her story shows what a
strong and resilient woman she is, and how she paved her own road in life, and
climbed the ladder in society during a time when being a prostitute was a
hopeless and dreary existence. The love story within the novel is passionate
and exciting, and the reader truly is hopeful that despite the huge social gap
between them, they will somehow find a way to end up together. Her story takes
the reader through regency London and Brighton, and then on to cross the Alps,
and through Northern Italy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoyed reading this novel, but I admit that it started
out a little slowly for me. I’m glad that I kept going, because I did end up
really enjoying it. Also, the main character, known both as Milady (when she is
older) and Sary (when she was a young prostitute), was very likeable. The fact
that she is the narrator of her own story really gives the reader an inside
look at her thoughts and feelings during her life. I wouldn’t say that this is
one of the best historical fiction novels that you’ll ever read, but it’s
enjoyable, and it will keep you entertained for sure! It’s definitely worth
picking up to read!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I give Painted Lady a FOUR out of FIVE stars!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The White Cross</h2>
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Publication Date: September 24, 2014</div>
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Red Door Publishing Ltd
eBook & Paperback; 496 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24969913-the-white-cross" rel="attachment wp-att-9080" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9080 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The White Cross is a whole new reading experience; a book that brings something entirely original to historical fiction. Set in the late twelfth century at the time of King Richard I’s crusade to win back Jerusalem from the Saracens, the story deals with timeless issues – with the moralities of warfare and fundamental religion, the abuse of power, the heights of martial fervour and the depths of disillusionment The writing blazes with colour (literally in the case of the printed edition, which makes groundbreaking use of colour throughout). It pulses with life, capturing the sights and sounds, the very smells of medieval life. At the novel’s heart is the relationship between Garon and Elise – the story of an arranged marriage which rapidly develops into something deeper, to challenge a young husband’s strongly held beliefs and set him on a long and painful journey to self-realisation, to break and finally restore a woman’s spirit as she battles for recognition and for justice in a brutal man’s world. And then there is the Berge dal becce; a character who is surely more than he appears? The only way to uncover all the secrets of The White Cross is to read it!
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Chalkhill Blue</h2>
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Publication Date: April 30, 2014 </div>
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Red Door Publishing Ltd </div>
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eBook & Paperback; 352 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24756250-chalkhill-blue" rel="attachment wp-att-9080" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9080 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chalkhill Blue is an award-winning novel of the First World War, and of so much else besides. A grand romance in the English narrative tradition, it spans more than two decades, from the Edwardian heyday through the cataclysm of the ‘war to end wars’ to the uncertain new world of the 1920s. As a study of deception and self-deception, it traces the lives of two women who have dared to flout the rules of their society, and those of the men who love them; the double strands of a remarkable love story which concludes with a heart-stopping double-twist that makes it literally unforgettable. But far more than a romance, this is also a descriptive novel of tremendous scope, transporting the reader from the parched drove-trails of Queensland to the horse-drawn congestion of Edwardian London; from the snow-capped cordilleras of the Andes to a truly astonishing underground city deep in the chalk of Artois. The timeless downland landscapes of Sussex and the little blue butterfly that haunts them are horrifyingly contrasted with the man-made desolation of their notorious counterparts across the Channel at Arras and on the Somme. Based on a true story, Chalkhill Blue is compulsory reading for anyone with a taste for the authentic and the unusual.
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/richardmasefieldblogtour/02_brimstone/" rel="attachment wp-att-9455" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="02_Brimstone" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9455" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/02_Brimstone.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Brimstone</h2>
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Publication Date: May 1, 2014 </div>
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Red Door Publishing Ltd </div>
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eBook & Paperback; 288 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical/Romance/Adventure</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25251557-brimstone" rel="attachment wp-att-9080" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9080 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brimstone is a story of temptation, ambition and their consequences. The year is 1793. The Terror is at its height in France, Britain is at war with her old enemy once more, and along the coast of Sussex the smugglers’ trade in spirits and tobacco is flourishing. The novel’s two heroes are brothers bound by love, but separated by opposing characters which come to represent two the two faces of eighteenth century England – its brutality and its enlightenment. For the reckless Aaron Corbyn, there are adventures to be had and profits to be made from contrabanding. While his elder brother Rafe, a sobrely steadfast physician, runs the family estate of Chalkdean, Aaron builds an illegal empire as master smuggler across the Channel, at Fecamp in Normandy. Ellin Rimmer, daughter of a ‘fire and brimstone’ preacher, marries one brother to escape the loneliness of life in a parsonage, only to find herself hopelessly attracted to the other – and to be compelled through him to an impetuous decision that will have drastic consequences for all three. Sweeping from the open downland and flintstone villages of Sussex to the coast of revolutionary France, from Newgate prison and the subhuman conditions of a convict transport ship to the penal colony of New South Wales, Brimstone weighs the destructive aspects of sexual obsession against the healing power of generosity to bring its heroine an unexpected redemption</span>.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">About the Author</span></h2>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/richardmasefieldblogtour/03_richard-masefield/" rel="attachment wp-att-9459" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_Richard Masefield" class="alignright wp-image-9459 " src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/03_Richard-Masefield-166x300.jpg" height="200" width="110" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Richard Masefield comes from a family of writers – John Masefield was his cousin – and with a love of animals and the outdoors he decided at a young age that he would farm and write, if necessary both at once.
It took years of hard work before Richard could realise his dream, and in fact his first published novel was written while milking a herd of Friesian cows. He still lives on his farm in Sussex with his wife Lee and together they spend as much time as possible with their large family of children and grandchildren.
You can visit Richard’s website at <a href="http://www.richardmasefield.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.richardmasefield.co.uk</a>.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, July 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://backporchervations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Back Porchervations</a> (The White Cross)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 14</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a> (The Painted Lady)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, July 20</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://backporchervations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Back Porchervations</a> (The Painted Lady)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, July 26</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://backporchervations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Back Porchervations</a> (Chalk Hill Blue)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://backporchervations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Back Porchervations</a> (Brimstone)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 3</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Nerd</a> (The White Cross)<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tuesday, August 9</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Nerd</a> (The Painted Lady)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 10</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://dianasbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Diana's Book Reviews</a> (Brimstone)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Dagger Scriptorium</a> (The Painted Lady)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 13</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Dagger Scriptorium</a> (The White Cross)<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 15</strong></span>
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a> (The White Cross)<br />
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/richardmasefieldblogtour/04_richard-masefield_blog-tour-banner_final-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-10037" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="04_Richard Masefield_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10037" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/04_Richard-Masefield_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL-1.png" height="300" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thesecretlanguageofstonesblogtour/02_the-secret-language-of-stones/" rel="attachment wp-att-9137"><img alt="02_The Secret Language of Stones" class="alignleft wp-image-9137" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/02_The-Secret-Language-of-Stones.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Secret Language of Stones by M.J. Rose</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: July 19, 2016</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Atria Books</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hardcover & eBook; 320 Pages</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Series: The Daughters of La Lune, Book Two</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27274426-the-secret-language-of-stones" rel="attachment wp-att-9080" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-9080 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span><br />
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As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M.J. Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel <i>The Witch of Painted Sorrows</i>.<br />
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Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk, widows now wander alone.<br />
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So it is from La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that young, ambitious Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is a word Opaline would rather not use. The concept is too closely associated with her mother Sandrine, who practices the dark arts passed down from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’s most famous courtesans.<br />
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But Opaline does have a rare gift even she can’t deny, a form of lithomancy that allows her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair, enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to her.<br />
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So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel, where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to discover the fate of her family. Full of romance, seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, <i>The Secret Language of Stones</i> is yet another “spellbindingly haunting” (Suspense magazine), “entrancing read that will long be savored” (Library Journal, starred review).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>“<i>A spellbinding ghost story that communicates the power of love and redemption through Rose's extraordinary, magical lens</i>.” (Alyson Richman, internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife)</b></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1PThYz2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-language-of-stones-m-j-rose/1122858686" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Secret-Language-Stones/M-J-Rose/9781476778099" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781476778099" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Secret Language of Stones is another hit by author
M. J. Rose. I fell in love with the story of Sandrine and the gifts passed down
by her ancestor La Lune in The Witch of Painted Sorrows, so it was easy for me
to pick right back up with the story of Sandrine’s daughter, Opaline, in this
novel. I love that M.J. Rose’s novels have major elements of magic,
spiritualism, and the supernatural, yet I still feel like I'm reading a historical fiction novel. The existence of La Lune and her history is
woven seamlessly into this novel, and the author shows the effects that La Lune's inherited
“gifts” have on the lives of Opaline and her mother, Sandrine. I love that Ms. Rose is able to do this in a way that makes it completely believable. I usually am not a huge fan of
novels that involve the supernatural, but it works perfectly with both The
Witch of Painted Sorrows and The Secret Language of Stones. It
also helps that the historical aspects of this (and the last) novel are so
well-written. It’s obvious that it was well researched, and being that I am not
overly familiar with the background of World War I, this novel really helped me
to see the war from the viewpoint of someone who was right in the midst of it. Opaline’s
character is definitely a favorite of mine. The relationships that she has
with others, flesh and blood or other, are easy for readers to relate to. It’s
easy to connect with Opaline, and to in a way share the experiences
she is having while she learns how the secrets of her heritage fit into her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This novel takes the reader through war-torn Paris, at
the height of World War I, through Opaline’s relationships with those grieving
for their lost soldiers, and on to her interactions with Russian royalty. While dealing with all the upheaval around her and in her life, Opaline is also learning more about her heritage and how to use her gifts from La Lune. A lot is
covered in this novel, but I never felt rushed, or that the author skimped on
the story to fit everything into this novel. The transitions were smooth, and
the book is written in a way that allows the reader to become lost within its pages for long periods of time. There is romance, intrigue, mystery, the
supernatural, magick, and much, much more in The Secret Language of Stones, and
I highly recommend that anyone who is looking for a good read purchase it
immediately. This is the second novel in The Daughters of La Lune series, but
it can definitely be read as a standalone. However, the first novel in the
series, The Witch of Painted Sorrows, is amazing as well, so I would definitely
suggest reading both books!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is no way that I can give this novel anything
less than a FIVE out of FIVE stars. It honestly includes everything that makes
a book interesting and easy to read, not to mention, the cover of print edition
of the book is gorgeous! Amazing job M.J. Rose, I look forward to your next
novel!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
About the Author</span></h3>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thesecretlanguageofstonesblogtour/03_m-j-rose-author-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-9136" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="03_M.J. Rose Author" class="alignright wp-image-9136" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/03_M.J.-Rose-Author.jpg" height="186" width="215" /></a>M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed.<br />
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She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. Visit her online at <a href="http://mjrose.com/" target="_blank">MJRose.com</a>.<br />
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Connect with M.J. Rose on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMJRose" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/MJRose" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/mjroseauthor" target="_blank">Pinterest </a>and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/69003.M_J_Rose" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://eepurl.com/c61ak" target="_blank">Sign up for M.J. Rose’s newsletter</a> and get information about new releases, free book downloads, contests, excerpts and more.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
Blog Tour Schedule</span></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Tuesday, July 12</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://carrieslager.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Mad Reviewer</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/" target="_blank">Peeking Between the Pages</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Wednesday, July 13</b></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Thursday, July 14</b></span><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://theteddyrosebookreviewsplusmore.com/" target="_blank">Teddy Rose Book Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Friday, July 15</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Dream within a Dream</a><br />
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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, July 18</span></b><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tuesday, July 19</span></b><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.firstimpressionsreviews.com/" target="_blank">First Impressions Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Wednesday, July 20</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://dogsmomvisits.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Laura's Interests</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Thursday, July 21</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.read-love-blog.com/" target="_blank">Read Love Blog</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Friday, July 22</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://novelersblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Nerd in New York</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://www.iheartreading.net/" target="_blank">I Heart Reading</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Monday, July 25</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Tuesday, July 26</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Wednesday, July 27</b></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.firstimpressionsreviews.com/" target="_blank">First Impressions Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Thursday, July 28</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.creatingherstory.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Creating Herstory</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Friday, July 29</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Beth's Book Nook Blog</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Monday, August 1</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Tuesday, August 2</b></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Wednesday, August 3</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://dianasbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Diana's Book Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Thursday, August 4</b></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://dianasbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Diana's Book Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Friday, August 5</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
Spotlight at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Monday, August 8</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Tuesday, August 9</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.worthgettinginbedfor.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Worth Getting in Bed For</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Wednesday, August 10</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Thursday, August 11</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Girls Just Reading</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Friday, August 12</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://dianneascroft.com/blog/" target="_blank">Dianne Ascroft's Blog</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Monday, August 15</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://fangirlsahead.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Fangirls Ahead!</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Tuesday, August 16</b></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The True Book Addict</a><br />
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thesecretlanguageofstonesblogtour/" rel="attachment wp-att-9828" target="_blank"><img alt="04_TSLOS_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter wp-image-9828 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/04_TSLOS_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="266" width="640" /></a></div>
Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-16609061746759221232016-07-19T21:47:00.000-04:002016-07-19T21:52:23.366-04:00REVIEW & GUEST POST: Book Blast with GIVEAWAY - Snow in July by Kim Iverson Headlee<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Snow in July - Tour Banner" class=" size-full wp-image-18088 aligncenter" height="221" src="https://tonyaloveslife.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/snow-in-july-tour-banner.jpg" width="400" />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">BOOK INFORMATION</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>TITLE</strong> </span>– Snow in July
<strong><span style="color: #99cc00;">AUTHOR</span> </strong>– Kim Iverson Headlee
<strong><span style="color: #99cc00;">GENRE</span> </strong>– Paranormal Historical Romance
<span style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>PUBLICATION DATE</strong></span> – July 2014
<span style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>LENTH</strong> </span>(Pages/# Words) – 386 pages/94K words
<span style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>PUBLISHER</strong> </span>– Pendragon Cove Press
<span style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>COVER DESIGNER</strong></span> – Natasha Brown</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #003366;"><img alt="Snow in July - Book Cover" class=" wp-image-10334 alignleft" height="400" src="https://tonyaloveslife.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/snow-in-july-book-cover.jpg?w=680" width="266" /></span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">BOOK SYNOPSIS</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sir Robert Alain de Bellencombre has been granted what every man wants: a rich English estate in exchange for his valiant service at the Battle of Hastings. To claim this reward, the Norman knight must wed the estate's Saxon heiress. Most men would leap at such an opportunity, but for Alain, who broke his vow to his dying mother by failing to protect his youngest brother in battle, it means facing more easily broken vows. But when rumors of rampant thievery, dangerous beasts, and sorcery plaguing a neighboring estate reach his ears, nothing will make him shirk duty to king and country when people's lives stand at risk. He assumes the guise of a squire to scout the land, its problems, and its lady. Lady Kendra of Edgarburh has been granted what no woman wants: a forced marriage to an enemy who may be kith or kin to the man who murdered her beloved brother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Compounding her anguish is her failure to awaken the miraculous healing gift bequeathed by their late mother in time to save his life. Although with his dying breath, he made her promise to seek happiness above all, Kendra vows that she shall find neither comfort nor love in the arms of a Norman… unless it snows in July.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alain is smitten by Lady Kendra from the first moment of their meeting; Kendra feels the forbidden allure of the handsome and courtly Norman "squire." But a growing evil overshadows everyone, invoking dark forces and ensnaring Kendra in a plot to overthrow the king Alain is oath-bound to serve. Kendra and Alain face a battle unlike any other as their honor, their love, their lives, and even their very souls lie in the balance.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Review</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Snow in July by Kim Iverson Headlee was truly a
wonderful historical romance to read. I love that the author endeavored to keep
true to history by setting this novel during the aftermath of the Battle of
Hastings, yet also add a mixture of magic and intrigue to entertain readers!
