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A Modest Independence
by Mimi Matthews

Publication Date: April 23, 2019
Perfectly Proper Press
eBook; 400 Pages

Series: Parish Orphans of Devon (Book #2)
Genre: Historical Romance

 

 

He Needed Peace…

Attorney Tom Finchley has spent his life using his devious intellect to solve the problems of others. As for his own problems, they’re nothing that a bit of calculated vengeance can’t remedy. But that’s all over now. He’s finally ready to put the past behind him and settle down to a quiet, uncomplicated life. If only he could find an equally uncomplicated woman.

She Wanted Adventure…

Former lady’s companion Jenny Holloway has just been given a modest independence. Now, all she wants is a bit of adventure. A chance to see the world and experience life far outside the restrictive limits of Victorian England. If she can discover the fate of the missing Earl of Castleton while she’s at it, so much the better.

From the gaslit streets of London to the lush tea gardens of colonial India, Jenny and Tom embark on an epic quest—and an equally epic romance. But even at the farthest edges of the British Empire, the past has a way of catching up with you…

Available for Pre-Order

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunesKobo

About the Author

Mimi Matthews (A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty, The Lost Letter) writes both historical non-fiction and traditional historical romances set in Victorian England. Her articles on nineteenth century history have been published on various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and are also syndicated weekly at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, two Shelties, and two Siamese cats.

For more information, please visit Mimi Matthews’ website and blog. You can also connect with her on FacebookTwitterBookBubPinterestGoogle+, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, January 28
Bookish Rantings
Queen of Random
Passages to the Past
Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Tuesday, January 29
Pursuing Stacie
Comet Readings

Wednesday, January 30
100 Pages a Day
A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, January 31
T’s Stuff
The Lit Bitch

Friday, February 1
Tar Heel Reader
CelticLady’s Reviews
View from the Birdhouse

Saturday, February 2
Hoover Book Reviews

Sunday, February 3
Clarissa Reads it All
The Book Junkie Reads

Monday, February 4
Old Timey Books
Diana_bibliophile

Tuesday, February 5
Historical Fiction with Spirit
History From a Woman’s Perspective

Wednesday, February 6
Maiden of the Pages
Christine’s Book Corner

Thursday, February 7
Proverbial Reads
Jorie Loves a Story
Oh, the Books She Will Read

Friday, January 4, 2019

Patricia J. Boomsma on Blog Tour for The Way of Glory, March 15-26

Posted By amy @ 10:53 am | No Comments

The Way of Glory
by Patricia J. Boomsma

Publication Date: November 14, 2018
Edeleboom Books
eBook & Paperback; 390 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Cate, a teenage girl from twelfth century England, joins her brothers and aunt on a crusade to save Jerusalem that stops in Hispania to battle the Moors. Life on a battlefield strains the family’s closeness as they confront the terror and contradictions of holy war. Cate’s dreams of sainthood change to those of a husband and children when she falls in love with a soldier, but she finds no peace even after the family settles on land taken from the Moors. Cate’s friendship with a conquered Moor soon leads to impossible choices as she faces the cost of betrayal and the loss of all she’s known.

Praise for The Way of Glory

“One of the many impressive things about The Way of Glory is how lightly it wears its scrupulous research. This fine novel invites you to lose yourself to the compelling character and tumultuous life of a young woman trying to find God and love at the heart of a crusade rooted in greed and hate. This is a remarkable debut by a writer to watch.” -Naeem Murr, author of The Perfect Man

The Way of Glory convincingly portrays a place, a time, and a people vastly different from our own. Historical fiction is a fantastically difficult genre to get right, but Pat Boomsma manages it with aplomb.” -Pinckney Benedict, author of Dogs of God

The Way of Glory is a riveting read from first page to last, as it expertly traces the trajectories of several compelling characters caught up in the Crusades. As the protagonist, Cate will steal your heart; she’s as complex a fourteen-year-old as you will ever meet, and the fate she struggles against is a complicated and often frightening vortex of forces, made ever richer by the intense evocation and very thoughtful depictions. This is a remarkable novel.” -Fred Leebron, author of Welcome to Christiania

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

About the Author

I grew up in a far southwestern suburb of Chicago among the trees and sloughs of the Cook County Park District, then attended college in Michigan. After graduating, I dreamed of an academic life teaching English literature and began a Ph.D. program at Purdue University. There I concentrated on medieval studies, receiving a Master’s and continuing on for four more years before realizing that no one I knew was finding a permanent, let alone tenure-track, position. So, instead of writing my dissertation I went to law school. I moved to Arizona to escape the brutal midwestern winters and have been practicing law there for over thirty years. My first novel, The Way of Glory, is, in part, an extension of my love for all things medieval.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, March 15
Interview at The Book Connection

