Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 39

A serial killer and stalker after a psychic woman - Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks

This was my first book by Maya Banks. I've heard her name for years, but I've just not picked up a book. Keep Me Safe was what I needed to read, I just didn't know it. I was sucked in from the beginning with the suspenseful plot. I had to know how Ramie was going to catch the serial killer who was stalking her.
She turns to a family that she helped in the past. Tori, the youngest of the crew, was someone Ramie helped with her psychic abilities. Ramie is able to take an item from a victim and go into their head to find them. However, when she does this, she goes through what they are. Rape, beatings, etc.
I was surprised by the fact that Tori and two of her brothers had an issue with their protection agency helping Ramie. After all, she saved Tori's life. When Caleb, the hero of the story, helps her to get away and catch the stalker/serial killer, I was kinda ashamed of his siblings. How they couldn't be more thankful toward Ramie. Without her, Tori would have been dead. But this angst between them all does add to the plot some.
Since this is my first Maya Banks book, I'm not fully familiar with her writing style. With that being said, if you're a big romance reader like myself, don't go into this book looking for romance, but more of the suspense. I see it's categorized as a romantic suspense on Amazon, but the romance part is lacking. Yes, there is kissing and sex between Ramie and Caleb. What fell short for me, was the chemistry. It seemed like they just got together, never any attraction. I never knew either was interested in one another until they went to bed together. But as I said, this may be the genre. 
The suspense/thriller is what makes this book. For that reason alone, I loved it. I want to read the rest of the series, as well as more by this author.
Lacey's Rating:

About The Book:
A sizzling story of a woman who risks her life and her heart to find a wealthy man’s missing sister—the first novel in a sexy new romantic suspense series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks

When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, this scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot.

While Ramie can connect to victims and locate them by feeling their pain, her ability comes with a price. Every time she uses it, it costs her a piece of herself. Helping the infuriatingly attractive and impatient Caleb successfully find his sister nearly destroys her. Even though his sexual intensity draws her like a magnet, she needs to get as far away from him as she can.

Deeply remorseful for the pain he’s caused, Caleb is determined to make things right. But just when he thinks Ramie's vanished forever, she reappears. She’s in trouble and she needs his help. Now, Caleb will do risk everything to protect her—including his heart. . . .

Princess, More Tears to Cry by Jean Sasson

First of all, I haven't read the previous books in this series, about the Princess Sultana's life, but I never once felt lost as I read this, the fourth installment. It's artfully done in a manner in which you get bits from the previous books and yet not so much that you feel you missed something crucial. You can easily step into the Princess Sultana's life...and her life, the people she meets and helps, her family--we can learn a lot from what she sees and who she interacts with.

What I learned from this book was that there are two different Saudi Arabian women and I witnessed this most thoroughly through Sultana's two very different daughters. There's the one who lives her life mostly in Europe, has no desire to marry, and rebels against SA's rules every chance she has, from driving (illegal for women) to wearing "scandalous" clothes. There's the other daughter who utterly and completely brainwashed by religious clerics and wants to oppress her own sex. She's completely happy under the ruling thumb of men--but yet she's also one of the rare in which she's not being beaten or raped on a daily basis. If only she could walk in the other women's shoes...hm.

But most strongly talked about throughout the book is the plight of the women and children. We learn of ghastly tales that really do make one want to cry: female genital mutilation; young girls chained up, raped, killed by their fathers; women divorced and beaten for bearing too many daughters; women destitute and unable to support their children because they are not allowed to leave the house and work; women falling over each other in hallways because they can't see around their face veils; women passing out from  heat stroke due to the heavy attire. And yet at the same time we meet a few women, women doctors and social workers and hairstylists, who refuse to conform and have educated themselves in order to help others.

One of the things that saddened me about the stories was how difficult it is to help the women and children. Many times Sultana steps in with her wealth to help a woman in need, but there can't be enough money to save every single downtrodden woman and child. Saudi women must find a way to change the laws and get around the clerics if ever true help can be given. Sultana will not be able to employ or provide money for every single person and her husband won't be able to bribe every cleric. And they are aware of this. Sultana is aware of this and it's so admirable how she does what she can for whatever woman crosses her path. The lawmakers aren't ready for change yet.

Something else I also took from this book: previously I rather thought all men in SA were abusers and thugs and rapists. Having "met" Sultana's husband and son in this book, I realize many men there have educated themselves about women and our capabilities and perhaps in a newer generation things will change. They are not all bad men. Emotional perhaps, but not bad.

I also got a few laughs from this. Sultana's giving birth to her second daughter and a few other scenes.

I am closing the last page with a new appreciation for the SA women who fight from behind their veils for change in any way they can. I found this book incredibly insightful. It has inspired me to seek ways in which I may aid the cause. My only quibbles have to be that at times I thought some people to be too perfect and also some things were repeated a lot.

