Erika Robuck's Blog, page 11

The Magician’s Lie, Recommendation and Giveaway

“This is the life of the most famed female illusionist in the world, very nearly the only one in existence, the life I have made for myself through luck and talent and sheer will. This is the life I have decided to leave behind. This is the life I will end. Tonight, I will escape my torturer, once and for all time. Tonight, I will kill him.” ~Greer Macallister, The Magician’s Lie

Publisher Synopsis:

Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician’s Lie, a debut novel in which the country’s most notorious female illusionist stands accused of her husband’s murder ��� and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.

The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless-and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

My Recommendation:

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this novel for potential endorsement. I only offer a blurb if a novel absolutely captivates me, I can’t put it down, and I cannot stop talking about it. The Magician’s Lie��is one of those novels. My blurb:

“Greer Macallister handles the reader with the command and brilliance of a world class ringmaster. THE MAGICIAN���S LIE is a mesmerizing novel of illusion, secrets, and suspense. Bravo!”

But don’t just believe me. The Magician’s Lie has received honors such as the Indie Next Pick, a PW Starred Review, the January Midwest Connections Pick, a People Magazine recommendation, an��Oprah.com pick, and the January 2015 Library Reads List!

Sourcebooks was kind enough to provide��a copy of The Magician’s Lie��for a giveaway, which I will mail to a blog reader who comments below, and shares this post on social media. Please let me know your favorite work of historical suspense, or why you are interested in The Magician’s Lie, and comment by 9 PM ET on Friday, January 16th. (US residents only, please.)

For more on the author and her upcoming book tour, click here, and good luck!

Winter Giveaway

“No one but Night, with tears on her dark face,

Watches beside me in this windy place.”

~Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Night Is My Sister”

Inspired by the works��of the troubled, Bohemian poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, I wrote FALLEN BEAUTY in the dark of winter, and it should be read in the dark of winter. It is a book about how cruel we can be to one another, how our judgements are often condemnations of our own guilty secrets, and how love between friends and companions may grow in unexpected places.

My novels are very visual to me in their creation. Here is a board of images that reflects the plot, themes, and time period of FALLEN BEAUTY. And here is the book trailer for the novel.

I have a copy of FALLEN BEAUTY to giveaway. Please comment below on your favorite poem by Millay, or your thoughts on winter, and share the post on some form of social media to be entered into the drawing. The giveaway will close at 9 PM ET on Tuesday, January 13th, and is open to residents of the US and Canada.

Best wishes!

Historical Fiction Favorites in 2014 and Giveaway!

 

Every year I try to hold this post until the absolute end��of 2014, but I realized readers might need some last minute gift ideas for holiday shopping. This is the (agonized over) list of my favorite historical fiction this year. Some of the books were not necessarily published in 2014, but that is when I read them.

My criteria for making the list:

*I read it obsessively.

*I can���t stop thinking about it.

*I can���t stop recommending it.

I did read quite a few novels set in contemporary time that would have made this list if my blog were not dedicated to historical fiction, but I must keep to my rules. If you’d like to know what else I loved, visit my Goodreads book reviews. (I do not review books I did not enjoy, so you will only see 4-5 star recommendations.)

Here we go, and in no particular order:

1. The Garden of Letters, Alyson Richman

2. The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton

3. All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

4. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd

5. The Secret Life of Violet Grant, Beatriz Williams

6. Mrs. Hemingway, Naomi Wood

7. The Age of Desire, Jennie Fields

8. Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline

9. The Paris Winter, by Imogen Robertson

10. The Beautiful American, Jeanne MacKin

Please let me know if any of these were your favorites, or what you would add to the list.��If you comment, you will be entered into a giveaway for a copy of Sue Monk Kidd’s marvelous novel, THE INVENTION OF WINGS. I’ll pick a winner on Friday, Dec. 26th. Happy Reading!

Review: The Miniaturist

Publisher Synopsis:

���There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .���

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office���leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella���s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist���an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes��� gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand���and fear���the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

My Recommendation:

This book has been recommended to me by a number of friends, who obviously know me well, for it has all of the ingredients of what I consider a great��novel: an historical setting, a commanding use of language, originality, and tragedy.

