Novel Expressions Giveaway!
Enter to win a signed copy of The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin HERE
Giveaway starts today and ends on February 18th. Winner will be announced on February 19th.
This giveaway is open internationally.
Good luck!
About the Book:
From the author of The Immigrant, another stimulating novel that will linger with you regardless of your faith or beliefs.
After enduring early parental deaths, Naamah Carter discovers renewed meaning to her strong Christian beliefs through Joseph Smith’s testaments. His following in Peterborough, New Hampshire flourishes, yet Naamah, her beloved Aunt Susan, and other believers suffer family strife and growing community resentment. She leaves her unfriendly situation and journeys to Nauvoo to be among thousands building their Prophet‘s revelation of an earthly Zion on a Mississippi River promontory. There, her faith is tested, enduring loss of loved ones and violence from those longing to destroy Nauvoo. With the western exodus imminent, she faces a decision that runs counter to her soul and all she holds sacred – whether to become Brigham Young’s plural wife.
This meticulously researched novel weaves the momentous events of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom and Brigham Young’s succession with Naamah’s story and offers differing perspectives to create a mosaic of Nauvoo, the crucible out of which arose today’s Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints
Book Excerpt:
30 May 1845
Naamah’s wedding date arrived, and with stomach fluttering, she walked with Amelia and Caroline. Her long-sleeved white dress swished about her ankles, an ordinary dress, except for three clamshell buttons centered from the neckline to her bosom. She toyed with one, wishing her aunt could attend. But she was recently married, and Naamah understood. She thought of Aunt Susan’s words as she stitched on the third button. “There, my special gift to you.”
They moved past the temple and down the rise to the flat land. Amelia sighed and said, “Such an almighty journey. Why?” She hastened to Naamah’s aside. “And who is Elder Bates?”
“It’s a surprise is all I know,” said Naamah.
At the intersection of Main and Kimball, John, a half block away, waved. Another man stood beside him, studying his watch. When he spotted Naamah, he closed the watch cover and slid it into his vest pocket. Naamah raised her dress and hastened.
John’s companion doffed his hat and said, “I’m Elder Bates. Welcome to my home.” Naamah gave a nod and abbreviated curtsey as Bates turned to John. “Escort the Sisters inside, and I’ll wait. Should be but a moment.”
John ushered Naamah up three steps and into a well-furnished parlor. Several familiar men were near the fireplace, except one with an arm on the mantle and away from the others. The women clustered near the six-foot high window.
Naamah gasped and placed a hand on her chest. “Mercy, such a wonder.”
Aunt Susan stepped out from the group. “You look lovely, dear.” She sniffed. “Your mother would be so happy.”
“I thought you couldn’t . . .” said Naamah. She turned to John. “Is this your surprise?”
John shrugged as Naamah turned back to Susan.
“I’ve been of ill health, but Brother Jolley helped me gather my strength.” Susanna pointed to the man leaning on the mantle. As Naamah dropped her hand from her chest, Susanna said, “The buttons are lovely. The clamshells’ purple add a touch of color. Purple, the color of advent.” Susanna shielded her mouth and whispered, “Advent proclaims good news. Perhaps some good news will soon come.”
Bates opened the door and allowed the man behind him to enter first. As he did, Naamah thought she would swoon. She spun to John and mouthed, “Elder Young.”
John nodded while trying to contain his smile.
A Sister entered after Brigham, carrying a basket. Brigham gestured to a table and said, “Place it there, Sister Partridge.”
Sister Partridge complied and moved to Naamah. She grasped her hand and pecked the side of her cheek. “A special day, isn’t it?” She gestured to the basket. “Teacakes from Mother Young. If you would be so kind, return the basket later.”
“I will, Sister Partridge.”
“You may call me Sister Emily.” Her smile was warm, genuine, and soothing to Naamah’s nerves.
As Emily moved near the door, Brigham took charge, moving John to Naamah’s right before opening his book. Naamah was fascinated at being so near Brigham. Whenever he looked at her to ask a question, she responded as best she could with a dry mouth and racing heart.
The questions ended, and Naamah and John were pronounced husband and wife. She turned to a chorus of amen and exhaled her relief while gazing at a teary-eyed Susanna. Naamah sensed she might cry, too, and turned back to Brigham. He stared, and Naamah moved her tongue to moisten her mouth. When he said, “Sister Twiss,” it seemed foreign at first. He placed his right hand on her head, and she grew faint at the touch
“Sister Twiss, my blessing for you,” he said. “May you live long and bring many into His kingdom.”
