Sage Nestler's Blog, page 64

July 11, 2016

Summer Splash Book Blog Tour

Hello Everyone!


For the next few weeks I will be taking part in a summer blog tour with numerous other amazing authors!  We believe that as indie authors we need to support one another, not compete with each other, and this is a great way for us to showcase other authors while being featured ourselves.  Below is the list of of dates and authors who I will be featuring:


Week One: Opening Blog


Week Two: Cat Banks Interview


Cat’s Blog


Week Three: Carol Ann King Interview


Carol’s Blog




Week Four: D.j. Ruggiero Interview


D.J.’s Blog




Week Five: Leslie Conzatti Interview


Leslie’s Blog




Week Six: Marie Silk Interview


Marie’s Facebook Page




Week Seven: Anna Kringle Interview


Anna’s Blog


Week Eight: Susan Ferrell Interview


Susan’s Blog


Week Nine: Kristan L. Cannon Interview


Kristan’s Blog


Week Ten: Closing blog 


I hope you all enjoy the upcoming author interviews, and check out the other blogs as well!


Much love,


Ashley


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Published on July 11, 2016 11:56

July 8, 2016

My Lea by E. Mellyberry

Title: My Lea


Author: E. Mellyberry


Rating: 5/5


Synopsis: 


When Lea Amelia landed her feet in San Francisco for her overseas study, her idea of freedom was simple, like eating junk food ten times a day, sitting in front of the TV in her PJs, or going out late with her friends without the need to check in with her mother constantly. Then she met Andrew Jaya, her brothers’ best friend. A twenty-two-year-old guy whose physical appearance looked like he was crafted straight from God’s heavenly hands, but possessed a past as bleak as if it was drawn by Evil himself. A conflicted guy who wore sadness like nobody’s business beneath his mask, a perfect-looking mask she slowly peeled away. He was also the guy who hurt her. Suddenly, everything about her was no longer simple. Andrew Jaya had convinced himself that not feeling was good for him. He’d been doing it splendidly for almost his entire life. But that was before his best friend’s sister stepped into his life and ruined it. After weeks of knowing Lea, all of those warm and wonderful feelings he’d long ago denied to himself started to reappear. Problem was, the brighter the light, the bigger the shadows that came with it. His traumatic past refused to let him go. When the unthinkable happened, the easiest thing to do was to run. But life often proves that the easiest way is usually the hardest.


Review:


Tragic love stories are always a guilty pleasure for me, but lately I have found that when I pick up a tragic love story, it doesn’t hit me as hard as I would like; however, that was not the case with My Lea.  E. Mellyberry knew how to wrap the romance with tragedy and realistic elements perfectly, and I couldn’t put her book down.


Lea, herself, is an intriguing character.  The book followers her as she goes to San Francisco for an overseas study, and watching her become a part of American culture was intriguing.  I enjoyed her alternative view on America as someone from overseas, and it was heartbreaking to see her falling in love with someone who was so tainted and beaten down by life, just to be torn apart from and by him in the end.  Mellyberry did a wonderful job of putting the reader in Lea’s shoes, by portraying to them what it is like to just be getting your life started, only to be hurt by someone who changes you forever.  I really connected with Lea in that respect, because sometimes love can be damaging, but it does change you as a person and usually for the better.


Reading Mellyberry’s novel was a roller coaster ride of emotion, and I was crying like a baby by the time the end came around.  It is a novel that has pierced my heart, and one that I will never forget and keep going back to, despite the emotional turmoil it brings.  I am honestly surprised that this novel hasn’t been published on a a larger scale, and it is truly a hidden gem.  If you are looking for a new romance author to send you into a whirlwind of emotion, then look no further than My Lea.  The best books are those that tantalize your emotions so much that they change you, and this book is certainly among them.


FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form


IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com


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Published on July 08, 2016 08:39

July 7, 2016

Beaten by Rebekah Rue – 4/5

Title: Beaten


Author: Rebekah Rue


Rating: 4/5


Synopsis: 


My name is Lo Knight.

I am possibly the worst person in the world.

All I wanted was for them to disappear.

I killed my parents.

Heath Mavrick has a claim on me that can’t be touched. He is a free soul, a wild card, but he was the tiny spark that caught my whole world on fire and brought it all crumbling down into a pile of ashes. I cut him from my life, and, in turn I lost the love I loved the most.