This novel is the perfect addition to a summer reading list, especially for
fans of cleaner historical romances that are not “bodice rippers”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Alain and Kendra have an instant connection, but also
seem to have insurmountable obstacles which they need to cross before they can
finally be together and be happy. Alain is not honest with Kendra at the
beginning, in fact, Kendra has no idea that Alain is her soon to be betrothed,
as he is posing as a squire to check out the strange things that have been
happening around his future English estate. Kendra is completely against
marrying a Norman, as they invaded her country, and because of this her
brother, whom she deeply loved and adored, was killed in battle. It takes a little
bit for things between them to finally come together, and the main thing
holding them back from seizing happiness were vows that made to loved ones which
they were unable to fulfill. Alain and Kendra’s characters are written extremely
well, and are very easy for readers to relate to. You can definitely feel their
anguish and despair at losing a loved one, and feeling as though they are
somewhat responsible for their death. It’s also easy to lose yourself in their
romance as it grows. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a supernatural aspect to this novel, but it
is not the main focus, so don’t let that turn you away. If anything, the
supernatural element adds some additional interest to what would otherwise be
just another well-written historical romance novel. I whole-heartedly recommend
this novel for a great summer read that you can get completely lost in this
summer. It definitely gets a FIVE out of FIVE stars from me!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>_________________________________________________________________</b></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">BOOK TRAILER</span></strong></h2>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vFsaD1jCLLU?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">BUY & TBR LINKS</span></strong></h2>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://getbook.at/Snow_in_July_by_KIH_Kindle" target="_blank">AMAZON KINDLE WORLDWIDE</a> – <a href="http://mybook.to/Snow_in_July_by_KIH_paperback" target="_blank">AMAZON PAPERBACK WORLDWIDE</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-in-july-kim-headlee/1119853202?ean=2940149693818&itm=1&usri=2940149693818" target="_blank">BARNES & NOBLE NOOK</a> – <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-in-july-kim-headlee/1119853202?ean=9780990505501" target="_blank">BARNES & NOBLE PAPERBACK</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/450831" target="_blank">SMASHWORDS</a> – <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id892162990" target="_blank">ITUNES E-BOOK</a> – <a href="http://www.inktera.com/store/title/409a35ab-894f-4513-9a36-482ed0d1b3f0" target="_blank">INKTERA</a> – <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/snow-in-july" target="_blank">KOBO</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/book/230794289/Snow-in-July" target="_blank">SCRIBD</a> – <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22398941-snow-in-july" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a> – <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/37731943/Snow-in-July" target="_blank">SHELFARI</a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #003366;"><br /></span></strong></h3>
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<strong><span style="color: #cccccc;">Please Note There Is a Book Special Set for July 25th
The Book Will Be On Sale for Just $0.99</span></strong></h3>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="550" src="https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B00L6K50V2&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_Omd4wb0K7BQ5Q&tag=systemsupportser" style="max-width: 98%;" width="336"></iframe></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">EXCERPT</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>(Hero's first impression of heroine)</strong></span></div>
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A young woman was standing on the staircase’s top landing as Alain approached. No, he amended, feeling his eyes widen and his blood heat, a goddess. The suggestive clinging of her grayish-blue gown made him forget his blasphemous lapse. </div>
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He shifted from foot to foot to mask his reaction. Her ashblonde curls, creamy complexion, and alluring curves conquered his fear of failure. As his heart thrummed its praises of her beauty, he vowed to protect this lady unto the ends of the earth. </div>
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But he tempered his lauds with a petition for wisdom, for he needed to ascertain her heart. Experience had taught him the folly of loving a beautiful but title-hungry woman like Marie. </div>
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Yet sorrow enveloped this lady like a shroud. The slope of her delicately boned shoulders, the tilt of her petite chin, the hooded reserve of her slate-blue eyes, the slight pout of her full lips all sang the same dirge. </div>
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Blessed Virgin, could I be the cause of her misery? Please, let it not be so! </div>
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He wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms and kiss those lips until their song transformed from sorrow to joy. </div>
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Their gazes met. Her look, a cross between appreciation and reprimand, made him remember his “station,” and he looked down.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">GUEST POST</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><b><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4 Fun Facts about <i>Snow in July</i>...<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
medieval-inspired interior art used as character glyphs for chapter and
scene headings was created by Kim Headlee’s daughter Jessica.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
route that the hero Alain walks between St. Mary’s Church and the tavern
in Chapter 2 was adapted straight off a map of medieval Winchester,
England.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Alain
wanted to name his canine ally “Seigneur Noir” (“Black Lord”), but Noir
decided that was too much of a mouthful.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
story adapts the legend that the wounded King Harold survived the Battle
of Hastings and lived out the remainder of his days as a monk, and <i>Snow
in July</i> also references the legendary manner in which Joseph of
Arimathea (a merchant and contemporary of Jesus) established the first
Christian church in Britain, as well as the legends of King Arthur,
Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Round Table.</span></li>
</ul>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">AUTHOR BIO</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://tonyaloveslife.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/author-photo-kim-headlee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Author Photo - Kim Headlee" border="0" class=" wp-image-18124 alignright" height="200" src="https://tonyaloveslife.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/author-photo-kim-headlee.jpg" width="134" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet. She has been an award-winning novelist since 1999 (Dawnflight, first edition, Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster) and has been studying the Arthurian Legends for nigh on half a century.</span><br />
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<img alt="Snow in July - Book Spine" class=" size-full wp-image-10335 aligncenter" height="65" src="https://tonyaloveslife.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/snow-in-july-book-spine.jpg" width="615" /></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<a href="http://author.to/Kim_Headlee_Amazon_page" target="_blank">AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE</a> (Worldwide link) – <a href="http://www.kimheadlee.com/" target="_blank">WEBSITE</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://kimiversonheadlee.blogspot.com/">BLOG</a> – <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KimIversonHeadlee" target="_blank">FACEBOOK</a> – <a href="https://twitter.com/KimHeadlee" target="_blank">TWITTER</a> – <a href="https://plus.google.com/+KimHeadlee" target="_blank">GOOGLE+</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kimheadlee/" target="_blank">PINTEREST</a> – <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/845537.Kim_Headlee" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a> – <a href="http://eepurl.com/boiQ0z" target="_blank">NEWSLETTER</a></div>
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<a href="http://triberr.com/KimHeadlee" target="_blank">TRIBERR PROFILE</a> – <a href="http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=61110" target="_blank">ARTHURVERSE TRIBERR TRIBE</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/gyanhumara" target="_blank">YOUTUBE CHANNEL</a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LATEST AUTHOR INTERVIEW (2015)</span></strong></h2>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UcjvCJ-TjN8?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">GIVEAWAY PRIZES</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #99cc00;">1 autographed copy of SNOW IN JULY (US Only)</span>
<span style="color: #99cc00;"> 5 copies of SNOW IN JULY e-book (International)</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #99cc00;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="9944253c246" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9944253c246/" id="rcwidget_2jw85csh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here To Enter Kim Headlee's Awesome Giveaway</a></h3>
Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-50293191921956752002016-05-14T22:28:00.001-04:002016-05-14T22:28:47.016-04:00REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Blog Tour - The Rivals of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles #2 in Trilogy) by Sallie Christie<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/therivalsofversaillesblogtour/02_the-rivals-of-versaille/" rel="attachment wp-att-8835"><img alt="02_The Rivals of Versaille" class="alignleft wp-image-8835" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/02_The-Rivals-of-Versaille.jpg" height="466" width="300" /></a></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Rivals of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy #2)
by Sally Christie</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: April 5, 2016 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Atria Books
eBook & Paperback</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
448 Pages </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Fiction</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25855582-the-rivals-of-versailles" rel="attachment wp-att-8364" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-8364 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And you thought sisters were a thing to fear! In this compelling follow-up to Sally Christie’s clever and absorbing debut, we meet none other than the Marquise de Pompadour, one of the greatest beauties of her generation and the first bourgeois mistress ever to grace the hallowed halls of Versailles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The year is 1745 and Louis XV’s bed is once again empty. Enter Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, a beautiful girl from the middle classes. As a child, a fortune teller had mapped out Jeanne’s destiny: she would become the lover of a king and the most powerful woman in the land. Eventually connections, luck, and a little scheming pave her way to Versailles and into the King’s arms.
All too soon, conniving politicians and hopeful beauties seek to replace the bourgeoise interloper with a more suitable mistress. As Jeanne, now the Marquise de Pompadour, takes on her many rivals—including a lustful lady-in-waiting, a precocious 14-year-old prostitute, and even a cousin of the notorious Nesle sisters—she helps the king give himself over to a life of luxury and depravity. Around them, war rages, discontent grows, and France inches ever closer to the Revolution.
Enigmatic beauty, social climber, actress, trendsetter, patron of the arts, spendthrift, whoremonger, friend, lover, foe: history books say many things about the famous Marquise de Pompadour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alongside Catherine the Great of Russia and Maria Theresa of Austria, she is considered one of the three most powerful women of the 18th century, and one of the most influential royal mistresses of all time.
In <em><strong>The Rivals of Versailles</strong></em>, Christie gets to the heart of Pompadour’s legendary relationship with Louis XV, France’s most “well-beloved” king. Pompadour was not only his mistress, but his confidante and influential political adviser for close to twenty years. Full of historical insight, decadence, wit and scandal, <em><strong>The Rivals of Versailles</strong></em> is about one woman’s trials and triumphs, her love for a king, and her role in shaping a nation.
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1SFnZNO">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rivals-of-versailles-sally-christie/1122340755;jsessionid=31A5A6B9DF77ADB5A6E8F35081FB2355.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=9781501102998&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Rivals-of-Versailles-Sally-Christie/9781501102998?ref=grid-view">Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501102998">IndieBound</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-rivals-of-versailles">Kobo</a></h3>
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The Mistresses of Versailles Series</h2>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"The
Rivals of Versailles” by Sally Christie is just as amazing as the first book in
the series, “The Sisters of Versailles.” I was pleasantly surprised at how
seamlessly it picked up with the intrigue, action, and passion from the first
book! Mr. Christie is truly a talented historical fiction author.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> This
novel comes on the heels of the last Nesle sister to grace King Louis XV’s bed
as a mistress. The first book in the series is about the king’s affinity for
sisters, while “The Rivals of Versailles” starts up near the beginning of
Jeanne Poisson’s (better known as Madame Pompadour) reign as the Royal
Mistress. While I adored “The Sisters of Versailles”, I felt that I was better
able to connect with Madam Pompadour. I think this might have been because
there she was the only main character to really keep track of, rather than the
four Nesle sisters. Plus, I felt like I learned a lot more about the time
period in general, because Madame Pompadour was very involved in the king’s
decisions for France. Ms. Christie really brought her to life through this
novel. She is described as such a strong and engaging person. She had to deal
with a lot of negativity as the first bourgeois mistress of King Louis XV, but
eventually she hardened herself to the condescending attitudes of those around
her, and she made a place for herself in history. The kind certainly did not
make her life easy, and over the course of his relationship with her, he was
not exactly faithful! Madame Pompadour was able to retain her position in
Louis’ life for almost 20 years due to the fact that she was able to survive
the intrigue of Versailles, and keep Louis dependent on her friendship and
advice. She also showed her rivals that she was an enemy they did not want, and
when she went up against those who tried to usurp her position in Louis’ heart,
she won. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> It is
obvious that Sally Christie admired Madame Pompadour, and once you finish the
book, you are a true fan of hers as well. History doesn’t always paint her in
the kindest light, because of her influence on the king, so it’s great to see
her through a different lens. This series is absolutely fantastic, and I am so
excited about the next and final novel in the series, “The Enemies of
Versailles”!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Without a doubt this is a FIVE out of FIVE!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thesistersofversaillesblogtour/04_sally-christie_author/" rel="attachment wp-att-7611" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="04_Sally Christie_Author" class="alignright wp-image-7611" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/04_Sally-Christie_Author.jpg" height="237" width="158" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm a life-long history buff - and I mean life-long. One of the first adult books I read was Antonia Fraser's masterful Mary, Queen of Scots. Wow! That book just blew my little ten year old mind: something about the way it brought the past right back to life, made it live again on the page. I date my obsession with history to that time, but I'd been writing ("writing") ever since I was able to hold a pencil.
