Tag Archives: best historical fiction

Gabriele Wills, Author of Elusive Dawn, On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on February 28th, 2013

Publisher : Mindshadows,  June 28, 2012
Category: Historical Fiction, WWI
Tour Dates: February, 2013
Available in: Print and ebook, 555 pages

It happened slowly at first. Thread by thread, the fabric of privilege and complacency enveloping the Wyndham family began to unravel. A carefree summer at their island house, disrupted by the arrival of long lost kin, ended in tragedy, betrayal, and war.

Now, in the compelling sequel to the acclaimed epic, The Summer Before The Storm, Ria and her friends find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

It’s late summer, 1916. While some members of the Wyndham family revel in the last resplendent days of the season at their Muskoka cottage, others continue to be drawn inexorably into the “Great War”, going from a world of misty sunrises across a tranquil lake to deadly moonlight bombing raids, festering trenches, and visceral terror.

For Ria, too many things have happened to hope that life would ever return to normal, that innocence could be regained. Caught in the vortex of turbulent events and emotions, she abandons the relative safety of the sidelines in Britain for the nightmare of France.

Her fate as an ambulance driver remains entwined with that of  her summer friends, all bound by a sense of duty. Living in the shadows of fear and danger awakens the urgency to grasp life, to live more immediately, more passionately amid the enormity of unprecedented death. Together, their lives weave a tale of liberation and loss, evolution and redemption. Those who survive this cataclysmic time are forever changed, like Canada itself.

Impeccably researched, beautifully written, Elusive Dawn will resonate with the reader long after the final page has been turned.

Praise for Elusive Dawn:

 “In Elusive Dawn, author Gabriele Wills shows talent that is anything but elusive. Her skillfully crafted scenes populated by well drawn characters will pull readers into the story and not let go until the very last page.” Writer’s Digest Magazine

“The Summer Before The Storm and Elusive Dawn are not only well written, suspenseful, and enjoyable, but also historically accurate. The amazing amount of research provides an excellent educational background on the Great War and on aviation. The writer obviously has a keen interest in and knowledge of the subject.” – Arthur Bishop, WWII pilot and author, son of Billy Bishop, VC, Britain’s top WWI Ace (who makes an appearance in Elusive Dawn)

“Just like “The Summer Before the Storm”, “Elusive Dawn” had me riveted from the beginning. Once again Gabriele Wills has done an almost superhuman amount of research and has managed to combine her knowledge into an incredibly readable book about the horrors of war.   Wills has written a worthy follow-up to “The Summer Before the Storm”, and I eagerly anticipate the release of the final book in the series.” Jonita, The Book Chick

“My new all-time favourite author is Gabriele Wills. This is a wonderful book, full of so much detail that you feel like you are living the life of privileged society through the terrible war, but also in Canadian and English high society.   Now I am waiting for the third installment! I have read all of Gabriele Wills’ books other than A Place Called Home, which I am frantically seeking! Don’t miss these books. They are wonderful.” Donna Mcnab, Goodreads.com Reviewer

“Elusive Dawn is a very moving piece of WWI fiction and certainly as good as the first book in the series. Will’s prose is fresh and poetic. She captures the period in great detail. I could picture every scene in the book, like I was there. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, trust me, you will love this series!”  Teddy Rose, So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

“I could not put this book down! The characters, many of which won my affection in the first novel, are so vivid and real that they feel like old friends. Every page is filled with a bevy of emotions, ranging from despair and foreboding regarding the horrible war, to elation and hope for the future. Wills’ writing made me feel like I wasn’t even reading words on a page, but actually experiencing everything along with the characters themselves.” – Ashley Katsuyama, NY

“When I read the Muskoka Novels I couldn’t put the books down, and even though I’ve read them several times now I’m still unable to put them down. I am drawn into their world and I find myself still captivated by every detail. This series is absolutely fantastic. It is everything I want in a book and cannot wait for the next addition to the series. ” – Katelyn Walton

“This is book 2 of the Muskoka series, and it is every bit as good as the first book, The Summer Before the Storm. I love a book with a huge cast of characters, a detailed setting, and many plot themes. This book did not disappoint. The characters were believable, showed many sides to their personalities and each had their own distinct personality. The author lets the characters show the reader who they are instead of just telling us, which is remarkable with so many characters. If you love family sagas, like Downton Abbey, I think you will love this series.  I have a deep love for WWI aviation, and this is the first fiction book I’ve read on it. The history is accurate and well researched. This book was a delight to read. I will now wait for the third book, Under the Moon.” Mytega, Amazon.com Reviewer

About Gabriele Wills:

The author of five highly acclaimed historical novels, Gabriele loves to recreate an era in which she can immerse herself (and readers), by weaving compelling stories around meticulously researched facts. Her characters are best friends, whom others are now calling “cherished friends”.

