B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

‘It is dangerous to be right in matters where the established authorities are wrong,” said Voltaire, aptly reflecting the theme of Sebastian’s Way, a powerful tale of two men , the High King Charlemagne, “the Thunderer,” who fights and reigns like his pagan enemies, and Sebastian, an intrepid young warrior whose vision challenges the king to forge a new path to peace. A provocative plunge into the Dark Ages, here is a saga of vicious religious wars between Christian Franks and pagan Saxons, a tale of the pain of love thwarted by the rigid mores of the times, a rich and colorful medieval stew full of pageantry and filled with the authentic stock of the times: savage warriors, groundbreaking clergy, salty peasants, and plenty of memorable maidens for those who like a good romance—a realistic yet imaginative time travel back to the reign of Europe’s greatest medieval monarch.’

After years of hard work, Matthew and Alex Graham have created a thriving home in the Colony of Maryland. About time, in Alex’s opinion, after far too many adventures she is really looking forward to some well-deserved peace and quiet.

A futile hope, as it turns out. Things start to heat up when Jacob, the third Graham son, absconds from his apprenticeship to see the world – especially as Jacob leaves behind a girl whom he has wed in a most irregular fashion.

Then there’s the infected matter of the fellow time traveller Alex feels obliged to help – no matter the risk. Worst of all, one day Philip Burley and his brothers resurface after years of absence. As determined as ever to make Matthew pay for every perceived wrong – starting with the death of their youngest brother – the Burleys play out a complicated cat and mouse game, and Alex is thrown back into an existence where her heart is constantly in her mouth, convinced as she is that one day the Burleys will achieve their purpose.

Excerpt:

It had to be said: Philip Burley had a certain flair to him, in everything from how he carried himself to how he was dressed, impeccable linen contrasting nicely with the deep blue of his dashing coat. That didn’t endear him one whit to Alex, and, in particular, not when he popped up most unexpectedly just as she was leaving the apothecary, her daughters trailing after her.

“Mrs Graham,” Philip said, bowing. Alex controlled the urge to turn on her heel and run. Never, ever show him how much he scares you, she admonished herself, just stare him in the eyes. Except that she didn’t want to, unnerved by the penetrating, assessing look in them – as if he was putting a value to her, estimating how much she might be worth should he sell her.

“Mr Burley, how unfortunate to find you still so very much alive.”

He laughed, shaking his head so his signatory lock of black hair fell over his left eye.

“Why, Mrs Graham, one could think you don’t like me much.”

“Like you? I hate your guts, Philip Burley, and to my dying day, I’ll regret not serving you toadstools the first time we met.”

His eyes lightened into impenetrable ice. “Well, you didn’t, did you? And so, here I am.” He glanced over her shoulder, studying her girls with interest. “See?” he said, directing himself to the Philip lookalike that had appeared beside him. “Quite pretty, aren’t they?”

Walter Burley grunted, his eyes stuck on Sarah.

“We’re partial to fair girls,” Philip said. “In particular to young, fair girls.”

“You …” Alex swung at him, Philip ducked, and came up grinning, eyes like flint.

“Don’t,” he warned, and, at a snap of his fingers, yet another Burley brother materialised, this one so badly scarred Alex knew he had to be Stephen. She threw a look over her shoulder, relaxing somewhat at finding the street busy. Should they try anything, she’d scream – or stab them with her new knitting needles. Still, they were far too close, with Walter more or less drooling over Sarah. When he made as if to touch her daughter, Alex flew at him, slapping him hard over his wrist.

“Don’t you lay a finger on her. Do that, and I’ll—”

“… do what, Mrs Graham?” Philip purred.

“Kill him,” she replied, staring into those eyes as firmly as she could. It only made him laugh.

 **********************************************************

Anna Belfrage combines an exciting day-job as the CEO of a multinational listed group with her equally rewarding writing endeavours. When she isn’t writing a novel, she is probably working on a post or catching up on her reading. Or standing about on a crossroads and wondering why time isn’t unravelling at her feet… Other than work and writing, Anna finds time to bake and drink copious amounts of tea, preferably with a chocolaty nibble on the side. And yes, now and then she is known to visit a gym as a consequence…

For more info about Anna, visit her website or her Amazon page. You can also find her on her blog. Serpents in the Garden is available on Amazon US  and Amazon UK.

Publication Date: August 15, 2014 Caspian Press Formats: eBook, Paperback Pages: 424

Genre: Historical Fiction

Winner of the 2014 James River Writers Indie Novel Contest.