If you'd told my 12-year old self that I'd not be a writer when I grew up, I would have laughed you out of the tree house. With a few detours along the way, to work overseas in consulting and development, as well as to go to business school, I've finally come full circle to where I think I should be.
I currently live in Toronto and when I'm not writing, I'm playing lots of tennis; doing random historical research (old census records are my favorite); playing Scrabble, and squirrel-watching (the room where I write has French doors leading out to a deck; I avidly follow, and feed, a scruffy gang). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> For more information please visit Sally Christie's <a href="http://www.sallychristieauthor.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13854110.Sally_Christie" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/sallychristie52/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, May 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookdrunkard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Book Drunkard</a><br />
Spotlight & Giveaway at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://carolinewilsonwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Caroline Wilson Writes</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 3</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Maiden's Court</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 4</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" target="_blank">To Read or Not to Read</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://quirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">With Her Nose Stuck In A Book</a><br />
Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway at <a href="http://historyundressed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">History Undressed</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bookish</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 6</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" target="_blank">History From a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://leeanna.me/" target="_blank">leeanna.me</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 10</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 13</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.redheadwithbook.com/" target="_blank">#redhead.with.book</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, May 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Svetlana's Reads and Views</a><br />
Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
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– Only one entry per household.<br />
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any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor,
and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/therivalsofversaillesblogtour/" rel="attachment wp-att-9434" target="_blank"><img alt="04_The Rivals of Versailles_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter wp-image-9434 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/04_The-Rivals-of-Versailles_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="257" width="640" /></a>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-74120269411142028382016-04-17T02:01:00.000-04:002016-04-17T02:01:11.458-04:00BOOK REVIEW: The Battle of Agincourt Edited by Anne Curry and Malcolm Mercer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-3SrRM1FzywMx3tiJVvKy61GCjHERAUtzyQZLIMisGo3f5_PZzCyJWvqpYHu3QaDRadLy24FymLZwGIswVm_Pa61vi3XkCr-Yv4SN_SLT-xIQeFk3KpH3PtLE0PnxjFMyPxdlpobAwQ/s1600/516mL662ajL._SX411_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-3SrRM1FzywMx3tiJVvKy61GCjHERAUtzyQZLIMisGo3f5_PZzCyJWvqpYHu3QaDRadLy24FymLZwGIswVm_Pa61vi3XkCr-Yv4SN_SLT-xIQeFk3KpH3PtLE0PnxjFMyPxdlpobAwQ/s400/516mL662ajL._SX411_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">344 Pages</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yale University Press</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">November 17, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hardcover</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeRnTxXJg42-r3eHbQDV-YcaKR7T-bnkQ5I-hN8PdOWLxn26py5hb1uovfkJE7_9F2dqcOb2sRWtknWzKVcWhV6B8NIgSY29AixERZFjR1J3lnQ83lrLKYKfT4pQvlcinwCysevGdwjI/s1600/henry+v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeRnTxXJg42-r3eHbQDV-YcaKR7T-bnkQ5I-hN8PdOWLxn26py5hb1uovfkJE7_9F2dqcOb2sRWtknWzKVcWhV6B8NIgSY29AixERZFjR1J3lnQ83lrLKYKfT4pQvlcinwCysevGdwjI/s1600/henry+v.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br />Published in partnership with the Royal Armouries, this
comprehensive, sumptuously illustrated volume provides a defining reassessment
of England’s legendary victory on the fields of Agincourt on October 25, 1415.
Dramatized by William Shakespeare in Henry V, the Battle of Agincourt
changed the course of the Hundred Years War and Britain’s relationship with her
longtime enemy, France. In a remarkable work commemorating the 600th
anniversary of arguably the most iconic military engagement of the medieval
era, a wide range of experts examine the battle in its political, cultural, and
geographical contexts, detailing strategies, tactics, armor, weapons, and
fighting techniques while exploring the battlefield experiences of commanders
and ordinary soldiers alike. In addition, this all-encompassing study offers
deep analyses of many artifacts and aspects of the battle and its aftermath
that have rarely been covered in other histories, including medicine and
hygiene, the roles of faith and chivalry, the music of the times, and the
experiences of women.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was absolutely amazed when I received "The Battle of
Agincourt." It is an absolutely beautiful, hardcover book that is filled with
full color, crystal clear images related to Agincourt. The pictures are of
different artifacts from the time period, paintings of those involved, photos
of armor and weapons, and more. And, it's not 10 pages of color pictures stuck
in the middle of the book, like many nonfiction novels. No, this book has these
amazing pictures throughout! On basically every page there is a picture, as
well as a description along with it. I spent quite a bit of time flipping
through it in order to see the beautiful pictures before I even began reading
it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVnS2NWOQnt_wxRJksFw3Tl9X9s7wgVh5A4LqtiKktBUgzv200kN1aYVarZRuNQqCdYBiKUwp0psFRhZzlcLvGvQkwgLWJheZ5T7iIuIVrjip5P1jfwBL60vGx3mJBoUEzHUSlb7aN9A/s1600/304503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVnS2NWOQnt_wxRJksFw3Tl9X9s7wgVh5A4LqtiKktBUgzv200kN1aYVarZRuNQqCdYBiKUwp0psFRhZzlcLvGvQkwgLWJheZ5T7iIuIVrjip5P1jfwBL60vGx3mJBoUEzHUSlb7aN9A/s200/304503.jpg" width="158" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, when I started to read it, I was just as impressed
and as engrossed with what I was reading as I had been with the pictures. It is
a nonfiction book, but information is not presented in a boring or text book
like fashion. The facts are presented in a linear fashion, and you do not need
to be a historian in order to easily follow along, and learn more about this
battle and time period than you would have ever thought possible. I cannot even
fathom the amount of research that had to have gone into this amazing book. It
is the type of book that I will keep on a table in my living room, as a 'coffee
table book', so that I can share the amazing photos with friends and family.
Even those who are not huge <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">history buffs can appreciate how nicely put
together it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is impossible to give this book less than five out of
five stars. It has everything that a nonfiction book should have. If more
nonfiction books were like this one, than I would spent less time lost in my
historical fiction books, and more time learning about fascinating times and
places in history. Reading "The Battle of Agincourt" has stirred my interest in
this period in history, and I will most definitely be on the lookout for more books
from this time!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“An exceptional study to mark the 600th anniversary of the
victory of an invading English army over its French foes in the Battle of
Agincourt . . . [A] comprehensive, one-volume survey of the battle and its
significance.”—<i><b>Choice</b></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'A thought-provoking collection of studies by outstanding
specialists of one of the most remarkable military campaigns of England's
medieval history.'—<i><b>Jonathan Sumption, author of The Hundred Years War</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'A completely absorbing account of the how and why of
Agincourt – strongest, and indeed unrivalled, in all aspects of the battle's
historical context – and the political and social conditions surrounding
it.'—<i><b>Robert Hardy, author of Longbow: A Social and Military History</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Agincourt is a battle of totemic importance. This book
is not only a worthy contribution to a significant anniversary in its own
right, but also an essential addition to scholarship on medieval military
history."—<i><b>Jeremy Black</b></i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>About the Authors</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Anne Curry is Professor of History and Dean of the Faculty
of Humanities at the University of Southampton. Malcolm Mercer is Curator of
Tower History at the Royal Armouries Museum. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Agincourt-Anne-Curry/dp/0300214308/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1460870750&sr=8-1">AMAZON</a></b></span></div>
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-550080052610270052016-03-20T12:56:00.000-04:002016-03-20T12:56:56.478-04:00BOOK REVIEW: The Queen's Choice by Anne O'Brien<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Publisher:</b> Harlequin MIRA (January 1, 2016)</div>
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<b>Pages:</b> 549</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Daughter of a murderer.</i></b></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><br />Duchess of Brittany.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><br />The future Queen of England.</i></b></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joanna of Navarre knows her place in society. And defies it.
Forthright, unemotional and politically minded, she is more than a match for
the men in the court of Brittany. And when she inherits control of her lands
after her husband's death, it's a testament to her intellect and loyal duty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then comes an unexpected proposal — marriage to Henry IV,
King of England. The price? Abandoning her homeland, leaving her children, and
sacrificing her independence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Henry's hold on the crown is unsteady and war is brewing.
