Genre: Military Fiction

+Blog Book Tour+ Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman

Posted Thursday, 3 July, 2014 by jorielov Alfred A. Knopf, Ayelet Waldman, DoubleDay, Love & Treasure, Random House Publishing Group 3 Comments

Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman

Published By: Alfred A. Knopf (@AAKnopf),
an imprint of DoubleDay and part of Random House Publishing Group 1 April, 2014
Official Author Websites: Site | Twitter | Facebook
Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook, Ebook Page Count: 334

Converse on Twitter: #LoveandTreasure & #LoveandTreasureBlogTour

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Love & Treasure” virtual book tour through HFVBT: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary hardback copy of the book direct from the publisher Alfred A. Knof, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Book Synopsis:

A spellbinding new novel of contraband masterpieces, tragic love, and the unexpected legacies of forgotten crimes, Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure weaves a tale around the fascinating, true history of the Hungarian Gold Train in the Second World War.

In 1945 on the outskirts of Salzburg, victorious American soldiers capture a train filled with unspeakable riches: piles of fine gold watches; mountains of fur coats; crates filled with wedding rings, silver picture frames, family heirlooms, and Shabbat candlesticks passed down through generations. Jack Wiseman, a tough, smart New York Jew, is the lieutenant charged with guarding this treasure—a responsibility that grows more complicated when he meets Ilona, a fierce, beautiful Hungarian who has lost everything in the ravages of the Holocaust. Seventy years later, amid the shadowy world of art dealers who profit off the sins of previous generations, Jack gives a necklace to his granddaughter, Natalie Stein, and charges her with searching for an unknown woman—a woman whose portrait and fate come to haunt Natalie, a woman whose secret may help Natalie to understand the guilt her grandfather will take to his grave and to find a way out of the mess she has made of her own life.

A story of brilliantly drawn characters—a suave and shady art historian, a delusive and infatuated Freudian, a family of singing circus dwarfs fallen into the clutches of Josef Mengele, and desperate lovers facing choices that will tear them apart—Love and Treasure is Ayelet Waldman’s finest novel to date: a sad, funny, richly detailed work that poses hard questions about the value of precious things in a time when life itself has no value, and about the slenderest of chains that can bind us to the griefs and passions of the past.

Praise on behalf of the novel:

“Love and Treasure is something of a treasure trove of a novel. Its beautifully integrated parts fit inside one another like the talismanic pendant/ locket at the heart of several love stories. Where the opening chapters evoke the nightmare of Europe in the aftermath of World War II with the hallucinatory vividness of Anselm Kiefer’s disturbing canvases, the concluding chapters, set decades before, in a more seemingly innocent time in the early 20th century, are a bittersweet evocation, in miniature, of thwarted personal destinies that yet yield to something like cultural triumph. Ayelet Waldman is not afraid to create characters for whom we feel an urgency of emotion, and she does not resolve what is unresolvable in this ambitious, absorbing and poignantly moving work of fiction.”
—Joyce Carol Oates

Author Biography:

Ayelet Waldman Photo Credit: Reenie Raschke — Photo Credit: Reenie Raschke

Ayelet Waldman is the author of the newly released Love and Treasure (Knopf, January 2014), Red Hook Road and The New York Times bestseller Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace. Her novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits was made into a film starring Natalie Portman. Her personal essays and profiles of such public figures as Hillary Clinton have been published in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Vogue, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Her radio commentaries have appeared on “All Things Considered” and “The California Report.”

For more information please visit Ayelet’s website . Her missives also appear on Facebook and Twitter.

Her books are published throughout the world, in countries as disparate as England and Thailand, the Netherlands and China, Russia and Israel, Korea and Italy.

My Review of Love & Treasure:

Of all the ways in which I had an illusion of how this novel would open and begin, I think the first paragraph for me was an eye opener, as it did not quite match where my mind felt this novel would start. The rest of the first page was a bit jolting as well, as I found I had trouble finding my feet in the narrative. Where I thought the narrative voice would be empathic and soft, I found myself reading a sharpened edge of sound and vision. When Waldman starts to focus on the heart of the story centered around the lost possessions and valuable heirlooms of the Jewish families from World War II, her writing finds its clarity and knits together in a way that is a bit more fluid for me than the opening bits of dialogue being exchanged between a grand-daughter and her grand-father. She writes more into the historical bits than the everyday moments, which lends me to thinking her writing voice is hitched inside the historical elements to where she could write full-on historicals without the modern era attached.

The most tender scenes were exchanged between Jack Wiseman and Ilona Jakab, as each of them during the war were attempting to keep their sanity intact by not losing their humanity. Wiseman deferred to showing kindness during the rehousing of those who were returning from internment camps, and Ilona was electing to show her true strength and spirit, but deflecting her fears as she interacted with Wiseman. I appreciated how they met quite accidentally due to the train Wiseman was in charge of shifting its cargo to a warehouse. It reminded me a bit of a ‘meet cute’ in motion picture, despite the tragedy of their paths crossing during the Allied Occupation of Hungry. They each took each other by a surprise which refreshed their spirits and gave a kind grace to their situations.

I kept finding myself falling in and out of step with this story, because I am not one for crude humour nor crude expressions, and as I tried to continue to read the story with an open mind towards the time and era the story is set, I kept finding myself wishing Waldman had chosen different ways to express what was happening. I have read plenty of stories set during both World Wars, and the writers were not buckling down to this level of bare boned narration. The bits and bobbles I appreciated were starting to grow pale against the increasing tide of what either made me flinch or had my eyes adverting reading the paragraphs completely.

For me the story is told in a bit of a gritty and stark reality vein of dialogue and narrative voice; which made this difficult to read for my own readings tend to be towards a different vein of tact. I appreciate stories set during the wars, as war dramas and war romances are ones I tend to gravitate towards, but there is something different inside this one. I felt there was an undertone that I could not quite put my finger on but it wasn’t something that I felt I wanted to continue to read. I left the story fully intact without reaching the middle because to do so would have not proved enjoyable. I believe this story is best for readers who can appreciate the tone and dictation of action with a language presence that would not affect someone as much as it did me. I was truly disappointed as I was hoping to discover a historical mystery inside of a war drama; leading me through passages of research and provenance of personal property and giving me a historical epic of humanity.

Fly in the Ointment:

There are times where I give a pass on vulgarity but in this particular instance, the inclusion of strong language does not sit well with me because I could think of at least a handful of expressions or phrases to elicit the same manner of empathsis as found on page 6. The most obvious word instead is ‘muddled’. I am not an advocate for vulgarity in literature, and the few times I have given leeway to an author’s choice of inclusion is few and far between; the reasons were valid and if you go through the “Topics, Subjects, & Genres” cloud in the lower sidebar area of my blog, you will discover the reasons why I find strong language offensive and why in certain instances I did not wrinkle a brow over them. This novel kept pushing my envelope for tolerance.

I happen to know a bit about the setting of the story (the state of Maine) and what disrupted me a bit were the observations knitted into the backdrop, most especially about Bangor. I found myself with conflicting information, to where I was thinking to myself, that’s not true! The way in which Maine is represented in the book and specifics such as only one restaurant is open in Bangor during the long Winter months, in all honesty surprised me? I felt like there was a ‘fictional’ representation of Maine happening in this book, rather than an honest window into life in Maine.

This book review is courtesy of: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Virtual Road Map of “Love & Treasure” Blog Tour:

as I am happily honoured to be a blog tour hostess for:

Please visit my

to stay in the know for upcoming events!

Previously I hosted Ms. Waldman in an interview attached to this tour!

