Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Blog Book Tour | “A Song of War: A Novel of Troy” by Christian Cameron, Libbie Hawker, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Stephanie Thornton, SJA Turney, and Russell Whitfield

Posted Thursday, 3 November, 2016 by jorielov , , , , , , 0 Comments

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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! I received a complimentary ARC copy of “A Song of War” direct from the publisher Knight Media in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why this title interested me to read:

When it comes to Helen of Troy, the Trojan War and Greek Myths such as The Iliad, you could say I took an about-face course of action whenever these subjects were broached in school. I did not see a need to change that status until recently, when an opportunity to read an anthology collection based on the Trojan War appeared in my blog tour folder. I will say, the Trojan War fascinated me when I was younger (as I loved studying key moments in History; a budding History buff & appreciator of war dramas in fiction) however, it was Helen herself that keenly intrigued me. I wanted to take the discussion in school to a deeper level than the bare bone facts and trivia soundbites, but alas, my peers were not as keen as I was on that front, and thus, I grew bored. The trend for me is that once I turnt bored on a topic or subject in school, I simply tuned it out. Frustrating to my teachers but I was more vexed how tediously repetitive and superficial most discussions were and how ironic my classmates were never bored.

One of the reasons I love reviewing anthologies (previously I’ve spent more attention on seeking out Science Fiction, Fantasy and Cosy Horror anthologies!) is the nature of how you get the proper chance to ‘meet’ multiple authors, or renew interest in ones you already know and appreciate. Sometimes it’s a mix of the two, if you read successive anthologies and find the same authors are represented and/or if in this instance, you find the happy surprise of a historical author you appreciate is included (for me, this would be Stephanie Thornton).

I approach reviewing anthologies differently than novels – for me, it’s seeking out the stories contained in the anthology that garnished the most connection to the context, character and timescape. If this were SF/F/H I would also be focused on the layering of thematic or the depth of the world-building. With my readings of Troy, I was looking for the aesthetics of the era, the general cohesiveness of how the time was represented and of course, the clarity shining through the point-of-view of the lead and supporting characters.

The best part of anthologies is never knowing how many of the stories you’ll feel wholly enthused about reading nor which story stands out in the end. It’s like a grab bag of literary gold – each story has the chance to touch your heart and imagination – but will it?! And, if so, why!? I also like reading biographies or Appendixes in anthologies – my ARC copy included Author Notes but was re-missive on the Introduction by Glyn Iliffe. Thankfully I let my fingers do the walking and I found it included in the “behind the book” preview on Amazon. The blessing for me, it was only a short paragraph and not a few pages, as reading length digitally is not something I can do.

Imagine then, my wicked joy in descending into this historical anthology – dearly curious on my own behalf of which author would etch such a strong impression as to leave me even more full of wonder about the Trojans, Helen and a period of history that still paints a fever pitch of interest in today’s modern literary world.

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Blog Book Tour | “A Song of War: A Novel of Troy” by Christian Cameron, Libbie Hawker, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Stephanie Thornton, SJA Turney, and Russell WhitfieldA Song of War
Subtitle: A Novel of Troy

Troy: city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, haven of the god-born and the lucky, a city destined to last a thousand years. But the Fates have other plans—the Fates, and a woman named Helen. In the shadow of Troy’s gates, all must be reborn in the greatest war of the ancient world: slaves and queens, heroes and cowards, seers and kings . . . and these are their stories.

A young princess and an embittered prince join forces to prevent a fatal elopement.

A tormented seeress challenges the gods themselves to save her city from the impending disaster.

A tragedy-haunted king battles private demons and envious rivals as the siege grinds on.

A captured slave girl seizes the reins of her future as two mighty heroes meet in an epic duel.

A grizzled archer and a desperate Amazon risk their lives to avenge their dead.

A trickster conceives the greatest trick of all.

A goddess’ son battles to save the spirit of Troy even as the walls are breached in fire and blood.

Seven authors bring to life the epic tale of the Trojan War: its heroes, its villains, its survivors, its dead. Who will lie forgotten in the embers, and who will rise to shape the bloody dawn of a new age?


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ISBN: 9781536931853

on 18th October, 2016

Pages: 483

Originally Published By: Knight Media
Available Formats: Paperback

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Thursday, 3 November, 2016 by jorielov in 12th Century BC, Ancient Civilisation, Ancient Greece, Andromache (Hector's wife) of Troy, Anthology Collection of Stories, ARC | Galley Copy, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Brothers and Sisters, Equality In Literature, Feminine Heroism, Gods & Goddesses, Greek Mythology, Hector of Troy, Helen of Troy, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Indie Author, Inspired By Author OR Book, Military Fiction, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Paris of Troy, Prejudicial Bullying & Non-Tolerance, Re-Told Tales, Short Stories or Essays, Siblings, The Bronze Age (Trojan War era), Twin Siblings, Vulgarity in Literature, War Drama, Warfare & Power Realignment, Women of Power & Rule

Blog Book Tour | “Sketching Character” (A #JaneAusten Inspired Novel) by Pamela Lynne A story that delighted me outright as being the perfect companion to my beloved “Pride and Prejudice”!

Posted Friday, 14 October, 2016 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review 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! I received a complimentary copy of “Sketching Character” direct from the author Pamela Lynne 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

Why I am returning to reading Jane Austen this Autumn & Winter:

I have been wanting to read more Jane Austen since I first launched Jorie Loves A Story (August, 2013) whereupon I finally had a blog in order to participate in #AustenInAugust hosted by Roof Beam Reader. However, in the three short years since that particular August, I have found August to be thwarted with woes or other little unexpected surprises (i.e. extreme lightning storms being one of those lovelies) to where I never could quite pull together all the joys I had in yearning to read more Jane Austen! I had a few close calls – where I read a bit more Austen than I had in the past, but as a whole, I remain faithfully curious about what I shall find in Ms Austen’s novels rather than having become a reader whose devoured her titles each in it’s own turn!

As I am going through a bit of a Renaissance this last quarter of 2016, I decided to pre-plan what I wanted to read as Autumn yields to Winter – settling on two authors of Classical Literature (Charlotte Bronté will be read alongside Austen) I have a fever of excitement about reading post haste! I even sorted out which of Austen’s novels I want to begin to read this December & January – whilst owning to the joy of finding a blog tour in October which highlights an after canon writer – Ms Pamela Lynne, of whom, I nearly did not think I’d find a good fit for me to read, as her approach isn’t always one that I think I’d appreciate reading personally.

I nearly passed on this blog tour – nearly missing this lovely to read – until I happily came across the blog Austeneque Reviews, of whom was blessedly open & honest about what you’d find inside Pamela Lynne’s after canons for Jane Austen! This is the review that gave me the most delight in reading – sensing in that moment, I might have found a novel I’d quite cherish for having ‘met’. Reason being, I have the tendency of being a purist when it comes to after canons, sequels & re-tellings; I don’t mind the odd stroke of loveliness if an author takes their own method of entry into a fairy tale or a classical canon, but I’m quite particular about which of those I’m willing to accept as when it comes to Jane Austen or Sherlock Holmes (for example) I happen to love seeing how the baseline of the story can be fleshed out differently but the characters, setting and ambiance of what was originally created kept in pace with the new version. Ergo, for me personally I wouldn’t want to find anything too steamy or overly romantic in an Austen sequel novel! When I read this one review, I felt Ms Lynne had written a sequel that I’d truly love curling up inside and watching where she took Lizzie & Darcy. To me that’s the best revelation to find ahead of reading one of these – a measure of expectation that simply takes you for a wicked sweet reading!

Beginning a renewal of interest on my behalf to not only continue to seek out after canon literature but to focus directly on the Classics I compiled when I first joined The Classics Club – of which I hope by years end 2017 has a lot of “read” notices rather than an absence of activity, such as it has right now! I love the setting of Austen’s novels and the manner in which she treated social commentary; it will be a delight to re-alight inside those selections I made so long ago during #AustenInAugust whilst continuing forward anew and motivated to finish my readings of her collection works. Sometimes I find, an after canon author has a way of re-inspiring me to pick up the books I’ve left untouched for a bit too long,… here I refer to Luccia Gray of whom has inspired me back inside “Jane Eyre”. I find Bronté and Austen walk hand in hand when it comes to my own personal readerly habits.

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Blog Book Tour | “Sketching Character” (A #JaneAusten Inspired Novel) by Pamela Lynne A story that delighted me outright as being the perfect companion to my beloved “Pride and Prejudice”!Sketching Character
Subtitle: A Jane Austen Inspired Novel

What if a tragic event involving a beloved sister shatters Elizabeth Bennet’s confidence in her ability to accurately judge a person’s character? When she leaves Longbourn for Kent, Elizabeth’s heart is full of worry for those she left behind. She carries a secret that would ruin her family if exposed and she must deceive the ones closest to her to conceal the truth.