In this debut, Jessie Burton creates a world like that of the doll house or��cabinet given to the protagonist–the young, impulsive bride of a rich Dutch merchant. Nella has a stubbornness and curiosity about her that align the reader with her as she reacts to her new family, and we learn things as she does. The confusion about her circumstances, her husband’s treatment of her, and the unusual people who live in the house and town, along with the very high stakes that result when secrets begin to be revealed, make this novel impossible to put down.��There are shocking moments and devastating consequences to characters’ choices, but Burton does what the best novelists do: she includes hope.

While there are some questionable contemporary feelings toward societal issues in her historical characters, Burton does manage to make them believable because of the humanity of those she represents, and through her intense research into the time and place. This is a book that begs to be discussed, so I particularly recommend it to book clubs.

If you enjoyed��GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING, think of THE MINIATURIST as similar in region and tone, but with a serious edge. Prepare to be devastated in the best possible way.

Have you read this? I’d love to hear what you think.

Q&A with author Maryanne O’Hara

As the year closes, I’ve found myself spending a lot of time talking with other writers about process. It seems that many of my peers are involved in first drafts the way that I am, and no matter how many books one has under her pen, it is always like starting over.

One of my favorite writers, Maryanne O’Hara, was kind enough to answer some questions for me on her process, her reading recommendations, and her advice for about-to-be-published novelists. I enjoyed this interview very much, especially because there is comfort��in hearing respected writers discuss the struggles and��challenges of the work. I hope you enjoy it, too.

From suffocating small-town life, to anti-Semitism, to unrealized ambition, you tackle many challenging themes in CASCADE, yet the novel never feels overburdened. Did you plan all of the plot lines before you began the first draft, or did the issues arise during the writing process?��

Oh, I wish I could plan out all my plotlines ahead of time! But until I develop the characters, until I discover who they are and what they want, I am feeling my way around in the dark. Once I see them, and have a (very) rough draft going, I begin to try to map out the story arcs, which is scary yet fun, and really makes me focus on what the heck I���m trying to do. I like stories that have a lot of layers; trying to weave them into a coherent and compelling narrative is a challenge I enjoy.

Do you read a lot of fiction, or do you try to avoid it when writing your own? Who are some of your favorite writers?

I must say that when I am actively writing, I really cannot read anything less than stellar prose. I grew up loving the short stories of John Cheever, Alice Munro, and William Trevor, and so I often will read an ���old-friend��� favorite passage to get myself in the mood to write. I have so many favorite books that it is hard to choose, but I can say that for 2014 I would particularly recommend EUPHORIA, by my dear friend Lily King, which was just named one of the New York Times 5 best fiction titles of the year. Lily is incapable of writing anything but beautiful, wise prose, and she���s been a longtime inspiration to me. She has an amazing work ethic, much like yours, Erika! Another recent book that I deeply admired was WE ARE CALLED TO RISE, by Laura McBride. The kind of book that made me happy to be alive. Oh, and I loved NORAH WEBSTER, by one of my all-time favorite writers, Colm Toibin. Who just happened to grow up in Wexford, Ireland, where my husband grew up���

CASCADE was the Boston Globe���s inaugural Book Club selection. Do you meet with book clubs in person or on Skype? What has surprised you about meeting with book clubs?��

The Boston Globe Book Club was a wonderful surprise, a much-appreciated honor. The Globe hosted meet-ups throughout the summer and I was able to meet with so many new readers, which is my favorite part of publishing. I do indeed visit book clubs���in person when I can, and via Skype, which allows me to connect with readers far from home. One memorable Skype meetup involved the book club putting its computer on a lazy Susan, and spinning it around so I could talk to everyone.

The most surprising thing about meeting with book clubs? Contrary to all the talk about book clubs being an excuse for people to drink wine and chat, I have found that most clubs are very dear to their members. Thank God the world still is full of interesting people who love to discuss books!

Can you reveal anything about your current work in progress?

It���s a book about storytelling and the elusive nature of memory. I���m still in the ���figuring it out��� stage.

What advice do you have for a writer preparing for publication of his/her first novel?

First off, I would say congratulations, and do try to enjoy it! I recently looked back at my journal entries around the time I was finishing CASCADE and they were somber, realistic, anxious. I knew how hard it would be to secure an agent and publish a book. There���s a lot of elation when you get that contract, and a whole new set of emotional ups and downs. Research all the ways you can help yourself sell that book. And then, no matter how well or poorly things go after the launch, try to hold onto why you write in the first place, and keep writing.

 

Good advice! Thank you, Maryanne.

Book Clubs: Feel free to contact Maryanne��to Skype!