Change is hard, especially if it’s being forced.

So when life gives you a second chance, you take it. You make it right. You play it safe. You don’t fall for a dangerous street racer. I was warned.

Never date the bad-boy, tattooed, asshole, and Talon is all three.

The names Talon Baylor.

I’m great-looking, hot-blooded, and worshipped.

I don’t ask. I just take. I love competition and I never lose.

Me? I’m numero uno

Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking.

I’m a bossy dominant prick.

There, you happy? I said it.

There’s a new blonde in town that I’ve made a promise to stay away from, but I can’t. When she turned me down, she made this a challenge, and if I wasn’t interested before I certainly am now. She can resist all she wants, but in the end, I always get my little trophy.


Review:


Dominance has never been so good…


Rebekah Rue has an enviable talent.  Not only do her characters jump off of the page due to their realistic qualities, but she allows the reader to connect with her protagonist, Lo.  Instead of painting Lo as an untouchable beauty who surpasses all other women, she is painted as an average girl who is quiet and has gone through many traumas in her life.  I could easily plant myself in Lo’s shoes, and I enjoyed imagining myself as her throughout the story.


That being said, this book is definitely only for women who adore dominant men and relationships as Talon can be seen as abusive if his dominance is not understood.  Talon is a force to be reckoned with, and I enjoyed watching him pine after Lo while she just kept denying him.  Seeing a dominant man get played is always fun, but his personality definitely kept both Lo and I on our toes throughout the novel.  I also enjoyed seeing her being chased after by two men, since I am a sucker for love triangles.  Some times authors can present readers with a love triangle that is infuriating, but that was not the case with Beaten.  I felt as though I were living my life through Lo, and the sexiness of Rue’s novel let me live out my wildest fantasies.  Her sexual writing was not grotesque as erotica can oftentimes be, and I found it to be artistic in a way that wasn’t apologetic.  She made it clear that sex is not something to shy away from, but an active part of the human experience.  Watching Lo come full throttle into a new sequel awakening was, for lack of a better word, hot, and I was envious of her experiences.


If you are looking for a quality erotica romance that is both realistic and artistic, then Beaten would be your best choice.  I thoroughly enjoyed Rue’s style, and I am looking forward to what she comes up with next.


SCORECARD




EDITING: 5/5
ORIGINALITY: 4/5
ARTISTIC STYLE: 4/5
PLOT DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5


FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form


IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com


SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!


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Published on July 07, 2016 12:36

July 6, 2016

Exciting News!

Hello Everyone,


I wanted to share with you some exciting news.  I have been scouted out and hired by My Trending Stories as a book reviewer/blogger and author.  This means that from now on all of my book reviews will be posted to their website, as well as my creative writing, publishing tips, and author interviews.  The website receives over a million views per day, which means that any book reviews or author interviews I post will help all of you gain massive publicity!  I am very excited for this opportunity, and how passionate they are about my writing and my blog.  I think that my blog and writing is becoming a career, and I would have never expected this.  I am truly blessed.


Much love,


Ashley


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Published on July 06, 2016 16:01

July 4, 2016

Weekly Update – 07/04/16 – 07/10/16

Happy 4th Everyone!


This week I will be reviewing:



Broken by Rebekah Rue
Ruby Ink by L.J. Wilson
Echo from Mount Royal by Dave Riese

This is also an update that we have new author requirements for the Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box.  I have already emailed all upcoming authors who will be included in the box, but if you are interested in being featured please review the requirements first.  The new requirements will allow us to stay in business and dig ourselves out of the financial hole we have been dealing with, while also featuring your books in the best box possible.


I have also opened up four more spots for our full July box (2 books), and three new spots for our simple July box (1 book).  But hurry, because these spots won’t last!


Have a great week everyone!


Much love,


Ashley


FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form


IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com


SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!


WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE



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Published on July 04, 2016 13:08

July 2, 2016

The Deadbringer by E. M. Markoff – 4/5

Title: The Deadbringer


Author: E.M. Markoff


Rating: 4/5


Synopsis: 


In the aftermath of the Purging, the Deadbringers are no more. The Ascendancy has positioned itself as the land’s dominant power by exploiting the people’s fear of the Deadbringers’ innate abilities to summon souls and reanimate the dead. Yet its hold is not complete, for in the North the Bastion stands in the way of the Ascendancy and its iron-willed elite soldiers, the Sanctifiers. But, somehow, a single Deadbringer has managed to survive. Kira Vidal, a boy of fifteen, has remained hidden, living peacefully with his uncle in the northern city of Opulancae under the Bastion’s protection. But it seems their luck is at an end when rumors begin to spread, and a strange man shows up at their door, seeking the forbidden services of a Deadbringer. Aware of the dangers should word of his nature reach the Ascendancy, Kira makes a promise to himself to protect his beloved uncle at all costs, even if it means pursuing the limits of his powers … and learning painful truths.