Crossing the channel is a dangerous prospect. If Joanna's pride will allow it,
this could be a chance to unite two nations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But pride comes before a fall, and there are many who
conspire to watch Joanna tumble from the English throne...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.anneobrien.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Queens-Choice-extract.pdf">Click here to read an excerpt</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I honestly do not even know where to start with my
review of “The Queen’s Choice. Anne O’Brien once again displays her artistry
when it comes to bringing history to life. I was truly lost in medieval England
every minute I spent reading it! This novel brings to light the fascinating
life of Joanna of Navarre, who became Queen of England when she married King Henry
IV. Although I have read hundreds of historical fiction novels set in medieval England,
I knew next to nothing about her life prior to reading this novel, and only a
little more about her husband, King Henry IV. I definitely had never imagined
that there was a passionate love between them, or had any idea of the impact
she had as Queen of England. Joanna’s strength is shown over and over
throughout this novel as she sets out to prove to her husband, the King, as
well as to the people of England, that she is more than just a foreign bride.
She is a diplomat, a ruler, as well as an intelligent and strong woman. She is
determined to sit beside him as his queen, and as his equal. She left
everything she knew, and children she loved, in order to become his queen, and
to experience true love. This novel is so incredibly well written and detailed,
that I challenge any fan of historical fiction not to fall in love with this
book, and with Joanna.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT90QioUJYUfJVIqleydtp2Y4Hq_dRiRJsuSaTjH8uWqIb7m7FdKuOn82b5pz_JLIoaGXvMtXjQ6yxur350JeNzfaMjsloct3sbLuEz8s_0QUMFMfSQU4Qqcrk4AUsEqcHMu6QBAWvbBc/s1600/Henry+and+Joanna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT90QioUJYUfJVIqleydtp2Y4Hq_dRiRJsuSaTjH8uWqIb7m7FdKuOn82b5pz_JLIoaGXvMtXjQ6yxur350JeNzfaMjsloct3sbLuEz8s_0QUMFMfSQU4Qqcrk4AUsEqcHMu6QBAWvbBc/s400/Henry+and+Joanna.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The Queen’s Choice” has absolutely cemented my belief
that Anne O’Brien is the best historical fiction author past of present. I have
read all of Philippa Gregory’s novels, most of Elizabeth Chadwick’s, many of
Sharon Kay Penman and Alison Weir’s novels, as well as hundreds of other
historical fiction novels, and Ms. O’Brien’s novels honestly surpass them all,
in my opinion. She has the ability to bring these somewhat obscure, royal women,
as well as their passionate romances to life for the reader. As you read, you
really feel as though you get to know the characters, and you’re left thinking
about them when the book comes to an end. The fact that most of the women she
writes about are not widely known or written about is what draws me to her
novels the most. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good novel about Anne Boleyn,
Eleanor of Aquitaine, or Lucrezia Borgia, but it can get repetitive reading
about the same famous and dramatic women from history by different authors. The
royal women Anne O’Brien chooses to bring to life are women like Elizabeth of
Lancaster, Katherine de Valois, Philippa of Hainault, and more. These women
were all important to the history of England, and they all have fascinating
stories of strength and intelligence, and they all had incredible tales of love.
However, they do not have the dramatic stories of incest and adultery like Anne
Boleyn and Lucrezia Borgia, or tales riding horses half naked during the Crusades
and waging war on their husband like Eleanor of Aquitaine! However, with Anne O’Brien’s
gift of writing, she creates novels that are able to illustrate just how
amazing and interesting these women from history truly were. I go into the
majority of her novels honestly not knowing how it will end, because most of
the women she writes about are only secondary characters in other novels I have
read. It’s refreshing to learn more about these women, and through her impeccable
research, to get an idea of who they were, what their trials were in life, and
how they impacted history in their own way. I cannot say enough great things
about Anne O’Brien as a writer, and I await her next novel with great
anticipation!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyways) that “The Queen’s
Choice” is a clear FIVE out of FIVE stars. It’s one of those books where you
wish it was possible to rate it seven or eight stars!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in
this enjoyable, gripping tale.</i> <b>--The Times</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Anne O’Brien, the much-loved historical novelist who
breathes new life into forgotten medieval women, is back to enchant and enthral
us with a torrid tale of love, sacrifice and rebellion at the volatile court of
King Henry IV…Packed with drama, danger, romance and history, The
Queen’s Choice is the perfect reading choice for the long winter
nights."</i> <b>--Pam Norfolk, PA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>‘Joanna of Navarre is the feisty heroine in Anne O’Brien’s
fast-paced historical novel The Queen’s Choice.</i>’ <b>--Good Housekeeping</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political
intrigue.’</i> <b>--Woman & Home</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"...packed with powerful emotions and tumultuous
unfolding of an affair that changed the course of royal history, this is a
novel in which to enjoy the past in all it rich colour and dramatic
detail..."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>'There are historical novels and then there are the works of
Anne O'Brien - and this is another hit.'<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Anne was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining
a B.A. Honours degree in History at Manchester University, a PGCE at Leeds
University and a Masters degree in education at Hull University, she lived in
the East Riding as a teacher of history. Always a prolific reader, she enjoyed
historical fiction and was encouraged to try her hand at writing. Success in
short story competitions spurred her on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Leaving teaching – but not her love of history – she wrote
her first historical romance, a Regency, which was published in 2005. To date
nine historical romances and a novella, ranging from medieval, through the
Civil War and Restoration and back to Regency, have been published
internationally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Anne now lives with her husband in an eighteenth century
timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire, a
wild, beautiful place on the borders between England and Wales, renowned for
its black and white timbered houses, ruined castles and priories and
magnificent churches. Steeped in history, famous people and bloody deeds as
well as ghosts and folk lore, it has given her inspiration for her writing.
Since living there she has become hooked on medieval history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-39871890089626489002016-02-24T23:36:00.000-05:002016-02-24T23:36:01.450-05:00SPOTLIGHT: Searching for Vivian by Babette Hughes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Publisher: Lamplight Press (February 25, 2016)</div>
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137 Pages</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1966, seventeen year old Vivian Russell disappeared like smoke. The seemingly senseless murder of her parents in their home in Cleveland, Ohio was as unexplainable as her vanishing act in its aftermath. Her younger sister, Emma-traumatized by the horrific event- grows into a capable and relentless investigator who decides to do whatever it takes to find her. Her search takes her through the turbulent sixties- Viet Nam, The Black Panthers, dead ends, and bank jobs. Along the way, she finds herself and, whether she is prepared for it or not, the truth. </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Born in
Cleveland Ohio, Babette Hughes grew up in the time of Prohibition and
bootleggers. Her father was one of the first bootleggers in the country, and
was murdered by the Mafia in a turf war at the age of 29. Babette was just two
at the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing
has allowed her to draw from her unusual life experiences to create her
characters and tell their stories (and sometimes cautionary tales) in vivid
detail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now 93,
she writes every day with fluidity and grace.
“The truth is liberating, but sometimes elusive.” She explains. “I’m
always looking for it and how to best write about it, and I probably always
will.”</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.babettehughesbooks.com/"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.babettehughesbooks.com/">Author's Website</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/babette-hughes/">Huffington Post</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Searching-Vivian-Babette-Hughes/dp/1939828562/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1455314375&sr=8-3&keywords=babette+hughes">Purchase Book at Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">SEARCHING
FOR VIVIAN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">By<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Babette
Hughes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Chapter
1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">1966<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> </span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 12pt;">The Cleveland Press called the murders senseless
because the Russells had no known enemies</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;">and
lord knows there wasn</span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;">’t</span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;">
much to steal; all they had was a pickup, an old black and white TV with one
snowy channel and little else. A detective was quoted in the article
speculating that perhaps the killers had gone to the wrong house in some kind
of a tragic mistake. But the baffling part was that the murdered couples</span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;">’</span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;"> oldest daughter,
Vivian, 17, home from school with a cold that day, had vanished like smoke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> But events like that, tragic and
bizarre as they are, are soon forgotten, except perhaps when someone passes the
house and wonders whatever happened to Vivian Russell. Sometimes someone hints
knowingly that the Russells were drug dealers, or fences, or Russian spies.