Saturday, March 16
Feature at Maiden of the Pages

Monday, March 18
Guest Post at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, March 19
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Wednesday, March 20
Guest Post at Among the Reads
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Friday, March 22
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Saturday, March 23
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Monday, March 25
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, March 26
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Review at Red Headed Book Lady

Thursday, March 28
Feature at Passages to the Past

Saturday, March 30
Review at Impressions In Ink

Giveaway

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

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on March 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US & Canada only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

The Way of Glory

Of Knights and Dogfights: A WWII Novel
by Ellie Midwood

Publication Date: January 4, 2019
eBook & Paperback; 426 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

“Has it ever occurred to you, Johann; the fact that we’re fighting on the wrong side?”

Austria, 1938

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.

“It’s Großdeutsches Reich, soldier. When one has a family at home, it doesn’t leave him many chances for the revolt.”

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.

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.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

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.

Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

Readers’ Favorite – winner in the Historical Fiction category (2016) – “The Girl from Berlin: Standartenfuhrer’s Wife”

Readers’ Favorite – winner in the Historical Fiction category (2016) – “The Austrian” (honorable mention)

New Apple – 2016 Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing – “The Austrian” (official selection)

For more information on Ellie and her novels, please visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Robert Tucker on Blog Tour for Burton Blake, January/February

Posted By amy @ 1:46 pm | No Comments

Burton Blake
by Robert Tucker

Publication Date: January 6, 2019
Tell-Tale Publishing Group
eBook; 381 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

About the Author

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.

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.

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.

His works are literary and genre upmarket fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.

For more information, please visit Robert Tucker’s website. You can also find him on FacebookTwitter, and Goodreads.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Sarah Margolis Pearce on Blog Tour for Widow Creek, January 28-February 8

Posted By amy @ 11:32 am | No Comments

Widow Creek
by Sarah Margolis Pearce

Publication Date: October 4, 2018
Lucky Bat Books
Paperback & eBook; 330 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

 

 

Widow Creek is an incredible story of bravery and adventure as a daring woman takes on the wild frontier of California by herself in 1849.

In 2015, historical sleuths try to find a link between the riveting tale of this undaunted woman and three weather-worn boulders on a remote hillside below Hasten Peak. Hidden for nearly 170 years, Mariah’s journal is uncovered. From its pages, the story of Mariah begins to unfold about her days at Widow Creek and the adventure she was determined to take.

Intrigued, the modern-day sleuths try to piece together what happened to her after the journal ends. Through the story, they come to know Mariah Hardwick Penngrove, who arrives in a wagon train in Remington River, California, in 1849 with grief and daring in her heart. Newly widowed, she lost a husband on the trail but developed a backbone. Refusing to return to the safety of her parents, she instead forges on to her goal of reaching “the beyond” described by Meriwether Lewis, holding tight to her mother’s copy of The Journals of Lewis and Clark, for comfort and inspiration. One look at Hasten Peak, snow-capped and dominating the landscape, tells Mariah she has found her “beyond.” However, Mariah’s notion of the wilderness and untouched horizons is turned upside down when she becomes embroiled in a land dispute between the bandit, Pajaro Mendonca, and Po Fong, Chinatown madam and leader of a notorious tong. Entrenched in a conflict she never wanted and in a wilderness unknown, Mariah finds that decisions are not so straightforward and trust is a shadowy business.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Sarah lives and works in San Francisco. Her writing has been published by online literary sites such as WritersType and Midlife Collage. As part of the 2013 San Francisco cast of Listen to Your Mother, she performed her hilarious, spoken word piece, Goodbye, Kimmie.

I have a special interest in the history of Northern California. Specifically, the mid 1800s shortly before California was granted statehood. My Remington River series [beginning with The Promise of Fate] is set in the Golden State around the time of the Gold Rush.

My writing is not limited to historical fiction. My favorite author is Flannery 0’Connor. My short stories have been compared to hers as I explore the strange situations simple folks get themselves into.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Tony Riches on Blog Tour for Brandon – Tudor Knight, February 28-March 19

Posted By amy @ 10:26 am | 1 Comment

Brandon – Tudor Knight
by Tony Riches

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

Genre: Historical/Tudor/Biographical

 

 

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

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

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

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

Available on Amazon

About the Author

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

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

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, February 28
Review at Passages to the Past

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

Monday, March 4
Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 5
Review at Donna’s Book Blog

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

Thursday, March 7
Feature at T’s Stuff

Friday, March 8
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Monday, March 11
Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail

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

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

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

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

Sunday, March 17
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

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

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

Giveaway

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

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Brandon Tudor Knight

Finding Lord Farlisle
by Cassandra Dean

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

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency

 

 

READ AN EXCERPT.