Review:


The concept of The Deadbringer is fantastic.  I have never read a book even remotely like it, and I couldn’t put it down.  I ate up the cryptic ideals and story line, and fell into E. M. Markoff’s world easily.


Markoff has the unique old world writing style that links folklore with modern ideals, and her work read to me like that of the darker authors such as Edgar Allan Poe.  She effortlessly wound youth and death together, while casting a darker shadow on life  and on the world as it is and has been.  It was clear to the reader that she has her own take on life and life after death, and when reading her novel I was so convinced with her ideals that it didn’t take me long to see them as fact.  Her story was so vivid and original that I had a hard time separating it from reality.  It was a story so real that I could see it existing in today’s world and in our history, and I wanted to meet her characters myself to discuss with them what I read about them.


The concept of bringing the dead back to life can come off as grotesque in most writing, but with Markoff’s novel it came off as art and a brilliance that I haven’t seen in other works.  The Deadbringer is a perfect novel for those who aren’t fond of darker novels, because the center of it wasn’t on the darker aspects; instead, Markoff made sure that her novel was about folklore and written in a way that didn’t scare the reader.  She wanted the reader to be an active thinker and participant in her story, and I didn’t feel alone whenever I opened her book.  The story and characters just jumped off of the paper, and I had to remind myself as to where I was whenever I was done reading.  I am excited that this novel is only the first in its series, and I plan on reading the other books as they are released.  I have been yearning to read a quality darker novel for some time, and The Deadbringer exceeded my expectations.


FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form


IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com


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Published on July 02, 2016 15:54

July 1, 2016

Author Spotlight: Marie Silk

Our next author spotlight is on Marie Silk, author of the Davenport House series!  She already has three books in her series out, and I have read and reviewed the first two books.  I am in love with her take on the wealthy class and their servants, and she paints the Progressive Era beautifully.


Davenport House by Marie Silk Review


Davenport House 2 by Marie Silk – 5/5


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Davenport House is Free Today!


Davenport House is the first book in a family saga following the wealthy Davenports and their servants in 1915 America.


Mary Davenport is a 22-year-old idealist who worries that the world in the Progressive Era is leaving her behind. She lives isolated in the Pennsylvania countryside with her affluent and secretive family. When her father dies suddenly, Mary becomes pained with grief and increasingly suspicious of those around her.


A humble servant girl has the chance of a lifetime to become a lady’s companion. Costly dresses, exquisite rooms, and fine dinners are pleasant distractions from what is really happening in the house.


Davenport House 2 - Ebook Small


Purchase Davenport House 2 on Amazon


The family saga continues in this sequel to Davenport House, resuming where the first leaves off in the spring of 1915. The family and servants must face their fears amid love and jealousy, grief and moving forward, and threat of imminent War with the World.


The restructure of an upper class family affects all who live on the Pennsylvania estate. 22-year-old Mary Davenport stays occupied with modernizing the house, but insecurities arise when she develops romantic feelings for the first time.


A wealthy socialite persuades one of the ladies to join her on a voyage aboard the exquisite Lusitania. Handsome Ethan is forced to move into the mansion after a fire destroys his home. Tensions rise as Davenport House enters a new chapter with more challenges than anyone is prepared for.


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Purchase Davenport House 3 on Amazon


The family saga continues in this third book to Davenport House, beginning with a chapter that looks into the past to understand the present.


Motor cars and telephone calls are now part of the modern life at Davenport House. It is summertime in 1915 Pennsylvania and the ladies of the house are making big plans for the year. Clara takes financial matters into her own hands and discovers an unlikely alliance outside of the house. The future becomes uncertain when faiths collide and a sudden outbreak of fever sweeps across the county.


Ethan and his father are absent for days when secrets of the past are found in a letter. The trustee reopens the estate of the late Mr. Davenport with the power to change everything for everyone at Davenport House.



