Below are three mini-reviews, From three stars to five, in order. The reviews are short and to the point. For a book description and purchase options, you can click on each cover.
This one never came completely together for me. There is too much telling and not enough showing, which I know is common for Steel’s novels, but did not work here. A major terrorist attack on New York is mentioned but not too closely explored. Kate was the most complex character, in my opinion, and managed to elevate this book a bit.
All in all, it’s not my favorite Steel novel, but I love most of her work.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This is a really clever continuation of The Secret Staircase series, as Tempest and her crew are back, creating illusions in homes and finding themselves in the middle of mysteries. When a former client is killed in their building by a booby-trapped door, Tempest is on the case, trying to exonerate her company and another surprise suspect.
Although this is part of a series, it easily stands alone as the author does a good job of catching the reader up on events. The cast of characters is fun and intriguing, and the story has plenty of twists and turns.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
I’ve always been intrigued by books about The Blitz and books about libraries/book clubs. Since this is a combination of the two, I figured it was a “can’t miss.” novel. I was right. Compelling characters and true-to-life descriptions will transport you to 1940 London as you peruse a book in the underground tunnels while bombs drop overhead. Highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
Sisters of Fortune introduces us to the real-life Fortune sisters, who boarded the Titanic with their family and had their lives changed forever. The novel is filled with historical facts about the ship and some of its passengers, and the author’s thorough research is obvious.
I had not heard of the Fortune sisters, so this is a new take on the sinking of the Titanic and introduces passengers that many people did not know about. The description of the ship as the sisters boarded is realistic and well done, as the reader can easily imagine the decadence the wealthy sisters enjoyed. The actual disaster and sinking of the Titanic has of course been written about many times before, but the author does a great job of transporting the reader to that tragedy. The characters, both real and fictional, are woven together beautifully into an intriguing story. The author adds a fictional romance to the novel, and it is so compelling and well done.
In Sisters of Fortune, Fiction, Romance, and History are woven together to create a heartbreaking but very memorable story. Anyone interested in the sinking of the Titanic will enjoy this novel.
I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. It’s a daunting task, and if I can help even a little bit, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post with all of your social media followers. Below please see a book review, bio, purchase links, AND a Q&A with Author Jennifer Marchman.
BOOK REVIEW
Eva is a Mender, a fixer of time. She travels to “shadow” timelines, bringing them in line with the “one true timeline,” a line where Germany won World War II. Now her mission is in Texas, in March 1836, but something is off, as she’s arrived several months early. When she meets Jim, a white man raised by Comanches, she is alarmed to see how real he is. He is supposed to be just a shadow, not a feeling human being, and he’s making it hard for her to maintain her people’s vows of celibacy. Then Jim’s friend Pump astonishes her even more when he reveals a secret that only she can understand.
This is the first book in The Mender Trilogy. Jennifer Marchman has created an intricately woven story, as complex as the quantum strings Eva pulls to move through time. The method of time travel is fascinating and based on string theory. The history of Texas, or what would eventually be Texas, is well researched. Every author of a time travel novel must set rules of travel, and what the author has done here is layer many rules, with the reader soon realizing that only some of them are true. It is an intriguing development, as we discover the truths and deceptions along with Eva. The research into Jim’s part of the story is well done, with Comanche customs, culture, and language added throughout. The racism and brutality of life at that time and the poor treatment of women are realistic and true to the period. The characters’ honesty about their own flaws is touching and compelling. This is a captivating and bold combination of time travel, Texas history, and romance that will leave the reader wanting more.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Marchman lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, three nearly-grown children, and the two best dogs in the world. At different times, she has worn various authorial hats, including ghostwriter-memoirist, editor, curriculum writer, educational blogger, grant writer, and addicted social media over-sharer, but now, after many years, she’s writing for pleasure.
Jennifer is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas, the Historical Novel Society, #TimeTravelAuthors in the Twitterverse, and helps organize Austin Indie Authors.
She enjoys flamenco dancing, is the proud owner of a white belt in jiu-jitsu, and wishes to compete internationally in mounted archery but lacks a ticket to Kazakhstan. She has toyed with the idea of picking up pottery again, but needs more hours in her day and a husband willing to install (for the fourth time) the necessary electrical outlet for a kiln that may likely go unused.
Visit her website to join her mailing list, view Mender Trilogy extras, and for updates! She loves to hear from readers!
Below is my Q&A with Jennifer Marchman, and I loved her answers so much I put a few after-the-fact comments underneath some of the questions.
Bonnie: Hi Jennifer! Thanks for agreeing to this Q&A!
Jennifer: More than happy to! Thanks for the opportunity!
Bonnie: First, let’s go beyond the bio. Tell us something about yourself that we might not know from reading your bio.