A young woman’s gift could weave together the fabric of a nation…

1810, upstate New York. 21-year-old Ella Kenyon is happiest gliding through the thick woods around her small frontier town, knife in hand, her sharp eyes tracking game. A gift for engineering is in her blood, but she would gladly trade it for more time in the forest. If only her grandfather’s dying wish hadn’t trapped her into a fight she never wanted.

Six years ago, Ella’s grandfather made her vow to finish his life’s work: a flax-milling machine that has the potential to rescue her mother, brother, and sister from the brutality of life with her drunkard father. The copious linen it yields could save her struggling town, subjugate the growing grip of southern cotton. Or it could be Ella’s downfall. If she’s not quick enough, not clever enough to succeed, more than her own life rests in the balance…

Praise for The Clever Mill Horse

“Jodi Lew-Smith’s The Clever Mill Horse is that rarest of all contemporary novels: an authentically old-fashioned adventure story, in all the best senses. Full of drama, humor, plot surprises, and, best of all, memorable characters, The Clever Mill Horse had me hooked from page one. Best of all, there’s a sequel coming. I can’t wait.” – Howard Frank Mosher, author of Where the Rivers Flow North

“In this delightful debut novel set in the early 19th century, a young woman fights to patent her flax-milling machine. . .An assured, cleverly plotted piece of historical fiction with an irrepressible female protagonist.” – Kirkus Reviews

“. . .intricately plotted and exceedingly well paced. . . filled with danger, science, and suspense, the story rings true with historical and natural detail. . . a complete and finely polished first novel.” – Foreword Reviews

Buy the Book

Amazon Nook Google Play Kobo

About the Author

Jodi Lew-Smith lives on a farm in northern Vermont with her patient husband, three wonderfully impatient children, a bevy of pets and farm animals, and 250 exceedingly patient apple trees which, if they could talk, would suggest that she stop writing and start pruning. Luckily they’re pretty quiet.

With a doctorate in plant genetics, she also lives a double life as a vegetable breeder at High Mowing Seeds. She is grateful for the chance to do so many things in one lifetime, and only wishes she could do them all better. Maybe in the next life she’ll be able to make up her mind.

For more about Jodi and about the lives and world of the characters in the novel, visit her website or blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Goodreads.

The Clever Mill Horse Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, November 12 Spotlight at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, November 13 Guest Post & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Monday, November 17 Review at 100 Pages a Day – Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Tuesday, November 18 Guest Post at Just One More Chapter

Friday, November 21 Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Monday, November 24 Spotlight at Mel’s Shelves

Tuesday, November 25 Spotlight at Book Nerd Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Friday, November 28 Review at Readers’ Oasis Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews and More

Monday, December 1 Review at Book Babe Spotlight & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, December 3 Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book Spotlight at Layered Pages Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Publication Date: November 22, 2014 CreateSpace Paperback; 442p

Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction

England 1955.

The day Rhoda Middleton opens a letter from another woman, she becomes convinced her husband, Peter, is having an affair. But when Rhoda tracks the mysterious woman down, she discovers she is not Peter’s lover after all, but the wife of his best friend, Archie Foster. There is only one problem – Rhoda has never even heard of Archie Foster.

Devastated by this betrayal of trust, Rhoda tries to find out why Peter has kept this friendship a secret for so long. Her search leads her back to 1945, but as she gradually uncovers Peter’s wartime experiences she must wrestle with painful memories of her own. For Rhoda too cannot escape the ghosts of the past.

Taking us on a journey from the atmospheric filming of Brief Encounter, to the extraordinary Great March of prisoners of war through snow-bound Germany, PAST ENCOUNTERS explores themes of friendship, hope, and how in the end, it is the small things that enable love to survive.

Includes bonus material for reading groups.

************

It’s not too often I get to read books about the second world war or about people’s lives during that time period and when I do, I jump at the chance. The themes in this book contain real life experiences of prisoners of wars and the author does a great job in drawing out what the human condition must have been like at the time.

I found Peter and Rhonda to be fascinating yet complicated characters. I guess you can say their situation was a difficult one and there were secrets they were hiding from each other that made the situation even more difficult. To be honest I wasn’t sure how the author was going to reveal those secrets and how it would all tie together as a plot-if you will. Confusing I know, but that is how complex the story is. Again, the two are complicated characters.

Peter’s experiences in the POW camp were heartbreaking and so raw. One can tell that the author did her research.

I’m not sure I feel that Peter’s reasons for keeping his relationship with Archie a secret was right and even more so when his marriage with Rhonda was on uneven ground. I felt that is a betrayal even in the sense of cheating. Hard to explain really. One must read the book to understand what I mean….

