Ruth Hull Chatlien's Blog, page 11
August 15, 2015
Review of Madame Picasso
When I attended the Historical Novel Society convention in June, I heard a panel that included Diane Haeger, who also writes under the name Anne Girard. Her discussion of her novel Madame Picasso intrigued me, partially because it’s set in a fascinating time period and partially because it—like my novel The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte—tells the story of a bold, clever woman who isn’t widely known today.
The novel recounts five years in the life of Eva Gouel, one of Pablo Picasso’s early lovers. The daughter of Polish immigrants, Eva wanted more from life than an early marriage and a domestic existence. In this way, she reminded me a little bit of my own Betsy Bonaparte. Eva moved to Paris without her parents’ knowledge or permission and eventually got a position as a seamstress at the famous Moulin Rouge. It was in this milieu that she came to know Picasso.
The book effectively portrays Eva’s complex personality. When it came to her job, she was determined and at times daring. When it came to her love life, she was generous and supportive of the man she adored. The psychological portraits of Picasso is also quite interesting; Girard portrays a more vulnerable and giving man than the Picasso of legend—although one that is every bit as arrogant!
The settings add further interest to the book. Seeing backstage at the Moulin Rouge made me feel like an insider for a day, and I loved the chapters that covered Picasso’s painting excursions to various locales in France and Spain.
I don’t want to give too much away about the development of the two main characters’ relationship except to say that it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel and give it five stars.
August 14, 2015
Cover Reveal for America’s First Daughter
I was fortunate to meet the author Stephanie Dray at the Historical Novel Society convention in June, and today I am pleased to participate in the cover reveal for America’s First Daughter, which she wrote with Laura Kamoie.
BLURB
In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.
From her earliest days, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France. And it is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that she learns of her father’s liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age.
Patsy too has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé, William Short, a staunch abolitionist intent on a career in Europe. Heartbroken at having to decide between being William’s wife or a devoted daughter, she returns to Virginia with her father and marries a man of his choosing, raising eleven children of her own.
Yet as family secrets come to light during her father’s presidency, Patsy must again decide how much she will sacrifice to protect his reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson’s political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.
About Stephanie
STEPHANIE DRAY is a bestselling and award-nominated author of historical women’s fiction. Her series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf. As STEPHANIE DRAVEN, she is a national bestselling author of paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and American-set historical women’s fiction. She is a frequent panelist and presenter at national writing conventions and lives near the nation’s capital. Before she became a novelist, she was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the stories of women in history to inspire the young women of today.
Stephanie’s Links:
Website; Facebook; Twitter; Goodreads
About Laura
LAURA KAMOIE has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, Laura Kaye. Her debut historical novel, America’s First Daughter , co-authored with Stephanie Dray, allowed her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.
Laura’s Links:
Website; Facebook; Twitter; Goodreads
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May 10, 2015
Review: Mystery at Sag Bridge
The first word that comes to mind to describe this novel is “fun.” I enjoyed it immensely. I don’t usually read ghost stories, so I was surprised how much I liked this one. The premise in intriguing: it combines the modern story of a retired woman, grieving the lost of her mother, with a century-old murder story. The two stories intersect because Cora, the modern protagonist, encounters strange happenings wrought by a vengeful ghost.
The book is structured like a sandwich, a beginning modern section, a central historical section, and an ending modern section. Cora makes a discovery near the end of the first section that leads naturally into the historical part of the story. One of the things I liked best about the novel was Cora herself. I immediately warmed to her. I thought her relationships were believable. Her marriage to Cisco and her friendship with Frannie felt real and lived-in. The writing also has an easy flow to it. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this story to anyone who likes mysteries, paranormal stories, or historical fiction.
April 25, 2015
Review of The Women’s Center
Four women, with little in common except their ties to a Catholic women’s college in Chicago, are called together by Sister Mark, the nun they all adore. Diane is a successful journalist tentatively recovering from an event that shattered her life. June is a skilled carpenter, uncertain how to be feminine enough to find the love she craves. Pat is the earth mother, an optimistic artist and craftswoman who raised seven children on her own after her husband left her. Ruth is a powerhouse CEO, who tells herself that she needs no one, not even the man she once loved and thinks of still.
Why has Sister Mark brought these former classmates together? Their alma mater, Shorelake College (a fictional version of Mundelein College) has closed and been taken over by nearby Rockbridge University (a fictional version of Loyola). Sister Mark has asked the women to make plans and raise funds to convert the mansion that was the emotional heart of the campus into a woman’s center.
As they struggle to carry out this vaguely defined mission, the four women embark on a journey of discovery—unearthing their own inner truths and finding joy in unlooked-for friendships. Fitzpatrick portrays the complicated nature of women’s relationships with each other with nuance and insight. And in contrast to many women’s novels, this one gives the male characters their due, portraying them as real and complex people rather than stereotypes to promote the author’s agenda. The vividness of the setting will delight anyone who knows the Windy City, and many readers will relish the clever turns of phrase that sprinkle the narrative. All these details add up to an enjoyable debut novel.
