tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37259479266917283762024-03-12T19:31:42.437-05:00 A Book GeekLLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.comBlogger538125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-80066357920557777472021-02-12T07:00:00.007-06:002021-02-12T07:00:01.248-06:00A Man of Honor Blog Tour and Review<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-19111" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/A-Man-of-Honor_web.jpg" /></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">A Man of Honor, or Horatio's Confessions by J.A. Nelson</h3><div style="text-align: center;">Publication Date: December 9, 2019</div><div style="text-align: center;">Quill Point Press</div><div style="text-align: center;">Paperback, eBook & AudioBook; 414 pages</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Genre: Historical/Thriller/Mystery</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49253976-a-man-of-honor-or-horatio-s-confessions"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10765" height="41" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Add-to-GR-Button.png" width="130" /></a></div>
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<em><strong>Winner of two silver medals</strong></em><br />
Best First Book, Fiction<br />
Best Cover, Fiction<br />
Awarded by the IBPA (2020)<br />
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<em><strong>2020 Notable Indie, Top 100 - Best Indie Book Awards, Shelf Unbound</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>Finalist, Literary Fiction</strong></em><br />
14th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (2020)<br />
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<strong>A Man of Honor tells the fictional tale of how one man’s oath gave birth to the legend of Hamlet.</strong><br />
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<em><strong>How far would you go to keep a deathbed promise?</strong></em><br />
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Surrounded by the bodies of slain monarchs, a dying prince extracts a promise from his friend, Horatio: "Tell my story."<br />
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Rival kings of warring nations strive to lay claim to the throne, now vacant, but what will happen to the people who live there, at Helsingør's Krogen Castle? How will Horatio preserve his honor and the prince's legacy while surviving this murderous kingdom and the men who would rule it?<br />
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Despite the odds and threats against him, Horatio persists, weaving the story of his dear friend into the fabric of one of their oldest and most revered medieval texts.<br />
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But when a nefarious Spaniard thwarts his plans, Horatio must once again risk everything to fulfill his oath.<br />
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With the help of some unexpected allies in the form of Margrete, a courageous lady-in-waiting, and Lanier, a disgraced French nobleman, Horatio undertakes this perilous quest that will lead him on a journey none of them could have ever predicted, to a place none of them ever thought they would see.<br />
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And after their hard-fought journey will it all be for naught?<br />
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Will Hamlet's glory be Horatio's downfall?<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Honor-Horatios-Confessions-ebook/dp/B082H68SSC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/artist/j-a-nelson/1500796628" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Books</a> | <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Man-of-Honor-or-Horatios-Confessions-Audiobook/B0875RH3WH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Audible</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-man-of-honor-or-horatios-confessions-j-a-nelson/1135553232" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/J_A_Nelson_A_Man_of_Honor_or_Horatio_s_Confessions?id=AQAAAEBsi2DLHM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play</a></span></h4>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Praise</h3>
"Like a train, A MAN OF HONOR's narrative builds speed and takes off into an often gripping adventure of love,war, and discovery. Author J.A. Nelson's novel follows in the tradition of historical fiction. Nelson creates a beautiful but terrifying sixteenth century where numerous factions struggle for power and influence. The main characters are loyal but fallible, and the reader identifies with their struggle to keep moving forward--to finish what they've started.... Nelson has developed a timeless story.... A MAN OF HONOR may be set in a distant time and place, but Horatio's search for the truth about his late friend, Hamlet, is an internal journey of discovery to which many readers will relate." - IndieReader Reviews<br />
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"With its literary flourishes and exciting scenes, A Man of Honor addresses ethical questions in fascinating ways....Setting and moods...capture the flavor of Nordic sagas.... A literary novel featuring taut action and strong characters who address questions about the nature of integrity." - Clarion Reviews<br />
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"The story of Hamlet survives, truthfully told.... Horatio is the perfect character to carry on Hamlet's story.... An intriguing twist.... Among the pages of an adventure is a story of one man's commitment to his sense of honor and duty, as well as the importance and worth of legends." - The US Review<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">My Take:</h3><div>When offered the opportunity to read and review a book that takes up where Hamlet left off, I was eager to accept - of course. I'm a big Shakespeare nerd, we made sure to spend ample time studying Shakespeare during our homeschooling years, and even now that all the kids have graduated and moved on to colleget and beyond, we still have nerdy conversations about our favorite plays. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think I got off to a bad start with <i>A Man of Honor</i> by focusing too much of the Hamlet aspect. I think this book is better if the reader focuses on Horatio as a stand alone character. Hamlet is a huge influence on him and his action throughout the book, but the story is actually about Horatio, his friends and his quest to honor his friend Hamlet.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were aspects of the book that bothered me a bit like how Horatio seemed to miraculously learn archery and how to be chivalrous in a day or so, and some of the chases seem just a bit too much. The timeline is shortened and the author takes some liberties with history, but overall it was a fun read. Nelson does explain her historical choices in the Author's Note, which I appreciated. It is an adventure tale with lots of action and drama. And when you pull in Marlowe at the end -- I'm also a huge Marlowe fan, so naturally I liked the ending of the book. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a strict literary person, maybe don't read it, but if you like historical adventure tales that refer to your favorite literay characters and authors, then you will probably enjoy <i>A Man of Hono</i>r.</div><div><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">About the Author</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19112" height="321" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/J.A.-Nelson.jpg" width="300" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">J. A. Nelson’s passion for exploring connections between history, literature, and evidence in written texts has shaped her life—from a BA (Occidental College) and MA (The George Washington University) in cultural studies to a two-decade career at the National Archives of the United States, working with historical documentary treasures and helping people access unique stories in those records. Ms. Nelson is a native of Culver City, CA, a Los Angeles suburb. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia. A Man of Honor, or Horatio’s Confessions is her debut novel.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://janelsonauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JANelsonAuthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JANelsonAuthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/JANelsonWriter/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-a-nelson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19825818.J_A_Nelson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></h4><h3 style="text-align: left;">Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, January 3</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://bookworlder.wordpress.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookworlder</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 4</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://bookscookslooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books, Cooks, Looks</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, January 6</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://readingismyremedy.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reading is My Remedy</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, January 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.b00kreader" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@the.b00kreader</a><br />
Interview at <a href="https://thewhisperingbookworm.blogspot.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Whispering Bookworm</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.rajivsreviews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rajiv's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, January 14</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, January 20</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, January 21</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://journeyinbookland.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Journey in Bookland</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, January 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, January 27</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, January 29</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals</a><br />
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, February 1</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YA, It's Lit</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 3</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, February 6</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://bibliostatic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bibliostatic</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jypsylynn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books and Zebras</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 10</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impressions In Ink</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 12</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 15</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://novelsalive.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Novels Alive</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/littlebutfiercebookdiary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Little But Fierce Book Diary</a><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Giveaway</h3>Enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!<br />
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The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on February 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/Tq7I8/man-of-honor" rel="nofollow">Man of Honor</a>
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-20212" height="387" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/A-Man-of-Honor_Blog-Tour-Banner.png" width="645" /></div>
</div>LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-19674386027661348262021-01-19T07:00:00.001-06:002021-01-19T07:00:01.094-06:00The Canterbury Murders - Blog Tour and Review<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-19840" height="598" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Canterbury-Murders_web.jpg" width="400" />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">The Canterbury Murders by E.M. Powell</h3><div style="text-align: center;">Publication Date: November 12, 2020</div><div style="text-align: center;">Crosshaven Press</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Series: Stanton & Barling, #3</div><div style="text-align: center;">Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55214123-the-canterbury-murders"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10765" height="41" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Add-to-GR-Button.png" width="130" /></a></div>
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A fire-ravaged cathedral. An ungodly murder.<br />
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Easter, 1177. Canterbury Cathedral, home to the tomb of martyr Saint Thomas Becket, bears the wounds of a terrible fire. Benedict, prior of the great church, leads its rebuilding. But horror interrupts the work. One of the stonemasons is found viciously murdered, the dead man’s face disfigured by a shocking wound.<br />
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When King’s clerk Aelred Barling and his assistant, Hugo Stanton, arrive on pilgrimage to the tomb, the prior orders them to investigate the unholy crime.<br />
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But the killer soon claims another victim–and another. As turmoil embroils the congregation, the pair of sleuths face urgent pressure to find a connection between the killings.<br />
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With panic on the rise, can Barling and Stanton catch the culprit before evil prevails again—and stop it before it comes for them?<br />
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THE CANTERBURY MURDERS is the third book in E.M. Powell’s Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. Combining intricate plots, shocking twists and a winning–if unlikely–pair of investigators, this series is perfect for fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael or C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake.<br />
<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">My Take:</h3><div>The Stanton and Barling novels are one of my favorite mystery series. Stanton and Barling are right up there with Powell's The Fifth Knight Series. The duo are fun to read about and I appreciate the way their friendship grows, but slowly and sometimes painfully. E.M. Powell's novels are always well researched and bring the historical period to life for the reader. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Canterbury Murders take place at Canterbury, naturally. During the rush to complete the rebuilding of the cathedral and while Barling is on pilgrimage to the site of Saint Thomas Becket's tomb, there is a grusome murder that threatens to throw the rebuilding plans off course. Barling and Stanton are recruited to solve the murder, but there is another murder and then another. Needless to say, Barling is anxious to solve the murders so he can finish his pilgrimage. And Stanton wants to enjoy a pint or two and maybe help a young woman in distress.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is so much going on in this fun romp of a mystery. The murders are truly gruesome and not funny at all, but knowing that Stanton and Barling are on the case will leave the reader reassured that things will be resolved. But not before several murders, a run in with a necromancer, a witch, an ambitious and less than scrupulous monk, and a complete surprise reveal and a mad dash rescue. There are several great candidates for the murderer and I confess that I wasn't even close to figuring it out! There are lots of twists and turns and I couldn't put the book down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Honestly, I don't know what else one could ask of an historical murder mystery! As always, I highly recommend all of the Barling and Stanton novels. They can be read in order or as standalones, but I prefer to read them in order. </div><div><div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08L417R7Y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">About the Author</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnco5yPRtMvLeocgRpj5GCfwXQptiAEZIO0IGC4aoSyLx5ywbBw_GdV-sCVS-3StdzUguzsa66Yhjlz8uYb-7Q1Ehy-OSRoaNznRYhhJvtEGGhUHoV_s8emRJibxCvfCkXku1bI5iV8Tc/s448/E.M.+Powell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnco5yPRtMvLeocgRpj5GCfwXQptiAEZIO0IGC4aoSyLx5ywbBw_GdV-sCVS-3StdzUguzsa66Yhjlz8uYb-7Q1Ehy-OSRoaNznRYhhJvtEGGhUHoV_s8emRJibxCvfCkXku1bI5iV8Tc/s320/E.M.+Powell.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>E.M. Powell’s historical thriller and medieval mystery Fifth Knight and Stanton & Barling novels have been #1 Amazon and Bild bestsellers.</div>
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The third Stanton & Barling mystery, THE CANTERBURY MURDERS, will be released in November 2020.<br />
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Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she lives in northwest England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog.<br />
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E.M. Powell is represented by Josh Getzler at HG Literary.<br />
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Find out more by visiting <a href="http://www.empowell.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.empowell.com</a>. You can also find him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/empowellauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/empowellauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583496.E_M_Powell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 11</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://novelsalive.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Novels Alive</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, January 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/reader_ceygo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reader_ceygo</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, January 13</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://wordsandpeace.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Words and Peace</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Writing Desk</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, January 14</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YA, It's Lit</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, January 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, January 16</strong></span><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="https://connie-oldersmarter.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Older & Smarter</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, January 17</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/reader_ceygo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reader_ceygo</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 18</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://www.imintobooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I'm Into Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, January 19</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, January 20</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, January 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.novelsalive.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Novels Alive</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://lisareadsbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Madwoman in the Attic</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, January 22</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://readingismyremedy.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reading is My Remedy</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, January 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues and Scandals</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, January 26</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jathanandheather.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jathan & Heather</a><br />
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wednesday, January 27</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jypsylynn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books and Zebras</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, January 28</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.b00kreader" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the.b00kreader</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, January 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://hooverbookreviews.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hoover Book Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, February 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Darn Good Read</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://bookscookslooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books, Cooks, Looks</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, February 3</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impressions In Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://debjanisthoughts.wordpress.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Debjani's Thoughts</a><br />
Interview & Excerpt at <a href="https://www.booksandbenches.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books & Benches</a><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, February 4</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookramblings.net" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookramblings</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, February 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessica Belmont</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Giveaway</h3>
Enter to win a paperback copy of The Canterbury Murders by E.M. Powell! Two copies are up for grabs!<br />
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The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on February 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/kL36v/the-canterbury-murders" rel="nofollow">The Canterbury Murders</a>
<script async="true" src="https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19994" height="384" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Canterbury-Murders_Blog-Tour-Banner.png" width="640" /></div>
</div></div>LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-21763159727857239702020-09-25T07:00:00.001-05:002020-09-25T07:00:07.044-05:00Into the Unbounded Night- Blog Tour and Review<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-18349" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Into-the-Unbound-Night_web.jpg" /></div>
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Into the Unbounded Night by Mitchell James Kaplan</h3>
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Publication Date: September 1, 2020</div>
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Regal House Publishing</div>
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Paperback & eBook; 231 Pages</div>
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Genre: Literary/Historical</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51074812-into-the-unbounded-night"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10765" height="41" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Add-to-GR-Button.png" width="130" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
When her village in Albion is sacked by the Roman general Vespasian, young Aislin is left without home and family. Determined to exact revenge, she travels to Rome, a sprawling city of wealth, decadence, and power. A “barbarian” in a “civilized” world, Aislin struggles to comprehend Roman ways. From a precarious hand-to-mouth existence on the streets, she becomes the mistress of a wealthy senator, but their child Faolan is born with a disability that renders him unworthy of life in the eyes of his father and other Romans. <div><br /></div><div>Imprisoned for her efforts to topple the Roman regime, Aislin learns of an alternate philosophy from her cellmate, the Judean known today as the Apostle St. Paul. As the capital burns in the Great Fire of 64 AD, he bequeaths to her a mission that will take her to Jerusalem. There, Yohanan, son of Zakkai, has been striving to preserve the tradition of Hillel against the Zealots who advocate for a war of independence. Responding to the Judeans’ revolt, the Romans—again under the leadership of Vespasian—besiege Jerusalem, destroying the Second Temple and with it, the brand of Judean monotheism it represents. Yohanan takes on the mission of preserving what can be preserved, and of re-inventing what must be reinvented. </div><div><br /></div><div>Throughout Into the Unbounded Night, Aislin’s, Faolan’s, Vespasian’s, and Yohanan’s lives intertwine in unexpected ways that shed light on colonization and its discontents, the relative values of dominant and tyrannized cultures, and the holiness of life itself—even the weakest of lives.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.regalhousepublishing.com/product/into-the-unbounded-night/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Regal House Publishing</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083Z22WSM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-unbounded-night-mitchell-kaplan/1136062524?ean=9781646030026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Into-Unbounded-Night-Mitchell-Kaplan/9781646030026?ref=grid-view&qid=1586705800476&sr=1-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=into+the+unbounded+night" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
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<h3>
Praise for Into the Unbounded Night</h3>
“In Into the Unbounded Night, Mitchell Kaplan offers a rich rendering of war and humanity in first century Rome — of tradition and loss, and the transformative power of healing and collective memory to find one’s way home.” – Nichole Bernier, Boston Globe Bestselling author of The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D</div><div><br /></div><div>“Mitchell James Kaplan is the gloriously talented writer of this dramatic, intense story of conflicting emperors, slaves, priests and exiles in a first century world whose roots and traditions are increasingly torn apart by the brutal rule of Rome. Men and women search for belief and reason, out of which will emerge a new Judaism after the destruction of Jerusalem’s Temple as well as the early beginnings of Christianity. A writer of enormous scope, compassion and poetry, Kaplan has written several of the most compelling characters you will meet in the pages of a book. Into the Unbounded Night sweeps over you like a succession of huge waves. It is truly a major novel.” – Stephanie Cowell, American Book Award recipient, author of Claude And Camille: A Novel Of Monet</div><div><br /></div><div>“Kaplan’s prose is so rich and agile I felt I was breathing the air of these ancient places, and his evocation of character is no less palpable. Fully embodied and driven by ambition, grief, the clear-eyed desire for truth, and fierce maternal love, these characters plunge, march, and stumble toward their fascinating and entangled destinies.” – Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling novelist of I’ll Be Your Blue Sky and award-winning poet</div><div><br /></div><div>“I’m a big fan of historical fiction when it’s as good as Mitchell Kaplan’s Into the Unbounded Night. Vividly imagined, Into the Unbounded Night pulls the reader along with beautiful prose, strong characters and a wonderfully realized story.” – Heidi W. Durrow, New York Times best-selling author of The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, winner of the PEN/Bellwether Prize</div><div><br /></div><div>“A beautiful, informative book. It was gripping throughout, the research never overwhelms the story, but is always part of it. [The] writing is lyrical and evocative of time and place. All the characters are real and interesting. Loved it!” – Martin Fletcher, National Jewish Book Award winner, author of Promised Land</div><div><br /></div><div>“From the mystical lore of Albion to the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem, Kaplan’s meticulous research and evocative writing meld seamlessly to create a vivid, textured, and richly imagined story.” —Beth Hoffman, New York Times and International bestselling author of Saving Ceecee Honeycutt and Looking for Me</div><div><br /></div><div>“Set in Rome and Judea after the crucifixion of Jesus, Mitchell James Kaplan’s finely crafted and intense second novel delves into the minds and hearts of truly captivating characters. An excellent read.” – Eva Stachniak, winner of the Canadian First Novel Award, author of The Chosen Maiden</div><div><br /></div><div>“Sensually provocative, verbally sharp and critically witted, Mitchell James Kaplan’s Into the Unbounded Night brings to life the tumultuous birth of Judeo-Christian monotheism in this intimately woven narrative brimming with righteous and riotous characters striving for survival and transcendence across the ravished landscapes of Judea, the Roman Empire, and Britannia.”
