Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman (book tour)

Please join Ayelet Waldman as she tours the blogosphere for Love and Treasure from May 27 to July 3.

A spellbinding new novel of contraband masterpieces, tragic love, and the unexpected legacies of forgotten crimes, Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure weaves a tale around the fascinating, true history of the Hungarian Gold Train in the Second World War.

In 1945 on the outskirts of Salzburg, victorious American soldiers capture a train filled with unspeakable riches: piles of fine gold watches; mountains of fur coats; crates filled with wedding rings, silver picture frames, family heirlooms, and Shabbat candlesticks passed down through generations. Jack Wiseman, a tough, smart New York Jew, is the lieutenant charged with guarding this treasure—a responsibility that grows more complicated when he meets Ilona, a fierce, beautiful Hungarian who has lost everything in the ravages of the Holocaust. Seventy years later, amid the shadowy world of art dealers who profit off the sins of previous generations, Jack gives a necklace to his granddaughter, Natalie Stein, and charges her with searching for an unknown woman—a woman whose portrait and fate come to haunt Natalie, a woman whose secret may help Natalie to understand the guilt her grandfather will take to his grave and to find a way out of the mess she has made of her own life.

A story of brilliantly drawn characters—a suave and shady art historian, a delusive and infatuated Freudian, a family of singing circus dwarfs fallen into the clutches of Josef Mengele, and desperate lovers facing choices that will tear them apart—Love and Treasure is Ayelet Waldman’s finest novel to date: a sad, funny, richly detailed work that poses hard questions about the value of precious things in a time when life itself has no value, and about the slenderest of chains that can bind us to the griefs and passions of the past.

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Knopf Publishing

Formats: Ebook, Hardcover, Audio

(my copy proved via HFVBT for an honest review)
****

My review:
Recently my reading has taken me to World War II, I didn't plan it just seemed to happen.   I have never heard of the Hungarian Gold Train before and found the historical details both absorbing and informative.

Ayelet Waldman takes on a different approach that looks at the effects of World War II on the innocent.  To read about this Gold Train I couldn't help feel for those that had their life possessions taken from them for no other reason then because they were Jews.  Though this story covers many years the author wrote in such a style that they were connected together smoothly.

Definetly a story that I found enjoyable and educational at the same time.  An authentic, believable story that brought to life another view of the dark side of WW II.  This book will appeal to fans of this time period, those that enjoy multi-time period genre and from a male point of view.  I also think this book would lend itself quite nicely as a book club read and could induce lots of discussions.

"The wealth of the Jews of Hungary, of all of Europe, was to be found not in the laden boxcars of the Gold Train but in the grandmothers and mothers and daughters themselves, in the doctors and lawyers, the grain dealers and psychiatrists, the writers and artists and artists who had created a culture of sophistication, of intellectual and artistic achievement. And that wealth, everything of real value, was but all extinguished."

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Audible.com
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

Praise for Love and Treasure

“Love and Treasure is something of a treasure trove of a novel. Its beautifully integrated parts fit inside one another like the talismanic pendant/ locket at the heart of several love stories. Where the opening chapters evoke the nightmare of Europe in the aftermath of World War II with the hallucinatory vividness of Anselm Kiefer’s disturbing canvases, the concluding chapters, set decades before, in a more seemingly innocent time in the early 20th century, are a bittersweet evocation, in miniature, of thwarted personal destinies that yet yield to something like cultural triumph. Ayelet Waldman is not afraid to create characters for whom we feel an urgency of emotion, and she does not resolve what is unresolvable in this ambitious, absorbing and poignantly moving work of fiction.”

—Joyce Carol Oates

“One is quickly caught up in Love and Treasure with its shifting tones and voices—at times a document, a thriller, a love story, a search—telescoping time backwards and forwards to vividly depict a story found in the preludes and then the after-effects of the Holocaust. Waldman gives us remarkable characters in a time of complex and surprising politics.”

—Michael Ondaatje

“Love and Treasure is like the treasure train it chases: fast-paced, bound by a fierce mission, full of bright secrets and racingly, relentlessly moving.”

—Daniel Handler

“Complex and thoughtful, moving and carefully researched, this is a novel to love and treasure.”

—Philippa Gregory

“This lush, multigenerational tale… traces the path of a single pendant…. Inventively told from multiple perspectives, Waldman’s latest is a seductive reflection on just how complicated the idea of ‘home’ is–and why it is worth more than treasure.”

—Publishers Weekly

“A sensitive and heartbreaking portrayal of love, politics, and family secrets . . . Waldman’s appealing novel recalls the film The Red Violin in its following of this all-important object through various periods in history and through many owners. Fans of historical fiction will love the compelling characters and the leaps backward and forward in time.”

—Mariel Pachucki, Library Journal

Ayelet Waldman is the author of the newly released Love and Treasure (Knopf, January 2014), Red Hook Road and The New York Times bestseller Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace. Her novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits was made into a film starring Natalie Portman. Her personal essays and profiles of such public figures as Hillary Clinton have been published in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Vogue, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Her radio commentaries have appeared on "All Things Considered" and "The California Report."