(The more years that transpired the more exotic the theories.) But for the most
part people went on about their lives and, of course, as the years passed there
were those too young or too new in town to have even heard of the murders or of
Vivian</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
disappearance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> Even her sister, ten-year-old Emma, seemed to
leave it behind. Even from the beginning. Even from the first day when she came
home from school on a sunny Tuesday afternoon and found neighbors staring
behind yellow police tape. Her parents</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">
bloody bodies were being carried on gurneys into an ambulance. Her big sister was
gone. Struggling with her own grief, her Aunt Eleanor couldn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> understand the
child</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
stoicism and as the weeks and months passed she worried about her more and
more. It isn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">
natural, she complained to her husband--it isn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> normal for a ten year old not to cry
and carry on, not to grieve. The child acted as if she were just visiting her
aunt and uncle as she sometimes did when her parents were alive; as if she hadn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> just lost her
mother and father; as if her own sister hadn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> vanished into thin air. Although Thad
Fisher was as shocked as anyone else over his in-laws</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> murders, the
truth is that he never really liked them and was secretly rather pleased to
have them out of his life. They were damn hippies as far as he was concerned
and it infuriated him the way Ellie ran over there all the time when they were
alive. He had no objection to taking Emma in</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">—</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> where could the kid go? She was a
quiet, well-behaved ten-year-old, a bit dull for his taste, but a small eater
and so quiet you forgot she was around</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">—</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">actually
an easy kid for a childless couple past middle age to raise. And she was
someone Ellie could chatter to and leave him in peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> Still, it annoyed him the way the
child refused to let Ellie out of her sight, following her from room to room,
even coming into their bedroom at night in her white nightgown like an
undersized ghost. After he locked their bedroom door she wailed and beat on it
until she fell asleep on the floor and Thad carried her into her own bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> Ellie had eagerly welcomed Emma</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s arrival. Like
many childless women she envied her friends who had children; she even envied
the problems and commotion and mess they complained about. She thought of her
sister</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
murder and Emma</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
sudden arrival as a kind of terrible deal from God; she lost her sister but
received the child she had prayed for. Quiet and small, transparent almost,
Emma seemed to take up less room than the beautiful big doll Ellie had bought
her the day after she arrived, which Emma ignored. So she offered her a puppy
and then a kitten, but the child merely shook her head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> She tried to get her to talk about
what happened. She tried to get her to ask questions about that terrible day.
She wished the girl would grieve so she could comfort her. Or just cry.
Something. Anything. But it was as if her family had been mysteriously wiped
from Emma</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
mind like an eraser on chalkboard leaving the same cloudy, formless residue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> Ellie took Emma to a psychiatrist
who specialized in treating traumatized children; a Doctor Isabelle Dryer. She
drove her to her office on Fairmount Boulevard twice a week until Dr. Dryer
told her that although Emma came dutifully, she simply would not talk about the
loss of her family and that after almost six months any further sessions would
be a waste of Mrs. Fisher</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
money and her time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> Her aunt went to PTA meetings and teacher
conferences and Home Room Nights like a mom and bragged to Thad about Emma</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s A</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s. (Who didn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> seem very
impressed at this information; his disapproval of Emma</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s parents hung in
the air like fog.) Emma always hurried home after school to be with her Aunt
Ellie. She liked her quick hugs and jokes; she liked seeing her in the shining,
good-smelling kitchen in her high heals and sheer hose that she wore even
around the house, even to the super market. (Ellie had beautiful legs the way
some heavy-set women do.) She liked the way she sat down with her at the round
yellow kitchen table while they talked and ate her freshly baked chocolate chip
cookies. Evenings, as Ellie prepared dinner, Emma followed her around the
kitchen, putting lids back on jars, returning milk to the refrigerator, wiping
the counter, sweeping the floor as the Mixmaster whirled, driving Ellie crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> She put up with Emma</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s constant
presence wondering if the child associated disorder with the blood and violence
of her parents’ deaths. The child lived in a state of discipline and order,
doing her homework, volunteering to clean blackboards and empty trash at
school, cleaning her room, pressing her blouses. Where there were no rules, she
made them up as if she had to be this perfect child or she would get lost in
the world like Vivian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> Her room was always in perfect
order, clothes hung according to type, (school, gym class, dressy for dinners
out with her aunt and uncle) color and season; the hangers all uniformly
plastic, her shoes lined up by season and color (and later heal height although
they didn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">
exceeded an inch and a half). She catalogued her aunt</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s recipes by
soups, appetizers, entrees and desserts, and then alphabetized them within each
category. She began to arrange them again by calorie and cholesterol count
until her aunt stopped her. She organized and indexed the Fishers</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> record collection
according to type (classical, jazz, show tunes, operas, soloists.) She arranged
books on their shelves not only by fiction, non-fiction and authors, but also
by genre</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s:
mystery, horror, biography, (separated from autobiography) science fiction,
politics, literary classics. She even created a section of books made into
films. Her aunt and uncle shook their heads at each other and refused to let
her into their closets or Thad</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">s
den.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Emma
did her best to act like a normal kid so everyone would leave her alone; still
she refused to sign up for extra-curricular activities at school, her fantasy
life more interesting than any chess club or work on the school paper. In a
favorite daydream Uncle Thad died of a mysterious illness leaving her Aunt
Ellie all to herself. When the telephone rang she imagined it was Vivian
calling to say she was back from a trip to San Francisco or New York. Sometimes
it was England. She pretended that her parents were divorced and that one of
them would come back for her, or that they sailed to England on the<i> Queen Mary</i> like Patricia in her Social
Studies class who stood up and bragged about her parents</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"> trip. Sometimes
she pretended that her parents were both killed in a respectable car crash that
wasn</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter";">’t</span><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">
their fault. Half aware that her daydreams were an excessive and neurotic
substitute for reality, they were so sweet and satisfying that if they also </span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;">made her a bit strange she didn</span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;">’t</span><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter'; line-height: 200%;"> mind.</span><br />
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-67876779593151408712016-02-24T00:19:00.000-05:002016-02-24T00:19:17.510-05:00REVIEW: Blog Tour - The Vatican Princess by C.W. Gortner<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia by C.W. Gortner</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publication Date: February 9, 2016 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hardcover, Ebook, Audiobook </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">400 Pages </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25614810-the-vatican-princess" rel="attachment wp-att-8364" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-8364 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Infamy is no accident. It is a poison in our blood. It is the price of being a Borgia.</em></span><br />
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Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty’s ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?
With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, the new pope’s illegitimate children—his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia—assume an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family’s fortunes. But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment’s notice as Italy’s ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia’s father faces challenges from all sides, he’s obliged to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.
Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia’s coming-of-age in her own voice—a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same, and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vatican-Princess-Novel-Lucrezia-Borgia/dp/0345533976/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442949660&sr=1-5&keywords=C.+W.+Gortner" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vatican-princess-c-w-gortner/1121955548" target="_blank">BARNES & NOBLE</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780345533975" target="_blank">INDIEBOUND</a></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Review</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Vatican Princess</b> by C.W. Gortner was a five star read
right from the beginning. I was completely pulled into the time of the Borgias,
and I loved every minute of it! I have read several historical fiction novels
about the Borgias, and this is by far my favorite. I love that it’s told from
Lucrezia’s point of view, rather than a secondary (or made up) historical
figure. With the amount of research that the author obviously put into writing
this novel, you can really allow yourself to believe that Lucrezia is truly telling
the story, and that it is HER voice. Rather than portray Lucrezia as a ‘man-eater’, evil, or disdainful and conceited, as
some other novels about the Borgias do, this novel shows her almost as a victim (though she's not weak) of a family who has controlled and mapped out her entire life. Her father has the power to give her happiness or to take it away, and her brothers are men used to getting what they want, even if it is forbidden. The power these men have over her life could have destroyed her, but she refused to let it. To me, this version of Lucrezia makes the most
sense. The idea that she was a shrewd and vindictive woman who poisoned her
enemies never felt right to me. I always envisioned her as a strong and
intelligent female who was held back due to the era in which she lived. Through
this novel I felt like I really was able to really get to ‘know’ the different members of her
family as well Lucrezia. I must be honest though, in my mind as I was reading, I was picturing the actors from the Showtime series The Borgias!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any fan of historical fiction will love this novel. I have
read elsewhere that books about the Borgias are overdone recently, but I cannot
agree. C.W. Gortner shows the Borgias through a fresh lens, and has created a novel
that brings this fascinating family back to life. Five out of Five stars
without a doubt!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Praise</span></h2>
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"Assiduously researched and expertly crafted . . . . This unholy plunge into Rome's darkest dynasty is wholly engrossing." - <b><i>Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author </i></b><br />
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"A spider web of Renaissance intrigue with a legendary cast . . . Impressive research, a lush background, and deft characterization make for a fascinating read." -<b><i> Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author </i></b><br />
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"Elegantly written and deeply researched . . . Renaissance Italy is vividly brought to life. I’m captivated by this knowledgeable author’s take on the controversial Borgias." -<i><b> Alison Weir, NYT bestselling author</b>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></h2>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thevaticanprincessbookblast/03_cw-gortner-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-8473" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_CW Gortner" class="alignright wp-image-8473" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/03_CW-Gortner.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C.W. GORTNER holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.
After an eleven year-long career in fashion, during which he worked as a vintage retail buyer, freelance publicist, and fashion show coordinator, C.W. devoted the next twelve years to the public health sector. In 2012, he became a full-time writer following the international success of his novels.
In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard at Hampton Court, learned about organic gardening at Chenoceaux, and spent a chilly night in a ruined Spanish castle. His books have garnered widespread acclaim and been translated into twenty-one languages to date, with over 400,000 copies sold. A sought-after public speaker. C.W. has given keynote addresses at writer conferences in the US and abroad. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights, in particular companion animal rescue to reduce shelter overcrowding.