– Jessica Maria Tuccelli, an Okra Pick winner of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance for her debut novel, Glow</div><div><br /></div><div><br />“Kaplan weaves an intricate literary tapestry to create a poetic exploration of early Judeo-Christian and Roman history. He builds a diverse yet connected cast of characters whose encounters inspire timeless self-examination and advance the course of history. An engrossing work not easily forgotten.” – Therese Walsh, critically acclaimed author of The Last Will Of Moira Leahy and The Moon Sisters, founder of the literary blog, Writer Unboxed</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>My Take:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I wasn't sure what to expect from <i>Into the Unbounded Night</i>, but I love ancient history and when I was homeschooling my kids we spent quite a lot of time on Ancient Rome, so I was interested to see how the story was handled. Honestly, I was not expecting the novel to be so poetic! I was happily surprised. </div><div><br /></div><div>The novel begins with Aislin as a young girl in Albion - or Britannia. She and her people have a brief time of peace before an army unlike any they have encountered before utterly destroys their homes and their lives. Aislin is taken and abused by the military leader of the Roman force, Titus Flavius Vespasianus - or Vespasian. While this is happening to her, her entire village is being destroyed. This event sets the course for the rest of the novel. </div><div><br /></div><div>The novel sets out as a revenge quest, but it is also a really thoughtful examination of the different sects of the Judaean monotheism of Jerusalem at the time. It also gives time and thought to Saul of Tarsus and his vision of what would become Christianity. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is an obvious villain in Vespasian, but there are other characters that are complicated and some try to redeem themselves while others not so much. I really enjoyed the compexity of the characters and the contrast between those who work to be better and hold themselves and their people accountable and those who sucumbed to the tyranny and debauchery that prevailed in Rome at the time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Aislin ends up in Rome and then Jerusalem - she encounters great good and utter evil along the way. The novel goes from one character point of view to another as the characters move in and out of each others' lives. There is a poetic, inevitableness to the way the story weaves itself through their lives. </div><div><br /></div><div>I really enjoyed all the history throughout the novel. But it never detracts from the story, in fact, I found it helpful to have a point of reference as I was reading. </div><div><br /></div><div>I found the ending chapters to be particularly moving and almost hopeful, accepting and at peace. I would encourage anyone interested in ancient hisotry, Rome, Jerusalem, and beautiful ficiton to read <i>Into the Unbounded Night</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-18350" height="320" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Mitchell-James-Kaplan.jpg" width="213" /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">
About the Author</h3>
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Mitchell James Kaplan graduated with honors from Yale University, where he won the Paine Memorial Prize for Best Long-Form Senior Essay submitted to the English Department. His first mentor was the author William Styron.
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After college, Kaplan lived in Paris, France, where he worked as a translator, then in Southern California, where he worked as a screenwriter and in film production.</div>
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He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with his family and two cats.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.mitchelljameskaplan.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell-James-Kaplan-Author-402801866478121/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchelljkaplan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4277594.Mitchell_James_Kaplan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></h4><div><br /></div>
<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, August 31</span></strong></div><div>
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 2</strong></span></div><div>
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jypsylynn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books and Zebras</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 4</strong></span> </div><div>Review at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a></div><div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></strong></div><div>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Saturday, September 5</span></strong> </div><div>Review at <a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 7</strong></span> </div><div>Review at <a href="https://bookscookslooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books, Cooks, Looks</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 8</strong></span> </div><div>Interview at <a href="http://novelsalive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Novels Alive</a></div><div>
Feature at <a href="https://www.imintobooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I'm Into Books</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 9</strong></span> </div><div>Review at <a href="https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YA, It's Lit</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 10</strong></span></div><div>
Review at <a href="http://www.thecaffeinatedbibliophile.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Caffeinated Bibliophile</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 11</strong></span> </div><div>Feature at <a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 14</strong></span></div><div>
Interview at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 16</strong></span></div><div>
Feature at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 17</strong></span> </div><div>Review at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Friday, September 18</span></strong> </div><div>Guest Post at <a href="http://www.bookbustle.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Bustle</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, September 21</span></strong> </div><div>Interview at <a href="https://www.booksandbenches.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books & Benches</a></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 22</strong></span> </div><div>Feature at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a></div><div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></strong></div><div>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wednesday, September 23</span></strong> </div><div>Guest Post at <a href="http://www.theintrepidreader.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Intrepid Reader</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Friday, September 25</span></strong> </div><div>Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a>
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Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 2 copies of Into the Unbounded Night! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on September 25th.</div><div><br /></div><div> You must be 18 or older to enter.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/g5ZAi/unbounded-night" rel="nofollow">Unbounded Night</a>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19295" height="640" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Into-the-Unbounded-Night_Blog-Tour-Baner.png" width="640" /></div>
</div>LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-89192107012431690902020-07-27T07:00:00.000-05:002020-07-27T07:00:07.539-05:00Marie Antoinette's World: Intrigue, Infidelity, and Adultery in Versailles - Blog Tour and Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://francebooktours.com/2020/06/03/will-bashor-on-tour-marie-antoinettes-world/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Marie Antoinette's World" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9072" height="400" src="https://francebooktours.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/marie-antoinettes-world.jpg?w=200" width="266" /></a></div>
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<strong>Will BASHOR</strong></h2>
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on tour
<strong>July 20-August 14</strong>
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Marie Antoinette’s World:
Intrigue, Infidelity, And Adultery In Versailles</h2>
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[history/biographical nonfiction]</div>
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Release date: <strike>June 15, 2020</strike></div>
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Postponed due to Covid-19:
July 30, 2020
at <strong><a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538138250/Marie-Antoinette's-World-Intrigue-Infidelity-and-Adultery-in-Versailles">Rowman & Littlefield Publishers</a></strong>
Hardcover and ebook, 320 pages
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<strong><a href="http://willbashor.com/">Author’s page</a></strong> | <strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52873169-marie-antoinette-s-world">Goodreads</a></strong></div>
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<strong>SYNOPSIS</strong></h3>
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This riveting book explores the little-known intimate life of Marie Antoinette and her milieu in a world filled with intrigue, infidelity, adultery, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Will Bashor reveals the intrigue and debauchery of the Bourbon kings from Louis XIII to Louis XV, which were closely intertwined with the expansion of Versailles from a simple hunting lodge to a luxurious and intricately ordered palace. It soon became a retreat for scandalous conspiracies and rendezvous—all hidden from the public eye.<br />
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When Marie Antoinette arrived, she was quickly drawn into a true viper’s nest, encouraged by her imprudent entourage. Bashor shows that her often thoughtless, fantasy-driven, and notorious antics were inevitable given her family history and the alluring influences that surrounded her. Marie Antoinette’s frivolous and flamboyant lifestyle prompted a torrent of scathing pamphlets, and Bashor scrutinizes the queen’s world to discover what was false, what was possible, and what, although shocking, was most probably true.<br />
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Readers will be fascinated by this glimpse behind the decorative screens to learn the secret language of the queen’s fan and explore the dark passageways and staircases of endless intrigue at Versailles.
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My Take:</h3>
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I haven't read Will Bashor's other books about Marie Antoinette, but I have a lifelong interest in French history and Versailles in particular. <i>Marie Antoinette's World</i> starts with a history of Versailles and how it was used by the kings through the years. That was actually very interesting and it sets up how the atmosphere of the Palace of Versailles influences everyone who lives there.</div>
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The book is organized chronologically. This works well to demonstrate the evolution of the palace, its uses, and its perception by the population. The palace often seems to have been a place to indulge in and hide certain kinds of behavior. I found this to be the most interesting aspect of the book.</div>
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As stated in the Introduction of the book, this is not an unbiased look at Marie Antoinette and I found this very disconcerting. I found some of the sources used to create a picture of who Marie Antoinette was as a person to be questionable - I didn't find the handwriting analysis or astrological charts to be relevant or compelling.</div>
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The chapter on the pamphlets published about Marie Antoinette was quite interesting. The chapter examines in detail some of the pamphlets and gives a pretty clear picture of how women who don't behave according to certain standards are maligned by men. As a "foreigner", Marie Antoinette was always something of a target for certain factions. But it was interesting that as Marie Antoinette grew up and became more interested in politics and policy and began using her influence and power, she became a much larger target and the attacks became much more personal. There is a lot to unpack in this book and the reader will have a lot to consider. I found myself pondering over how little progress society has made regarding women with power. It seems that they are still threatening to many and we have a long ways to go in that regard.</div>
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While I didn't like the biased nature of the book, I did find much of it very interesting and worthwhile to read. There are lots of notes and sources which is always useful. I feel that any reader who is interested in French history, the French Revolution, and Marie Antoinette in particular, will find <i>Marie Antoinette's World</i> to be a good addition to their reading and library.</div>
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<strong>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</strong></h3>
<a href="https://francebooktours.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/will-bashor-picture.jpg?w=258" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Will Bashor picture" border="0" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1033" height="200" src="https://francebooktours.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/will-bashor-picture.jpg?w=258" width="172" /></a><b>Will Bashor</b>
is the author of the award-winning
<strong>Marie Antoinette’s Head: The Royal Hairdresser, the Queen, and the Revolution</strong> and
<strong>Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days: Prisoner No. 280 in the Conciergerie</strong>.
He holds a doctorate in international studies
from the American Graduate School in Paris
and is professor of global issues at Franklin University.
He lives in Barcelona, Spain.<br />
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Visit <strong><a href="http://willbashor.com/">his website</a></strong>, or connect with him here:
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<a href="https://twitter.com/WBashorAuthor" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img alt="twitter" src="https://i1.wp.com/willbashor.com/wp-content/themes/zeePersonalPro/images/icons/twitter.png" /></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Marie-Antoinettes-World-Intrigue-Infidelity-Adultery-in-Versailles-114111590321470/?modal=admin_todo_tour" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img alt="facebook" src="https://i1.wp.com/willbashor.com/wp-content/themes/zeePersonalPro/images/icons/facebook.png" /></a><br />
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<strong>BUY the book here:</strong></div>
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<strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marie-Antoinettes-World-Infidelity-Versailles/dp/1538138247/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Amazon</a> </strong>| <strong><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marie-antoinettes-world-will-bashor/1134045579">Barnes & Noble</a></strong> | <strong><a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538138243/Marie-Antoinette's-World-Intrigue-Infidelity-and-Adultery-in-Versailles">Publisher </a></strong>| <strong><a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781538138243">IndieBound</a></strong>
and other links available <strong><a href="http://willbashor.com/books/">on the author’s page</a></strong></div>
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You can enter the global giveaway here
or on any other book blog participating in this tour.
<strong>Visit/Follow the participating blogs on Facebook/Twitter,
</strong><strong>as listed in the entry form below, and win more entry points!</strong>
<br />
<h2>
<a href="https://giveawaytools2.com/giveaway.php?sk=92597547640"><strong>ENTER THE GIVEAWAY</strong></a></h2>
<strong>Tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour</strong>
<strong>will give you 5 extra entries each time!</strong>
[just follow the directions on the entry-form]
<strong>Global giveaway open to all</strong>
9 winners will receive a copy of this book
</div>
<h2>
*<strong>**</strong></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<strong>CLICK ON THE BANNER </strong><strong>TO READ MORE REVIEWS
AND EXCERPTS</strong></h3>
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LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-10907301530905749132019-12-27T07:00:00.000-06:002019-12-27T07:00:27.593-06:00The Viking's Captive - Spotlight<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-17435" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Vikings-Captive.jpg" /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Viking's Captive by Ingrid Hahn</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: December 9, 2019</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Entangled Publishing, LLC</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ebook; 371 pages</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Romance<br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48768239-the-viking-s-captive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-9080 size-full" height="41" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Add-to-GR-Button.png" width="130" /></a><br />
<br /></div>
Thorvald Longsword can’t believe all he has to do is kidnap the daughter of his jarl’s enemy to get his land back. Easy. But when he finally snatches the princess up and tosses her over his shoulder, the beautiful spitfire makes him question his determination to get his land back at any cost.<br />
<br />
Alodie gladly agrees to impersonate the princess so the bloodthirsty Northmen will take her instead. While Alodie might be ready to die for her people, she wasn’t prepared for how her pulse races for the maddeningly noble captor whom she’d just as soon hate.<br />
<br />
But what happens when Thorvald finds out she’s not who she says she is...
