Archive for the ‘Historical’ Category

Dirty Old Town by Gabriel Valjan ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: March 13, 2020 in crime fiction, giveaways, Historical, Mystery
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Dirty Old Town

A Shane Cleary Mystery

by Gabriel Valjan

On Tour March 1st thru April 30th.

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Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Procedural, Historical Fiction
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: January 14th 2020
Number of Pages: 162
ISBN: 1087857325 (ISBN13: 9781087857329)
Series: A Shane Cleary Mystery
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Synopsis

“Robert B. Parker would stand and cheer, and George V. Higgins would join the ovation. This is a terrific book–tough, smart, spare, and authentic. Gabriel Valjan is a true talent–impressive and skilled–providing knock-out prose, a fine-tuned sense of place and sleekly wry style.”– Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of The Murder List

Shane Cleary, a PI in a city where the cops want him dead, is tough, honest and broke. When he’s asked to look into a case of blackmail, the money is too good for him to refuse, even though the client is a snake and his wife is the woman who stomped on Shane’s heart years before. When a fellow vet and Boston cop with a secret asks Shane to find a missing person, the paying gig and the favor for a friend lead Shane to an arsonist, mobsters, a shady sports agent, and Boston’s deadliest hitman, the Barbarian. With both criminals and cops out to get him, the pressure is on for Shane to put all the pieces together before time runs out.

About

Gabriel is the author of two series, Roma and Company Files, with Winter Goose Publishing. Dirty Old Town is the first in the Shane Cleary series for Level Best Books. His short stories have appeared online, in journals, and in several anthologies. He has been a finalist for the Fish Prize, shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and received an Honorable Mention for the Nero Wolfe Black Orchid Novella Contest in 2018. You can find him on Twitter (@GValjan) and Instagram (gabrielvaljan). He lurks the hallways at crime fiction conferences, such as Bouchercon, Malice Domestic, and New England Crime Bake. Gabriel is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Bookbub / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook

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GIVEAWAY

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Click here to view the Dirty Old Town by Gabriel Valjan
Participants