With degrees in the social sciences and education, Gabriele has had a varied career as an educator, literacy coordinator, and website designer, and has been an active community volunteer, particularly in heritage preservation. But writing fiction has always been her passion. Her first short story appeared in the Canadian Authors Association Winners’ Circle 5 Anthology. In 2001, she produced an award-nominated feature on CBC Radio’s “Outfront”.

Born in Germany, Gabriele emigrated to Canada as a young child. She grew up in Lindsay, Ontario, enjoyed several years in Ottawa, and currently resides in Guelph with her husband. She is the proud mother of an accomplished daughter, with whom she is collaborating on an historical YA novel. Visit her at Mindshadows.com for more information.

Gabriele’s Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/GabrieleWills
Gabriele on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrieleWills

Buy Elusive Dawn:

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Amazon Kindle
kobo and ePub

Buy The Summer Before the Storm:

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Amazon Kindle
kobo and EPUB

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books Feb 4 Spotlight & Giveaway
ReadingPenguin Feb 5 Review
The Eclectic Reader Feb 6 Review & Giveaway
Bags, Books & Bon Jovi  Feb 6  Guest Post
Bags, Books & Bon Jovi Feb 9 Review
Mom in Love With Fiction Feb 12 Review
Em Sun Feb 13 Review (Postponed)
To Read or Not to Read Feb 14 Review
To Read or Not to Read Feb 15 Guest Post  & Giveaway
Stitch, Read, Cook Feb 18 Review
Sweeps4Bloggers  Feb 19 Review & Giveaway
Peaceful Wishing  Feb 20 Review
Peaceful Wishing  Feb 21 Guest Post
BookNAround   Feb 21 Review
Broken Teepee Feb 22  Review
Book Lover’s Library Feb 25  Review
Book Lover’s Library Feb 25 Interview
My Devotional Thoughts Feb 27 Review
M. Denise C.Feb 28 Review 

 

 

Khanh Ha, author of Flesh, On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on April 1st, 2013

Publisher: Black Heron Press, June 15, 2012
Category: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Tour Dates: January, 2013
Available in: Print Only , 368 pages

Set in Tonkin (now northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century, Flesh tells the story of a boy who witnesses the execution, by beheading, of his father, a notorious bandit, and sets out to recover his father’s head, and then find the man who betrayed his father to the authorities. A coming-of-age story of brutal self-awakening and also a tender love story, Flesh takes the reader into places, both dark and wonderful, in the human condition where allies are not always your friends, true love hurts, and your worst enemy can bring you the most solace.

Khanh Ha writes of the physical world with such sensuousness that he will make the reader’s heart ache. At the same time, though Flesh is his first novel, his knowledge of the human psyche is that of a fully mature writer. The title refers to temptation—the temptation of the flesh. But it refers equally to the obligations of kinship, the connections between us and those to whom we are related, even if we would choose not to be.

Praise for Flesh:

“In this dark, violent, and poetic saga, with cinematic vignettes that make it read like a screenplay, characters are not who they seem. While this makes for a thrilling finale, what lingers . . . is Ha’s descriptive prose.”- Publishers Weekly

“Readers who enjoy epic sagas set in faraway lands will find absorbing satisfaction here.”- Library Journal

“Read Flesh to lose yourself in a vividly-described colonial Vietnam, with its poverty and hopelessness, its people’s industrious nature at work to better their lives and the lives of those dear to them, all wrapped up in beautiful prose.” –Drey’s Library

“Flesh, Khanh Ha’s debut novel, is almost dreamlike. A dream in that early hours of a hot morning where you are still in between sleeping and waking up. Ha is a talented writer; he does a wonderful job setting the dark, yet poetic, mood and a fine job describing settings in vivid, smells, colorful imagery.”- Seattle Post Intelligencer

FLESH brings Vietnam – at around the turn of the last century – to life. Life was hard, and this book does not spare us. The book opens with a scene . . . an execution. Ha’s powers of description are good, and we are brought into the scene and witness this act. I would recommend this book. Part of what I (and many of you, I suspect) love about reading is being whisked off to an exotic place for an adventure. And Flesh fills the Bill!”- LibbyBooksBlog

“A lush, poetic tale, takes readers on a journey far beneath the surface of a land most have only glimpsed superficially in clichéd Hollywood films. . . .readers willing to venture off the beaten path to an unfamiliar land will find great pleasure exploring Flesh.”- Book Reviews by Elizabeth White