Jennifer: I don’t like sitting still. This is a poor personality trait to have as a writer! But when I write, it is all-consuming. I wrote the entire trilogy from mid-February 2021 to the end of March 2021. Except for inserting what is now chapter 2, my story is the way I wrote it from start to finish. Over the next two and a half years, beta readers helped me add more where things were confusing and needed clarification (and, of course, grammar!), but the order is exactly what I originally wrote. I could have continued polishing indefinitely, but at some point, I needed to let it go.
During that first draft, I was writing 3,000 to 5,000 words a day. I stopped eating and sleeping, and I pretty much abandoned my family. I don’t recommend this! But I feel immensely grateful for the experience, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime one. I felt tuned into a radio station where I was just listening to what was being said and recording what was happening. Jim, in particular, was irritated that I didn’t give him a voice from the get-go, and believe me, I was just as shocked about the twists as most readers are. I didn’t see them coming either.
I queried my manuscript a little bit, but after 20 queries, I decided I didn’t want an editor changing my story to make it more marketable. As other writers will know, 20 queries are nothing when trying to break into traditional publishing, but even if one had responded, I would have told them I had decided to self-publish. I knew I would have had a hard time preserving my creative integrity in the face of someone who would have felt, to me, like an authority figure (a trad publisher), and it would have caused me enormous stress. My book is as it should be. My audience will find it.
P.S. My husband, in proofreading this for me, said that I didn’t really answer your question. I described my writing process rather than saying anything new about myself.
Hmmm…. I just started volunteering at my local library as an ESL teacher for adults wanting to practice English with a native speaker. I’m learning Spanish myself, so I can sympathize. (This will be the fourth time I’ve tried to learn Spanish, but I’m going to stick with it this time). As I mentioned in my bio, I dance flamenco, and I just started learning castanets (very fun, and a great brain teaser!) And, finally, I am a late adopter of trends. I just started making sourdough, and I’ve made a loaf just about every day for the last month. If we have too much, I give a loaf away.
**Bonnie’s Reaction: I love all the opportunities offered at the local library!
Bonnie:This book is set mostly in Texas during the Texas War of Independence against Mexico. I was surprised to realize that I had learned very little about this in school in Ohio. Your bio says you live in Texas. Did you grow up in Texas, and is this topic something you were already very familiar with?
Jennifer: Yes, I was born in Dallas and raised in my mother’s hometown of Waxahachie from the age of two until I left for college. Waxahachie is (was) a tiny little rural town thirty minutes south of Dallas, in the middle of the Blackland Prairie (so think “flat”). It’s not so little now! But at the time I lived there, it was a typical small Texas town, and we were really, really excited to get a McDonald’s when I was in middle school.
Children are taught Texas history in the fourth grade and seventh grade. Beyond the Alamo, I don’t recall all that much from my own schooling, but since I homeschooled my three children, I had a chance to dive pretty deep with them. We live in Austin, so we began each Texas history block learning about the Comanche and the Tonkawa, two local tribes. When I was putting together a fourth-grade curriculum for other Texas homeschoolers to use, I reached out to the Comanche Museum in Lawton, Oklahoma, for the first time for resources.
During COVID, just as things were opening up and we could visit museums, my youngest was in seventh grade, so we were working through Texas history again. We visited the Presidio in Goliad, and that’s where I first learned about the Angel of Goliad. Initially, I was going to write about her, but I pretty quickly began brainstorming Eva. I heard her voice. I didn’t hear Francisca’s until it was time (Book 3).
**Bonnie’s Reaction: Local museums are a great place to start!
Bonnie: Time travel must have a method and basic rules set by the author. The method you used is so interesting and involves string theory, but is still easy to understand. How did this clever idea come to you?
Jennifer: I have always been fascinated with the mind-bending theoretical bits of physics, such as relativity, quantum mechanics, and string theory. I believe string theory has since fallen out of fashion a bit, but I still find it compelling. It kind of makes the world make sense to me. It seems to me that if time travel were possible, it would require changing the vibration of each energetic string.
And thank you, by the way! I’m glad to hear it was easy to understand. It was quite tricky to get my ideas across without bogging down the story, especially since my story isn’t really about time travel. The mechanics of time travel are beside the point in many ways, though fun to imagine, certainly! If I could have any superpower, it would be time travel, but with the caveat that somehow, I came out wearing the right clothes, speaking the right language, and was immune to disease.
**Bonnie’s Reaction: I didn’t realize string theory was out of fashion, so I need to check out new trends.
Bonnie: Jim is a white man who was raised by the Comanche. Through him we learn about Comanche customs and ways. Tell us about your research into this topic.