Rhonda bothered me in many ways and I felt that she should have dealt with the situation head on from the very beginning…..having said that it really makes you think about the relationships you have in real life and the choices you make. This story really hit home for me and gave me a lot to think about.

I’m giving this story four stars. Highly recommend.

Praise for Past Encounters

“Her characters are so real that they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf. Highly Recommended!” – The Historical Novels Review

Praise for Deborah Swift

“stellar historical fiction” -Orange Prize Nominee Ann Weisgarber

“compelling’” -Westmorland Gazette

“The past comes alive through impeccable research…and the sheer power of descriptive prose” -Lancashire Evening Post

Buy the Book

Amazon US Amazon UK

About the Author

Davina Blake used to be a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, during which time she developed a love of research which fueled her passion for the past. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and also writes successful seventeenth century historicals under the pen name Deborah Swift. ‘Her characters are so real that they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf. Highly recommended.’ The Historical Novels Review From Davina: ‘I was inspired to write ‘Past Encounters’ because I live close to the railway station where the iconic ‘Brief Encounter’ was filmed in 1945. I have often used the refreshment room that featured in the film when waiting for a train. I love a good cup of tea, preferably accompanied by a chocolate brownie!’

For more information visit Davina Blake’s website and blog. You can also find her on Twitter.

Past Encounters Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, November 15 Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Sunday, November 16 Review at Library Educated

Monday, November 17 Review at Dianne Ascroft Blog Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, November 18 Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, November 19 Review at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, November 20 Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, November 21 Review & Interview at Bookish

Saturday, November 22 Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, November 24 Review at A Bookish Affair Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, November 25 Guest Post at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, November 26 Review at Book Nerd

Thursday, November 27 Interview at The Maiden’s Court

Saturday, November 29 Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Monday, December 1 Review at Layered Pages Review & Interview at Casual Readers

Tuesday, December 2 Review at My Reader’s Block Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews

Wednesday, December 3 Review at The Worm Hole Review at Diary of an Eccentric

Thursday, December 4 Review at Beth’s Book Reviews Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Friday, December 5 Review at Bibliophilia, Please

Saturday, December 6 Review at Unshelfish Review at Historical Tapestry

I would like to welcome my guest today, Lindsay Downs to talk about his writing.

Why do you write?

I’ve been an avid readers ever since I was old enough to hold a red leather bound first edition copy of Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake in my lap.

So it only seemed natural at some point in my life I take up pen and paper to start writing. At first my attempts were feeble with very little plot and the dialogue was horrible. Much to my relief none of my early works still exist except for their memories.

Over time my skills slightly improved which I attribute to my English teachers. Unfortunately, that’s when I learned if I was to succeed in school I had to write in a style which didn’t suit me. Acquiescing to their wishes I still kept thinking there had to be a better way to tell a story.

This came about in the mid 1970’s when I read a historical romance written by Sergeanne Golon, Angelique. This French husband and wife team opened my eyes to the real world of fiction. Stories about romance, beautiful damsels, handsome heroes and plots which kept me hooked. Of course, being a man, I had to keep my reading hidden from others as that wasn’t appropriate reading for men.

With this new found appreciation of the written word I took up other books and devoured them as a starving person would a plate of food. I them attempted to write again. I still wasn’t satisfied so I put it aside for years as other events entered my life.

Finally, in the early years of the new millennium I tried again to write and once again met with limited success. At least now I was able to get past the first page or two. Then, in 2006 a life changing event brought me back to my love, I took a job as a security officer. This allowed me plenty of time to read different genres.

My favorite was regency. As I poured through everyone I could get my hands on I knew this could be something I would never attempt. To slake my hunger for writing I took the easy way out and developed contemporary storylines. Now that worked as I based my characters around the military while keeping them sweet. Part of this was because of the publisher who only accepted that style and partly because love scenes tended to take me out of the main storyline.

Then it happened on one fateful day in early 2012. One of my publisher asked for volunteers to write a Christmas regencies. Even though I said I’d never try this genre, I took up the challenge and wrote A Christmas Surprise. Needless to say, I was hooked. It was released on November 7, 2012

Since then seven more have been released either through a publisher or self-published with A Bluestocking’s Christmas having been released on November 11, 2014.

And today, November 28, 2014 available for preorder, a three book boxed set, To Catch a Killer, of the Markson Regency Mystery series. Two have been previously released and the third is a new book. Several reviewers have called this series cozy mysteries. The release date is December 8, 2014.

Now that you know how I got to this point in my life as an author. I do it because I love telling stories and taking my readers to a time and place they couldn’t go otherwise. Plus, my characters won’t stop talking to me.