“The story is a sensual one. . . . The prose of Khanh Ha’s debut is laden with sensory details that pull readers into multi-dimensional scenes. . . . The outstanding element of this novel is the solid invitation extended to readers, to enter this world which Khanh Ha has created in Flesh.”- Buried in Print

“This book was really something to read!. . . Somewhere along the way, it broke my heart. . . . The author did not sugar coat this story one bit! It is so unlike anything I have ever read. . . . It blew my mind towards the end!” -Mary Bearden ,Mary’s Cup of Tea Blog

“Unique. The ending was amazing. . . . Ha has the writing skills to make the reader imagine every scene he sets, each mood, every setting. The prose felt poetic at times. Author Khanh Ha is truly a talented writer. I enjoyed the novel and it sits on my shelf as a DARN GOOD READ.”- Reading Rendezvous Reviewz

“The realism of the book certainly made an impression on me. . . . Ha is a master at detailed descriptions to the point that you can see it happening the way the author intended you to. The brutality in the book was descriptive but not to the point that I had to “look away.”—Ruth Hill, My Devotional Thoughts

About Khanh Ha:

Khanh Ha’s debut novel is FLESH (June 2012, Black Heron Press). He graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.  During his teen years he began writing short stories which won him several awards in the Vietnamese adolescent magazines.

He is at work on a new novel. A short story, reshaped from this novel, will be published by Red Savina Review  in its 2013 Spring inaugural edition. It was also nominated for the Winter Literary Award in the Tethered by Letters Journal but was withrawn because of conflict of interest. Another Ha’s short story will be published in the 2013 February Outside in Literary & Travel Magazine (http://outsideinmagazine.com/)  For further information on FLESH, please follow the links regarding author’s website, blog, professional as well as reader’s reviews (www.authorkhanhha.com).

Buy Flesh in Print at:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books   Jan 7 Review
So Many Precious Books Jan 7 Interview & Giveaway
Eclectic Books & Movies  Jan 8 Review
Eclectic Books & Movies  Jan 9 Interview
She Treads Softly  Jan 10 Review
Book Lover Stop  Jan 11 Guest Post
Broken Teepee Jan 14 Review
MK McClintock  Jan 15 Interview
Joy Story  Jan 16 Review
From L.A. to LA  Jan 17 Review
Books à la Mode Jan 17 Guest Post & Giveaway
A Book Lover’s Library Jan 22 Review
A Book Lover’s Library Jan 23 Interview & Giveaway
Relentless Reader  Jan 23 Review
Joy Story Jan 25 Guest Post
The Wormhole  Jan 25 Interview
Sweeps 4 Bloggers  Jan 25 Review & Giveaway
Ordinary Girlz Reviews  Jan 28 Review & Giveaway
Cuzinlogic Jan 29 Interview
Belle of the Literati Jan 30 Review
Overflowing Bookshelves  Feb 1  Review
Overflowing Bookshelves   Feb 4 Interview
Broken Teepee  Feb 5 Guest post & Giveaway
Book Dilettante  Feb 6 Guest Post

K. Hollan Van Zandt, Author of Written In the Ashes: On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on June 27th, 2012

Publisher: Balboa Press- July, 2011

Category: Historical Fiction

Tour Dates: May, 2012

Available in Print and eBook, 448 pages

Written In the Ashes has been optioned by Mark R. Harris, Academy Award-Winning Producer (Crash, Gods & Monsters) for a TV mini series!

Who burned the Great Library of Alexandria?

When the Roman Empire collapses in the 5th century, the city of Alexandria, Egypt is plagued with unrest. Paganism is declared punishable by death and the populace splinters in religious upheaval.

Hannah, a beautiful Jewish shepherd girl is abducted from her home in the mountains of Sinai and sold as a slave in Alexandria to Alizar, an alchemist and successful vintner. Her rapturous singing voice destines her to become the most celebrated bard in the Great Library.

Meanwhile, the city’s bishop, Cyril, rises in power as his priests roam the streets persecuting the pagans. But while most citizens submit, a small resistance fights for justice.

Hypatia, the library’s charismatic headmistress, summons her allies to protect the world’s knowledge from the escalating violence. Risking his life, his family, and his hard-earned fortune, Alizar leads the conspiracy by secretly copying the library’s treasured manuscripts and smuggling them to safety.

When Hannah becomes the bishop’s target, she is sequestered across the harbor in the Temple of Isis. But an ancient ceremonial rite between a monk and priestess inside the Pharos lighthouse ignites a forbidden passion.