How did you get the idea for “Davenport House”?

I am a fan of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey.  I wanted to write an American counterpart during similar times.  Inheritance conflicts have been an issue since earliest recorded history—heated even in present day.  I believe a reason for this could be that grief and tragedy can bring out the most extreme emotions of the surviving family.  This makes for interesting stories in any era.



Have you always loved writing historical fiction, and do you read it as well?

This is the first time that I have written historical fiction.  I had a wonderful time researching for these novels.  The locations are real places, and readers might be interested to know that the department store in the first book is still famous to this day.  It is now the Macy’s store that is known worldwide for its Thanksgiving Day parades.  I still read and enjoy historical fiction.  The Mandie series was my favorite to read when I was growing up.



How many books are you estimating will be in the series?

There are six books planned for the Davenport House family saga, continuing through WWI and the Great Depression.



Do you only write historical fiction?

I write in many genres.  My friends and family know me for writing satire and humor.  Writing a serious historical fiction saga was a surprise to others as well as myself.



Why did you pick the era that is the setting for “Davenport House”?

I picked the Progressive Era because I believe the United States was experiencing a peak time of glory.   People were mostly recovered from the Civil War by then, and began making great advances in technology.  I think it must have been an exciting time to be alive.  I also think that the dresses were beautiful, and the way the characters are dressed is an important element of Davenport House.



What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?

I hope that readers will enjoy the contrast of rich and poor, with a bit of the Cinderella feeling.  There is a full range of emotions to be explored throughout this saga.  I hope that Davenport House might become a real mansion in the minds’ eye, so that the fine dining, marble fireplaces, and lovely dresses can be enjoyed to their fullest.


Where to Find Marie Silk


Amazon


Goodreads


Facebook


 


 


 


 


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Published on July 01, 2016 13:00

Author Spotlight: Gene Jordan

Our next author spotlight is on Gene Jordan, author of “An Old Man and a Girl”!  Below is his book information and links to different trailers for his book as well as his Amazon author page.


Book Information


Revised Cover An Old Man and a Girl.png



Adventure, History, Family, Respect, Travel, Heartbreak, Culture, First Crush…


A story about a Grandfather and Granddaughter adventure following the Lewis and Clark Trail across the United States. The two make new friends along the way, have many adventures, learn about history especially Sacagawea’s blue beads, and face challenges together all while Zack, the old man, is trying to convince his Granddaughter, Molly, to go back to school.  Unfortunately, their trip doesn’t turn out exactly as they had hoped.  A dark figure is always following the old man, there are dangerous animal attacks, dangerous people, and a few run ins with the law.  Will Molly ever go back to school?  Will Zack feel purpose in life again?  Who is the dark figure?  Read An Old Man and Girl: A Modern Day Lewis and Clark Adventure to find out.


Gene’s Amazon Author Page


Book Trailer


Book Review Trailer



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Published on July 01, 2016 12:00

Author Spotlight: Dave Riese

Author Bio:


 


Born in 1946, I grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts. I attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, majoring in English literature. During my junior year, I studied English Literature at Oxford University and travelled in Europe. I wrote a travel journal as my senior thesis.


 


After graduating in 1968, I enlisted in the Air Force one step ahead of my draft board’s kind invitation to join the army and travel to Vietnam. I married Susan, my high school girlfriend, during leave between tech school and my posting to the Philippines at Clark Air Base. During this period, I wrote poetry.


 


Discharged from the military in 1972 and despite my lack of computer experience, I was hired by Liberty Mutual Insurance to attend their three-month computer training course. I learned later that the major reason I was hired was my writing and communications background. An English degree can be a valuable asset!


 


I began writing short stories, a novel and a screenplay, but wasn’t disciplined enough to produce much over the next 25 years. A job, a house, and raising two children took all my energy.


 


After 35 years in information technology, I retired from Massachusetts Financial Services in the spring of 2012. I sat down and had a long talk with myself. “If you want to publish a book, you’d better take writing seriously.” In 2015, I published Echo from Mount Royal, a novel about a young woman’s strange courtship in 1951 Montreal.


 


My wife and I moved north of Boston in 1974. Our daughter lives in Ireland with her husband. Our son and his wife are pediatricians in Rhode Island. We have four grandchildren.


 


Riese is the author Echo from Mount Royal, a novel about a young woman’s strange courtship in 1951 Montreal.


 


 


Book Information:


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2016 Next Generation Indie Book Award:



Winner in the General Fiction/Novel category


Second Place Grand Prize Winnerfor all fiction books

 


Synopsis:


Montreal, 1951. Rebecca Wiseman, 18-years-old, briefly meets a handsome young man, but has little hope of seeing him again. When Sol Gottesman tracks her down and asks her on a date, her joy mingles with disbelief when she learns he is the son of a wealthy businessman.


 


When Sol takes her in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce to the most expensive restaurant in the city, Rebecca enters a world of upper-class wealth and privilege unknown in her working-class family. She believes her romantic dreams have come true.


 


She soon learns that despite Sol’s outward charm, he lacks self-confidence. He reveals the simmering conflicts in his family, dominated by his mother and older brother. Rebecca wants to protect Sol, but helping him stand up to the pressure from his family, puts her squarely in the midst of it all.


 


Class, religion, family conflict and sexual secrets test their love. And then a late night telephone call changes her life forever.


 


 


Genesis of the Novel:


Before going to work, I’d often meet an elderly Jewish woman in the coffee shop downstairs from my office. We talked ‘books,’ sharing a similar taste in fiction.


 


When she learned that I was a writer, she told me many stories about her experiences growing up in Montreal before and after WWII. Her story about her engagement as an 18-year-old girl astounded me. She invited me to ‘write it up,’ thinking it would make an interesting short story.


 


Over the next ten months, I gave her chapters ‘Hot off the press” to read. When the 300-page manuscript was finished, she hefted the pages laughing, “This weighs more than a short story!” After a year and a half editing the book, it was finally finished In October 2014.


 


 


Links:   (you may eliminate some if these are too many)


 


Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RUYQ5N0


Smashwords:


 


Website:  http://ww.DaveRiese.com


Amazon Author page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/daveriese


Goodreads Author Page:  http://www.goodreads.com/DaveRiese


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Dave.Riese


Book’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/EchoFromMountRoyal?fref=ts


Book Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e6pk2RYiFc


 


 


AUTHOR INTERVIEW


 


1) Why do you like writing historical fiction?


 


I enjoy the challenge. Even though Echo from Mount Royal takes place only 65 years ago, writing the story took many hours of research:



What restaurants were popular
What toiletries and personal items existed in those day; when were they sold in Canada
What radio programs were popular
What current events took place
What social institutions were available

 


I was fortunate to have available the woman whose story is the basis of the book. She provided many details about Montreal. I had fun working in all the details that convince the reader that they are experiencing another world.


 


I love listening to the stories elderly people tell about their lives; I enjoy visiting historical places and tryiing to picture what life was like at the time. Contemporary life has so much that is unknown or unfinished. Historical fiction allows me to have a larger view of life and see the long-term consequences of human actions.


 


 


2) What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?


Most importantly, I want readers to lose themselves in the story and to end the book wanting more. I want them to live inside the character and experience a revelation that they understand exactly what the character is thinking. I hope they will remember the characters long after the book is finished.


 


I want the reader to experience the place and time of the story so intimately that they believe every moment is true. I want them to be amazed by a situation they’ve never thought about. Finally I want to keep readers slightly off balance so that twists of the plot keep them turning the pages.


 


 


3) Which authors inspire you?


I find Irish authors the most inspiring. The Irish tradition of storytelling has produced remarkable writers:


Sebastian Barry (A Long, Long Way, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty), William Trevor (Lucy Gault), Colm Toibin (Brooklyn, The Heather Burning, The Blackwater Lightship), Frank O’Connor (short stories), Roddy Doyle (A Star Called Henry), Brian Moore (Lies of Silence), John McGahern (Amongst Women)


 


I also find myself drawn to these English writers


Jane Gardam (Filth), Ian McEwan (Atonement), Magnus Mills (The Restraint of Beasts), Virginia Woolf (To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway), Graham Swift (Last Orders), Graham Greene (End of the Affair), Charles Dickens (Bleak House, Great Expectations), Jane Austen (Emma, Sense and Sensibility.


 


And I must mention the American authors that I go back to over and over:


Edith Wharton (The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome), Larry Watson (Montana 1948, Justice), Henry James (Washington Square, The Aspern Papers, Daisy Miller),


William Faulkner (As I Lay Dying), Chaim Potok (The Chosen), Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)


 


4) What are your favorite books of all time?