For more information please visit Ayelet's website. Her missives also appear on Facebook and Twitter.

Her books are published throughout the world, in countries as disparate as England and Thailand, the Netherlands and China, Russia and Israel, Korea and Italy.?

 

Tuesday, May 27
Review at Kinx's Book Nook
Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews

Wednesday, May 28
Guest Post at Passion for Novels

Thursday, May 29
Review at Mari Reads

Friday, May 30
Review at She Reads Novels
Review at Dianne Ascroft's Blog

Monday, June 2
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, June 3
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, June 4
Review at Seaside Book Corner

Thursday, June 5
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Friday, June 6
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Monday, June 9
Review at Closed the Cover

Tuesday, June 10
Interview at Closed the Cover

Wednesday, June 11
Review at A Bookish Girl
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, June 13
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, June 16
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Wednesday, June 18
Review at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, June 19
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, June 20
Review at Curling Up with a Good Book

Monday, June 23
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, June 24
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Wednesday, June 25
Review at Lit Nerd

Thursday, June 26
Review at The Little Reader Library

Friday, June 27

Review at Man of la Book

Monday, June 30
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at Just One More Chapter
Interview at Layered Pages

Tuesday, July 1
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Wednesday, July 2
Review at From L.A. to LA
Review at Mina's Bookshelf

Thursday, July 3
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Waiting on Wednesday: The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill  at  Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.   

   This week I am waiting for:

Why you ask?  It's simple, C.W. Gortner is one of my favorite authors and I know it will be another great addition to the series.

 

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: October 21st 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin

Upon the death of Mary I (Bloody Mary), Elizabeth I takes the throne and Brendan Prescott is called to aid the young queen amid a realm plunged into chaos and a court rife with conspiracy

London, 1558. Queen Mary is dead, and 25-year old Elizabeth ascends the throne. Summoned to court from exile abroad, Elizabeth’s intimate spy, Brendan Prescott, is reunited with the young queen, as well as his beloved Kate, scheming William Cecil, and arch-rival, Robert Dudley. A poison attempt on Elizabeth soon overshadows her coronation, but before Brendan can investigate, Elizabeth summons him in private to dispatch him on a far more confidential mission: to find her favored lady in waiting, Lady Parry, who has disappeared during a visit to her family manor in Yorkshire.

Upon his arrival at the desolate sea-side manor where Lady Parry was last seen, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, but the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery in Vaughn Hall, the more he learns that in his zeal to uncover the truth, he could be precipitating Elizabeth’s destruction.

From the intrigue-laden passages of Whitehall to a foreboding Catholic manor and the deadly underworld of London, Brendan must race against time to unravel a vendetta that will strike at the very core of his world—a vendetta that could expose a buried past and betray everything he has fought for, including his loyalty to his queen.

What are you waiting for? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists! 

 Ten Book Cover Trends (or just elements of covers) I Like/Dislike {can stick to one or the other or both!}

I'll start by saying that I am a book cover snob, yup I will skip a book because of the cover and not even read the blurb, I'm sure that I've missed great books because of this.  On the other hand I have picked up some wonderful covers, and was so disappointed with the book.

Words only, no picture, just the title and author.  Do I like it?  Not really, Jojo Moyes book looks to 'chicklit' to me (not a favorite of mine).  Thankfully I read the blurb on netgalley for this one and it is one of my favorites.  It made me realize not to judge a book by its cover because I would have hated to miss this one.  

  

Cover that leaves no question who the book is about.  I love it when its an authentic portrait.

3.  Back of women.  You can just feel a great story hiding in there.

Art Historical Fiction. I love learning while I read, I love the painting being shown on the covers.

Symbols.  Yea love them (especially on this series)

Dislike covers with movie stars on them.
 

 Ok so I didn't come up with 10, but close enough.

Book Blast: Alison Morton's SUCCESSIO

Follow Alison Morton's Book Blast for SUCCESSIO, the third book in her Roma Nova Series, from June 16-27 for a chance to win your own autographed copy and bookmark!

Publication Date: June 4, 2014

SilverWood Books

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Alternative Historical Thriller



Roma Nova – the last remnant of the Roman Empire that has survived into the 21st century – is at peace. Carina Mitela, the heir of a leading family, but choosing the life of an officer in the Praetorian Guard Special Forces, is not so sure.

She senses danger crawling towards her when she encounters a strangely self-possessed member of the unit hosting their exchange exercise in Britain. When a blackmailing letter arrives from a woman claiming to be her husband Conrad’s lost daughter and Conrad tries to shut Carina out, she knows the threat is real.