Jennifer: Captive narratives are thrilling to read. If you drive out to West Texas, there are often self-published copies that are continuing to be reprinted and sold at the gas stations by the descendants. Captives are certainly part of the lore of Central Texas and even where I grew up in North Texas. We just heard stories about them growing up, and except for some of the violence that accompanied each capture, as a kid, I thought it sounded pretty great to be carried off to a life that sounded free, certainly freer than mine or any other modern human’s. Of course, as an adult and from my research, the reality is much more complicated. For my book, I read every narrative I could access, and I corresponded with a professor at Texas State University who specializes in Comanche captivity. I can now point to exact spots in Austin (mostly under parking lots) where captives were first taken. Something like that has a way of forming a connection with you.
As for the Comanche customs, I contacted the Comanche Museum and used the books they recommended. One of the books (Wallace and Hoebel) is considered the gold standard. Additionally, I was able to find the original transcripts from their interviews with informants, and I used those for extensive fact-checking. I also met with the cultural specialist at the museum to ask a whole bunch of questions, more than I’m sure he bargained for when he agreed to meet me!
When my manuscript was complete, I found a sensitivity reader who is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation. She graciously read my manuscript twice. She was actually my first reader, and then she read it a second time after it had been through most of my 31 total beta readers. She’s pretty much a saint.
Exploring Comanche culture was probably my favorite part of the process.
**Bonnie’s Reaction: A cultural sensitivity reader is such a great idea!
Bonnie: Eva is slowly learning that she’s been deceived by her cult, and you portrayed this perfectly. Did you research other victims of indoctrination in order to do this so well?
Jennifer: I drew from personal experience.
Bonnie: The characters in this novel are so human. Jim and Eva are not perfect and have done things that would horrify others. How important was it for you to convey real flawed characters in this book?
Jennifer: Extremely important. I love humans, but we can also be really shitty to each other. Every single one of us is capable of being a monster, and in fact, at some point, we probably have been to someone somewhere, even if we’re not aware of it. Except for psychopaths, people are usually well-intentioned. At a minimum, people think their actions are justified (even psychopaths). I heard someone once say that most people are sincere, mistaken, or afraid. I try to keep that in mind, and I tried to keep that in mind for my characters. Each of them believes themselves to be a good person.
The interesting question for me as a writer is: Why do they think they are right? But real love is unconditional for this very reason. None of us are perfect. Love doesn’t always mean that we can stay in a relationship with a loved one who is hurting us, but we love them anyway and want what’s best for them, even from afar. Eva and Jim have both done horrible things; they see each other, no masks, but they also see each other’s tender hearts. They both want to be good, to do right, whatever that is. They’re just not sure anymore.
The world is a very gray place for me. I’m finding that I’m increasingly old-fashioned in this regard.
Bonnie: The Mender is Book 1 in a trilogy, and all three books are available on Amazon. Is this series complete, and if so, tell us about your next writing adventure.
Jennifer: The Mender Trilogy is complete, though I created a rich world that is begging for spinoff stories. I’m percolating several ideas at the moment. Perhaps we’ll find out Pump’s origin story… Perhaps we’ll find out what happened to Sakura and Enrique… Perhaps Eva will try to set the multiverse right… I’ll know when they speak to me!
Bonnie: Thanks so much again for answering my questions today! I really enjoyed The Mender.
Jennifer: Thanks! Anytime!
PURCHASE LINKS
Click on the Image Below to purchase The Mender Trilogy on Amazon
**Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read it for free.
BEFORE YOU GO…
*If you read the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
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Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. It’s a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide with all your social media followers. Below is my review of Land of the Blue Mist, which I originally reviewed for The Historial Novel Society. The author, Susan Mallgrave, also graciously agreed to be interviewed, so please be sure and check out the Q&A below.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
In the tradition of Jean Auel, Charles Frazier, and Tony Hillerman comes a work of historical fiction… Land of the Blue Mist: A Novel of Courage, Love, and Survival.
The Principal People, known as the Cherokee by others, have lived for millennia in the place they call the Land of the Blue Mist. Much of their ancestral land has been taken, over decades. But still more land is demanded.
Aster Sweetwater comes of age in this time of fierce pressure on her tribe in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sent to boarding school to learn so-called civilized ways, she returns home to help her people fight forced removal from their mountains and valleys. But Aster returns home not knowing where she belongs. Who are her people? Should she remain in the Land of the Blue Mist or leave the only home she’s ever known, to search for her missing father?
After gold is discovered in Georgia in 1828 and the Indian Removal Act is passed two years later, the crisis intensifies, ending with U.S. troops invading Aster’s village.
Not all the Cherokee will travel the deadly Trail of Tears to the West. Having escaped capture, but with her family torn apart and her life shattered, Aster must find a way for a remnant of her people to survive in the Land of the Blue Mist.
BOOK REVIEW
The Land of the Blue Mist, or The Blue Ridge Mountains, is the home of The Principal People, also known as the Cherokee. In the 1820s, Aster is sent by her white father to a boarding school to learn the ways of his people. His intent is for her to then teach the Cherokee how to survive in a white man’s world, because he is going far away to avenge the death of his brother in another land. But then gold is discovered, and greedy politicians are determined to remove the Cherokee from their homeland and send them far out west. As Aster fights to find her place in a divided world, she is determined to save her people from removal.