How has writing impacted your life?

I’m an introvert. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Being an author has helped me come out of my shell to a certain extent but not completely. I don’t socialize except on a few social network sites. That’s not to say I don’t talk face-to-face with people but it’s usually on my terms, which they aren’t aware of.

For example-the baristas at my favorite Starbucks know I’m an author and sometimes, while at the drive-thru ask what I’m working on. Of course I’ll answer them then drive off.

Even at the boarding house, where I live, I can control who I interact with. If any of you are familiar with that particular type of living arrangement, I spend 90% of my time hiding away in my room. Occasionally I’ve venture out and talk with someone but always with the excuse, if I get to uncomfortable, I’ve got to get back to writing.

At least I get out to a writers conference once a year. There I will socialize with others. Of course they are all authors so I wonder if that qualifies.

In conclusion, between 10 years ago and now I have improved as far as coming out of my shell. Maybe not as far as some but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made and if it wasn’t for writing I probably never would have.

What advice would you give to beginner writers?

Never give up and treat writing as a job not a hobby. Even if you can only write for 15 minutes a day, that’s a start. Do it at the same time every day and let the family know you’re going to be busy.

If you can take workshops either online or in person to learn the craft do it. Also join a writers group. These can usually be found through your local library or by talking with other authors. Join social networks sites.

Don’t chose the genre you want to write, let it chose you. That’s how, after all these years I’ve found a home with regency mysteries and regency romantic suspense.

One thing you need to remember, not everyone will love or even like your book so develop a tough skin as criticism will be coming your way.

Finally, never give up your dream to be published.

Blurb-

Lady Brittany Sexton loves her newest book on Africa but she quickly learns keeping it in her possession is difficult. For her, the problem lies with Lord Samuel Palmer, who believes ladies should not read inappropriate tomes. Part of Lord Palmer’s fascination is the cryptic messages found in the margins. What quickly develops between Lady Brittany and Lord Palmer is even more confusing.

As Christmas draws nearer and with the book still in her possession, Lord Palmer follows her to her parents country estate. It’s there they, along with some friends, slowly make sense of the notes.

During all of this, Lady Brittany learns a fact about Lord Palmer that disturbs her greatly—why he desired the book. To clear her mind and think about her answer to Lord Palmer’s sudden proposal, she goes for a horseback ride, only for disaster to strike.

Once well, she returns home. Lady Brittany now has to make a life changing decision. Can she… will she marry Lord Palmer ?

Bio-

What does it take to be a bestselling author? Determination, skill, talent, luck or taking a risk with a venture into a totally new genre. For me it was a little of some and a lot of the others.

In 2008 when I got two books published I thought it was due to skill; little did I know it was more luck than anything. Over the next three years I wrote, submitted, got rejected. I then did what I tell everyone who asks; I wrote some more. I didn’t give up.

More on a dare than anything I tried my hand at a regency, one of the most difficult genres because of the rules, which I might add I broke almost every one. Within two days of its release the book was on a best seller list and stayed there for two months.

Turns out it is all of the aforementioned.

After two failed marriages, one from divorce while with the other died unexpectedly I decided upon retirement to move. That opportunity came in September 2012 when I migrated to Texas.

For me, as a multipublished author, it was one of the best things I’ve done to date. Now, every day I can write, creating stories to take my readers to places they can only dream about.

I’m also a member of the Published Authors Network (PAN) by the Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Where you can find me-

Facebook

Facebook Page

Twitter- @ldowns2966

LinkedIn

Goodreads

Lindsay Downs-Romance Author

Publication Date: November 4, 2014 Poisoned Pen Press Formats: Hardcover, Paperback

Series: John Chase Mystery Series Genre: Historical Mystery/Regency

Unhappy wife and young mother Penelope Wolfe fears scandal for her family and worse. A Tory newspaper editor has been stabbed while writing a reply to the latest round of letters penned by a firebrand calling himself Collatinus. Twenty years before, her father, the radical Eustace Sandford, wrote as Collatinus before he fled London just ahead of accusations of treason and murder. A mysterious beauty closely connected to Sandford and known only as N.D. had been brutally slain, her killer never punished. The seditious new Collatinus letters that attack the Prince Regent in the press also seek to avenge N.D.’s death and unmask her murderer. What did the journalist know that provoked his death?

Her artist husband Jeremy is no reliable ally, so Penelope turns anew to lawyer Edward Buckler and Bow Street Runner John Chase. As she battles public notoriety, Buckler and Chase put their careers at risk to stand behind her while pursuing various lines of inquiry aimed at N.D.’s murderer, a missing memoir, Royal scandal, and the dead editor’s missing wife. As they navigate the dark underbelly of Regency London among a cast driven by dirty politics and dark passions, as well as by decency and a desire for justice, past secrets and present criminals are exposed, upending Penelope’s life and the lives of others.

