Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from October, 2016

Guest Post by Andrew Joyce: Fighting Woman

     Today's guest writer is Andrew Joyce. He is the author of Molly Lee, Redemption , and Resolution . He has just released his latest, novel Yellow Hair , a historical fiction novel that documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation. In this guest post, he gives us some information about the legend of Fighting Woman. I hope this guest post gives you some insight into his novel and writing. Thank you, Mr. Joyce! Fighting Woman      My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living—mostly historical novels. While doing research for my books, I come across a lot of interesting tidbits. I thought I’d share a few of them with you today. And just to get the commercial out of the way, please check out my latest book, Yellow Hair .      Now we can get down to business.      Beginning on January 2, 2016, women were finally allowed to serve in all combat positions in the United States military. It was a long, hard battle, and it took a couple of lawsuits, but i

Queen of the Heavens by Kingsley Guy: A Book Review

Queen of the Heavens Author: Kingsley Guy Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Middle River Press Release Date: 2012 Pages: 284 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: What is it like to awaken to the divine, and know that our lives are informed and shaped by spiritual guidance from other realms? Queen of the Heavens helps us open the gateway to those unseen worlds.      Respected journalist Kingsley Guy takes us back to ancient Egypt, where gods and goddesses were not merely images carved in stone. They were as real as the sunset and the wind blowing through papyrus reeds. Known as the neters, they passed back and forth between the dimensions, working magic in people's lives.          Come meet Tuya. Through her gifts as a healer, this extraordinary woman gained the attention of the royal court and rose from commoner to queen. Tuya inspired and transformed the lives of those she touched during the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Allow her to do the same for you.        My

The Last Heiress: A Novel of Tutankhamun's Queen by Stephanie Liaci: A Book Review

The Last Heiress: A Novel of Tutankhamun's Queen Author: Stephanie Liaci Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: AuthorHouse Release Date: 2010 Pages: 587 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: Beside the Golden Pharaoh Tutankhamun was a woman whose words were buried with her in the sands of the Valley of the Kings. She was the wife of two pharaohs, and a born princess. She was the last surviving daughter of the famed beauty Nefertiti. She bore children to sit on the throne of Egypt. Together with her husband, she brought prosperity back to her wounded nation. But after the shocking death of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, she became the unwilling bride of her husband's most trusted servant, made a desperate offer to an enemy king, and then... She vanished. This is her untold story. This is the story of the last heiress of the glorious eighteenth dynasty, Ankhesenamun.       My Review: Everyone knows about Egypt’s famous pharoah, King Tutankhamun. However, few know about King Tut’s q

Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge: A Book Review

Child of the Morning Author: Pauline Gedge Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Chicago Review Press Release Date: 2010 Pages: 416 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: Thirty-five centuries ago the sun had a daughter: Hatshepsut. Youngest daughter of the Pharaoh, she was a lithe and magical child. But when her older sister died, it became her duty to purify the dynasty’s bloodline. She was to wed Thothmes, her father’s illegitimate son, who was heir to the throne. But fearing his son’s incompetence, Hatshepsut’s father came to her with startling news. She was to be Pharaoh, ruler of the greatest empire the world had ever known--provided, of course, that the unprecedented ascension by a woman did not inspire the priests to treason or instill in her half-brother and future consort sufficient hatred to have her put to death.      This is the premise for Child of the Morning , based closely on the historical facts. Hatshepsut assumed the throne at the age of fifteen and ruled bri

Guest Post by Cuyler Overholt: The Inspiration of Writing a Female Detective

     Today's guest writer is Cuyler Overholt. She is the author of A Deadly Affection , the first in a historical mystery series featuring female amateur sleuth, Dr. Genevieve Summerford.  I have always been interested in novels that star women detectives. There are not many novels that have these type of women detectives. In this guest, Mrs. Overholt discusses what drew her to write having a female detective as a protagonist. I hope this guest post gives you some insight into the novel. Thank you, Mrs. Overholt. The Inspiration of Writing A Female Detective      When I first started thinking about writing a mystery set in 1907 New York City, I didn’t intend to have a female psychiatrist as my amateur sleuth. In fact, if you’d asked me what the odds were of running into a female doctor back then, I would have guessed slim to none. I’d always assumed that women first entered the professions in any significant numbers as a result of the feminist movement of the 1960’s and