This is a well-woven book about the events leading up to the Trail of Tears, the impact on the Cherokee at that time, and the fact that some Cherokee did escape from it. As we go with 9-year-old Aster to boarding school, we also watch political events unfolding in the U.S. that will lead to the horrors of removal. The author does a good job of building Aster’s world while also showing the government’s intrusion and her determination to stop it. Real-life events and people are woven in, such as John Ross, Principal Chief, who fought unsuccessfully against the removal. And it’s a fictionalized story of the small group of real Cherokee who fought back, hid, negotiated and were able to remain. Full of action, intrigue, politics, romance, and danger, this book is not to be missed. Fans of Native American History and the history of The Blue Ridge Mountains will enjoy this book.
AUTHOR BIO
Susan Mallgrave’s first novel, a work of historical fiction, is set in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains near her current residence and the surviving bent trees of which she writes. She is currently working on a sequel to Land of the Blue Mist. She also writes poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction. When not writing, she can be found playing tennis, hiking, traveling, and handcrafting, especially knitting socks for family and friends.
Q&A WITH SUSAN MALLGRAVE
Bonnie: Susan, first of all, thanks for agreeing to answer my questions today.
Susan: Bonnie, it’s my great pleasure! Thank you so very much for reading my book and reviewing it. It’s a lot to ask of another person, a commitment of your precious time and I appreciate it.
Bonnie: Let’s go beyond the bio. Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know from reading your bio.
Susan: I’ve always loved books of all sorts–adventure tales as a child (and now!), classics, mysteries, historical novels, and non-fiction. I’m probably not so different from your readers. I wasn’t one of those folks who always wrote stories though—I envy them! I recently went through journals I had kept intermittently. What I discovered was I had been talking about writing, thinking about writing, and writing about writing for years! I was circling. If I didn’t try, I wouldn’t fail. That sort of thing. I knew, intellectually, that you can only write if you write. But I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think I knew a thing about it. And maybe I didn’t: which is why I would need to write—to learn. Silly sometimes, aren’t we?
With too much time in between them, I wrote a dozen or so poems and a half-dozen short stories. Covid down-sized and then eliminated my remote job (in Communications) and as I lamented having to find another, my husband Harry said, “You keep saying you’d like to write a novel–maybe it’s time to get serious about that?” Well, yay! (He’s my biggest supporter. At one point during my struggle with the first draft, the only reason I kept writing the novel was because I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wanted out.
You can learn the craft of writing, but I believe much of the art of writing comes osmotically, in a way. The language carried me while I learned how to structure a novel-length work. The impetus to write and the words for writing came from my having been in love with books forever. Sacred objects. It’s always been a parallel world, my journey with books.
Bonnie: Your book, Land of the Blue Mist, is set during the time of the Indian Removal Act. What inspired you to write about that terrible time?
Susan: We moved to upstate South Carolina five years ago and I joined a writers’ group. I wrote some short stories to share with the group. Land of the Blue Mist started as one. But the story kept growing and the characters became real and compelling to me, especially after I began researching. I was—and am—in awe of the 19th century accomplishments of the Aniyunwiya—the people that others call Cherokee. I had no idea prior to my research, for instance, that by 1820 they had a system of government modeled on that of the United States. Also, at one point, the Cherokee were the most literate people in the country, due to a Cherokee warrior and silversmith named Sequoyah. He invented a syllabary—a written set of symbols based on the sounds of their spoken language, and it was a brilliant success. The tribe also published a newspaper from 1828-1834, named the Cherokee Phoenix—later renamed the Cherokee Phoenix and Indians’ Advocate. Each article was written in Tsalagi (the Cherokee language) and English, side-by-side. The paper has been revived and is now published in Oklahoma, by the way.
The people and their leaders went to great lengths to assimilate within the larger culture so that they could remain in the Land of the Blue Mist, which is what they called the Blue Ridge Mountains that they had lived in for millennia. I also admire their love of and respect for nature and the environment. They are an admirable people.
I also wanted to give an alternative end to the horrendous journey to the West, during which so many died, later called The Trail of Tears.
Bonnie: Tell us about your research process for this book.
Susan: I read James Mooney’s books, Myths of the Cherokee and The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee. Mooney was an early ethnographer, working under the auspice of the Smithsonian Institute, who lived with Cherokee clans in the late nineteenth century for several years. He wanted to chronicle as much as possible about the culture before all memory of it was gone.
I also learned from John Ehle, who wrote The Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. As the title indicates, it included not just the expulsion, but other time periods as well, leading up to that ignominious ouster. I read biographies of Chief John Ross and Major Ridge, both of whom appear in the novel. I visited the Cherokee Museum in Walhalla, SC, gleaned from Native American websites, and plowed through some Eastern Cherokee census rolls. I read some scholarly articles and some editions of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper. I read books on Cherokee herbology and gold panning. I researched for four months before writing, and then dipped in and out while writing the book.
Bonnie: Your main character, Aster, appears to be in Georgia during this book. Your biography says you live near the surviving bent trees, which were Native American trail markers. Where are the bent trees located?
Susan: The Cherokee had networks of trails for hunting and trading, as well as for “warpaths,” when engaged with enemies. These ran east to west and north to south. There was a warrior trail that connected Georgia to Pennsylvania and New York. A major trail from Charleston, SC was used to bring goods back from the coast to the northwestern corner of the state, where I live now. Because of these extensive trails, they needed guideposts. It’s speculated that’s the reason they created bent trees, starting with saplings, as “way signs.” A group called Mountain Stewards has mapped several thousand reputed marker trees in 44 states! Most of them, though, appear to be clustered where Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina meet.
Bonnie: Aster is a fictional character, but is she based on anyone in real life?
Susan: No. Well, maybe a composite. She was the trickiest for me to write, but I’m not sure why, exactly. Going Snake—Aster’s grandfather, her adopted brother Little Fox and Jayce, “the cowboy” more or less walked up to me and said “Howdy!”
Bonnie: One interesting aspect of all of this is that Aster’s father is a white man who goes back to England to avenge the death of his brother. Without giving away spoilers, it seems that there is a whole other world to possibly explore in another book. Is that something you have considered?
Susan: I thought the same thing! Great minds…I ultimately took a different direction. But I do like Timothy and may visit his life in the Lakes District of England at some point. I also may write a prequel to Blue Mist, so that I can explore Going Snake’s formative years—much happened in the Cherokee nation during his lifetime!
Bonnie: You are currently writing a sequel to Land of the Blue Mist. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Susan: The sequel takes place eighty years later, in the small, Southern Appalachian village that Aster and the others settled. The protagonist is Aster’s great-grandson, who returns to South Carolina in 1920 from the world’s war, suffering from shell shock. He finds many changes have taken place in his town while he was gone. Of course there’s a cast of other characters as well, including a young woman suffragist who yearns to leave the small town where they all live and to have a career in big city journalism. The new novel also contains entries from Aster’s 19th-century journal, so that readers discover what happened to the original group after they settled in the shadow of the Blue Wall. This is the Cherokee name for the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the sheer rock-face end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Bonnie: Land of the Blue Mist is your first Independently published novel. How was the experience of publishing your first book and what did you learn along the way?
Susan: I used Amazon Kindle, which was a learning curve for me, but when all is said and done, it’s quite doable, in terms of formatting and uploading and there’s plenty of guidance online. I also learned I should have done publicity ahead of time and still need much improvement on promotion and marketing efforts. It’s a bit overwhelming, but other writers are helping me—shout outs to you, Bonnie, and Gail Meath!
Bonnie: It was nice to meet you, Susan, and thanks for answering my questions today! Please come back when you publish the sequel.
Susan: I’ll be happy to come back—thanks for the invitation!
BUY LINK
*Click on the image below to go to Amazon
BEFORE YOU GO….
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the WordPress “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter (X), Facebook, and/or WordPress followers. A little bit of assistance from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
**This is a review I did for the Historical Novel Society. Now that it’s been published on their website, I can post it.
In the 1880s, Doc Holliday has done it all—dentist, outlaw, gambler, and more. But now he’s called a “lunger,” a cruel term for someone with tuberculosis, and he has traveled west to seek out a drier climate. He’s also heard of a fountain of youth that will rid him of his disease, and thus he begins a life-or-death search for a miraculous cure that eventually takes him all over the West, with stops that often end in murder and mayhem.
Along for the ride is one of Doc’s loves, a prostitute, Kate. Wyatt Earp also makes frequent appearances. As the adventure continues, Doc flashes back to his past and nears the end of his life, all the while seeking out a miracle.
This is a very gritty and realistic portrayal of the life of Doc Holliday. The description of the seedy side of the West in the 1880s evokes vivid and lasting images that transport the reader to that time and place. Holliday’s personality comes alive, for example: “Doc revered impropriety in women, so long as they were not his women.” The author does not hold back on the description of Holliday’s life, illness, fame, and sometimes murderous ways, but still manages to show a bit of dignity in the man.
The bloody effects of tuberculosis and Doc’s deterioration are described in realistic detail. The rumored fountain of youth is always just out of his grasp, “a few towns over,” just as all legends are. The reader follows Doc’s journey throughout the West until his last stop, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and his final futile attempt to find that miraculous fountain. This book is recommended to anyone who is interested in Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, or realistic fiction about the Old West.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matthew Di Paoli has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize three times. He has won the Wilbur and Niso Smith Adventure Writing Prize, The Prism Review, 2 Elizabeth’s, and Momoya Review short story contests. Matthew earned his MFA in fiction at Columbia University. He’s been published in Boulevard, Fjords, Post Road, and Cleaver among others. He is the author of Holliday and the upcoming Killstanbul with Sunbury Press.