He released his hand to clutch her shoulders and pull her near. He kissed the top of her head and patted it before releasing his grip. He smiled, and Naamah’s knees grew weak.
Brigham nodded to Elder Bates and left with Sister Partridge following him. Aunt Susan and the sisters gathered around Naamah, gushing their congratulations. The Brethren clustered near John. While the two groups continued chatting, John and Naamah looked often to one another. The irony struck Naamah: she just had been married, yet she was with the sisterhood. John eventually drifted near. Naamah, anxious to leave, gave her aunt a prolonged hug and left with John. When he shut the door behind them, the parlor din ebbed.
Naamah sighed and said, “At last.”
The newlyweds walked hand in hand up Main toward Mulholland. Along the way, many congratulated them, and at one-point Naamah, with cheeks aglow, said to John, “Are we so obvious?”
About the Author:
Alfred Woollacott, III retired from KPMG after a career spanning 34 years, choosing to reside full time at his summer residence on Martha’s Vineyard. Being “45 minutes from America” and with a 50 – 60 hour per week void to fill, he began dabbling into his family history. His dabbling grew into an obsession, and he published several genealogical summaries of his ancestors. But certain ones absorbed him such that he could not leave them. So, he researched their lives and times further while evolving his writing skills from “just the facts ma’am” to a fascinating narrative style. Thus, with imagination, anchored in fact and tempered with plausibility, a remote ancestor can achieve a robust life as envisioned by a writer with a few drops of his ancestor’s blood in his veins.
When not writing, Al serves on several Boards, and keeps physically active with golf, tennis, and hockey. He and his wife of 44 years, Jill, have four children and ten grandchildren.
Links:
Twitter @AlWoollacott
I am not a cover designer but I can agree that cover layouts play an important role in the overall presentation of stories and I must admit, often times I first judge a book by its cover.
Cover Crush is a weekly series that originated with Erin at Flashlight Commentary.
Hurricane Season
A Southern Novel of Two Sisters and the Storms They Must Weather
by Lauren K. Denton
Thomas Nelson–FICTION
General Fiction (Adult) , Women’s Fiction
Description
From the author of the USA Today Bestseller, The Hideaway comes another story of families and mending the past.
Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.
As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.
Attending art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.
When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way.
“A story both powerful and enchanting: a don’t-miss novel in the greatest Southern traditions of storytelling.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author for The Hideaway
My thoughts:
What a magical cover…I love this layout and the colors used. It reminds me of those magical evenings in the south.
Stephanie M. Hopkins
Other great cover crushes from my fellow book bloggers:
Magdalena at A Bookaholic Swede
Colleen at A Literary Vacation
Heather at The Maiden’s Court
Holly at 2 Kids and Tired
Meghan at Of Quills & Vellum
New on Amazon UK Amazon US and Amazon AU
About the Book
From the author of the international best-selling Tudor Trilogy, the true story of the Tudor dynasty continues with the daughter of King Henry VII, sister to King Henry VIII. Mary Tudor watches her elder brother become King of England and wonders what the future holds for her.
Born into great privilege, Mary has beauty and intelligence beyond her years and is the most marriageable princess in Europe. Henry plans to use her marriage to build a powerful alliance against his enemies. Will she dare risk his anger by marrying for love?
Meticulously researched and based on actual events, this ‘sequel’ follows Mary’s story from book three of the Tudor Trilogy and is set during the reign of King Henry VIII.
About the Author
Tony Riches is a full-time author of best-selling historical fiction. He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the fifteenth century, with a particular interest in the Wars of the Roses and the lives of the early Tudors. For more information about Tony’s other books please visit his website and his popular blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Links:
Mary – Tudor Princess
Twitter @tonyriches
About the book:
San Francisco, 1915. As America teeters on the brink of world war, Charmian and her husband, famed novelist Jack London, wrestle with genius and desire, politics and marital competitiveness. Charmian longs to be viewed as an equal partner who put her own career on hold to support her husband, but Jack doesn’t see it that way…until Charmian is pulled from the audience during a magic show by escape artist Harry Houdini, a man enmeshed in his own complicated marriage. Suddenly, charmed by the attention Houdini pays her and entranced by his sexual magnetism, Charmian’s eyes open to a world of possibilities that could be her escape.
As Charmian grapples with her urge to explore the forbidden, Jack’s increasingly reckless behavior threatens her dedication. Now torn between two of history’s most mysterious and charismatic figures, she must find the courage to forge her own path, even as she fears the loss of everything she holds dear.