John Chase Mystery Series

Book One: The Rose in the Wheel Book Two: Blood for Blood Book Three: Die I Will Not

Buy the Book

Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Book Depository

About the Author

S.K. Rizzolo is a longtime Anglophile and history enthusiast. Set in Regency England, The Rose in the Wheel and Blood for Blood are the first two novels in her series about a Bow Street Runner, an unconventional lady, and a melancholic barrister. An English teacher, Rizzolo has earned an M.A. in literature and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

For more information please visit S.K. Rizzolo’s website. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Die I Will Not Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 17 Review at Back Porchervations

Tuesday, November 18 Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, November 19 Interview at Back Porchervations Spotlight at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, November 20 Interview with Curling Up With a Good Book

Friday, November 21 Review at Book Nerd

Monday, November 24 Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Tuesday, November 25 Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Wednesday, November 26 Review at Buried Under Books Review at Book Babe (The Rose in the Wheel) Spotlight at Layered Pages

Friday, November 28 Spotlight at Just One More Chapter

Monday, December 1 Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Tuesday, December 2 Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Wednesday, December 3 Interview at Caroline Wilson Writes

Thursday, December 4 Review at A Chick Who Reads Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Friday, December 5 Review at The True Book Addict

Monday, December 8 Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, December 9 Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews Spotlight at Book Babe

Wednesday, December 10 Review at The Lit Bitch Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Thursday, December 11 Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Friday, December 12 Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

I would like to welcome Philippa Jane Keyworth to speak with me today about her writing.

Philippa, why do you write?

Ooo, what a question. This is like asking how my brain works. It’s a little crazy and I can’t quite work it out.

Writing is a very unique thing, kind of like art is to a particular artist. I remember having real trouble comparing myself to other writers when I first started to actively pursue writing, and sometimes I catch myself doing it now, though not on the same level as before.

The way I write is rather haphazard, but not because I am a haphazard person, if you talk to my husband he’d tell you I’m a little too into my checklists, but with writing I just get so excited. When I get excited I get carried away, and suddenly I’m blazing along writing without a thought to grammar, correct spelling, plot-holes or realistic characterization. All I care about when I’m writing something new is what is happening and how it’s all going to end.

You see, I start off with just a scene in my head and it’s usually on repeat. It sometimes happens when I’m listening to a song. Until I get that scene down it’s going to plague me and when I do I find myself carrying straight on to the next scene. Then plot lines begin to sprout, running ahead of my writing and swerving to the left and right. I know roughly what’s going to happen at the end, I’ve already started writing the beginning; the fun part is not knowing how I’m going to connect the two.

Then as it gets towards the end my writing becomes even sparser as I run downhill in a sprint to the finish line and yes! I’m done.

Then, I spend time typing up anything I’ve written by hand (usually in front of a favorite TV program) and save it all and…leave it.

I probably leave a manuscript to simmer for about six months or more. And I don’t think about it until I feel the time is right and it’s been long enough. I then read through the manuscript to fall back in love with the characters and storyline, someone suggested me doing that, I can’t remember if it was June Hur or M. M. Bennetts.

Then come the edits. I do lots of drafts until it’s up to the standard that I consider ready for a publisher to see.

But that’s a very rough idea of how I write. I mean, I fit that in between jobs and university, and in reality, every story I’ve written has been different, some taking longer, some taking a relatively short time, some very difficult dealing with harder subjects to handle. It all depends and there really isn’t a box I can put myself into. I just plain don’t want to and neither should any author feel they have to!

How has writing impacted your life?

That’s a funny one. In some ways it really hasn’t, in other ways I guess it does. I mean, I don’t really consider the impact it has on my life as it is just part of it and has been ever since I was quite little.

The main thing, and one of the most amusing, is when I tell people I write stories. I don’t talk about it that much with people I don’t know very well, but if it does come up they usually either get very excited because they’re a reader or writer, or they have this hilarious confused expression before they move swiftly on to the next subject. Maybe this happens to other authors? I don’t know J

Writing is great fun, I expend loads of my feelings doing it, and I love talking to other writers. But one of the hardest things I find is balancing it with other things. Sometimes I think it’s such a good thing I have commitments besides writing and that I have a husband telling me I need to stop, otherwise I’d find myself a nice little cave somewhere and never come out. You’d find me years later hunched over a typewriter still tapping away.

What advice would you give to beginner writers?