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081LW84LF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vikings-captive-ingrid-hahn/1134964813?ean=9781682815243" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
About the Author</h3>
<center>
</center>
<a href="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Ingrid-Hahn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17434" height="133" src="https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Ingrid-Hahn.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ingrid Hahn is a failed administrative assistant with a B.A. in Art History. Her love of reading has turned her mortgage payment into a book storage fee, which makes her the friend who you never want to ask you for help moving. Though originally from Seattle, she now lives in the metropolitan DC area with her ship-nerd husband, small son, and four opinionated cats. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves knitting, theater, nature walks, travel, history, and is a hopelessly devoted fan of Jane Austen.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/IngridHahnWriter/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Ingrid_Writer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15038570.Ingrid_Hahn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></h4>
<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, December 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://historicalromancelover.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Romance Lover</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, December 19</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues and Scandals</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, December 20</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://imallaboutbooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I'm All About Books</a><br />
Feature at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, December 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, December 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, December 23</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YA, It's Lit</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, December 24</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.libertysliteraryloves.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Liberty's Literary Loves</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, December 26</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, December 27</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, December 30</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a>
<br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/YTdvO/the-vikings-captive" rel="nofollow">The Viking's Captive</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-59038496463551286612019-11-26T07:00:00.000-06:002019-11-26T08:55:21.772-06:00Entertaining Mr. Pepys - review and giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-15265" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02_Entertaining-Mr.-Pepys.jpg" /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Entertaining Mr. Pepys by Deborah Swift</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: September 12, 2019</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hachette Book Group</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
eBook. Paperback, Audiobook; 400 Pages</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47492245-entertaining-mr-pepys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
<br /></div>
London 1666
Elizabeth 'Bird' Carpenter has a wonderful singing voice, and music is her chief passion. When her father persuades her to marry horse-dealer Christopher Knepp, she suspects she is marrying beneath her station, but nothing prepares her for the reality of life with Knepp. Her father has betrayed her trust, for Knepp cares only for his horses; he is a tyrant and a bully, and will allow Bird no life of her own.<br />
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When Knepp goes away, she grasps her chance and, encouraged by her maidservant Livvy, makes a secret visit to the theatre. Entranced by the music, the glitter and glamour of the surroundings, and the free and outspoken manner of the women on the stage, she falls in love with the theatre and is determined to forge a path of her own as an actress.<br />
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But life in the theatre was never going to be straightforward - for a jealous rival wants to spoil her plans, and worse, Knepp forbids it, and Bird must use all her wit and intelligence to change his mind.
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Based on events depicted in the famous Diary of Samuel Pepys, Entertaining Mr Pepys brings London in the 17th Century to life. It includes the vibrant characters of the day such as the diarist himself and actress Nell Gwynne, and features a dazzling and gripping finale during the Great Fire Of London.<br />
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The third in Deborah Swift's atmospheric trilogy, bringing to life the women in Pepys' Diary. Each novel features a different character and can be read as a stand-alone book.
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>'A remarkably beguiling read. It transported me to the glitter and filth of seventeenth century London' - </b>Martine Bailey, author of <i>The Almanack</i><br />
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</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>'The fusion of historical facts and fiction is so flawless that it is hard to know where reality ends and fiction begins' - </b><i>Readers Favourite Review</i></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Entertaining-Mr-Pepys-Deborah-Swift/dp/1786154153/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XP58I330TPLX&keywords=deborah+swift+entertaining+mr+pepys&qid=1573654199&sprefix=Deborah+Swift+enter%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Entertaining-Mr-Pepys-Deborah-Swift/9781786154156" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></h4>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sdsmWCBpoTE" width="560"></iframe></center>
<h3>
Praise for the Pepys Trilogy</h3>
'Swift is a consummate historical novelist, basing her books on immaculate research and then filling the gaps between real events and real people with eloquent storytelling, atmospheric scene setting and imaginative plot lines' - The Visitor<br />
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'A novel that transports readers with astonishing and engrossing detail' - Readers Favorite 5*<br />
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'Pepys and his world spring to vibrant life… Gripping, revealing and stunningly imagined' -Lancashire Evening Post
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<h3>
My Take:</h3>
<div>
<i>Entertaining Mr. Pepys</i> is the third book in Deborah Swift's trilogy telling the stories of the lives of women that appear in Samuel Pepys's famous diary. The novel also works as a stand alone. I haven't read the other two books and I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the novel.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elizabeth "Bird" Carpenter is the main focus of <i>Entertaining Mr. Pepys</i>. When the novel begins, she is a young woman with a beautiful singing voice about to be married off so that her father and his new much-younger-wife can be alone to enjoy their new marriage. While Bird has ideas about what her husband should be like, her father is much more interested in getting her out of his house and make her someone else's responsibility. Sadly, her new husband, Mr. Knepp, married her simply to be his servant and to give him children. She must adjust to a life of hard work, scrambling to feed the yard hands on a pittance and avoiding her abusive husband.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Eventually Bird will be introduced to the theater by Livvy, her new friend and servant to her husband. Livvy introduces her to some of the women performing in the theater and Bird is stricken by a strong desire to sing and perform on stage. It is through her performances that she encounters Mr. Pepys. </div>
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<div>
Swift does a wonderful job of bringing the time period to life. I really appreciated how she brings the details of working-class life into the story. It helps the reader appreciate the vast differences of a woman's life today and during the 1600's. Swift also examines the issues of slavery as it was viewed at the time. The novel manages to explain the various conflicts that were causing tensions in England as well as the religious politics that play a large role in the era.</div>
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<div>
<i>Entertaining Mr. Pepys</i> is mostly about Bird and a few other women - Mr. Pepys himself is not a main focus. I really liked that Swift uses Pepys's diary as a jumping off point to imagine what Elizabeth Carpenter Knepp's life might have been like. I found the novel to be beautifully imagined with a cast of interesting and (mostly) likable characters. Mr. Knepp is not a sympathetic character for most of the novel, but Swift manages to allow even him to grow by the end.</div>
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<div>
Another character that is hard to like at first is an actor named Stefan. He had built his life in the theater playing women - before the change that allowed women to act on stage. Stefan isn't suited to playing the leading male roles and takes his frustrations out on Bird. However, as the reader learns more about his life, his motivations, and his secrets, he slowly becomes at least a person that can be sympathized with. He is allowed to grow as a person and has some interesting adventures.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
There is something for everyone in this entertaining novel - from history buffs to theater lovers. <i>Entertaining Mr. Pepys</i> is definitely a book that I can recommend. I loved all the history - especially the amazing imagery of the Great Fire of 1666. I really enjoyed <i>Entertaining Mr. Pepys</i> and I look forward to reading the other books in the trilogy.</div>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
About the Author</h3>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/pleasingmrpepysblogtour/03_deborah-swift/" rel="attachment wp-att-11520" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-11520" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/03_Deborah-Swift.jpg" height="132" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" srcset="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/03_Deborah-Swift.jpg 314w, http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/03_Deborah-Swift-300x200.jpg 300w" width="200" /></a></div>
Deborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martin’s Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!). Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists.
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She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District – a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge.<br />
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For more information, please visit Deborah Swift’s <a href="http://www.deborahswift.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/swiftstory" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3297217.Deborah_Swift" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 21</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reading the Past</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="https://tonyriches.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Writing Desk</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, November 25</strong></span><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="http://bookreviewsfromcanada.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Reviews from Canada</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 26</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 27</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://shortbookandscribes.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Short Book and Scribes</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 28</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, December 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, December 3</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, December 4</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, December 6</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, December 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://redheadedbooklady.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Red Headed Book Lady</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, December 10</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Words and Peace</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, December 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hopewell's Public Library of Life</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, December 12</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a>
<br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a signed copy of Entertaining Mr. Pepys! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/QjnFi/entertaining-mr-pepys" rel="nofollow">Entertaining Mr. Pepys</a><br />
<br />
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LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-3822516888482065712019-11-08T07:00:00.000-06:002019-11-08T09:10:11.244-06:00Distant Signs by Anne Richter - Blog Tour<div style="text-align: center;">
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Distant Signs by Anne Richter</h3>
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Publication Date: November 7, 2019</div>
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Neem Tree Press</div>
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Hardcover; 240 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Saga</div>
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Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor's daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war. As East German history gradually unravels, with collision of the personal and political, their two families' hidden truths are quietly revealed. An exquisitely written novel with strongly etched characters that stay with you long after the book is finished and an authentic portrayal of family life behind the iron curtain based on personal experience of the author who is East German and was 16 years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why do families repeat destructive patterns of behaviour across generations? Should the personal take precedence over the political? Can we rise above our histories and political identities to forge a new understanding of the past and to welcome change?
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2qpxw9F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Available on Amazon</span></a></h4>
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My Take: </h3>
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<i>Distant Signs </i>tells the story of two families over three generations. There is so much that really impressed me about the book. The time span covered in the book is really important - I feel that most Americans are not very familiar with what Germany was like during these years after WWII and before the Berlin Wall came down. </div>
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While the novel does provide some very useful information about the various institutions of government, education, etc., I felt the insight into the generational differences was even more interesting. The author manages to show the reader a bit more about each character as the book progresses. I feel Richter does a great job of bringing to life the experiences of each generation and really demonstrates the reasons for their beliefs and world views. One doesn't have to agree with a particular worldview to empathize with the person. This is demonstrated throughout the novel. The examination of the families and the way they hurt each other, try to fix their errors, pull away from each other and try to heal and pull together felt really authentic and resonated. </div>
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I have a hard time finding the words to describe the book, but I feel strongly about it. It really made an impression on me. At times it is heartbreaking, at others it is hopeful and filled with love, but <i>Distant Signs</i> is a beautifully written novel that will stick with the reader long after closing it.</div>
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About the Author</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xuz6ctGY0yf7qyhez8HimM-QGe9xxT04_uHdcEMunY0bL3GwiNZ2iKoGifRnE9MmFOOWmifS8s6r2r8jhGPGhYJo6ROChQf9Yc64XQrm3qnNcc8DM7WIkXZClU4lUlDL1NRfDQMel_ZO/s1600/03_Anne+Richter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xuz6ctGY0yf7qyhez8HimM-QGe9xxT04_uHdcEMunY0bL3GwiNZ2iKoGifRnE9MmFOOWmifS8s6r2r8jhGPGhYJo6ROChQf9Yc64XQrm3qnNcc8DM7WIkXZClU4lUlDL1NRfDQMel_ZO/s200/03_Anne+Richter.jpg" width="200" /></a>Anne Richter was born in 1973 in Jena, in the former German Democratic Republic. Her degree in Romance languages and English included study periods in England, Italy and France. In 2011, Anne was nominated for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, a highly regarded German-language literary award. Her debut novel, Distant Signs, was published in Germany in 2013. Anne is currently writing her second novel.<br />
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Douglas Irving is Scottish. He studied German and Spanish at Aberdeen University. In 2014 he completed a Masters in Translation at Glasgow University. His first translation, Crossing: A Love Story by Anna Seghers was published in 2016 in the US to positive reviews. His translation of Anna Seghers’ last work published in her lifetime, Three Women from Haiti, is set to follow.
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<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 7</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://cometreadings.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Comet Readings</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, November 10</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Darn Good Read</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://booksintheirnaturalhabitat.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books In Their Natural Habitat</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 13</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 14</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lost_in_a_book_reviewer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lost_in_a_book_reviewer</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://redheadedbooklady.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Red Headed Book Lady</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, November 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 19</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 20</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://peacefulplans.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peaceful Pastime</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 22</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, November 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impressions In Ink</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, November 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 26</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 27</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 29</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a>
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<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of A Distant Signs by Anne Richter! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
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<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
- Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
- Paperback giveaway is open internationally.<br />
- Only one entry per household.<br />
- All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
- The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/j4uyi/distant-signs" rel="nofollow">Distant Signs</a>
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LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-69258292378779249072019-10-30T07:00:00.000-05:002019-10-30T07:00:09.163-05:00The Highlander's Christmas Bride - Blog Tour Feature<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15642" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/02_The-Highlanders-Christmas-Bride.jpg" /></div>
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The Highlander's Christmas Bride by Vanessa Kelly</h3>
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Publication Date: October 29, 2019</div>
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Zebra Books</div>
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eBook & Paperback; 432 Pages</div>
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Series: Clan Kendrick, Book #2</div>
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Genre: Historical Romance/Scottish<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43878015-the-highlander-s-christmas-bride" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
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<em><strong>In bestselling author Vanessa Kelly’s irresistible Clan Kendrick series, Christmas in the Highlands means family, celebration—and for one brother, the beginning of a passionate adventure . . .</strong></em><br />
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Being thrown over by the man she expected to marry was humiliating enough. Now that Donella Haddon, grandniece of the Earl of Riddick, has also proven a failure as a nun, she has no choice but to return to her family’s estate. The brawny Highlander sent to escort her is brash, handsome, and the only thing standing between Donella and a gang of would-be kidnappers. But the scandal in her past can’t be so easily outrun . . .<br />
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Wealthy widower Logan Kendrick was expecting to meet a plain, pious spinster—not a gorgeous, sharp-tongued lass who can hold her own in any ambush. Though she’s known as the Flower of Clan Graham, Donella is no shrinking violet. In fact, she might be the perfect woman to bring happiness back to his lonely little son’s life, just in time for Christmas. But first he must protect her from ugly gossip and a mysterious threat—and convince her that their wild, unexpected desire is heaven sent.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2MhTq7X" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highlanders-christmas-bride-vanessa-kelly/1130496750?ean=9781420147032#/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420147032" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
<h3>
About the Author</h3>
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Vanessa Kelly is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated in a number of contests, and she has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Her books have been published in nine languages.<br />
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Vanessa’s latest book, The Highlander Who Protected Me, was a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, and BookScan bestseller. Her Renegade Royals Series was a national bestseller, as was The Improper Princesses Series. My Fair Princess was named a Goodreads Romance of the Month and is a USA Today and BookScan bestseller. The Highlander’s Princess Bride, book 3 in the series, was a Barnes and Noble top 50 bestseller.