My thoughts:
Jack London is known for being a prolific writer. He is well known today for his two novels, White Fang and The Call of the Wild but who is the man behind the stories? What was his personal life like and who were the people in his life that supported his work? When I spotted this book at NetGalley I crossed my fingers and hoped I would get a review copy and sure enough, I did. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to be accepted to review this book. I absolutely love it when modern writers write about other writers about their commercial successes-if you will. After reading The Secret Life of Mrs. London, I started to research him further and what I found made such a bigger impression on this story. Jack London lived quite a life to say the least…
This story is told in Mrs. London’s-Jack’s second wife-point of few and it was extraordinary! I was captivated right from the start to finish, I didn’t want the story to end to be honest. I was quite envious of the authors beautiful flow of story-telling, she weaved the story so in tuned with that era and captured so eloquently what life must have been like for Mrs. Jack London. She was an intriguing woman and contributed to Jack’s work in a big way. When reading this story, you realize that without her in Jack’s life, you question if he would have been the writer he is known for.
I would also like to add that I enjoyed the passages from London’s books at the beginning of each chapter. The only problem I had with this story is that it ended.
Wonderfully drawn characters, beautiful prose, larger than life story-telling and a story I will hold close to my heart for a long time to come. I highly recommend this book to all and hope to see more stories like this from this author. I am a big fan!
Five-star rating!
I obtained a copy from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.
Stephanie M. Hopkins
Previously published on L.A.P. it Marketing
Writers breathe life into characters with words and their book is their canvas. A writer’s art is to gather elements of life, places, time and situations and weave them into stories. To design a story that draws a reader in and leaves an impression that has the reader emotionally invested is an art.
An Artist creates art through a canvas or sculpture to express mood, emotion and self-expression. Often times there is chaos in those mediums that expresses what many relate to in life or they trigger memories. When artists do this, they bring the essence of the human condition and their surroundings to life expressed through the different styles of their work and bring a powerful reality into their creations.
A Photographer is an artist who captures a moment in an instant and holds it without change. The picture captures an existence of different mediums such as landscape, portraits, buildings, and any other form you can think of. We see these images through a photographer’s eye. Like an artist who captures these things on canvas or a writer who captures this with words, a photographer’s picture is the same concept.
Each medium l’ve presented here is an expression and in its simplest form, each medium tells a story. My passion is to capture their essence in L.A.P. it Marketing and to give understanding to the craft so many will have a deeper understanding of the three and their importance. Not only that, I want to give these artists a fresh and creative way to share their interpretations through social media.
Stephanie M. Hopkins
Photo by WSM Photography
Twitter: @lapitmarketing
Southern writers and their stories are important and what makes them unique is the portrayal of the human condition, strength, over-coming struggles and braving a culture many don’t understand. Today I am featuring a unique southern story by Deborah Mantella that gives us a glance at a woman’s emerging voice and much more. I created this art piece-above- in honor of Sweet Vidalia and to Deborah who wrote this poetic story. -Stephanie M. Hopkins
On July 4, 1955, in rural Georgia, an act of violence threatens the life of Vidalia Lee Kandal’s pre-born daughter. Despite the direst of circumstances, the spirit of the lost child refuses to leave her ill-equipped young mother’s side.
For as long as she is needed―through troubled pregnancies, through poverty, through spousal abuse and agonizing betrayals―Cieli Mae, the determined spirit child, narrates their journey. Serving as a safe place and sounding board for Vidalia’s innermost thoughts and confusions, lending a strength to her momma’s emerging voice, Cieli Mae provides her own special brand of comfort and encouragement, all the while honoring the restrictions imposed by her otherworldly status.
Vidalia finds further support in such unlikely townsfolk and relations as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and her Wild Women of God, and, most particularly, in Ruby Pearl Banks, the kind, courageous church lady, who has suffered her own share of heartache in their small Southern town of yesteryear’s prejudices and presumptions.
My Sweet Vidalia is wise and witty, outstanding for its use of vibrant, poetic language and understated Southern dialect, as well as Mantella’s clear-eyed observations of race relations as human relations, a cast of unforgettable characters, an in-depth exploration of the ties that bind, and its creative perspective. My Sweet Vidalia is a rare, wonderful, and complex look at hope, strength, the unparalleled power of unconditional love, and a young mother’s refusal to give up.
Available on Amazon and various independent book Shoppes.
I am not a cover designer but I can agree that cover layouts play an important role in the overall presentation of stories and I must admit, often times I first judge a book by its cover.
Cover Crush is a weekly series that originated with Erin at Flashlight Commentary.
