About the Author: 
The Gilded Cage by Judy AlterPublication: April 2016
eBook & Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction
Born to a society and a life of privilege, Bertha Honoré married Potter Palmer, a wealthy entrepreneur who called her Cissy. Neither dreamed the direction the other’s life would take. He built the Palmer House Hotel, still famed today, and become one of the major robber barons of the city, giving generously to causes of which he approved. She put philanthropy into deeds, going into shanty neighborhoods, inviting factory girls to her home, working at Jane Addams’ settlement Hull House, supporting women’s causes.
It was a time of tremendous change and conflict in Chicago as the city struggled to put its swamp-water beginnings behind it and become a leading urban center. A time of the Great Fire of 1871, the Haymarket Riots, and the triumph of the Columbian Exposition. Potter and Cissy handled these events in diverse ways. Fascinating characters people these pages along with Potter and Cissy—Carter Harrison, frequent mayor of the city; Harry Collins, determined to be a loser; Henry Honoré, torn between loyalties to the South and North; Daniel Burnham, architect of the new Chicago—and many others.
The Gilded Cage is a fictional exploration of the lives of these people and of the Gilded Age in Chicago history.
“The Gilded Cage is a wonderful recreation of early Chicago and the people who made it what it is. Central character Cissy Palmer is a three-dimensional, real, vibrant person. The Gilded Cage is fiction, but firmly based on fact—the Chicago Fire, the prisoners from the War Between the States interred in Chicago, the newcomer Potter Palmer, the explosive growth of wealth in a prairie town, deep poverty adjacent to great riches—the American experience laid bare. You don’t have to be a Chicagoan to love this book.” -Barbara D’Amato, author of Other Eyes

About the AuthorJudy Alter is the award winning author of fiction for adults and young adults. Other historical fiction includes Libbie, the story of Elizabeth Bacon (Mrs. George Armstrong) Custer; Jessie, the story of Jessie Benton Frémont and her explorer / miner / entrepreneur / soldier / politician husband; Cherokee Rose, a novel loosely based on the life of the first cowgirl roper to ride in Wild West shows; and Sundance, Butch and Me, the adventures of Etta Place and the Hole in the Wall Gang.
For more information visit Judy Alter’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
War and Me by M.A. WoodPublication Date: September 26, 2013
eBook; 200 Pages
ASIN: B00FGJLG08
Genre: Young Adult/Historical Fiction/Romance


Flying model airplanes isn’t cool, not for fifteen-year-old girls in the 1940’s. No one understands Julianna’s love of flying model airplanes but her dad. When he leaves to fly bomber planes in Europe forcing Julianna to deal with her mother’s growing depression alone, she feels abandoned until she meets Ben, the new boy in town. But when he signs up for the war, too, she has to consider whether letting her first love drift away would be far easier than waiting for the next casualties.

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Amazon US | Amazon UK

About the Author:

Marcy Blesy is the author of several middle grade, young adult, and new adult novels and short stories. Her picture book, Am I Like My Daddy?, helps children who experienced the loss of a parent when they were much younger. She has also been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul books as well as various newspapers and magazines. By day she runs an elementary school library and enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys.
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Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it. She likes to connect with her readers via twitter (@marcyblesy), email (mablesy(at)yahoo.com), or her blog(www.marcyblesy.com).

About the Book: 

Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton 
(The Orion Circle #2) 
Publication date: October 25th 2015
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

It’s a child’s toy—what could go wrong?While playing with a spirit board, two sorority sisters summon the vindictive spirits of three women brutally murdered by a psychopath. Join Logan, Kacie, and the rest of the Orion Circle as they delve into the disturbing events of the past to find the key to freeing the spirits.

But this isn’t any ordinary haunting.  These ghosts were banished before, and now they have returned more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Anger breeds hatred and hatred leads to darkness—these phantoms are on the verge of losing their last spark of humanity and becoming completely lost to the shadows.
Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?


Review:
Kaci is a high school student with special powers, as part of the Orion Circle, she and her classmates help people with their paranormal problems.  When a college sorority decides to play with a spirit board, the Sisters unknowingly release three deceased Sisters that were brutally murdered in the house years ago.  Bent on wreaking havoc, destructions and seeking revenge for how they passed, the three spirits quickly destroy the house and scare the occupants.  The Orion Circle is called in to rid the house of spirits.  When they arrive, they realize that these aren't ordinary ghosts, they are exceptionally strong and angry. Kacie, Logan, Daniel and the rest of the Orion Circle have to combine all of their talents in order to help these spirits move on.