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When she’s not dreaming of plots for her next Regency novel, Vanessa is writing USA Today Bestselling books with her husband, under the pen name of <a href="http://www.vksykes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">V.K. Sykes</a>.<br />
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You can find Vanessa at <a href="http://vanessakellyauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vanessakellyauthor.com</a> or at <a href="http://vksykes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vksykes.com</a>. For all of Vanessa's latest news and contests--and to receive a free story--please sign up for her <a href="https://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/join-vanessas-mailing-list/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">newsletter</a> on her website.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClanKendrick/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clan Kendrick Facebook Group</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vanessakellyauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook Author Page</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vanessakellyaut/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/VanessaKellyAut" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2728107.Vanessa_Kelly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></h4>
<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, October 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, October 30</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, October 31</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.birdhouse-books.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">View from the Birdhouse</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, November 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://instagram.com/fictitiouswonderland" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fictitiouswonderland</a><br />
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, November 4</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://instagram.com/nurse_bookie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nursebookie</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, November 6</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.bookishrantings.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookish Rantings</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jathanandheather.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jathan & Heather</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, November 7</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://unabridged-expression.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Unabridged Chick</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, November 8</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://maidenofthepages.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maiden of the Pages</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, November 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessica Belmont</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://stephsfictionandfamilylove.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stephanie's Novel Fiction</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, November 12</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a>
<br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away signed copies of THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE and THE HIGHLANDER WHO PROTECTED ME + a $20 Amazon gift card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.<br />
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15738" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/02_Dreamland.jpg" /></div>
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Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau</h3>
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Publication Date: January 16, 2020</div>
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Endeavor Quill</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47812578-dreamland" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
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The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.</div>
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But the invitation to Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer at the Moonrise Bookstore where she works voluntarily, than keeping up appearances with Brooklyn socialites and her snobbish, controlling family. </div>
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But soon it transpires that the hedonism of Coney Island affords Peggy more of the freedom she has been longing for. For one, she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of. </div>
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Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.s </div>
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It is up to Peggy to overcome the oppression of her family and clear the name of her vulnerable lover, before she or her beloved sister become the next victims of Dreamland. </div>
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Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession.</div>
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About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi_CrS5W-D8HCZwezwZvQpSc_32If5XjVa4X1G_zuCwGw8UaGjbIXDEHsqEkMbL3uTW3LbTisTmjPDb6BAulKXno12T5ik7q6IncwS4MpO_zVvtYOqFccznLQZQYw92byhGKIgmqodiiVercy1mArnasEvLQPsNuG0jBNLL3FwVZUQnqLyQcbaatj_GWBbVNntJAtV0MfwhUrNlmP0nhmSP-A=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-15739 size-medium" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Nancy-Bilyeau-e1565876645935-225x300.jpg" height="300" width="225" /></a><br />
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"Dreamland" is Nancy Bilyeau's fifth novel of historical suspense. She is the author of the best-selling historical thriller “The Blue” and the Tudor mystery series “The Crown,” “The Chalice,” and “The Tapestry,” on sale in nine countries. </div>
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Nancy is a magazine editor who has lived in the United States and Canada. She studied History and English Literature at the University of Michigan. After moving to New York City, she worked on the staffs of “InStyle,” “Good Housekeeping,” and “Rolling Stone.” She is currently the deputy editor of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at the Research Foundation of CUNY and a regular contributing writer to “Town & Country" and "Mystery Scene Magazine." </div>
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Nancy’s mind is always in past centuries but she currently lives with her husband and two children in Forest Hills in the borough of Queens. "Dreamland" is her first novel set in her adopted hometown of New York City.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nancybilyeau.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NancyBilyeauAuthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/tudorscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4747988.Nancy_Bilyeau" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-bilyeau" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a></span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Cover Reveal Schedule</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 19</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 20</strong></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://booksintheirnaturalhabitat.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books In Their Natural Habitat</a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wednesday, August 21</span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://unabridged-expression.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Unabridged Chick</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 22</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.jennifertarheelreader.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tar Heel Reader</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.kriswaldherr.com/site/category/news-muse/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kris Waldherr Art & Words</a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 23</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://imallaboutbooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I'm All About Books</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lost_in_a_book_reviewer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lost_in_a_book_reviewer</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a> </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 24</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, August 25</strong></span> </div>
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<a href="https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Darn Good Read</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://orangecountyreaders.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Orange County Readers</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a> </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 26</strong></span> </div>
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<a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessica Belmont</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://maidenofthepages.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maiden of the Pages</a>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgbr-dOuybUEUgCz29533bHD1JuJyuH-4L51MtORJRLZwUbDzqwQZB4D2bk0NCtEx0r9Bxm83xfkoYSJJHEI_CzgYKQB06M5S-h65rpucVXJbIWWDENCVTQb1uH9Bo4EIfotG54cWLJA/s1600/dreamland+poster_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgbr-dOuybUEUgCz29533bHD1JuJyuH-4L51MtORJRLZwUbDzqwQZB4D2bk0NCtEx0r9Bxm83xfkoYSJJHEI_CzgYKQB06M5S-h65rpucVXJbIWWDENCVTQb1uH9Bo4EIfotG54cWLJA/s640/dreamland+poster_final.jpg" width="636" /></a></div>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhfvirtualbooktours.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F08%2FNancy-Bilyeau-e1565876645935-225x300.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi_CrS5W-D8HCZwezwZvQpSc_32If5XjVa4X1G_zuCwGw8UaGjbIXDEHsqEkMbL3uTW3LbTisTmjPDb6BAulKXno12T5ik7q6IncwS4MpO_zVvtYOqFccznLQZQYw92byhGKIgmqodiiVercy1mArnasEvLQPsNuG0jBNLL3FwVZUQnqLyQcbaatj_GWBbVNntJAtV0MfwhUrNlmP0nhmSP-A=" -->LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-54252452798497165792019-08-12T07:00:00.000-05:002019-08-12T07:00:22.278-05:00The Fire of Winter Blog Tour and Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15362" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/02_The-Fire-of-Winter.jpg" /></div>
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The Fire of Winter by D.K. Marley</h3>
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Publication Date: June 1, 2019</div>
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eBook; 355 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46125484-the-fire-of-winter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
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<i>She is known as Lady Macbeth.</i><br />
<i>What leads her down the path of murder? </i><br />
<i>What secrets fire her destiny? </i><br />
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Gruah, granddaughter of King Cìnéad III of the Royal Clan Alpin, marries two men in less than six months, one she loves and one she hates; one in secret, the other arranged by the High King of Scotland. At the age of eighteen, she lays her palm upon the ancient stone of Scone and sees her destiny as Queen of Scotland, and she vows to do whatever necessary to see her true love, Macbeth macFindlaech, beside her on the throne.<br />
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Amid the fiery times and heated onslaughts from Denmark and England, as the rule of Scotland hangs in the balance, Gruah seeks to win the throne and bring revenge upon the monsters of her childhood, no matter the cost or amount of blood tainting her own hands; yet, an unexpected meeting with the King called the Confessor causes her to question her bloody path and doubt her once blazing pagan faith. Will she find redemption or has the blood of her past fire-branded her soul?<br />
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The story weaves the play by William Shakespeare with the actual history of Macbeth and his Queen in 11th-century Scotland.
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“...a woman's story at a winter's fire...” (Macbeth, Act III, Scene IV)<br />
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<strong>“This beautifully written reworking of the Macbeth tale told from Lady Macbeth’s point-of-view flows from the page and you quickly become immersed in the politics and intrigues of feudal Scotland as she fights for her rightful place and her true love! A mesmerizing read that grips from start to finish and Gruah is now one of my all-time favorite literary crushes. “ - Iain Leonard, ARC Reviewer</strong><br />
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<strong>“Brilliantly conceived and beautifully written, The Fire of Winter is a tale not to be missed by lovers of Shakespeare, lovers of history, or lovers of the written word.” - Riana Everly, Author of Teaching Eliza and Through a Different Lens</strong><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/32AG9Nw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781724914965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
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<h3>
My Take:</h3>
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<i>The Fire of Winter</i> was quite a surprising treat to read! I love Shakespeare and usually jump at the opportunity to read an author's take on a Shakespeare play - especially when it is told from the woman's point of view. I was very impressed with how the author was able to bring Gruah to life and make her a very complicated, interesting, conflicted and thoroughly intriguing person.</div>
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I was totally drawn into her life - there is tragedy, violence, ambition, passion and enough revenge to satisfy most any reader. Eleventh century Scotland was still making a transition from the Celtic faith to Christianity and it wasn't a smooth, peaceful transition. The transition plays a part in the novel and helps to explain Gruah's beliefs and some of her justifications for some of her actions.</div>
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<i>The Fire of Winter</i> stays pretty true to Shakespeare's Macbeth with the added bonus of getting to explain some of the things that always made me wonder about the play. For example, who the "witches" are, why they do what they do, what the motivating factors are for Gruah's actions -- why does she urge Macbeth to kill the king? All of these and more are explained in very clever ways that tell a dark and complex tale about Gruah, her history, her family and helps explain the complicated relationship between the aristocracy of Scotland at the time.</div>
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Gruah is not an easy character to like, but she is definitely interesting and deserves to have her story told - even if it is completely fictionalized. Hers is definitely a story that sticks with the reader and Gruah is a memorable character. <i>The Fire of Winter</i> was a fun and clever book and I would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shakespeare, historical fiction, women's history, and dark revenge tales. </div>
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj6VtITAFHaPSmAt1UbsNCoWrsFyvTrALbl9JvbJ55gkfJWMir0mVo73BQ73gy-38T_I7VeEQaeWDYH2q7qzxlczrr6eOQm6WjJLvPzj5cLapBTPBjTuKdyZpNUBGM1r_NSVR6-SPYC6GOpHIgihoAbhriSCFIEOpZyOOqn4WVdgGNphERa8BJEqw=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-13220" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/03_DK-Marley.jpg" height="220" width="220" /></a></div>
D. K. Marley is a historical fiction writer specializing in Shakespearean themes. Her grandmother, an English Literature teacher, gave her a volume of Shakespeare's plays when she was eleven, inspiring DK to delve further into the rich Elizabethan language. Eleven years ago she began the research leading to the publication of her first novel "Blood and Ink," an epic tale of lost dreams, spurned love, jealousy and deception in Tudor England as the two men, William Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe, fight for one name and the famous works now known as the Shakespeare Folio. She is an avid Shakespearean / Marlowan, a member of the Marlowe Society, the Shakespeare Fellowship and a signer of the Declaration of Intent for the Shakespeare Authorship Debate. She has traveled to England three times for intensive research and debate workshops and is a graduate of the intense training workshop "The Writer's Retreat Workshop" founded by Gary Provost and hosted by Jason Sitzes. She lives in Georgia with her husband and a Scottish Terriers named Maggie and Buster.<br />
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For more information, please visit D.K. Marley's <a href="https://slayingthejabberwocky.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dkmarley.author" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/theRealDKMarley" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/therealdkmarley/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4091669.D_K_Marley" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, July 22</strong></span><br />
Review & Guest Post at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, July 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, July 24</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, July 26</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Words and Peace</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, July 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, July 30</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://alexmarchantblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Order of the White Boar</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 2</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jorie Loves A Story</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 6</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">History From a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://faerytalesarereal.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Faery Tales Are Real</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 10</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jorie Loves A Story</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 13</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">History From a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Wednesday, August 14</span></strong><br />
Feature at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impressions in Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookreviewsfromcanada.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Reviews from Canada</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 19</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away copies of The Fire of Winter + a surprise gift to three lucky winners! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to the US only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.<br />
<br />
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/2IeSS/the-fire-of-winter" rel="nofollow">The Fire of Winter</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15573" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/The-Fire-of-Winter_Poster.jpeg.png" height="280" width="650" /><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9Nn541AEaNv6DnZTGa4S9P8ABxEKFoc-rPjzv5RF3V7m85cQz6DJHdbwtAwea2h7gNtKL7YAmyuSyvWM_TZvUx0WJipjpOoyZ6fnjNdi4_zX7cWDluhv7TnwK9f3r3G2V1v5eqfDCgEd/s1600/ftc+adjusted+size2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9Nn541AEaNv6DnZTGa4S9P8ABxEKFoc-rPjzv5RF3V7m85cQz6DJHdbwtAwea2h7gNtKL7YAmyuSyvWM_TZvUx0WJipjpOoyZ6fnjNdi4_zX7cWDluhv7TnwK9f3r3G2V1v5eqfDCgEd/s1600/ftc+adjusted+size2.png" /></a></div>
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-15045" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/02_A-Conspiracy-of-Wolves.jpg" /></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb</h3>
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Publication Date: August 1, 2019</div>
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Severn House/Crème de la Crime</div>
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Hardcover & eBook; 256 Pages</div>
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Series: Owen Archer, Book 11</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Mystery<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43799942-a-conspiracy-of-wolves" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
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When a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in this gripping medieval mystery.<br />
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1374. When a member of one of York’s most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn out, rumours spread like wildfire that wolves are running loose throughout the city. Persuaded to investigate by the victim’s father, Owen Archer is convinced that a human killer is responsible. But before he can gather sufficient evidence to prove his case, a second body is discovered, stabbed to death. Is there a connection? What secrets are contained within the victim’s household? And what does apprentice healer Alisoun know that she’s not telling?<br />
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Teaming up with Geoffrey Chaucer, who is in York on a secret mission on behalf of Prince Edward, Owen’s enquiries will draw him headlong into a deadly conspiracy.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1780291159" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-conspiracy-of-wolves-candace-robb/1130394156?ean=9781780291154" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781780291154" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
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<h3>
My Take:</h3>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>A Conspiracy of Wolves</i> is the eleventh novel in the Owen Archer
series. But don’t worry if this is your first introduction to Owen Archer – the
novel can easily be read as a standalone. Candace Robb is a master storyteller
and she truly understands the time period. Any needed back story is provided
within the novel as well as plenty of historical references for those of us who
are history nerds and need to know exactly when in time the story takes place and
who the important historical players would have been. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
While the mystery regarding the violent and confusing deaths
is the main element of the novel – the rumors of wolves running wild and
killing people despite the evidence of murder, a new Archbishop of York brings
some challenging political changes that Archer must deal with, conflicting
loyalties, other characters keeping secrets – all work to make the story
complex and infinitely fun to read. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I was completely drawn into the challenges that Owen Archer
and his oftentimes annoying friend Geoffrey Chaucer face in trying to figure
out exactly what is going on. There are so many wonderful characters in the
novel besides Archer and Chaucer. I found them engaging and very real.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Usually when I read mysteries, I am really focused on trying
to figure out who the murderer is and solving the crime. But while reading <i>A
Conspiracy of Wolves</i>, I found myself more involved with the characters and
their lives and problems. I was so pleased at how real the story felt – from the
details of everyday activities to the historical accuracy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A Conspiracy of Wolves</i> was a real treat to read and I am embarrassed
to admit that this is the first Owen Archer novel I have read – but it won’t be
the last! I immediately ran to the library to check out the first two books in
the series. I would wholeheartedly recommend <i>A Conspiracy of Wolves</i> to anyone
who enjoys historical fiction and/or mysteries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjiZCJnItSeTOCe3KoSZ2pun6gdj6OQY_4UDf2YoUVipjbomQb8hmS4uTts4GQONC6fQN06OJ38DNLKD9yzJ5q5-sVCuDNqMDLc7Y-VHt-OoxQCBmu2gqKczB4teT7gADGuv5dlyDOCfqInbRq0eoeYX7zhEYtcL2uWOHo6oBGAAPMjBUWNmj1S2oz8Ow=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-15046" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/03_Candace-Robb.jpg" height="196" width="200" /></a>I’m Candace Robb, a writer/historian engaged in creating fiction about the late middle ages with a large cast of characters with whom I enjoy spending my days. Two series, the Owen Archer mysteries and the Kate Clifford mysteries, are set in late medieval York. The Margaret Kerr trilogy is set in early 14th century Scotland, at the beginning of the Wars of Independence. Two standalone novels (published under pseudonym Emma Campion) expand on the lives of two women in the court of King Edward III who have fascinated me ever since I first encountered them in history and fiction.<br />
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I am a dreamer. Writing, gardening, walking, dancing, reading, being with friends—there’s always a dreaming element.
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.candacerobbbooks.com/?fbclid=IwAR2o0iqg-QrVeZF-Ph7gow4rB0d3OvubSZhiwaGfke5t_Cie1Me0RAzI7pc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CandaceRobb/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/CandaceMRobb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter </a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/candace-robb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a></span></h4>
<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, August 1</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.bookfrolic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Frolic</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://booksintheirnaturalhabitat.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books In Their Natural Habitat</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 3</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Writing Desk</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 5</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://bookaddictrambles.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Addict Rambles</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 6</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues and Scandals</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 7</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.bookishrantings.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookish Rantings</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 8</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reading the Past</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://hooverbookreviews.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hoover Book Reviews</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 9</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://imallaboutbooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I'm All About Books</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 10</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Sunday, August 11</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Darn Good Read</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 12</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
Review & Interview at <a href="http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendalyn's Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 13</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 14</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Words and Peace</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookreviewsfromcanada.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Reviews from Canada</a><br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a Hardcover copy of A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to the US only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/YTTc3/conspiracy-of-wolves" rel="nofollow">Conspiracy of Wolves</a>
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Patricia Sands<span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>
</strong></span></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">
on Spotlight Tour</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
July 24-August 6</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="A Season of Surprises" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8758" height="400" src="https://francebooktours.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/a-season-of-surprises.jpg?w=189" width="252" />
</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
A Season of Surprises
at the Villa des Violettes
(Book 2)</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(women's fiction/travel fiction)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Release date: June 18, 2019
<span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/2Y3Ra7c" style="color: #00ccff;">Amazon Digital Services LLC</a></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ASIN: B07TB57YCX
228 pages</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a href="http://patriciasandsauthor.com/" style="color: #00ccff;">Author’s page</a></span></strong> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46366110-a-season-of-surprises-at-the-villa-des-violettes?ac=1&from_search=true"><strong><span style="color: #00ccff;">Goodreads</span></strong></a></div>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<strong>SYNOPSIS</strong></h2>
<div id="stcpDiv">
The Love in Provence characters are celebrating a glorious spring on the Côte d’Azur. There are sweet-smelling blossoms, buds bursting into bloom, explosions of golden mimosa, dazzling sunshine, a shimmering sea… and a worrying disappearance! A hidden past is uncovered and shocking truths are revealed. But life goes on. Kat and Philippe welcome their first B&B guests to the Villa and continue to be busy with other demands, all the while keeping hope alive as police search for their friend. A special request from Simone and an unexpected appearance turn a planned motorcycle trip in Corsica into so much more. Springtime at the Villa des Violettes is filled with secrets and surprises.
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<h2>
ABOUT THE AUTHOR</h2>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://francebooktours.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/i-promise-you-this-patricia-sands.jpg?w=150" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="I Promise You This Patricia Sands" border="0" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-5991" height="108" src="https://francebooktours.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/i-promise-you-this-patricia-sands.jpg?w=150" width="150" /></a>Patricia Sands
lives in Toronto,
but her heart's other home is the South of France.
An avid traveler, she spends part of each year on the Cote d'Azur
and once a year leads a women- only tour of the Riviera and Provence.
Her award-winning 2010 debut novel, The Bridge Club,
is a book club favorite.
<span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a href="https://francebooktours.com/2013/04/19/patrica-sands-on-upcoming-tour-the-promise-of-provence/" style="color: #00ccff;">The Promise of Provence</a></strong></span>,
which launched her three-part Love in Provence series
was a finalist for a 2013 USA Best Book Award and a 2014 National Indie Excellence Award,
an Amazon Hot New Release in April 2013,
and a 2015 nominee for a #RBRT Golden Rose award in the category of romance.
<span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a href="https://francebooktours.com/2017/08/09/patricia-sands-on-tour-drawing-lessons/" style="color: #00ccff;">Drawing Lessons</a></strong></span>, Sands’ fifth novel, also set in the south of France,
was released by Lake Union Publishing on October 1, 2017.
Book Two in her new mini-series, A Season of Surprises at The Villa des Violettes, releases June, 2019.
Patricia also contributes to such Francophile websites as The Good Life France and Perfectly Provence.</div>
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Connect with Patricia on <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPatriciaSands/" style="color: #00ccff;">Facebook</a>,</span></strong>
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or on <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a href="http://patriciasandsauthor.com/" style="color: #00ccff;">her website,</a>
</span></strong>where there are links to her books, social media, and the women’s tour she leads each summer in Provence, based on her novels.
Sign up for her <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a href="https://patriciasandsauthor.com/category/blog/" style="color: #00ccff;">monthly newsletter</a> </span></strong>that has special giveaways and sneak peeks at her next book. She would love to hear from you.<strong><span style="color: #00ccff;">
</span></strong></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Buy the book on <a href="http://bit.ly/2JDwQDN"><span style="color: #00ccff;">Kobo</span></a>, <span style="color: #00ccff;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Y3Ra7c" style="color: #00ccff;">Amazon</a></span>, or <a href="http://bit.ly/2Y2mPJG"><span style="color: #00ccff;">Barnes & Noble (Nook)</span></a></strong> </span></div>
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<h2>
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You can enter the global giveaway here
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<strong>Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook,</strong>
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LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-48797187424551010802019-07-15T07:00:00.000-05:002019-07-15T07:00:08.314-05:00Bad Axe County - Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhefzhDEE9PFP_HXKf-mrEcKw4rN1hDhA88qkcbBDWA6utBIcn8dMLxDnGraz5GL9MJOC7mjhx2ijfSi8tx3_YNZA7RoJPe6xuaMJpl03cjusDvkaziEveRw-ncbrUAAocAyKiB0FAiso/s1600/bad-axe-county-9781982110703_hr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhefzhDEE9PFP_HXKf-mrEcKw4rN1hDhA88qkcbBDWA6utBIcn8dMLxDnGraz5GL9MJOC7mjhx2ijfSi8tx3_YNZA7RoJPe6xuaMJpl03cjusDvkaziEveRw-ncbrUAAocAyKiB0FAiso/s400/bad-axe-county-9781982110703_hr.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<b>Bad Axe County by John Galligan</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Atria Books</b></div>
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<b>Publication date: July 9, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Source: Publisher for an honest review</b></div>
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Description from Goodreads:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fifteen years ago, Heidi White’s parents were shot to death
on their Bad Axe County farm. The police declared it a murder-suicide and
closed the case. But that night, Heidi found the one clue she knew could lead
to the truth—if only the investigators would listen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now Heidi White is Heidi Kick, wife of local baseball legend
Harley Kick and mother of three small children. She’s also the interim sheriff
in Bad Axe. Half the county wants Heidi elected but the other half will do
anything to keep her out of law enforcement. And as a deadly ice storm makes it
way to Bad Axe, tensions rise and long-buried secrets climb to the surface.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As freezing rain washes out roads and rivers flood their
banks, Heidi finds herself on the trail of a missing teenaged girl. Clues lead
her down twisted paths to backwoods stag parties, derelict dairy farms, and the
local salvage yard—where the body of a different teenage girl has been
carefully hidden for a decade.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As the storm rages on, Heidi realizes that someone is
planting clues for her to find, leading her to some unpleasant truths that
point to the local baseball team and a legendary game her husband pitched years
ago. With a murder to solve, a missing girl to save, and a monster to bring to
justice, Heidi is on the cusp of shaking her community to its core—and finding
out what really happened the night her parents died.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Take:<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was very excited for the chance to read this novel by John
Galligan, who I learned is a Wisconsin author. The description of the novel piqued
my interest and I was not disappointed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bad Axe County is a dark, twisting kind of crime/mystery/suspense
novel. While it is very dark and grim, I was completely drawn into Interim
Sheriff Heidi Kick’s search for an endangered girl and the man who has her
during a fierce spring ice storm – all while also trying to solve the mystery
of her parents’ supposed murder-suicide and a long ago missing girl case.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heidi Kick is a great heroine – she has her issues, for
sure, but she is smart, determined and tough as nails. She has a lot to contend
with besides the endangered girl case. She is the first female to act as
sheriff in Wisconsin and at least half of the county wants to make sure she doesn’t
get to keep the job. Heidi finds there was a lot of corruption within the sheriff’s
department before the sheriff’s death and she is determined to find out how far
it went.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The area has a major drug problem as well as human
trafficking. There is much that makes this a difficult book to read. It gives a
very frank and graphic description of the predicament of some of the girls who
are run through the area and what happens to them. Grim stuff. But the story is
compelling and I was completely pulled into Heidi’s investigations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After reading through much of the night to finish the book,
I was haunted by the story for a long while afterwards. The writing is beautiful
despite much of the subject matter. I would love to read more by Galligan. I
can’t believe this is the first book of his that I’ve read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>About the author:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYWznpcWYQ2w1PxvKXDIA3uIMd2c7rg2yveBNMI0z9R6e4yd-mXjQYE5DFLoXSUj1frEu6LSscH3zHy0IRTW2_RU3aOTS0xH4vAqBtRSBYLnm9eRfsG0NplnDLiM86X7z2We4By5m8LD5/s1600/john+galligan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYWznpcWYQ2w1PxvKXDIA3uIMd2c7rg2yveBNMI0z9R6e4yd-mXjQYE5DFLoXSUj1frEu6LSscH3zHy0IRTW2_RU3aOTS0xH4vAqBtRSBYLnm9eRfsG0NplnDLiM86X7z2We4By5m8LD5/s200/john+galligan.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Johnny Ring<br /></td></tr>
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JOHN GALLIGAN is the author of the novels Red Sky, Red
Dragonfly, The Nail Knot, The Clinch Knot, The Wind Knot, and Bad Axe County.
He lives and teaches writing in Madison, Wisconsin.<br />
Website: <u><a href="https://www.johngalligan.com/" target="_blank">https://www.johngalligan.com/</a></u><br />
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BAD AXE COUNTY by John Galligan</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Atria Hardcover | ISBN: 9781982110703| On sale: July 9, 2019 | 336 pages |
$26.00</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
eBook: Atria | ISBN: 9781982110727 | On sale: July 9, 2019 | 336 pages | $13.99</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
eAudio: Atria | ISBN: 9781508294245 | On sale: July 9, 2019 | 336 pages |
$19.99</div>
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<br />LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-89767877567010887762019-06-19T07:00:00.000-05:002019-06-19T07:00:04.367-05:00Lacewood - Book Blast & Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-15112" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/02_Lacewood.jpg" height="600" width="400" /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Lacewood by Jessica James</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: June 18, 2019</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Patriot Press</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
eBook; 348 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44576882-lacewood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
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<em><strong>Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…</strong></em><br />
<br />
<strong>Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.</strong><br />
<br />
MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.
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Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.<br />
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The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.<br />
<br />
Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.
<br />
<br />
A haunting story from award-winning author Jessica James that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lacewood-Novel-Place-Jessica-James-ebook/dp/B07PW8BQJ4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lacewood-jessica-james/1130038190?ean=2940156236220" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781941020227" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
<div>
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhYCylXv4vvTJ-1ZbSHMC49kN9P1-5OtlhSw_BymztxrSF-XMLfToAZtaoUqPLu9t_JnMbFtf7e7CSiIxETzVDZYCMIzcYqAvOiDR5HUh0LaS8tGdkT_1undfMKMvOSO6B3la9dM66gkFc00PZ4aQUMDpU-RUhKpT1cKC2KCvpmBr3JPS4dL7Js7VGExCk=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-15113" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/03_Jessica-James.jpg" height="200" width="147" /></a>Jessica James is an award-winning author of suspense, historical fiction, and military fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War to modern day. Her highly acclaimed Civil War novel Shades of Gray won numerous national literary awards, and is often compared to Gone with the Wind.<br />
<br />
By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, duty, and dedication into each book, James attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military--past and present--and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service. Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.<br />
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James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, NINC, Sisters in Crime, and the Romance Writers of America. She is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.<br />
<br />
Sign up for her free newsletter at <a href="http://www.jessicajamesbooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.jessicajamesbooks.com</a> and ask for a free copy of From the Heart: Civil War Love Letters and Stories. You can also find Jessica on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RomanticHistoricalFiction/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jessicajames" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/586216.Jessica_James" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
<br />
<h3>
Book Blast Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 18</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
<a href="http://bookreviewsfromcanada.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Reviews from Canada</a><br />
<a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues and Scandals</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 19</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 20</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 21</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Darn Good Read</a><br />
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, June 22</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, June 23</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 24</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 25</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
<a href="https://booksintheirnaturalhabitat.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books In Their Natural Habitat</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 26</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://maidenofthepages.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maiden of the Pages</a><br />
<a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 27</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
<a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 28</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
<a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a>
<br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to US only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/T9lhT/lacewood" rel="nofollow">Lacewood</a>
<script async="true" src="https://js.gleam.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14401" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/02_Of-Knights-and-Dogfights.jpg" /></div>
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</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Of Knights and Dogfights: A WWII Novel by Ellie Midwood</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: January 4, 2019</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
eBook & Paperback; 426 Pages</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42976893-of-knights-and-dogfights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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“Has it ever occurred to you, Johann; the fact that we’re fighting on the wrong side?”
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<br />
Austria, 1938<br />
<br />
On the verge of the most devastating war of all times, four young men found themselves sharing a room in a flying school dormitory. A bohemian Berliner, a Flieger-Hitlerjugend member, a prodigy pilot, and a butcher’s son, with nothing in common but their love for the Luftwaffe and the freedom the sky has to offer. The bond they develop is put to the test by what might be a stronger adversary - war itself. Over the English Channel, in the dusty skies of Africa, on the brutal Eastern front, they will discover where their loyalty lies, and what true bravery means.<br />
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“It’s Großdeutsches Reich, soldier. When one has a family at home, it doesn’t leave him many chances for the revolt.”<br />
<br />
As the war progresses, Willi and Johann grow more and more disillusioned with the regime they’re protecting with their lives. An SS unit appearing on their base to claim one of their own; bits of conversation revealing the truth about the extermination program accidentally overheard during the official reception - the pieces of the puzzle are slowly coming together, but it’s too late to do anything but fight to the bitter end, whatever it may bring.<br />
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Set during one of the bloodiest wars in history, “Of Knights and Dogfights” is the story of the shattered illusions of youth, tyranny and freedom, friendship and love guiding one out of the darkest hell of Soviet captivity.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mybook.to/KnightsAndDogfights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-knights-and-dogfights-ellie-midwood/1129945404" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></span></h4>
<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgFOJqB9_A0o2WnEwXx_YKhepjoNCJHvk1whMaup4car_OQ9kg_N3vjDT-ZK9KRSFwgIHxoQBBn20EBPs-lJTeeJfaGgoBzJbIdOuLEssCqjmFoIKL0cIKeD5xy9PYw4WOPoc75JduabsuzfgRCKa4mEy2CobZsXvdm8tI5Yr8xPekPbR1FEM6jwFM20uo=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-14402" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/03_Ellie-Midwood.jpg" height="228" width="190" /></a>Ellie Midwood is a best-selling, award-winning historical fiction writer. She's a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, a neat freak, an adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew and a doggie mama.<br />
<br />
Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.<br />
<br />
Readers' Favorite - winner in the Historical Fiction category (2016) - "The Girl from Berlin: Standartenfuhrer's Wife"<br />
<br />
Readers' Favorite - winner in the Historical Fiction category (2016) - "The Austrian" (honorable mention)<br />
<br />
New Apple - 2016 Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing - "The Austrian" (official selection)<br />
<br />
For more information on Ellie and her novels, please visit her <a href="http://elliemidwood.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EllieMidwood/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Midwood/e/B00MAZ2N30" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8424262.Ellie_Midwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14403" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/release-graphic.jpg" height="529" width="504" /></div>
<h3>
Book Blast Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 10</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 11</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 12</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 13</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 14</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, June 15</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, June 16</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 18</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/melissaflory/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Melissa Flory</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 19</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 20</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 21</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a>
<br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
We have one paperback copy of Of Knights and Dogfights up for grabs! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 21st. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to US only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/gCL8m/of-knights-and-dogfights" rel="nofollow">Of Knights and Dogfights</a>
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/gCL8m/of-knights-and-dogfights" rel="nofollow">Of Knights and Dogfights</a><br />
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhfvirtualbooktours.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2F03_Ellie-Midwood.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgFOJqB9_A0o2WnEwXx_YKhepjoNCJHvk1whMaup4car_OQ9kg_N3vjDT-ZK9KRSFwgIHxoQBBn20EBPs-lJTeeJfaGgoBzJbIdOuLEssCqjmFoIKL0cIKeD5xy9PYw4WOPoc75JduabsuzfgRCKa4mEy2CobZsXvdm8tI5Yr8xPekPbR1FEM6jwFM20uo=" -->LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-30612899385227816662019-06-14T07:00:00.000-05:002019-06-14T07:00:01.901-05:00The Process of Fraying - Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14596" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/02_The-Process-of-Fraying.jpg" /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Process of Fraying by Jess Neal Woods</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Publication Date: January 5, 2019</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Paperback & eBook; 446 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
Source: Publisher/author for an honest review<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43836414-the-process-of-fraying" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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Violet is a pillar of hospitality and compassion within her community. As a farmer’s wife and mother of a large brood, she is resolute, thrifty, and charming. The life that is woven between the land and her family is one of harmony and beauty.<br />
<br />
When she begins to struggle with depression, her demeanor changes. At first, the change is subtle, but it becomes increasingly problematic as Violet struggles with bouts of incapacitating depression and anxiety and visions of self-harm. A candle flame offers a way to feel, even if it is the pain of a burn. Her beloved creek becomes ominous as it beckons to her. Having no real understanding of what is happening within her, Violet turns to both the religious and medical communities for guidance. Both fail her. With her identity stripped away and her family reeling from the aftermath, Violet must determine if she can make peace with the changes within herself before she is consumed by them.