The girl he finally remembers

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

The boy she never forgot

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

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

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

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

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

About the Author

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

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

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

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter

Blog Tour Schedule

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

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

Saturday, March 2
Feature at Maiden of the Pages

Monday, March 4
Review at A Chick Who Reads

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

Wednesday, March 6
Feature at Pursuing Stacie

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

Friday, March 8
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

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

Tuesday, March 12
Review at Coffee and Ink

Wednesday, March 13
Excerpt at Bookish Rantings

Thursday, March 14
Feature at What Is That Book About

Friday, March 15
Feature at T’s Stuff

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

Giveaway

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

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Finding Lord Farlisle

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Nancy Bilyeau on Blog Tour for The Blue, January 9-18

Posted By amy @ 7:14 am | No Comments

The Blue
by Nancy Bilyeau

Publication Date: December 3, 2018
Endeavour Quill
Paperback & eBook; 430 Pages
ASIN: B07HZ4C3K5

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

In eighteenth century London, porcelain is the most seductive of commodities; fortunes are made and lost upon it. Kings do battle with knights and knaves for possession of the finest pieces and the secrets of their manufacture.

For Genevieve Planché, an English-born descendant of Huguenot refugees, porcelain holds far less allure; she wants to be an artist, a painter of international repute, but nobody takes the idea of a female artist seriously in London. If only she could reach Venice.

When Genevieve meets the charming Sir Gabriel Courtenay, he offers her an opportunity she can’t refuse; if she learns the secrets of porcelain, he will send her to Venice. But in particular, she must learn the secrets of the colour blue…

The ensuing events take Genevieve deep into England’s emerging industrial heartlands, where not only does she learn about porcelain, but also about the art of industrial espionage.

With the heart and spirit of her Huguenot ancestors, Genevieve faces her challenges head on, but how much is she willing to suffer in pursuit and protection of the colour blue?

Available on Amazon and other retailers

Praise for The Blue

A Goodreads’ Recommended Choice for Historical Novel in December 2018 Newslette and a BookBub Editors’ Choice/New Releases

“Nancy Bilyeau, whose wonderful Crown trilogy I hugely enjoyed, has just published a new novel, The Blue, which I highly recommend.” – Alison Weir

“Historical fans will be well satisfied.” – Publishers Weekly

“…transports the reader into the heart of the 18th century porcelain trade—where the price of beauty was death.” – E.M. Powell, author of the Stanton & Barling medieval mystery series.

“Bilyeau is an impressive talent who brings to life a heart-stopping story of adventure, art and espionage during the Seven Years War.” – Stephanie Dray, bestselling author of My Dear Hamilton

“With rich writing, surprising twists, and a riveting sense of ‘you are there,’ The Blue is spine-tingling entertainment.” – Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassins

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau is the author of the historical thriller “The Blue” and the Tudor mystery series “The Crown,” “The Chalice,” and “The Tapestry,” on sale in nine countries. She is a magazine editor who has lived in the United States and Canada.

In “The Blue,” Nancy draws on her own heritage as a Huguenot. She is a direct descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Nancy’s ancestor, Isaac, was born on the boat crossing the Atlantic, the St. Jean de Baptiste. Pierre’s stone house still stands and is the third oldest house in New York State.

Nancy, who studied History at the University of Michigan, has 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 contributor to “Town & Country” and “The Vintage News.”

Nancy’s mind is always in past centuries but she currently lives with her husband and two children in New York City.

Connect with Nancy Bilyeau

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, January 9
Review at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, January 10
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Friday, January 11
Review at Passages to the Past

Saturday, January 12
Interview at Passages to the Past

Sunday, January 13
Interview at V.S. Kemanis

Monday, January 14
Review at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, January 15
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, January 16
Excerpt at Umut Reviews

Thursday, January 17
Review at Reading the Past

Friday, January 18
Review at Tar Heel Reader

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away an eBook of The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

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

The Blue

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Thelma Adams on Blog Tour for Bittersweet Brooklyn, January 21-February 15

Posted By amy @ 6:30 am | No Comments

Bittersweet Brooklyn
by Thelma Adams

Publication Date: November 6, 2018
Lake Union Publishing
Paperback, eBook & Audio

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

In turn-of-the century New York, a mobster rises—and his favorite sister struggles between loyalty and life itself. How far will she go when he commits murder?