Trying to resolve a young man’s indiscretion twenty-five years before turns into a nightmare that not only threatens to destroy all the Mitelae but also attacks the core of the imperial family itself. With her enemy holding a gun at the head of the heir to the imperial throne, Carina has to make the hardest decision of her life…

Praise for Successio

“If there is a world where fiction becomes more believable than reality, then Alison Morton’s ingenious thrillers must be the portal through which to travel. Following in Caesar’s footsteps, she came with INCEPTIO, saw with PERFIDITAS – and has well and truly conquered with SUCCESSIO!” – Helen Hollick, author and Managing Editor Historical Novel Society Indie Reviews

“Alison Morton has done it again. SUCCESSIO is the latest in her series of powerful tales of family betrayals and shifting allegiances in Roma Nova. Once again, I was gripped from start to finish.” – Sue Cook, writer and broadcaster

Roma Nova Series

Book One: Inceptio
Book Two: Perfiditas
Book Three: Successio

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

Alison Morton writes Roman-themed alternate history thrillers with strong heroines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in French, German and Economics, a masters’ in history and lives in France with her husband.

A ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, she has visited sites throughout Europe including the alma mater, Rome. But it was the mosaics at Ampurias (Spain) that started her wondering what a modern Roman society would be like if run by women…

INCEPTIO, the first in the Roma Nova series, was shortlisted for the 2013 International Rubery Book Award and awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion® in September 2013. The next in series, PERFIDITAS, published October 2013, has also just been honoured with the B.R.A.G. Medallion®. Alison is currently working on the fourth book.

Connect with Alison Morton

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon UK Author Page
Amazon US Author Page
INCEPTIO Facebook Page
PERFIDITAS Facebook Page

Follow the Successio Book Blast

June 16: Flashlight Commentary & Princess of Eboli
June 17: Kincavel Korner, Mina's Bookshelf, & Literary Chanteuse
June 18: Kinx's Book Nook & Svetlana's Reads and Views
June 19: So Many Books, So Little Time, The Lit Bitch, & West Metro Mommy
June 20: Historical Fiction Obsession
June 21: A Bookish Affair & Broken Teepee
June 22: Just One More Chapter
June 23: The Little Reader Library & The True Book Addict
June 24: A Bibliotaph's Reviews & Historical Fiction Connection
June 25: Historical Tapestry & The Maiden's Court
June 26: Book Nerd & Passages to the Past
June 27: CelticLady's Reviews

Giveaway

To win an Autographed copy of SUCCESSIO & Bookmark please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open interntionally.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on June 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on June 28th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: The House by the Sea by Santa Montefiore

It's been a long time in coming, but finally it is official SUMMER!!!  That's something to celebrate, right?  I've cleaned off my bookshelves and found duplicates which means throughout the summer I am going to host a pile of giveaways.

All my giveaways will be open international, with the understanding that if you are outside of Canada/USA I will be shipping surface mail (and that might take 6 weeks to arrive).

This week I am offering a brand new copy of The House By The Sea by Santa Montefiore, never even cracked it open.  This book is also published under the title The Mermaid Garden (and I've got a copy of that too).

 

 Paperback, 499 pages

Published April 26th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Ltd (first published January 1st 2011)

From the author of The French Gardener, a story about a hotel's summer artist-in-residence who touches lives in ways no one could imagine.

The internationally bestselling author of The French Gardener presents a complex and irresistibly compelling novel that confirms the remarkable power of love to heal and transform.

Ten-year-old Floriana is captivated by the beauty of the magnificent Tuscan villa that overlooks the sea just outside her small village. She likes to spy from the crumbling wall into the gardens and imagine that one day she’ll escape her meager existence and live there surrounded by its otherworldly splendor. Then one day Dante, the son of the villa’s powerful industrialist owner, invites her inside and shows her the enchanting Mermaid Garden. From that moment, Floriana knows that the only destiny for her is there, in that garden, with Dante. But as they grow up and fall in love, their romance causes a crisis, jeopardizing the very thing they hold most dear.

Decades later and hundreds of miles away, a beautiful old country house hotel on England’s Devon coast has fallen on hard times after the financial crash of 2008. Its owner, Marina, advertises for an artist to stay the summer and teach the guests how to paint. The man she hires is charismatic and wise and soon begins to pacify the discord in her family and transform the fortunes of the hotel. However, he has his own agenda. Is it to destroy, to seduce, or to heal? Whatever his intentions, he is certain to change Marina’s life forever.

Spanning four decades and sweeping from the Italian countryside to the English coast, this new story by Santa Montefiore is a moving and mysterious tale of love, forgiveness, and the past revealed.

Once winner choosen, winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email, after which time another winner will  be picked.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Impersonator by Mary Miley

In 1917, Jessie Carr, fourteen years old and sole heiress to her family’s vast fortune, disappeared without a trace. Now, years later, her uncle Oliver Beckett thinks he’s found her: a young actress in a vaudeville playhouse is a dead ringer for his missing niece. But when Oliver confronts the girl, he learns he’s wrong. Orphaned young, Leah’s been acting since she was a toddler.

