27 August, 2014

Book Tour: Revenge & Retribution by Anna Belfrage

02_Revenge & Retribution


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    Revenge and Retribution is the sixth book in Anna Belfrage's time slip series featuring time traveler Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham. 

Life in the Colony of Maryland is no sinecure - as Alex and Matthew Graham well know. But nothing in their previous life has prepared them for the mayhem that is about to be unleashed upon them. 

Being labelled a witch is not a good thing in 1684, so it is no wonder Alex Graham is aghast at having such insinuations thrown at her. Even worse, it's Matthew's brother-in-law, Simon Melville, who points finger at her. 

Not that the ensuing hearing is her main concern, because nowadays Alex's entire life is tainted by the fear of what Philip Burley will do to them once he gets hold of them - there is no longer any 'if' about it. On a sunny May afternoon, it seems Philip Burley will at last revenge himself on Matthew for every single perceived wrong. Over the course of twenty-four hours, Alex's life - and that of her family's - is permanently changed. 

As if all this wasn't enough, Alex also has to cope with the loss of one of her sons. Forcibly adopted by the former Susquehannock, Samuel is dragged from Alex's arms to begin a new life in the wilderness. How is Alex to survive all this? And will she be able to put her damaged family back together?


Graham Saga Titles
  • Book One: A Rip in the Veil 
  • Book Two: Like Chaff in the Wind 
  • Book Three: The Prodigal Son 
  • Book Four: A Newfound Land 
  • Book Five: Serpents in the Garden 
  • Book Six: Revenge & Retribution 
  • Book Seven: Whither Thou Goest (November 2014) 
  • Book Eight: To Catch a Falling Star (March 2015)


About the Author 
Anna Belfrage
I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I'm multilingual and most of my reading is historical - both non-fiction and fiction.


 I was always going to be a writer - or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive... Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk.

The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I'm still there. I like that - just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I'll probably live to well over a hundred. 

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am - I have achieved my dream. For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Review

Series: The Graham Saga
Release Date: 1 July, 2014
Publisher: SilverWood Books
GenreHistorical Fiction/Time-Slip/Time-Travel
ISBN:  978-1-78132-175-1
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 
Review Written: 27 August, 2014


11 August, 2014

Book Tour: The Dance of the Spirits by Catherine Aerie


Displaying 02_The Dance of the Spirits.jpg

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Spring 1951: it is the fiery zenith of the Korean War, a war that the youthful US Army lieutenant Wesley Palm and his men thought that they had won… until the Chinese swept across the Yalu River.

Traveling with the million-man army bent on driving back the march of “American imperialism” is Jasmine Young, a Chinese surgeon who has volunteered herself into the war for unspoken, grave reasons. Through a chronicle of merciless battles, freezing winters, and the brutality and hypocrisy of human nature, the two will find themselves weaving through the twists and turns of fate and destiny. Though their love is forbidden, their passion and pursuit of liberty cannot be quenched.

Praise for The Dance of the Spirits

“…On the surface, The Dance of the Spirits is a story of love and of war, but on a deeper level, it is a story of the misery that the communist ideology brought to millions of souls in the twentieth century. Whether that philosophy is related to nationalism, internationalism or faith, Catherine Aerie reminds readers that when a system that will entertain no contradiction in thought or deed comes to power, no one is safe — and no one is free. Aerie draws a vivid picture of war and its price, and a tender image of love…” – Readers’ Favorite (5 Stars)

“…a love that is stronger than all the horrors that war can throw at them… compelling…poignant… sensitive and beautiful…” – San Francisco Book Reviews (4.5/ Stars)