She unexpectedly encounters Mr. Darcy on her journey and his gentlemanly behavior confuses, yet comforts her. Their daily encounters in the woods surrounding Rosings soothes Elizabeth’s weathered conscience and she soon falls in love. Her doubts, along with the well-placed words of another, threaten to destroy the peace she finds in Darcy’s company and she wonders if she has again failed to correctly sketch his character.

When the truth behind her deception is uncovered, will Darcy shun her as Elizabeth fears, or will his actions prove that he is the very best of men?


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ISBN: 9781515238607

on 29th September, 2015

Pages: 296

Published By: Vanity & Pride Press (@VPPressNovels)

The Jane Austen Inspired Novels of Pamela Lynne:

Dearest Friends by Pamela LynneSketching Character by Pamela LynneFamily Portraits by Pamela Lynne

Book Synopsis of Dearest Friends | Synopsis of Family Portraits

From what I can gather, Family Portraits is directly linked to Dearest Friends whereas Sketching Character is separate of both.

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic & #HFVBTBlogTour
Available Formats: Paperback and E-Book

About Pamela Lynne

Pamela Lynne grew up in the American South, surrounded by Southern Gothic works by Faulkner, O’Connor and the like. These authors helped shape her evolving mind and continue to influence everything she produces as an adult. It was a Regency-era wit from across the Atlantic, however, who seeped into her being.

She often describes her developing years as “Longbourn, The White Trash Version,” and credits Jane Austen for what little sense she brought away from that time. She has met her share of Willoughbys and Wickhams, Bingleys and Tilneys, and writes about them all.

Pamela currently lives among the rolling hills of Tennessee with her husband of more than a decade, three kids, two cats and one very blond dog. She is still a Marianne hoping to grow into Elinor, or Clairee from Steel Magnolias.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Friday, 14 October, 2016 by jorielov in After the Canon, Blog Tour Host, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inspired By Author OR Book, Jane Austen Sequel, Pride & Prejudice Re-telling, Romance Fiction

Blog Book Tour | “Dido’s Crown” by Julie K. Rose

Posted Friday, 7 October, 2016 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review 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! I received a complimentary copy of “Dido’s Crown” direct from the author Julie K. Rose 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

Blog Book Tour | “Dido’s Crown” by Julie K. RoseDido's Crown

Set in Tunisia and France in 1935, Dido’s Crown is a taut literary-historical adventure influenced by Indiana Jones, The Thin Man, and John le Carré.

Mary Wilson MacPherson has always been adept at putting the past behind her: her father’s death, her sister’s disappearance, and her complicated relationship with childhood friends Tom and Will. But that all changes when, traveling to North Africa on business for her husband, Mary meets a handsome French-Tunisian trader who holds a mysterious package her husband has purchased — a package which has drawn the interest not only of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, but the Nazis as well.

When Tom and Will arrive in Tunisia, Mary suddenly finds herself on a race across the mesmerizing and ever-changing landscapes of the country, to the shores of southern France, and all across the wide blue Mediterranean. Despite her best efforts at distancing herself from her husband’s world, Mary has become embroiled in a mystery that could threaten not only Tunisian and British security in the dangerous political landscape of 1935, but Mary’s beliefs about her past and the security of her own future.


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ISBN: 9781365316333

on 29th September, 2016

Pages: 340

Published By: Self Published Author

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic & #HFVBTBlogTour
Available Formats: Paperback and E-Book

About Julie K. Rose

Julie K. Rose

A member of the Historical Novel Society and former reviewer for the Historical Novels Review, Julie lives in the Bay Area with her husband and rescue cats, and loves reading, following the San Francisco Giants, and enjoying the amazing natural beauty of Northern California.

Her forthcoming historical adventure novel, Dido’s Crown, will be released in September 2016.

Oleanna, short-listed for finalists in the 2011 Faulkner-Wisdom literary competition, is her second novel. The Pilgrim Glass, a finalist in the 2005 Faulkner-Wisdom competition and semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, was published in 2010.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Friday, 7 October, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inheritance & Identity, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense

Blog Book Tour | “The Duke’s Last Hunt” by Rosanne E. Lortz Jorie happily returns to the Regency, the era she initially beloved for reading Rom!

Posted Saturday, 10 September, 2016 by jorielov , , , , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review 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! I received a complimentary copy of “The Duke’s Last Hunt” direct from the publisher Madison Street Publishing 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

I have had a penchant for the Regency for all of my life:

When I was a young girl of nine, I became positively enraptured by the stories of both the Regency and Victorian eras of England! A passion for Rom developed and quite naturally I felt wholly entrenched inside both eras! So much so, I regularly sought them out! Including the special edition Christmas Regency novella collections such as the ones featuring Mary Jo Putney (of The Word Wenches; a blog I love reading!) Throughout my readerly life, the Regency has attracted me not only for the chivalry and the manners involved in courtship, but for the arc of how a Romance can be told in a historical setting with in-bred social norms which are wicked strict for men and women!

