Spotlight on: Defiant Heart by Marty Steere

Description of Defiant Heart by Marty Steere: 

•  Publisher: Penfield Press (April 15, 2013)
• Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Love Story, Romance
• Tour Dates: April-Mid May, 2013
• Available in: eBook, 385

Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.

In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town.  He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.

Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town’s mayor.  A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team.  To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys.  That is, until she meets Jon.

But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections.  For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism.  Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.

As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives.  If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.

Praise for Marty Steere’s Award Winning Book, Sea of Crises:

“Steere’s high-octane suspense tale takes off with all the intrigue and honor of the best space-age Westerns and political thrillers.”-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Steere’s assured prose is compelling, and the book’s intriguing plot will keep readers turning pages until the very end.”-Publisher’s Weekly

“Author Marty Steere is brilliant!… The action is non-stop and fast-paced and is mixed with just the right amount of mystery to make a perfect thriller…. [The] plot is plausible, the characters are realistic, and the writing is superb…so stunning a read that you will be unable to stop reading until the very end.“-Readers Favorite

“Sea of Crises is a mystery set amongst exploration, very highly recommended.”-The Midwest Book Review

“Marty Steere’s Sea of Crises drew me in, held me at the edge, and gave my hand a comforting squeeze when I couldn’t stand to see what happened next. This is a thriller with heart that will leave its readers satisfied they followed the Cartwright boys into a dangerous adventure.“-BookIdeas.com

“[P]ulse-pounding…. I highly recommend you check out Marty Steere’s novel Sea of Crises!”-BestsellersWorld.com

About Marty Steere:

The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he’s not writing, he practices law.  His debut novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012.

 

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books April 5 Review & Giveaway
Books, Books & More Books April 8 Review
Books, Books & More Books April 9 Guest Post
Dr Bill’s Book Bazaar April 10 Review
Cuzinlogic April 12 Review
Literary Addicts April 12 Interview
Raging Bibliomania April 15 Review
Joy Story April 17 Review
Bookworm Brandee April  23 Review
Bookworm Brandee April  24 Guest Post
Green Mountain Couple April 25 Review
Broken Teepee April 26  Excerpt
Every Free Chance May  2 Review & Giveaway
Book Lover’s Library May 3 Review
Book Lover’s Library May 3 Interview
My Devotional Thoughts May 6 Review & Giveaway
Bookalicious  May 7 Review
Recent Reads May 8 Review
No Wasted Ink May 8  Interview
Bass Giraffe May 9 Review & Giveaway
Romance & Inspriation May 10 Review
Book Mark Blog May 13 Review
The Self Taught Cook May 14 Review & Giveaway
Teena in Toronto May 15 Review
BookFan May 17 Spotlight
Books Complete Me May 20 Review

Buy Defiant Heat on Amazon

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

Title: The Sandcastle Girls

Author: Chris Bohjalian

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: July 2012 – Doubleday

Hardcover – 320 pages

Synopsis: (from the book flap) When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Syria, she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke College, a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language. The First World War is spreading across Europe, and she has volunteered on behalf of the Boston-based Friends of Armenia to deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian genocide. There, Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant daughter. When Armen leaves Aleppo to join the British Army in Egypt, he begins to write Elizabeth letters, and comes to realize that he has fallen in love with the wealthy, young American woman who is so different from the wife he lost.

Flash forward to the present, where we meet Laura Petrosian, a novelist living in suburban New York. Although her grandparents’ ornate Pelham home was affectionately nicknamed the “Ottoman Annex,” Laura has never really given her Armenian heritage much thought. But when an old friend calls, claiming to have seen a newspaper photo of Laura’s grandmother promoting an exhibit at a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a journey back through her family’s history that reveals love, loss—and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

My take: I want to thank John Pitts from Doubleday for sending me a copy of this important novel. Important because I wonder how many people actually know about the Armenian Genocide that occurred in the early 20th century. I don’t recall learning about it in a high school world history class. This book is why I like to read Historical Fiction. Yes, I love a good story but I also like to learn.

The Sandcastle Girls was a difficult book to read because of the atrocities inflicted on the Armenian people. Despite how difficult it was to read, I cared about Bohjalian’s characters as they lived day to day, event to event, moment to moment. Aleppo came alive with the descriptions of sights, smells and sounds giving me a definite sense of the town. The scenes of atrocities both in war and the genocide are vivid. I point that out because it might be too much for some readers. That said, I don’t know how the book could not include those scenes.

In any case, the short answer to that first question – How do a million and a half people die with nobody knowing? – is really very simple. You kill them in the middle of nowhere.

The Sandcastle Girls page 273

The story is told by Laura, a writer and the granddaughter of the two main characters. She writes the story of her grandparents which becomes part of Bohjalian’s novel. The past and present are woven together and come to an emotional conclusion.

I recommend this book to fans of Historical Fiction and Chris Bohjalian.

Note: You can read more about The Sandcastle Girls at Chris Bohjalian’s website.

Disclosure: I received a book for review from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review.

Spotlight on HOME BY NIGHTFALL by Alexis Harrington

HOME BY NIGHTFALL returns readers to the small Oregon town of Powell Springs, the setting of Harrington’s highly praised Home by Morning, which introduced the Braddock family and others in the town struggling on the home front at the end of WWI as the flu pandemic rages around the world. There, Susannah Braddock has made peace with the loss of her soldier husband, Riley, who died in France. She’s been looking after Riley’s father and running the family’s horse farm with the help of hired hand Tanner Grenfell.  When their turns to love, they marry, committing their lives to running the farm and raising Tanner’s two young nephews.

Their happiness is short lived.  Two years after being reported dead, Riley Braddock returns home, shell-shocked and with no memory of his life before the war. All he can remember is Veronique, the French woman who rescued him and nursed him back to health. Plagued by memories and nightmares of the War, he has returned to a life and a wife he no longer knows. The joy his family is not enough to heal his wounds. For Susannah,  the best intentions of her brother and sister-in-law and the outright resentment  and animosity of the old man she’s cared for of her the irascible old man she tries to care only bring more anguish as she is torn between her love for Tanner and her loyalty to Riley.

Once again, Alexis Harrington presents a story of individuals facing extraordinary circumstances and the healing power of love.

♦  ♦  ♦

Historical novelist Alexis Harrington has entertained readers since her first book was published in 1994. She has been spinning tales of characters and situations that include mail order brides, the Yukon Gold Rush, seafaring, ranching, and protagonists heading west ever since.  Her latest, HOME BY NIGHTFALL was published July 3, 2012. It follows Home by Morning the first of her books published as an e-book and print original.

Since that first novel, Homeward Hearts, was published Alexis has written and published twelve more books, all historical romances. They include Homeward Hearts, A Light for My Love, A Taste of Heaven, Desperate Hearts, and Harper’s Bride, originally published by New American Library (NAL).  Her novels Allie’s Moon, Montana Born and Bred, The Bridal Veil and The Irish Bride were published by St. Martin’s Press.  Alexis self-published Home by Morning, which was then acquired along with HOME BY NIGHTFALL by Montlake Romance.

Alexis lives in the Pacific Northwest near the Columbia River within ten miles of her old high school.  She has numerous pets, including three chickens.  In addition to being a writer for the past twenty years, she makes jewelry, is a fine needlework artist specializing in embroidery, thread crochet and sewing. She enjoys cooking, reading, entertaining, and decorating, and is a lover of all things Victorian. She is currently at work on her next book.

www.alexisharrington.com

HOME BY NIGHTFALL

Alexis Harrington

Montlake Romance/Fiction/eBook and Trade Paperback/Original

On sale 7-3-12/$3.99 e-book ● $12.95

ISBN-10: 1612182062 ● 978-1612182063

 

The Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner

Title:  The Queen’s Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile

Author:  C.W. Gortner

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Published:  June 2012 – Ballantine Books

Pages:  400

From the synopsis:  No one believed I was destined for greatness.
 Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.
From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

My take:  The Queen’s Vow is a riveting novel about a determined young woman on her way to becoming Queen of Spain. I thoroughly enjoyed C.W. Gortner’s confident and honorable Isabella. From the start she shouldered responsibility with grace and dignity. She kept her head as she met challenges and made unimaginable decisions with far-reaching consequences for her people. She had good intentions and thought she was carrying out God’s wishes but hindsight shows that even good intentions don’t always bring the desired results.

Gortner’s beautiful writing and exciting story kept me enthralled. Isabella and her husband Fernando spent much of their reign at war. Also, in an effort to convert all non Catholics in their country to Catholicism, they went so far as to begin the Inquisition. Because of the author’s meticulous research and ability to relate the facts with clarity I now have a better understanding of this time in history. Isabella also did good things for Spain. She supported women’s education and the arts and was commited to bringing her country to the same level as the rest of the prominent European countries. For good or bad, Isabella definitely had an impact on her beloved Spain.

The Queen’s Vow is a story of royal intrigue, politics, a touch of romance, and a good deal of controversy. I recommend it to fans of Historical Fiction, Spanish history, and the author. I plan to track down a copy of Gortner’s novel The Last Queen- the story of Isabella’s daughter Juana. After meeting Juana in this book I’m interested in finding out what happened in her lifetime.

 

♦  ♦  ♦

C.W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and The Tudor Secret.  He holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California. In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall and experienced life in a Spanish castle. His novels have garnered international praise and been translated into thirteen languages to date. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights and environmental issues. He’s currently at work on his fourth novel for Ballantine Books, about the early years of Lucrezia Borgia, as well as the third novel in his Tudor series,The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles (US) or Elizabeth’s Spymaster (UK). Half-Spanish by birth, C.W. lives in Northern California.

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The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Title:  The Shoemaker’s Wife

Author:  Adriana Trigiani

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Published:  April 2012 – Harper

My take:  Ciro and Enza grew up in the same area of Italy and that’s where they met when they were teenagers. Events kept them from being together for many years until they finally found their way to each other – in America. Ciro had been sent there because of something he witnessed back home. Enza and her father were working to earn money to build a new family home back in Italy.

The Shoemaker’s Wife is the fictionalized story of Adriana Trigiani’s grandparents. And what a story it is. It could be the story of many Americans’ grandparents. They experienced such hardships as they struggled to make a new life and yet most came through it with humility and appreciation for all they had. It made me wonder if I would be up to the same struggles as my great-grandparents who came from Ireland.

Trigiani’s detailed descriptions paint vivid pictures of the Italian and American countrysides, the gorgeous fabrics used to make costumes for the Metropolitan Opera company, and the sights and sounds of Little Italy. I found The Shoemaker’s Wife to be both heart-breaking and uplifting. The 20th century was a time of great change in America. Immigrants from all over the world played a major part in that change. Trigiani’s novel is a loving gift to her grandparents and to ours.

Recommended to:  fans of Adriana Trigiani and historical fiction.

Source:  Harper

Disclosure:  See sidebar. I was not compensated for my review.

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston

Title:  The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures

Author:  Caroline Preston

Genre:  Sequential Art; Historical Fiction

Published:  October 2011 – Ecco

About:  (from the book flap):  For her graduation from high school in 1920, Frankie Pratt receives a scrapbook and her father’s old Corona typewriter. Despite Frankie’s dreams of becoming a writer, she must forgo a college scholarship to help her widowed mother. But when a mysterious Captain James sweeps her off her feet, her mother finds a way to protect Frankie from the less-than-noble intentions of her unsuitable beau.

My take:  I’ll just start by saying The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt is one of my favorite books of 2011. It is Frances Pratt’s story told through her scrapbook. Caroline Preston compiled a wonderful array of 1920s memorabilia from the US and France. Each page is a feast for the eyes that conveys Frankie’s story as she moves from high school graduation to Vassar to New York City to Paris and back home again.

I was surprised by the emotional connection I felt to Frankie given the unusual style of this novel. Frankie’s notes, photos, souvenirs, etc. tell a personal and complete story of the first part of her adult life that demands re-reading just to take it all in. I love that! This is definitely one for my keeper shelf. Recommended.

Source:  I bought it.

Disclaimer:  See sidebar. I was not compensated for my review.

To Be Queen by Christy English

Title:  To Be Queen - A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Author:  Christy English

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Published:  April 2011, NAL Trade

About:  (from Goodreads synopsis) After her father’s sudden death, fifteen-year-old Eleanor is quickly crowned Duchess of Aquitaine and betrothed to King Louis VII. When her new husband cannot pronounce her given name, Alienor becomes Eleanor, Queen of France.

Although Louis is enamored of his bride, the newly crowned king is easily manipulated by the church and a God that Eleanor doesn’t believe in. Now, if she can find the strength to fight for what she wants, Eleanor may finally find the passion she has longed for, and the means to fulfill her legacy as Queen.

My take:  When I was a kid I remember being blown away by Katharine Hepburn’s portrayal of Eleanor in The Lion in Winter. So when I was offered a copy of To Be Queen I jumped at the chance to read about the young Eleanor of Aquitaine. I’m so glad I did because I really enjoyed it.

To Be Queen is the story of Eleanor’s quest to be Queen of France and by doing so protecting herself and her people. It would also  fulfill her promise to her father. Eleanor is a strong and logical woman – which makes the men of the Church dislike her very much. Her husband King Louis is her opposite. He was raised by priests and trusts whatever they tell him. That being so, he does love Eleanor and tries to be a good husband despite being a weak man.

Eleanor soon realizes that she can only trust herself and a few select people. That’s how she lives the next several years with Louis. Although she tries to be a good wife and Queen, it’s a life that disappoints Eleanor. She’s such a strong and vital woman but is now relegated to trying to produce a male heir and not much else. When that doesn’t happen she realizes she has to take matters into her own hands. She will be responsible for her future.

Christy English wrote a wonderful novel. I enjoyed learning about the first part of Eleanor’s life and I’ll definitely seek out more of Ms. English’s books to read in the future. She kept me turning the pages into the wee hours. I recommend To Be Queen to fans of historical fiction.

Source:  From the author.

Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

TItle:  Mistress of Rome

Author:  Kate Quinn

Genre:  Historical Fiction

About:  (Goodreads synopsis)  Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress’s rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome’s aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian’s games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.

My thoughts:  Kate Quinn’s characters are fully formed and her setting was carefully researched. Mistress of Rome is a story full of intrigue, politics, and romance – all come together to make for a good read.  At times it got too gory for me but I guess that made the gladiator scenes all the more real. One of the characters seemed really over the top but she moved the story forward – that’s for sure. All in all, it is an entertaining novel.

Recommend?  I think fans of historical (Roman) fiction might enjoy it!

Source:  I bought it.

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

TItle:  The Winter Sea

Author:  Susanna Kearsley

Genre:  Historical Fiction

About: (Goodreads synopsis)  Carrie McClelland came to Scotland to research her next book. Renting a cottage in the same town where her story takes place, Carrie embarks not only on her novel, but on a romance with her landlord’s handsome son, Graham Keith. When the boundary between past and present begins to blur, Carrie finds herself channeling memories not her own. Pulled deeper and deeper into the memories of the past, Carrie realizes these visions are more than the means to another bestselling novel, but also a way to right the wrongs of the past and create a future with the man whose love is her destiny.

My thoughts:  Although this is the first of Susanna Kearsley’s books I’ve read it won’t be the last. The Winter Sea slowly pulled me into the story – which I liked because it gave me a good sense of setting, story, and characters. I liked the dual-history aspect of the story almost writing itself using the author who may or may not be related to one of the characters. The possibility of genetic memory is explored – a concept I find intriguing.

Kearsley weaves a story of Scotland during a time of great upheaval with enough historical detail that made me understand what was at stake and why the characters would risk everything for the greater good. They are faced with heart-breaking decisions and sacrifice which gives the novel an emotional undertone. Once I was pulled into the novel I found the pace to be such that I didn’t want to stop reading – which is how I like historical fiction to make me feel.

I was satisfied with how Susanna Kearsley wrapped up the story and am happy to report she is now writing a sequel to The Winter Sea.

Have you read any other books by Ms. Kearsley?  If so, can you recommend one for me to read?

Recommend?  Yes!

Source:  I bought it.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Title:  The Paris Wife

Author:  Paula McLain

Audiobook narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie

Genre:  Historical Fiction

About:  (from Goodreads) No twentieth-century American writer has captured the popular imagination as much as Ernest Heminway. This novel tells his story from a unique point of view — that of his first wife, Hadley. Through her eyes and voice, we experience Paris of the Lost Generation…  In the end, Hemingway would write of his first wife, “I wish I had died before I loved anyone but her.”

My thoughts:  Full disclosure: The Old Man and the Sea is the only book I’ve read by Ernest Hemingway and that was many years ago. Despite that, I was intrigued by the idea of The Paris Wife. I found Paula McLain’s story of the author and his first wife interesting and rather addicting – I didn’t want to stop listening to the audiobook. I guess that’s also a credit to narrator Carrington MacDuffie. I thought the voice she gave the characters a bit dry but still easy to listen to.

The story  revolves around the Hemingways’ life in Paris and other European spots and includes their connection with several members of the Lost Generation – F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound to name a few. They lived and partied as if nothing else mattered but their happiness.

Since we know that Hadley was Ernest’s first wife it’s not a surprise when the marriage starts to crumble. It was difficult to listen to the demise, though. If that part of the story was based on fact, I can’t believe what Hadley put up with until she couldn’t any longer. An epilogue ties everything up and inspired me to find out more about Hadley’s life after Ernest – which I plan to do!

I’m glad I read McLain’s novel and hope to read A Moveable Feast in the near future. I’d like to read Ernest’s take on those times.

Recommend?  Yes, especially the audiobook.

Source:  Library copy