I still feel like a bit of a beginner writer. I think there’s always things to learn. Then again, if I were to say anything I’d say firstly, just write, write, write. You can always improve your writing by writing more. Then I’d say read lots and get a book on grammar and punctuation if you want to think of showing that manuscript to others. Then find some friends you trust and whose opinions you value and have them read your work. And if you want to pursue publishing be persistent.

Finally, the biggy in my opinion, is learning to be humble. Your work is going to be really precious to you. It always will be as it’s a bit of an outpouring from your heart. But remember that although the main themes are that, the package of grammar, sentence structure and paragraphing aren’t always fundamental to what you’re trying to get across, and that if they are coaxed into submission, people will understand your work better. So be willing to better your work and listen to loving advice that comes from people you trust.

About Author:

Philippa Jane Keyworth, known to her friends as Pip, has been writing since she was twelve in every notebook she could find. Originally trained as a horse-riding instructor, Philippa went on to become a copywriter before beginning a degree in History. A born again Christian, Philippa lives in the south of England with her handsome husband.

Philippa has always written stories and believes that, since it is one of her loves and passions, she always will. In her early writing career, she dabbled in a variety of genres, but it was the encouragement of a friend to watch a film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that began her love affair with the British Regency. Since then, she has watched every Regency film and TV series she could get her hands on and become well acquainted with Georgette Heyer’s novels which gave her the inspiration to write her own.

Both as a reader and a writer, Philippa believes it is important to escape into a world you yourself would want to live in. This is why she writes stories that will draw you into the characters’ joys and heartaches in a world apart from our own. Her debut novel, The Widow’s Redeemer (Madison Street Publishing, 2012), is a traditional Regency romance bringing to life the romance between a young widow with an indomitable spirit and a wealthy viscount with an unsavory reputation. The novel has been received well by readers and reviewers who have praised the heartfelt story and admirable characters. Her second novel, The Unexpected Earl (Madison Street Publishing, 2014), explores another romance in the Regency era when an impetuous young woman has her life turned upside down by the reappearance of the earl who jilted her six years ago.

So, what are you waiting for? Get swept away into another time with characters you will learn to love, and experience the British Regency like never before.

Links:

Link to The Widow’s Redeemer: Amazon

Link to The Unexpected Earl: Amazon

Link to Blog

Link to Facebook

Publication Date: November 4, 2014 NAL Trade Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

In the late twelfth century on the sweeping Mongolian grasslands, following a violent feud between blood brothers, the victor Temujin ascends to power, declaring himself Genghis Khan. But behind one powerful man stand many strong women…

After her mother foretells an ominous future for her, darkness looms over Borte’s life. She becomes an outcast among her clan and after seeking comfort in the arms of an aristocratic traveler, she discovers he is the blood brother of Temujin, the man she was betrothed to years ago but who abandoned her long before they could marry. And he will only leave her behind again.

Temujin will make Borte his khatun, his queen, yet it will take many women to safeguard his fragile new empire. Their daughter, a fierce girl named Alaqai, will ride and shoot an arrow as well as any man. Fatima, an elegant Persian captive, seeks revenge against the Mongol barbarians who destroyed her city and murdered her family, but in the end will sacrifice everything to protect the Golden Family. Demure widow to Genghis’ son, Sorkhokhtani positions her sons to inherit the Empire when it begins to fracture from within.

As Genghis Khan sets out to expand his conquests and the steppes run red with blood, Borte and the women of the clan will fight, love, scheme, and sacrifice, all for the good of their family and the greatness of the People of the Felt Walls…

*********

Tiger Queens is the second book this year that I felt the five star rating wasn’t enough to give. This book out shines that rating. You can’t count the stars with stories like this and I felt so inadequate in writing my review for, The Tiger Queens by. The story speaks for itself and Thornton displays such brilliance in her writing there seems to be no words to express my inner feelings about this book. I felt I would fail with my words…

I’ve never studied the late twelfth century Mongolian culture or Genghis Khan in-depth. I’ve only heard and learned bit and pieces through my life…I must say on of the reasons why Historical Fiction is so appealing to me is because writers such as Thornton brings readers the greatness, tragedies, conflicts, triumphs, warfare, and so on of the past to life. We learn from their stories and we connect to the people that lived long ago. Their voices come alive and we learn we aren’t so different from them…..or are we? There are so many questions one ask about history and why people did the things they did and how it has even impacted us today in the modern world. What I like most about The Tiger Queens is the contrast of the Queens and conflicts these women face and how while each of these ladies has their own attributes that are unique, they connect on so many levels. Courage being one of them. Thornton does an outstanding job portraying that. Ever line, every paragraph, every page will hold your attention. There are so many wonderful layers to the story. Not only in wonderful character development and historical detail, but the human condition of that time. The bravery of it, the harshness, death, family loyalties, war and culture.