After midnight, Thelma Lorber enters her brother Abie’s hangout under the Williamsburg Bridge, finding Jewish mobster Louis “Pretty” Amberg in a puddle of blood on the kitchen floor. She could flee. Instead, in the dark hours of that October 1935 night before the dawn of Murder, Inc., she remains beside the fierce, funny brother who has nurtured and protected her since childhood. There are many kinds of love a woman can feel for a man, but few compare to that of the baby sister for her older brother. For Thelma, a wild widow tethered to a young son, Abie is the center of her world. But that love is about to undo everything she holds dear…

Flipping the familiar script of The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and The Godfather, Bittersweet Brooklyn explores the shattering impact of mob violence on the women expected to mop up the mess. Winding its way over decades, this haunting family saga plunges readers into a dangerous past—revealed through the perspective of a forgotten yet vibrant woman.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Praise for Bittersweet Brooklyn

“Thelma Adams is our new Dickens in her effervescently vivid tale of Jewish hardscrabble living, gangsters, torn-apart families, and a young woman desperate for love, family, and a stable future. Set in a 1920s and 30s Brooklyn so rich, raw, and bristling with life that you can taste the brine on the deli pickles and see the flasks of whiskey hidden in a garter, this is the kind of novel that’s lived, rather than read.” — Caroline Leavitt, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

“Smart and complex, Bittersweet Brooklyn is a riveting journey into a glamorous and deadly underworld. Fascinating characters and a backdrop of New York in the 1920’s kept me churning through pages. Add in twist after twist to an already vibrant plot, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect read! No one writes women in history better than Thelma Adams. I loved this book!” —Heather Burch, bestselling author of In the Light of the Garden

“Bookies! Bubbes! Bossy big-mouths! Thelma Adams’ Bittersweet Brooklyn takes you back to an early twentieth-century Williamsburg teeming not with too-cool-for-school millennials, but with rough-and-tumble Jewish and Italian immigrants. You’ll race through this raucous historical saga, admiring its gritty detail and street-smart dialogue. Inspired by real events, Thelma Adams brings to life an unforgettable family ruled by filial love divided by biting dysfunction.” —Sally Koslow, author of Another Side of Paradise

“Thelma Adams has found her niche as a wonderfully vivid historical chronicler of the female spirit. Her tale of a Jewish girl making her way amid gangster-studded NYC is a marvelous must-read.” —Michael Musto, columnist

“Bittersweet Brooklyn is gripping from page one. An intimate look at the dynamics of a broken family in gangster-riddled New York, it will have you rooting for protagonist and antagonist alike as wounds are open, healed, scarred, and exposed. With some of the finest dialogue I’ve ever come across, this is one I will not soon forget.” —Camille Di Maio, bestselling author of The Memory of Us

“Set in the savage underbelly of a Mafia-linked social club and amusement park, Bittersweet Brooklyn tells the sizzling and unforgettable family saga of a brother and sister who must pit survival against loyalty, desire, and compassion.” —Susan Henderson, author of The Flicker of Old Dreams

“Terrific! A great story, suspense, a vibrant heroine, complex and colorful supporting characters and amazing period details: I couldn’t put it down.” —Caryn James, cultural critic and author of Glorie and What Caroline Knew

“A searing, layered portrait of a Brooklyn family divided against itself, this novel brims with heartbreak, history, empathy and grace.” —Greer Macallister, bestselling author of The Magician’s Lie and Girl in Disguise

“A fresh, fierce retelling of the crime family saga from the female point of view.” —Paula Froelich, New York Times bestselling author of Mercury in Retrograde

“A gorgeously written and gritty American immigrant tale about broken homes and broken hearts, and how the sins within a family can reverberate across generations. Riveting!” —Jane Healey, bestselling author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club

“A noir coming-of-age story with a feisty and unforgettable heroine.” —Meryl Gordon, New York Times bestselling author of the biography of Bunny Mellon

About the Author 

Thelma Adams is the author of the best selling historical novel The Last Woman Standing and Playdate, which Oprah magazine described as “a witty debut novel.” In addition to her fiction work, Adams is a prominent American film critic and an outspoken voice in the Hollywood community. She has been the in-house film critic for Us Weekly and The New York Post, and has written essays, celebrity profiles and reviews for Yahoo! Movies,The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Parade, Marie Claire and The Huffington Post. Adams studied history at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was valedictorian, and received her MFA from Columbia University. She lives in upstate New York with her family.