Layer in the country vs the city (or ‘the towne’ as off London was referred) settings, the backdrops of the fashion and the coquettish of the chase during the infamous London Season, and you find all the delights of a Rom Comedy or Drama depending on the author’s preferences! I liked how some of the girls were either besotted by the blokes or completely averse to the whole situation; others as said played the ‘coquette’ flirtatious card or chose to feel doomed in their pursuit of a suitable husband! Others oft-times completely struck out on their own – re-defining how a woman could step forward out of girlhood and take-on a different approach to living once she was of age. Either way you slice it, there was always something wickedly entertaining about reading a story set during this timescape! Even Jane Austen found everyday humour in the contemporary norms of her day, yet the Regency is such a full step removed from our own living reality, the indulgences of a Regency novel affords a brilliantly enjoyable read! Especially if you have a questionable dowry, an unknown parentage (ooh my!), or were turnt away from a suitable match during your 1st or 2nd or successive ‘Seasons’!

I was first introduced to this publisher via a conversation I had with one of their authors Scott D. Southard about his novel A Jane Austen Daydream. At the time, print copies were not available and this is why I had leapt at a chance to read this one! I have been so very curious about this publisher for two solid years! I still very much intend to read A Jane Austen Daydream (despite appearances to the contrary!), it is simply I haven’t been able to focus on Classical Lit or their after canons for quite a long while. A trend I am determined to break this September by continuing to read Jane Eyre whilst getting set for some wicked sweet Austen readings lateron before the close of 2016!

When I realised this was a Rom Suspense (#RomSusp) for the Regency, I was most intrigued! I have already realised I fancy the mysteries by Lauren Willig in her Pink Carnation series (which starts off being quite the light read before it turns more serious (her words, I’m still in the beginning novels!) – I used to love visiting the author on her blog where she would reveal so very much to her readers!) I generally had only focused on the traditional Regency Roms, but I must confess, if I can find a wicked told Mystery, I’m a reader whose thoroughly entertained! Thus, this felt like a new direction of focus I could seek out within the Regencies I already knew I fancied! I wonder if others are more confined by the tradition of a Regency Rom and/or are as adventurous as I am whilst finding new authors who delight them with their yesteryear stories!?

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Blog Book Tour | “The Duke’s Last Hunt” by Rosanne E. Lortz Jorie happily returns to the Regency, the era she initially beloved for reading Rom!The Duke's Last Hunt
Subtitle: A Novel of Romantic Suspense
by Rosanne E. Lortz
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

With her third London season drawing to a close, the shy Eliza Malcolm seems unlikely to find any husband, let alone a titled one. But when the hunting-crazed Duke of Brockenhurst invites the Malcolms to visit Harrowhaven, Eliza’s father jumps at the chance to gain a wealthy son-in-law. Surrounded by quarreling parents, tactless acquaintances, the aloof dowager, and the unsettling duke, Eliza looks for one person kind enough to help her navigate the murky waters of Harrowhaven’s secrets….

Estranged from his brother the duke, Henry Rowland only planned to visit Harrowhaven for the afternoon, but after meeting his brother’s intended, his designs are overthrown. As misfortune strikes Harrowhaven, Jacob Pevensey is called in to investigate. Henry learns that the only way to safeguard Eliza Malcolm’s happiness is to face the past he has been running from for ten long years.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



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ISBN: 9780996264839

Also in this series: To Wed an Heiress, A Duel for Christmas, A Duel for Christmas


Published by Madison Street Publishing

on 1st September, 2016

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 348

Published By: Madison Street Publishing (@MStPublishing)

The author’s first Regency was To Wed an Heiress | Synopsis

*UPDATE: October, 2018 – this became the series: Pevensey Mysteries

Converse via: #HistoricalRom, #HistoricalSuspense, #Regency, #RomSusp
Available Formats: Paperback and E-Book

About Rosanne E. Lortz

Rosanne E. Lortz

Rosanne E. Lortz (“Rose”) is a history lover, a book addict, a mom to four boys, and a native of Portland, Oregon. When she’s not writing, she teaches Latin and English composition and works as an editor at Madison Street Publishing.