I received this book on Goodreads firstreads.

Sinful Folk: A Medieval Mystery Most Noir

A tragic loss. A desperate journey. A mother seeks the truth.

In December of 1377, four children were burned to death in a house fire. Villagers traveled hundreds of miles across England to demand justice for their children’s deaths.

Sinful Folk is the story of this terrible mid-winter journey as seen by Mear, a former nun who has lived for a decade disguised as a mute man, raising her son quietly in this isolated village. For years, she has concealed herself and all her history. But on this journey, she will find the strength to redeem the promise of her past. Mear begins her journey in terror and heartache, and ends in triumph and transcendence.

The remarkable new novel by Ned Hayes, illustrated by New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Nikki McClure, Sinful Folk illuminates the medieval era with profound insight and compassion.


***REVIEW***



I’ve read medieval mysteries characterized as medieval noir, but Sinful Folk by Ned Hayes is as noir as it gets.  The medieval villagers we meet in this novel have dark secrets, and a number of them have either committed terrible deeds, or stood by without protest while they were perpetrated.  Many of the nobility who think of themselves as superior are no better.  Characters who have principles are seen as simple and childlike.  Christianity is not the faith of a loving God, but one that justifies acts of cruelty and intolerance.  Welcome to a 14th century England where chivalry is very nearly dead, and hearts that are pure are likely to be pureed. 
Many contemporary readers prefer dark fiction because they consider it more realistic.  I am not one of them, but I do appreciate historical fiction that is well-written by a writer who has done some homework about the period.  He certainly knows the work of Geoffrey Chaucer whose Canterbury Tales is the most iconic piece of literature associated with this era.
The author’s note “About Edward the Black Prince” interested me because The Black Prince looms large in the back story of the protagonist, Mear.   Ned Hayes tells us that the motto of the Black Prince “Houmout” is mysterious, and that there is no scholarly agreement about its meaning.   I have the tendency to run searches about historical issues in the books I read because I was a history major as an undergraduate.  That’s why I wanted to see whether there was any consensus about Houmout.  Indeed there was one.  Everywhere I looked Houmout was said to be from Old Flemish or Low German, and that it meant courage or honor.  There may be scholars who see Houmout differently, but I didn’t find any mention of such a disagreement in the online sources that I could freely access.   The speculation in Hayes' note is interesting, but it involves a major plot spoiler.  So I will not discuss it further here.
The mystery of the four dead youths of this village who were burned alive is at the center of the narrative.  Surprising developments arise during the process of discovering the truth about this awful crime.   The truth about various characters changes over the course of the novel as their secrets are uncovered.  I thought that the protagonist had layers of complexity while still being sympathetic.  I wanted her to triumph against all the obstacles in her path, and I liked the bittersweet ending.  
                                                  







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Booknote Interview with Ned Hayes





About the Author Ned Hayes is the author of the Amazon best-selling historical novel SINFUL FOLK. He is also the author of Coeur d'Alene Waters, a noir mystery set in the Pacific Northwest. He is now at work on a new novel, Garden of Earthly Delights, also set in the Middle Ages.

Ned Hayes is a candidate for an MFA from the Rainier Writer’s Workshop, and holds graduate degrees in English and Theology from Western Washington University and Seattle University.

Born in China, he grew up bi-lingually, speaking both Mandarin and English. He now lives in Olympia, Washington with his wife and two children.

For more information please visit www.sinfulfolk.com and www.nednotes.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Booklikes, YouTube, Google+, and Goodreads.


Sinful Folk Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, October 20

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, October 21

Review at Historical Novel Review

Wednesday, October 22

Spotlight at What is That Book About

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, October 23

Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Guest Post at Books and Benches

Monday, October 27

Review at Just One More Chapter

Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, October 28

Interview at Layered Pages

Wednesday, October 29

Review at Back Porchervations

Thursday, October 30

Interview at Back Porchervations

Friday, October 31

Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Monday, November 3

Interview at Triclinium

Spotlight at Boom Baby Reviews

Tuesday, November 4

Spotlight at Historical Tapestry

Wednesday, November 5

Review at Deal Sharing Aunt

Thursday, November 6

Review at bookramblings

Saturday, November 8

Review at Book Nerd

Monday, November 10

Review at Book Babe

Tuesday, November 11

Review at Impressions in Ink

Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Friday, November 14

Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, November 18

Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Review & Giveaway at Beth's Book Reviews

Wednesday, November 19

Review at Books in the Burbs

Review at Bookworm Babblings

Thursday, November 20

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Friday, November 21

Review at Library Educated

More Rant Than Review, Inspired by Falcones's The Barefoot Queen

I don't normally do this. But I've spent four days reading a 700-some? page book and only made it to 30%. It's stellar writing and an interesting historical tale of the life of the Gypsies and their persecution and customs in the late 1700s, Spain. The tale follows not only an apparently incredibly, mind-blowingly gorgeous Gypsy girl, Milagros, but also a former Cuban slave, Caridad--who also inspires men to wild lust as soon as they lay their eyes on her. (Yes, I have a disembodied part in that sentence. No, I don't care.)