Half-Spanish by birth and raised in southern Spain, C.W. now lives in Northern California with his partner and two very spoiled rescue cats.
For more information visit C.W. Gortner’s <a href="http://www.cwgortner.com/" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="http://historicalboys.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. You can also find him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CWGortner" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/cwgortner" target="_blank">Twittter</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/169656.C_W_Gortner" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cwgortner/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/cwgortner" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. Sign up for C.W. Gortner’s <a href="http://www.cwgortner.com/contact.html#newsletter" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> for updates.
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 15</strong></span><br />
Blog Tour Kick-Off at <a href="http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Maiden's Court</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://unshelfish.org/" target="_blank">Unshelfish</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, February 18</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://luxuryreading.com/" target="_blank">Luxury Reading</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 24</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, February 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 26</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-61253067289547108262016-02-22T23:31:00.000-05:002016-02-22T23:31:36.784-05:00REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Blog Tour - Seven Will Out by JoAnn Spears<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Seven Will Out: A Renaissance Revel
by JoAnn Spears</span></h3>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/sevenwilloutblogtour/02_seven-will-out/" rel="attachment wp-att-8757" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="02_Seven Will Out" class="alignleft wp-image-8757" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/02_Seven-Will-Out.jpg" height="420" width="280" /></a></div>
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Publication Date: October 31, 2015 </div>
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eBook & Paperback; </div>
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528 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction/Humor/Satire</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27470814-seven-will-out" rel="attachment wp-att-8364" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-8364 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you thought "Six of One: A Tudor Riff" was the most fun you could have with your nightdress on, wait until you see what "Seven Will Out: A Renaissance Revel" has in store. Get ready for one 'ruff' night! Tudorphile Dolly thought that the night she spent on an astral plane with Henry VIII's six wives, learning their heretofore unknown secrets, was a one-time thing. Not so! In "Seven Will Out", Dolly finds herself back in the ether with the women of later Tudor times: Elizabeth I, ‘Bloody’ Mary, Bess of Hardwick, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Anne Hathaway Shakespeare, to name a few. They too have secrets that will turn history on its head, and comic sass that will keep you laughing. You've read all of the traditional, serious and romantic takes on the legendary Tudors. Why not try your Tudors with a new and different twist?
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1mfeTxG" target="_blank">Amazon (Kindle)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1YstOGi" target="_blank">Amazon (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seven-will-out-joann-spears/1122884828?ean=9781514775899&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Seven Will Out by JoAnn Spears definitely had my
interest with its refreshing and witty humor about historical figures from the Tudor Period! I
love that the author took a time period that is known for being a time of </span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 17.12px;"><b>beheading of Queens</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> and <b>The Black Plague</b>, and turned it into something fun and light. I
have read countless books about the Tudors, as well as smaller historical
figures from the same time period who were connected to them, so it really was
entertaining to read some of the story lines the author created for these
characters! Some of the ideas and twists that the author came up with had me
cracking up! Never are characters from the medieval period portrayed as this
much fun in other novels of this time period! They tend to be ambitious,
ruthless men and women, or sweet heroines and knights in shining armor, but they are not funny! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Then, add Ms. Spears writing style that flows smoothly
and easily from page to page into the mix, and you can definitely count this
book as a winner. However, if you are a hard core lover of Tudor History, and
have no sense of humor, and nitpick every historical fiction book there is out
there, than this is probably not the book for you! If you are looking for a fun
read, that will allow you to escape into a past that is not morbid and dark,
than definitely grab this book! <b>I give it a FIVE out of FIVE stars!</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">About the Author</span></h2>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/sevenwilloutblogtour/03_joann-spears/" rel="attachment wp-att-8758" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_JoAnn Spears" class="alignright size-full wp-image-8758" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/03_JoAnn-Spears.jpg" height="235" width="314" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">JoAnn Spears couldn't decide whether to major in English or History in college. Life stepped in, and she wound up with a Master’s Degree in Nursing instead. A twenty-five year nursing career didn’t extinguish that early interest in books and history. It did however stoke a decidedly gallows sense of humor.
The story of the six wives of Henry VIII was JoAnn’s favorite piece of history. Over the years, she read just about every spin on the story that there was. It occurred to her that the one spin that hadn’t been brought to a full length novel about the Tudors was a gallows sense of humor. The Tudors certainly qualified for it, and JoAnn had plenty to spare.
The first ‘real’ book JoAnn ever read was “The Wizard of Oz”. She returned to the Yellow Brick Road for inspiration for a new kind of Tudor novel, and “Six of One” was born.
“Six of One” was begun in JoAnn’s native New Jersey. It was wrapped up in her new Smoky Mountain home in northeast Tennessee, where she is pursuing a second career as a writer. She has, however, obtained a Tennessee nursing license because a) you never stop being a nurse and b) her son Bill thinks she should be sensible and not quit her day job.
While “Six of One” is a different kind of historical novel, JoAnn is a downright stereotypical lady author. She admits to the usual cats, flower beds, needlework, and frightfully complete collections of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott.
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JoAnn-Spears-393970884123468/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1746686.JoAnn_Spears" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/JoAnn-Spears/e/B00FPMD780/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Amazon Page</a></h3>
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Blog Tour Schedule</span></h2>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 15</strong></span><br />
Spotlight & Giveaway at <a href="http://unshelfish.org/" target="_blank">Unshelfish</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.turningthepagesx.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Turning The Pages</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Nerd</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, February 18</strong></span><br />
Spotlight & Giveaway at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 19</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="https://kellylynnereimer.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Addicts</a><br />
Giveaway at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://ahollandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Holland Reads</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.boombabyreviews.com/" target="_blank">Boom Baby Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 23</strong></span><br />
Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 24</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://ramblingreviews.com/" target="_blank">Rambling Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, February 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://quirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">With Her Nose Stuck In A Book</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 26</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://theteddyrosebookreviewsplusmore.com/" target="_blank">Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, February 28</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://thetudorenthusiast.weebly.com/my-tudor-blog.html" target="_blank">The Tudor Enthusiast</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Svetlana's Reads and Views</a><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Giving away ONE Paperback Copy of Seven Will Out by JoAnn Spears!</b></span></div>
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*Must be 18 or older</div>
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*US or Canada Only</div>
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*All entrants must be honest, No cheating</div>
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-67031075952025506922016-02-15T23:38:00.000-05:002016-02-15T23:38:33.730-05:00BOOK BLAST & GIVEAWAY: The Vatican Princess by C.W. Gortner<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia </span></h3>
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by C.W. Gortner</span></h3>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thevaticanprincessbookblast/02_the-vatican-princess/" rel="attachment wp-att-8472"><img alt="02_The Vatican Princess" class="alignleft wp-image-8472" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/02_The-Vatican-Princess.jpg" height="493" width="325" /></a></h3>
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Publication Date: February 9, 2016 </div>
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Ballantine Books</div>
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Hardcover, Ebook, Audiobook
400 Pages </div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25614810-the-vatican-princess" rel="attachment wp-att-8364" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-8364 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a>
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<em>Infamy is no accident. It is a poison in our blood. It is the price of being a Borgia.</em>
Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty’s ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?
With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, the new pope’s illegitimate children—his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia—assume an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family’s fortunes. But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment’s notice as Italy’s ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia’s father faces challenges from all sides, he’s obliged to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.
Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia’s coming-of-age in her own voice—a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same, and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vatican-Princess-Novel-Lucrezia-Borgia/dp/0345533976/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442949660&sr=1-5&keywords=C.+W.+Gortner" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vatican-princess-c-w-gortner/1121955548" target="_blank">BARNES & NOBLE</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780345533975" target="_blank">INDIEBOUND</a></h3>
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Praise</span></h2>
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"Assiduously researched and expertly crafted . . . . This unholy plunge into Rome's darkest dynasty is wholly engrossing."<b> - Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author</b><br />
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"A spider web of Renaissance intrigue with a legendary cast . . . Impressive research, a lush background, and deft characterization make for a fascinating read."<b> - Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author</b><br />
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"Elegantly written and deeply researched . . . Renaissance Italy is vividly brought to life. I’m captivated by this knowledgeable author’s take on the controversial Borgias." <b>- Alison Weir, NYT bestselling author
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About the Author</span></h2>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thevaticanprincessbookblast/03_cw-gortner-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-8473" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_CW Gortner" class="alignright wp-image-8473" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/03_CW-Gortner.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">C.W. GORTNER holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.
After an eleven year-long career in fashion, during which he worked as a vintage retail buyer, freelance publicist, and fashion show coordinator, C.W. devoted the next twelve years to the public health sector. In 2012, he became a full-time writer following the international success of his novels.
In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard at Hampton Court, learned about organic gardening at Chenoceaux, and spent a chilly night in a ruined Spanish castle. His books have garnered widespread acclaim and been translated into twenty-one languages to date, with over 400,000 copies sold. A sought-after public speaker. C.W. has given keynote addresses at writer conferences in the US and abroad. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights, in particular companion animal rescue to reduce shelter overcrowding.