The Queen’s Poisoner (Kingfountain #1) by Jeff Wheeler
Hardcover, 334 pages
Published April 1st 2016 by 47North (first published March 1st 2016)
King Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.
Seeking allies and eluding Severn’s spies, Owen learns to survive in the court of Kingfountain. But when new evidence of his father’s betrayal threatens to seal his fate, Owen must win the vengeful king’s favor by proving his worth—through extraordinary means. And only one person can aid his desperate cause: a mysterious woman, dwelling in secrecy, who truly wields power over life, death, and destiny.
My thoughts:
This cover has captured my attention. The overall layout and colors really stand out. Kudos to the book designer!
Stephanie M. Hopkins
Other great cover crushes from my fellow book bloggers:
Magdalena at A Bookaholic Swede
Colleen at A Literary Vacation
Heather at The Maiden’s Court
Holly at 2 Kids and Tired
Meghan at Of Quills & Vellum
This month’s wish-list has a mixed theme. I recently read a story set in the Gilded Era and I wanted to get my hands on more titles that takes place during this time period. I’m also interested in southern stories and I have added three titles I want to share with you that I am excited about. -Stephanie M. Hopkins
Gilded Era:
The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910 by Esther Crain
The drama, expansion, mansions and wealth of New York City’s transformative Gilded Age era, from 1870 to 1910, captured in a magnificently illustrated hardcover.
In forty short years, New York City suddenly became a city of skyscrapers, subways, streetlights, and Central Park, as well as sprawling bridges that connected the once-distant boroughs. In Manhattan, more than a million poor immigrants crammed into tenements, while the half of the millionaires in the entire country lined Fifth Avenue with their opulent mansions.
The Gilded Age in New York captures what is was like to live in Gotham then, to be a daily witness to the city’s rapid evolution.
Newspapers, autobiographies, and personal diaries offer fascinating glimpses into daily life among the rich, the poor, and the surprisingly large middle class.
The use of photography and illustrated periodicals provides astonishing images that document the bigness of New York: the construction of the Statue of Liberty; the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge; the shimmering lights of Luna Park in Coney Island; the mansions of Millionaire’s Row.
Sidebars detail smaller, fleeting moments: Alice Vanderbilt posing proudly in her “Electric Light” ball gown at a society-changing masquerade ball; immigrants stepping off the boat at Ellis Island; a young Theodore Roosevelt witnessing Abraham Lincoln’s funeral.
The Gilded Age in New York is a rare illustrated look at this amazing time in both the city and the country as a whole. Author Esther Crain, the go-to authority on the era, weaves first-hand accounts and fascinating details into a vivid tapestry of American society at the turn of the century.
The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe
Passing meets The House of Mirth in this “utterly captivating” (Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House) historical novel based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, the first black student to attend Vassar, who successfully passed as white—until she let herself grow too attached to the wrong person.
Since childhood, Anita Hemmings has longed to attend the country’s most exclusive school for women, Vassar College. Now, a bright, beautiful senior in the class of 1897, she is hiding a secret that would have banned her from admission: Anita is the only African-American student ever to attend Vassar. With her olive complexion and dark hair, this daughter of a janitor and descendant of slaves has successfully passed as white, but now finds herself rooming with Louise “Lottie” Taylor, the scion of one of New York’s most prominent families.
Though Anita has kept herself at a distance from her classmates, Lottie’s sphere of influence is inescapable, her energy irresistible, and the two become fast friends. Pulled into her elite world, Anita learns what it’s like to be treated as a wealthy, educated white woman—the person everyone believes her to be—and even finds herself in a heady romance with a moneyed Harvard student. It’s only when Lottie becomes infatuated with Anita’s brother, Frederick, whose skin is almost as light as his sister’s, that the situation becomes particularly perilous. And as Anita’s college graduation looms, those closest to her will be the ones to dangerously threaten her secret.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Gilded Age, an era when old money traditions collided with modern ideas, Tanabe has written an unputdownable and emotionally compelling story of hope, sacrifice, and betrayal—and a gripping account of how one woman dared to risk everything for the chance at a better life.
Southern Stories:
The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson
Spanning several decades and written in an authentic voice both lyrical and wise, The Sisters of Glass Ferry is a haunting novel about small-town Southern secrets, loss and atonement, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.