Caridad's story broke my heart from page one. I kept reading despite some irritation (I'll get to that) in hopes she'd find happiness and also, a backbone. But in the end, despite the fact I wanted so much for the constantly beaten and raped Caridad, I could not continue.

I not only felt I was on the outside looking in (something I hate), but I got incredibly tired of the rape, sexual deviation, and lust every which way in this tale. Every single man who sees Caridad either masturbates whilst looking at her, rapes her, or desires her and fights it. Seriously??? I don't care how beautiful a woman is, not every single man is going to struggle with lust for her. Men are all different and are attracted to different types of women. And then it also began with Milagros.

The girl was beautiful; she emanated sensuality with every movement. They wouldn't even be able to walk a couple of leagues before men started pouncing on her...

We are told nonsense like this in between rapes, attempted rapes, and masturbations and bits about farmers diddling their own daughters constantly.
Even the men of the cloth are not exempt from lusting after Caridad, Milagros, or both.
Were things hard on women back in these days? You betcha. But do I care to be reminded every 5 minutes that men are apparently horny bastards who constantly fantasize about tearing our clothes off? No, I don't. Books like this make me afraid to leave my house and go to work. (The male to female ratio is way off in my line of work.)
So, when is it too much? As I said above, not every single man who lays eyes on a woman is going to be driven mad with lust. Thoughts?

Ten Questions from Tara: Interview with Dale Amidei

Tara: Welcome. You’re here to promote the lead title of a new series: Boone’s File. Absinthe and Chocolate, like your other novels, is a thriller. Tell me, please, what was the inspiration behind this story (or series)? How did it come to you?

Readers, here is the blurb:

The "intel" game is changing; international intelligence entities react to the growing influence of an emergent private sector effort. The USIC's Director of National Intelligence assigns a female case officer, empowered to take any necessary action, to safeguard the firm's growing data store.

Attacks, targeting key company players, force suspending operations in securing corporate infrastructure and remaining personnel. The agent responsible for covertly shepherding InterLynk responds to direct action targeting her principals; to counterbalance an attempted hostile takeover of the private company, she gathers her own assets.

Ranging from Switzerland through New York City to the Russian forests, the resulting covert conflict pits committed professionals from the spectrum of international intelligence against equals. The prize: technology housing intelligence that could reverse the balance of power between East and West.

Dale: Boone’s lead title arrived as a vision of a woman, drinking alone in a hotel room. I needed to find out why. The process was quite a journey and wonderfully worthwhile from a personal perspective. The original imagery evolved into her opening scene: Day 42 in Moscow.

Tara: We focus a lot on heroines here on Book Babe. Tell me what makes your heroine strong.

Dale: Boone’s strength, like every strong person, flows from the essence of her character. Though she is small in stature, her discipline has allowed her to become as physically fit to the limits of natural physiology (the field in which she earned her doctorate). She has a strong sense of allegiance fortified by working in a field that commands her loyalty. Those cultivated, essential capabilities qualify her to address her duties: high-level national security assignments from The U.S. Director of National Intelligence (and her former lover) Terrence Bradley.

Boone’s achievements extract tolls; her essential loneliness is sated only when a kindred spirit draws near enough. By the time we meet her, she has also developed an unhealthy gravitation toward alcohol. Strength proceeds from overcoming both weakness and challenge, and Boone does this regularly … usually in a rather spectacular fashion.

Tara: Did any particular woman in your family or life help inspire some of her traits?

Dale: I have been blessed to know many strong women: Mother, whose lifetime was an example of continuous resilience. My wife and Editress and partner in Single Candle Press, who is without effort the quality of character to which I aspire. There is Jo, who in her forties earned a black belt and embarked on a twenty-year career as a police officer, and many others. Nothing in an author’s life, it’s been said, ever goes to waste. Hundreds of people I’ve known go into the character development of my novels.

Tara: Those all sound like fabulous women! And I agree with you on the author's life. Very true. 
Was there any particular part of this story that was the hardest for you to write? Tell me why.

Dale: Boone carries a lot of pain with her in her travels. Her past actions and decisions are part of that, as are the isolating requirements of her classified responsibilities. One has to draw from a deep well to bring across those emotions and make them effective in the pages of fiction. Her poetry, when she retreats to her journal, reflects her internal struggle. I’m glad, despite being required to pass through those low times with her, to be able to tell the woman’s story.
Tara: What kind of research did you do when you penned this novel? Did anything surprising come up in your search?

Dale: The scope of duties within the United States Intelligence Community—Boone’s world—is breathtaking. This actual organization encompassing the nation’s sixteen intelligence agencies (seventeen with ODNI, the Office of the Director of National Security) has been in existence since the 1980s, yet remains largely unknown. Boone’s mission, as defined by her Director, is to solve problems that most people will never know existed. As Lao Tzu writes in the Tao Te Ching, work done is forgotten, yet lasts forever.

Tara: What would you like readers to gain from reading your book? Is there a strong moral? Do you hope they will laugh, learn something about a particular subject/person, ponder a point?

Dale: I write with the small goal of moving forward with a reader through the rest of his or her life. Toward that end, I write novels examining the perspectives that guide decisions across a wide variety of personalities. My readers can draw their own conclusions. Had we nothing substantial to say, the thousand hours of work to complete each novel and edit it to production would not be made.

Boone herself, in this introductory title, is at the beginning of a journey that, at this point, spans three more titles. I was in love with her by the end of the first.

Tara: Your book takes Boone around the world: Virginia, France, Switzerland, New York City, Moscow, and the forests of Russia. Which of those settings spoke to you the most?

Dale: The cold quietude of the forest of Russia’s Vladimirskaya Oblast, interrupted and then shattered by the climax of the novel, reminds me of my childhood here on the Northern Plains. I imagine peace that has resettled there, since humans have again left the place to itself. Perhaps there is a life lesson in that.

Tara: Moving on to personal things...if you could time travel to absolute any time and place in history, where and when would you go and what is it that draws you to this time period? What would you do whilst there?

Dale: I would travel to first century Galilee to witness the mission of Christ, which I see as the axis of human history. Even today, men and women are defined by the degree to which they address the essential precepts Jesus presented during those three years. There I would attend fully what I observed, which is how I attempt to live in any circumstance.

Tara: That's a new answer. Interesting.
What’s the one thing you hope to accomplish before you die? Your main goal?

Dale: Part of this I’ve done. Five novels are on the market with four more on the way, a tenth in pre-production, and another raising a blister in my mind. There are nine, anyway, that I will not have stuck inside me once I move on from this life.

Tara: That's a lot of writing to do. You better get busy. LOL

I’m a dog mom, so I always ask this. Do you have pets? If so, tell me about them and do provide pictures.
Dale: Gordon and T.R. (pic attached) are two gray tabbies who lived their lives with us from beginning to end and now are two of the pieces missing from our hearts. Leo (the blond) and Gato (our orange tabby) currently patrol the Perimeter. They are family members and recognized lesser someones, loved beyond proportion to their span and size.

Tara: Oh, thank you so much for sharing. I'm very sorry about Gordon and T.R. and hope they had the happiest of lives.


About Dale:
I live and write on the wind- and snow-swept Northern Plains of South Dakota. Novels about people and the perspectives that guide their decisions are the result. The faith-based themes of my work are set in the real world, which can be violent. It features real-world language, which varies between personalities. Each character is realistically portrayed as caught between heaven and earth, not always what they should be, nor what they used to be. In this way they are like all of us.

I believe that a novel begins with having something to say. Everything that comes next, developing the characters, the plot, the first draft, the editing, the polishing, all follow this. First have something to say, and then start writing.

#Giveaway HELL BENT WITH WHEELS: A Guest Post from Sue Ann Jaffarian

Spills and chills. Intrigue and brawling. And all while sitting down.
Hell on Wheels, the ninth book in my Odelia Grey mystery series, involves players in the rough and tumble sport of quadriplegic rugby, which is also a Paralympic sport. Many people, including myself, were first introduced to it through the wonderful documentary called Murder Ball. One of the reasons I went to see that movie was because the lead male character in the Odelia Grey series is Greg Stevens, a paraplegic who eventually becomes her husband. I’d done a lot of research on the day-to-day life of a paraplegic and when Murder Ball came out decided I shouldn’t miss it even if Greg wasn’t a quad.  I was glad I didn’t for so many reasons. I knew as soon as I watched Murder Ball that I would one day use quadriplegic rugby as a theme in a book. I didn’t know when or how, just that I would.
One of the questions I get asked a lot is why did I put my lead male protagonist in a wheelchair?
I originally created the character of Greg Stevens and his loyal canine Wainwright for a different book. That book was never published but almost all of the publishers who turned it down remarked about how much they loved Greg and Wainwright. When I started writing the Odelia Grey series and needed a love interest for Odelia, I thought immediately about Greg. I transferred the character and his dog to that series and never looked back.  Next to Odelia, he is the second favorite character in the series.
While Greg and Odelia have great chemistry in so many areas, his disability and Odelia’s weight make them perfect fictional compliments in another ways. Both are smart, educated and accomplished people who are viewed by general society as “damaged” or “not whole.” Something is “wrong” with them, each for different reasons, when, in reality, there’s not a darn thing wrong with either of them. They are members of the “soft” minorities and face prejudices each and every day and triumph over them with humor and determination.
Greg is a seasoned and gifted athlete, especially in basketball. He surfs, sails and is regularly found in the gym. When someone threatens his wife during their snooping into crime, he’s ready with a challenge and not afraid to throw a punch if necessary. He is her knight in shining armor, even if the horse he rides comes with wheels.
In Hell On Wheels I show the various quadriplegic athletes in a similar fashion. They are ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. Some are nice people. Some are not. There’s fighting, broken loyalties and marriage ups and downs. There is also friendship, courage and decency. Just like everyone else found on the planet.
I hope I got it right. Because if I didn’t, I did them all a great disservice. And if you haven’t been to a quadriplegic rugby game or seen Murder Ball, give yourself a treat and do it soon. It’s a lesson in ability, not disability.


