Please join Jennifer Cody Epstein as she tours the blogosphere for The Gods of Heavenly Punishment from June 10-29.

Publication Date: March 11, 2013
W.W. Norton & Company
Hardcover; 384p
ISBN-10: 039307157X

A lush, exquisitely rendered meditation on war, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment tells the story of several families, American and Japanese, their loves and infidelities, their dreams and losses, and how they are all connected by one of the most devastating acts of war in human history.

Fifteen-year-old Yoshi Kobayashi, child of Japan’s New Empire, daughter of an ardent expansionist and a mother with a haunting past, is on her way home on a March night when American bombers shower her city with napalm—an attack that leaves one hundred thousand dead within hours and half the city in ashen ruins. In the days that follow, Yoshi’s old life will blur beyond recognition, leading her to a new world marked by destruction and shaped by those considered the enemy: Cam, a downed bomber pilot taken prisoner by the Imperial Japanese Army; Anton, a gifted architect who helped modernize Tokyo’s prewar skyline but is now charged with destroying it; and Billy, an Occupation soldier who arrives in the blackened city with a dark secret of his own. Directly or indirectly, each will shape Yoshi’s journey as she seeks safety, love, and redemption.

Praise for The Gods of Heavenly Punishment

“…The book reveals itself to be as miraculously constructed as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (which itself is a character). The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is a page-turner thanks to its high-stakes adventure, torrid love affairs and characters so real they seem to follow you around. And in the end, this gripping novel asks us not just to consider a lost chapter of a famous war but also to explore what it means to be lucky—and what it means to be loved. (Amy Shearn, O magazine)

“The Gods of Heavenly Punishment showcases war’s bitter ironies…as well as its romantic serendipities.” (Megan O’Grady, Vogue)

“With stunning clarity, Epstein has re-created Tokyo both before and after the bombing in a novel that raises still-unanswered questions about the horrors of war, the cruelty associated with it and the lasting impression it can make on a person, a people or a place.” (Shelf-Awareness.com)

“An epic novel about a young Japanese girl during World War II underscores the far-reaching impact that the decisions of others can have.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Epstein’s second novel (after The Painter from Shanghai) is bursting with characters and locales. Yet painful, authentic (Epstein has lived and worked in Asia), and exquisite portraits emerge of the personal impact of national conflicts—and how sometimes those conflicts can be bridged by human connections.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Sweeping….[A] harrowing novel of destruction and creation that will appeal to fans of historical fiction” (Library Journal—starred review)

About the Author

Jennifer Cody Epstein is the author of The Gods of Heavenly Punishment and the international bestseller The Painter from Shanghai. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Self, Mademoiselle and NBC, and has worked in Hong Kong, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, two daughters and especially needy Springer Spaniel.

For more information, please visit www.jennifercodyepstein.com.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, June 10
Review & Giveaway at Bippity Boppity Book

Tuesday, June 11
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, June 12
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, June 13
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, June 14
Review & Interview at A Bookish Libraria

Monday, June 17
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, June 18
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, June 19
Review at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, June 20
Review at Tiny Library

Friday, June 21
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Monday, June 24
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Tuesday, June 25
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Review & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, June 26
Review at Bitches with Books

Thursday, June 27
Guest Post at HF Connection

Friday, June 28
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Saturday, June 29
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Please join Ben Kane as he tours virtually for Spartacus: Rebellion from May 15 – June 7.

Publication Date: May 14, 2013
St. Martin’s Press
Hardcover; 464p
ISBN-10: 1250012775

Spartacus has already done the impossible—not only has he escaped from slavery, he and his seconds have created a mighty slave army that has challenged Rome and defeated the armies of three praetors, two consuls, and one proconsul. On the plain of the River Po, in modern Northern Italy, Spartacus has defeated Gaius Cassius Longinus, proconsul and general of an army of two legions. Now the road home lies before them—to Thrace for Spartacus, and to Gaul for his seconds-in-command, Castus and Gannicus.

But storm clouds are gathering on the horizon. One of Spartacus’s most powerful generals has defected, taking his men with him. Back in Rome, the immensely rich Marcus Licinius Crassus is gathering an unheard-of Army. The Senate has given Crassus an army made up of ten legions and the authority to do whatever it takes to end the slave rebellion once and for all.

Meanwhile, Spartacus wants to lead his men over the Alps and home, but his two seconds have a different plan. They want to march on Rome itself and bring the Republic to its knees. Rebellion has become war. War to the death.

Praise for Spartacus: Rebellion

“The author comes into his own during the numerous battle scenes when his burly prose highlights the pain, brutality and chaos of ancient combat. Kane’s Spartacus is brave, vain, ruthless and sexy, a Superman for more savage times. The author is genuinely deserving of praise for taking on this mighty subject matter in such a bold and regularly entertaining fashion. Admirers of Kane’s work to date will not be disappointed and there’s every chance this latest instalment will attract plenty more.” (Daily Express )

“Kane succeeds in drawing a convincing picture of how it might have been, which is what a good historical novel should do.” (Historical Novel Society )

Praise for Spartacus: The Gladiator

Gritty, passionate and violent, this thrilling book is a real page-turner and a damn good read. It brings Spartacus – and ancient Rome – to vivid, colourful life (Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire )

Ben Kane manages to bring a freshness to the saga … Told with Kane’s usual panache and historical knowledge, this book is highly recommended (Kathy Stevenson, Daily Mail )

Eyes are merciless, blows are wicked and screams are piercing, but this is a compulsive if relentless story, vividly recounted in muscular prose. Definitely one for the boys (Daily Telegraph, 4 stars )

If you want to become familiar with the lanista and the rudus, to know your scutum from your licium, then Kane’s your man … plenty of action (Independent )

There is much to enjoy in this saga of the downtrodden triumphing temporarily over their oppressors, and the portrait of Spartacus as charismatic leader is a vivid one (Sunday Times)

About the Author

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from University College Dublin, and worked in Ireland and the UK for several years. After that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for seeing the world and learning more about ancient history. Seven continents and more than 65 countries later, he decided to settle down, for a while at least.

While working in Northumberland in 2001/2, his love of ancient history was fuelled by visits to Hadrian’s Wall. He naïvely decided to write bestselling Roman novels, a plan which came to fruition after several years of working full time at two jobs – being a vet and writing. Retrospectively, this was an unsurprising development, because since his childhood, Ben has been fascinated by Rome, and particularly, its armies. He now lives in North Somerset with his wife and family, where he has sensibly given up veterinary medicine to write full time.

To find out more about Ben and his books visit www.benkane.net.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Wednesday, May 15
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Boys

Thursday, May 16
Interview at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, May 17
Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Monday, May 20
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, May 21
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Wednesday, May 22
Interview & Giveaway at Starting Fresh

Thursday, May 23
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Friday, May 24
Guest Post & Giveaway at CelticLady’s Reviews

Monday, May 27
Review at Bippity Boppity Book

Tuesday, May 28
Review at Okbo Lover
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, May 29
Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Thursday, May 30
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, May 31
Review & Guest Post at Drey’s Library
Guest Post at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Monday, June 3
Review at Book Drunkard
Review at The Eclectic Reader

Tuesday, June 4
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Wednesday, June 5
Review at A Book Geek

Thursday, June 6
Review at Freshscraped Vellum
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Friday, June 7
Review at Impressions in Ink
Review & Giveaway at To Read or Not to Read
Interview at Freshscraped Vellum

Please join author Trini Amador as he tours virtually for Gracianna from July 15-August 9.

Publication Date: July 23, 2013
Greenleaf Book Group Press
Hardcover; 296p
ISBN-10: 1608325709

The gripping story of Gracianna–a French-Basque girl forced to make impossible decisions after being recruited into the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris.

Gracianna is inspired by true events in the life of Trini Amador’s great-grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. As an adult, Amador was haunted by the vivid memory of finding a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering his great-grandmother’s home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun.

Decades later, Amador would delve into the remarkable odyssey of his Gracianna’s past, a road that led him to an incredible surprise. In Gracianna, Amador weaves fact and fiction to tell his great-grandmother’s story.

Gracianna bravely sets off to Paris in the early 1940s–on her way to America, she hopes–but is soon swept into the escalation of the war and the Nazi occupation of Paris. After chilling life-and-death struggles, she discovers that her missing sister has surfaced as a laborer in Auschwitz. When she finds an opportunity to fight back against the Nazis to try to free her sister, she takes it–even if it means using lethal force.

As Amador tells the imagined story of how his great-grandmother risked it all, he delivers richly drawn characters and a heart-wrenching page-turner that readers won’t soon forget.

Praise for Gracianna

“Gracianna is a riveting and remarkable narrative. The characters come alive through their unassuming but compelling stories, as Nazi-occupied Paris unfolds before our eyes. We come to care deeply about the characters, which makes putting down the book almost impossible. Highly recommended.” – Stacey Katz Bourns, Director of Language Programs, Dept. of Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University

“While wine is obviously a significant part of life’s enjoyment, the story behind the wine can be even more gratifying. You will be fixated on this thrilling story written by Trini Amador which was inspired by Gracianna, his great-grandmother, the French Basque namesake of his family’s award-winning winery in Sonoma County.” – Bob Cabral, Director of Winemaking & General Manager, Williams Selyem Winery

About the Author

Trini Amador vividly remembers the day he found a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering through his great-grandmother’s home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun. This experience sparked a journey towards Gracianna, Amador’s debut novel, inspired by true events and weaving reality with imagination. It’s a tale drawing from real-life family experiences.

Mr. Amador is a traveled global marketing “insighter.” He is a sought-after guru teaching multinational brand marketers to understand how customer and consumer segments behave based on their needs, values, motivations, feeling and values. He has trained over five thousand brand marketers on how to grow brands in over 20 countries in the last 15 years. His counseling has been valued at global brands including General Electric, Microsoft, AT&T, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, Google, Jack Daniel’s, The J.M. Smucker Co., DuPont, Mattel, and Rodale, Inc..

Amador is also a founding partner with his wife and children of Gracianna Winery, an award-winning winery located in Healdsburg, California. The winery also pays tribute to the Amador Family’s maternal grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. Her message of being thankful lives on through them. The Gracianna winery strives to keep Gracianna’s gratitude alive through their wine. Learn more at: www.gracianna.com, like Gracianna Winery on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @GraciannaWinery.

Amador resides in Sonoma County with his family.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, July 15
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, July 16
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, July 17
Review at A Book Geek
Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, July 18
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Guest Post at Jenny Loves to Read

Friday, July 19
Review at Jenny Loves to Read

Monday, July 22
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, July 23
Review at Reflections of a Bookaholic
Guest Post at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, July 24
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at West Metro Mommy

Thursday, July 25
Review at Just One More Chapter
Interview at Layered Pages

Friday, July 26
Review at Raging Bibliomania

Monday, July 29
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Giveaway at A Writer’s Life

Tuesday, July 30
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, July 31
Review at The True Book Addict

Thursday, August 1
Review at Impressions in Ink
Guest Post & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Friday, August 2
Review at Savvy Verse & Wit

Monday, August 5
Review at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, August 6
Review at My Reading Room
Guest Post at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, August 7
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Interview & Giveaway at My Reading Room

Thursday, August 8
Review at Sir Read-a-Lot
Review at Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Friday, August 9
Review at Diary of an Eccentric
Interview at Sir Read-a-Lot

Please join L.B. Joramo as she tours the blogosphere with HFVBT for The Immortal American from June 24-28.

Publication Date: April 2, 2013
CreateSpace
Paperback; 304p
ISBN-10: 1484015924

As black clouds gather for America in 1775 Violet Buccleuch transforms from simple colonial farmer to become the Immortal American.

While Boston roars with protests, Violet Buccleuch fights to survive. The lone provider for her mother and sister, Violet knows that soon enough she must surrender to the only option a woman of 1775 has: marriage.

For two years she’s delayed a wedding to Mathew Adams, her fiancé. He’s loved her since they were children, and Violet knows he will be a good husband. But he’s gone and committed the most dangerous mistake a man can make: He’s introduced her to his friend, Jacque Beaumont, a Frenchman and a spy, a dark, dangerous man Violet can’t stop herself from wanting.

Then Violet’s life is shattered–brutality, death, and the threat of debtor’s prison surround her. Both Jacque and Mathew come to her aid–one man rescues her farm, the other rescues her heart. As the Battle of Concord rages at her door, Violet is entangled between her loyalty to Mathew, even as she’s drawn further into Jacque’s shadowy, mysterious world – perhaps a world from which there’s no return.

About the Author

I live in the Big Sky state, where I write, research, and love watching my son grow. I do live a bit of a fairy tale right now. Even with all the stress of deadlines, I live in a home where birds serenade me every day, my son amazes me with his humor, and I am doing exactly what I want—writing.

For more information, please visit L.B. Joramo’s website and blog.  You can also follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, June 24
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, June 25
Review at Turning the Pages
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, June 26
Review at Raging Bibliomania

Thursday, June 27
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, June 28
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Please join author Evan Ostryznuik as he tours virtually for Of Fathers and Sons, the follow up novel to Of Faith & Fidelity, May 27-31.

Publication Date: March 6, 2013
Knox Robinson Publishing
Hardcover; 330p
ISBN-10: 1908483156

Of Fathers & Sons is the second book in the English Free Company series set in the late Middle Ages. The English Free Company is led by Geoffrey Hotspur, an orphan-squire and ward of the mighty Duke of Lancaster, whose driving ambition is to become a knight and serve a great lord. Anyone who enjoys the stories of Bernard Cornwall and Jan Guillou will find more than an echo of their exuberant prose and lively characters in Of Fathers & Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance. Supported with extensive research done by a professional historian, Of Fathers & Sons utilizes true personages and events to weave a vivid tapestry of this exciting time of transition.

Of Fathers & Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance takes place in 1395 when the conflict between rival branches of the mighty Este family over the succession to the strategic Marquisate of Ferrara reaches its climax. The Este lands are vulnerable. The unexpected death of the powerful Marquis Alberto d’Este in 1393 has left his ten-year old son, Niccolo, as his sole direct heir. Though born out of wedlock, the pope himself legitimized the boy’s birth, but in an age when great lords ruled by the sword as much as by the laws of inheritance, having a boy lead the family can be a sign of weakness.

Made unhappy by the father, several Este vassals want to humble the son, and they see their opportunity in the essential weakness of Niccolo’s minority rule. Championing their cause is the head of a humiliated branch of the Este family who is not only a famous condottiere, but also a powerful captain of the ambitious lord of Milan. Fearing that civil war will lead to a shift in the already fragile balance of power in favor of the hated Milan, the city-states of Florence, Venice and Bologna combine to keep the Este inheritance in Niccolo’s hands. If Niccolo falls, the great powers of Italy will be plunged in to war.

Geoffrey and Niccolo are confronted by the same questions: How can an orphan find his place in a society informed by patriarchal relations? For how long must a son honor the wishes of his father? When does the boy become the man?

Before Henry won his miraculous victory at Agincourt, before the Borgias became infamous, before Constantinople fell to the Turks, there was Geoffrey Hotspur, a man as tall as Charlemagne and armed with a sword that rivaled Excalibur. With little money, fewer friends and no name, Geoffrey Hotspur has little choice but to forge his own path towards knighthood.

A thrilling continuation of the story of Geoffrey Hotspur and his English Free Company, Of Fathers & Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance is at heart a squire’s tale of hope, adventure and ambition in a time of great uncertainty.

About the Author

Evan Ostryzniuk was born and raised on the prairies of western Canada. After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a B.A. in History and Modern Languages and an M.A. in Modern History, Evan crossed the ocean to do post-graduate work at the University of Cambridge, concluding four years of research with a doctoral thesis on the Russian Revolution. He then found his way to Eastern Europe, where he took up positions as a magazine editor, university lecturer and analyst in the financial services sector before rising in the ranks of the local publishing industry to become Editor-in-Chief of a popular weekly.

Evan Ostryzniuk currently resides in Kyiv, Ukraine near a very large candy factory. He has travelled extensively, including the locations of his novels. Of Fathers and Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance is his second novel.

For more information, please visit Evan Ostryzniuk’s Website.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, May 27
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, May 28
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Interview at Layered Pages

Wednesday, May 29
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Review, Guest Post & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Thursday, May 30
Review at vvb32 Reads

Friday, May 31
Interview & Giveaway at vvb32 Reads

Post-Tour

Friday, June 21
Review at Luxury Reading

Please join Kate Lord Brown as she tours virtually for The Perfume Garden, May 20-25.

Publication Date: April 1, 2013
Corvus Publishing
Paperback; 512p
ISBN-10: 1848879342

The Perfume Garden combines the gripping storytelling of Kate Morton with the evocative settings of Victoria Hislop to tell this sumptuous story of lost love and family secrets set between modern day Valencia and the Spanish Civil War. High in the hills of Valencia, a forgotten house guards its secrets. Untouched since Franco’s forces tore through Spain in 1936, the whitewashed walls have crumbled, the garden, laden with orange blossom, grown wild. Emma Temple is the first to unlock its doors in seventy years. Guided by a series of letters and a key bequeathed in her mother’s will, she has left her job as London’s leading perfumier to restore this dilapidated villa to its former glory. It is the perfect retreat: a wilderness redolent with strange and exotic scents, heavy with the colours and sounds of a foreign time. But for her grandmother, Freya, a British nurse who stayed here during Spain’s devastating civil war, Emma’s new home evokes terrible memories. As the house begins to give up its secrets, Emma is drawn deeper into Freya’s story: one of crushed idealism, lost love, and families ripped apart by war. She soon realises it is one thing letting go of the past, but another when it won’t let go of you.

About the Author

Kate grew up in the wild and beautiful Devon countryside. After studying philosophy at Durham University and art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, she worked as an international art consultant, curating collections for embassies and palaces in Europe and the Middle East. She is married to a pilot, and lives with her family in Qatar. Her debut novel ‘The Beauty Chorus’ was inspired by the many hours she spent on airfields in the UK, and the experiences of pilots in her family during WW2. Her second novel about the Spanish Civil War, ‘The Perfume Garden’, draws upon the years she lived in Spain, and will be published in paperback in April 2013 by Atlantic.

For more information please visit Kate’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also check out the Facebook and Pinterest page for The Perfume Garden.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, May 20
Review at The Little Reader Library

Tuesday, May 21
Guest Post at The Little Reader Library

Wednesday, May 22
Review at Lit Addicted Brit

Thursday, May 23
Review at Tiny Library

Friday, May 24
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Saturday, May 25
Review at Turning the Pages
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Post Tour

Tuesday, June 11
Review at Luxury Reading

Please join Stephanie Thornton as she tours virtually for The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora from June 25-August 2.

Publication Date: July 2, 2013
NAL Trade
Paperback; 448p
ISBN-10: 045141778X

Where Theodora went, trouble followed…

In sixth century Constantinople, one woman, Theodora, defied every convention and all the odds, and rose from being a common theater tart to become empress of a great kingdom, the most powerful woman the Roman Empire would ever know. But the woman whose image was later immortalized in glittering mosaic was, in fact, a scrappy, clever, conniving, flesh-and-blood woman full of sensuality and spirit whose real story is as surprising as any ever told…

When her father dies suddenly, Theodora and her sisters face starvation on the streets. Determined to survive, Theodora makes a living any way she can—first on her back with every man who will have her, then on the stage of the city’s infamous amphitheater in a scandalous dramatization of her own invention. When her daring performance grants her a back-door entry into the halls of power, she seizes the chance to win a wealthy protector—only to face heartbreak and betrayal.

Ever resilient, Theodora rises above such trials and by a twist of fate, meets her most passionate admirer yet: the Emperor’s nephew. She will thrive as his confidant and courtesan, but many challenges lie ahead. For one day, this man will hand her a crown. And all the empire will wonder—is she bold enough, shrewd enough, and strong enough to keep it?

Praise for The Secret History

“Stephanie Thornton’s Theodora is tough and intelligent, spitting defiance against the cruel world of the Byzantine Empire. Her rise from street urchin to emperor’s consort made me want to stand up and cheer. Her later years as empress are great fun to read, but it was her early struggle as actress and courtesan that really had me roaring: either with rage at the misfortunes heaped on this poor girl, or with delight as she once more picked herself up with a steely glint in her eye and kept on going.”—Kate Quinn, author of Empress of the Seven Hills

“Loss, ambition and lust keep this rich story moving at top speed. Stephanie Thornton writes a remarkable first novel that brings a little known woman to full, vibrant life…A sprawling and irresistible story.”—Jeane Westin, author of The Spymaster’s Daughter

“A fascinating and vivid account; in The Secret History, the life of Empress Theodora leaps from the page, as colorful and complex as the woman herself.”—Michelle Diener, author of The Emperor’s Conspiracy

About the Author

Stephanie Thornton is a writer and history teacher who has been obsessed with infamous women from ancient history since she was twelve. She lives with her husband and daughter in Alaska, where she is at work on her next novel.

For more information, please visit Stephanie Thornton’s website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Tuesday, June 25
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, June 26
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, June 27
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Monday, July 1
Review at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, July 2
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, July 3
Review at Book Journey

Friday, July 5
Review at Layered Pages

Monday, July 8
Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, July 9
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Friday, July 12
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Monday, July 15
Review at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books

Tuesday, July 16
Review at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, July 17
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, July 18
Review & Guest Post at The Lit Bitch

Friday, July 19
Interview & Giveaway at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books

Monday, July 22
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Wednesday, July 24
Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Friday, July 26
Interview at A Bookish Libraria

Monday, July 29
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Friday, August 2
Review & Giveaway at Bippity Boppity Book

Please join Juliet Grey as she tours for the release of Confessions of Marie Antoinette from September 17-October 11.

Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Ballantine Books
Paperback; 464p
ISBN: 0345523903

Confessions of Marie Antoinette, the riveting and sweeping final novel in Juliet Grey’s trilogy on the life of the legendary French queen, blends rich historical detail with searing drama, bringing to life the early years of the French Revolution and the doomed royal family’s final days.

Versailles, 1789. As the burgeoning rebellion reaches the palace gates, Marie Antoinette finds her privileged and peaceful life swiftly upended by violence. Once her loyal subjects, the people of France now seek to overthrow the crown, placing the heirs of the Bourbon dynasty in mortal peril.

Displaced to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the royal family is propelled into the heart of the Revolution. There, despite a few staunch allies, they are surrounded by cunning spies and vicious enemies. Yet despite the political and personal threats against her, Marie Antoinette remains above all a devoted wife and mother, standing steadfastly by her husband, Louis XVI, and protecting their young son and daughter. And though the queen and her family try to flee, and she secretly attempts to arrange their rescue from the clutches of the Revolution, they cannot outrun the dangers encircling them, or escape their shocking fate.

About the Author

Juliet Grey is the author of Becoming Marie Antoinette and Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow. She has extensively researched European royalty and is a particular devotee of Marie Antoinette, as well as a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and southern Vermont.

For more information please visit www.becomingmarie.com.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Tuesday, September 17
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Wednesday, September 18
Review at A Bookish Libraria
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Thursday, September 19
Review at Unabridged Chick
Review at Enchanted by Josephine

Friday, September 20
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Monday, September 23
Review at Reading Treasure
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, September 24
Review at Diary of a Book Addict
Interview at Reading Treasure

Wednesday, September 25
Review at The Eclectic Reader
Interview at Diary of a Book Addict

Thursday, September 26
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court
Guest Post & Giveaway at The Eclectic Reader

Friday, September 27
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Review & Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Monday, September 30
Review at The True Book Addict
Review at The Broke and the Bookish

Tuesday, October 1
Review & Giveaway at Bippity Boppity Book
Guest Post & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Wednesday, October 2
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Thursday, October 3
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, October 4
Interview at A Chick Who Reads

Monday, October 7
Review at Layered Pages

Tuesday, October 8
Review at Medieval Bookworm
Interview at Layered Pages

Wednesday, October 9
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, October 10
Review at Between the Pages

Friday, October 11
Review at A Writer’s Life: Working with the Muse
Interview at Between the Pages

Please join C.W. Gortner as he tours the blogosphere for the paperback release of The Queen’s Vow from July 2-August 6.

Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Ballantine Books
Paperback; 416p
ISBN-13: 9780345523976

No one believed I was destined for greatness.

So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.

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.

As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.

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.

Praise for The Queen’s Vow

“A masterwork by a skilled craftsman . . . Make a vow to read this book.”—New York Journal of Books

“A beautifully crafted piece of historical fiction . . . Gortner’s vivid details blend with his deeply intensive research to re-create Isabella and Castile in a way that the reader will find compelling and immersive, bringing not just the Queen but the whole nation to life.”—RT Book Reviews

“A fascinating story . . . Through his creative and spellbinding storytelling, Gortner’s readers come to know Isabella intimately in mind, heart and body as she lives through a tumultuous time, her intense longing to be the determiner of her own unique destiny.”—Wichita Falls Times Record News

“A novel of triumph as Isabella vanquishes her enemies one by one . . . [She is] a very human and appealing character.”—The Roanoke Times

“Politically charged, passionate . . . [a] well-researched, intriguing historical.”—Bookreporter

About the Author

C.W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, The Tudor Secret and The Queen’s Vow. He holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis on Renaissance Studies from the New College of California. In his extensive travels to research his books, he has experienced life in a Spanish castle and danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall. Half-Spanish by birth, he lives in Northern California.

You can find more information on C.W. Gortner’s website and blog. You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Tuesday, July 2
Review at The Book Barista
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, July 3
Review at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, July 4
Review at Sweet Tidbits
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Friday, July 5
Review at Twisting the Lens
Review at Geri, the History Lady

Monday, July 8
Review at nomadreader

Tuesday, July 9
Review at Babies, Books, and Beyond
Guest Post at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Wednesday, July 10
Review at From L.A. to LA

Thursday, July 11
Review at Peppermint, Ph.D.

Friday, July 12
Review at Paperback Princess

Monday, July 15
Review at The Bluestocking Society

Tuesday, July 16
Review at Book Nerds
Review at WTF Are you Reading?

Wednesday, July 17
Review at Book Addict Katie

Thursday, July 18
Review at Alternate Readality
Interview at WTF Are you Reading?

Friday, July 19
Review at A Book Geek

Monday, July 22
Review at Jo Jo Loves to Read

Tuesday, July 23
Review at Lost in Books
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook

Wednesday, July 24
Review at Legacy of a Writer

Thursday, July 25
Review at Booktalk & More
Guest Post at Lost in Books

Friday, July 26
Review at The Relentless Reader

Monday, July 29
Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Tuesday, July 30
Review & Interview at The Life & Times of a Book Addict

Wednesday, July 31
Review at My Reading Room

Thursday, August 1
Review at vvb32 Reads
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Interview at My Reading Room

Friday, August 2
Review at The Lit Bitch
Review at Amused by Books

Monday, August 5
Review at Reader Girls
Review at Review From Here

Tuesday, August 6
Review at Layered Pages
Guest Post at Review From Here

Please join author Mary Lancaster as she tours the blogosphere with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for A Prince to be Feared from May 13-17.

Publication Month: April 2013
eBook; 343p
ISBN: 978-0-9573016-8-9

Europe’s most fearsome prisoner, Vlad Dracula, gifted military commander and one time Prince of Wallachia, the notorious Lord Impaler himself, is about to be released after twelve long years, in order to hold back the tide of Ottoman aggression. The price of his new alliance with his Hungarian captors is the king’s cousin Ilona.

Ilona does not wish to be married. In particular, she doesn’t wish to marry Vlad. Gentle, faded and impossibly vague, Ilona is hardly fit for court life, let alone for dealing with so difficult a husband.

But Ilona’s wishes have nothing to do with Vlad’s reputation and everything to do with a lifelong love affair that finally broke her. Ilona’s family blame Vlad; Vlad vows to discover the truth and sets out by unconventional means to bring back the woman who once enchanted him. Among court intrigues, international manoeuvrings and political deceptions, Vlad reveals himself more victim than villain. But he’s still more than capable of reclaiming his lost rights to both Wallachia and Ilona; and Ilona, when it counts, has enough strength for them both.

About the Author

Mary Lancaster’s first love was historical fiction. Since then she has grown to love coffee, chocolate, red wine and black and white films – simulateneously where possible. She hates housework.

As a direct consequence of the first love, she studied history at St. Andrews University, after which she worked variously as editorial assistant, researcher and librarian. Although she has always written stories for her own entertainment, she began to make serious efforts toward publication in order to distract herself from a job she disliked. She now writes full time at her seaside home in Scotland, which she shares with her husband and three children.

Mary is the author of three historical novels: An Endless Exile – the story of Hereward, 11th century outlaw hero, A World to Win – a Scottish governess finds love in revolutionary Hungary and A Prince to be Feared: the love story of Vlad Dracula.

You can find more information on Mary Lancaster and her novels at her website. You can also connect with her on Facebook.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, May 13
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, May 14
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, May 15
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, May 16
Review at A Bookish Affair
Guest Post & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Friday, May 17
Feature & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair