Category: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

A #HistFic Book Spotlight | Enjoy this extract from “Into the Heartland” by Jack Casey

Posted Monday, 3 May, 2021 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

How I started hosting for HFBVTs: 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. Whether I am reading selections from Indie Authors & publishers to Major Trade and either from mainstream or INSPY markets – I am finding myself happily residing in the Historical past each year I am a blogger.

What I have been thankful for all these years since 2013 is the beautiful blessing of discovering new areas of Historical History to explore through realistically compelling Historical narratives which put me on the front-lines of where History and human interest stories interconnect. It has also allowed me to dive deeper into the historic past and root out new decades, centuries and millenniums to explore. For this and the stories themselves which are part of the memories I cherish most as a book blogger I am grateful to be a part of the #HFVBTBlogTours blogger team.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I was originally hoping to read and review this lovely #HistNov for the blog tour – however, by some interesting twist of fate, my copy of the novel didn’t reach me in time for the tour. I didn’t have enough time to properly compose a guest author feature which is why I’ve chosen to host an extract from the book and help promote the novel rather than grieve the missed chance to read the story. I am quite curious to follow along the route myself – seeing what my fellow book bloggers thought about the story and peer into their readerly experiences as that is one of the blessings of being in this lovely community; the shared impressions and the different takeaways of different readers who are all reading the same story.

I especially love stories such as this one which is a historical narrative and drama with a dash of romance added in for good measure. I was quite excited to make the blog tour and I know one day, I’ll seek out this novel to read as it was such a captivating premise. I hope this extract helps you choose if this story sounds like a wicked good fit for you as well.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Notation on Cover Art: This is such a portrait of life inside this novel, isn’t it? Your eyes nearly miss the scene playing out below the main characters featured on the cover, too! It reminded me of a painting and how cleverly this is a dual-image which speaks to the heart of the story (at least I presume given the expanded details!). I truly was captured by the artwork and felt as if I could just ‘step through’ the cover into the novel itself which is always the best kind of cover to have on a book – the ones which inspire you before you even start reading!

A #HistFic Book Spotlight | Enjoy this extract from “Into the Heartland” by Jack CaseyInto the Heartland
by Jack Casey

A forbidden love.

An impossible dream.

And a daring venture to open America…

The year is 1810. For decades men have dreamed of reaching west of the Hudson – of unlocking the untold riches in America’s heartland. Yet, these visionaries lacked the necessary skill, willpower, and political might.

Enter: DeWitt Clinton, mayor of New York City.

Ignoring naysayers and cynics, Clinton vows to construct an audacious waterway through the wilderness to Lake Erie. For this he needs support from the highest echelons of New York society. And there is only one woman with the talent and connections for the job.

Eleanora Van Rensselaer, an aristocratic widow, rules a vast Hudson Valley estate, but her wealth and power will vanish if a dark secret is revealed. Clinton enlists her charm and intelligence to battle his formidable opponent Martin Van Buren. When Eleanora encounters Daniel Hedges, a dashing ship captain with frontier ingenuity, she knows he is the key to this massive project. Eleanora’s social savvy and Hedges’ skills make them an ideal team – if they can fight the powerful feelings growing between them.

But as America plunges into the war of 1812, they could lose all that they have built.

From America’s stunning naval victory on Lake Erie to the British invasion of Washington, D.C., Daniel and Eleanora persevere through tragedy and deep personal loss. Despite Van Buren’s plot to sabotage Clinton and expose Eleanora’s secret, Daniel and Eleanora won’t stop until they make their colossal dream a reality.

And somewhere along the way, they might just find a love that will change them, and America, forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1734366624

Published by Diamonds Big as Radishes LLC

on 1st March, 2021

About Jack Casey

Jack Casey

JACK CASEY is an attorney who has handled civil, criminal and constitutional matters for thirty years in his solo practice. In HAMILTON’S CHOICE, Casey dramatizes the last three years of Alexander Hamilton’s life, and plausibly explains why he went to his first and fatal duel. Casey’s newest release, INTO THE HEARTLAND, is a sweeping saga of adversity and triumph around the building of the Erie Canal (1810–1825). His other published historical novels are LILY OF THE MOHAWKS and THE TRIAL OF BAT SHEA.

Casey graduated with honors from Yale University and Albany Law School, and has studied literature at Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities. He lives in Troy, NY and Raleigh, NC with his wife and editor, Victoria.

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic or #HistNov and #HistRom
+ #IntoTheHeartland and #HFVBTBlogTours

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Posted Monday, 3 May, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author

An #IndieApril #HistFic Book Spotlight | Enjoy this extract from “Sigurd’s Swords” (Book Two, Olaf’s Saga series) by Eric Schumacher

Posted Friday, 30 April, 2021 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

How I started hosting for HFBVTs: 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. Whether I am reading selections from Indie Authors & publishers to Major Trade and either from mainstream or INSPY markets – I am finding myself happily residing in the Historical past each year I am a blogger.

What I have been thankful for all these years since 2013 is the beautiful blessing of discovering new areas of Historical History to explore through realistically compelling Historical narratives which put me on the front-lines of where History and human interest stories interconnect. It has also allowed me to dive deeper into the historic past and root out new decades, centuries and millenniums to explore. For this and the stories themselves which are part of the memories I cherish most as a book blogger I am grateful to be a part of the #HFVBTBlogTours blogger team.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I originally featured this Historical Fiction author when the first novel in the series was released “Forged in Iron” – we had a wonderful conversation about his writing style and process as well as the saga itself. You might have noticed I have had a penchant for seeking out these kinds of stories in the recent past throughout my literary adventures on Jorie Loves A Story.

I sometimes have to take a few breaks from reading these kinds of stories – as their quite hard-hitting and of course, I’m not always keen on reading the extensive battle scenes — but its the drama and the life behind those battles which interests me the most. Especially as generally speaking – a lot of these stories are tucked into hidden areas of the historical past and through these stories the authors’ are telling are little kernels of insight about that past we might not otherwise have known.

I’m hosting an extract for this tour today – as it is an announcement about the sequel to ‘Forged in Iron’ – coming this JUNE. Thankfully there is quite a lot to this extract and it should give you a lot of context to see if this novel and series therein is a good fit for you as a reader. I, myself, look forward to reading this Saga in the future once all the installments are released into print.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

An #IndieApril #HistFic Book Spotlight | Enjoy this extract from “Sigurd’s Swords” (Book Two, Olaf’s Saga series) by Eric SchumacherSigurd's Swords
Subtitle: Olaf's Saga : Book Two
by Eric Schumacher

From best-selling historical fiction novelist, Eric Schumacher, comes the second volume in Olaf’s Saga: the adrenaline-charged story of Olaf Tryggvason and his adventures in the kingdom of the Rus.

AD 968. It has been ten summers since the noble sons of the North, Olaf and Torgil, were driven from their homeland by the treachery of the Norse king, Harald Eriksson. Having then escaped the horrors of slavery in Estland, they now fight among the Rus in the company of Olaf’s uncle, Sigurd.

It will be some of the bloodiest years in Rus history. The Grand Prince, Sviatoslav, is hungry for land, riches, and power, but his unending campaigns are leaving the corpses of thousands in their wakes. From the siege of Konugard to the battlefields of ancient Bulgaria, Olaf and Torgil struggle to stay alive in Sigurd’s Swords, the heart-pounding sequel to Forged by Iron.

Genres: Action & Adventure Fiction, Historical Fiction, Archaeological | Anthropological Historical Perspectives, Norse Mythos | Legacies



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B092TT5W6X

Also by this author: Forged by Iron (Interview)

Series: Olaf's Saga


Published by Bodn Books

on 28th June, 2021

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Olaf’s Saga:

Forged by Iron by Eric SchumacherSigurd's Swords by Eric Schumacher

Forged by Iron (book one) | see also this Interview

Sigurd’s Swords (book tw0) → a Digital First Release!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

About Eric Schumacher

Eric Schumacher

Eric Schumacher (1968 – ) is an American historical novelist who currently resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife and two children. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended college at the University of San Diego.

At a very early age, Schumacher discovered his love for writing and medieval European history, as well as authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Those discoveries continue to fuel his imagination and influence the stories he tells. His first novel, God’s Hammer, was published in 2005.

To date, Schumacher has published three novels, collectively known as Hakon’s Saga, and one novella.

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic or #HistNov + #Vikings
+ #OlafsSaga and #HFVBTBlogTours

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Posted Friday, 30 April, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author

A #HistRom Book Spotlight | feat. “Betting on a Duke’s Heart” by Royaline Sing

Posted Monday, 19 April, 2021 by jorielov , , 1 Comment

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

How I came to host for HFVBTs: 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. Whether I am reading selections from Indie Authors & publishers to Major Trade and either from mainstream or INSPY markets – I am finding myself happily residing in the Historical past each year I am a blogger.

What I have been thankful for all these years since 2013 is the beautiful blessing of discovering new areas of Historical History to explore through realistically compelling Historical narratives which put me on the front-lines of where History and human interest stories interconnect. It has also allowed me to dive deeper into the historic past and root out new decades, centuries and millenniums to explore. For this and the stories themselves which are part of the memories I cherish most as a book blogger I am grateful to be a part of the #HFVBTBlogTours blogger team.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I have a penchant for Historical Romances such as this lovely new release – which is why I was quite eager to host this author’s novel during the Book Blast, today! Especially after I found a chapter sampler online for the novel – which at the time, I thought this was strictly a digital release – in both ebook & audio; which in of itself was quite lovely! However, I am thrilled to announce this is going to be released into print this April! Which means, it will make it easier for me to request at my local library as a purchase request!! I’d love to bring it home for my personal library but sometimes I have to wait to order the books I want to read which is why I rely on my local library and their lovely purchase requests which helps all of us who desire to read a lot of new releases every year. I also rely on their interlibrary loan services for the same reasons – as well as reading backlist titles – either one-offs or series.

As soon as you start reading the chapter sampler on this Historical Romance – I think you will feel as compelled as I had in wanting to read it further! Be sure to let me know in the comments which Historical Romance authors are catching your eye this year – perhaps, I will be able to borrow their stories through my local library!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A #HistRom Book Spotlight | feat. “Betting on a Duke’s Heart” by Royaline SingBetting on a Duke's Heart
by Royaline Sing
Source: Chapter Sampler

Aetius White, the Duke of Saxton, couldn’t save his father, but he’ll be damned if he won’t save the man’s dream. He’ll acquire a Triple Crown–winning horse at any cost, even marriage. Luckily, the lovely lady in mind loves challenges as much as he. Certainly he can win her heart without losing his own…

Hell will freeze over before Miss Dina Campbell agrees to marry a horse-mad man who wants her dowry of a prize stallion, no matter what her father wants. The duke may be handsome, but he’ll have to prove he is a suitable match for her before she’ll even consider the offer. And there’s no way this love-averse man will ever succeed with the wager that she has planned…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 979-8739377470

Published by Self Published

on 16th April, 2021

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic or #HistRom
+ #BettingOnADukesHeart and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Audiobook & Ebook

About Royaline Sing

As my first fiction work, I’ve a notebook length movie script, featuring my favorite stars. I was probably ten. It hasn’t seen the light of the day (And it won’t).

But story telling lingered. Though I have a software engineering job, the creative world teased from afar. So one day, I finally put the pen to the paper (or my fingers to the keyboard?) and started writing.

Now, I write through the noise of my lovely two kids, a very supportive (but sweetly clueless) husband and a bank job where numbers rule.

Born and brought up in India, I’m a huge fan of Bollywood romantic movies and the music. I also like all things Marvel! I love to travel and so many destinations are on my bucket list. (hint: some pictures here give the clues!)

I am currently writing Historical Romances, with heroines setting their own norms and coming to toes with heroes worth loving.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Monday, 19 April, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Romance Fiction

A #HistFic Book Spotlight | “The Steel Beneath the Silk” (Book Three, Emma of Normandy series) by Patricia Bracewell

Posted Tuesday, 30 March, 2021 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: 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. Whether I am reading selections from Indie Authors & publishers to Major Trade and either from mainstream or INSPY markets – I am finding myself happily residing in the Historical past each year I am a blogger.

What I have been thankful for all these years since 2013 is the beautiful blessing of discovering new areas of Historical History to explore through realistically compelling Historical narratives which put me on the front-lines of where History and human interest stories interconnect. It has also allowed me to dive deeper into the historic past and root out new decades, centuries and millenniums to explore. For this and the stories themselves which are part of the memories I cherish most as a book blogger I am grateful to be a part of the #HFVBTBlogTours blogger team.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of “The Steel Beneath the Silk” direct from the author Patricia Bracewell in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I had the best of intentions – I was able to borrow the first two novels in the Emma of Normandy series via my local library a few months ahead of this blog tour. However, due to circumstances and a major life shift (wherein I am now working full-time) – I honestly lost the hours I needed to full dissolve myself into this series Ms Bracewell has crafted for us to read. From the moment I picked up “The Steel Beneath the Silk” – as it first arrived by postal mail, I knew this was a series which required patience and time – as she writes immersive Historical Fiction with the kind of accuracy you crave when you want to tuck back into a setting and timescape you haven’t previously read to the level of clarify only Bracewell can provide!

Realising I was running out of time to move through this trilogy with the attention it required, I decided to run a spotlight of the novel instead. Knowing I’d be entering into this trilogy on its magnus opus – the end of a cumulative journey I wish I could have taken this Winter. I am hoping to re-borrow the books and re-begin this final chapter after I’ve read them sometime before Summer as I truly wanted to embrace this world through the vision Bracewell had for it herself.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A #HistFic Book Spotlight | “The Steel Beneath the Silk” (Book Three, Emma of Normandy series) by Patricia BracewellThe Steel Beneath the Silk
by Patricia Bracewell
Source: Author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

A breathtaking conclusion to Bracewell’s Emma of Normandy Trilogy, brimming with treachery, heartache, tenderness and passion as the English queen confronts ambitious and traitorous councilors, invading armies and the Danish king’s power-hungry concubine.

In the year 1012 England’s Norman-born Queen Emma has been ten years wed to an aging, ruthless, haunted King Æthelred. The marriage is a bitterly unhappy one, between a queen who seeks to create her own sphere of influence within the court and a suspicious king who eyes her efforts with hostility and resentment. But royal discord shifts to grudging alliance when Cnut of Denmark, with the secret collusion of his English concubine Elgiva, invades England at the head of a massive viking army. Amid the chaos of war, Emma must outwit a fierce enemy whose goal is conquest and outmaneuver the cunning Elgiva, who threatens all those whom Emma loves.

Genres: Historical Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1942209812

on 2nd March, 2021

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 450

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic or #HistNov
+ #TheSteelBeneathTheSilk and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

About Patricia Bracewell

Patricia Bracewell

Patricia Bracewell grew up in Los Angeles where her love of stories led to college degrees in Literature, a career as a high school English teacher, and a yearning to write. Her first novel, Shadow on the Crown, about the 11th-century queen of England, Emma of Normandy, was published in 2013. Its sequel, The Price of Blood, appeared in 2015. The final book of her Emma of Normandy Trilogy, The Steel Beneath the Silk will be published March 2, 2021.

Patricia lives with her husband in Oakland, California.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Tuesday, 30 March, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author

A #HistoricalMondays #25PagePreview | feat. “The Girl in the Painting” by Tea Cooper

Posted Monday, 29 March, 2021 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

#HistoricalMondays blog banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: 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. Whether I am reading selections from Indie Authors & publishers to Major Trade and either from mainstream or INSPY markets – I am finding myself happily residing in the Historical past each year I am a blogger.

What I have been thankful for all these years since 2013 is the beautiful blessing of discovering new areas of Historical History to explore through realistically compelling Historical narratives which put me on the front-lines of where History and human interest stories interconnect. It has also allowed me to dive deeper into the historic past and root out new decades, centuries and millenniums to explore. For this and the stories themselves which are part of the memories I cherish most as a book blogger I am grateful to be a part of the #HFVBTBlogTours blogger team.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Girl in the Painting” direct from the publisher Thomas Nelson (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

On why I elected to write a smaller review for this novel:

As my regular readers and visitors alike realise, my life shifted in February and March to where I am now working full-time rather than being my Dad’s full-time carer as I have for the past five years. I still care for my Dad but on an adjusted schedule as both Mum and I are working full-time as opposed to having only one of us working full-time. Combined with the fact the pollen season this year has come into our lives with a thunderous presence of chaos – I’ve been finding my hours to read and absorb stories has been on the more limited end of my days. I’ve struggled to connect to stories these past few months as I’ve shifted into a new routine whilst my Spring allergies have rendered me exhausted as much as the fatigue I’ve had from the new workload.

Sadly, I experienced my first migraine of the season as well this past weekend – whilst I am still finding my balance with work and blogging and reading – I’ve decided to cut back my reviews those weeks where I physically feel past what I can give a proper review as expected on Jorie Loves A Story. I am hoping by the middle of April I’ll have more stamina and energy as I’ll be in my third month of working whilst finding more joy in a better work schedule in both hours and days off. I am sure others can relate to these circumstances and I appreciate everyone’s patience as I work through all of this myself.

Wherever you are I hope the pollen isn’t as extremely high as it is here and that your Spring can be a delight of joy seeing the flowers and birds return to your environment. I ache after Autumn and Winter as those are the only seasons I find joyful during the year given how much Spring and Summer become an angst of allergies and migraines.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A #HistoricalMondays #25PagePreview | feat. “The Girl in the Painting” by Tea CooperThe Girl in the Painting
by Tea Cooper
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

A young prodigy in need of family.

A painting that shatters a woman’s peace.

And a decades-old mystery demanding to be solved.

Australia, 1906

Orphan Jane Piper is nine years old when philanthropist siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her schooling. The Quinns are no strangers to hardship— having arrived in Australia as penniless immigrants, they now care for others as lost as they once were.

Despite Jane’s mysterious past, her remarkable aptitude for mathematics takes her far over the next seven years, and her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael flourishes as she plays an increasingly prominent part in their business.

But when Elizabeth reacts in terror to an exhibition at the local gallery, Jane realizes no one knows Elizabeth after all—not even Elizabeth herself. As the past and the present converge and Elizabeth’s grasp on reality loosens, Jane sets out to unravel Elizabeth’s story before it is too late.

From the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, this compelling novel takes us on a mystery across continents and decades as both women finally discover a place to call home.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-0785240334

Published by Thomas Nelson

on 9th March, 2021

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 384

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Published by: Thomas Nelson (@ThomasNelson)
an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing (@HCChristianPub)

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov as well as #INSPY #HistoricalFiction
+ #TheGirlInThePainting as well as #TNZFiction and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

About Tea Cooper

Tea Cooper

Téa Cooper is an award-winning, bestselling author of Australian historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Monday, 29 March, 2021 by jorielov in #25PagePreview, #HistoricalMondays, ARC | Galley Copy, Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Time Shift