I find this almost impossible to answer, but looking back at the last question, I’ll pick the books that stand out for me:


 


Henry James (Washington Square), Edith Wharton (The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome), Ian McEwan (Atonement), Virginia Woolf (To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway), Graham Swift (Last Orders), Charles Dickens (Bleak House, Great Expectations), Jane Austen (Emma), John McGahern (Amongst Women), Roddy Doyle (A Star Called Henry), Colm Toibin (The Blackwater Lightship), Sebastian Barry (The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty)


 


 


5) Do you write under any other genres?


I’ve realized overtime that most of my short stories and longer fiction are based in some way on experiences I had in childhood through my early thirties (1950 – 1975) or events in the lives of my parents (1920 on) or grandparents (1900 on). I am not adept at mystery, horror or science fiction. Some of my work can be classified as YA. Non-traditional romance fiction is a genre that seeks me out when I’m not looking.


 


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Published on July 01, 2016 11:00

Author Spotlight: Belle Blackburn

Belle Blackburn is an amazing Historical Fiction author, with one book already out and the sequel releasing in August.  I am very excited to present her to you, and I hope that you enjoy the interview that I had with her as well as her books!


Book Information


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Everybody, including her mother, believes that Kate’s father committed suicide. Determined to prove otherwise, Kate sets out on a fascinating and sometimes hysterical journey through antebellum law and medicine. Set in 1860s Nashville and told with a biting wit, determined Kate finally discovers the truth – but at what cost? Will she ruin her own life trying to defend the life of her dead father?


Order on Amazon


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Kate married into a powerful Confederate family for all the wrong reasons, only to discover her true love from the past. In this sequel to The Doctor’s Daughter: Journey to Justice, Kate’s father-in-law locks horns with Andrew Johnson, military governor of occupied Nashville, and he turns their world upside-down. Murder, deception and a missing Union soldier change their lives forever. Kate has made bad choices before. Can she make the right one this time?


Pre-Order on Amazon


AUTHOR INTERVIEW 



1) Why do you write historical fiction?


I like to learn something when I read but who wants to read a dry history book?  Tuck that history into a good story and the learning is a fun adventure.  A lot of people don’t want to write historical fiction because of the research but I love it.  I look for those unusual facts and what can make me actually experience it – how it smelled, felt, tasted.



2) Which authors inspire you?


I was a ravenous reader from an early age but the first thing to inspire me in this genre was when my mother drug my 14-year-old self to the theater to see Gone With the Wind.  Up to that point I had thought of history as nothing but a bunch of dates and battles and facts to be endured in school, but this was the first time I thought about the civilians and cities that were affected by war.  It was also the Vietnam era and my brother was at boot camp and that overhead scene of all the wounded soldiers laying out in the sun really affected me.  So I left the movie and read the book and while it certainly has issues, I have to give Margaret Mitchell credit for opening my eyes to historical fiction.  And she was a talented writer.  My favorite author is Susan Howatch, a British author who no longer writes.  She is brilliant and I learned from her that most all the time you think you know a situation and the people, but the reality is likely completely the opposite.  She will write from different people’s viewpoints about the same situation and it has helped me to put myself in other people’s shoes.  Diana Gabaldon is also good in combining history and medicine, which I do also.


3) What are you currently working on?


Launching this second book!  There is so much work after typing “the end.”  I have no idea what is next.


4) What advice do you have for aspiring authors?


Don’t pay attention to all the advice about how to write.  You do what works for you.  Just like everything else in life, people work differently.  Some people are very organized with spreadsheets and plot out everything before they start writing.  I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants girl.  I know the basic issue and how it ends, maybe a few things in between, start writing and see where it goes.  I am also very linear.  I start at the beginning and go straight through.  Other people do it in segments.  And don’t pay attention to what the current trends are.  Write YOUR book, not theirs.



5) What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?



With these two books I hope people take away a better knowledge of what happened in Nashville during Civl War time.  Nashville was incredibly important in the war but does not get a lot of coverage.  It was also the country’s first experience with military occupation, which did not go well.  I still gravitate towards the civilians and their story.  There are lots of military experts out there and I will leave that to them, but it was a very messy and complicated time in our history, so hopefully a better understanding of that, as well as our historical medicine and law, which was so different.  And I hope a nice romance will give them sweet dreams.

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Published on July 01, 2016 10:00