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Jack The Ripper Victims Series ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: January 4, 2020 in giveaways, Historical, horror, Mytery/Thriller
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Alan M. Clark’s Jack the Ripper Victims Series is comprised of five novels, one for each of the canonical victims of the murderer. These stories are not only meant to appeal to those interested in the horror that was the Autumn of Terror, but also those interested in the struggles of women in the 19th century. They are well-researched, fictional dramatic stories meant to help readers walk in the shoes of the victims and give a sense of the world as each of the women may have experienced it. The timelines for the stories run mostly concurrently, so it doesn’t matter in what order the books in the series are read. They are simultaneously drama, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, and horror. They are novels concerning horror that happened.
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A Brutal Chill in August
The First Victim of Jack the Ripper
by Alan M. Clark
Genre: Crime Horror
Publisher: IFD Publishing
Publication Date: December 7, 2019
We all know about Jack the Ripper, the serial murderer who terrorized Whitechapel and confounded police in 1888, but how much do we really know about his victims?
Pursued by one demon into the clutches of another, the ordinary life of Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols is made extraordinary by horrible, inhuman circumstance. Jack the Ripper’s first victim comes to life in this sensitive and intimate fictionalized portrait, from humble beginnings, to building a family with an abusive husband, her escape into poverty and the workhouse, alcoholism, and finally abandoned on the streets of London where the Whitechapel Murderer found her.
With A Brutal Chill in August, Alan M. Clark gives readers an uncompromising and terrifying look at the nearly forgotten human story behind one of the most sensational crimes in history. This is horror that happened.
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Music Video
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The song sung by the ghost that haunts Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols
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Apologies to the Cat’s Meat Man
The Second Victim of Jack the Ripper
Publication Date: June 9, 2017
This novel is part of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series. Each novel in the series is a stand-alone story.
Annie Chapman led a hard, lower class life in filthy 19th century London. Late in life, circumstances and and her choices led her to earn her crust by solicitation. After a bruising brawl with another woman over money and a man, she lost her lodgings and found herself sleeping rough. That dangerous turn of events delivered her into the hands of London’s most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper.
Contrasting her last week alive with the experiences of her earlier life, the author helps readers understand how she might have made the decisions that put her in the wrong place at the wrong time
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Book Trailer
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Say Anything But Your Prayers
The Third Victim of Jack the Ripper
Publication Date: June 11, 2017
This novel is part of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series. Each novel in the series is a stand-alone story.
An imaginative reconstruction of the life of Elizabeth Stride, the third victim of Jack the Ripper. The beast of poverty and disease had stalked Elizabeth all her life, waiting for the right moment to take her down. To survive, she listened to the two extremes within herself–Bess, the innocent child of hope, and Liza, the cynical, hardbitten opportunist. While Bess paints rosy pictures of what lies ahead and Liza warns of dangers everywhere, the beast, in the guise of a man offering something better, circles ever closer.
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Of Thimble and Threat
The Fourth Victim of Jack the Ripper
Publication Date: September 28, 2017
In Victorian London, the greatest city of the richest country in the world, the industrial revolution has created a world of decadence and prosperity, but also one of unimaginable squalor and suffering. Filth, decay, danger, sorrow, and death are ever-present in the streets. Catherine Eddowes is found murdered gruesomely in the city’s East End. When the police make their report, the only indicators of her life are the possessions carried on her person, likely everything she owned in the world. In Of Thimble and Threat, Alan M. Clark tells the heartbreaking story of Catherine Eddowes, the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper, explaining the origin and acquisition of the items found with her at the time of her death, chronicling her life from childhood to adulthood, motherhood, her descent into alcoholism, and finally her death. Of Thimble and Threat is a story of the intense love between a mother and a child, a story of poverty and loss, fierce independence, and unconquerable will. It is the devastating portrayal of a self-perpetuated descent into Hell, a lucid view into the darkest parts of the human heart.
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The Prostitute’s Price
The Fifth Victim of Jack the Ripper
Publication Date: August 30, 2018
A novel that beats back our assumptions about the time of Jack the Ripper. Not the grim story of an unfortunate drunken prostitute killed before her time, but one of a young woman alive with all the emotional complexity of women today. Running from a man wanting her to pay for her crimes against his brother, Mary Jane Kelly must recover a valuable hidden necklace and sell it to gain the funds to leave London and start over elsewhere. Driven by powerful, if at times conflicting emotion, she runs the dystopian labyrinth of the East End, and tries to sneak past the deadly menace that bars her exit.
Although THE PROSTITUTE’S PRICE is a standalone tale, and part of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series, it is also a companion story to the novel, THE ASSASSIN’S COIN, by John Linwood Grant. The gain a broader experience of each novel, read both.
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Book Trailer
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Author and illustrator, Alan M. Clark grew up in Tennessee in a house full of bones and old medical books. His awards include the World Fantasy Award and four Chesley Awards. He is the author of seventeen books, including twelve novels, a couple of novellas, four collections of fiction, some of them lavishly illustrated, and a nonfiction full-color book of his artwork. Mr. Clark’s company, IFD Publishing, has released 42 titles of various editions, including traditional books, both paperback and hardcover, audio books, and ebooks by such authors as F. Paul Wilson, Elizabeth Engstrom, and Jeremy Robert Johnson. Alan M. Clark and his wife, Melody, live in Oregon. www.alanmclark.com Visit his blog: https://ifdpublishing.com/blog
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Exordium by S.N. Jones ~ Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Posted: December 18, 2019 in Cover Reveal, Fantasy, giveaways, Historical
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Today S. N. Jones, GenZ Publishing, & Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the GORGEOUS cover for her YA Historical fantasy, EXORDIUM which will release in early 2020! Check out the awesome cover and enter the
giveaway!
 
On to the reveal!
 
 
Title: EXORDIUM
Tempus Book 1
Author: S. N. Jones
Pub. Date: 2020
Publisher: GenZ Publishing
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 247
Find it: Goodreads, GenZ Publishing
 
“Fall to rise higher.”
 
This is the motto of the clan Kongeorn. In their world of harsh battles and harsher winters
our story begins.
 
Exordium is a historical fantasy novel that follows the story of Vita, who is thrust into a
position of power and forced to deal with the aftermath of a family tragedy–and an act of war. Along the way, she must confront her own demons and learn that everyone is fighting their own war, their own obstacles. She must learn how to overcome them, to rise higher than ever before. Exordium and its author, S. N. Jones, were awarded with the 2018 National Civic Expression Award
from the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, funded by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
 
One woman.
One name.
One forgotten legacy.
 