Oliver, never one to miss an opportunity, makes a proposition—with his coaching, Leah can impersonate Jessie, claim the fortune, and split it with him. The role of a lifetime, he says. A one-way ticket to Sing Sing, she hears. But when she’s let go from her job, Oliver’s offer looks a lot more appealing. Leah agrees to the con, but secretly promises herself to try and find out what happened to the real Jessie. There’s only one problem: Leah’s act won’t fool the one person who knows the truth about Jessie’s disappearance.

Set against a Prohibition-era backdrop of speakeasies and vaudeville houses, Mary Miley’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition winner The Impersonator will delight readers with its elaborate mystery and lively prose.

Hardcover, 358 pages

Published September 17th 2013 by Minotaur Books

(ebook provided by publisher via netgalley, 

audio book from my personal library)

****

Ih has only been recently that my interest in the early 1900's has been piqued.  I wasn't sure what to expect with this book.  If you read the synopsis like I did, you might think it sounds a little far fetched and that this book lacks depth and substance.  So to be perfectly honest, this book blew me away.  Told from the POV of Leah/Jessie, a Vaudeville actress, she had a voice that just sucked me right in.  Not only did I get to know her but each of the other players in this book as well.  There was enough information that had me guessing at the 'this, that and the other scenios'.  The ending was perfect and one I didn't totally expect (I love it when that happens).

Leah/Jessie is a really likable character, she has spunk, knows when to keep quiet and when to ask the right questions.  There is a lot going on in this book aside from Leah playing Jessie, there is mystery (what really happened to Jessie), suspence (the build up to the conclusion), some unsavory activity (sorry can't be too specific here) and I think I'd better stop before I reveal too much.

If you like HF from the 1920's, a good mystery and a glimpse into the lifestyles of that era, then give this book a try.

This is Mary Miley's debut (remember I love debuts), The Impersonator is the beginning of The Roaring Twenties Mystery Series.  Book 2 is Silent Murders scheduled to be released Sept 23, 2014, sorry not posting synopsis as that would be a major spoiler.

Mister Max - The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt

Max Starling's theatrical father likes to say that at twelve a boy is independent. He also likes to boast (about his acting skills, his wife's acting skills, a fortune only his family knows is metaphorical), but more than anything he likes to have adventures. Max Starling's equally theatrical mother is not a boaster but she enjoys a good adventure as much as her husband. When these two disappear, what can sort-of-theatrical Max and his not-at-all theatrical grandmother do? They have to wait to find out something, anything, and to worry, and, in Max's case, to figure out how to earn a living at the same time as he maintains his independence.

This is the first of three books, all featuring the mysterious Mister Max.

Hardcover, 1st ed, 374 pages

Published September 10th 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf 

***1/2

 I used to read kids books all the time, that is when my boys were little.  Now every once in a while I will pick one up.  This book was offered by Netgalley and I grabbed it. 

The thing that got me started on middle grade books was reading to the kids.  I used to always buy them a book for birthdays and Christmas.  Now I have the fun job of doing that with the grand kids.  Joseph is my 9 year old and with him in mind I read this book.

There is alot about this book that I really enjoyed. It did start off a little slow but it wasn't long before it picked up speed.  I really like Max, he is kind of a quirky boy, adventurous and  smart.  There is a whole array of characters here that breathe life to this story.  As the title refers, this is the book of lost things and Mister Max is the finder of things lost.  His used props from his parents theater cupboards and was very entertaining.

Definitely a book that would make for reading aloud to those of middle grade age (even older).  This is the first book in the series.

Waiting on Wednesday: Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill  at  Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.   

   This week I am waiting for:

Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

sometimes ya just need a good 'who dunit' and Heather has become one of my favorites

 

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by Harlequin MIRA

In her latest ripped-from-the-headlines tour de force, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf shows how one small mistake can have life-altering consequences...

Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity;the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

What are you waiting for?

The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal

Set on a single day in the Dutch Golden Age, this engrossing historical novel brilliantly imagines the complex story behind one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings

Commissioned by the Amsterdam surgeon's guild, "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp" was the first major work by Rembrandt to be proclaimed a masterpiece. The novel opens on the morning of the medical dissection, and, as they prepare for that evening's big event, it follows several characters: a one-handed coat thief called Aris the Kid, who is awaiting his turn at the gallows; Flora, the woman pregnant with his child who hopes to save him from the noose; Jan Fetchet, a curio collector who also moonlights as an acquirer of medical cadavers; René Descartes, who attended the dissection in the course of his quest to understand where the human soul resides; and the 26-year old young master himself, who feels a shade uneasy about his assignment. Then there's Pia, an art restorer who is examining the painting in contemporary times. As the story builds to its dramatic and inevitable conclusion, the events that transpire throughout the day sway Rembrandt to change his initial composition in a fundamental way. Bringing to life the vivid world of Amsterdam in 1632, The Anatomy Lesson offers a rich slice of history and a textured story by a masterful young writer.