Rosanne’s works include I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince, Road from the West: Book I of the Chronicles of Tancred, The Life and Death of Saint Thomas Becket: Type of Paul, Type of Peter, Type of Christ, Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors (Vol 1 & 2), To Wed an Heiress, and the newly published The Duke’s Last Hunt.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Saturday, 10 September, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, ARC | Galley Copy, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Castles & Estates, Clever Turns of Phrase, Deception Before Matrimony, England, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inheritance & Identity, London, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, the Regency era

Blog Book Tour | “The Secret Language of Stones” (Book No.2 of Daughters of La Lune series) by M.J. Rose

Posted Wednesday, 10 August, 2016 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review 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! I received a complimentary copy of “The Secret Language of Stones” direct from the publisher Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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On why I wanted to continue reading the Daughters of La Lune:

I previously hosted Ms Rose during her blog tour for The Collector of Dying Breaths, whereupon I also interviewed her for the same tour. I had a fascination inside me about the Reincarnationist series, but it ended up my heart was attached quite dearly to the second trilogy making up the volumes of: The Book of Lost Fragrances, Seduction, and The Collector of Dying Breaths. I went into details about this on my previous M.J. Rose book review, but what intrigued me about returning into her next novel is how it was set to life in Paris itself.

The layers she knitted into the story to encourage a back-drop of suspense mixing inside Gothic Lit undertones and the possessiveness of a long-dead master of darkness, was imploring as I wanted to see how this story would balance most of what I’ve come to love inside an M.J. Rose novel! I was thinking this was in-part a departure from her Reincarnationist series as much as an extension of the passionate drive her characters have for not only their pursuit of joy but their pursuit of how to live their lives without the attachments which might not allow them to live as freely as their soul desires. Rose tends to write convicting fiction where her characters are seeking ‘something’ in relation to who they are at their innermost core whilst giving the reader a depth of back-story to soak inside whilst the characters thrive through the journey they undertake. – as related on my review of The Witch of Painted Sorrows

I have become quite intrigued by Ms Rose’s style for crafting her stories through sensory awareness, as I also made a footnote about on my review for The Witch of Painted Sorrows, stated as follows:

Rose has a spirit about the writer’s craft in her novels, I appreciate the touches of prose she stitches inside them because she wants you to be sensory aware of each key moment that triggers a deepening connection of ‘time and place’ for her characters. I noticed this in The Collector’s of Dying Breaths as much as I have inside The Witch of Painted Sorrows; as she endeavours to have you carried through what is nearly tangible by taste, smell, and a sixth sense attribute.

It isn’t so much that your merely reading an MJ Rose novel, your experiencing the full breadth of what she’s etching into the background of the story itself. Providing you with a portal of intrigue which defies time and catapults you through history’s mirrored door. I was quite spellbound by the first Daughters of La Lune novel and I have been eagerly awaiting the sequel, to see where Ms Rose is going to further takes us throughout the trilogy!

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Blog Book Tour | “The Secret Language of Stones” (Book No.2 of Daughters of La Lune series) by M.J. RoseThe Secret Language of Stones
by M.J. Rose
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M.J. Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel The Witch of Painted Sorrows.

Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk, widows now wander alone.

So it is from La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that young, ambitious Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is a word Opaline would rather not use. The concept is too closely associated with her mother Sandrine, who practices the dark arts passed down from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’s most famous courtesans.

But Opaline does have a rare gift even she can’t deny, a form of lithomancy that allows her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair, enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to her.

So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel, where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to discover the fate of her family. Full of romance, seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, The Secret Language of Stones is yet another “spellbindingly haunting” (Suspense magazine), “entrancing read that will long be savored” (Library Journal, starred review).

Genres: Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, War Drama



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ISBN: 9781476778099

Also by this author: The Collector of Dying Breaths, The Witch of Painted Sorrows

Series: The Daughters of La Lune


Also in this series: The Witch of Painted Sorrows


Published by Atria Books

on 19th July, 2016

Format: Hardcover Edition

Pages: 320

Published By: Atria ()
{imprint of} Simon & Schuster (

Converse via: #DaughtersOfLaLune, #SecretLanguageOfStones & #MJRose
Available Formats: Hardback and E-Book

About M.J. Rose

M.J. Rose

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed.

She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice…books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

(Biography updated August 2016)

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Wednesday, 10 August, 2016 by jorielov in 20th Century, Art, Blog Tour Host, Crime Fiction, During WWI, Earthen Magic, France, Ghost Story, Gothic Literature, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Historical Thriller Suspense, Jewelry & Jewelry Design, Mediums & Clairvoyants, Multi-Generational Saga, Parapsychological Gifts, Parapsychological Suspense, Premonition-Precognitive Visions, Psychological Suspense, Supernatural Fiction, The World Wars, War Drama