Review & Virtual Book Tour: The Queen's Vow By C.W. Gortner

Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Ballantine Books
Paperback; 416p
ISBN-13: 9780345523976

About THE QUEEN'S VOW
No one believed I was destined for greatness.

So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.

Review: Gloria By Kerry Young

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1 edition
Publication Date: July 16, 2013
ISBN-10: 1620400758
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Book Description:
Jamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act alters the course of her life forever. Taking along her younger sister, she flees their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. But in a capital city awash with change, a black woman is still treated as a second-class citizen. From a room in a boarding house and a job at a supply store, Gloria finds her way to a house of ill repute on the edge of the city, intrigued by the glamorous, financially independent women within. It is an unlikely place to meet the love of your life, but here she encounters Pao, a Chinatown racketeer and a loyal customer who will become something more. It is also an unlikely place to gain a passion for social justice, but it is one of the house's proprietors who instills in Gloria new ideas about the rights of women and all humankind, eventually propelling her to Cuba, where even greater change is underway, and where Gloria must choose between the life she has made for herself and the one that might be.

Review & Giveaway: She Rise By Kate Worsley

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; First Edition edition
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
ISBN-10: 1620400979
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:
It is 1740 and Louise Fletcher, a young dairy maid on an Essex farm, has been warned of the lure of the sea for as long as she can remember--after all, it stole away her father and brother. But when she is offered work in the bustling naval port of Harwich, as a lady's maid to a wealthy captain's daughter, she leaps at the chance to see more of the world. There she meets Rebecca, her haughty young mistress, who is unlike anyone Louise has encountered before: as unexpected as she is fascinating.

Review: The Corpse Reader By Antonio Garrido

Paperback: 494 pages
Publisher: AmazonCrossing
Release Date: May 28, 2013
ISBN-10: 1612184367
Genre: Historical Fiction

About The Book: 
After his grandfather dies, avid scholar and budding forensic investigator Cí Song begrudgingly gives up his studies to help his family. But when another tragedy strikes, he’s forced to run and also deemed a fugitive. Dishonored, he has no choice but to accept work as a lowly gravedigger, a position that allows him to sharpen his corpse-reading skills. Soon, he can deduce whether a person killed himself—or was murdered.

His prowess earns him notoriety, and Cí receives orders to unearth the perpetrator of a horrific series of mutilations and deaths at the Imperial Court. Cí’s gruesome investigation quickly grows complicated thanks to old loyalties and the presence of an alluring, enigmatic woman. But he remains driven by his passion for truth—especially once the killings threaten to take down the Emperor himself.

Inspired by Song Cí, considered to be the founding father of CSI-style forensic science, this harrowing novel set during the thirteenth-century Tsong Dynasty draws readers into a multilayered, ingenious plot as disturbing as it is fascinating.

My Thoughts:
Antonio Garrido has proven himself to be a very talented storyteller with magnificent attention to historical detail!  Set against the backdrop of China's ancient Tsong Dynasty, The Corpse Reader is a fast-paced, action-packed historical thriller that follows the forensic investigations of Ci Song from outlying villages in to the Imperial Court itself.  Garrido has provided a great deal of historical detail that captivated me from the very first page and held my attention until the very end.  The character of Ci Song is very well-developed and, as a reader, I felt that I personally shared each tragedy and triumph along his journey.  Garrdio offers an intriguing fictional account of the early developments of crime scene forensics that still appear even today.  A very unique and original story that I would highly recommend to fans of historical fiction and crime thrillers alike.  Four stars!

Review: Train To Nowhere By Kay Bratt

File Size: 234 KB
Print Length: 49 pages
Publisher: Red Thread Publishing Group
Release Date: November 10, 2012
ASIN: B00A5QN1SM
Genres: Historical Fiction, China, Novella

Book Description:
In 1967, while millions in China are unfairly persecuted because of their livelihood or heritage, others join the Cultural Revolution to pledge allegiance to a leader who is considered a legend to some and a tyrant to others. Mao's revolution is sweeping across the country, leaving many competing to show their loyalty with actions that will leave scars for decades. Even more traumatic than the destruction of art, books, and historic architecture, families are torn apart as they struggle to find a way to survive the upheaval.

Ling, a sheltered and devoted daughter, is forced to join the feared Red Guards, a strategy concocted by her mother to ensure her protection. But for this scheme to work, Ling must hold her secrets close and trust no one. Her journey has only just begun when she is faced with a moment of truth that will impact the future she has unwillingly chosen on the Train to Nowhere.

My Thoughts:
In this short novella, Kay Bratt has certainly captured the uncertainty and fear that affected so many during China's Cultural Revolution.  Fearing for her daughter's safety, Ling's mother makes the difficult choice of insisting that her daughter join the ranks of the Red Guard; the same group that has instilled so much fear and anxiety into Ling's family. Against her wishes and own personal beliefs, Ling puts on her green attire and boards the train for Bejing with a growing number of other Red Guards.  Is Ling the only one hiding behind this mask of loyalty to Mao, or are there others like her who are doing what has to be done to ensure their own safety?  Placing her confidences in another is not only risky, but could bring her a great amount of anguish and pain.  She can trust no one.  However, during her journey, Ling is faced with making the difficult decision of following her own beliefs and continuing in the footsteps of a false identity.  Doing what you believe to be right is not necessarily the easiest choice to make.  Kay Bratt is a wonderfully, gifted storyteller with a talent for capturing the heart of humanity.  This was a truly a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.  Four Stars!

Also By Kay Bratt:
Train to Nowhere
The Bridge
A Thread Unbroken
Chasing China: A Daughter's Quest for Truth
Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage
Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi
The Scavenger's Daughters (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book One)

Review & Giveaway: Roses Have Thorns By Sandra Byrd

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition
Release Date: April 9, 2013
ISBN-10: 1439183163
Genre: Historical Fiction

About The Book: 
From the acclaimed author of To Die For comes a stirring novel told that sheds new light on Elizabeth I and her court. Sandra Byrd has attracted countless fans for evoking the complexity, grandeur, and brutality of the Tudor period. In her latest tour de force, she poses the question: What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage—or your life?

In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth’s circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen’s downfall, Helena is forced to choose between an unyielding monarch and the husband she’s not sure she can trust—a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.

Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.

My Thoughts:
In this third installment of her Ladies In Waiting Series, Sandra Byrd has certainly proven herself to be a very gifted an talented historical writer.   Elin von Snakenborg is quickly an endearing and strong female character set against the backdrop of Tudor life and turmoil  just prior to the death of Elizabeth 1.  Byrd captures not only the essence of Tudor life, but also the intimacy of friendship among the women surrounding Elizabeth 1.  Elegantly written with thoughtful prose throughout, Roses Have Thorns, is sure to delight fans of Historical Fiction.  I was truly immersed with this story and its various sub-plots and easily found myself swept away between the pages until the early morning hours. I would most certainly recommend this novel and easily give it four stars!

About the author:

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I, will publish in April, 2013.

Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens.

A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has also published many nonfiction articles and books. She is also passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more, or to invite Sandra to your bookclub via Skype.

Connect with Sandra on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandrabyrd

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdwrites

Connect with Sandra on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/SandraByrdBooks

Giveaway:

Sandra has graciously offered to provide one lucky winner here with a free copy of this magnificent novel. This giveaway is open to US residents only.  To enter, simply leave a comment here on this post. I'll announce the winner here on Tuesday April 23rd.

Review: The Heiress Of Winterwood By Sarah E. Ladd

Publication Date: April 9, 2013
Series: Whispers On The Moors (Book 1)
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN-10: 1401688357
Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

About The Book:
Pride goes before the fall . . . but what comes after?

Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an ancestral estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s infant baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father, Graham, a sea captain she’s never met...

Review: With This Kiss By Eloisa James

Print Length: 64 pages
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Series: With This Kiss (Part 1)
Genre: Regency Romance
Sensuality Level: Sweet

About The Book:
Lady Grace Ryburn, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook, has fallen wildly in love with Colin Barry, a dashing young lieutenant serving his country in the Royal Navy. When he returns home to exuberant celebrations, will he even notice the quiet wallflower he grew up with … or will he fall for Grace's sparkling, gorgeous sister?

Author's Note: Lady Grace is the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook, from The Ugly Duchess, and Colin is the eldest adopted son of Sir Griffin Barry, from Seduced by a Pirate.