At the end of the story I was trying to make a decision on which heroine of The Tiger Queens by is my favorite. I was really leaning towards Genghis’s daughter Alaqai’s story. She does something (I won’t say, I don’t want to spoil it) I completely admire and she didn’t have to do and no one would have thought less of her if she didn’t. However, I hold each one of these extraordinary women in my heart.

There are few stories that have really impacted me on so many levels. The Tiger Queens is one of them. I would have to say that Thornton is one of the best Historical Fiction writers of our time. Truly a master of the craft.

Stephanie Moore Hopkins

Buy the Book

Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository Books-a-Million IndieBound Powell’s

About the Author

Stephanie Thornton is a writer and history teacher who has been obsessed with infamous women from ancient history since she was twelve. She lives with her husband and daughter in Alaska, where she is at work on her next novel.

“The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora” and “Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt” are available from NAL/Penguin. “The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan” will hit the shelves November 4, 2014, followed by “The Conqueror’s Wife: A Novel of Alexander the Great” in November 2015.

For more information please visit Stephanie Thornton’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, November 1 Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Sunday, November 2 Review at Let Them Read Books

Monday, November 3 Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, November 4 Review at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, November 5 Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, November 6 Review at The Mad Reviewer Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Friday, November 7 Review at Jorie Loves a Story Review at Scandalous Women

Monday, November 10 Review at Reading the Past Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, November 11 Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book Review & Giveaway at Book Lovers Paradise

Wednesday, November 12 Review at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, November 13 Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Friday, November 14 Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Monday, November 17 Review at Turning the Pages

Tuesday, November 18 Review & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Wednesday, November 19 Review & Giveaway at The Lit Bitch Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, November 20 Review at Layered Pages

Friday, November 21 Review at Just One More Chapter

Monday, November 24 Spotlight & Giveaway at Reading Lark

Tuesday, November 25 Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Wednesday, November 26 Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Friday, November 28 Review at Book Babe

Marina Julia Neary is an acclaimed historical novelist, award-winning essayist, multilingual journalist, dramatist and poet. Her areas of expertise include Neo-Victorianism, French Romanticism and Irish nationalism. Her literary career to depicting military and social disasters, from the Charge of the Light Brigade, to the Easter Rising in Dublin, to the Chernobyl catastrophe. Neary declares that her mission is to tell untold stories, find hidden gems and illuminate the prematurely extinguished stars in history. She explores human suffering through the prism of dark humor, believing that tragedy and comedy go hand in hand. Her debut novel Wynfield’s Kingdom: a Tale of London Slums (Fireship Press) appeared on the cover of the First Edition Magazine in the UK and earned the praise of the Neo-Victorian Studies Journal. Her subsequent novels include Wynfield’s War (2010), Brendan Malone: the Last Fenian (2011), Martyrs & Traitors: a Tale of 1916 (2011), Never Be at Peace: a Novel of Irish Rebels (2014) and Saved by the Bang (2015).

Why do you write?  

I chose literature as my medium of artistic expression because it’s cheaper than making movies, and I am a horrible painter.  My brain works by generating a series of pictures.  Since I cannot rely on paint and brushes, I have to rely on words.  I would absolutely love to be a filmmaker and produce gorgeous experimental costume dramas, but that requires a budget, and you have so little control over the final product, because there are so many other people involved, and so many things can go wrong. To quote a certain film director, it’s a miracle that movies even get made.  With writing, you have a lot more control over the final product.  It’s a great medium for an introvert.

How has writing impacted your life?

I cannot say that writing made me a millioniare (so far).  I’m not noticeably richer or more famous than I was before my first book came out (although I did end up on the cover of a magazine in the UK).  I cannot say that people who know me treat me any differently than they did before. I cannot speak for everyone else, but some people expect that the release of their first book is going to dramatically change their lives and immediately hurl them into this glamorous new world, and when it doesn’t happen, they feel deflated.  It’s not my place to tell other writers how to measure their success, whether they should compete – or not compete – with Stephen King.  We all reach for the stars. It’s just that for some of us those stars hang lower than for others.  The reward is not always dramatic or apparent.  Since I write historical fiction, research is a huge part of the creative process.  I made friends with historians, museum curators, other writers of historical fiction.  That in itself is a very rewarding and enriching experience.

What advice would you give to beginner writers?