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<br />
The Process of Fraying is a historical family drama that explores the social, religious, and medical stigmas surrounding mental health in the 1940s.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2WQN1mP" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
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<div>
<h3>
My Take:</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The description of <i>The Process of Fraying</i> was all it took
for me to want to read it. I’ve long been fascinated with the ways mental
health is portrayed in literature and how attitudes and beliefs regarding it
have changed over time. It is often not a pleasant topic, but I am interested
in it nonetheless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was immediately caught up in Violet’s life and her inner
thoughts. I found her to be a very thoughtful and nurturing woman. I thought the
author did a wonderful job of not just describing Violet’s feelings and inner
thoughts, but also making them feel so real. Sometimes as I was reading, I felt
like I was drowning in the emotions and turmoil of confusion Violet felt about
why she couldn’t pull herself out of the darkness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Violet and her husband seek help from their religious
leaders and doctors – and none of them are able to help her. In fact, the
doctors do much more harm than good. The descriptions of the so-called “treatments”
she underwent are downright infuriating and are actually barbaric. Even beyond the
treatments themselves, the victimization of the patients in the mental institutions
by the staff and doctors is just horrific. The fact that she survived their “treatments”
shows the depth of her inner strength rather than the lack thereof. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Process of Fraying</i> is a beautifully written book and I
cannot recommend it strongly enough. The author did a wonderful job of sharing
her great-grandmother’s life and I truly appreciate the chance to read about
her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
About the Author</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhTFYb10Z7cJISZlE70wQWIwsoN_lOBoRPGVEQPeINtn0sQALccXkMSPEPGyADjrCXyT3q1ZiXUm90U7W-HQJiak9A-FCjMpt7n2_09GpMIPE29VXzVaGpSZCrim7uxYLfWbMP5m9NRzMyZyde_QgGJwMj99TmYnF9a29npQ4hVecfjoeJe5DEwZMkQ6rAy0Iy6yJ3eEwnw=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14597" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/03_Jess-Neal-Woods-200x300.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
Jess is a debut novelist in historical fiction centering around the WWII era. A graduate of Indiana University, Jess holds a degree in English. When she is not reading or writing, she teaches English (literature and composition) courses online to high school students. Jess currently resides in upstate New York with her husband, Josh, their three children, and their two dogs. Though she is a Georgia native, Jess has lived in a multitude of states. Each place gives her writing fresh flare and direction as she is exposed to new people, stories, and experiences.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://jessnealwoods.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WriterJess/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JessWoods18" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18770810.Jess_Neal_Woods" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 10</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
Review & Interview at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 12</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, June 13</span></strong><br />
Feature at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/henryandbennysbooknook" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Henry and Benny's Book Nook</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 14</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Saturday, June 15</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.mamapandabear.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mama Panda Bear</a><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a copy of The Process of Fraying by Jess Neal Woods! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to US only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/QkMcE/the-process-of-fraying" rel="nofollow">The Process of Fraying</a>
<script async="true" src="https://js.gleam.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14694" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/02_Gold-Digger.jpg" /> </div>
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Gold Digger by Rebecca Rosenberg</h3>
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Publication Date: May 28, 2019</div>
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Lion Heart Publishing</div>
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eBook & Paperback; 312 Pages</div>
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Genre: Fiction/Romance/Historical/American<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40018748-gold-digger-the-remarkable-baby-doe-tabor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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One look at Baby Doe and you know she was meant to be a legend! She was just twenty years old when she came to Colorado to work a gold mine with her new husband. Little did she expect that she'd be abandoned and pregnant and left to manage the gold mine alone. But that didn't stop her!<br />
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She moved to Leadville and fell in love with a married prospector, twice her age. Horace Tabor struck the biggest silver vein in history, divorced his wife and married Baby Doe. Though his new wife was known for her beauty, her fashion, and even her philanthropy, she was never welcomed in polite society.<br />
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Discover how the Tabors navigated the worlds of wealth, power, politics, and scandal in the wild days of western mining.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2GPmgdU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130646257" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></span></h4>
<h3>
Praise for Gold Digger</h3>
“Rosenberg’s rollicking Western adventure strikes gold with a gutsy, good-hearted spitfire of a heroine and action aplenty.” —THELMA ADAMS, bestselling author of Bittersweet Brooklyn and The Last Woman Standing<br />
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"Gold Digger tells the true story of Lizzie 'Baby Doe' Tabor, a beautiful young woman who in 1878 marries the son of a wealthy miner in order to save her family from penury. Shrewd and stubborn, Lizzie fights back-biting Victorian society, wins and loses vast fortunes, and bests conniving politicians in her larger-than-life story. A twisting tale worthy of Mark Twain, with a big-hearted heroine at the center." —MARTHA CONWAY, author of The Underground River
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My Take:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before reading Gold Digger, I was completely unfamiliar with
who Baby Doe was. In fact, I had never heard of her, however, the description
of the novel sounded really interesting, so I was eager to read about this
woman with the funny nickname.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I did a lot of Googling while reading Gold Digger – mostly because
her story is so wild and reads like fiction, so I was constantly verifying that
all the amazing things actually happened to her. While her story has been
fictionalized for the novel, the main
events did indeed happen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is made clear that Lizzie – soon to be known as Baby Doe –
was brought up by her mother to be the beautiful wife to a wealthy man. Her
mother fawned over her beauty and groomed her to search for a wealthy man to
marry so she could help out her family. Quite an unfortunate kind of
upbringing. This perceived duty is heavy on Lizzie. She has made what seems, on
paper, to be a good marriage, but it quickly becomes clear that her handsome
young husband isn’t cut out for working the mine his father has given him to
run. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Lizzie is given her new name by the miners and it sticks. Baby
Doe is a hard worker and will stop at nothing to make a living and make the
mine succeed. She has incredible strength and fortitude – and she needs it to
survive her first marriage and life after she is abandoned by her husband.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I found the book to be very interesting and sometimes almost
unbelievable. Gold Digger is only the first part of Baby Doe’s story – there is
more to tell and I look forward to reading more about this gutsy woman and her
larger than life tale.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thesecretlifeofmrslondonblogtour/03_rebecca-rosenberg/" rel="attachment wp-att-12310" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-12310" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/03_Rebecca-Rosenberg.jpg" height="303" sizes="(max-width: 246px) 100vw, 246px" srcset="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/03_Rebecca-Rosenberg.jpg 246w, http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/03_Rebecca-Rosenberg-244x300.jpg 244w" width="246" /></a></div>
A California native, Rebecca Rosenberg lives on a lavender farm with her family in Sonoma, the Valley of the Moon, where Jack London wrote from his Beauty Ranch. Rebecca is a long-time student of Jack London’s works and an avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian London. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is her debut novel.<br />
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Rebecca and her husband, Gary, own the largest lavender product company in America, selling to 4000 resorts, spas and gift stores. The Rosenbergs believe in giving back to the Sonoma Community, supporting many causes through financial donations and board positions, including Worth Our Weight, an educational culinary program for at-risk children, YWCA shelter for abused women, Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center to provide performances for children, Sonoma Food Bank, Sonoma Boys and Girls Club, and the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home.<br />
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For more information, please visit Rebecca’s <a href="http://www.rebecca-rosenberg.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="http://www.rebecca-rosenberg.com/rebeccas-blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.rosenberg.novelist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7652050.Rebecca_Rosenberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>. Visit the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rebeccarosenbergnovels" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> for The Secret Life of Mrs. London.
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<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.birdhouse-books.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">View from the Birdhouse</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 20</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 21</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 24</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 27</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.orangecountyreaders.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Orange County Readers</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 28</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://kimberliauthor.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kimber Li</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/diana_bibliophile" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Diana_bibliophile</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 29</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ohthebooksshewillread" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oh, the Books She Will Read</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 30</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 31</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots</a><br />
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, June 3</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 4</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://maidenofthepages.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maiden of the Pages</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 6</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://cometreadings.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Comet Readings</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 7</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">History From a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, June 8</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="https://cometreadings.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Comet Readings</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 10</strong></span><br />
Review & Guest Post at <a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 11</strong></span><br />
Excerpt at <a href="https://oldtimeybooks.com/reviews/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Old Timey Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, June 12</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://teresanoel.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">T's Stuff</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://mccombsonmain.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Proverbial Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 13</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl's Book Nook</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, June 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://suzyapproved.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Suzy Approved Book Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 17</strong></span><br />
Author Spotlight at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rwbookclubgoodreads/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RW Bookclub</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, June 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://booksintheirnaturalhabitat.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books In Their Natural Habitat</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 20</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://ahollandreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Holland Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, June 24</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rwbookclubgoodreads/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RW Bookclub</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Thursday, June 27</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://instagram.com/bookishsar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mama's Reading Corner</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Friday, June 28</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://covertocovercafe.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cover To Cover Cafe</a><br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a copy of Gold Digger, a gold facial mask & soap set, and recipe brochure to five winners. Three winners will receive an ebook of Gold Digger.<br />
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To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
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<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
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<br />LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-7288939334142129842019-05-27T07:00:00.000-05:002019-05-27T07:00:05.316-05:00The Royal Secret - Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>The Royal Secret</i> by Lucinda Riley</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Atria Books</b></div>
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<b>Publication date: May 21, 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Source: Publisher for an honest review</b></div>
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<b>In this suspenseful and heart-pounding novel from New York
Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley, an ambitious young journalist unravels
a dangerous mystery that threatens to devastate the British monarchy. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Keeping secrets is a dangerous game.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his
generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five, he leaves behind not just a
heartbroken family but also a secret so shocking, it could rock the English
establishment to its core.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joanna Haslam, an up-and-coming reporter, is assigned to
cover the legendary actor’s funeral, attended by glitzy celebrities of every background.
But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a
letter James Harrison has left behind—the contents of which many have been
desperate to keep concealed for over seventy years. As she peels back the veil
of lies that has shrouded the secret, she realizes that she’s close to
uncovering something deadly serious—and the royal family may be implicated.
Before long, someone is on her tracks, attempting to prevent her from
discovering the truth. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before
she does.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Full of salacious scandal, shocking twists, and captivating
romance, and written in Lucinda Riley’s signature “vividly drawn and lushly
atmospheric” (RT Book Reviews) prose, The Royal Secret is “a full-throttle
escapist adventure” (Lancashire Evening Post).<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Take:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from The Royal Secret,
but the description of the novel definitely intrigued me. I liked the main character,
Joana Haslam, a young reporter on her way up. Her life is a bit of a mess due
to a break up, but she is smart, funny and tenacious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I really liked the set up the big mystery – famous actor James
Harrison dies and Joanna is tasked with covering the funeral and is sitting
next to a little old lady who has a strange and seemingly serious physical
reaction during the service. Joanna, being a generally nice person, helps her
to a cab and makes sure she gets home. Then a letter which points to a big
mystery/scandal arrives at her work from the little old woman – who then dies
in a suspicious manner before Joanna can talk with her about it. And things
just get more complicated and interesting from there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Joanna follows up on the letter because she is a journalist and
she just can’t let things go. The trail is long and winding and goes in some
unexpected directions. I enjoyed the novel and had such a fun time finally
finding out the big royal mystery. There are lots of interesting characters,
lots of intrigue and some fun spy action. There are some tragedies and <i>so many</i> secrets. Everyone is not exactly
who they seem at first and things get complicated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Overall, I would say that <i>The Royal Secret</i> is a fast-paced
and enjoyable read. There were a couple of plot points that I’m just kind of
so-so on, but as a whole, I enjoyed the book and can recommend it. I think <i>The
Royal Secret</i> makes a great summer read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 14px;"><b style="background-color: #666666;">About the author:</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLyf7h3-6Pov45YV-NN3vEqH02g3ozMhu-Zla9nTrZUHkBtg_lkvu_zgv_J_t7RSZMzKjAlc7rbwUVfzfWn7gUwFYhhKYhodTUCXb99Et4awYiIgAchJDvwHqqEwBlAsYAOisuhBTl-vE/s1600/Lucinda+Riley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLyf7h3-6Pov45YV-NN3vEqH02g3ozMhu-Zla9nTrZUHkBtg_lkvu_zgv_J_t7RSZMzKjAlc7rbwUVfzfWn7gUwFYhhKYhodTUCXb99Et4awYiIgAchJDvwHqqEwBlAsYAOisuhBTl-vE/s200/Lucinda+Riley.jpg" width="133" /></a>Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland, and after an early career
as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged
twenty-four. Her books have been translated into over thirty five languages and
sold fifteen million copies worldwide. She is a Sunday Times and New York Times
bestseller.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucinda is currently writing The Seven Sisters series, which
tells the story of adopted sisters and is based allegorically on the mythology
of the famous star constellation. The first five books, The Seven Sisters, The
Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister, The Pearl Sister and The Moon Sister have all
been No.1 bestsellers across the world, and the rights to a multi-season TV
series have already been optioned by a Hollywood production company.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">FIND LUCINDA RILEY ONLINE:<u></u><u></u></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Website: <u><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lucindariley.com/&source=gmail&ust=1558998261297000&usg=AFQjCNFv7ubRZAJhG4f9CvH4DLuyXs412g" href="http://www.lucindariley.com/" target="_blank" wotdonut="true">http://www.lucindariley.com</a></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Twitter: <u><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/lucindariley&source=gmail&ust=1558998261297000&usg=AFQjCNHtLjeptnNqS5DYu_5lipoTKiJOUg" href="https://twitter.com/lucindariley" target="_blank" wotdonut="true">@lucindariley</a></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"></span>LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-65937666365205136012019-05-17T07:00:00.000-05:002019-05-17T07:00:10.163-05:00The Girl Puzzle - Blog Tour and Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14968" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/02_The-Girl-Puzzle.jpg" /></div>
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The Girl Puzzle by Kate Braithwaite</h3>
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Publication Date: May 5, 2019</div>
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Crooked Cat Books</div>
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eBook & Paperback; 263 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44285941-the-girl-puzzle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" 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><br />
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Her published story is well known. But did she tell the whole truth about her ten days in the madhouse?<br />
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Down to her last dime and offered the chance of a job of a lifetime at The New York World, twenty-three-year old Elizabeth Cochrane agrees to get herself admitted to Blackwell’s Island Lunatic Asylum and report on conditions from the inside. But what happened to her poor friend, Tilly Mayard? Was there more to her high praise of Dr Frank Ingram than everyone knew?<br />
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Thirty years later, Elizabeth, known as Nellie Bly, is no longer a celebrated trailblazer and the toast of Newspaper Row. Instead, she lives in a suite in the Hotel McAlpin, writes a column for The New York Journal and runs an informal adoption agency for the city’s orphans.<br />
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Beatrice Alexander is her secretary, fascinated by Miss Bly and her causes and crusades. Asked to type up a manuscript revisiting her employer’s experiences in the asylum in 1887, Beatrice believes she’s been given the key to understanding one of the most innovative and daring figures of the age.