I loved the first book of the Orion Circle and Twisted Sisters  kept up the intrigue, horror and excitement.  These books are fit for the Young Adult audience, but entertaining even for adults.  I enjoyed seeing Kaci grow as a person and overcome fears that were both paranormal and in real life.  Some of the best drama provided was the general high school antics.  The ghosts and their backstory was wonderfully intricate and terrifying.  I liked how the entire Orion Circle team really worked together and used their different talents to help these spirits.  Another great Orion Circle installment, I can't wait for more!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26126404-twisted-sisters

Purchase: 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Sisters-Orion-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B01772P33M/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twisted-sisters-kimber-leigh-wheaton/1123093076?ean=9780990402664

Purchase book 1:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tortured-Souls-Orion-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B00LDWTU8W/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tortured-souls-kimber-leigh-wheaton/1120140230?ean=9780990402619

About the Author: 
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Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers as well as select indie authors. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award at the BTS Red Carpet Awards in NOLA.
 
Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/URgwH
 
Author Links:
http://www.kimberleighwheaton.com
https://twitter.com/Cymberle
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7885752.Kimber_Leigh_Wheaton
https://www.facebook.com/KimberLeighWheaton
http://www.pinterest.com/Cymberle
http://www.amazon.com/Kimber-Leigh-Wheaton/e/B00IN498L2/
https://instagram.com/kimberleighwheaton/

About Free Men

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper (February 16, 2016)
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In 1788 three men converge in the southern woods of what is now Alabama: Cat, an emotionally scarred white man; Bob, a garrulous black man fleeing slavery; and Istillicha, who seeks retribution after being edged out of his Creek town’s leadership.
In the few days they spend together, the makeshift trio commits a shocking murder that soon has the forces of the law bearing down upon them. Sent to pick up their trail, a probing French tracker named Le Clerc must decide which has a greater claim: swift justice or his own curiosity about how three such disparate, desperate men could act in unison.
Katy Simpson Smith skillfully brings into focus men whose lives are both catastrophic and full of hope—and illuminates the beating heart of a new America. A captivating exploration of how four men grapple with the importance of family, the stain of guilt, and the competing forces of power, love, race, and freedom.


Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble




Review: 
Three men find an unusual friendship during a trying time in America’s history.  In 1788, what is now Alabama an escaped slave, a Creek Indian and a wayward white man come together to travel for a few days and end up committing a murder. Tracking them is a Frenchman named Le Clerc; Le Clerc is sent by the law, but would rather satisfy his curiosity of why these men are traveling so amicably together.  

I love that this story was imagined from a tiny piece of early American history where three men with the names of Bob, Cat and Istillicha committed a crime along the now named Murder Creek.  This was an intricate look into the lives of three desperate men from three very different social classes that find that they are not so different.  All three men are running from something and are able to find peace within one another’s understanding.  Each man’s story unfolds slowly as the author weaves through their current journey and their backstory.   I personally fell for Cat’s story the hardest, his story was gripping and heartfelt and he seemed to be the most damaged.  His revelations and friendships with the others seemed to be the most inspiring. Le Clerc was another surprising character, although sent to capture them; he was truly interested in what brought these men together.  Free Men offered an intense, emotional and unique look into well-developed characters.
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About Katy Simpson Smith
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Katy Simpson Smith is the author of a study of early American motherhood, We Have Raised All of You: Motherhood in the South, 1750-1835, and a novel, The Story of Land and Sea. She lives in New Orleans.

Connect with Katy Simpson Smith through her website.

About the Book: 
The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia by C.W. GortnerPublication Date: February 9, 2016
Ballantine Books
Hardcover, Ebook, Audiobook
400 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction


Infamy is no accident. It is a poison in our blood. It is the price of being a Borgia.
Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty’s ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?
With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, the new pope’s illegitimate children—his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia—assume an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family’s fortunes. But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment’s notice as Italy’s ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia’s father faces challenges from all sides, he’s obliged to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.
Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia’s coming-of-age in her own voice—a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same, and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Praise
“Assiduously researched and expertly crafted . . . . This unholy plunge into Rome’s darkest dynasty is wholly engrossing.” – Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author
“A spider web of Renaissance intrigue with a legendary cast . . . Impressive research, a lush background, and deft characterization make for a fascinating read.” – Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author
“Elegantly written and deeply researched . . . Renaissance Italy is vividly brought to life. I’m captivated by this knowledgeable author’s take on the controversial Borgias.” – Alison Weir, NYT bestselling author