We are all just people. Short, fat, tall, skinny, in a wheelchair, bent with age, tattooed or tanned. It doesn’t matter the color of your skin or eyes, your gender or gender preference, or even the gods you worship. In the end, we are all human beings living our lives as best we can on this tiny rock spinning in the cosmos. So let’s enjoy the ride and the diversity of our fellow travelers.
***
It's GAME ON for popular plus-sized sleuth Odelia Grey

When Odelia Grey and her husband, Greg, attend a rugby match to cheer for their quadriplegic friends, the last thing they expect is to witness a murder on the playing court. Complicating matters is their friendship with the killer--and with the second person who turns up dead. It doesn't help that Odelia's pompous boss, Mike Steele, is embroiled in a mystery of his own--one that leaves more than his super-sized ego bruised and battered.

Odelia enlists the help of family and friends, and gets some surprising assistance coming out of left field. But with a murderer calling the shots, Odelia wonders if she can tackle this dangerous case or if she's out of her league.
***
Sue Ann Jaffarian is the author of the popular Odelia Grey mystery series, the Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series and the Madison Rose vampire mysteries.

She has also launched a Holidays From Hell short story series for e-readers only. 

Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian is a middle-aged, plus-sized paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles and writes mysteries and general fiction, as well as short stories. 

In addition to writing, Sue Ann is sought after as a motivational/ humorous speaker. You can visit her on the web at www.sueannjaffarian.com, www.sueannjaffarian.blogspot.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.


***
Ms. Jaffarian is giving away one winner's choice of a signed copy or an ebook. U.S. residents only. Contest is open one week. Please comment and leave your email address to be entered.
Thank you, Ms. Jaffarian, for this wonderful post.

Review, Q&A, #Giveaway: Bird's Eye View, A Novel About A Canadian Aerial Photographic Interpreter During WWII

The woman had pink rubber curlers in her hair, and over them a saucepan turned upside down like a helmet. "Look at me frock," the woman said in a shaking voice. "I was that rattled, I put it on inside out."

I know of Bletchley Circle. I know of spies. I'd never heard of photographic interpreters. But when you sit down and think of it, of course they existed; of course they did their bit and they were very important to the war effort; of course some of them were women.

But first, let me say how much I liked this book and why... I loved the heroine. She makes mistakes, learns from them, improves herself, has bad moments, and gets back up. I loved the subtle theme that war may seem glamorous at first, but it is so not. It's sad, tragic, and leaves a trail of heartbreak in its wake. I love the funny bits in the middle of all this sadness: the woman with her hair in rollers in the bomb shelter, the backward movie of the queen, the funny dance-floor episode. I literally laughed out loud. The fact there were such funny moments in a mostly serious story was a major bonus for me. I love a good laugh.

But what's this about? A Canadian woman who thinks the grass is greener on the other side. Surely war is more exciting than farming? She joins up, goes to England to do her bit, and gets more than she bargained for, sees loss, feels fear, gets some tough lessons that war is not glamorous and love isn't necessarily found where you expect or want it. But that's not all. She becomes a photo interpreter and with her, readers learn about how this was during these times, the photos she looked at, the tools of her trade, what railroad tracks and buildings and aircraft fire appeared as. And the most fascinating: the tricks Germans used to throw Allies off track.

Needless to say, I especially loved how she would make a breakthrough, point out how/why we were being fooled, discover bombs pointing at London... Amazing stuff, especially Operation Fortitude. And yet the story also manages to inform us what's going on back "home" in Canada.

I loved this book and have nothing bad to say about it. I highly recommend it to lovers of WWII historical fiction. You'll laugh, cry, and learn something to boot. It doesn't get better than that. I think this is a fine tribute, too, to the aerial photographic interpreters who aided the Allies in WWII. We see all they accomplished in a most entertaining way.

I received this via Edelweiss.



And now, a quick Q&A with the author, Elinor Florence.