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<strong>"Novelist Braithwaite (The Road to Newgate, 2018, etc.) delivers a well-researched and engrossing tale that focuses on female empowerment. A story of grit and perseverance that will appeal to readers interested in the history of women in journalism." - Kirkus Reviews</strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2WU14Hr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Available at Amazon</a></span></h4>
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My Take:</h3>
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I find Nellie Bly to be fascinating and I was happy for the opportunity to read and review <i>The Girl Puzzle </i>by Kate Braithwaite. Using Nellie's secretary Beatrice to describe her perspective of Nellie and the historical setting works well in my opinion. Beatrice is young and admires Nellie's grit and intelligence and is fascinated by her story. </div>
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Nellie gives Beatrice pages of her story to type up and in the process Beatrice and the reader get a glimpse into Nellie's motivation and the feelings and reactions to the events in her life and her undercover work - especially at the asylum. Much of what she describes didn't make it into her newspaper articles originally. </div>
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I found <i>The Girl Puzzle</i> to be an enjoyable, fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining and informative novel. I appreciated that the author took care to show how complicated and sometimes contradictory Nellie was throughout her life. While the novel is fairly short in length, there is a lot of information and an unflinching look at the dark days of mental health care. It can be troubling to read about what Nellie encountered, but we all owe her a great debt for exposing the deplorable conditions at the time. I think <i>The Girl Puzzle</i> is a great starting point for any reader interested in Nellie Bly and her daring and important reporting. I would definitely recommend <i>The Girl Puzzle</i>.</div>
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About the Author</h3>
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Kate Braithwaite grew up in Edinburgh but now lives with her family in the Brandywine Valley in Pennsylvania. Her daughter doesn’t think Kate should describe herself as a history nerd, but that’s exactly what she is. Always on the hunt for lesser known stories from the past, Kate’s books have strong female characters, rich settings and dark secrets.<br />
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The Girl Puzzle is her third novel.<br />
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For more information, please visit Kate's <a href="https://kate-braithwaite.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="https://kate-braithwaite.com/writing-blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog</a>. You can also connect with her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KateBraithwaiteAuthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/KMBraithwaite" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10792752" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, May 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 6</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jorie Loves A Story</a><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 8</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://orangecountyreaders.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Orange County Readers</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 10</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://macsbooks311.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Macsbooks</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 13</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.bookishrantings.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookish Rantings</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katerock.litchick" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kate Rock Lit Chick</a><br />
Feature at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a>
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Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a signed copy of The Girl Puzzle by Kate Braithwaite! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
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<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/pDt0y/the-girl-puzzle" rel="nofollow">The Girl Puzzle</a>
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14383 " src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/02_Burton-Blake.jpg" /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Burton Blake by Robert Tucker</h3>
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Publication Date: January 6, 2019</div>
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Tell-Tale Publishing Group</div>
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eBook; 381 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery, Thriller & Suspense<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43164529-burton-blake" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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In this sequel to The Revolutionist, the American journey of three generations locks the neophyte company president, Burton Blake, in a vicious struggle with corporate intrigue, financial greed, and social corruption.<br />
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Born to a taxi dancer at the beginning of the Second World War, Burton’s father, Elias Blake, never knows his natural father, who is killed in the South Pacific. He is raised by his mother and stepfather from her second marriage who makes his fortune during the post war real estate boom of the 50’s. Their untimely death by his business partner leaves the boy Elias in the guardianship of his mother’s best friend and her marine vet husband who introduces him to the macho culture of guns and hunting.
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Elias’s youth is influenced by the adult world’s drive for personal material gain. Over the next decades, he expands his parents’ original real estate empire into the diversified multi-divisional, multi-national corporation that he leaves to his son, Burton.
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Upon his forced return from traveling and working with oppressed third world people, Burton learns increasingly more about the true nature of his deceased father as he undertakes the challenges of leading the company in a new direction.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2FQXs2h" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burton-blake-robert-tucker/1130003729?ean=2940161248812" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></span></h4>
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg9NtTudYB1X6LHEJsbaeLLe_vGs0cIHppCyIUXHY3-D5kZXfzRAfHujhkXqZ9UYNfhFTgVs140cZR29KU4Q3ozH5i_3KEliroJJS4F5bn83fWpS32k7lhy_iVsKpqRoXhnkA5X5lzzqEw9VRS4pyhjuPCfEgBmDTguoTF1bp3WVfDZoLJ5A9a7j8gPlyHy9FU=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-12362" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/03_Robert-M.-Tucker.jpg" height="270" sizes="(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px" srcset="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/03_Robert-M.-Tucker.jpg 213w, http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/03_Robert-M.-Tucker-200x300.jpg 200w" width="180" /></a>Rob is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara and received his graduate degree in communications from the University of California, Los Angeles.<br />
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Rob worked as a business and management consultant to advertising, corporate communications, and media production companies as well as many others. Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes much of his time to writing.<br />
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He is a recipient of the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards. An affinity for family and the astute observation of generational interaction pervade his novels.<br />
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His works are literary and genre upmarket fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.<br />
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For more information, please visit Robert Tucker’s <a href="http://www.rmtauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also find him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rmtauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorR_Tucker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7111689.Robert_M_Tucker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
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<h3>
Book Blast Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 9</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 10</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, April 11</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 12</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a><br />
<a href="http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 15</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 16</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/henryandbennysbooknook" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Henry & Benny's Book Nook</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 17</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://maidenofthepages.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maiden of the Pages</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, April 18</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 19</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://amybooksy.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Locks, Hooks and Books</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 22</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 24</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 26</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a>
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<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away three eBooks of Burton Blake! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 26th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– No sweepstakes accounts please.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen.<br />
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/uP4u3/burton-blake" rel="nofollow">Burton Blake</a>
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14719" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/02_Shakespeares-Witch.jpg" /></div>
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Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser</h3>
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Publication Date: March 20, 2019</div>
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Sam Grosser Books</div>
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eBook & Paperback; 358 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44084851-shakespeare-s-witch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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<strong>Love, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Madness.</strong><br />
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<em>A fortune told …</em><br />
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When Sarah Stone foresees Will Shakespeare’s latest play has opened doors to evil, she begs the playwright to abandon it. But Will refuses, aware the play is one of his best. And so rehearsals for Macbeth begin.<br />
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<em>Forbidden desires …</em><br />
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After her vision, Sarah fears for her life – she has never known the shewstone to lie, and she turns to her brother Tom for comfort. A strange darkness seems to haunt the playhouse, and when Tom sets out to seduce John Upton, the boy actor who plays Lady Macbeth, the boy sees the hand of witchcraft in his own forbidden desires for men. Then Sarah weaves a spell to win the love of the new lead actor, and John, terrified for the safety of his soul, begins to make his accusations.<br />
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<em>The Spirits have spoken …</em>
As rehearsals continue, Sarah and Tom must struggle to convince John he is mistaken and that his sins are his own – their lives and the fortune of the play are at stake. But the Spirits have spoken – will the fate that Sarah foresaw come to pass or is their destiny their own to decide?<br />
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Set against the first production of Macbeth in 1606, Shakespeare’s Witch is a seductive tale of the origins of the curse of the Scottish Play.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2VBa1Fb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P8BWQRZ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551565476&sr=1-1&keywords=Shakespeare%27s+witch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130785217?ean=9780648305255" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></span></h4>
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<h3>
My Take:</h3>
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My review of <i>Shakespeare's Witch</i> may be a bit different from my usual reviews. My response to reading the novel was an almost immediate desire to start a dialogue on the themes and issues that are examined in the story. Even though I had a pretty strong negative reaction to a certain aspect of the plot - having mostly to do with the graphic nature of the descriptions -- I was completely drawn into the story. I had to know how this dark, twisty and never boring tale would end. </div>
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A long time ago, I got a degree in English Literature and naturally, I read quite a bit of Shakespeare. While reading <i>Shakespeare's Witch</i>, I was constantly reminded of the same themes that we studied throughout Shakespeare's work as well as the work of some of his contemporaries. It isn't often that I read contemporary fiction and start mulling ideas for analytical papers on ideas or themes in the book. But there are so many ideas that warrant further reading and thought that are presented in <i>Shakespeare's Witch</i>. Grosser seamlessly weaves ideas about power, trust, betrayal, love, God, evil, witchcraft, duty (to God, king, parents, husband), and taboo subjects (incest is the most obvious) into the story.<br />
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I was particularly struck by her exploration around the fact of male-only actors in the theater -- the craft of acting as well as the gender/cross-dressing aspect and sexuality -- all are addressed in some way. Another area of interest for me was the place that women had in society. They were totally dependent on the males in their lives -- father, husband, employer. The lack of agency in their own life is striking and shades the way women who try to make their own decisions are viewed. I have so many questions about the magic that Sarah engages in - does she truly believe it is real? Is it real? If so, are her actions justified? As for her brother, Tom, I have very ambivalent feelings about him. He seems to be a Faustian character -- he made his deal with the devil and doesn't seem to have empathy for anyone except his sister, maybe. I wonder if I am trying to read too much into certain aspects of the novel, but it certainly made reading it that much more intriguing.<br />
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I think <i>Shakespeare's Witch</i> will definitely appeal to a certain demographic. However, the incest aspect will be difficult for some people to read. That the issue is not new to literature by any stretch of the imagination won't help some readers overcome it. So, I would caution readers to be aware that it is pretty graphic. Beyond that, the novel has so much to offer the reader regarding history, theater, and huge themes that humanity has been struggling with forever plus a really interesting group of characters. Any book that makes me really think about tough subjects, themes, etc.- whether I agree with what happens or not - is worth reading, and <i>Shakespeare's Witch</i> definitely does that!<br />
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhYlT73LRFCrMcJ6tvOSC9U2NCKGin4IltAm7FH8Z4kxF_K7cC9uO9wJ-oVgWl53POG7XXzb2i9KG1Idr6SjHEYBMj5kZOJhFkwevJsKmgTOt2-2iA8RoFnqZAbGT5ilSpR3Ba-3gEIxmmqU1-iEWTOR8JAiSG4D_wBWNXada9Ya0wG5_owD9n0WghAw_xs6rQ=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-13712" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/03_Samantha-Grosser.jpg" height="224" width="224" /></a>Historical fiction author Samantha Grosser originally hails from England, but now lives on the sunny Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.<br />
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Combining a lifelong love of history with a compulsion to write that dates from childhood, Samantha is now bringing her passion for telling compelling stories to the world.<br />
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Samantha has an Honours Degree in English Literature and taught English for many years in Asia and Australia. She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place and The Officer’s Affair, and The King James Men, set during the turbulent early years of 17th Century.
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<a href="https://www.samgrosserbooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/samgrosserbooks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SamanthaGrosser" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4492009.Samantha_Grosser" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-grosser" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/grosser0312/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/samgrosserbooks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></h4>
<h3>
Blog Tour Schedule</h3>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wednesday, March 20</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, March 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookreviewsfromcanada.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book Reviews from Canada</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, March 22</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jathanandheather.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jathan & Heather</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, March 23</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, March 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, March 26</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, March 27</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, March 29</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, March 31</strong></span><br />
Review & Excerpt at <a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://forthesakeofgoodtaste.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">For the Sake of Good Taste</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 2</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, April 4</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://hisdoryan.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hisdoryan</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 8</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues and Scandals</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.bibliophile.reviews/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bibliophile Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 10</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://macsbooks311.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Macsbooks</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
Excerpt at <a href="http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 16</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookramblings.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookramblings</a><br />
Review at <a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away one eBook and one paperback copy of Shakespeare's Witch! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Giveaway Rules</strong><br />
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US & UK only.<br />
– Only one entry per household.<br />
– No sweepstakes accounts please.<br />
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.<br />
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen.<br />
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/CGxQ9/shakespeares-witch" rel="nofollow">Shakespeare's Witch</a>
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<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/CGxQ9/shakespeares-witch" rel="nofollow">Shakespeare's Witch</a><br />
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When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead in his bath one morning in 1850, the task of burying his body falls to his estranged cousin, historian turned postmortem photographer Robert Highstead. De Bonne’s will instructs that he should be buried in an unusual chapel, a stained glass folly set on the Shropshire moors, built to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. It has since been locked to all outsiders—especially the rabid, cultlike fans of de Bonne’s final book, The Lost History of Dreams. Only Ada’s grief-stricken niece, Isabelle, holds the key—but she refuses to open the glass chapel unless Robert agrees to her bargain: Before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record the real story behind her aunt’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.<br />
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Sweeping and darkly atmospheric, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a Gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between past and present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death. And remember, all love stories are ghost stories in disguise.<br />
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Now available at <a href="http://www.losthistorybook.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LostHistoryBook.com</a>.<br />
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<strong>Read the first three chapters: </strong>Download <a href="http://www.losthistorybook.com/LostHistoryofDreamsexcerpt.epub" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EPUB</a> | Download <a href="http://www.losthistorybook.com/LostHistoryofDreamsexcerpt.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PDF</a> | <a href="http://www.losthistorybook.com/except.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read online</a>
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The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr</h3>
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Publication Date: April 9, 2019<br />
Atria Books<br />
Hardcover & eBook; 320 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical/Gothic/Mystery<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38597783-the-lost-history-of-dreams" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="wp-image-11498 size-full aligncenter" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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</strong> <strong>A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of <em>Wuthering Heights</em> and <em>The Thirteenth Tale</em>.</strong><br />
<br />
All love stories are ghost stories in disguise.<br />
<br />
When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, <em>The Lost History of Dreams</em>.<br />
<br />
However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.<br />
<br />
As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave.<br />
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Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Bdh27f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-history-of-dreams-kris-waldherr/1128864319" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781982101015" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781982101015?aff=simonsayscom" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
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<h3>
Praise for The Lost History of Dreams</h3>
“Scheherazade-like … haunting… Waldherr writes that ‘love stories are ghost stories in disguise.’ This one, happily, succeeds as both.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)<br />
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“An unexpected delight that grows steadily more compelling as its pages fly by.” —Booklist<br />
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“A sensual, twisting gothic tale that embraces Victorian superstition much in the tradition of A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.”—BookPage<br />
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“Eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written, The Lost History of Dreams is a Gothic fairy-tale to savor.” – Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of THE ALICE NETWORK and THE HUNTRESS<br />
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“The Lost History of Dreams is a dark, shimmering gem of a novel, glittering with love lost, secrets kept, and long-buried truths revealed. Wonder, memory, death and passion haunt every page of Kris Waldherr’s powerhouse Gothic debut.” – Greer Macallister, bestselling author of THE MAGICIAN’S LIE and WOMAN 99<br />
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“Brooding, romantic, and thoughtful, The Lost History of Dreams is a rare bird in that it shines throughout with wit. I loved every page of it.” – Erika Swyler, bestselling author of THE BOOK OF SPECULATION and LIGHT FROM OTHER STARS<br />
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“With luminous prose, stunning poetry and a fascinating cast of characters, Waldherr weaves a wonderfully atmospheric tale. Not to be missed!” – Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME and THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER<br />
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“A riveting, addictive read. Sarah Waters fans will be entranced. – Mary Sharratt, author of ECSTASY and DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL<br />
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“A novel of haunting mystery and passion reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and Byatt’s Possession.” – Crystal King, author of FEAST OF SORROW and THE CHEF’S SECRET<br />
<br />
“An atmospheric tale of lost love, family secrets, and an inquiry into how our own histories define us, I relished every poetic page.” – Heather Webb, international bestselling author of LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS and THE PHANTOM’S APPRENTICE<br />
<br />
"With beautiful prose and poetry, Waldherr weaves a darkly seductive Gothic tale of love, art, death, and obsession. You’ll want to keep reading this one late into the night.” – Alyssa Palombo, author of THE SPELLBOOK OF KATRINA VAN TASSEL<br />
<br />
“A sumptuous feast for all the senses.” – Clarissa Harwood, author of IMPOSSIBLE SAINTS and BEAR NO MALICE
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj_PPItJ6DWzgjI4qBTrKp7k_KqzetG25MYKdaTuj3oxFqBM1SYMkqRe4F12Zz29NLw8cJn0gszvjz4hzkvKKna50oTWNIq-tEd8g7jRxgC4pMAVXB2H4ybZbbIgua958Uk-Vz6sRGUBZQj7hNky4pJGJYaVz78WTEi2zVzicIipNKrziiagwZ5MIQtiNI=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-14542" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/03_Kris-Waldherr.jpg" height="175" width="175" /></a>Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers.<br />
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Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era house with her husband, the anthropologist-curator Thomas Ross Miller, and their young daughter.