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published March 11th 2014 by Nan A. Talese 
****

I wanted to read this book because of the location, Amsterdam - my family background.

Told from multiple pov's, I think 7 of them, you would think this would be rather confusing, but it wasn't at all.  There is the thief himself, Aris the Kid - how did he end up being one handed and at the gallows?  His pregnant lover Flora who will do whatever she can to save him.  Of course there is Rembrandt himself and more (don't want to give too much away here).  Plus there is the current time-period art historian who is examining the painting 'The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholaes Tulp.

I really enjoyed this book, a look into how the painting (could have) come into existences.  The attention to details were very clear and precise making it easy to visualize location and living conditions during that time period.


It isn't a long book, only 288 pages but an engaging debut by Nina Siegal that will appeal to art and historical fiction readers.

Review & Giveaway: Roan Rose by Juliet Waldron (Book Tour)

Loyalty Binds Her.

More like a gangland war for turf and loot than chivalry, the War of Roses disrupted the life of the English commoners for hundreds of years. Roan Rose is the story of one of them, a girl born on the Yorkshire dales. When the Countess of Warwick decides to take sturdy, gentle Rose to Middleham Castle to be companion and bed-time poppet for her youngest daughter, Anne, her fate is changed forever. Rose bears intimate witness to the passions, betrayals, battles and all the reversals of fortune which will shape her lady’s life—and her own. Anne Neville will briefly become a Queen, and Richard, Rose’s secret love, will become a King, one whose name has become synonymous with evil. 

When her King is betrayed and slain at Bosworth Field, Rose returns to a peasant’s hard life. She has one final service to perform.

Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Books We Love, Ltd.
Formats: eBook, Paperback 
****

This  is my second book by Juliet Waldron, she is a new to me author and I really enjoyed Mozart's Wife.  I loved the beginning of this book, we meet Rosalba, a young girl of 10.  At that age it was very easy to connect with her, to feel what she was going through as she made that first journey to meet Anne Neville.  To leave her mother and little sisters behind, to begin a new life elsewhere, knowing that she had no choice in the matter.  

I've never read anything about Anne Neville as a young child and I found this book to be a refreshing change.  Watching her (Anne) grow up was interesting, as well as her relationship with  Richard.  So many books portray Richard in such a bad light, that this was a refreshing change. 

The authors attention to detail really brought this story to life and shows the amount of research that went into this book.  Even though I knew how this was all going to end I still enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down.  Definitely an author I will be reading more of.

Praise for Roan Rose

“a beautiful story of love and loyalty set during the tumultuous reign of Richard III”

“I loved the strength of this woman”

“This author has a powerful sense of Time and Place”

“Waldron certainly knows her history…Yet despite its accuracy … Roan Rose is ultimately a book about character”.

 

Buy the Book

Amazon (US) Ebook
Amazon (US) Paperback
Amazon (AU) Ebook
Amazon (CA) Ebook
Amazon (UK) Ebook
Amazon (UK) Paperback

“Not all who wander are lost.”

Juliet Waldron earned a B. A. in English, but has worked at jobs ranging from artist’s model to brokerage. Thirty years ago, after the boys left home, she dropped out of 9-5 and began to write, hoping to create a genuine time travel experience for herself–and for her readers. She loves her grand-girls and her kitties, likes to take long hikes, and reads historical/archeological non-fiction as well as reviewing for the Historical Novel Society. For summer adventure, she rides behind her husband of 50 years on his “bucket list” (black, and ridiculously fast) Hyabusa motorcycle.

You can find more information at www.julietwaldron.com or connect with Juliet on Facebook.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, May 5
Interview at Layered Pages
Thursday, May 8
Review at Just One More Chapter (Mozart’s Wife)
Friday, May 9
Review at Closed the Cover (Genesee)
Monday, May 12
Spotlight at Tower of Babel
Monday, May 19
Interview at Closed the Cover
Wednesday, May 21
Interview at The Maiden’s Court
Monday, May 26
Review at Book Lovers Paradise (Mozart’s Wife)
Tuesday, May 27
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession (Genesee)
Guest Post at Book Lovers Paradise (w/Kathy Fischer-Brown and Louise Turner)
Monday, June 2
Review at A Chick Who Reads (Nightingale)
Tuesday, June 3
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession (Roan Rose)
Wednesday, June 4
Review at The True Book Addict (Mozart’s Wife)
Thursday, June 5
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views (Mozart’s Wife)
Monday, June 9
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time (Roan Rose)
Tuesday, June 10
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views (Nightingale)
Thursday, June 12
Guest Post at Closed the Cover
Monday, June 16
Review at Just One More Chapter (Roan Rose)
Tuesday, June 17
Review at A Chick Who Reads (Mozart’s Wife)
Monday, June 23
Review at Peeking Between the Pages (Mozart’s Wife)
Tuesday, June 24
Review at A Bookish Affair (Mozart’s Wife)
Wednesday, June 25
Review at Layered Pages (Nightingale)
Thursday, June 26
Review at A Chick Who Reads (Roan Rose)
Friday, June 27
Review at Broken Teepee (Mozart’s Wife)
Saturday, June 28
Review at WTF Are You Reading? (Mozart’s Wife)
Monday, June 30
Review at WTF Are You Reading? (Nightingale)