Q. During WWII, women stepped into all kinds of positions and military roles. There was the WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots), the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary), the Land Army, nurses, WAVES (naval reserve), they worked in munitions factories . . . etc. Out of all the things women did, you never hear about aerial photographic interpreters. What made you think of it?

A. When I started my journalism career, I worked as a newspaper reporter, back in the day when we took our own photographs and developed them in a darkroom. So I was very interested in photography. One day I saw a picture in an old magazine of a woman wearing an air force uniform, studying an aerial photograph. I was immediately intrigued by the idea of spying on the enemy through photographs. I kept the idea in the back of my head for years, until I was ready to research and write my novel.

We haven’t heard much about photo interpretation for several reasons. For one thing, photo interpretation was all done in England, primarily at one location called RAF Medmenham, which was a converted mansion north of London. So it wasn’t a common occupation performed by thousands of women across the board. Secondly, military historians tend to focus on combat roles. The men who took the aerial photographs were risking their lives, while the women were just studying the results – so naturally so we hear a lot more about reconnaissance aircraft pilots. And thirdly, photo interpretation was a branch of Intelligence, covered under the Official Secrets Act, and many women took their oath so seriously that they carried their secrets to the grave.

Recently have been a couple of non-fiction books written on this topic. There’s an especially good one called Women of Intelligence: Winning the Second World War With Air Photos, by Christine Halsall.

Q. What can you tell us about what this position entailed?

A. It was bloody hard work, and simply exhausting on the eyes. Interpreters studied every square millimeter of a photograph, usually comparing it with earlier photos to see if they could detect any changes. Since the photos were black and white, they had to learn how to discern among hundreds of shades of gray. And often they were being deliberately tricked by the Germans, who used camouflage to disguise their most important activities. They would cover the roofs of munitions factories with fake houses, complete to the last flowerbox, for example. Or paint their runways with green and yellow blocks to resemble fields.

Q. Operation Fortitude. Did it really happen?

A. Yes, it really happened. This was such a crazy idea that it actually worked! While planning to invade the beaches of Normandy, the Allies wanted the enemy to think it was going to invade at Calais in France instead – the shortest point across the water from England. So they amassed an entire fake army – actors dressed in costumes, rubber tanks and trucks, fake radio transmissions, fabricated newspaper stories, everything in their power to fool the Germans.

They even let the enemy fly overhead and take aerial photographs while pretending to shoot at them, so the evidence would make it back to Hitler’s headquarters. One of Rose’s duties was to study aerial photos of the fake army to see if it looked realistic. Ultimately, this gigantic deception worked -- the Germans were caught off guard on D-Day when the invasion took place much farther down the French coastline than they expected.

Q. I imagine that besides doing extensive research--which you obviously did--you may also have immersed yourself in period dramas portraying the time period, even if just to get “in the mood.” Can you recommend any favorite WWII period dramas/movies?

A. There have been few movies starring women in uniform, sadly, although sometimes you can see them lurking in the background.

There’s a 1993 movie called For the Moment with a young Russell Crowe starring as an Australian airman training at an air base in Canada. Bomb Girls is a wonderful contemporary television series set in Canada, about young women making weapons. But pretty much all movies filmed in wartime, both American and British, are great for showing the clothing worn then, and the music that was popular.

As far as the business of flying goes – and my heroine does work on a bomber station, interpreting the bomb damage on photos brought back by the crews – I don’t think anything can beat the heart-pounding action of Memphis Belle, made in 1990.

To get myself in the mood, I read books by Nevil Shute – he was writing them during the war itself, and he had an innate sympathy and understanding of people’s feelings at the time. No matter how often I read Pastorale, about a young English pilot and his girlfriend, I can’t help tearing up.

Q. There were little bits of information/stories throughout the story that just delighted me. The Canadian Indian who signed up and said, "Besides, when am I ever going to have another chance to shoot white men and get paid for it?" The bit about two brothers, Malcolm and Morris, who flipped a coin to see who would enlist . . . and their farm being pitted with holes. I'll not say why. Let readers delight in it for themselves. Janet and her sick horse . . . Adrian Stone's bravery . . . But these bits, where did they come from? Are any of these stories real? Perhaps relayed to you via grandparents?

A: I’m old enough that my parents lived through World War Two, and my father served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, so a lot of my “nuggets,” as I call them, came straight from the eyewitnesses. When I was writing for Reader’s Digest, I specialized in what were called “the heart stories.” I learned to recognize and record those fascinating little tidbits that tugged at the heartstrings. By the time I sat down to write my novel, I had notebooks filled with anecdotes, most of which I managed to use. The story about the two brothers is true – they were neighbours of ours, so I had to change their name!