About the Author
C.W. GORTNER holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.
After an eleven year-long career in fashion, during which he worked as a vintage retail buyer, freelance publicist, and fashion show coordinator, C.W. devoted the next twelve years to the public health sector. In 2012, he became a full-time writer following the international success of his novels.
In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard at Hampton Court, learned about organic gardening at Chenoceaux, and spent a chilly night in a ruined Spanish castle. His books have garnered widespread acclaim and been translated into twenty-one languages to date, with over 400,000 copies sold. A sought-after public speaker. C.W. has given keynote addresses at writer conferences in the US and abroad. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights, in particular companion animal rescue to reduce shelter overcrowding.
Half-Spanish by birth and raised in southern Spain, C.W. now lives in Northern California with his partner and two very spoiled rescue cats.
For more information visit C.W. Gortner’s website and blog. You can also find him on Facebook, Twittter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and YouTube. Sign up for C.W. Gortner’s Newsletter for updates.

About the Book: 
America is not yet at war, but the country is preparing for it. And it is essential that this remain secret.
June 1941: Ruth Corey is puzzled by the attractive, enigmatic Italian-American civilian contractor, Frank Long, who is staying at her family’s hotel in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Serious and reserved, he is nothing like the friendly, outgoing British and Canadian servicemen she knows. Nor, she discovers, does he even use his real surname.
War is a time of alliances and secrets. The biggest secret in the county is the construction of an American flying boat base outside Irvinestown. Since their country is not at war, the American contractors must conceal the building project. America’s neutrality will be destroyed if Germany discovers its existence.
Ambitious local reporter, and Ruth’s almost fiancé, Harry Coalter is consumed with curiosity about the new American airbase. But why? When Ruth finds a letter Harry has written about the flying boat base she fears he is pursuing a path that will land him in serious trouble. She enlists Frank’s help to stop Harry from making a terrible mistake.
Can Ruth safeguard a military secret that will have a profound impact on the course of the war and protect her beau?
A tale for fans of Annie Murray, Ellie Dean and Margaret Dickinson.
The Yankee Years series: During the Second World War Northern Ireland hosted American, British and Canadian troops. County Fermanagh welcomed Air Force squadrons hunting U-boats and defending shipping convoys in the Atlantic Ocean and Army battalions training and preparing for deployment to Europe’s Western Front. After the Allied troops arrived, life would never be the same again. The Yankee Years novels and Short Reads weave thrilling and romantic tales of the people and the era.
Amazon

​Review: 
In the midst of World War II, Ruth Corey works diligently at her family hotel in Northern Ireland.  Some excitement enters her life as a few Yankees come to town for a construction project.  One of the Yankees, an Italian-American named Frank Longo stays at the Corey hotel.  News of the project quickly spreads around the small Irish town and Ruth finds out that Frank is working on building an American air base in Ireland.  However, American has not entered the war yet and the base must be kept a secret.  When Ruth's boyfriend, Harry finds out about the base, he wants to write about it for his newspaper.  Ruth is afraid for Harry since he is giving away war secrets and she goes to Frank for help; but, trying to help Harry might bring more harm then good between them.

This was an interesting and fast read that gave a different perspective during World War II.  It was intriguing for me to hear about the United States involvement before they even entered the war and the view of the Irish as to what was going on with both sides. I felt an instant connection with Ruth's character right away, which is great for a shorter book.  Ruth is caring, intelligent and determined to do the right thing.  I liked that the potential romance with Frank wasn't the focal point of the story and that the plot really revolved around the plot to expose the American's base in Ireland.  Overall, a fascinating short story for World War II fans that has a unique point of view.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author: 
Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian writer living in Britain. Since moving to Britain in 1990 she has lived in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
She writes both fiction and non-fiction and her fiction often has Irish connections. Her articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and regional newspapers including the Toronto Star, Ireland’s Own, Senior Times, Celtic Connection and Irish Connections Canada.
She is co-editor and a regular contributor to The Fermanagh Miscellany, the Fermanagh Authors’ Association’s yearly anthology and she also contributes material to other local history and writers’ anthologies.
Dianne is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Historical Novel Society, Writers Abroad, Fermanagh Authors’ Association and Fermanagh Writers.
Dianne started life in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the buzzing city of Toronto and has progressively moved to smaller places through the years. She now lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong willed animals. If she ever decides to write her autobiography the working title will be ‘Downsizing’.
For more information please visit Dianne’s website. You can also find her on her Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
The Renegade Queen (Rebellious Times Book 1)
by Eva FlynnPublication Date: December 15, 2015
Omega Press
eBook & Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction


Two Renegades So Controversial, They Were Erased From History
Discarded by society, she led a social revolution. Disgusted by war, he sought a new world.
She was the first women to run for President, campaigning before women could vote.
He was the Hero of Vicksburg, disillusioned with the government after witnessing the devastating carnage of the Civil War.
Their social revolution attracted the unwanted who were left out of the new wealth: the freed slaves, the new immigrants, and women.
Who were they?
This is the true story of Victoria Woodhull and the love of her life, James Blood.
Adored by the poor, hated by the powerful, forced into hiding during their lifetimes and erased from history after death, the legend of their love lives on.
It’s 1869 and Victoria has a choice to make. She can stay in an abusive marriage and continue to work as a psychic, or she can take the offer of support from handsome Civil War general James Blood and set about to turn society upside down. Victoria chooses revolution.
But revolutions are expensive, and Victoria needs money. James introduces Victoria to one of the wealthiest man in America—Commodore Vanderbilt. Along with her loose and scandalous sister, Tennessee, Victoria manipulates Vanderbilt and together they conspire to crash the stock market—and profit from it. Victoria then parlays her fortune into the first female-owned brokerage firm.
When her idol Susan B. Anthony publishes scandalous rumors about Victoria’s past, Victoria enters into a fierce rivalry with Susan to control the women’s movement. James supports Victoria’s efforts despite his deep fears that she may lose more than the battle. She might lose part of herself.
Victoria starts her own newspaper, testifies to Congress, and even announces her candidacy for President. But when Victoria adopts James’s radical ideas and free love beliefs, she ignites new, bruising, battles with Susan B. Anthony and the powerful Reverend Henry Beecher. These skirmishes turn into an all-out war, with Victoria facing prejudice, prosecution, and imprisonment. Ultimately, Victoria and James face the hardest choice of all: the choice between their country and their love.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo


Review:
Victoria Woodhull and her partner James Blood were controversial figures of their time.  So controversial, that they have been all but erased from history.  Victoria’s life was controversial from her conception; however she always knew that she was destined for greatness.  Victoria and her sister, Tennessee are used and abused by their parents. Tennessee is set up as a healer and Victoria is proffered as a medium to speak to the dead.  At a young age, Victoria is whisked away and married to a much older Dr. Canning Woodhull, while her life is better than with her parents, Victoria is still subjected to Canning's drunkenness and whoring.  Also, Canning wasn't expecting such an intelligent, willful and strong girl as his wife.  As Victoria grows, her mind evolves as well. She has strong opinions on slavery and women's rights.  Victoria meets Susan B. Anthony and her fervor grows, when Victoria meets and falls in love with Civil War hero, James Blood, she is given the opportunity to act on her dreams of women's rights.  With James' encouragement Victoria is able to open a financial institution, start a newspaper and even run for president.

I was captivated by Victoria's life from the point of her describing her conception in a whore's tent at a Methodist revival. From then, it seems like she hit the ground running and there was not one dull moment in her fascinating life.  While Victoria's life was difficult, she persevered through her strong will, determination and ever increasing gains in knowledge and insight.  Victoria's progressive thinking and ideas to further herself continually impressed me.  I also loved seeing other historical figures through her eyes, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Commodore Vanderbilt were shown in a different light.  Victoria's sister, Tennessee is also an enthralling character, the polar opposite of Victoria, but her best friend and companion for the campaign.  I feel like I could go on and on about Victoria's contributions to women's rights and her amazing life.  I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to learn about Victoria as an important historical figure. I wish she would have appeared in my history textbooks as well, but she has fallen to the wayside as a victim of censorship and impropriety, which is exactly what she fought so hard against.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author
Eva was raised on bedtime stories of feminists (the tooth fairy even brought Susan B. Anthony dollars) and daytime lessons on American politics. On one fateful day years ago when knowledge was found on bound paper, she discovered two paragraphs about Victoria Woodhull in the WXYZ volume of the World Book Encyclopedia. When she realized that neither of her brilliant parents (a conservative political science professor and a liberal feminist) had never heard of her, it was the beginning of a lifelong fascination not only with Victoria Woodhull but in discovering the stories that the history books do not tell. Brave battles fought, new worlds sought, loves lost all in the name of some future glory have led her to spend years researching the period of Reconstruction. Her first book, The Renegade Queen , explores the forgotten trailblazer Victoria Woodhull and her rivalry with Susan B. Anthony.

Eva was born and raised in Tennessee, earned her B.A. in Political Science from DePauw in Greencastle, Indiana and still lives in Indiana. Eva enjoys reading, classic movies, and travelling. She loves to hear from readers, you may reach her at eva@rebellioustimes.com, and follow her on Goodreads and Twitter.

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