Love and Treasure (book trailer) by Ayelet Waldman via KnopfDoubleday

{SOURCES: Book cover for “Love & Treasure”, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, and the quoted praise by Joyce Carol Oates were provided by HFVBT – Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. The book trailer for “Love & Treasure” via KnopfDoubleday had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Posted Thursday, 3 July, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Aftermath of World War II, Art, Blog Tour Host, Book Trailer, Fly in the Ointment, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Judaism in Fiction, Maine, The World Wars, Vulgarity in Literature

+Blog Book Tour+ Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones | Stepping back in time & visiting the Chinese #JazzAge!

Posted Wednesday, 23 April, 2014 by jorielov Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Nicole Mones, Night In Shanghai 2 Comments

Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones

Published By: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, (@HMHCo) 4 March, 2014
Official Author Websites: Nicole Mones website
Available Formats: Hardback, Audiobook, & E-Book
Page Count: 288

Converse on Twitter:
#NightInShanghaiTour & #NightInShanghai OR #NicoleMones

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Night in Shanghai” virtual book tour through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I’ve been swept into the Jazz Age since January of 2013 when I first read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. Having read the biographical fiction of Zelda, I started to understand the undercurrent of the era. There was a lot about that time in our history and in Europe’s history that I was not clued in on. Bits and pieces which surprised me, especially about the salons for writers & creatives, which apparently were not as free as they appeared to have been! I felt the hot scorn that Zelda felt and the inaccurate self-worth she struggled to regain control of whilst her husband took the spotlight even off of her own writings. Through that book, and the motion picture of “The Great Gatsby”, I became attached to the 1920s & 1930s even a bit more than I had been whilst I watched the BBC drama “The House of Elliott!” To the extent, that I sought out Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries which is a bang-on brilliant BBC/Aussie drama set in Melbourne around the same era of time!

I read the description of this novel, then moved over to the author’s website & played the book trailer. Somewhere between the description and the trailer I made my choice to read this novel! It’s sweeping in its depth and what I love uncovering through historical fiction are little nuggets of the unknown moments against the larger backdrop of historical events!!

}: Book Synopsis :{

In 1936, classical pianist Thomas Greene is recruited to Shanghai to lead a jazz orchestra of fellow African-American expats. From being flat broke in segregated Baltimore to living in a mansion with servants of his own, he becomes the toast of a city obsessed with music, money, pleasure and power, even as it ignores the rising winds of war.

Song Yuhua is refined, educated, and bonded since age eighteen to Shanghai’s most powerful crime boss in payment for her father’s gambling debts. Outwardly submissive, she burns with rage and risks her life spying on her master for the Communist Party.

Only when Shanghai is shattered by the Japanese invasion do Song and Thomas find their way to each other. Though their union is forbidden, neither can back down from it in the turbulent years of occupation and resistance that follow. Torn between music and survival, freedom and commitment, love and world war, they are borne on an irresistible riff of melody and improvisation to Night in Shanghai’s final, impossible choice.

In this impressively researched novel, Nicole Mones not only tells the forgotten story of black musicians in the Chinese Jazz age, but also weaves in a stunning true tale of Holocaust heroism little-known in the West.

Author Biography:

A newly launched textile business took Nicole Mones to China for the first time in 1977, after the end of the Cultural Revolution. As an individual she traded textiles with China for eighteen years before she turned to writing about that country. Her novels Night in Shanghai, The Last Chinese Chef, Lost in Translation and A Cup of Light are in print in more than twenty-two languages and have received multiple juried prizes, including the Kafka Prize (year’s best work of fiction by any American woman) and Kiriyama Prize (finalist; for the work of fiction which best enhances understanding of any Pacific Rim Culture).

Mones’ nonfiction writing on China has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Gourmet, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. She is a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Chinese Jazz Singer Jasmine Chen

– “Give Me A Kiss” via Jasmine Chen

A passion for Jazz: I came to appreciate jazz and the blues from a young age, as I grew up in a home full of classical music and a deep passion for the living arts. I was free to decide for myself where my inclinations would take me musically, or even if I wanted to simply appreciate listening to music verse learning how to play an instrument or develop my vocality of voice. As a child I could not grasp which instrument would whet long-term interest to learn, therefore I became an appreciator of music. Symphony and orchestrations were the main focus as I loved attending live events at performing art centers in my hometown. Jazz came into my life a bit of a whispering on the musical winds, as like its counter-companion of the blues, the original inertia of interest was sparked by the stories of the origins rather than of attending concerts.

I was always drawn into those elements of the historical past which brought forward the ruminations of music, to evoke out a harmony of song, ballard or chord which drove into the human emotional well of giving back a living moment through a musical presentation. I vividly remember walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the early 1990s, at a moment in my life where I could not enter the Jazz clubs but I could partake of their sounds emitting out onto the streets — giving everyone the freedom to listen as ears finely tuned to their music could always embrace the sounds! Another memory is hinged to the latter 1990s where I heard a vocal artist from Washington, DC create distinctive evocations with her voice. She sung Jazz in a way that felt like an experience rather than a performance! She was one artist I had hoped I could have travelled to see again live as I only had the one chance to be in an audience of her artistry. Thankfully, a short conversation afterwards has never left my memory.

Bluegrass by comparison is another thread of music I tend to gravitate towards for the same reasons I am attached to Billie Holiday, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Dinah Washington, Lena Horne, and countless more artists as there is a strong desire to curate human emotion into sound; and as such turn the sound into a living testament of life through story, vocals, and instrumentation. My dream is to collect albums on vinyl record and listen to the greatest voices throughout history belting out one memorable performance after another whilst sipping fresh brewed tea.

My Review of Night in Shanghai:

May I simply say, that any publisher who wraps their hardback in the loveliest shade of lavender such as Night in Shanghai has already warmed me to the experience of what lies within its covers! The cover-art is equally eye-catching as you want to know about the symbolism of the lanterns as much as your quite curious about where the stairs are leading you. Her inclusion of Chinese expressions, as well as their iconic alphabet lends the reader to emerge into the story as though part of our spirits are hinged directly to Shanghai during the setting of which is about to unfold before us. Little cues like these help us take a step out of where we are reading the book and directly connect into the reality of the story. The essence of jazz has to be in your veins to settle into the background of the story as I felt it heightens your ability to pick up on the subtleties and in evoking a strong thumb of presence on how Shanghai was changing in the face of war.

Night in Shanghai paints a light of appreciation how difficult it was for the musicians to make a living whilst finding their race to be in opposition of receiving a fair wage if they staid in America. Never one to understand the prejudicial limits placed on others, this is one thread of the story that I felt was given honour by presenting the facts which led to the choice of switching countries on behalf of the musicians who chose to live in Shanghai rather than attempting to nick out a living for half of what they were worth. The first half reads like a memoir of a bloke who is attempting to absolve his soul at the end of his life by representing his journey towards self-redemption and self-acceptance of his art. Yet, the story is actually on behalf of his lover re-telling the tale than the artist himself of whom we are given a front row and center look into the ambiance of his life as it started to root in Shanghai’s Jazz scene of the mid-1930s. A progression of musical revolution which had begun in the Roaring Twenties, as musical scouts were frequently travelling throughout America to recruit the men back to China.

The most compelling part for me is watching Thomas Greene sort out his bearings in a city as flavourful and colourful in all matters of decadence as Shanghai, whilst being greeted by the notions of how close on the edge of war he truly was by seeing shades of it bleed into his daily wanderings. A musician at heart and of soul, compelled to work tirelessly on his craft as he was not blessed with the ear yet the grace of reading the music by sheet; his was a journey towards achieving his dreams as much as arriving at a place of self-acceptance. His race was muted compared to others and in having his skin not representative of his origins gave him flexibility to perform but it confused him on how he choose to identify himself. I would think this would bear weight on a person’s mind as you are neither of one race or another, as you’re a hybrid of two. Add to the churning tides a high sense of political despondency and it is a miracle any of the American musicians could find their footing!

The intriguing bit for me was seeing how Shanghai echoed of Chicago in how the city was controlled by organised crime families, except they are known as triads instead. Clearly there is more to history than meets the eye, and like many cities of the age Shanghai was not immune to the darker shades of living. The entire underworld was fresh to the eyes of Thomas Greene who affirmed his surname by being ‘green’ in the ways of the world. The essence of neighbourhoods of distinctive origins from the boroughs of New York City and Chicago were also bloomed in full in Shanghai. Each district had its own rules and were segregated from each other.

I loved seeing how the fusion of the West and East in music organically started to percolate in the early 20th century, as one musician was influenced by another. The music became the lifeblood language which broke the barriers of race and ethnicity, and in many ways sharpened the ability to put a pulse on what was happening around the city. There was such a decorum of unease yet the blinded sort where everyone would refute the obvious and elect instead to carry-on as though nothing major was happening. Music became the one avenue of honest representation and in so doing, gave a generational lineage that is still thriving today. Music gives a voice to the emotions which are too hard to put into words alone.

Thomas and Song were intricately bonded to each other through a synchronicity of passion which became an electrified explosion of notes and chords arching out of his fingers as he played the piano the only tunes which could solidify their connection. In the music, they lived with a freedom neither of them had in life. The passion of two souls caught up in a world of war, desolation, and tragic pain. The title of the novel is a hidden symbolism of their love and of the hope they each had for what it signified as a whole.

Gratitude for authors like Mones:

Who take the extra leap of faith to chase after a story which has nestled into their conscience and find a way to draw the story out for the readers who are in full appreciation of their efforts! To give us a piece of known history during an era of a war and conflict that has been written about from various angles and uncover a breadth of enlightenment not yet realised to the Western world is extraordinary! How kind of her to pursue her intuition and nettle out the story of how lives were changed during one of the most brutally savage moments in history’s ink blotter! And, to give us all a pure sense of how ordinary men can be called to accomplish such wonderful acts of kindness in the shadows of intense personal danger.

Nicole Mones – Night in Shanghai via Connie Martinson

Watch the Night in Shanghai Book Trailer via NicoleMones.com

Read an Excerpt of the Novel:

{including the quotation by Langston Hughes!}

Night in Shanghai by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

View this document on Scribd

Previously, I hosted an Author Guest Post about the creation of “Night in Shanghai”!

Blog Book Tour Stop, courtesy of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Virtual Road Map of “Night in Shanghai” Blog Tour can be visited here:

Check out

to see what I will be hosting next for

and mark your calendars!

Shanghai Memories – Golden Songs from the 1930s & 1940s via BaBanChineseMusic

Please take note of the Related Articles as they were hand selected due to being of cross-reference importance in relation to this book review. This applies to each post on my blog where you see Related Articles underneath the post. Be sure to take a moment to acknowledge the further readings which are offered.

{SOURCES: Night in Shanghai Book Cover, synopsis, tour badge, author photograph and HFVBT badge were provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and were used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. The book discussion video by Connie Martinson, Shanghai Memories music video as well as the excerpt by Houghton Miffton Harcourt via Scribd had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Buy links on Scribd excerpt are not affiliated with Jorie Loves A Story. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Related Articles:

Shanghai Jazz – (shjazz.com)

Remaking all that Jazz from Shanghai’s Lost Era – (npr.org/blogs/codeswitch) There are videos and audio clips included in the article to give an introduction to the music which I found tranquil & lovely! I encourage everyone to click-over and discover the music!

The Shanghai Restoration Project – (shanghairestorationproject.com) I found this project through researching the Chinese Jazz era as this has a decidedly unique sound to the music.

Survivors of Chinese Jazz Age Play Anew – (npr.org/templates/story) More audio clips of music from the Chinese Jazz Age.

‘Night in Shanghai’ Dances on the Eve of Destruction – (npr.org) A beautiful Interview with Ms. Mones about the novel.

Posted Wednesday, 23 April, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, African-American History, Aftermath of World War II, Blog Tour Host, Book Trailer, China, Chinese Literature, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Geographically Specific, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Jazz Musicians, Musical Fiction | Non-Fiction, Shanghai, the Roaring Twenties, The World Wars

+Blog Book Tour+ Citadel [Book 3: of Languedoc Trilogy] by Kate Mosse

Posted Thursday, 20 March, 2014 by jorielov Citadel, HarperCollins Publishers, Kate Mosse, Languedoc Trilogy, William Morrow 5 Comments

Published By: William Morrow (@WmMorrowBks)
(an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers (@HarperCollins), 18 March 2014
Official Author Websites: Site | Twitter | Facebook
Converse via: #KateMosse, #LanguedocTrilogy, #Citadel, #FranceBookTours, & #HistFic
Available Formats: Hardcover and E-Book
Page Count: 704

Acquired By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Citadel” virtual book tour through France Book Tours. I received a complimentary ARC direct from the publisher William Morrow, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Encouraged to Read:

Mum has a foresight of knowledge of which books would whet my appetite for not only historical intrigue but deft story-telling, where the research slips past the reader’s eye, and allows one to insert one’s heart directly into the core of the narrative! I am always on the forefront of discovering ‘a genuine new voice in literature’ because I am always inspired and captivated by such an eclectically diverse sphere of writers! I like to seek out stories which not only challenge convention but the perceptional eclipse we might unintentionally tether ourselves too! I like to broach outside my comfort zones whenever possible, and sink into a portion of the historical past which is wholly unknown and unvisited previously! My literary adventures draw me one step closer to the world’s front door and a breath closer to empathy for the unsung heroes of a past fraught with drama, suspense, and intuitive souls who choose to lead rather extraordinary lives! In this intuited glimpse into my reader’s heart, Mum purchased Labyrinth for me whilst it was in paperback (as I recollect!?) release. I had oft meant to endow myself to the page, yet I never quite managed to broach into the novel. On the brink of a blog book tour in the bookish blogosphere, I find myself able to redeem my ill-wrought wanderings, bringing me full circle back into the realm of Kate Mosse! How fruitious it is that her name resonated with me whilst offered on tour!

Inspired to Share a Snippet of a Preview:

I originally intended to read the first two novels in the series Labyrinth & Sepulchre ahead of my book review for Citadel via France Book Tours. However, as life can dictate and quite often predict, the plans we set in motion are occasionally derailed for circumstances which arise altering our reading adventures! Therefore, I am stepping into the world of Kate Mosse’s literary threshold without prior knowledge of her characters nor of the direction in which her style illumines the narrative for the avid reader of her works! I am quite eager to read the forementioned previous titles on the footheels of this installment, but for now, I am overjoyed I have the pleasure of ‘meeting’ a new author of whom has held my intrigue for the years between Labyrinth & Citadel releases!

Kate Mosse discusses “Citadel” & ‘Sisterhood’ via Orion Publishing

Book Synopsis:

From the internationally bestselling author of Labyrinth and Sepulchre comes a thrilling novel, set in the South of France during World War II, that interweaves history and legend, love and conflict, passion and adventure, bringing to life brave women of the French Resistance and a secret they must protect from the Nazis. In Carcassonne, a colorful historic village nestled deep in the Pyrenees, a group of courageous and determined operatives are engaged in a lethal battle. Like their ancestors who fought to protect their land from Northern invaders seven hundred years before, these women—codenamed Citadel —fight to liberate their home from the Germans.

But smuggling refugees over the mountains into neutral territory and sabotaging their Nazi occupiers is only part of their mission. These members of the resistance must also protect an ancient secret that, if discovered by the enemy, could change the course of history.

A superb blend of rugged action and haunting mystery based on real-life figures, Citadel is a vivid and richly atmospheric story of a group of heroic women who dared the odds to survive.

Author Biography:

Kate Mosse is the multimillion selling author of four works of nonfiction, three plays, one volume of short stories and six novels, including the New York Times bestselling Labyrinth and Sepulchre. A popular presenter for BBC television and radio in the UK, she is also cofounder and chair of the prestigious Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize) and a member of the board of the National Theatre of Great Britain. In 2013, she was named as one of the Top 100 most influential people in British publishing and also awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She divides her time between England and Carcassonne, France.

A Prelude to Citadel:

An absolute blessing of mine in receiving an ARC (advanced reading copy) to read of a novel, is the inclusion of both the Editor’s Note (generally found on the inside first page!) and/or a letter from the publisher which gives a bit of a history of how the novel was created or a bit about the author herself! For Citadel, I was twice-fold blessed! Not only was the Editor’s Note included but so was the publisher’s! I am fascinated truly by the marketing and promotional campaigns by publishers to alert the readership of an author’s work! Even for new readers of Mosse’s stories like me for instance, cannot help but become caught up in the excitement and the reverence of honour she is bestowed by her dedicated readership! IF a sequel to her last tome took four years, can you imagine how long we shall all be willing to wait for her next treasure of literature?!

The best of stories have to soak into their creators, they have to wholly absorb the characters, the setting, the era, and the entirety of the story’s essence in order to fully bring everything to illuminating light. I celebrate writers like Mosse who cherish the ‘process of writing’ and allow themselves the full measure of grace to produce heart-stopping narrative time and time again! At least this is my presumption prior to broaching the pages!

I’m entering this particular review a bit blind to the knowledge of Ms. Mosse, as when I read her championing spirit for bookish culture, writers, and wordsmiths I must confess my heart did a bit of skip and a jump! Especially on noting I had already planned to make an appearance on a Blog Talk Radio podcast the night prior to this review posting in which I would be drawing to light a topical bookish interest: volunteer public libraries set on trains running through New York City and London! A kindred spirit, most indeed!

Dear hearts, do you know what William Morrow included as a ‘extra special’ surprise for this particular book blogger!? OR, should I clarify, it wasn’t placed inside for ‘me’ in particular mind you, but rather those who received the ARC! A full-on brilliant interview by Ann Patchett & Kate Mosse! A most delectable treat I held off reading until ‘after I had read Citadel’!

A proper Introduction to the novel by the author:

There is an amazing breadth of history pulled out of World War II, where brave souls stood up in our conjoined living history of a time in our world where nothing made sense and everything was turnt upside down by the cruelty and evil of a world war. Mosse examines the inter-dimensional connections of the trilogy against the intricacies of research of the historical past. Her passion for the South of France and for this particular window she’s served as a portal for her audience to endear themselves to the women who stand strong allowing their courage to bolster us a bit in the present. These are stories on behalf of women who perhaps never saw themselves as heroes but to every life they positively affected they were! Mosse has such an effervescent passion for writing, and giving her readers such a full embodied story which can wash over you and give you a living experience.

Kate Mosse Over Citadel via bol.com {she speaks in English; Dutch subtitles}

An archaeological bent of historical intrigue:

From the time I was quite young, I was always caught up in the annuls of history, seeking out remnants of the past which could be brought into the present through the art of story-telling! My passion for history led me to consider bunkering into a life pursuit of archaeological digs, hidden ancestral passageways into the living past, and a life’s sole intent of preserving the artifacts I’d uncover. Ever since my eyes lit up with the pure joy of ‘digging in the dirt’ by theory not practice, I have had a keen attention placed on historical details in novels. Including ancient symbolism, dead languages, and the turnt of phrase fashioned centuries within the past where Old English was the everyday vernacular! Part of my interests in seeing the sociological perspectives in stories and the dynamics of a character’s action verse personality is rooted in my appreciation for archaeology’s introverted sister: anthropology which focuses on the study of societies and how people lived.

To find an author who has transmorphed an intricate range of research into a dense tome of historical fiction whilst remaining true to each era she’s brimming to life inside her narrative is nothing short of literary brilliance! I oft wondered if I could find an author who could fully immerse the reader’s senses into what I felt I had shared within my spirit whilst previously considering an entirely different lifepath! In Mosse, I do believe I have at long last found the writer, the wordsmith, and the story-teller I have sought so hard to find! And, I have my Mum to thank for this lovely discovery as my gratitude is hers forevermore!

My previous readings of Illuminations and A Study in Murder allowed me to understand the monk’s (Arinius) traditions of matins, sext, and nones! There is an entire pace to living whilst your sliding into a moment in history where tradition and ritual intersect and spirituality endeavours to give a calming balm to one’s day.

My Review of Citadel:

Oh, my oh dear my, such a delightful author who includes not only a full-on brilliant map to orientate the reader into the realm of the historical past she’s about to embark on visiting, but she is given an acute alacrity of the principal cast and characters in a proper pronouncement ahead of the beginning of Chapter I! Oh, my dear hearts, this reader was over the moon entranced by these short few pages,… wretched and jolted out of my reverie of an unsuspecting opening which would bring the level of brutality witnessed by survivors and members of resistance forces during World War II came startling into view as soon as I broached the Prologue. The recollections of my joyous heart can wait, the narrative cannot! I not merely ‘sense’ the urgency, I sense it! I am breathing it in with each drip of words formulating the paragraphs. A dire race is afoot and I am on the brink of understanding the fullness of its scope! The novel births unto the page with each delicate turnt page, words extending themselves into the edge-most sections of its published space; a murmuring echo of its story eager for the eyes of the reader to grasp its heart!

Mosse has a clever eye for evoking peripheral psychological hauntings of a world set askew by war. She invites you into the mind of her characters whilst they brace and bolt to live through a day of hell. Fraught with human anxiety and fears of what happens to those who are captured, the imagery is not a brutal one in totality but rather, a stark remembrance of the reality of being on the ground, running and scavenging for safety. I was quite startled to be pulled out of Southern France during World War II to arrive at the doorstop of AD 342, and yet, that is precisely where my timeclock registered me on the first page of Part I! I murmured to myself this might be a time slip, generational in-depth and millennia in scope!

Meeting Arinius as he made his journey to free the Codex text he believed to be absolute truth ahead of dipping into Sandrine’s world in 1942; the year she was eighteen, two years past her mother’s death was quite the unique place to enter both of their lives. Each were on the footfalls of reaching a new pathway in their lives which would transform their futures. Sandrine was not unlike her age of peers, where she was standing on the tipping stone of adulthood, eager to greet the morrow and make her way in life. She was thirsty for experience and for the sweetness of freedom outside the stagnant pattern of her days. Sandrine comes from an ethereal section of France, where murmurings of spirits and of divine knowledge echo out across the land and encroach on the open hearts and minds of those willing to listen.

I appreciated the symbolism of Sandrine’s thoughts being interwoven and threaded as a knitter’s skein of fiber! The observation is at the closing end of Chapter 7, but it simply warmed this knitty girl’s heart to see one of the clever turnt phrases to be a reflection of an interest held most dear! I can oft relate to how she felt; muddle yet unclear of the placement of the events and memories. Uncertain if memory is the fault or if memory is the key to understanding what happened. We can become caught up in ourselves to where we second guess our instincts and the intuition that is a constant guide.

Sandrine was still an innocent as her hometown of Carcassonne was evolving into a deadly sufferage of wills between those who first would commit harm to gain secrets within the arms of the war and those who would rally to bolster the shield around the innocents who died. Her older sister Marianne sheltered her younger sister too well, in not giving her the ability to see past the illusion of memory. Her spirit stirred and soared standing in the warming sea of voices raised high for the liberation of France. She was starting to put the pieces of the picture together, forming her own opinion where her life was leading her and how where she was living was all but directing its course. She was thrust into the throes of war without the foreknowledge to understand its intricacies. Yet. I mused if perhaps this was almost a better approach? To not be as self-aware at first in order to have the courage in the long-term to act without a thought for yourself but to act to protect and free people you might never know?

History has a unique way of imparting important acknowledgements out of the past, by finding the ways in which the words can travel through vessels of time. Words handed and passed down through generations, from family to stranger seeking a confidence of protection is one of the most reliable methods of keeping knowledge secret from eyes who would take the same words and twist them into harmful deeds. It’s how we as a society react and root out resilience in the face of our foremost dire fears and shake away the rootings of evil. Resistance from oppression and the strife of a regime bent against the welfare of the people is true courage lit aflame.

Sandrine, Marianne, their close friends, and French Resistant fighter Raoul are being shadowed by a thrilling chase against time. By the time my mind realised the full perimeter of the story, I was all but rushing to find my voice to shout-out a decree of bravery I was slowly losing sight of as I watched how their individual plights grew more dim. The hardest time in life to latch onto Hope is when every effort you make to walk out of the adversity you have lived through starts to unfold and uncoil around you. You fight as hard as you dare, you believe as willingly as you dream, but in the end, without the additional help of others acting on your behalf; you can find yourself truly alone betwixt a choice for flight, freedom, or the valor of saving lives.

Sandrine is an intuitive woman who was set apart from others; she could see past the veils of our reality and into the next life just beyond our focus. She was tuned into mystical truths which gave her a bolster of strength in the nanoseconds where her own inner resolve faltered. Her life was writ to be in service of others, and in of giving all of her mind, body, and soul to fighting for the sanctity of life, liberty, and freedom. Citadel is epic in scale, emotionally convicting, and powerfully written to leave you quite still at its conclusion retrospectively museful, and enlightened. Your heart shatters and aches in an indescribable way when you read the four sentences on page 673. With eyes too blurry and a heart too gutted to carry-on into the Epilogue.

Fly in the Ointment:

In this instance, it is more of a forewarning for a sensitive heart reading the book, as although I was quite thrilled to see Mosse tempering the harsh realities of war and giving us a proper sense of the danger, the blight, and the misery without fuller details which would make even a strong man gag; there are passages where naturally the narrative has to take a sharper intact of detail. Where the horrors of the war during World War II under the Nazi regime are represented for what they were and how they were elicited out through the ranks. Before I reached Chapter 14, I languished in the beauty of the words which felt like soft pebbles rather than hardened spikes of a war drama. I am not sure why, but Chapter 14 re-presented the reality for me, where Antoine is being tortured into submission. Except to say, Mosse holds back, she gives you the ease to breathe and to realise although your being led into one of the darkest corners of the past, inside history’s dark hours, you are going with a guide who respects what you can handle and the elements of which you cannot. And, how she maintains this balance between the evil darkness and the light is a credit to her as a story-teller.

The most sickening part though lies in the truth inside the torture for information: that there are certain people who feel that inflicting unimaginable pain is justified in the end if it yields a response they are searching to hear. Mosse gives you a lot to muddle over and ruminate about as this is a novel whose layers are half-hidden and seen throughout the action of where the story evolves into being. There is a greater message than a recollection of war-time horror, survival, and courage. We are never quite as alone as we fear we have been cast out from our protective spheres of love’s embrace. Always guided over and protected by the Ones we cannot see but sometimes can hear as our heart listens for the cues our eyes have forgotten to see.

In New York for US pre publication @WmMorrowBks. Found this on 10th Ave, so like stone angel in Citadel! A sign?! pic.twitter.com/KhUC705SQj

— Kate Mosse (@katemosse) February 18, 2014

Virtual Road Map for “Citadel” Blog Tour:

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

on my

A parting glimpse behind the esoteric elements of the Languedoc Trilogy:

Kate Mosse discusses Citadel, myths and fantasy via Orion Publishing

I must confess, I am always quite curious about how each of us selects which book we want to engage in. With Mosse, I feel as though I was always meant to be a reader of hers, but the timing hadn’t quite aligned for me to broach her writings until ‘this moment’ whilst I am participating on a blog book tour with France Book Tours! Do you ever find there is a particular time for you to soak into a narrative or an author? What do you think prompts the discovery to be a bit delayed from our initial moment of curiosity!? Also, have you read each of the Languedoc trilogy books as they released, or did you discover them out-of-order!? I’d be keen to hear your recollections and ruminations on behalf of either Citadel, Kate Mosse, or the trilogy! I do know, it will not be long from now before I am reading the first ‘two’ installments to have the richness of the tapestry expanded inside my mind!

{SOURCES: Cover art of “Citadel”, book synopsis, author photograph of Ms. Mosse, author biography, and the tour host badge were all provided by France Book Tours and used with permission. The book trailer by Orion Publishing had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2014 Chunkster Challenge

Posted Thursday, 20 March, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Films, Clever Turns of Phrase, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Fantasy Fiction, Feminine Heroism, Fly in the Ointment, France, France Book Tours, French Literature, French Resistance, Geographically Specific, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, Interviews Related to Content of Novel, The World Wars, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage

Blog Book Tour: Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder by George Steger

Posted Wednesday, 5 February, 2014 by jorielov George Steger, iUniverse, Sebastian's Way (The Pathfinder), The Sebastian Chronicles 0 Comments

Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder by George Steger

[Book One of The Sebastian Chronicles series]

[Book Two: Sebastian’s Will: The Torchbearer] releasing 2014

[Book Three: Sebastian’s World: The Gift Giver] releasing 2015

[PREQUEL: The Horse Master] releasing 2016

Read a full description of the Sebastian Chronicles series.

Author Connections: Facebook | Site | Blog

Converse on Twitter: #SebastiansWayTour & #Charlemagne

Published by: iUniverse, 3 October 2013 | Page Count: 370
Available Format: Softcover | E-book

Read an Excerpt of Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder from the authors site

Read an Excerpt of Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder from the authors blog

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a stop on “Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder” Virtual Book Tour, hosted by HFVBT, in which I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author George Steger in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Curiosity Inspired Reading:

Whilst watching an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? involving Cindy Crawford’s ancestry (Series 4, E6), I learnt far more about Charlemagne than I ever dared hope possible! And, the fact that Ms. Crawford is directly related to him was an unexpected joy in seeing revealed! Whomever made the ancestral chart for her which unfolded like an ancient scroll is a master of their craft and field! I would love to have one for my own heritage as a keepsake! Whilst she was first being given this ‘key’ (a rather unexpected key!) to her past, it was revealed that Charlemagne was not the man everyone presumed he was based on what they knew of his military career and tactics. That there was more to Charlemagne than the world realised and that she should feel honoured to have him in her line!

This episode reaffirmed how little I know about certain pockets of historical remnants of life-changing proportion. There are certain epochs of history where rulers and conquerors alike have quite literally changed our world view as much as the map in which the world alights! Charlemagne never felt tangible to become acquainted with given his arc of life to research. When I first learnt of the blog tour surrounding this particular book, I felt as though I was being given my own ‘key’ and ‘gift’ opening the door to history and to the man of whom very few understood on a personal level. My curiosity you see, led me to the story of Sebastian (a name I always have appreciated!) as a gateway into the world of Charlemagne!

Book Synopsis:

In a dark age of unending war and violence, one young warrior opposes a mighty king to forge a new path to peace…

During the savage Frankish-Saxon wars, the moving force of his age, Karl der Grosse, King Charlemagne, fights and rules like the pagan enemies he seeks to conquer. But in the long shadow of war and genocide, a spark of enlightenment grows, and the king turns to learned men to help him lead his empire to prosperity.

One of these men is the unlikely young warrior Sebastian. Raised in an isolated fortress on the wild Saxon border, Sebastian balances his time in the training yard with hours teaching himself to read, seeking answers to the great mysteries of life during an age when such pastimes were scorned by fighting men. Sebastian’s unique combination of skills endears him to Charlemagne and to the ladies of the king’s court, though the only woman to hold his heart is forbidden to him. As the king determines to surround himself with men who can both fight and think beyond the fighting, Sebastian becomes one of the privileged few to hold the king’s ear.

But the favor of the king does not come without a cost. As Charlemagne’s vassals grapple for power, there are some who will do anything to see Sebastian fall from grace, including his ruthless cousin Konrad, whose hatred and jealousy threaten to destroy everything Sebastian holds dear. And as Sebastian increasingly finds himself at odds with the king’s brutal methods of domination and vengeance, his ingrained sense of honor and integrity lead him to the edge of treason, perilously pitting himself against the most powerful man of his age.

This fast-paced adventure story brings Charlemagne’s realm to life as the vicious Christian-pagan wars of the eighth century decide the fate of Europe. Filled with action, intrigue, and romance, Sebastian’s Way is a riveting and colorful recreation of the world of Europe’s greatest medieval monarch.

Author Biography:

A native of Louisiana, the author followed a long tradition of young men from the Deep South by seeking to improve his prospects in the military. From a green second lieutenant in the famed 101st Airborne Division to battalion command in Vietnam, Colonel Steger spent most of the rest of his military career in four European tours as an intelligence officer and Russian foreign area specialist, working on both sides of the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. He traded sword for plowshare in a second career in academia and is now Professor Emeritus of history and international affairs at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas. The motivation to write Sebastian’s Way came from his experiences in both war and peace, from fourteen years in Germany and Eastern Europe, and from his love of teaching medieval and other European history courses.

Steger is an avid hiker and trail biker, and much of the story of Sebastian came out of time spent in the woods and fields of eastern Kansas. In memory of Mary Jo, his wife of many years, he and filmmaker son Ben spent a recent summer trekking across Spain on The Camino de Santiago, one of Europe’s oldest pilgrimage trails. He lives and writes in rural Kansas and has four other grown and gifted children.

For more information please visit George Steger’s website . You can also find him on Facebook.

Delving into 8th Centurion history:

I must confess, the very first page of this novel, begins by giving my impetus for reading the book: how would a ruler as heralded and ruthless as Charlemagne be turnt into a formidable man whose strength was not merely wielded from the bloodshed of his battles? To evolve through a change of mindset and heart by the influences of those closely tied to him in confidence is a story I felt had the merits of etching into the deepest forays of my mind!

Steger launches you into the very heart of the story, but eclipsing pleasantries and edging you right into the everyday ‘now’ of Sebastian’s life! If I weren’t sweltering in an early onset of Summer’s wrath, I’d be keen to have a Spring bolt electrifying thunderstorm outside my window to entertain the atmosphere I am drinking in by text! Although, I am always concerned whilst engaging into a tome of military history, I was pleasantly surprised that the tactical deviations are tempered by a sociological transcription of the age. I appreciated getting into the internal mind of the characters, both major and minor combined, as it allowed me to step through an invisible time portal. Given the distance is greater than 1,200 years between then and now, it’s the descriptive nature of Steger’s writing which gave the visceral experience more depth in meaning!

He even goes as far as to include proper entitlements for each chapter section, as well as giving a reader like me a fathering of a chance of catching on to the dilemma of Charlemagne’s relationship with Sebastian via a proper Prologue! I have always been a bit of a bookish geek in this one regard, where I simply adore inclusions such as these as they lay way to a sturdier foundation than most. Historicals which dip into the realm of biographical fiction, need to stand tall on the merits of the writer’s ability to divert one’s mind off where one sits as the book is read in order for the fuller effect to take. Steger has blissfully launched himself on a platform of quality story-telling interspersed with bang-on brilliant dialogue and narrative!

My Review of Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder

Whilst reading of the conditions of the siege and aftermath at Adalgray, it was in Steger’s description of Sebastian’s mother (Ermengard) which reflected back an image of a recent excursion on a nature trail whereupon I rather unexpectedly ‘found’ my errant flying red-shouldered hawk! The hawk had re-emerged on the opposite side of the cypress trees (as I had been walking in tandem at the water’s edge as the hawk had squawked from the upper boughs) settled rather stealthily on a branch with a crisp view of the world at large. I, however, was startled by the hawk’s piercing eyes and encompassing logic of place. Ermengard’s keen telling of her emotional state and of the situation at hand, reminded me of the hawk. Acutely aware and bold in tenacity to take-on what needs to be done!

I commend Steger’s cleverly bold descriptions of emotional angst which are a happy diversion from the general inclusion of more elicit language! I am thankful to see a writer champion the merits of a story, told through strong declarations of speech without having to wallow at a level that is not readily befit literature. His words ache and arch back to a time where thought was put before impulse, and where conversation was both hearty and logical. Likewise, there are only a flittering amount of grisly details which had I blinked would have missed completely! I was quite comfortable in his guiding hand as I dared myself the will to read each chapter with post-haste excitement to see what further revelations I could indulge in! A few page turns further, and I was bemused with the enlarging back-story of Charlemagne’s main nemesises!

To see Sebastian first as a grown man reformed in the knowledge of warfare attempt to sway a King’s mind towards diplomacy, I was thankful to be given the chance to see the passageways which led to his transformed heart. I am always keen on sociological understandings of a person’s psyche insofar as what attributes of their beliefs and ideals lead them to make the choices they endear throughout their lives. To understand how they absorb the tragedies around them and the horrors of living in an age in a consistent state of war is the better way of drawing out empathy and compassion for history. To understand rather than to presume and to be mindful of the time in which the men lived to counterbalance the knowledge of today. This is how Steger presents his hero to his audience, by engaging us in the lifepath of his character.

Heimdal proved to be Sebastian’s guiding light by speaking the truth in which Sebastian was at first blind to see. I had to speculate whilst I first was introduced to Heimdal, if its his direct influence which led Sebastian to be bold to think he could change Charlemagne’s heart as well. To open Charlemagne’s eyes to the truth of war and the truth of how man ought to endeavour to live. His counsel with Heimdal and a pivotal experience during the siege overtook Sebastian’s spirit and his resolve to seek a different solution that would run counter against convention. His humanity and his insight were blessings, but I would suspect at the time in whence he lived they would be viewed as weaknesses. Attalus on the other hand was the retired warrior who agreed for Sebastian to apprentice under him, to garnish his own bones of wisdom. Remnants of his advice were like orbs shining back on the opening Prologue. Attalus is a man who dimensionally has a keen place in Sebastian’s life as with Heimdal, those who teach us the most are generally the ones of whom cross our paths serendipitously!

Yet Heimdal and Attalus was only one of the men who encouraged Sebastian to see past what every warrior took as a mark of measure for a warrior’s life. He internally strove to circumvent the order of the day with the balance of a man of faithful mindfulness. Instead of accepting the reality his eyes would observe, he bolted himself to the idea that perhaps not every path towards succession of power was meant to be laced in blood. The barbaric camaraderie of the age was taxing on Sebastian, as he took no pleasure in the joy of a hunt or kill when it came to battling foe and enemy. He’d rather seek out a point of leverage or alternative course of action where lives could be spared but power could be restored. In many ways, my heart was with Sebastian as he struggled to find his footing both as a young lad and as a young man, who had strong shoes to fulfill from his father and uncle.

The Pathfinder is an apt sub-title acknowledging that Sebastian was meant for a greater purpose than merely taking up spear, lance, and arrow as a warrior. Seeking a path towards redemption for the loss of the soul’s of men he was directly or indirectly responsible for having shed, this installment garnishes a full respect of the years in which Sebastian was schooled and apprenticed. The proving grounds for how he would come to think and process the quick-step action of the battlefield and the ruminative thoughts which pulsed through him when he was taking an accord of a difference against King and country. Despite his stature, his greatest strength was forged in the pure belief that if a man worked hard and endeavoured to understand what he was first ignorant of; true progress could be reconciled.

In gratitude of Mr. Steger’s writing style:

I dare thought it might not be plausible to settle into a thick slice of historical suspense such as a story of Charlemagne, until I was given the chance to read Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder! A book which lives up to the virtues of historical fiction by etching into our mind’s eye the very inclinations and notions of the age in which Steger’s central figure lived and breathed. It was an age of boldness and an age of religious upheaval. The battle to control the power of the land and the power of the people was not forged through mediation. It was a time which bespoke more of war wounds and proven allegiances based on leadership in the field. To approach the narrative with a slight hesitation of what the context would reveal to me, gave me a bit of an edge once I was ensconced! My nerves melted with each word and paragraph I hungrily drank in to see where the author was taking me next. His ability to light the story from within the heart of the narrative itself is a gift.

One character who gave me a bit of a lasting impression, save Sebastian, was Attalus, and it wasn’t too far afield into the story where I surmised the author had a similar inkling! Attalus was a character who took me by complete surprise, and I am thankful I had the chance to meet him! And, the continuation of his story is one I long to consume!

I pray I shall have the chance to watch the evolution of the Sebastian’s story as the next volumes in this chronicle start to release! For each installment brings us closer to the fullness of Sebastian’s intuitive nudges of enlightened grace.

Virtual Road Map for

“Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder” Blog Tour:

Be sure to scope out
my Bookish Upcoming Events
to mark your calendars!!

As well as to see which events
I will be hosting with:

My second half of this showcase will be
my Author Interview with George Steger!

Reader Interactive Question:

I am quite curious, dear hearts, if you have read stories about Charlemagne prior to discovering this one, what drew your eye for Sebastian’s Way!? What is it about Charlemagne do you feel allows his popularity and his legacy to continue to be spotlighted in modern society? What role do you feel he plays in our conjoined history? Do you recommend other fiction or non-fiction accountments of his life? Which century or era do you readily drink in? What captures you the most?

{SOURCES: George Steger photograph & biography, Book Synopsis, and Book Cover were provided by HFVBT and were used by permission. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Posted Wednesday, 5 February, 2014 by jorielov in 8th Century, Anglo-Saxon History, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Charlemagne, Debut Novel, Feudal Europe, Frankish Warriors & Warfare, Geographically Specific, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Military Fiction, Sebastian

+Blog Book Tour+ A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith

Posted Wednesday, 22 January, 2014 by jorielov A Star for Mrs. Blake, Alfred A. Knopf, April Smith, DoubleDay, Random House Publishing Group 1 Comment

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith

Published By: Alfred A. Knopf,
an imprint of DoubleDay and part of Random House Publishing Group,
14 January 2014
Official Author Websites: Facebook | Twitter | Site
Converse on Twitter: #AStarForMrsBlake
OR Tweet @AprilSmithBooks
Available Formats: Hardback and E-Book
Page Count: 352

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a stop on “A Star for Mrs. Blake” Virtual Book Tour, hosted by TLC Book Tours in which I received a complimentary ARC direct from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

Apparently, 1929 was far more historic than I ever imagined possible!! My own family went through the collapse of the market, the death of my great grandmother’s beloved husband and the Depression, yet sadly few of the stories of that era were passed down! This is a unique chance for me to not only learn more about the late 20s, but to see how the lives of the mothers of fallen soldiers were knit together! Its a beautiful arc of a storyline! I am especially keen on the lives of military families, as not only are we honoured to have servicemen and women serve our country with such sacrificial hearts, but I have had members of my own family serve in different generations. Including a civilian grandfather, a Navy grandfather who went through Normandy & Japan, as well as a USO dancing & singing Aunt who kept the liveliness and joy alive and well on the dance floor! The endurance of great loss and the sympathies of those we may never know the full story of, knows no bounds. We are always blessed with a mirth of grace in acknowledging those who have walked before us and those who gave more than most. We are indebted to all who serve in the name of peace and goodwill.

There is a beautiful testament of Ms. Smith’s approach on writing on her website, whereupon she endeavours to explain to readers the motivation and the inspiration behind creating the stories you find in not only her novels, but all novels in which the writer left a piece of themselves behind!

I volunteer to give back to our deployed servicemen and women each chance I can, as a small measure of gratitude for how blessed I am for their service. I hope to extend my abilities to allow more men and women of the armed services know how loved and honoured they are by the families who might not have active heroes in their lives, but who cherish the ability to lift the spirits of those who do!

World War I | Mums of the Fallen Soldiers:

I smiled inwardly seeing the setting of Cora Blake’s story was set on an isolating island off the Coast of Maine! I instinctively knew a bit about what I would be finding inside as her story would be laid bare for all of us to absorb, resonate internally, and appreciate on such a deep level of sincerity. Mrs. Blake might be a fictional character in a story which draws a breath of clarity and light on living American Gold Star Mothers; but she is as real to me as though she were able to draw breath! Her determined spirit of plucky spunk doesn’t surprise me being she’s a Mainer! In Maine, there is a living code of not only seeking to appreciate life as its being lived, but to live well with what you have, and find the everyday joys to not only sustain you but to carry you forward through the adversities life is surely going to bring! I was most delighted in seeing the true “Maine spirit” threaded throughout the opening chapters, as Smith allows us this curious window of understanding Mainers from a singular focus of their lives turnt inward and reflective.

“They Shall Live” a clip of the documentary of American Gold Star Mothers
by They Shall Live

They not only make do and make good on what they have on hand, they have this determination inside their bones to not allow the worst of what life can bring to them hold them down for very long. I think it was the perfect metaphor of spirit to launch a story of the insurmountable strength it takes for all mothers of fallen soldiers to emerge out of the swallows of grief and realise that they not only have a heap of self-worth to give back to others’ but they can find honour and respect for their fallen children in the eyes of those of us who support them from afar. I am ever so thankful tonight to find that the organisation which led the World War I mothers to France to visit their sons graves is still very active in present day! What greater blessing than to be surrounded by other mothers who can directly understand the loss and the pain of having a child pass on from this world at such a young age. Grief is better when shared as it ebbs away the darkness and allows the light to be reflected back in. Memories which were once difficult to process and accept, I would imagine start to bubble back to life, drawing smiles and fierce hugs from all who listen. Everyone has a story to share, because each of us is writing our stories each day we live. We must not allow those stories of the soldiers become forgotten in the annals of time.

I am hopeful as this book gains momentum and exposure, it will alight into the hands of all the Mums who have given the greatest gift: their sons and daughters who elected to fight for our rights of freedom. They walked through their children’s service, fully equal to the emotions and the experiences, as Mums are always instinctively connected to their children. Let us give gratitude to their strength, their courage, and their ability to find each other to help others carry-on when they felt their grief would overtake their beings. Let us remember to shine our internal light on those who feel as though we are not even aware of their loss.

My Review of A Star for Mrs. Blake:

A Star for Mrs. Blake opens by introducing you to Mrs. Cora Blake, the mother of a soldier who died during World War I in France. She’s on the brink of having to decide what is the best resting place for her son,… France or America!? The resounding response deep within her is to allow him the freedom of choosing to lay to rest in the country and battlefield where he was attempting to keep everyone’s liberties and freedoms intact. He chose to be brave and to allow courage to help him forge through all doubt in order to serve in a war he may not survive. His Mum, Mrs. Blake is the cornerstone character who acts as a catalyst who brings everyone else together in her group of ‘pilgrims’ sponsored by the US government to give them a first class tour of Paris as well as the French countryside. It is through this hodgepodge group of women she develops a spontaneous sisterhood bond.

Mrs. Russell the proud Southern mama who doesn’t trust people easily, Kate the bold Irishwoman with the brooding family, and Minnie the Jewish lady who walked with a proud countenance. Then, there was the benefactor of the rail-line which brought Cora into Boston down from Bangor, Mrs. Olsen! Each of the women had a colourful family life as much as experiences to fill your ear over a hearty cuppa tea! The sad part is prior to boarding the ship setting sail for France, Mrs. Russell was mistaken for another Mrs. Russell and was forced to switch ships. Each of the mothers start to re-live different memories of their children, and of the prejudices they might have faced in life. The memories start to trigger and set-off moments of high-octane drama which starts to affect the tone of the trip. I knew at some point there would be a shift in the emotional keel, but some of the shiftings were brought on by secondary characters or bystanders.

In the backdrop, you have the men assigned to the whole affair itself, the military overseers who are worried the mothers and widows might not be able to handle the overseas crossing much less the rigors of the experience itself! I found the back-story of the planners to be a bit hysterical, as if a mother could find the courage to bury their sons ahead of their living years exulted, I do believe they had the strength necessary to carry them across the North Atlantic! Sometimes I think certain men do not realise how much women have to constantly dig in their heels and do things they may not foresee where their internal strength arises from but they can draw on it as though it is a life-force of its own.

As with most journeys that we find ourselves taking in life, it’s very rarely the destination which is the key component of our trip. As these women journey back to say a final farewell to their sons, it’s what they find inside themselves and in each other that has more of an effect on them personally. They weren’t expecting to live half a lifetime in their wanderings through France, but it’s within those wanderings greater truths started to emerge and come into the light. This is a story for anyone who has been touched by war and loss. For giving a voice to those who anguish over the tragedy as much as try to make peace with the dead. There are moments inside the story where Smith doesn’t shy away from the harsher realities each of her characters need to face head-on. She allows the reader to take the story as far as they are willing to go.

Style of Ms. Smith’s writing:

Smith is a screenwriter in her other life by day, where she knits together stories set to an entirely different pace than her mysteries of Ana Grey! She has the blessing of studying the craft of writing through different facets of integrity and design. Using a sharp lens of carving out the bits and bobbles of the human heart as she endears to convey the poetic narratives which bring A Star for Mrs. Blake fully to life! She allures you with the gentle gliding hand of walking alongside Mrs. Blake as she goes about her everyday joys and obstacles. You feel ‘inserted’ into her life as though you’ve become a participant rather than a mere observer, and for this, I credit to the styling of story-telling in which Smith has etched into the novel. This is one aspect of telling stories by screen and by motion pictures I can attest to having a deep appreciation and preference of passion! Throughout different blog posts I have alluded to my passion for motion pictures, as much as how my tweets of late (the past nine weeks!) have reinstated this fact quite keenly! There is the ability for a viewer to feel as though they have abandoned their own living reality and exchanged it out to live inside the shoes of a character they have only just become acquainted with… compelled to see, hear, feel, and visionalise everything the character is going through. In this way, motion pictures and novels are entwined together, because it’s the heart of a solidly constructed narrative in spilt words on a page that can wring out such a hearty connection to the reader as the screenwriter can bleed out our emotions by how the story evolves through the actors who perform.

A Star for Mrs. Blake is an uplifting narrative on how even during our greatest losses, we can overtake our fears and re-discover hidden joys in a life we felt we could never again be surprised with a smile of gladness! She even thought to include the adage of ‘going up to Portland’ rather than ‘down’ as Mainers give directions by road via the nautical ques of the sea! In direct reference to a passage which explains how you go ‘up’ in order to ‘go’ down in a southerly direction!

Inspired to Share:

To bring forward the extraordinary lives of those who serve and sacrifice and of whom are brought to the forefront of our minds throughout A Star for Mrs. Blake. This is a film of interviews and memories stitched together by heart and soul of the Mums who have lost their sons and daughters. They shine such a powerful light on the human condition towards enduring the unfathomable in order to see the light of the approachable. Those mothers who have found the American Gold Stars group, I can only imagine found new footing in being able to light small candles towards recognition of their children’s achievements as well as stirring a social conscience towards acceptance that for each battle we fight, there are losses who deserve to be known and held in thought. Secured in our resolute resolve to not merely carry-on but to live onwards through the dedicated service of those we shall never meet.

American Gold Star Mothers by Elizabeth Shaw

This post marks my first role as tour hostess with:

Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events to mark your calendars!!

{SOURCES: Cover art of “A Star for Mrs. Blake” as well as April Smith’s photograph, and the logo badge for TLC Book Tours were all provided by TLC Book Tours and used with permission. The clip of the documentary “They Shall Live” and the “American Gold Star Mothers” video had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Blog tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Posted Wednesday, 22 January, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, American Gold Star Mothers, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Films, Boston, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Documentary on Topic or Subject, France, Historical Fiction, Interviews Related to Content of Novel, Maine, Military Fiction, Mother-Son Relationships, New York City, The World Wars, TLC Book Tours

Genre: Military Fiction

Book Synopsis:

Praise on behalf of the novel:

Author Biography:

}: Book Synopsis :{

Book Synopsis:

Author Biography:

A Prelude to Citadel:

Virtual Road Map for “Citadel” Blog Tour:

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

Book Synopsis:

Author Biography:

Virtual Road Map for

“Sebastian’s Way: The Pathfinder” Blog Tour:

Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events to mark your calendars!!

As well as to see which events I will be hosting with:

My second half of this showcase will be my Author Interview with George Steger!

Inspired to Read:

World War I | Mums of the Fallen Soldiers:

My Review of A Star for Mrs. Blake:

Style of Ms. Smith’s writing:

Inspired to Share:

The “A Star for Mrs. Blake” Virtual Book Tour Roadmap:

Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events to mark your calendars!!

Be sure to scope out
my Bookish Upcoming Events
to mark your calendars!!

As well as to see which events
I will be hosting with:

My second half of this showcase will be
my Author Interview with George Steger!