Excerpt:
 
“The forest seemed still, as if no creature dared to
move or cry out in my presence. The trees remained static, their branches rigid
and frozen in the cool night air. In the stillness, a burden began to weigh
down upon me, cloaking me like the furs on my shoulders. It sobered me, taking
my attention away from the visions and cynical thoughts, and plopped me right
where I would stay. I could not hide from it, nor—I found—did I want to. My
duty to my people, to my name, bore down on me, and I refused to shake it.”

 

About S.N. Jones:


Proud author of Exordium, fantasy author, and lover of books!


Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 
 

GIVEAWAY


1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC, International.
 
Giveaway ends December 27th, midnight EST.
 
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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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The Twelve Days Of Christmas ~ Kissing Strangers ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: December 14, 2019 in giveaways, Historical, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
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Kissing Strangers
The Twelve Days of Christmas #9
by D.S. Dehel
Genre: Paranormal Historical Romance
Print Length: 90 pages
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Publication Date: December 20, 2019 
 
A haunting Christmas tale.
Christmas of 1899, the world looks forward to new discoveries, new inventions,
and a new century. Wealthy heiress Viola Peery is looking forward to
a new life and a husband, preferably one with a title, since her
father has told her not to return from England without one.
A New Year’s weekend at Aescton Hall holds promise for Viola and
eight other ladies of wealth. There, ten eligible bachelors will vie
for their hearts and hands during dinners, skating parties, and—of
course—balls. Both the charming Cedric Stanhope and the dashing
Rhys Findlay catch Viola’s eye and pique her interest, and through
flirty tea parties and nightly waltzes, she mulls her decision.
But one of the men holds a secret that will change her destiny and haunt
her for the rest of her life.
D.S. Dehel is a lover
of photography, good food, and the Oxford comma. When she is not
immersed in a book, she is mom to her kids and spoiling her rather
pampered feline, Mr. Darcy. She can also be found at the gym training
for her next Spartan race and generally avoiding all adult
responsibility. She adores literary allusions, writing sex scenes,
and British television. Her devoted husband is still convinced she
writes children’s books. Please don’t enlighten him.
 

 
**HOT HOLIDAY SAVINGS!!***
30% off all backlist books at eXtasyBooks and Devine Destinies!!

 

Follow the 12 Days of Christmas Blitz HERE for bonus content and a giveaway!
 
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 
 
 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Books From The Back Log #19 ~ The Monster’s Daughter

Posted: August 22, 2019 in Historical, Mystery
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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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The Monster’s Daughter

  by Michelle Pretorius

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Genre: Historical / Mystery

Synopsis

Somewhere on the South African veldt, 1901: At the height of the Boer War, a doctor at a British concentration camp conducts a series of grim experiments on Boer prisoners. His work ends in chaos, but two children survive: a boy named Benjamin, and a girl named Tessa.

One hundred years later, a disgraced young police constable is reassigned to the sleepy South African town of Unie, where she makes a terrifying discovery: the body of a young woman, burned beyond recognition.

The crime soon leads her into her country’s violent past a past that includes her father, a high-ranking police official under the apartheid regime, and the children left behind in that long ago concentration camp.

Michelle Pretorius’s epic debut weaves present and past together into a hugely suspenseful, masterfully plotted thriller that calls to mind Lauren Beukes’s The Shining Girls and Tana French’s The Secret Place. With an explosive conclusion, it marks the emergence of a thrilling new writer.

Amazon / B&N

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I added this book back in August of 2016. This sounds like a thrilling historical mystery. I’ll be honest. I couldn’t resist the title. LOL

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The above cover is the one I own. Here is an alternative cover.

Which is your favorite?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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Lizzie Borden by Elizabeth Engstrom ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: July 26, 2019 in giveaways, Historical, Mystery, reviews, thriller
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Lizzie Borden
by Elizabeth Engstrom
Genre: Historical Mystery, Thriller
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lizzie review
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I’ve always been fascinated about Lizzie Borden. People are divided on whether she did the crimes or not. I’m no expert so I cant decide either. It took place so long ago we’ll never know. That’s why I grab books about her whenever I come across them. I immediately snatched this up without even reading the synopsis. If I had, I might have realized this was more of a fictional character study on the Borden family than much to do with the crime itself and the trial.

It got off to a slow start and I pushed on to see where the author was taking the story. What I got was a peek through the keyhole to what the Borden’s family dynamics might have been like. Dark and disturbing indeed.

The story may have been different from what I was expecting, but I did enjoy reading about Lizzie and her family from a different angle.

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Did she do it?
A hundred years ago, it was the Trial of the Century. A young woman
stood accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother in a
crime so heinous that it became a benchmark in human tragedy.
A hundred years later, the Lizzie Borden case still resounds in the
imagination. There are those who staunchly defend Lizzie’s
innocence while others vehemently declare that she did it, and that
the murder was justified.
In Elizabeth Engstrom’s brilliant novel, the dark psychology of the
Borden household is laid bare. Lizzie, her sister Emma and their
parents Andrew and Abby Borden, are sharply illuminated—as are the
paranoia and concealed hatred that secretly ruled the family.
Domestic violence and dysfunctional families are not inventions of
modern times.
“Every door in the Borden house is metaphorically locked, and each room holds
the terrible secrets of its occupant…Engstrom skillfully and subtly
builds a psychological plot, moving the reader inexorably toward the
anticipated savage denouement.” —Publishers Weekly
 
 
Elizabeth (Liz) Engstrom grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois (a Chicago suburb
where she lived with her father) and Kaysville, Utah (north of Salt
Lake City, where she lived with her mother). After graduating from
high school in Illinois, she ventured west in a serious search for
acceptable weather, eventually settling in Honolulu. She attended
college and worked as an advertising copywriter. 
After eight years on Oahu, she moved to Maui, found a business partner and
opened an advertising agency. One husband, two children and five
years later, she sold the agency to her partner and had enough seed
money to try her hand at full time fiction writing, her lifelong
dream. With the help of her mentor, science fiction great Theodore
Sturgeon, When Darkness Loves Us was published.
Engstrom moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1986, where she lives with her husband Al
Cratty, the legendary muskie fisherman, and their Duck Tolling
Retriever, Jook. Liz holds a BA in English Literature and Creative
Writing and a Master of Arts in Applied Theology, both from
Marylhurst University. A recluse at heart, she still emerges into
public occasionally to speak at a writers conference, or to teach a
class on various aspects of writing the novel, essay, article or
short story. An avid knitter and gardener, she is on faculty at the
University of Phoenix and is always working on the next book.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Blurb Blitz and Giveaway for Where Demons Dance by Emma Briedis

Posted: April 23, 2019 in giveaways, Historical
Tags: ,
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demons dance banner

Hi y’all! Thanks for visiting my stop on the virtual book tour for Where Demons Dance organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Emma Briedis will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

And be sure to click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Where Demons Dance

by Emma Briedis

demons dance cover

Synopsis

A desperate widow…

It’s 1874 in Cedar City, Utah Territory, when Penelope Cavey finds her beloved husband, Henri, dead from a gunshot wound and the mysterious phrase, “demons dance” carved into the parlor mirror. Despite her brother’s attempts to dissuade her, Penelope is determined to find Henri’s killer and sets out alone for St. Joseph, a rural town in Utah—following the only clue Henri left for her.

A lying father…

Ava Patton is haunted by dreams of another life. Her nightmares give way to reality when her caring stepmother, Nellie, confirms her rising suspicions that the man who claims to be her father is only pretending to be, and that her real parents are dead. Astounded by this revelation, Ava sets out to uncover what became of her parents and in doing so, stumbles upon a heartbreaking tragedy. She is forced to stop her quest when her brother, Lawrence, falls seriously ill.

A labyrinth of a mansion…

Lawrence finds himself trapped within the winding halls of a large house, plagued by taunting voices as he struggles to escape. Unable to distinguish reality from the imaginary, Lawrence doesn’t know who or what imprisoned him there, nor to whom the house belongs. Lawrence realizes he holds the key and must find Ava and Penelope before another person is silenced.

Check out this peek inside:

“Henri?” she called out but received no response. The rhythmic ticking of the clock in the next room taunted her.

Where is he?! she thought with resentment.

She stepped into the parlor and froze. Her blood turned to ice as her stomach dropped, and a cold wave of fear washed over her.

Henri lay across the room on the floor, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. A large puddle of blood had seeped from the bullet hole in the side of his head. His black hair was soaked in blood, and his hands lay limp at his sides.

She rushed to his side and embraced him, his head lolling.

“Henri!” she screamed, pulling him close to her. “Henri, what happened to you?!”

Tears began to run from her eyes as she grasped him, the warm blood soaking the dress she wore.

“Darling, come back to me,” she cried, her voice quivering.

She began to shake with tears as she rocked back and forth, gripping her dead husband to her chest. Unable to contain it, she let out a gasp of grief, shocked at the very circumstances she found herself hurled into. Their useless argument from earlier that day was forgotten as she grasped his lifeless body. She fervently prayed that he would wake as thousands of memories flashed before her eyes. Rocking on her knees, the pain inside of her chest only increased. Time seemed to stand still as she held him, unwilling to let go.

About  Author Emma Briedis:

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demons dance author

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Emma Briedis has written six books in multiple genres, including fantasy, romance, and historical fiction with Where Demons Dance being her debut novel. After reading Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables at the age of thirteen, she decided to write a book of her own, and hasn’t stopped since. She lives in Southeastern Wisconsin with her dog, Chewie.

Purchase Link: Amazon

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Josephine Baker’s Last Dance ~ Excerpt and Review

Posted: April 18, 2019 in fiction, Historical, reviews
Tags: , , ,
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JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE

by Sherry Jones, Biography/Historical

304 pp., $11.00 (paperback) $11.99 (Kindle)

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JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE
by Sherry Jones
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 304
Genre: Biography/Historical
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My Review
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 I’d only known Josephine Baker as a famous Parisian singer and dancer. Then I happened to watch the movie which revealed her life from her desperate, dark beginning to her triumphant final scene, sharing her many romances, her fight for equal rights and the oppression of the Nazis, along with her drive to affect change, leaving me breathless and in tears. Sherry Jones managed to do the same in her novel, adding her own touches to make the story even more in depth and thrilling. You may know the singer and dancer, but this slightly fictional account of her life reveals insights into her thoughts and feelings and I found it fascinating.
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From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel
based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker,
perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures.
Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the
French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing
prejudice and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last
Dance.In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life
Josephine’s early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to
fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against
discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s
Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most
extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on
the page.

With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings
this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first
time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful
woman who continues to inspire today.

Purchase Josephine Baker’s Last Dance in paperback,  ebook,  and  audiobook  formats on  Simon and Schuster’s website (available on Amazon,  Barnes and Noble,  BooksAMillion,  Indiebound,  Kobo,  and  other sites). Learn more about Sherry’s books  at  www.authorsherryjones.com

Just before she entered the stage door, a
drop of rain hit her on the head. No, that was not a bad omen, only a
reminder to do her best, to shine like the star she was, or would be.
Wilsie came running up—Mr. Sissle was there, but Mr. Blake had yet to
arrive. “You’ll knock ’em dead, Tumpy. Just do your dancing and forget
the rest.” Josephine didn’t need to be told that. She was ready.
She flexed and stretched her arms as she
walked with Wilsie across the stage, past the musicians gathering,
trumpets and saxophones and drums and a clarinet, down into the
auditorium, where a slender man spoke to a white-haired man at his side.
He turned his head very slightly and looked her up and down from the
corners of his shrewd, hard eyes. His mouth pursed.
“How old are you?” he’d said before Wilsie
had even introduced them. The stage door opened, and a very
dark-skinned man with a bald head hurried in, talking about “the damned
rain,” scampering down the steps, striding up the aisle, shaking water
from his clothes.
“Eubie Blake,” he said, smiling, holding out his hand to her.
“This is Tumpy, Mr. Blake, the one I told you about,” Wilsie said. “She’s here to audition for Clara’s spot in the chorus.”
The man with Mr. Sissle—the stage
manager—motioned to her and she followed him up the stage steps. Did she
know the songs? Could she dance to “I’m Just Wild about Harry”?
Josephine wanted to jump for joy. She pretended to watch as Wilsie
showed her the steps, which she already knew as if she’d made them up
herself. Josephine stripped down to her dingy leotard, tossed her
clothes on a chair, then ran and leaped to the center of the stage. This
was it. She bent over to grasp her ankles, stretching her legs, then
stood and pulled her arms over her head.
“Ready?” Mr. Sissle barked. The music
started, and she began the dance, so simple she could have done it in
her sleep. Practicing in the Standard, she’d gotten bored with it and
had made up her own steps, throwing in a little Black Bottom, wiggling
her ass and kicking her legs twice as high as they wanted to go, taken
by the music, played by it, the instruments’ instrument, flapping her
hands, step and kick and spin and spin and squat and jump and down in a
split, up and jump and kick and spin—oops, the steps, she didn’t need no
damn steps, she had better ones—and kick and jump and wiggle and spin.
She looked out into the auditorium—a big mistake: Mr. Blake’s mouth was
open and Mr. Sissle’s eyes had narrowed to slits. Don’t be nervous, just
dance. Only the music remained now, her feet and the stage.
When she’d finished, panting, and pulled
on her dress and shoes, Wilsie came running over, her eyes shining. “You
made their heads spin, you better believe it,” she whispered, but when
they went down into the aisle Josephine heard Mr. Sissle muttering.
“Too young, too dark, too ugly,” he said.
The world stopped turning, then, the sun frozen in its arc, every clock
still, every breath caught in every throat. Mr. Blake turned to her,
smiling as if everything were normal, and congratulated her on “a
remarkable dance.”
“I can see that you are well qualified for our chorus, Tumpy,” he said, and on his lips, the name sounded like a little child’s.
“You have real talent, and spark, besides. How did you learn to do that at such a young age? You are—how old?”
“Fifteen,” she said.
Mr. Sissle snorted, and cut Wilsie a look.
“Wasting my time,” he said. Mr. Blake looked at her as if she’d just
wandered in from the orphanage.
“I’m very sorry, there’s been a mix-up,” he said. “You must be sixteen to dance professionally in New York State.”
“I’ll be sixteen in June,” Josephine said. Her voice sounded plaintive and faraway.
“We need someone now.” Mr. Sissle folded
his arms as if she were underage on purpose. Mr. Blake led her toward
the stage door, an apologetic Wilsie saying she hadn’t known. Mr. Sissle
followed, talking to Mr. Blake about adding some steps to “I’m Just
Wild about Harry,” saying they should put in some kicks, that he’d been
thinking about it for a while. Uh-huh.
“Come and see us in New York after your
birthday, doll,” Mr. Blake said. “You never know when we might have an
opening.” He opened the door and let the rain pour in before shutting it
again. He looked at Josephine’s thin, optimistic dress. Where was her
umbrella? She hung her head. He stepped over to retrieve a black
umbrella propped against the wall and handed it to her. She took it
without even knowing, her thoughts colliding like too many birds in a
cage. She would have to stay in Philadelphia, she had failed—too young,
too dark, too ugly—she should have lied about her age, what had gotten
into her? Showing off, that was what.
And now Mr. Sissle disliked her, and she
would never get into their show; it didn’t matter how many times she
went back. As she stepped out into the rain with that big umbrella in
her hands unopened and felt the rain pour down her face; she was glad,
for now they would think it was water instead of tears, but when she
looked back, Wilsie was crying, too, in the open doorway.
Seeing the men watching from a window, she
stopped. They wouldn’t forget her; she’d make them remember. She walked
slowly, her silk dress dripping, while Mr. Sissle gesticulated with
excitement as he stole her ideas—authentic Negro dancing were the last
words she’d heard—and Mr. Blake looking as if he wanted to run out
there, scoop her up, and carry her back inside.
( Continued… )
© 2018 All rights reserved. Book excerpt
reprinted by permission of the author, Sherry Jones. Do not reproduce,
copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is
used for promotional purposes only.

 

 

 

Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart.  Sherry lives
in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing,
singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne.Her latest novel is Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.Website: http://authorsherryjones.com
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http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

 

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How it all began…. Blackwell ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: March 28, 2019 in giveaways, Historical, Mystery, reviews, Supernatural
Tags: , , , ,
14

Blackwell

Magnus Blackwell 0.5

by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor

Historical Mystery with Supernatural Elements
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication Date: January 17th 2017
Number of Pages: 295
ISBN: 1944109242 (ISBN13: 9781944109240)
Series: A Magnus Blackwell Novel 0.5
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

32312194

My Review

I knew I had to read this after my eyes settled on the magnificent cover art and I read the blurb. I’ve also read other books by this writing team and enjoyed them.

How would I classify this? Historical thriller with a twist of naughty. It goes beyond the bedroom door a bit and I read those parts really fast. LOL They were necessary to really get to know Magnus.

Magnus? I wanted to like him in the beginning. Didn’t take long for that to change. He wouldn’t let me. Wouldn’t let anyone care for him. His own worst enemy. While in New Orleans, he meets the wild and somewhat depraved Oscar Wilde and thus begins his undoing. A warning to change his ways from a woman who practices voodoo doesn’t slow him down and his path is set.

Who I did like? Jacob. He was from the other side of the tracks. Not wealthy or privileged. His friendship with Magnus was a challenge. They couldn’t be more different and I hoped some of the goodness of Jacob would rub off on him. But, something came between their friendship and it was not to be.

As I drew closer to the end of the story, the tension grew, my dread of what might happen built. I wanted to slow things down, urge the two men to think first. They teetered on the brink of no return.

An explosive ending to a highly entertaining reading experience. Will I be continuing with this series? Surely.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

Synopsis

“… an intriguing, dark tale complete with vividly drawn characters, and a uniquely compelling character in Magnus … seamlessly blends mystery, magic and matters of the heart to create an enthralling read. Readers will be engaged from the start of the story to its climactic ending.” ~Melanie Bates, RT Book Reviews

“A dark story of passion and revenge … A guilty-pleasure read that kept me captivated knowing something sinister is looming in the plot and over the characters.” ~New Orleans Magazine

In the late 1800s, handsome, wealthy New Englander, Magnus Blackwell, is the envy of all.

When Magnus meets Jacob O’Connor–a Harvard student from the working class–an unlikely friendship is forged. But their close bond is soon challenged by a captivating woman; a woman Magnus wants, but Jacob gets.

Devastated, Magnus seeks solace in a trip to New Orleans. After a chance meeting with Oscar Wilde, he becomes immersed in a world of depravity and brutality, inevitably becoming the inspiration for Dorian Gray. Armed with the forbidden magic of voodoo, he sets his sights on winning back the woman Jacob stole from him.

Amid the trappings of Victorian society, two men, bent on revenge, will lay the foundation for a curse that will forever alter their destinies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTOpaO6eaGk

Enjoy this peek inside:

“Last night, I saw someone or something coming out of that bayou. Madam Simone stopped it from getting close to me. I remember she said something about the creature I saw being a messenger of the dead.”

“When did this happen?”

“When I left the bonfire and went to the water’s edge, I thought I saw a woman. Madam Simone claimed it was a spirit.”

His eyes lit up, and Oscar edged forward to the table. “What do you think you saw, Magnus?”

Magnus tried to picture the woman he had seen, her tattered nightdress and her empty eyes, but the only image he could conjure was that of smoke and dust. “What do you think happens to us when we die, Oscar?”

Oscar tossed up his hands, appearing as if he were at a loss for words. “I wish I knew, my friend.”

Magnus ran his finger around the rim of his coffee cup. “I know where we go, and it isn’t heaven or paradise.”

“What kind of end do you envision?”

Magnus raised his green eyes to Oscar, grinning with a profound certainty. “That’s just it. I don’t see death as an end. For me, it’s turning into a whole new beginning.”

About the Authors

Alexandrea Weis

Alexandrea Weis

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author of over twenty-seven novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes mysteries, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, action, historical, and romance. She is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers Association.

Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight. He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Lucas Astor

Lucas Astor

Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.

He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.

One of his favorite quotes is: “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.” ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)

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Damned ~ A Magnus Blackwell Novel #1 ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: March 16, 2019 in giveaways, Historical, Mystery, Supernatural
Tags: , , ,
6

Print Length: 427 pages
Publisher: Vesuvian Books (October 3, 2017)
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Language: English
ASIN: B073QYW64Y


Praise for DAMNED


“… seamlessly blends mystery, magic and matters of the heart to create and enthralling read.” ―RT Book Reviews

“Damned is absolutely riveting, an absolute page turner. Just when you think the carnival ride is over you discover it’s barley begun… If you only read one book, this should be it.” ―Tracy Riva, Midwest Book Review

“Damned is full of intricate characters, voodoo, and a luxurious setting that will steal your breath away. You’ll want to follow Magnus and Lexie to Hell and back, and that’s stunningly likely.” ―Mercedes B. Yardley, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author of Little Dead Red

Over a hundred years after the death of Magnus Blackwell, Altmover Manor sits abandoned.

Lexie Arden and her fiancé, Will Bennett, are determined to rescue the neglected Mount Desert Island landmark. They want to make Altmover Manor their home. But Magnus has other plans.

A spirit bound to his former residence, Magnus finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young woman. She has a supernatural gift; a gift Magnus wants to exploit.

As Lexie and Will settle in, secrets from Magnus’s past begin to surface. Compelled to learn all she can about the former owner, Lexie becomes immersed in a world of voodoo, curses, and the whereabouts of a mysterious dragon cane.

Magnus’s crimes won’t be so easily forgotten, and what Lexie unearths is going to change the future … for everyone.

Check out this peek inside:

.
Inside the master bathroom, Lexie closed the door and switched on the light.
What is going on?
At the vanity, she fought to find a rational explanation for the change in Will.
“He’s worried about the money, and this house is zapping his energy. Get a grip.”
She flipped on the cold water, splashed her face, and reached for her toothbrush when a chill entered the room.
“Not again.” She squeezed the toothbrush.
Her reflection clouded over as smoke obscured her bathroom mirror. She gasped as the smoke turned into the face of a man.
Lexie wanted to scream for Will, but the face changed. This wasn’t Magnus Blackwell, but someone else. With black wavy hair, warm brown eyes, and a pleasing curve to his chin, he looked at Lexie and smiled.
“Hello, Frances.”
Lexie dropped her toothbrush and ran from the bathroom.
“What’s wrong?” Will asked as she entered the bedroom.
He’d changed into his blue pajama bottoms and thrown his jeans and briefs on the floor. Will seemed so normal, so calm, she didn’t have the heart to upset him.
“I saw a big spider.”
“Yeah, getting the exterminator out here to spray is on my to-do list.” Will pulled back the covers on the bed. “I’ll call him this week. Be careful rummaging around the attic. I don’t want you to get bit by anything.”
She jogged around to her side of the bed. “I’ll keep an eye out.”
Once settled under the covers, Lexie cuddled against him.
Will wrapped an arm around her. “You’re shivering.”
She nuzzled her head into his chest. “It was a really big spider.”
“You want me to go in there and kill it for you?”
She sighed, calming down. “No, Will. This one may already be dead.”

Copyright © 2017 by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

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You can purchase Damned at the following Retailers:
       
Photo Content from Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author of over twenty-seven novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers Association, Weis writes mystery, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.

Lucas Astor is a multi-award-winning author from New York. He has resided in Central America, the Middle East, and traveled throughout Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight. He is a writer and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

 
Weis and Astor’s first collaboration was the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series.
        

PART ONE

MARCH 11th MONDAY BookHounds EXCERPT
MARCH 12th TUESDAY Random Bookish Banter REVIEW
MARCH 12th TUESDAY Bookriot REVIEW
MARCH 13th WEDNESDAY Sabrina’s Paranormal Palace REVIEW
MARCH 14th THURSDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT
MARCH 15th FRIDAY Casia’s Corner REVIEW 

PART TWO
MARCH 16th SATURDAY Insane About Books REVIEW
MARCH 16th SATURDAY FUONLYKNEW EXCERPT
MARCH 16th SATURDAY Kelly P’s Blog REVIEW
MARCH 17th SUNDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT
MARCH 17th SUNDAY Stephanie’s Life of Determination REVIEW
MARCH 17th SUNDAY Lisa-Queen of Random EXCERPT

 
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*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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