Dido's Crown by Julie K. Rose: A Book Review

Dido's Crown Author: Julie K. Rose Publication Date: September 26, 2016 Pages: 340 Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Set in Tunisia and France in 1935, Dido's Crown is a taut literary-historical adventure influenced by Indiana Jones, The Thin Man, and John le Carré.      Mary Wilson MacPherson has always been adept at putting the past behind her: her father's death, her sister's disappearance, and her complicated relationship with childhood friends Tom and Will. But that all changes when, traveling to North Africa on business for her husband, Mary meets a handsome French-Tunisian trader who holds a mysterious package her husband has purchased — a package which has drawn the interest not only of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, but the Nazis as well.       When Tom and Will arrive in Tunisia, Mary suddenly finds herself on a race across the mesmerizing and ever-changing

Blog Tour: The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet by Natasha Farrant: A Book Review

THE SECRET DIARY OF LYDIA BENNET Author: Natasha Farrant Pub. Date: October 25, 2016 Publisher: The Chicken House Pages: 336 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon , Barnes & Noble , iBooks , Goodreads Source: This book was given to me by Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A fresh, funny, and spirited reimagining of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice , The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet brings the voice of the wildest Bennet sister to life.      Lydia is the youngest of the five Bennet girls. She's stubborn, never listens, and can't seem to keep her mouth shut -- not that she would want to anyway. She wishes her older sisters would pay her attention, or that something would happen in her boring country life.      Luckily, that something is right around the corner, and it's the handsome Wickham, who arrives at Longbourn to sweep her off her feet. Lydia's not going to let him know THAT, of course, especiall

Blog Tour: Avelynn: The Edge of Faith by Marissa Campbell: A Book Review

Avelynn: The Edge of Faith by Marissa Campbell Publication Date: September 26, 2016 eBook; 302 Pages ASIN: B01KUC6N9Y Genre: Historical Romance/Medieval Series: Avelynn (Book Two)   Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Avelynn: The Edge of Faith , a stand-alone Viking Romance from author Marissa Campbell.      It’s the year 871. Charges of treason, murder, and witchcraft follow Avelynn into exile as she flees England with Alrik. Arriving in Wales, they find refuge among Alrik’s friends in the Welsh nobility. Cast out by his half-brothers, Alrik seeks to regain his honor and earn favor with the gods. When war threatens, Alrik embraces gold and the opportunity for his crew to become mercenaries, aiding the Southern Welsh kings in their fight against Rhodri the Great.      Desperate to return home, Avelynn seeks to find a way to prove her innocence, but she is pitted against Alrik as their des

Blog Tour: Michelangelo's Ghost (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery #4) by Gigi Pandian: A Book Review

Michelangelo's Ghost (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery #4) Author: Gigi Pandian Genre: Mystery, Thriller Publisher: Henery Press Release Date: October 4, 2016 Source: This book was given to me by iRead Book tours in exchange for an honest review. Book Description:      A lost work of art linking India to the Italian Renaissance. A killer hiding behind a centuries-old ghost story. And a hidden treasure in Italy’s macabre sculpture garden known as the Park of Monsters… Can treasure-hunting historian Jaya Jones unmask a killer ghost?       Filled with the unexpected twists, vivid historical details, and cross-cultural connections Pandian is known for, Michelangelo’s Ghost is the most fast-paced and spellbinding Jaya Jones novel to date.       When Jaya’s old professor dies under eerie circumstances shortly after discovering manuscripts that point to a treasure in Italy’s Park of Monsters, Jaya and her brother pick up the trail. From San Francisco to the heart of Italy, J

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Brenda Joyce Leahy: Detective Cameras and Early Photography

      Today's guest writer is Brenda Joyce Leahy. She is the debut author of The Art of Rebellion . It is a novel of a young girl who runs away to Paris to pursue her dreams. In this guest post, she writes about one her character's love of photography. I hope this guest post will give you some insights into her novel. Thank you, Mrs. Leahy. Detective Cameras and Early Photography Brenda Joyce Leahy      One of the main characters from my young adult historical novel, The Art of Rebellion, is Philippe Lucien. He becomes obsessed with miniature “detective” cameras, which were all the rage at the turn of the twentieth century in Paris.       Researching 19th century photography was fun  – imagine cameras concealed in top hats, tie pins, revolvers and the heads of walking canes! Although detective cameras became a useful tool for a private detective such as Philippe, interest in the cameras and in the art of photography overtook his interest in investigating.