I’ll be totally frank.  Be careful about joining informal groups for aspiring writers.  Without a professional moderator to keep those gatherings focused, it’s very easy to lapse into the pity-party mode.  I’ve been to a few of those “workshops”, which aren’t even workshops but rather rallies against the traditional publishing model.  A functional author group should have several components including constructive criticism as well as networking with more established writers.  If the group consists only of aspiring authors, they will not get very far on their own. It would be extremely helpful to have at least one established author as a mentor figure in the group, perhaps an editor, or a creative writing instructor.  This way the aspiring authors will get the benefit of various perspectives.  I would highly recommend joining a professional organization that holds regular networking events with agents and editors as guest speakers.  Again, you have to be careful about throwing too much of your money on a membership that you do not use.  What worked for me personally was becoming friends with authors whose books inspired me when I was younger.  Some of them are very approachable, actually.  They remember what it was like starting out, shopping their first manuscript around, so they are very helpful and sympathetic.  I wanted to extend special thanks to Stephanie Cowell and Sharon Kay Penman.  These two remarkable ladies, in spite of their popularity, always take a moment to respond to a message or an e-mail.

People often ask me where I get my ideas for my books. As an avid reader of history, I often take pieces of actual events and use them as either a starting point for my plot or to add depth and color to my stories. My first book, An Heiress at Heart (about a woman who impersonates someone else, basically stepping into her life) was partly inspired by a French movie called The Return of Martin Guerre—which was itself based on a real event.

Sometimes I’ll also pull a thread or two from a classic novel and develop it in a different direction. For example, An Heiress at Heart had a plot point which was inspired by a minor character in the Dickens novel David Copperfield. I changed her name and several of the circumstances, and then imagined what might have happened to this woman after the events of David Copperfield ended.

More bits of history that I’ve incorporated in my books include the Great Exhibition of 1851, the massive funeral procession for the Duke of Wellington in 1852, and a cameo appearance by Inspector Field, who was a real police detective of the time. I found out about Inspector Field from an article written by Dickens in his journal Household Words.

In my newest novel, A Bride for the Season, the heroine Lucinda Cardington is the patroness of a home to help “fallen women” by giving them a place to live and training to find honest work. This was based on a similar project developed by wealthy heiress and philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts and the author Charles Dickens. They called it Urania Cottage. Although Urania Cottage had its fair share of challenges and was closed down after about fifteen years, it enabled several dozen women to go on to better lives.

Another historical element in A Bride for the Season is photography. In 1853, photography had only been around for about a decade. The wet plate method was the state of the art. Taking just one photo involved the use of a glass plate negative, a large boxy camera, a portable “dark tent,” and an astonishing array of chemicals. Everything had to be on hand because the photo had to be taken while the chemicals were still wet on the glass plate. In order to be able to set a scene in Hyde Park, I gave the hero of the book a custom-built wagon for carrying all of his photographic supplies. This was inspired by Roger Fenton, who designed just such a wagon and took it to the Crimea in 1855, where he became one of the very first war photographers.

I love weaving these historical tidbits into my stories, and I hope my readers will enjoy this taste of life in mid-Victorian England as well.

A Bride for the Season

Publication date: November 25, 2014

Grand Central Publishing

ISBN-13: 9781455518913

Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Amazon | Indiebound | Nook | iBooks | Powells

BACK COVER BLURB:

London’s most amiable rogue has finally met his match.

Lucinda Cardington doesn’t care that she is close to being “on the shelf.” She has more serious pursuits in mind and is perfectly content to leave dreams of romance to silly young ladies like her sister. Yet when her sister places herself in a compromising situation with London’s most scandalous bachelor, the entire family’s reputation comes perilously close to ruin. Suddenly Lucinda is in the limelight…and in need of a husband.

James Simpson’s rakish ways have finally caught up with him. Snared in a scandal that for once is not his doing, he is forced to do the honorable thing and offer marriage to the lady. But her father won’t agree to a dowry unless James can also find a suitable husband for the lady’s elder sister—quiet, reserved Lucinda Cardington. As James gets to know the vibrant, charming, and passionate woman behind Lucinda’s shy exterior, he comes to the distressing realization that he doesn’t want her in anyone’s arms but his own…

About Author:

A history fan, travel lover, and outdoor enthusiast, Jennifer Delamere writes sweet historical romance with plenty of joy and sizzle. Her debut novel An Heiress at Heart was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA® award. Her follow-up novel, A Lady Most Lovely, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Jennifer loves reading histories, biographies, and travelogues, which she mines for the vivid details to bring to life the people and places in her books. For more information about Jennifer’s books, blog, and mailing list, visit http://www.jenniferdelamere.com.