Giveaway

To win a $20 Amazon Gift Card please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to US residents only.
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on June 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on July 1st and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast & Giveaway: The Cook's Temptation by Joyce Wayne

HF Virtual Book Tours invites you to join Joyce Wayne as she tours the blogosphere for The Cook's Temptation! Enter the giveaway to win an eBook of The Cook's Temptation or a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

Publication Date: February 1, 2014 Mosaic Press
Formats: Ebook, Paperback

Joyce Wayne brings to life the complexities of Victorian life, first in County Devon and then in London’s East End. The ‘big picture’ is about one woman’s life, class conflict, religious intolerance, suspicion and betrayal. The central figure is Cordelia, a strong-minded Jewish woman who is caught between her desire to be true to herself and her need to be accepted by English society.Cordelia Tilley is the daughter of a Jewish mother and an Anglican father. Her mother has groomed her for a life in English society while her father, a tough publican, has shown no tolerance for his wife’s social climbing or the conceits of their perspicacious daughter. Cordelia’s mother dies from typhoid fever, she tries to run the family ‘s establishment, she falls prey to a local industrialist, she gives birth to a son, she is tormented by her husband and his family. Finally, she is rescued by suffragette friends and sets off to start a new life in London.The Cook’s Temptation is about a woman who is unpredictable, both strong and weak willed, both kind and heinous, victim and criminal. It is a genuine Victorian saga, full of detail, twists and turns, memorable scenes, full of drama and pathos.

Praise for The Cook's Temptation

“Joyce Wayne’s debut novel, The Cook's Temptation, has the stately bearing of a nineteenth century novel – the mercilessness of Thomas Hardy, the black allegory of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the tense marriages of George Eliot. It is a story of how people become what you blame them for being.” – Ian Williams, poet and fiction writer, short listed for the 2012 Griffin Poetry Prize

Buy the Book

Amazon CAN
Amazon UK
Amazon US (Kindle)
Amazon US (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Chapters.Indigo
Kobo
Mosaic Press

About the Author

Joyce Wayne has an MA in English literature, has taught journalism at Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario, for twenty-five years, and lives in Toronto, Ontario. She was a winner of the Diaspora Dialogues contest for fiction and the Fiona Mee Award for literary journalism. She is the co writer of the documentary film So Far From Home (2010), a film about refugee journalists persecuted for their political views, and various of her other works have been published in Parchment, Golden Horseshoe Anthology, Canadian Voices, and TOK6.

For more information please visit Joyce Wayne's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. She is happy to participate in Books Clubs by phone and Skype.

Virtual Tour & Book Blast Schedule

Monday, June 9
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, June 10
Book Blast at Bab's Book Bistro
Guest Post & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, June 11
Book Blast at History From a Woman's Perspective

Thursday, June 12
Book Blast at WTF Are You Reading?
Book Blast at I'd So Rather be Reading

Friday, June 13
Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse

Saturday, June 14
Book Blast at A Bookish Affair
Book Blast at Griperang's Bookmarks
Book Blast at Just One More Chapter

Sunday, June 15
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Obsession

Monday, June 16
Review at Book Nerd

Tuesday, June 17
Review at Seaside Book Corner
Book Blast at Lily Pond Reads

Wednesday, June 18
Interview at From the TBR Pile
Book Blast at Historical Tapestry

Thursday, June 19
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at Kelsey's Book Corner

Friday, June 20
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer

Saturday, June 21
Book Blast at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Sunday, June 22
Book Blast at Book Lovers Paradise
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, June 23
Book Blast at History Undressed
Book Blast at CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, June 24
Book Blast at Mina's Bookshelf
Book Blast at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, June 25
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Book Blast at Broken Teepee

Thursday, June 26
Review at Caroline Wilson Writes

Friday, June 27
Review at Historical Novel Review
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Giveaway

Up for grabs are 3x eBooks of The Cook's Temptation and 3x $10 Amazon Gift Cards! To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on June 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on June 28th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Rice

Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the present day . .

In the heyday of the British Raj, eleven-year-old Anahita, from a noble but impoverished family, forms a lifelong friendship with the headstrong Princess Indira, the privileged daughter of Indian royalty. As the princess' official companion, Anahita accompanies her friend to England just before the outbreak of WorldWar I. There, she meets young Donald Astbury; reluctant heir to the magnificent, remote Astbury Estate and his scheming mother.

Ninety years later, Rebecca Bradley, a young American film star, has the world at her feet. But when her turbulent relationship with her equally famous boyfriend takes an unexpected turn, she is relieved that her latest role, playing a 1920s debutante, will take her away from the glare of publicity to a distant corner of the English countryside. Shortly after filming begins at the now-crumbling Astbury Hall, Ari Malik, Anahita's great-grandson, arrives unexpectedly, on a quest for his family's past. What he and Rebecca discover begins to unravel the dark secrets that haunt the Astbury dynasty . . .

A multilayered, heartbreaking tale filled with unforgettable characters caught in the sweep of history, The Midnight Rose is Lucinda Riley at her most captivating and unforgettable.

Paperback, 496 pages

Published March 18th 2014 by Atria Books (first published August 29th 2013) 
ARC provided via netgalley (free of charge) for a honest review
 ***1/2

Isn't that a gorgeous cover?  There is that Gothic, mysterious feel to it.  I love covers and 

have been known to pick up a book just because I love the cover, never reading what the

book is actually about.    

Lately I have been reading more dual time period books (because they are a favorite), this

one beginning in India, with a large part taking place in England.  First introduced to Anahita 

on her 100th birthday it wasn't hard to sympathize with her as she begins her story.  I have to

say that I really enjoyed the 'past' storyline.  It felt genuine, believable and emotional.  How

a world war, friendships, a mothers love (actually more like control) can shape ones future 

and do so much damage.  

The modern day storyline didn't cut it for me.  Rebecca Bradley is a world famous actress,

I couldn't connect with her.  She wasn't given the chance to share her background and 

there was no real opportunity to get to know her better.  The encounters that she  had

lacked depth and feeling.   Its a long book with almost 500 pages and honestly I think 

she could have been excluded and the book would have been a 5 star for me.  The ending 

was rushed and kinda weird.

Thornwood House by Anna Romer

When Audrey Kepler inherits an abandoned homestead in rural Queensland, she jumps at the chance to escape her loveless existence in the city and make a fresh start. In a dusty back room of the old house, she discovers the crumbling photo of a handsome World War Two medic - Samuel Riordan, the homestead's former occupant - and soon finds herself becoming obsessed with him.

But as Audrey digs deeper into Samuel's story, she discovers he was accused of bashing to death a young woman on his return from the war in 1946. When she learns about other unexplained deaths in recent years - one of them a young woman with injuries echoing those of the first victim - she begins to suspect that the killer is still very much alive. And now Audrey, thanks to her need to uncover the past, has provided him with good reason to want to kill again.

Paperback, 451 pages

Published September 1st 2013 by Simon and Schuster Australia 
*****

 an enthralling, haunting tale of obsession, love and courage

I finished this book last night and woke up this morning already missing Audrey and Bronwyn.  There was such an instant connection to this mother/daughter pair and it continued right to the end of the book.  In fact  I didn't want it to end.   I loved Thornwood House, the author had vivid descriptions of this old house and the property that I was able to visualize it perfectly.  This was not the type of book that I grabbed when I had a spare 10 minutes here and there throughout the day, but rather a book to sit and savor.

This is Anna Romer's debut and she has really shown herself to be quite a force to be reckoned with.  There are so many layers in this story, mystery, suspense, friendship, parent/child relationship and much more.  Yea there is a lot going on here and a couple times I did have to stop and figure out who was who, but it was so worth it.  Told from the POV of Audrey the story weaves back in time from the 1940's through letters and journals to 2006.  There were times I was sitting on the bed beside Audrey telling her to hurry up and get that diary open.  The transitions were smooth and easy to follow and the storyline was original and believable.

Dual time period books are a favorite of mine and this book is one of my all time favorites. I will recommend it wherever I can, but sadly it is hard to come by in Canada/US, my copy was ordered from Australia through Fishpond.

If you are a fan of Kate Morton then you will love Thornwood House.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Vanishing Witch by Karen Maitland

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill  at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.   

   This week I am waiting for: The Vanishing Witch by Karen Maitland

(I've never read anything by this author, but have heard so many good things and decided its time to jump on this bandwagon)

 

Hardcover, 480 pages

Expected publication: August 14th 2014 by Headline Review

 Take one wealthy merchant. Add one charming widow. And one dying wife.

The reign of Richard II is troubled, the poor are about to become poorer still and landowners are lining their pockets. It's a case of every man for himself, whatever his status or wealth. But in a world where nothing can be taken at face value, who can you trust?

The dour wool merchant?

His impulsive son?

The stepdaughter with the hypnotic eyes?

Or the raven-haired widow clutching her necklace of bloodstones?

And when people start dying unnatural deaths and the peasants decide it's time to fight back, it's all too easy to spy witchcraft at every turn.

What are you waiting for? 

Book Blast: The Lost Duchess by Jenny Barden

Please join author Jenny Barden as she tours the blogopsphere for 

The Lost Duchess from 

May 26-June 20.

Paperback Publication Date: June 5, 2014

Ebury Press

Paperback; 448p

An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World.