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. It’s quite a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. Please see below a book description, much deserved 5-star review, author information, and buy links for Anywhere But Schuylkill by Michael Dunn.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
ANYWHERE BUT SCHUYLKILL is the first of three books by Michael Dunn in his Great Upheaval trilogy. It is story of a teenage boy, Mike Doyle, struggling to free his family from the violence of their greedy, hard-drinking Uncle Sean.
The time is 1870s. The Long Depression is raging. Children are dying of hunger. The Reading Railroad has hired Pinkerton spies to infiltrate the miners’ union. And there is a sectarian war between the Modocs, a Welsh gang, and the Kohinoor Boys, an Irish gang. But Mike has a plan. It’s risky. It involves collaboration with the Kohinoor Boys. He could wind up in jail, or worse.
ANYWHERE BUT SCHUYLKILL is Michael Dunn’s first complete novel.
BOOK REVIEW
Wow, what a wonderful piece of historical fiction! The research is just astounding and the author’s expert knowledge of these events is evident. The reader is transported to 19th century Pennsylvania and the sights, sounds, and smells of that time come alive through Michael Dunn’s writing. When our main character Mike goes into a coal mine, we can see the dark tunnels through the light of the miners’ lamps, and we can smell the sweat of the men next to him. When he is forced to walk through a picket line as a “blackleg,” we can feel the hate and desperation of those who are striking for better wages and treatment. And most of all we can see him lined up with a group of young, hungry boys forced to work for almost nothing.
The descriptive, realistic writing is impressive. For example, the following passage shows what it’s like to be a “breaker boy” in a coal mine. “Pulling his shirt over his nose, he proceeded through the diagonal maze of chutes that crisscrossed the room. Each had ascending rows of boys sitting side by side above them on thin planks, as if they were on bleachers at a ballgame, except instead of facing home plate and enjoying the game, they all faced uphill, hunched over, their arms and legs darting in and out, like cockroaches rummaging for food.” Difficult and horrific situations such as discrimination, forced labor, and child abuse are shown truthfully. The desperation of young boys in horrible situations is written so well that the reader feels as if they are experiencing it. The author masterfully paints a vivid picture of the time, place, and events. It is very difficult to completely recreate a historic event in writing, place the reader in the middle of it, and make them feel as if they are there. This author has done it, and in his debut novel! This is the first in a trilogy and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
AUTHOR BIO
Michael Dunn writes Working-Class Historical Fiction from the Not So Gilded Age. ANYWHERE BUT SCHUYLKILL is the first in his Great Upheaval trilogy. A lifelong union activist, he has always been drawn to stories of the past, particularly those of regular working people, struggling to make a better life for themselves and their families. These are stories most people do not know, or have forgotten, because history is written by the victors, the robber barons and plutocrats, not the workers and immigrants. Yet their stories are among the most compelling in America. They resonate today because they are the stories of our own ancestors, because their passions and desires, struggles and tragedies, were so similar to our own.
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Everyone remembers her daringly short, silver lamé dress. An iconic photo capturing an electric moment, where emerging American designer Astrid Bricard is young, uninhibited, and on the cusp of fashion and feminism’s changing landscape. She and fellow designer Hawk Jones are all over Vogue and the disco scene. Yet she can’t escape the legacy of being the daughter of Mizza Bricard, infamous “muse” for Christian Dior. Astrid would give anything to take her place among the great houses of couture—on her own terms. I won’t inspire it when I can create it.
But then Astrid disappeared…
Now Astrid’s daughter, Blythe, holds what remains of her mother and grandmother’s legacies. Of all the Bricard women, she can gather the torn, shredded, and painfully beautiful fabrics of three generations of grief, heartbreak, and abandonment to create something that will shake the foundations of fashion. The only piece that’s missing is the one question that no one’s been able to answer: What really happened to Astrid?
BOOK REVIEW
This is a multi-period novel exploring the lives of three Bricard women who are talented but largely unrecognized for that talent. Mizza Bricard was a talented designer who is better known as the real-life muse of Christian Dior. Her fictionalized daughter Astrid Bricard was known as the daughter of Mizza Bricard and also as the muse of designer Hawk Jones. Astrid’s daughter Blythe is fighting to be recognized as a designer in her own right, but she is in the shadow of media perceptions and her designer ex-husband Jake. She is also living with the fact that her mother disappeared when she was a baby and her father has never been there for her either.
This novel looks at the oppression of women in the fashion industry, mental health, abandonment, and other issues. The characters are strong, talented women who face an uphill battle with discrimination, public perception, and media portrayals. The fashion industry background is richly described, and the treatment of the media towards women over the decades is eye-opening. Important mental health issues that affect women are also brought to the forefront. The three time periods—the 1940s, 1970’s, and present day are very different, but all share the same issue of women fighting to be recognized in the fashion industry. The love stories set in the midst of the glamour and betrayal of this industry are well done.
I also listened to the audiobook, and the narrator Barrie Kreinik does a great job of portraying all of the characters.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to five on sites with no half-star option.
Anyone interested in fashion and historical fiction will enjoy this novel.
I received a free copy of the ebook from Forever Books and a free copy of the Audiobook from Hachette Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (FROM GOODREADS)
Natasha Lester is the multi-award winning and New York Times best-selling author of THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS, THE PARIS ORPHAN, THE PARIS SECRET and THE THREE LIVES OF ALIX ST PIERRE. Her new book, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD is out now in Australia, and was published in North America in Jan 2024.
Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.
Natasha’s books have been translated into more than twenty-one different languages and are now published all around the world.
She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves fashion history, practicing the art of fashion illustration, collecting vintage fashion, traveling and, of course, books. (less)
Below are the American and Australian covers. Which one do you like better? I think I’m leaning toward the Australian cover, but I like the color of the dress on the American cover. I don’t always like it when they cut the face in half on a cover, so I will choose Australia.
New York City, 1911. Edith Wharton, almost equally famed for her novels and her sharp tongue, is bone-tired of Manhattan. Finding herself at a crossroads with both her marriage and her writing, she makes the decision to leave America, her publisher, and her loveless marriage.
And then, dashing novelist David Graham Phillips—a writer with often notorious ideas about society and women’s place in it—is shot to death outside the Princeton Club. Edith herself met the man only once, when the two formed a mutual distaste over tea in the Palm Court of the Belmont hotel. When Phillips is killed, Edith’s life takes another turn. His sister is convinced Graham was killed by someone determined to stop the publication of his next book, which promised to uncover secrets that powerful people would rather stayed hidden. Though unconvinced, Edith is curious. What kind of book could push someone to kill?
Inspired by a true story, The Wharton Plot follows Edith Wharton through the fading years of the Gilded Age in a city she once loved so well, telling a taut tale of fame, love, and murder, as she becomes obsessed with solving a crime.
BOOK REVIEW
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the personality of a real-life character as well described as it is in this portrayal of Edith Wharton. Mariah Fredericks has captured the inner thoughts, feelings, doubts, heartbreak,, and desires of her main character so well that she comes alive. It is a master class in writing and a true portrait of Wharton’s faults, disappointments, and imperfections as well as her talents and strengths.
The murder mystery is based on the real-life murder of David Graham Phillips, and it is captivating from start to finish. The plot and history of the time combine with superbly written, strong characters to create a fascinating and compelling story. Wharton’s struggles, both in her marriage and her career, are honestly depicted and nothing is hidden from the reader. It is an intriguing combination of murder mystery and fictionalized biography that fans of historical fiction will enjoy.
I also listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Kitty Hendrix is well done.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mariah Fredericks was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She enjoys reading and writing about dead people and how they got that way. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series.
Based on true World War II stories of life in the USO variety shows, worlds collide when performers from around the United States come together to tour North Africa.
Vibrant and scrappy Maggie McCleod tried not to get fired from her wartime orchestra, but her sharp tongue landed her in trouble, so an overseas adventure with the USO’s camp show promises a chance at a fresh start. Wealthy and elegant Catherine Duquette signs with the USO to leave behind her restrictive life of privilege and to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the handsome pilot whose letters mysteriously stopped arriving.
The two women are joined by an eclectic group of performers–a scheming blues singer, a veteran tap dancer, and a brooding magician–but the harmony among their troupe is short-lived when their tour manager announces he will soon recommend one of them for a coveted job in the Hollywood spotlight. Each of the five members has a reason to want the contract, and they’ll do whatever is necessary to claim it. As their troupe travels closer to the dangerous battlefront in Tunisia, personal crises and wartime dangers only intensify, putting not only their careers but also their lives on the line.