Half-Spanish by birth and raised in southern Spain, C.W. now lives in Northern California with his partner and two very spoiled rescue cats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For more information visit C.W. Gortner’s <a href="http://www.cwgortner.com/" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="http://historicalboys.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. You can also find him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CWGortner" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/cwgortner" target="_blank">Twittter</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/169656.C_W_Gortner" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cwgortner/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/cwgortner" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. Sign up for C.W. Gortner’s <a href="http://www.cwgortner.com/contact.html#newsletter" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> for updates.
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Book Blast Schedule</span></h2>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 9</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://unshelfish.org/" target="_blank">Unshelfish</a>
<a href="http://dreyslibrary.com/" target="_blank">Drey's Library</a><br />
<a href="http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Maiden's Court</a><br />
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 10</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
<a href="http://princessofeboligossipcorner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Never-Ending Book</a><br />
<a href="http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Dream within a Dream</a><br />
<a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, February 11</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://dogsmomvisits.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Laura's Interests</a><br />
<a href="http://thereadershollow.weebly.com/" target="_blank">The Reader's Hollow</a><br />
<a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 12</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, February 13</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<a href="https://heatherosborneauthor.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, February 14</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
<a href="https://quirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">With Her Nose Stuck In A Book</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 15</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> A Book Geek</a>
<a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
<a href="http://puddletownreviews.com/" target="_blank">Puddletown Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 16</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
<a href="http://theteddyrosebookreviewsplusmore.com/" target="_blank">Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 17</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Impressions In Ink</a><br />
<a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Literary Vacation</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thecountrybookworm.com/" target="_blank">The Country Bookworm</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, February 18</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The True Book Addict</a><br />
<a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 19</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<a href="http://kristinravelle.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Kristin Un-Ravelle'd</a><br />
<a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, February 20</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Beth's Book Nook Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://www.onebookshy.com/" target="_blank">One Book Shy of a Full Shelf</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, February 21</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://www.carpelibrum.net/" target="_blank">Carpe Librum (Seize The Book)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cavehominemuniuslibri.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Seize the Words: Books in Review</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 22</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<a href="http://abookdrunkard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Book Drunkard</a><br />
<a href="http://thereadingqueen.com/" target="_blank">The Reading Queen</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, February 23</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://www.teatimeandbooks76.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Teatime and Books</a><br />
<a href="http://www.birdhouse-books.com/" target="_blank">View from the Birdhouse</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hf-connection.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Connection</a>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Giveaway</span></h2>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To win a Borgia-Inspired Velvet Bag & Beaded Bracelet from C.W. Gortner please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below.</span></i><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rules</u></span></strong></div>
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– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 23rd. You must be 18 or older to enter. </div>
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– Giveaway is open to US residents only.</div>
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– Only one entry per household.</div>
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– 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 </div>
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– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. </div>
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/ZMyeG/the-vatican-princess-book-blast" rel="nofollow">The Vatican Princess Book Blast</a>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thevaticanprincessbookblast/04_the-vatican-princess_blog-tour-banner_final/" rel="attachment wp-att-8771"><img alt="04_The Vatican Princess_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8771" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/04_The-Vatican-Princess_Blog-Tour-Banner_FINAL.png" height="257" width="658" /></a>Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7240267242955546801.post-90399091781322281352016-01-28T01:27:00.004-05:002016-01-28T01:29:39.864-05:00BLOG TOUR - Book Review: The Secrets of Lizzie Borden by Brandy Purdy<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Secrets of Lizzie Borden</b></span></div>
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by Brandy Purdy<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b>Publication Date:</b> January 26, 2016</div>
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<b>Publisher:</b> Kensington Books</div>
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<b>eBook & Print:</b> 384 Pages</div>
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<b>Genre:</b> Historical Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25476259-the-secrets-of-lizzie-borden"><img alt="Add to GR Button" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blurb</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In her enthralling, richly imagined new novel, Brandy Purdy,
author of The Ripper’s Wife, creates a compelling portrait of the real, complex
woman behind an unthinkable crime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lizzie Borden should be one of the most fortunate young
women in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her wealthy father could easily afford to
provide his daughters with fashionable clothes, travel, and a rich, cultured
life. Instead, haunted by the ghost of childhood poverty, he forces Lizzie and
her sister, Emma, to live frugally, denying them the simplest modern
conveniences. Suitors and socializing are discouraged, as her father views all
gentleman callers as fortune hunters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lonely and deeply unhappy, Lizzie stifles her frustration,
dreaming of the freedom that will come with her eventual inheritance. But soon,
even that chance of future independence seems about to be ripped away. And on a
stifling August day in 1892, Lizzie’s long-simmering anger finally explodes…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vividly written and thought-provoking, The Secrets of Lizzie
Borden explores the fascinating events behind a crime that continues to grip
the public imagination—a story of how thwarted desires and desperate rage could
turn a dutiful daughter into a notorious killer.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1OI6i0a" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secrets-of-lizzie-borden-brandy-purdy/1121860427?ean=9780758288912" target="_blank">BARNES & NOBLE</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Secrets-Lizzie-Borden-Brandy-Purdy/9780758288912?&a_aid=goodreads" target="_blank">BOOK DEPOSITORY</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-secrets-of-lizzie-borden" target="_blank">KOBO</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Any time author Brandy Purdy has a new novel coming out, I
jump at the chance to get a review copy prior to the release date of the book.
I heard about her newest novel, “The Secrets of Lizzie Borden”, and was excited
when asked to review it for my blog. Ms. Purdy is an excellent historical
fiction author, and she has a natural talent when it comes to combining the
facts gained from her meticulous research, and adding her own spin to the
story. As a reader I never find myself bogged down with lists of facts or
unnecessary descriptions, and I find it easy to become lost in her unique
writing style, as well as her intriguing characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I knew very little about Lizzie Borden prior to reading this
novel. I think I had watched a documentary about female murderers, and she was
one of the women featured. Lizzie Borden
may have come from a wealthy family, but one thing that she had in common with
many other murderers or serial killers was a deeply troubled childhood. She was
forced to live her life almost as an outcast due to her father’s issues. She
grew up different from other females her age, and was not allowed to socialize
like a normal female. She spent her childhood and young adult years depressed
and isolated, continuously looking towards what she hoped would be a bright
future when she receives her inheritance. However, we all know that’s not how
the story turned out, and it is interesting to see the author’s take on what
really caused Lizzie Borden to commit such a heinous act. Although Lizzie is a
murderer, I was still able to connect with her and to feel her isolation and
sadness as I read this novel. The author shows that there was a lot more going
on in Lizzie Borden’s story than what you see in the historical accounts of her
crime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“The Secrets of Lizzie Borden” was a little slow moving at
first, and it did take me a couple of chapters to really get into the story. I
would definitely recommend sticking it out if you feel like it is dragging at
the start, because once you get into the meat of the story, you won’t be able
to put it down! Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and I give it a FOUR out of FIVE
stars.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brandy Purdy (Emily Purdy in the UK) is the author of the
historical novels THE CONFESSION OF PIERS GAVESTON, THE BOLEYN WIFE (THE TUDOR
WIFE), THE TUDOR THRONE (MARY & ELIZABETH), THE QUEEN’S PLEASURE (A COURT
AFFAIR), THE QUEEN’S RIVALS (THE FALLEN QUEEN), THE BOLEYN BRIDE, and THE
RIPPER’S WIFE. An ardent book lover since early childhood, she first became
interested in history at the age of nine or ten years old when she read a book
of ghost stories which contained a chapter about Anne Boleyn haunting the Tower
of London. Visit her website at <a href="http://www.brandypurdy.com/" target="_blank">www.brandypurdy.com</a>, you can also follow her on Facebook as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Brandy-Purdy-aka-Emily-Purdy-367511973400285/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Brandy Purdy aka Emily Purdy</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blog Tour Schedule<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b>Tuesday, January 26</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://julzreads.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Julz
Reads</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://unshelfish.org/" target="_blank">Unshelfish</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Wednesday, January 27</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://mytime2read.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Time
2 Read</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Thursday, January 28</b></div>
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Review at <a href="http://www.onebookshy.com/" target="_blank">One Book
Shy of a Full Shelf</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Review at <a href="http://historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/">Historical Fiction Obsession</a><br />
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<b>Friday, January 29</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A
Chick Who Reads</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.onebookshy.com/" target="_blank">One Book
Shy of a Full Shelf</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Monday, February 1</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A
Bookish Affair</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Tuesday, February 2</b><br />
Review at <a href="https://quirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">With Her Nose Stuck in a Book</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Wednesday, February 3</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Thursday, February 4</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book
Lovers Paradise</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Friday, February 5</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The
True Book Addict</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Monday, February 08</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://brookeblogs.com/" target="_blank">Brooke Blogs</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Tuesday, February 09</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://brookeblogs.com/" target="_blank">Brooke
Blogs</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Wednesday, February 10</b><br />
Review at <a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A
Literary Vacation</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady’s
Reviews</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" target="_blank">History
From a Women’s Perspective</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Thursday, February 11</b><br />
Review <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Book
Geek</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Friday, February 12</b><br />
Blog Tour Wrap Up at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Kimberly Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030300170686538894noreply@blogger.com0