Emme Fifield has fallen about as far as a gentlewoman can.

Once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, her only hope of surviving the scandal that threatens to engulf her is to escape England for a fresh start in the new America where nobody has ever heard of the Duchess of Somerset.

Emme joins Kit Doonan's rag-tag band of idealists, desperados and misfits bound for Virginia. But such a voyage will be far from easy and Emme finds her attraction to the mysterious Doonan inconvenient to say the least.

As for Kit, the handsome mariner has spent years imprisoned by the Spanish, and living as an outlaw with a band of escaped slaves; he has his own inner demons to confront, and his own dark secrets to keep...

Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh's settlement in Virginia was abandoned in 1587 its fate has remained a mystery; 'The Lost Duchess' explores what might have happened to the ill-starred 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke.

Buy the Book

Amazon (AUS)
Amazon (UK)
Book Depository

About the Author

I've had a love of history and adventure ever since an encounter in infancy with a suit of armour at Tamworth Castle. Training as an artist, followed by a career as a city Jenny (Portrait 2)solicitor, did little to help displace my early dream of becoming a knight. A fascination with the Age of Discovery led to travels in South and Central America, and much of the inspiration for my debut came from retracing the footsteps of Francis Drake in Panama. The sequel centres on the first Elizabethan 'lost colony' of early Virginia. I am currently working on an epic adventure during the threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada.

My work has appeared in short story collections and anthologies and I've written for non-fiction publications including the Historical Novels Review. I am active in many organisations, having run the 'Get Writing' conferences for several years, and undertaken the co-ordination of the Historical Novel Society’s London Conference 2012. I am a member of that organisation as well as the Historical Writers' Association, the Romantic Nevelists' Association and the Society of Authors. I'll be co-ordinating the RNA's annual conference in 2014.

I have four children and now live on a farm in Dorset with my long suffering husband and an ever increasing assortment of animals.

I love travelling, art, reading and scrambling up hills and mountains (though I'm not so keen on coming down!).

Author Links

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Jenny Barden's Blog
English Historical Fiction Authors Blog

Also by Jenny Barden

Publication Date: June 20, 2013

Ebury Press

Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Mistress Cooksley may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but she blushes at my words and meets my eyes look for look. Yet I cannot hope to court her without fortune, and a dalliance with a pretty maid will not hinder me from my path.

Captain Drake's endeavour might bring me gold, but I, Will Doonan, will have my revenge.

The Spaniards captured my brother and have likely tortured and killed him. For God and St George, we'll strike at the dogs and see justice done.

I thought I'd left Mistress Cooksley behind to gamble everything and follow Drake, and here she is playing the boy at the ends of the world. She's a fool with a heart as brave as any man's. Yet her presence here could be the ruin of us all...

Virtual Tour & Book Blast Schedule

Monday, May 26
Book Blast at Reading the Ages
Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse
Book Blast at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, May 27
Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews
Book Blast at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at To Read or Not to Read

Wednesday, May 28
Review at Carole's Ramblings and Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Thursday, May 29
Book Blast at The Maiden's Court
Book Blast at Cheryl's Book Nook
Book Blast at Book Reviews & More by Kathy

Friday, May 30
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer
Book Blast at Curling Up by the Fire

Saturday, May 31
Book Blast at From L.A. to LA
Book Blast at Gobs and Gobs of Books

Sunday, June 1
Book Blast at Lily Pond Reads
Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, June 2
Review & Giveaway at The Tudor Enthusiast
Book Blast at The Bookworm
Book Blast at CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, June 3
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Book Blast at West Metro Mommy
Book Blast at bookworm2bookworm's Blog

Wednesday, June 4
Review at The Wormhole
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Book Blast at Kelsey's Book Corner

Thursday, June 5
Book Blast at Books and Benches
Book Blast at Book Lovers Paradise

Friday, June 6
Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Book Blast at Kincavel Korner
Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes

Saturday, June 7
Book Blast at Royal Reviews
Book Blast at History Undressed

Sunday, June 8
Book Blast at Book Nerd

Monday, June 9
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Book Blast at The Musings of a Book Junkie

Tuesday, June 10
Review at She Reads Novels
Book Blast at Just One More Chapter
Book Blast at History From a Woman's Perspective

Wednesday, June 11
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Book Blast at Books in the Burbs

Thursday, June 12
Book Blast at Big Book, Little Book
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Notebook

Friday, June 13
Review at Susan Heim on Writing
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Saturday, June 14
Book Blast at Hardcover Feedback
Book Blast at One Book at a Time

Sunday, June 15
Book Blast at Passages to the Past

Monday, June 16
Review at Layered Pages
Review at Starting Fresh
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Tuesday, June 17
Review at The Lit Bitch
Book Blast at Griperang's Bookmarks

Wednesday, June 18
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Book Blast at Princess of Eboli

Thursday, June 19
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at Little Reader Library
Book Blast at Girl Lost in a Book

Friday, June 20
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair