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In The Shadow of a Queen

9/27/2022

About the Book:

Based on the True Story of the Free-Spirited Daughter of Queen Victoria.

Princess Louise’s life is upended after her father’s untimely death. Captive to the queen’s overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother―the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.
Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day’s political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.

Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will support her free spirit.

In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of a battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown’s reputation unsullied no matter the cost.

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Review:
Princess Louise is the fifth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Growing up she is doted upon for her beauty and artistic ability. When her father dies an untimely death, the household retreats into prolonged mourning period and Louise is pulled in closer to her mother and her ideals. Throughout their mourning, Louise practices her art and yearns to be a sculptor. As wars plague Europe, Louise dives into the politics of the disagreements and forms opinions and a world view that often is the opposite of her mother's. With the passing years, Louise watches her older siblings marry into different families from different places. Soon, Louise becomes her mother's personal secretary and must make a choice on who to marry, which might be the most difficult decision yet.

In the Shadow of a Queen is an immensely detailed, historically accurate and intimate look into the life of Princess Louise from her adolescence to her marriage. From a young age I could feel the weight of responsibility on Louise's shoulders. She knew her position and obligations, but was pulled between her sense of duty to her mother and her own sense of justice and independence. The writing made Louise and her vivacious character come alive as she tested boundaries and pursued her own unconventional dreams. I loved that Louise was able to sculpt and even go to a public school, though it seemed short lived. I was also amazed that Queen Victoria was against women's suffrage and that Louise was able to help in her own ways despite being forbidden by her mother. Of course, even with all of Louise's accomplishments on her own, the most interesting part of her story was her decision on who to marry. Louise was able to break the mold once more as her mother allowed her to marry outside of royalty. An amazing story of just one of Queen Victoria's children and the life of compromise between two extraordinarily willful women.

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

AUTHOR BIO

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.

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Valley of Shadows

9/20/2022

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About the Book:
Steeped in heritage, “Valley of Shadows” shifts back and forth through time, kicking off in West Texas in 1883, but slowly revealing its protagonist’s past in sections dating back to the mid-1800’s, when the Rio Grande became the new border between the U.S. and Mexico, and the 1860’s, when Mexico battled the French Imperial invasion. The hero of the story is Solitario Cisneros, a former Mexican lawman who lives up to his solitary name. He lost his wife, his family, even his country when the river shifted course. He has resigned himself to a life of solitary regret, communing with spirits and whispering to horses. But a gruesome series of macabre murders and abductions, along with the friendship of an unlikely ally, present him with an unexpected second chance at life, or death.

Through its intimate story, and the perspectives of its lead characters, which include newly minted Mexican-Americans, Anglo settlers, and Mescalero Apaches who had long before called West Texas home, “Valley of Shadows” sheds light on the dark past of injustice, isolation, and suffering along the U.S.-Mexico border. Through luminous prose and soul-searching reflections, Rudy Ruiz transports readers to a distant time and a remote place where the immortal forces of good and evil dance amidst the shadows of magic and mountains.

As readers follow Solitario and his Mexican-Apache friend Onawa into the desert, they join them in facing haunting questions about the human condition that are as relevant today as they were back then: Can we rewrite our own history and shape our own future? What does it mean to belong to a place, or for a place to belong to a people? And, as lonely and defeated as we might feel, are we ever truly alone?

Review:
Solitario Cisneros was the sheriff in the town of Olvido, Mexico until the Rio Grande changed course and left Olivido and its inhabitants as part of the United States. Along with losing his job, soon after Solitario lost his wife, Luz. He blames a curse, a malediction placed on his family, but he is still comforted by Luz's ghost that visits every night. Now, a gruesome killing has hit Olvido and Solitario has been asked to investigate. He wants to stay away, but the ghost of a young boy killed that night encourages Solitario to find his siblings. Solitario agrees to take the case, but as he makes headway in finding the lost siblings, more ritualistic killings occur and more children are taken. With the help of Apache seer Onawa, an old bruja as well as the ghosts of those who have passed, Solitario is on the hunt for those behind the murders.

"The night is dark, but it is also full of light."

Valley of Shadows is a masterful blend of western, horror, historical fiction and magical realism. I have previously read the Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez and this book takes place before it, explaining more of the history of the curse, it was nice to fill in some backstory there. The story starts off immediately in the action and pulled me into the mystery of the strange murders. Solitario's character brings in more mystery as his complexities arise. Solitario is cursed and lonely, but he also has a strong sense of justice and a special set of abilities that have been bestowed to him. Through some flashbacks, Solitario's past, love life, curse and the experiences that made him the man he is are revealed. It almost seemed like this could have been another book. As the crimes continue to build, Solitario realizes the impact of racism, fear and greed that has overtaken the town. Solitario must relinquish his loneliness and use his abilities to fight for the people of his town and bring down an evil that wishes to separate them. Valley of Shadows is a complex story from unique viewpoint of a Mexican-American in the 1880's that creates a haunting and compelling mystery.

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

About the Author:

Rudy Ruiz is a writer of literary fiction, essays and political commentary. His earliest works were published at Harvard, where he studied literature and creative writing, and was awarded a Ford Foundation grant to support his writing endeavors.

“Seven for the Revolution” was Ruiz’s fiction debut. The collection of short stories won four International Latino Book Awards.

Ruiz’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals including BorderSenses, The Ninth Letter, New Texas, and the Notre Dame Review. In 2017, Rudy Ruiz was awarded the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction. In 2020, Ruiz was a finalist for both the Texas Institute of Letters’ Best Short Story Award as well as the Texas Observer’s annual Short Story Contest.

In 2020, Blackstone Publishing released Ruiz’s novel, “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez.” The novel received critical acclaim and was named one of the “Top 10 Best First Novels of 2020” by the American Library Association’s Booklist. The Southern Review of Books stated: “Ruiz’s prose is buoyant and immersive…Its effusive descriptions are reminiscent of Laura Esquivel.” The novel was longlisted for the Reading the West Award and a Finalist for the Western Writers of America Silver Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel. It also was awarded two Gold Medals at the International Latino Book Awards, including the Rudolfo Anaya Prize for Best Latino Focused Fiction and Best Audio Book.

Ruiz’s new novel, “Valley of Shadows,” is due for release on Sept. 20, 2022 by Blackstone Publishing.

Follow Rudy Ruiz online:
Website: RudyRuiz.com | Twitter: @Rudy_Ruiz_7

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Cora's Kitchen

9/16/2022

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Cora James works as a librarian in Harlem. As a black woman in 1928, she is attune to the struggles of the women around her. Cora longs to be a writer and strongly identifies with a poem written by library patron and friend, Langston Hughes. Cora begins corresponding with Langston and divulges her dream. Langston encourages Cora to enter a writing contest by the National Urban League. However, Cora's life soon takes a turn as she is encouraged by her family to take a leave from the library to help her cousin Agnes by filling in as a family cook for the Fitzgerald family. Cora reluctantly does her duty for the family and finds that she has time to write as well as a unique insight into family life different from her own, yet still struggling with the same emotional burdens. Over the weeks, Cora forms a friendship with Eleanor Fitzgerald and shows Eleanor her writing. With encouragement from Eleanor and Langston, Cora finishes a story to submit.

Cora's Kitchen is a historical fiction story showing the emotional struggle and mental weight that black women must bear. Through the writing I could feel Cora's passion for her writing and her strong connection with the pains of all women. I could definitely connect with her feelings of wanting more out of life than being a good wife and mother. I loved the unlikely connection between Cora and Eleanor and how they were able to help one another grow and give one another the courage to get what they wanted out of life. Eleanor was a surprising character, growing in depth through the story and revealing an inner strength. Cora's correspondence with Langston Hughes adds another point of view to the story and I loved reading their letters to one another. I'm glad that Langston challenged Cora and that Cora was able to stand up for herself, her work and the struggles that all women face.

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The Portraitist

9/4/2022

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The Portraitist: A Novel of Adelaide Labille-Guiard by Susanne Dunlap

Publication Date: August 30, 2022

She Writes Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Based on a true story, this is the tale of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard’s fight to take her rightful place in the competitive art world of eighteenth-century Paris.

With a beautiful rival who’s better connected and better trained than she is, Adélaïde faces an uphill battle. Her love affair with her young instructor in oil painting gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves. Meanwhile, her rival goes from strength to strength, becoming Marie Antoinette’s official portraitist and gaining entrance to the elite Académie Royale at the same time as Adélaïde.

When at last Adélaïde earns her own royal appointment and receives a massive commission from a member of the royal family, the timing couldn’t be worse: it’s 1789, and with the fall of the Bastille her world is turned upside down by political chaos and revolution. With danger around every corner in her beloved Paris, she must find a way to adjust to the new order, carving out a life and a career all over again—and stay alive in the process.

Buy The Portraitist

Praise

“An imaginative work that brings the story of a little-known artist to vivid life.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Deeply researched and imagined, The Portraitist offers a fascinating and dramatic plunge into the world of a brilliant female artist, struggling to make her mark before and during the turbulent and treacherous era of the French Revolution. I loved this novel.” –Sandra Gulland, international bestselling author of The Josephine Trilogy

“Written with breathless drama, The Portraitist follows the rise of the gifted portraitist Adélaïde Labille-Guiard in Paris during the last years of the late eighteenth century. The novel is a luminous depiction of Paris and those terrible times seen through the astute, compassionate eyes of a woman who had to paint. Every bit of lace, or royal carriage or bloody cobblestone is alive in the writing. The rain drumming on the skylight and a misbuttoned coat speak. Go to those streets with this book in your hand to follow her footsteps and those long-gone turbulent times will come alive to you as if they were yesterday.” –Stephanie Cowell, award-winning author of Claude and Camille

“In The Portraitist, Susanne Dunlap skillfully paints a portrait of a woman struggling to make her way in a man's world — a topic as relevant today as it was in Ancien Regime France. Impeccably researched, rich with period detail, Dunlap brings to life the little known true story of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, who fought her husband and society to make a name for herself as a painter to the royal family, the very apex of success-- only to find everything she had built threatened by the Revolution. A stunning story of determination, talent, and reversals of fortune. As a lifelong Elisabeth Vigée-LeBrun fan, I am now questioning my allegiances!” –Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Country and Band of Sisters

“[The Portraitist is a] luminous novel of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, whose livelihood and longing for respect are threatened by the institutions that deny women artists their due, compounded by the tumultuous events of the French Revolution. Deftly written and impeccably researched. Highly recommended." –Michelle Cameron, award-winning author of Beyond the Ghetto Gates

Review:

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard strives to be an artist. However, in 18th century France with an unsupportive husband, that is a difficult task. Adélaïde takes care of the husband part by separating from him and taking instruction from François André Vincent at the Louvre. Already an accomplished pastelist, Adélaïde develops her painting skills and becomes one of the first women to show at Salons and be accepted to the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. Adélaïde still struggled financially and decided to take up female students, furthering the acceptance of women as artists. Just when it seems that Adélaïde has been accepted into the higher ranks of artists with royal commissions, the Royal family falls from grace and the Revolution begins.

Based on the real Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, The Portraitist brings to light the story of passion, struggle and talent in 18th century France. From the beginning of the story as Adélaïde separates from her husband and finds her way to gain instruction in painting, I could sense her fierce determination. The writing drew me into the world of the artists, the Salons and the disparities of pre-Revolutionary France. I was amazed at the strength Adélaïde had to forge through with her dreams, especially with her economic situation. I was equally interested in the other woman artist, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun who was accepted in the artists world at the same time as Adélaïde and were seen as rivals. I do wonder what would have happened if they joined forces rather than competed. I was amazed at Adélaïde's creativity for finding funds by creating erotic art. It's too bad that this probably isn't true. The Revolution changed a lot for Adélaïde, it seems she was able to live her life more comfortably, but never regained her traction as an artist. Overall, an important story of an overlooked female artist.

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

About the Author

Susanne Dunlap is the author of twelve works of historical fiction for adults and teens, as well as an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach. Her love of historical fiction arose partly from her studies in music history at Yale University (PhD, 1999), partly from her lifelong interest in women in the arts as a pianist and non-profit performing arts executive. Her novel The Paris Affair won first place in its category in the CIBA Dante Rossetti awards for Young Adult Fiction. The Musician’s Daughter was a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Bank Street Children’s Book of the Year, and was nominated for the Utah Book Award and the Missouri Gateway Reader’s Prize. In the Shadow of the Lamp was an Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award nominee. Susanne earned her BA and an MA (musicology) from Smith College, and lives in Biddeford, ME, with her little dog Betty.

For more information, please visit Susanne Dunlap's website. You can follow author Susanne Dunlap on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and BookBub.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, August 30
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Review at A Potpourri of Opinions

Wednesday, August 31
Review at Little But Fierce Book Diary

Thursday, September 1
Review at Coffee and Ink
Feature at Books, Ramblings, and Tea

Friday, September 2
Review at The Page Ladies

Sunday, September 4
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Monday, September 5
Feature at The Cozy Book Blog
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, September 6
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Wednesday, September 7
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, September 8
Excerpt at Books, Cooks, Looks

Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback copy or Audiobook of The Portraitist by Susanne Dunlap!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on September 8th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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