Why I enjoy hosting for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours:
I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! HFVBTs is one of the very first touring companies I started working with as a 1st Year Book Blogger – uniting my love and passion with Historical Fiction and the lovely sub-genres inside which I love devouring.
It has been a wicked fantastical journey into the heart of the historic past, wherein I’ve been blessed truly by discovering new timescapes, new living realities of the persons who once lived (ie. Biographical Historical Fiction) inasmuch as itched my healthy appetite for Cosy Historical Mysteries! If there is a #HistRom out there it is generally a beloved favourite and I love soaking into a wicked wonderful work of Historical Fiction where you feel the beauty of the historic world, the depth of the characters and the joyfulness in which the historical novelists brought everything to light in such a lovingly diverse palette of portraiture of the eras we become time travellers through their stories.
On why this story appealled to me:
One of my favourite sub-genres of Historical Fiction are the Historical Mysteries, Suspense and Thrillers. More oft than not, I am travelling down a corridor of the historic past whilst I am following the footsteps of such likeable Historical sleuths, detectives and specialists such as Anna Blanc, Arthur Conan Doyle, Hiro Hattori, Bess Crawford, Willa Cather & Edith Lewis, Maisie Dobbs, Lady Darby, Edith Head & Lillian Frost and the Discreet Detective Agency to name a few. Each time I tuck inside one of these lovelies, I am benefiting from the Historical overlay of the past intermixing with the beauty of the sleuthing unfolding as I walk through the investigation alongside the lead character(s).
In the past, I hungrily devoured the Miss Marple series as I was smitten by Agatha Christie’s infamous St. Mary’s Mead and their lovable and inquisitive pensioner who liked to get a nose in on crime. In recent years, I’ve taken a liking to Poirot which half-surprised me as previously I found him to be a bit off-putting but now I find him stoic and uniquely intriguing as much as I find Monk or Columbo.
Each window into the past is a beautiful discovery but to travel through the threshold of history whilst seeing the differences in crime and detection is another layer of hidden histories and insightful revelations from a keenly sociological perspective. Each author I read has their own variant doorway they like to take us through – creating their own individual portal into the past and finding ourselves anchoured to a bevy of interesting characters who not just have their story to share with us but perhaps, a story out of History which has equal merit and relevancy to know today?
This is why I can never tire of seeking out these kinds of stories and the authors who are bringing them to life. It is also a benefit for stories which are Digital First releases are able to be cross-released into a format I can enjoy – either print or audiobook.
Similarly, when it comes to ghost stories and time slip and/or time shift narratives, the beauty for me is seeking out how each individual writer etches out the paranormal into the background of their stories. Is it realistically believable? Does it run concurrently into the fabric of how the story was set through its transitions and foundational arc? I also love to see how the ‘haunting’ aspects of the story changes how we perceive the characters and/or the world at large. In other words, I like the spooky effect of paranormal stories with the overlay of a wicked good drama and/or character’s journey.
Lacewood (Spotlight)
by Ms Jessica James
Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…
Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.
MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.
Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.
The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.
Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted. A haunting story from award-winning author Jessica James that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781941020227
Published by Patriot Press
on 18th June, 2019
Format: Trade Paperback
Length: 7 hours and 36 minutes (unabridged)
Published By: Patriots Press
Converse via: #Lacewood + #HistFic or #HistNov
as well as #HistoricalMystery, #GhostStory and #HistoricalFiction
Available Formats: Trade Paperback and Ebook
About Ms Jessica James
Jessica James is an award-winning author of suspense, historical fiction, and military fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War to modern day. Her highly acclaimed Civil War novel Shades of Gray won numerous national literary awards, and is often compared to Gone with the Wind.
By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, duty, and dedication into each book, James attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military–past and present–and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service. Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, NINC, Sisters in Crime, and the Romance Writers of America. She is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.
about why i loved the premise behind “lacewood”:
I was hoping this novel might become an audiobook – even though I realise it is released into print – there was something about the premise which felt like it might be good to ‘hear’ it through a narrator’s perspective – especially as this is a love story which crosses through different periods of time and centuries of historic interest. I’ve read a few of these kinds of stories in the past – where the hauntingly ethereal effect of how the narrative is serving as a cataylst to grip the reader in the suspended allure of the world itself – how the ghosted aspects of the past and present are interweaving through an individual character and/or in this regard, the man and woman who are on a collision course to meet each other – brings you through a more emotional portal than strictly peering into one life through the ghosts of the past.
I also like the concept behind ghost stories and Gothic narratives – where there are certain aspects within them which are just slightly outside of our own perspective – certain details which you have to suspend yourself into how their alighting through the story-line and take a leap of faith as the writer guides you forward into the heart of the novel. Those are the stories I love most – because you feel like you’ve become haunted by the story inasmuch as the characters feel haunted by their experiences within the scope of the tale.
I wanted to make a notation on this spotlight, as this is an author I’ve previously read in the past – when I was early-on in my book blogging journey. I had hoped to find a future release by Ms James I might want to sink my teeth into and I felt after reading the premise behind Lacewood, I’ve finally found a story that felt wicked intriuging to be read! This time round, I think this story has a lot of the components I am looking forward to finding inside a Historical Paranormal Suspense which might have a different experience for me than the first novel I’ve read by her in 2015.
I love having the chance to spotlight authors and as I know quite a few of my followers read these kinds of stories themselves, perhaps this might encouarge them into Lacewood, too!
This blog tour is courtesy of:
Follow the Virtual Road Map
as you visit others participating:
As this particular one has a bookaway along the route:
{SOURCES: Book cover for “Lacewood”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Jessica James, the tour host badge and HFVBTs badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Stories in the Spotlight and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.
Comments via Twitter:
👉👩💻#OnTheBlog | #JLASblog feat. Book Spotlight
Find out why novels like #Lacewood a time slip #ghoststory #HistNov by @jessicajames interest this #bookblogger to be read!👻📖
via #HFVBTBlogTours | @HFVBT | #blogging4bookshttps://t.co/XW71bEBPP0
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) June 19, 2019
I am in awe of how much TLC you put into your posts, Jorie! You truly are amazing! Thank you ever so much for hosting the Lacewood Book Blast! We are so appreciative!