My Thoughts:
This is my first encounter with romance writer, Eloisa James, and I must say that, without a doubt, I am now a fan of this talented writer!  In this first novella in the With This Kiss series, James has filled the pages with the emotional struggle between Lady Grace and the handsome Navy Lieutenant, Colin Barry.   The reader is quickly immersed within the emotions of these characters and will soon come to realize, long before the characters themselves, that they belong together. But, why then does Colin propose to Grace's younger, more vibrant, and beautiful sister, Lily?  Will this lead Grace to marry another or pine away for the one she truly loves?  The suspense is overwhelming!  But, no need to wait too long, Part 2 will be released on March 19th.  Unlike many novella series, this is priced quite low and the shortness of the novella makes for a great winter afternoon's read curled up with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea. 4 Stars.

Review: The Chalice By Nancy Bilyeau

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Touchstone
Release Date: March 5, 2013
ISBN-10: 1476708657
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery

About The Book:
In the midst of England’s Reformation, a young novice will risk everything to defy the most powerful men of her era.

What Are You Reading?

My morning ritual is quite simplistic: two cups of coffee while web browsing and sharing my finds with Oliver, my three-year old Cocker Spaniel who seems convinced he's human.  I've learned to savor these moments of solitude and serenity before my youngest son awakens with his own preconceived notion of how our day should proceed (a home-schooled teenager with Autism...need I say more?)  This morning as I was visiting NPR Books, I was quickly captivated by the following new release in Historical Fiction (and yes, with just one click it is now available on my Kindle waiting to be read...instant self-gratification at its best ).

Mary Coin By Marisa Silver
Release date: March 7, 2013
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Blue Rider Press
ISBN-10: 0399160701

About The Book:  

In her first novel since The God of War, the critically acclaimed author Marisa Silver takes Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother” photograph as inspiration for a breathtaking reinvention—a story of two women, one famous and one forgotten, and of the remarkable legacy of their chance encounter.

In 1936, a young mother resting by the side of a road in Central California is spontaneously photographed by a woman documenting the migrant laborers who have taken to America’s farms in search of work. Little personal information is exchanged, and neither woman has any way of knowing that they have produced what will become the most iconic image of the Great Depression.

Review: The Crown By Nancy Bilyeau

I read this novel last year upon its initial release and was immediately captivated.  Since I'm currently in the midst of reading the second novel in this series, I thought I'd use this time to acquaint you with the first installment of the Joanna Stafford series by a very talented historical fiction writer.

Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Touchstone
Release Date: First Edition edition (January 10, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1451626851
Genre: Historical Fiction

About The Book:
An aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father—and preserve the Catholic faith from Cromwell’s ruthless terror. The year is 1537. . . Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the sacred rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London...

The ruthless Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, takes terrifying steps to force Joanna to agree to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may hold the ability to end the Reformation. Accompanied by two monks, Joanna returns home to Dartford Priory and searches in secret for this long-lost piece of history worn by the Saxon King Athelstan in 937 during the historic battle that first united Britain.

But Dartford Priory has become a dangerous place, and when more than one dead body is uncovered, Joanna departs with a sensitive young monk, Brother Edmund, to search elsewhere for the legendary crown. From royal castles with tapestry-filled rooms to Stonehenge to Malmesbury Abbey, the final resting place of King Athelstan, Joanna and Brother Edmund must hurry to find the crown if they want to keep Joanna’s father alive. At Malmesbury, secrets of the crown are revealed that bring to light the fates of the Black Prince, Richard the Lionhearted, and Katherine of Aragon’s first husband, Arthur. The crown’s intensity and strength are beyond the earthly realm and it must not fall into the wrong hands.

With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must now decide who she can trust with the secret of the crown so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. This provocative story melds heart-stopping suspense with historical detail and brings to life the poignant dramas of women and men at a fascinating and critical moment in England’s past.

My Thoughts:
Absolutely brilliant! As a debut novelist, Nancy Bilyeau has proven herself to be a very talented and gifted writer of historical fiction with great promise. Set within England's tumultuous religious strife under King Henry VIII, The Crown is filled with not only incredible historical insight but also mystery, murder, intrigue, and an extraordinary female heroine. Bilyeau's in-depth research is high-lighted throughout this novel with astounding detail of the infamous London Tower and Malmesbury Abbey, as well as the lifestyle of the novices and nuns to even the intricate details of tapestry weaving, making this novel come to life within the hands of the reader. Joanna Stafford, the young novice and leading character, is truly inspirational with her determination and perseverance throughout the novel. And of course, I truly admire a strong and independent female character in any novel, but this is beyond exceptional. I easily give The Crown a five star rating and I'm looking forward to the release of the sequel, The Chalice!