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<a href="http://www.kriswaldherrbooks.com/site/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kriswaldherrauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kriswaldherr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/132599.Kris_Waldherr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kris-waldherr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Release Day Blast Hosts</h3>
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<a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a><br />
<a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
<a href="https://cometreadings.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Comet Readings</a><br />
<a href="https://forthesakeofgoodtaste.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">For the Sake of Good Taste</a><br />
<a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
<a href="http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots</a><br />
<a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
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<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CCoH1F3MvLaB98GVw2NHfT2Kg590lXJA2cpF0mVhhXbW5v10UC9LU-LLtlXWtSfLzAQYyrL-Wu4ki7pUI_f92M_ptv6o4z01CjsozvK0wVjZNsRtVqsXS5UDxxeGRRq15m3kk9_r3rL7/s1600/the+wolf+and+the+watchman+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CCoH1F3MvLaB98GVw2NHfT2Kg590lXJA2cpF0mVhhXbW5v10UC9LU-LLtlXWtSfLzAQYyrL-Wu4ki7pUI_f92M_ptv6o4z01CjsozvK0wVjZNsRtVqsXS5UDxxeGRRq15m3kk9_r3rL7/s400/the+wolf+and+the+watchman+cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The Wolf and the Watchman </i>by Niklas Natt Och Dag</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Atria Books</b></div>
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<b>Publication date: March 5, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Hardcover; 384 pages</b></div>
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<b>Source: Publisher for an honest review</b></div>
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<b>In this breathtakingly bold, intricately constructed
novel set in 18th century Stockholm, a dying man searches among the city’s
teeming streets, dark corners, and intriguing inhabitants to unmask a ruthless
murderer—perfect for fans of <i>Perfume</i> and <i>The Alienist.</i></b><br />
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It is 1793. Four years after the storming of the Bastille in France and more
than a year after the death of King Gustav III of Sweden, paranoia and
whispered conspiracies are Stockholm’s daily bread. A promise of violence
crackles in the air as ordinary citizens feel increasingly vulnerable to the
whims of those in power.<br />
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When Mickel Cardell, a crippled ex-solider and former night watchman, finds a
mutilated body floating in the city’s malodorous lake, he feels compelled to
give the unidentifiable man a proper burial. For Cecil Winge, a brilliant
lawyer turned consulting detective to the Stockholm police, a body with no
arms, legs, or eyes is a formidable puzzle and one last chance to set things
right before he loses his battle to consumption. Together, Winge and Cardell
scour Stockholm to discover the body’s identity, encountering the sordid
underbelly of the city’s elite. Meanwhile, Kristofer Blix—the handsome son of a
farmer—leaves rural life for the alluring charms of the capital and ambitions
of becoming a doctor. His letters to his sister chronicle his wild good times
and terrible misfortunes, which lead him down a treacherous path.<br />
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In another corner of the city, a young woman—Anna-Stina—is consigned to the
workhouse after she upsets her parish priest. Her unlikely escape plan takes on
new urgency when a sadistic guard marks her as his next victim.<br />
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Over the course of the novel, these extraordinary characters cross paths and
collide in shocking and unforgettable ways. Niklas Natt och Dag paints a
deliciously dark portrait of late 18th century Stockholm, and the frightful yet
fascinating reality lurking behind the powdered and painted veneer of the era.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
My Take:</h3>
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I found <i>The Wolf and the Watchman</i> to be extremely well written, with characters that linger in the mind long after closing the book on the last page. What seems to start with a strange, but intriguing murder mystery evolves into a deep, dark look into humanity itself. There is indeed a murder to be solved, but the road to solving it is a long, winding and often horrifying one. </div>
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Cardell is an interesting and endearing character. A huge, intimidating ex-soldier who is a sometimes-watchman and general muscle for establishments with that kind of need. His is haunted by his military service and his perceived failings. His sense of justice and attempts to correct his past wrongs make him a perfect companion to Winge who hasn't the physical strength of Cardell, but has the intellectual prowess to solve most any crime. I found this pair to be the best crime solving duo I've encountered in literature to date. </div>
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Each character in the novel has a fascinating and often heartbreaking and/or terrifying backstory. There is not a dull moment in the entire book. Each strand of this multi-layered story pulls the reader deeper into the dark, dazzling and violent mystery taking place in 1793 Stockholm. Often it seems like Cardell and Winge are the only people striving for justice in a violently mad world. The novel is beautiful and horrifying at the same time. I was absolutely enthralled and could barely put the book down. Highly recommended.</div>
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<b><u>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xAGBBMgiiAy6ixO0K6XM-X2z_OaoCP-L4m1V0wu6B5oVmJydOTWqk99qKkkal3r8S-PQo6amuY4hGJ_AD8QiJFgpopVRX7dCWZBw2zS64d4wnX8Gz7zzk2ewyo68tMxAgR9CBAwvi9Am/s1600/Niklas+Natt+och+Dag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="199" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xAGBBMgiiAy6ixO0K6XM-X2z_OaoCP-L4m1V0wu6B5oVmJydOTWqk99qKkkal3r8S-PQo6amuY4hGJ_AD8QiJFgpopVRX7dCWZBw2zS64d4wnX8Gz7zzk2ewyo68tMxAgR9CBAwvi9Am/s200/Niklas+Natt+och+Dag.jpg" width="149" /></a><b>Niklas Natt och Dag </b>(whose name translates to
“Night and Day”) is a member of the oldest surviving noble family in Sweden. He
enjoys playing the guitar, mandolin, violin, and flute. He lives in
Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and their two sons. <b>THE WOLF AND THE
WATCHMAN</b> is his first novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-13738223026204004982019-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:002019-03-12T07:00:09.607-05:00The Lost History of Dreams - Book Trailer Blast<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-14541" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/02_The-Lost-History-of-Dreams.jpg" /></div>
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The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr</h3>
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Publication Date: April 9, 2019</div>
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Atria Books</div>
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Hardcover & eBook; 320 Pages</div>
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Genre: Historical/Gothic/Mystery<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38597783-the-lost-history-of-dreams" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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<strong>A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of <em>Wuthering Heights</em> and <em>The Thirteenth Tale</em>.</strong><br />
<br />
All love stories are ghost stories in disguise.<br />
<br />
When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, <em>The Lost History of Dreams</em>.<br />
<br />
However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.<br />
<br />
As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave.<br />
<br />
Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.
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<h3>
Here is the exclusive Book Trailer...</h3>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j1BSBcuWODk" width="560"></iframe></center>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Bdh27f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-history-of-dreams-kris-waldherr/1128864319" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781982101015" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a> | <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781982101015?aff=simonsayscom" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></span></h4>
<h3>
Praise for The Lost History of Dreams</h3>
“Scheherazade-like . . . haunting. . . Waldherr avoids cliché in her rich descriptions and hints of supernatural presence that never cross into melodrama. Additionally, while most gothic tales offer only darkness and tragedy, a surprising amount of light and joy imbues the ending here. Fitting, perhaps, for a novel that uses stained glass as a symbol for heavenly possibility, even in the face of death. Waldherr writes that “love stories are ghost stories in disguise.” This one, happily, succeeds as both.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)<br />
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"Wuthering Heights meets Penny Dreadful in Kris Waldherr's The Lost History of Dreams, a dark Victorian epic of obsessive love, thwarted genius, and ghostly visitations….Eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written, The Lost History of Dreams is a Gothic fairy-tale to savor." --Kate Quinn, author of <em>The Alice Network</em> and <em>The Huntress </em><br />
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"<em>The Lost History of Dreams</em> refuses to be categorized as anything other than excellent. Within the framework of a gothic, Kris Waldherr confronts our ideas about love, grief, poetry, and the nature of storytelling. With skillfully nested stories, Waldherr has done the remarkable, rendering the ephemeral into something real and tangible. Brooding, romantic, and thoughtful, <em>The Lost History of Dreams</em> is a rare bird in that it shines throughout with wit. I loved every page of it." --Erika Swyler, bestselling author of <em>The Book of Speculation</em><br />
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"Reminiscent of du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel, <em>The Lost History of Dreams</em> is a complex, haunting and deeply absorbing historical novel that is sure to delight fans of classic Gothic fiction. With luminous prose, stunning poetry and a fascinating cast of characters, Waldherr weaves a wonderfully atmospheric tale. Not to be missed!" --Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of <em>The Girl Who Came Home</em> and <em>The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter</em><br />
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“In <em>The Lost History of Dreams</em>, Kris Waldherr delivers a novel of haunting mystery and passion reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and Byatt's Possession. Layered within the pages of this gorgeous gothic tale is a story of several loves, each masterfully wrought in dazzling, poetic detail that will leave the reader longing for more." --Crystal King, author of <em>Feast of Sorrow</em> and <em>The Chef's Secret </em><br />
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"In this accomplished debut, Kris Waldherr transports the reader to the fascinating world of Victorian England and its tradition of post-mortem photography with a deft hand. An atmospheric tale of lost love, family secrets, and an inquiry into how our own histories define us, I relished every poetic page. Mesmerizing, lyrical, and deliciously brooding, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a terrific contribution to Gothic literature." --Heather Webb, international bestselling author of <em>Last Christmas in Paris</em><br />
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"<em>The Lost History of Dreams</em> plunges the reader into a sumptuous feast for all the senses. Through the perspective of a very Victorian yet empathetic male protagonist, Waldherr cleverly depicts the confining roles women of the era were forced to play. This creepily delicious tale will rob readers of their sleep as it asks and answers its own question: "'How can there be so much beauty in this world amid so much sorrow?' The only solution was to create more beauty." With this novel, Waldherr has done exactly that." --Clarissa Harwood, author of Impossible Saints and Bear No Malice<br />
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"Kris Waldherr's <em>The Lost History of Dreams</em> is very aptly titled, as reading this novel feels indeed like entering into a dream, one from which I have yet to fully awaken. With beautiful prose and poetry, Waldherr weaves a darkly seductive Gothic tale of love, art, death, and obsession. You'll want to keep reading this one late into the night." --Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel
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<h3>
About the Author</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj_PPItJ6DWzgjI4qBTrKp7k_KqzetG25MYKdaTuj3oxFqBM1SYMkqRe4F12Zz29NLw8cJn0gszvjz4hzkvKKna50oTWNIq-tEd8g7jRxgC4pMAVXB2H4ybZbbIgua958Uk-Vz6sRGUBZQj7hNky4pJGJYaVz78WTEi2zVzicIipNKrziiagwZ5MIQtiNI=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-14542" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/03_Kris-Waldherr.jpg" height="175" width="175" /></a></div>
Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers.<br />
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Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era house with her husband, the anthropologist-curator Thomas Ross Miller, and their young daughter.
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<a href="http://www.kriswaldherrbooks.com/site/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kriswaldherrauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kriswaldherr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/132599.Kris_Waldherr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kris-waldherr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a></h4>
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Trailer Blast Schedule</h3>
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<a href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br />
<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bookishrantings.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookish Rantings</a><br />
<a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a><br />
<a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
<a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
<a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a><br />
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<a href="https://macsbooks311.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Macsbooks</a><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<a href="https://suzyapproved.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Suzy Approved Book Reviews</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jennifertarheelreader.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tar Heel Reader</a><br />
<a href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a><br />
<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
<a href="http://www.birdhouse-books.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">View from the Birdhouse</a><br />
<a href="http://whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
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Giveaway</h3>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-14782" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/losthistorygiveawaysm.jpeg" height="387" width="460" /></div>
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Kris is hosting a The Lost History of Dreams giveaway worth $220! The gift package includes a Campo Marzio pen gift box with calligraphy nibs and ink, a handcrafted Lover's Eye pendant, bookmark and bookplate, and a signed copy of The Lost History of Dreams.
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Learn more at <a href="http://www.losthistorybook.com/sweepstake.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.losthistorybook.com/sweepstake.html</a>.</span></b></h4>
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</div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14783" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/04_The-Lost-History-of-Dreams-Banner.jpg" height="343" width="640" /></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhfvirtualbooktours.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2F03_Kris-Waldherr.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj_PPItJ6DWzgjI4qBTrKp7k_KqzetG25MYKdaTuj3oxFqBM1SYMkqRe4F12Zz29NLw8cJn0gszvjz4hzkvKKna50oTWNIq-tEd8g7jRxgC4pMAVXB2H4ybZbbIgua958Uk-Vz6sRGUBZQj7hNky4pJGJYaVz78WTEi2zVzicIipNKrziiagwZ5MIQtiNI=" -->LLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866831980790742389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725947926691728376.post-40887471148259750702019-03-06T07:00:00.000-06:002019-03-06T07:00:02.242-06:00Shakespeare's Witch Cover Reveal<br />
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Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser</h3>
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Publication Date: March 20, 2019</div>
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Sam Grosser Books</div>
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44084851-shakespeare-s-witch" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-11498 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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<em>Love, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Madness.</em><br />
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<em>A fortune told …</em><br />
When Sarah Stone foresees Will Shakespeare’s latest play has opened doors to evil, she begs the playwright to abandon it. But Will refuses, aware the play is one of his best. And so rehearsals for Macbeth begin.<br />
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<em>Forbidden desires …</em><br />
After her vision, Sarah fears for her life – she has never known the shewstone to lie, and she turns to her brother Tom for comfort. A strange darkness seems to haunt the playhouse, and when Tom sets out to seduce John Upton, the boy actor who plays Lady Macbeth, the boy sees the hand of witchcraft in his own forbidden desires for men. Then Sarah weaves a spell to win the love of the new lead actor, and John, terrified for the safety of his soul, begins to make his accusations.<br />
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<em>The Spirits have spoken …</em><br />
As rehearsals continue, Sarah and Tom must struggle to convince John he is mistaken and that his sins are his own – their lives and the fortune of the play are at stake. But the Spirits have spoken – will the fate that Sarah foresaw come to pass or is their destiny their own to decide?<br />
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Set against the first production of Macbeth in 1606, Shakespeare’s Witch is a seductive tale of the origins of the curse of the Scottish Play.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Available for Pre-Order on <a href="https://amzn.to/2VBa1Fb" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P8BWQRZ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551565476&sr=1-1&keywords=Shakespeare%27s+witch" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></span></h4>
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About the Author</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhYlT73LRFCrMcJ6tvOSC9U2NCKGin4IltAm7FH8Z4kxF_K7cC9uO9wJ-oVgWl53POG7XXzb2i9KG1Idr6SjHEYBMj5kZOJhFkwevJsKmgTOt2-2iA8RoFnqZAbGT5ilSpR3Ba-3gEIxmmqU1-iEWTOR8JAiSG4D_wBWNXada9Ya0wG5_owD9n0WghAw_xs6rQ=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-13712" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/03_Samantha-Grosser.jpg" height="224" width="224" /></a>Historical fiction author Samantha Grosser originally hails from England, but now lives on the sunny Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.<br />
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Combining a lifelong love of history with a compulsion to write that dates from childhood, Samantha is now bringing her passion for telling compelling stories to the world.<br />
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Samantha has an Honours Degree in English Literature and taught English for many years in Asia and Australia. She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place and The Officer’s Affair, and The King James Men, set during the turbulent early years of 17th Century.
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<a href="https://www.samgrosserbooks.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/samgrosserbooks/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SamanthaGrosser" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4492009.Samantha_Grosser" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-grosser" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BookBub</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/grosser0312/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/samgrosserbooks/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a></h4>
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Cover Reveal Schedule</h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, March 4</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, March 5</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://amysbooketlist.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amy's Booket List</a><br />
<a href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Donna's Book Blog</a><br />
<a href="https://forthesakeofgoodtaste.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">For the Sake of Good Taste</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, March 6</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Book Geek</a><br />
<a href="https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Coffee and Ink</a><br />
<a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, March 7</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://hisdoryan.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hisdoryan</a><br />
<a href="https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals</a><br />
<a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, March 8</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a><br />
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a>
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<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-14723 aligncenter" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/04_Shakespears-Witch-Banner_FINAL.jpg" height="294" width="640" /></div>
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