Tag Archives: 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

Lloyd Lofthouse, Author of The Concubine Saga- On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on July 20th, 2012

Publisher: Three Clover Press
Category: Historical Fiction
Tour Dates: June, 2012
Available in Print and Kindle, 621 Pages

No Westerner has ever achieved Robert Hart’s status and level of power in China. Driven by a passion for his adopted country, Hart became the “godfather of China’s modernism”, inspector general of China’s Customs Service, and the builder of China’s railroads, postal and telegraph systems and schools.

However, his first real love is Ayaou, a young concubine. Sterling Seagrave, in Dragon Lady, calls her Hart’s sleep-in dictionary and says she was wise beyond her years.

Soon after arriving in China in 1854, Hart falls in love with Ayaou, but his feelings for her sister go against the teachings of his Christian upbringing and almost break him emotionally. To survive he must learn how to live and think like the Chinese. He also finds himself thrust into the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion, the bloodiest rebellion in human history, where he makes enemies of men such as the American soldier of fortune known as the Devil Soldier.

During his early years in China, Robert experiences a range of emotion from bliss to despair. Like Damascus steel, he learns to be both hard and flexible, which forges his character into the great man he becomes.

In time, an ancient empire will rely on him to survive, and he will become the only foreigner the Emperor of China trusts.

Full of humanity, passion, and moral honesty, The Concubine Saga is the deeply intimate story of Hart’s loyalty and love for his adopted land and the woman who captured his heart.

“My Splendid Concubine” was the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.

In the sequel, “Our Hart, Elegy for a Concubine”, he was the only foreigner the Emperor of China trusted.

Both novels have come together as one in “The Concubine Saga”.

Praise for My Splendid Concubine and Our Heart:

“Lofthouse believes Hart was motivated to destroy his papers not out of shame but out of privacy: ‘What he had with Ayaou was something special he wanted to keep to himself. I don’t think he would approve of My Splendid Concubine … but we live in a different age than Victorian England. I feel that this love story deserves to be told.’ ”– Anneli Rufus , East Bay Express

“My Splendid Concubine is packed cover to cover with intriguing characters and plot, a must read for historical fiction fans and a fine addition to any collection on the genre.” Midwest Book Review

“Many nations adopted modernism in their own ways. ‘The Concubine Saga’ is a historical novel from Lloyd Lofthouse, following famed modernizer Robert Hart, a man who has contributed greatly to China’s advance in the nineteenth century, gaining much power and influence for a foreigner during the period. Drawing on heavily researched passages with great dramatization, ‘The Concubine Saga’ is a strong pick for historical fiction collections, highly recommended.” (68 word review) – July 8, 2012 Midwest Book Review

” For me, really, My Splendid Concubine  is a love story that is rich with Chinese culture. I found the novel fascinating.  It is beautifully written and so rich in details of the Chinese culture.   Before this novel I did not know who Robert Hart was. I must thank Lloyd Lofthouse for this novel as now I feel I’ve been acquainted with a great man from history. One who respected and loved women and fought to make things better. I’ve also been introduced to many aspects of the Chinese culture that I didn’t know and I really enjoyed that. This was a really good novel for me and I was sorry to see it end.”– Darlene, Peeking Between the Pages

“Our Hart hits the ground running and only reprises that earlier novel in quick asides…. fine and tightly controlled novel.”– Steve Donoghu, Historical Novel Society

“As Historical Fiction books go, this is without doubt one of the best I have read in 2009, and my guess is that it is going to surpass the success that the author had with My Splendid Concubine.”- Simon Barrett, Blogger News Network

“Our Hart is…a historical novel in the finest tradition, where one cannot be sure what is real and what is fiction…a most unconventional, and poignant, love story.” –John H. Manhold, FascinatingAuthors.com

“Historical fiction potboiler, yes. But where the `Concubine’ saga truly shines is its thought-provoking passages on relationships, attitudes and cultural differences.”-Tom Carter, author of China: Portrait of a People

About Lloyd Lofthouse:

Lloyd Lofthouse is the author of My Splendid Concubine and Our Hart [combined in this single volume], which earned honorable mentions in general fiction at the 2008 London Book Festival, 2009 San Francisco Book Festival, 2009 Hollywood Book Festival, 2009 Los Angeles Book Festival, 2009 Nashville Book Festival and was a finalist in historical fiction for the National Best Books 2010 Awards. Lloyd Lofthouse grew up in Southern California, served in the Vietnam War as a U.S. Marine and lives near San Francisco with his wife and family with a second home in Shanghai, China.

Tour Stops:

So Many Precious Books  May 30 Review & Giveaway
Broken Teepee  June 1 Review & Giveaway
My Little Pocketbooks  June 4 Interview
My Little Pocketbooks  June 4 Giveaway
Bookish Dame  June 6 Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway
My Little Pocketbooks June 7 Guest Post
J.A. Beard  June 8 Interview
My Devotional Thoughts  June 8 Review
My Devotional Thoughts  June 9 Guest Post & Giveaway
Book Dilettante  June 11  Review
Book Dilettante  June 12 Guest Post
Joy Story  June 12  Review
Books, Books, & More Books  June 13 Review & Giveaway
Live to Read  June 14 Review
Peeking Between the Pages  June 14 Guest Post & Giveaway
Col Reads  June 15 Review
Celtic Lady’s Reviews  June 18 Review
So Many Precious Books, So Little Time  June 18 Guest Post & Giveaway
The Readers Cafe  June 19  Review
Sweeps 4 Bloggers  June 21 Review & Giveaway
Historical Fiction Connection  June 22  Guest Post
Layered Pages  June 25 Review
Historical Tapestry June 25 Guest Post
Layered Pages  June 26 Interview
Peaceful Wishing  June 26  Review
To Read or Not to Read  June 27 Review
To Read or Not to Read  June 28 Guest Post & Giveaway
M Denise C.  June 29 Review
Succotash Reviews  June 29 Review & Giveaway
Moonlight Gleam  June 29 Guest Post & Giveaway
Jayne’s Books   June 29 Review & Giveaway
My Little Pocketbooks  June 30 Review

Leave an approved comment on one or more Blog posts found at Lloyd Lofthouse.org or iLook China.net between May 30, 2012 and June 30, 2012 during “The Concubine Saga” Web Tour and automatically be entered into a drawing to win a limited edition, signed and numbered hard-cover copy of the novel. (NOTE: only one limited-edition, hard-cover copy is available to give away)