Connect with Thelma Adams

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 28
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Tuesday, January 29
Interview at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Wednesday, January 30
Guest Post at To Read, Or Not to Read

Thursday, January 31
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Friday, February 1
Excerpt at Just One More Chapter

Saturday, February 2
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages

Sunday, February 3
Feature at Queen of Random

Tuesday, February 5
Review at Creating Herstory

Wednesday, February 6
Review at Bibliophile Reviews

Thursday, February 7
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.
Excerpt at Old Timey Books
Guest Post at Jathan & Heather

Friday, February 8
Review at The Lit Bitch

Sunday, February 10
Feature at What Is That Book About

Monday, February 11
Review at Macsbooks

Tuesday, February 12
Review at Bookish

Wednesday, February 13
Review at Cover To Cover Cafe

Thursday, February 14
Review at Coffee and Ink

Friday, February 15
Excerpt at Broken Teepee
Review at Comet Readings
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Excerpt at Spellbound by History
Review at Oh, The Books She Will Read

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away two paperback copies and one Audio Book! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Bittersweet Brooklyn

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Anne Armistead on Blog Tour for Dangerous Conjurings,
January 14-21

Posted By amy @ 11:25 am | No Comments

Dangerous Conjurings
by Anne Armistead

Publication Date: April 18, 2018
Soul Mate Publishing, LLC
Paperback & eBook; 284 Pages

Genre: Historical Romance

 

 

Eighteen-year-old Leah Sullivan lost both her brother and her childhood sweetheart on the same Civil War battlefield. Left a spinster, she dutifully cares for her parents while trying to survive on their farm in Georgia after the South’s surrender. With her now-barren mother believing a fertility spell to be the only way she can bear another family heir, Leah acts in secret to obtain the mojo from the dangerous conjurer Kali Despierre.

When handsome veteran Marcus Quinn comes calling to deliver her brother’s last words, sparks fly between the mysterious soldier and lonely Leah. To her delight, Marcus accepts her father’s offer to remain as a hired hand.
Although they are falling in love, Leah keeps from Marcus what haunts her: will her mother’s “conjured” babe be cursed? Her fears seem realized when Elijah is born with the birth sac covering his face. Suspicions plague such newborns, known as caulbearers.

The strangeness of Elijah’s birth convinces Kali that she has conjured a special voodoo babe. She kidnaps him and heads to New Orleans, certain the Queen of Voodoo, Marie Laveau, will pay gold for him. Rumors abound that the Queen sacrifices infants to the voodoo gods on October 31, the Day of the Dead, only weeks away.

Leah, with Marcus at her side, chases after Kali to save her brother from the voodoo underworld. The couple’s passion heats up while sleeping under the stars only inches apart and surrounded by peril. However, through a cruel twist of fate, Leah discovers the devastating secret about Marcus’s past that breaks her heart and jeopardizes her brother’s rescue.

Will Leah’s love for Marcus be powerful enough to overcome his betrayal? Or will dangerous conjurings doom their future together?

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Praise for Dangerous Conjurings

“Beautifully written… this is not only a “must-read”, but a “reread”.” – The E-Book Lists

“Filled with paranormal superstitions, a quickly-developing romance, and an atmospheric Southern setting, Dangerous Conjurings is a darkly magical tale.” – Historical Novel Society

“An atmospheric, fascinating, and fresh romantic story.” – author Vicky Alvear Shecter, Cleopatra’s Moon; Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii

“If you love a combination of romance, suspense and magic, you don’t want to miss Dangerous Conjurings.” – Suze Lavender

“A thrilling, spooky adventure that involves heroine Leah Sullivan in the low country hoodoo and voodoo traditions…vivid description and constant tension propel the story to an unforgettable showdown in New Orleans.” – Sharon Pegram

About the Author

When she’s not wearing her story-telling hat as Anne Armistead, historical romance author, she’s Sandra Havriluk, high school English teacher, children’s writer, wife, mom of two grown daughters and a rescue mutt named Jackpot.

She earned her English literature degree from the University of Georgia and her MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University and is a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Georgia Writers of Romance (GRW), and the National and Georgia Sisters in Crime (SinC) organization.

Dangerous Conjurings is her debut historical romance. Under the title Treacherous Hearts, it was the winner of the 2014 YA Fab 5 Wisconsin Romance Contest.​

Connect with Anne Armistead

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