Torn between the men she loves, Hannah must undertake a quest to the lost oracles of Delfi and Amun-Ra to find the one thing powerful enough to protect the pagans: The Emerald Tablet.

Meanwhile, the Christians siege the city, exile the Jews, and fight the dwindling pagan resistance as the Great Library crumbles.

But not everything is lost. . .

Praise for Written In the Ashes:

“A stunning epic about the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria, Egypt from a brilliant young novelist whose depiction of the ancient world is sure to capture the hearts and readers everywhere.”- Mark R. Harris, Academy Award-Winning Producer (Crash, Gods & Monsters)

“Written in the Ashes is one of those rare novels that sets ‘history’ afire, to bathe readers in the glow of a greater, hotter truth. Fans of The Mists of Avalon will find this romantic/alchemical/feminist/spiritual epic equally captivating.” – Tom Robbins, international/ New York Times bestselling author Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Jitterbug Perfume

“Van Zandt’s vivid description of the Great Library instantly transported me to a lush fifth century Alexandria. Her lyrical writing style and breakneck storytelling kept me riveted to the very last page.”-Robin Maxwell bestselling author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and Signora da Vinci.

“In her captivating debut novel, Written in the Ashes, K. Hollan Van Zandt brings to life a fascinating and forgotten woman of history: Hypatia of Alexandria, who may have been one of the greatest female minds of all time. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk the streets of long ago Egypt, then look no further. You will be enthralled!”-Michelle Moran, international bestselling author of Nefertiti and Cleopatra’s Daughter

“Written in the Ashes is a story that could have been ripped from today’s headlines. It opens the door into a magical, fascinating and frightening era in our history.  With hope, it’s one we will not be doomed to repeat.”-Josh Conviser, Executive Consultant HBO’s Rome, author Echelon and Empyre 

“This book has been optioned for a TV mini-series by Academy Award-winning producer Mark Harris (Crash 2005). I cannot wait to see this beautiful story on my TV.   Once I started this book I worked my way through it in 2 days. And when I say work, I mean it was a perfect read.  It is clear that a lot of research has gone into this book, which is perhaps most beautifully expressed in the description of the Library of Alexandria.  Next to a beautiful story, the book also shows respect for the time in which the story is set. As a historical fiction novel it is one of the best I have read in a long time. Kaia has truly achieved creating a story that is both captivating and interesting. With beautiful attention to detail and tradition, it is bound to ensnare every reader.”-Juli, UniverseinWords.Blogspot.com

“The story is extremely detailed in historical fact, but by no means is it dry and dusty. The author manages to weave the facts seamlessly into the exciting and romantic fictional story. So much so, that it becomes difficult to separate the two while reading – it just sucks you right into 5th Century Alexandria. I found myself absolutely riveted while reading this book! I highly recommend this book for anyone that appreciates a strong female character or two.” Theresa Jones, frugexperments.com

About K. Hollan Van Zandt:

K. Hollan Van Zandt has always loved libraries, oceans, ancient history and migrating birds. Her mentor, novelist Tom Robbins, instilled in her an abiding love and respect for language.She lives in Southern California, and dreams of a home in Greece. This, her first novel, took ten years to complete.

K. Hollan Van Zandt’s website.

Do you have a question you would like to ask K. Hollan Van Zandt?  Please join her new group at Goodreads.com and ask away.

Tour Stops:

So Many Precious Books May 1 Review and Giveaway
A Bookish Affair May 2  Review
A Bookish Affair  May 3 Giveaway and Guest Post
Joy Story May 3 Review
The Owl Bookmark Blog May 7 Review
The Owl Bookmark Blog May 8 Giveaway and Interview
Curling Up By the Fire May  10 Review and Giveaway
Broken Teepee May 11 Giveaway and Guest Post
Royal Reviews  May 14  Review
Reflections of a Book Addict May 15 Review
Reflections of a Book Addict May 16 Giveaway and Guest Post
A Words Worth May 17 Review
Unabridged Chick May 18 Review and Giveaway
My Devotional Thoughts May 21 Review
My Devotional Thoughts May 22 Giveaway and Guest Post
Let’s Book It May 23 Review
Unabridged Chick May 23 Interview
Deb’s Book Bag May 24 Review
Deb’s Book Bag May 25 Giveaway and Interview
Book Faery Reviews May 25 Review
Carabosse’s Library May 28 Review
The Maidens Court May  30 Review
The Maidens Court May 31Giveaway and Guest Post
Layers of Thought May 31 Review