Glass Ferry, Kentucky, is bourbon country. Whiskey has been a way of life for generations, enabling families to provide and survive even in the darkest times. Flannery Butler’s daddy, Beauregard “Honey Bee” Butler, was known for making some of the best whiskey in the state, aged in barrels he’d take by boat up and down the Kentucky River until the rocking waters turned the spirits smooth and golden. Flannery is the only person Honey Bee ever entrusted with his recipes before he passed on, swearing her to secrecy as he did so.
But Flannery is harboring other secrets too, about her twin sister Patsy, older by eight minutes and pretty in a way Flannery knows she’ll never be. Then comes the prom night when Patsy—wearing a yellow chiffon dress and the family pearls—disappears along with her date. Every succeeding year on the twins’ birthday, Flannery’s mother bakes a strawberry cake, convinced that this is the day Patsy will finally come home. But it will be two tumultuous decades until the muddy river yields a clue about what happened that night, compelling Flannery to confront the truth about her sleepy town, her family’s past, and the choices she and those closest to her have made in the name of love and retribution . . .
“Richardson has a knack for layering a landscape with secrets, for slowly revealing what’s hidden until suddenly you find what you’ve been chasing sitting in the palm of your hand. The Sisters of Glass Ferryis bountifully written—a place fully realized and packed with characters you won’t soon forget.” —David Joy, author of The Weight Of This World
“The Sisters of Glass Ferry peels back the layers of a small town to reveal a labyrinth of long-buried secrets and dangerous lies. Richardson delivers a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric Southern Gothic tale that stayed with me long after I turned the last page.” —Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar Temptress Soldier Spy
“This heart-rending, lovely family drama spans sixty years and four generations, peeling back the layers of a small town to reveal a labyrinth of long-buried lies and a wealth of dangerous secrets suspended between three families. The Sisters of Glass Ferry is so fast paced I couldn’t stop turning the pages, but then I’d smash into another jewel-like sentence and have to stop to reread it. Kim Michele Richardson writes with an authentic Southern voice straight out of Kentucky, well graveled, rough with moonshine, and damn near irresistible.” —Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of gods in Alabamaand The Almost Sisters
The Road to Bittersweet by Donna Everhart
Set in the Carolinas in the 1940s, The Road to Bittersweet is a beautifully written, evocative account of a young woman reckoning not just with the unforgiving landscape, but with the rocky emotional terrain that leads from innocence to wisdom.
For fourteen-year-old Wallis Ann Stamper and her family, life in the Appalachian Mountains is simple and satisfying, though not for the tenderhearted. While her older sister, Laci—a mute, musically gifted savant—is constantly watched over and protected, Wallis Ann is as practical and sturdy as her name. When the Tuckasegee River bursts its banks, forcing them to flee in the middle of the night, those qualities save her life. But though her family is eventually reunited, the tragedy opens Wallis Ann’s eyes to a world beyond the creek that’s borne their name for generations.
Carrying what’s left of their possessions, the Stampers begin another perilous journey from their ruined home to the hill country of South Carolina. Wallis Ann’s blossoming friendship with Clayton, a high diving performer for a traveling show, sparks a new opportunity, and the family joins as a singing group. But Clayton’s attention to Laci drives a wedge between the two sisters. As jealousy and betrayal threaten to accomplish what hardship never could—divide the family for good—Wallis Ann makes a decision that will transform them all in unforeseeable ways . . .
Careers die. Friendships fade. The music is all that remains. This is the weight of sound.
The Weight of Sound by Peter McDade
The Weight of Sound, a debut novel by writer and musician Peter McDade, carries readers through 25 years in the life of Spider Webb. Spider as a teenager announces to his parents that he will skip high school graduation and move to Athens, Ga. to launch his musical career in the town that gave birth to R.E.M. and the B-52s. A chorus of narrators, including bandmates, roadies, girlfriends, record executives, and fans, reveal what happens behind the music of a touring musician on the rise in an industry whose business model in the 90s is on the decline.
This is not a tell-all memoir about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. It is a poignant look at the way that music molds and shapes who we are as people—not just the musicians and artists, but the listeners and fans who make sense of their world through the songs.
As readers follow Spider, they will also follow the trail of the music he makes: from the music of The Beatles that bonded Spider to his father to the music he made with his friends, music produced in studio and played live, music that outlived several bands and relationships. Each chapter of the book corresponds to an original song, co-written by the author and performed by musicians from across the country. Readers will access the music by using a special code found within the book’s pages.
Other Bloggers who has a Monthly Wish-List:
Magdalena at A Bookaholic Swede
Colleen at A Literary Vacation
Heather at The Maiden’s Court
Holly at 2 Kids and Tired
Erin at Flashlight Commentary
Layered Pages 