*****
About the Author:

Elinor Florence grew up on a farm on the Canadian prairies, a former World War Two training airfield. She is a career journalist who edited daily newspapers and wrote for magazines including Reader’s Digest before turning to fiction
Her debut wartime novel called Bird’s Eye View, about a young Canadian woman who joins the air force and becomes an interpreter of aerial photographs, is now available from Dundurn Press of Toronto.Married with three grown daughters, Elinor lives in the mountain resort town of Invermere, British Columbia. You can sign up for her blog called Wartime Wednesdays and read more about her at www.elinorflorence.com. She is also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elinorflorenceauthor and Twitter: @florencewriter.

Bird’s Eye View is 384 pages long, costs $24.99 in stores, and can also be ordered as an ebook from the Canadian, U.S. or U.K. Amazon websites.




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Giveaway: Leave a comment on this post including your email address for a chance to win a copy of Bird's Eye View. Contest will run for two weeks, after which one of my pooches will choose a winner from their dog bowl. Winner will have 48 hours to get back to me upon contact. Open Worldwide.

To Find a Mountain by Dani Amore

There was no hope, no chance that sympathy and compassion could be learned. If you had it, you had it. If you lost it, it was gone. It was that simple. I would remember this lesson. It was the kind of lesson you instantly know you will use for the rest of your life, no matter what the situation or the predicament.

As I sit down and type this review, I struggle to find something to say, to make this a real review. I just want to scream, "I loved this book!" from the top of...well, a mountain--a mountain that I can reach the top of without using one of those horrid sky boxes and that has a real bathroom.

I loved it. I am so glad I finally picked up a "five-star" read. The writing is solid. The setting is realistic, the characters real and likable, as well as relatable. The romance is fast, but considering the situation, it felt perfect too. But this is not a romance book. It's the story of occupied Italy during the war and unlike most WWII occupied-type tales, it's not about rebels or anything like that. It's about plain ole' life. About a girl becoming a woman while her home is under German rule, about seeing the evils of war and becoming stronger for it.

While the Italian men run off to hide in the mountains, the women stay behind and face the Germans down. They cook for them, withstand abuse, possibly rape. They dream. They hide pigs. They keep their husbands' and fathers' whereabouts a secret, take care of their children and siblings, make sure the Germans' presence doesn't harm their children's health.

I loved this heroine. She's not OTT brave, but speaks her mind when it's necessary, stands up for those she loves, cares for others, and yet at the same time, learns to accept help. She finds love in the middle of madness, putting her "beau" in his place too. And the ending...OMG, the ending. LOVED it. That's all I'm going to say about that.

She faces so much, so very much--from the death of a friend to the possible loss of her father to feeding and hiding the pig. And everything that happens shows us a brave side of her, a strong side.

I think I forgot the 411. Benedetta is a motherless Italian girl living with her father when the Italians arrive during WWII, wanting the occupy the area for its height. From the mountains, the Germans can see all coming and going. Eventually, it's just Benedetta, her two siblings, and a helping woman taking care of the Germans staying (not by invitation) under her roof. There's fear, discomfort, secrets, and loss.

I'm very impressed with the prose. It's not too much of anything, not too little. Really, I have nothing bad to say about this one. Superb. I will be watching for more historical fiction from this author.

I received this via Netgalley.

A deep thought provoking read from Rosa Sophia - When I dream of You

This is my first book by Rosa Sophia. I'm glad I finally had the chance to sit and read one of her stories.
This story is packed full of so much emotion. Nina has had such a life. It's not one I'd wish on anyone. Between rape and an abusive mother, I just wanted to hug Nina and keep her safe from the world.
She's lost and looking for her place in the world. Currently, she's stuck but knows something has to change or her life will never get better. She meets Wes one day when she's running a marathon and they both feel like they know each other already.
I'd like to note, that this isn't your typical romance. There isn't scene after scene of flirting, kisses, and dates. But there is still a romance there between Wes and Nina. Wes is a patient man and just what Nina needs.
Through the story she grows and begins to feel more comfortable in her skin. I enjoyed the way this story wrapped up, and hope to read more from Rosa Sophia soon.
My Rating:

About The Book:Nina Archer battles memories of a trauma that occurred twelve years ago...
With plans to move to North Carolina, she hopes to separate herself from her mother, whose excessive drinking is becoming unbearable. Then suddenly, fate steps in to help her heal in a way she would never think possible. While running a race in Juno Beach, Nina finds herself next to a man whom she's immediately attracted to.

Wes Ladner, the same man she dreamt about one year ago... 
Wes is focused on his writing, and has no time for a woman. But the night before they met, he dreamt of Nina. Although they come from two very different worlds neither of them can deny the sparks that fly between them.

As her time runs out to make a decision, Nina wonders if she's been given the chance to come to terms with her past, and accept a gift that some never receive--true love.

Slave and Sister: The American Civil War in a Jewish Context

Adelaide Mannheim and her slave Rachel share a shameful secret. Adelaide’s father, a Jewish planter in Cass County, Georgia, is Rachel’s father, too. Adelaide marries neighboring planter Henry Kaltenbach, a Jew deeply troubled by slavery, and watches with a wary eye as her husband treats all of his slaves—including Rachel—with kindness. As the country’s conflict over slavery looms ever larger, Henry and Rachel fall in love, and as the United States is rent by the Civil War, the lives of mistress and slave are torn apart.

When the war brings destruction and Emancipation, can these two women, made kin by slavery, free themselves of the past to truly become sisters?

**********REVIEW**********
Slave and Sister by Sabra Waldfogel deals with the Mannheims, a wealthy Jewish slave owning family in 19th century Georgia.   There are two female protagonists.  One is Adelaide Mannheim, the white child of privilege. The second is her more versatile and intelligent sister, Rachel, a slave of mixed race who was bound to Adelaide as a maidservant and companion.  This was actually a common though sordid family drama in the ante-Bellum plantation world.  What makes this novel different is that it also deals with Henry Kaltenbach, a Jewish immigrant from Germany, who knew that slavery is wrong.  When he became involved in the lives of these two sisters, he transformed their relationship and their expectations about their futures.    
I was intrigued by the Jewish aspect of this book, and received a free copy via the blog tour for Slave and Sister in return for this honest review.                                                                                                     It’s important to realize that slavery was part of ancient Jewish history.  The Biblical patriarchs owned slaves. Abraham had a child with the slave Hagar who was Ishmael, the ancestor of the Arab peoples. Just like the Mannheims, the household of the patriarch Abraham contained Isaac, his heir who was the son of his wife, and Ishmael, the son of a slave, growing up side by side.
 So Henry Kaltenbach’s abolitionism was not Biblically based.  It was an ethical conviction rooted in his profound sense of human equality.  In Germany, he had been a revolutionary, and he brought this background to the New World.   He was actually quite an extraordinary man, but he never seemed to realize it.  I admired both his principles and his innate humility.  He was a decent human being in a society where cruelty and injustice abounded.  In Yiddish, the word for decent human being is mensch.  Henry Kaltenbach was a true mensch.
 If the characters in this novel were compared to those in Gone With The Wind, many would agree that Henry could be considered like Rhett Butler, and that Adelaide has some similarities to Scarlet O’Hara.  Yet Rachel has no parallel in Margaret Mitchell’s classic masterpiece.  Mitchell was limited by her values and perceptions.  She couldn’t have imagined a literate slave with a powerful intellect, and a pragmatic understanding of the business of running a plantation.  Yet I should also point out, that in the period when GWTW was published, few would have believed that a character like Rachel could have existed even if Margaret Mitchell had been capable of imagining her.   I was born nearly twenty years after the publication of GWTW.   Although current America is scarcely a utopia, there have been some remarkable changes in attitudes in the literary world.  I ­­­ consider Rachel a credible protagonist due to what I know of African American history, and my belief in racial equality.
I didn’t always like Adelaide, but I eventually came to respect her. When Adelaide Mannheim was a child she never expected to become her mother until she found it happening as an adult, and it was not a pretty sight.  A woman’s realization that she has become something she once detested is a very critical moment in her life.  What she does then will count for a great deal.  
I was delighted to learn about abolitionist Rabbi David Einhorn from Sabra Waldfogel’s  historical note at the end of this book.  She said that reaction to his 1861 speech against slavery forced him to leave Baltimore.  From the article about him on Wikipedia I discovered that his speech inspired a riot, and that his Baltimore congregants had wanted to tar and feather their Rabbi.  In the sources for the Wikipedia article, I discovered a link to the text of David Einhorn's Speech Against Slavery which I consider an important document in the history of abolitionism and Biblical exegesis.
In conclusion, the characters and the dramatization of the novel’s themes through its compelling plot makes Slave and Sister a novel that I recommend to readers who like to see unusual perspectives in historical fiction.
                                  




About the Author Sabra Waldfogel grew up far from the South in Minneapolis. She studied history at Harvard University and received her Ph.D. in American History from the University of Minnesota. She has worked as a technical writer and has written about historic architecture for Old House Journal and Arts and Crafts Homes. Her short story “Yemaya” appeared in Sixfold’s Winter 2013 fiction issue. Slave and Sister is her first novel.

For more information please visit Sabra's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.



Slave and Sister Blog Tour ScheduleMonday, October 27

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, October 28

Interview at Caroline Wilson Writes

Wednesday, October 29

Review & Giveaway at Forever Ashley

Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, October 30

Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, November 3

Review at Book Babe

Tuesday, November 4

Spotlight at I'd Rather Be Reading

Wednesday, November 5

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Thursday, November 6

Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Friday, November 7

Interview at Mina's Bookshelf

Guest Post at Just One More Chapter