PRAISE FOR THE FOXHOLE VICTORY TOUR
“Green deserves a standing ovation for her rousing story of unlikely friendships, courage over comfort, and the impactful work of USO performers during WWII. The Foxhole Victory Tour transports readers from the concert halls of Minnesota to the coasts of Casablanca to the active war zone of Tunisia. It is plot-driven without sacrificing relational drama, and its ragtag supporting cast of lovable misfits thoughtfully portrays the art and heart of live performance.”— Booklist
5-STARS “I was impressed with how much Green was able to pack into the story and still keep it cohesive and natural. I ended up loving all the characters and their story arc, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Green’s work.”— Debra, Goodreads
“The Foxhole Victory Tour is a wonderful story of historical fiction with great characters, vivid descriptions, and some tough truths that will make readers reflect on their choices and their priorities.”— Jordon Lynch, The Literary Library
“This story was full of emotion and captivating on every page. The setting of World War II is so real, you feel like you are with them. This is must-read. A story you won’t put down and will be sad to say goodbye to after it’s over.”— Elizabeth Eckmeyer, Interviews & Reviews
BOOK REVIEW
I loved this tribute to the USO, which has played an important role in the support of military members for many years. I hadn’t realized that USO performers were put in actual danger until I read this book and then looked up the history. Catherine and Maggie begin the story with obstacles to overcome. Catherine’s divorcing parents are using her as a pawn and Maggie’s outspoken ways have constantly gotten her into trouble. The growth of these characters is well done. I loved the fact that their troupe went to North Africa, which is a location not often visited in World War II historical fiction of late. I do love that the film Casablanca is mentioned as it was released the same year that this book is set–1943.
As always in her books, Amy Lynn Green adds some epistolary work. This time it is in the form of reports to the USO Home Office. Here is a snippet from a report that made me laugh: ”Miss Duquette thought the phrase “embedded with the troops” implied more intimate relationships than sleeping in similar accommodations as our soldiers and was much relieved at my clarification.” This is just one of many circumstances in this book that will make you smile. Fans of World War II fiction will enjoy this interesting look at the war through the eyes of USO performers in North Africa.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Austenprose PR. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
AUTHOR BIO
Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel. She and her husband live in Minnesota, where she teaches virtual classes on marketing at writer’s conferences, engages with book clubs, and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys.
“Benedick Kimbrell attempted to steal his first kiss from Miss Catherine Parker in the perfectly imperfect spring of 1808. But his hopes, then and since, were larger than fact.”
A LADY’S UNSPOKEN LONGING
Kate Parker is resolute in her quest for marriage, seeking a dependable match among Newford’s eligible bachelors. But behind her composed demeanor, Kate’s heart holds a stubborn affection for her less-than-dependable friend and an unspoken longing for a kiss that was never claimed.
A ROGUE’S LOST AMBITION
Years ago, Ben Kimbrell harbored ambitions, chief among them a kiss from Miss Kate Parker. Fate, though, had other plans. Now, his heart is weighted by family tragedy, his pain concealed behind a carefree charm. His reputation as an aimless rogue is well-earned, but beneath the façade lies a man who yearns for more.
AND A HEART WELL-GUARDED
When Kate sets her sights on Ben’s dependable cousin, a man who fits her expectations if not her heart, Ben can no longer stand idly by. His efforts to save her from a loveless match find the two of them paired together in a village production of Much Ado About Nothing. Tasked with crafting the enchanting sets for their town’s inaugural performance, their undeniable affection finds the perfect stage to blossom.
But for their love to flourish, Ben must reveal his true self and confront the shadows of his past. Can he find the courage to unlock his heart before it’s too late?
Kissing Kate is a heartwarming best-friends romance about finding the courage to choose happiness and the healing power of love. Set in the charming seaside village of Newford, each book in the Hearts of Cornwall series stands alone.
PRAISE FOR KISSING KATE
“I really enjoyed this book, and absolutely recommend it to historical romance readers who are looking for a “Hallmark” style read that offers real depth of character, beautiful Cornwall scenery, and a warm prosaic style.”— Bobbie Jo Fersten, Reading Historical Romance
“A sweet installment in the Hearts of Cornwall Series… I loved the progression of their feelings as they deepened from friendship to romance…This was my first read by K. Lyn Smith and I would pick up more!”— Genesis Aleman, Geny Reads
“The growth of Kate and Ben is so much fun to watch, and I enjoyed the entire construct of them getting ready to perform a play for their town along with the cousins and friends…Kissing Kate is such a warm hug of a read! I recommend it.”— Michelle, Tales Untangled
BOOK REVIEW
This is a sweet “friends to lovers” romance that is a joy to read. The writing is so delicate and perfect for the period. The suspense that builds up every time Ben tries to kiss Kate makes me smile. It’s a pleasing and heartwarming romance that fans of historical romances will love. The customs and strict proprieties of that period are well described, as is the beauty of Cornwall. I felt transported to that place and time. The writing is so intricate. You won’t find a better-written romance, and you will find yourself cheering for Ben, Kate, and that kiss!
AUTHOR BIO
K. Lyn Smith lives in Birmingham, Alabama, where she writes sweet historical romance about ordinary people finding extraordinary love. Her debut novel, The Astronomer’s Obsession, was a finalist for the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, while many of her other titles have been shortlisted for awards such as the American Writing Award, the Carolyn Reader’s Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the Maggie Award.
When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her with family, traveling and watching period dramas. And space documentaries. Weird, right?
K. Lyn shares her inspiration for the story and characters in Kissing Kate, the research process, and Regency era theater productions. Read the full interview here.
Bonnie Reads and Writes 
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