“Adversaries in the Korean War find love in Aerie’s debut novel. The story starts in the middle of a firefight… Out of the rubble, two characters emerge: an American officer… and a Chinese military doctor… Their paths cross again and again… In the intimacy of the war, these coincidences don’t feel forced, nor even particularly fated–it’s just the way things went… Readers will likely find Palm a decent, very human person, but Young has more complexity and vibrancy… As the war rages around them, Palm and Young fall in love… but their romance is ill-starred and open to tragedy. Aerie keeps readers on their toes with the twists…fleeting but intense…
An often engaging tale of a flickering moment of love during a forgotten war.” – Kirkus Reviews

Buy the Book

About the Author

Catherine Aerie, a graduate from the University of California, Irvine with a master degree in finance, grew up in China as the daughter of a Shanghai architect. She was inspired to write The Dance of the Spirits while researching a family member’s role in the Korean War, deciding to revive an often neglected and overlooked setting in fiction and heighten the universality of resilient pursuit of love and liberty. Her debut novel was finished after about two years of research. She currently resides in southern California.

For more information please visit Catherine Aerie’s website. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.


Giveaway

To win a copy of The Dance of the Spirits please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to US & UK residents only.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 23rd and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.


Review

Series: N/A
Release Date: 16 November, 2013
Publisher: Aurora 
GenreHistorical Fiction
ISBN:  9780989690928
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 
Review Written: 11 August, 2014

05 August, 2014

Book Tour: The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

  02_The Typewriter Girl
   
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A Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year pick: The Typewriter Girl is a spectacular debut, set in a perfectly realized Victorian England.


When Betsey Dobson disembarks from the London train in the seaside resort of Idensea, all she owns is a small valise and a canary in a cage. After an attempt to forge a letter of reference she knew would be denied her, Betsey has been fired from the typing pool of her previous employer. Her vigorous protest left one man wounded, another jilted, and her character permanently besmirched. Now, without money or a reference for a new job, the future looks even bleaker than the debacle she left behind her. But her life is about to change... because a young Welshman on the railroad quay, waiting for another woman, is the one finally willing to believe in her.

Mr. Jones is inept in matters of love, but a genius at things mechanical. In Idensea, he has constructed a glittering pier that astounds the wealthy tourists. And in Betsey, he recognizes the ideal tour manager for the Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company. After a lifetime of guarding her secrets and breaking the rules, Betsey becomes a force to be reckoned with. Together, she and Mr. Jones must find a way for her to succeed in a society that would reject her, and figure the price of surrendering to the tides of love.

Praise for The Typewriter Girl

"Atlee's outstanding debut unflinchingly explores the unforgiving man's world of Victorian England." -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review) 

"Easily one of the most romantic books I'll read all year... John and Betsey are compelling and worth rooting for."  -DEAR AUTHOR 

"(a Recommended Read) Sweeps readers to a satisfying conclusion." -LIBRARY JOURNAL

Buy the AudioBook

Amazon UK 
Amazon US 
Audible.com

About the Author

03_Alison AtleeAlison Atlee spent her childhood re-enacting Little Women and trying to fashion nineteenth century wardrobes for her Barbie dolls. Happily, these activities turned out to be good preparation for writing historical novels. She now lives in Kentucky. For more information please visit Alison Atlee's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads and Pinterest.



The Typewriter Girl Swag Giveaway

One copy of The Typewriter Girl (Audio Book or Print) Set of earbuds in a cute typewriter print pouch A Typewriter Girl Happily-Ever-After t-shirt (features last lines from famous novels) A vintage style postcard "from" Idensea, the setting of The Typewriter Girl A "dream wildly" ribbon bookmark with typewriter key charms.

To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to residents in the US, Canada, and the UK.


Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 30th and notified via email. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.


Review

Audible Audio Book Edition
Audible.com
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Listening Length: 12 hours and 39 minutes
Publisher: Audible Studios
Language: English
ASIN: B00JH0L9HW
Genre: Historical Fiction



Series: N/A
Release Date: January, 2013
Publisher: Gallery Books
GenreHistorical Fiction/Romance
ISBN:  978-1-4516-7325-8
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 
Review Written: 4 August, 2014