March 31, 2015
Looking for Reviewers
Jay Amberg, my friend and publisher, just came out with a new novel. It’s an archaeological thriller called Bone Box. Here’s the synopsis:
On a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea in Turkey, an international team of archeologists discovers a stone box that first-century Jews used to rebury their dead. The box’s Aramaic inscription: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Sophia Altay, the beautiful French-Turkish archeologist who heads the team, tries to keep the discovery secret until she can authenticate the ossuary. She knows that people will kill to obtain the relics—and to suppress the box’s other contents, documents that could alter Western history.
Joseph Travers, an American sent to Turkey to evaluate the archeological dig, soon finds himself pulled into the web of betrayal, reprisal, and violence. In his journey through Istanbul’s mosques and palaces, the archeological sites around ancient Ephesus, and, ultimately, the strange and mystical terrain of Cappadocia, he comes to understand the epochal meaning of the bone box.
Jay has agreed to give five review copies to my friends. There are a few simple conditions to qualify:
a) be someone who already reads and enjoys thrillers
b) have previously written reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
c) promise to write your review within a month of the receipt of the book
If you are interested, send me an email via the “Contact Me” form on this blog. In your message, include the follwoing:
1) your preference for paperback or ebook
2) the street or email address to send the book
3) a link to your existing reviews–don’t worry, I’m not going to check their style or content; I’m just verifying that they exist.
The first five people who contact me and meet the qualifications will receive a review copy.
March 20, 2015
Bone Box excerpt 1: Uncovering the Ossuary
This is an excerpt from a friend’s just-published novel.
Originally posted on Jay Amberg, Author:
I’m happy to announce that Amika Press has just published Bone Box, my thriller/mystery novel set at an archaeological site in Turkey. It is available at Amazon and the Amika Press website, on Kindle, and coming soon to Barnes & Noble, iBook, Kobo and Nook.
Here is an excerpt from the book’s second chapter. I would love to find out what you think. Please let me know.
The sky is cobalt, but the sun is already low—and little light reaches the trench in which the two men work. The evening air is hot and still as though it has hung there for centuries. Sweat soaks the stout man’s sleeveless T-shirt and mats the gray and white hair on his arms and shoulders. His nose is bulbous above his mustache, the top of his head bald except for long strands of hair hanging limply over his left ear. He grunts as he pushes dirt…
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March 15, 2015
Ayasuluk Hill
This is a friend and colleague, Jay Amberg, standing on the site where much of his upcoming thriller Bone Box is set.
Originally posted on Jay Amberg, Author:
Photograph by Mark Henry Larson.
In this photo, I’m standing at the foot of Ayasuluk Hill in Turkey, where much of my novel, Bone Box, plays out. The column over my left shoulder is from the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Saint John’s Basilica archeological site is directly above my head. The 7th century citadel stands at the top of the hill above the İsa Bey Mosque built in 1375.
Humans have lived on this hill at least since 6000 BC. From the walls of the fortress, you can look down through Western history at the cathedral’s ruins, the mosque, the remnants of the temple, the ancient city of Ephesus, and the Aegean Sea.
February 16, 2015
Judging a Book By Its Cover
Hello all. A friend is looking for responses to a proposed book cover design. If you could wander over, take a look, and leave a comment, that would be helpful.
Here’s the synopsis of the book:
On a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea in Turkey, an international team of archeologists discovers a stone box that first-century Jews used to rebury their dead. The box’s Aramaic inscription: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Sophia Altay, the beautiful French-Turkish archeologist who heads the team, tries to keep the discovery secret until she can authenticate the ossuary. She knows that people will kill to obtain the relics—and to suppress the box’s other contents, documents that could alter Western history.
Joseph Travers, an American sent to Turkey to evaluate the archeological dig, soon finds himself pulled into the web of betrayal, reprisal, and violence. In his journey through Istanbul’s mosques and palaces, the archeological sites around ancient Ephesus, and, ultimately, the strange and mystical terrain of Cappadocia, he comes to understand the epochal meaning of the bone box.
Here’s a link to the cover design.
January 28, 2015
10 Questions with Ruth Hull Chatlien
Ever wonder what I think of Henry VIII? What historical period I’d like to visit? What historical figure I’d want to be in a past life?
You can read the answers to these and other questions in my interview on the Pittsburgh Examiner.
October 26, 2014
Interview: Ruth Hull Chatlien, Author of ‘The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte’
Nicole Weaver, an award-winning children’s author, was gracious enough to do an interview with me this weekend. You can read it here.
Originally posted on Melange of Cultures:
I have a lot of respect for authors who can write historical fiction. It takes a tremendous amount of research to write in that genre. Ruth Chatlien has written a compelling story that won gold in the Readers’ Favorite International Award Contest. I am beyond happy she accepted my request for an interview.
Can you tell me about yourself?
I’m a native of northern Illinois who has worked in educational publishing as both a writer and editor for 25 years. I’ve also published several short stories and poems in literary magazines. My husband is a writer too; in fact we met in a writers’ critique group. We were critics of each other’s work for three years before we ever starting dating. Having this vocation in common really helps us to support each other. I’m also a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in December 2013 – the same month that my…
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