Review: Garden Of Stones By Sophie Littlefield

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA; Original edition
Release Date: February 26, 2013
ISBN-10: 0778313522
Genres: Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction

Review: The Tutor's Daughter By Julie Klassen

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: January 1, 2013
ISBN-10: 0764210696
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

About The Book:
Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty?

Who sneaks into her room at night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling illustration? The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.
When the suspicious acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to blame... and which brother to trust with her heart?

My Thoughts:
Julie Klassen has very skillfully created a regency romance that is astonishingly reminiscent of Jane Austin and Jane Eyre. Set against the backdrop of 19th Century England's beautiful Cornwall coast, The Tutor's Daughter is everything I could possible want in a Regency Romance novel: well-researched and full of historical descriptions, a wide array of characters with very distinct personalities, blossoming romance, and enough suspense and intrigue that kept me in anticipation for the next page. Klassen has certainly proven herself a gifted storyteller and one who has done her research extremely well. Each time I opened this book I felt as though I were transported back in time. And the character of Emma Smallwood is just so endearing and admirable with her sense of determination and self-reliance, as well as her "blue-stocking" ways. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end and highly recommend it to fans of Jane Austen or historical fiction in general. Overall an excellent novel and one that I can easily give five stars!

Review: Summerset Abbey By T.J. Brown

Series: Summerset Abbey Book 1
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (January 15, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1451698984

About The Book: 

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war...

Rowena Buxton 
Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “underclass” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions—and loyalties—lie.
Victoria Buxton
Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret—Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever. . . .
Prudence Tate
Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as lady’s maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey.

My Thoughts:
 In her debut novel set within Edwardian England, T.J, Brown has created a wonderful tale full of intrigue and suspense with a vibrant cast of characters. Upon the death of Sir Philip Buxton, the three young women are immediately swept away to Summerset Abbey and their lives are forever changed within this clash of the upstairs and downstairs class system. The characters were extremely well-developed with unique personalities of their own...(although Rowena is just a rather weak and despicable person). The plot itself is well-developed with just enough twists and turns that prompted me to keep reading as I tried to guess the ending. The historical descriptions, for the most part, remained true to the time period and exemplified Brown's extensive research. As a debut novel, this was a delightful reading experience and one that I would recommend to any fan of the highly-acclaimed PBS series, Downton Abbey and historical fiction in general. I'm anxiously awaiting to meet up with Rowena, Victoria, Prudence, and the many other colorful characters in Brown's second book, A Bloom In Winter, scheduled for release in March 2013. Overall, a wonderful novel that I easily give four stars!

Review: The Flight of the Earls By Michael K. Reynolds

Release date: January 1, 2013 
Series: An Heirs of Ireland Novel
About The Book:
It’s 1846 in Ireland. When her family’s small farm is struck by famine, Clare Hanley and her younger brother, Seamus, set out across the ocean to the Promised Land of America. Five years prior, Clare’s older sister Margaret and her Uncle Tomas emigrated in similar fashion and were not to be heard from again. But Clare must face her fears as she lands in the coming-of-age city of New York. There she discovers love, adventure, tragedy, and a terrible secret which threatens to destroy her family and all she believes. Flight of the Earls is the first book in a historical novel trilogy based on Irish immigration in the 1840s.

Are You Irish?/ Michael K. Reynolds, Author Heirs of Ireland Series:

My Thoughts: 
In his first novel in the Heirs of Ireland saga, Michael K. Reynolds presents an astounding detail of Irish immigrants in America and their unwavering determination in the midst of famine and shattered dreams. Claire, her brother Seamus, and family-friend, Pierce embark upon a journey to the land of plenty with hopes of relieving the hardships faced by family back home in Ireland only to be met with equal hardships in the new world, as well as the discovery of heart-wrenching family secrets. Reynolds has written a mesmerizing tale filled with remarkable characters and amazing historical details. He's certainly an author who has done his research and extremely well at that. I was immediately transported back in time with his vivid imagery and attention to detail. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and the raw emotions of the characters were brought to life and kept me reading to the wee hours of the morning. Flight of the Earls is a must for any fan of historical fiction and one that I highly recommend. I easily give this novel a FIVE! I'm eagerly awaiting the second installment of this series, In Golden Splendor, currently scheduled to be released this summer on July 15th, 2013.