Writers, did anything resonate with you? Are you a plotter or a “pantser”? What fabulous fiction would you recommend reading while writing?��

Book Review: THE AGE OF DESIRE

Publisher Synopsis:

They say that behind every great man is a great woman. Behind Edith Wharton, there was Anna Bahlmann���her governess turned literary secretary and confidante.��At the age of forty-five, despite her growing fame, Edith remains unfulfilled in a lonely, sexless marriage. Against all the rules of Gilded Age society, she falls in love with Morton Fullerton, a dashing young journalist. But their scandalous affair threatens everything in Edith���s life���especially her abiding ties to Anna.

���������������������� At a moment of regained popularity for Wharton, Jennie Fields brilliantly interweaves Wharton���s real letters and diary entries with her fascinating, untold love story.��Told through the points of view of both Edith and Anna, The Age of Desire transports readers to the golden days of Wharton���s turn-of-the century world and���like the recent bestseller The Chaperone���effortlessly re-creates the life of an unforgettable woman.

My Recommendation

There are some novels that I am not able to get to for one reason or another until months or even years after they release. THE AGE OF DESIRE��was one such novel, and I am��very sad that I did not read it sooner because it consumed me in the best possible way.

The elegant cover invites the reader to enter Edith Wharton’s world–a sphere of abundant wealth and intellectual stimulation, but severely lacking in the warmth of romantic attachment. Trapped in a loveless marriage by duty and guilt, Edith’s only joys come from her writing, Paris, and her dear friends, most notably her loyal secretary, Anna Bahlmann.

When Edith meets Morton Fullerton–a journalist with a bad reputation and considerable charm–everything still and secure in her life becomes unsettled by the effect he has on her. As Edith finds herself opening to new experiences and awakening under his attention, Anna finds herself entangled in various relationships that betray the deep connection she has to her employer. As the years progress through the narrative–told in Edith’s and Anna’s alternating points of view–the stories converge in both tragic and touching ways.

I did not know much about the personal life of Edith Wharton before reading THE AGE OF DESIRE, but the novel has sent me on a quest to learn more. I have spent hours sifting through photographs of those depicted in the story,��have revisited some of Mrs. Wharton’s novels on my shelves, and long to go to The Mount, Wharton’s home in the Berkshires. Fields’ interpretation of the characters brings them vividly to life, and moves the reader to anger, frustration, and adoration regarding their decisions, their mistakes, and their charity. Edith Wharton was clearly a complicated woman, and steals the limelight, but the heart of the novel lies with her stalwart secretary and friend, Anna.

For its enthralling portrayals of romance, friendship, and��heartbreak amid well-rendered period settings, I give THE AGE OF DESIRE my highest recommendation. If you enjoyed THE PARIS WIFE, you will delight in this novel.

Have you read any of Edith Wharton’s work? Which is your favorite novel? If you have read this novel, I would love to hear what you thought.

Book Review: THE PARIS WINTER

“They established themselves on the floor of Sylvie’s room, Maud pinning her oil sketching paper to a deal board to support it then choosing her tints, squeezing each onto the palette in abstemious amounts, attaching the little tin cup with its reservoir of linseed oil to its edge, setting out her hog-hair and sable brushes. As she did so, Sylvie prepared her [opium] tray with a similar satisfaction, and Maud was aware that the ritual was important to them both. Then each settled to their addiction.” Imogen Robertson, THE PARIS WINTER

Publisher Description:

A deep, dark and opulent tale of Belle Epoque Paris, and the secrets and dangers hidden beneath its luxurious facade.

Maud Heighton came to Lafond’s famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris eats money. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling joys of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty.

Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, Maud takes a job as companion to young, beautiful Sylvie Morel. But Sylvie has a secret: an addiction to opium. As Maud is drawn into the Morels’ world of elegant luxury, their secrets become hers. Before the New Year arrives, a greater deception will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.

My Recommendation

This is a breathtaking novel, or rather, breath stealing.

From the quiet dignity of the art school, to the hazy chambers of the rich and careless in 1909 Paris, Robertson draws the reader in with her Poe-like tale. Shocking and dark, meticulously crafted, and complex, THE PARIS WINTER, succeeds in creating a world of layered characters in a sensuous and often dangerous dance with one another, that pushes its cast to the brink of madness and back.

Interspersed throughout the text are descriptions of art from a contemporary catalogue, foreshadowing the central moments of each section with brilliant precision, and slowly instructing the reader how to view each scene as if taking in a painting, making careful use of lighting, placement, and focus.

If you enjoy chilling tales of mystery and revenge in fascinating historical settings, you will love THE PARIS WINTER. Though it is surely not for the faint of heart, I give this book my highest recommendation.

The House of Hawthorne, Goodreads Giveaway

Some Words on the Hawthornes…

When Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne bewitched me through their etchings on the window glass of their first residence together, the Old Manse, in Concord, Massachusetts, I became obsessed with those passionate artists, and what they both gained and lost to lead lives of domesticity.

While reading her Cuba journal, I felt Sophia Peabody assert herself as my narrator: the keeper of the Hawthorne story. As is often the case, history recognizes the one who had the most fame, who is traditionally the man. Like other stories of artists and their spouses, the one without the attention is often a large and dynamic influence on the work of the one who is well known.

With each novel, I seek to challenge myself in a new way. In THE HOUSE OF HAWTHORNE I have attempted to take on the voice of Sophia Peabody Hawthorne to tell the story of what creatives give up for love, and how some artists are never at home on the earth. I do hope I did Sophia and her dear family justice.

Giveaway!!

My publisher is giving away 100 copies of THE HOUSE OF HAWTHORNE. (We are still waiting on final cover approval, so it is not shown, but we should be able to list the cover by Thanksgiving.) If you are interested in reading this novel, kindly add it to your Goodreads’ shelves, enter the drawing, and share it if you are so inclined.

THE HOUSE OF HAWTHORNE is also available for pre-order from the following sites:

Powell’s

iBookstore

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

Google Play

Indiebound

Penguin Random House

Amazon

Happy Reading!

GRAND CENTRAL News, Audio Release, and a Giveaway

 

“Emotionally moving, evocative in their descriptions, each piece sticks with the reader, giving a pulse on the postwar world.” —*Starred Review, Library Journal

One of my favorite projects of the last year has been collaborating with nine other bestselling and award-winning historical fiction authors on a short story anthology, GRAND CENTRAL: ORIGINAL STORIES OF POSTWAR LOVE AND REUNION. Our tales of love and heartbreak take place one month after World War II ends at New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal, and the release of the book brought us together at the site for a snazzy launch party in period costume.

These stories are ideal for those who love historical fiction and who have busy lives, and will also give you a taste of the work of authors you might not have read. Book clubs will have much to discuss on the many difficult topics addressed in the stories (from domestic violence, to post-traumatic stress, etc.), and will enjoy finding the connecting threads between the characters.

Audiobook listeners will be delighted to hear that GRAND CENTRAL has just been released in the format. Here is the gorgeous cover for audio:

I am giving away three paperback copies of GRAND CENTRAL to those who leave comments below and share the post on social media by 9 PM ET on Thursday, September 18th. (US only, please.) Tell me if you are excited to read any of these fabulous authors, or what you love about Grand Central Terminal to win.

Good Luck!

Celebs Read Mean Tweets (or Authors Write Mean Reviews)

“Robuck has all the syntax of a three-legged cow.” ~Snarky Reader, Online Review Site

Every so often, I pour myself a glass of wine and enact the virtual self-cutting that is reading online reviews of my work. When I self-published my first book in 2009, the negative reader reviews used to wound me. They hurt my feelings. I obsessed over them. Five years later, I am a bit more hardened, but I have to be in a certain light and ironic frame of mind to read them. If I am gloomy, it is not a good idea to patrol the one and two-star reviews.

Last week, however, the above line from a one-star review made me laugh out loud. It was a good and memorable insult. While I do not agree with it, I appreciate the humor and general savagery because I have to confess something: I would rather a nasty one-star review with zingers like this to a recent three-star review that said, “Meh.”

“Meh.”

Years of research, travel, lost sleep, agonizing, imaging, theorizing, writing, rewriting, and rewriting earned me a “meh.”

Please, readers, if the book does not move you to a positive or negative passion of some kind, do not review it.

But back to my snarky friend, I have seen some authors recently reading mean reviews in the style of Jimmy Kimmel’s popular “Celebs Read Mean Tweets” feature, and thought it would be fun to have a laugh over some particularly bad review stories.

So writers, if you are feeling up to it (play “The Eye of the Tiger” if you need to get pumped), please tell me your funny one-star reviews. Even if these criticisms make us giggle, they burrow somewhere in the brain stem to torture us when we sit down to write. Perhaps if we put them on paper, we can release them from our consciousness and have a laugh together.

Cheers!