Virtual Tour + Book Blast: Murder by Misrule by @annacastl @HFVBT

HF Virtual Book Tours proudly presents Anna Castle's Blog Tour & Book Blast for Murder by Misrule, the first book in her Francis Bacon Mystery Series. Please join her as she tours the blogosphere from June 2 - July 4.

 Publication Date: June 8, 2014 

Formats: Ebook, Paperback

A Kirkus Indie Books of the Month Selection for July.

Francis Bacon is charged with investigating the murder of a fellow barrister at Gray's Inn. He recruits his unwanted protégé Thomas Clarady to do the tiresome legwork. The son of a privateer, Clarady will do anything to climb the Elizabethan social ladder. Bacon's powerful uncle Lord Burghley suspects Catholic conspirators of the crime, but other motives quickly emerge. Rival barristers contend for the murdered man's legal honors and wealthy clients. Highly-placed courtiers are implicated as the investigation reaches from Whitehall to the London streets. Bacon does the thinking; Clarady does the fencing. Everyone has something up his pinked and padded sleeve. Even the brilliant Francis Bacon is at a loss — and in danger — until he sees through the disguises of the season of Misrule.

The Francis Bacon Mystery Series

This series of historical mysteries features the philosopher-statesman Francis Bacon as a sleuth and spymaster. Since Francis prefers the comfort of his own chambers, like his spiritual descendent Nero Wolfe, he sends his pupil, the handsome young Thomas Clarady, out to gather information. Tom loves the work, not least because he meets so many interesting people, like Lord Burghley, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Christopher Marlowe. Murder by Misrule is the first book in the series.

Praise for Murder by Misrule

"Though the plot keeps the pages turning, the characters, major and minor, and the well-wrought historical details will make readers want to linger in the 16th century. A laugh-out-loud mystery that will delight fans of the genre." - Kirkus Starred Review

"Murder by Misrule is a delightful debut with characters that leap off the page, especially the brilliant if unwilling detective Francis Bacon and his street smart man Tom Clarady. Elizabeth Tudor rules, but Anna Castle triumphs." - Karen Harper, author of Mistress Shakespeare

"Well-researched... Murder by Misrule is also enormously entertaining; a mystery shot through with a series of misadventures, misunderstandings, and mendacity worthy of a Shakespearean comedy." - M. Louisa Locke, author of Bloody Lessons

“Historical mystery readers take note: Murder by Misrule is a wonderful example of Elizabethan times brought to life.” — D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Buy the Book

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

About the Author

Anna Castle has been a waitress, software engineer, documentary linguist, college professor, and digital archivist. Historical fiction combines her lifelong love of stories and learning. She physically resides in Austin, Texas, and mentally counts herself a queen of infinite space.

For more information please visit Anna Castle's website and blog. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, June 2

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Book Blast at Mari Reads

Tuesday, June 3

Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Wednesday, June 4

Book Blast at The Musings of ALMYBNENR

Thursday, June 5

Book Blast at Our Wolves Den

Friday, June 6

Review at Book Nerd

Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer

Book Blast at A Dream Within a Dream

Saturday, June 7

Book Blast at Kelsey's Book Corner

Sunday, June 8

Review at Carole's Ramblings

Monday, June 9

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Tuesday, June 10

Book Blast at West Metro Mommy

Wednesday, June 11

Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse

Thursday, June 12

Review at Curling Up By the Fire

Friday, June 13

Book Blast at Cheryl's Book Nook

Monday, June 16

Book Blast at Closed the Cover

Book Blast at To Read or Not to Read

Tuesday, June 17

Review & Giveaway at 100 Pages a Day

Book Blast at A Book Geek

Wednesday, June 18

Book Blast at CelticLady's Reviews

Thursday, June 19

Review at Bibliotica

Book Blast at Historical Fiction Obsession

Friday, June 20

Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews

Interview at All Things Girl

Saturday, June 21

Book Blast at Griperang's Bookmarks

Monday, June 23

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, June 24

Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Wednesday, June 25

Book Blast at Susan Heim on Writing

Thursday, June 26

Review at A Bookish Girl

Review at Layered Pages

Review at Kinx's Book Nook

Friday, June 27

Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes

Monday, June 30

Book Blast at Historical Tapestry

Tuesday, July 1

Interview at Starting Fresh

Wednesday, July 2

Review at Kincavel Korner

Thursday, July 3

Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Guest Post & Giveaway at Bibliophilia, Please

Friday, July 4

Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Virtual Tour + Book Blast: The Lost Duchess by @jennywilldoit @HFVBT

Please join author Jenny Barden as she tours the blogopsphere for The Lost Duchess from May 26-June 20.

 Paperback Publication Date: June 5, 2014

Ebury Press

Paperback; 448p

An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World.

Emme Fifield has fallen about as far as a gentlewoman can.

Once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, her only hope of surviving the scandal that threatens to engulf her is to escape England for a fresh start in the new America where nobody has ever heard of the Duchess of Somerset.

Emme joins Kit Doonan's rag-tag band of idealists, desperados and misfits bound for Virginia. But such a voyage will be far from easy and Emme finds her attraction to the mysterious Doonan inconvenient to say the least.

As for Kit, the handsome mariner has spent years imprisoned by the Spanish, and living as an outlaw with a band of escaped slaves; he has his own inner demons to confront, and his own dark secrets to keep...

Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh's settlement in Virginia was abandoned in 1587 its fate has remained a mystery; 'The Lost Duchess' explores what might have happened to the ill-starred 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon (AUS)

Amazon (UK)

Book Depository 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I've had a love of history and adventure ever since an encounter in infancy with a suit of armour at Tamworth Castle. Training as an artist, followed by a career as a city Jenny (Portrait 2)solicitor, did little to help displace my early dream of becoming a knight. A fascination with the Age of Discovery led to travels in South and Central America, and much of the inspiration for my debut came from retracing the footsteps of Francis Drake in Panama. The sequel centres on the first Elizabethan 'lost colony' of early Virginia. I am currently working on an epic adventure during the threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada.

My work has appeared in short story collections and anthologies and I've written for non-fiction publications including the Historical Novels Review. I am active in many organisations, having run the 'Get Writing' conferences for several years, and undertaken the co-ordination of the Historical Novel Society?s London Conference 2012. I am a member of that organisation as well as the Historical Writers' Association, the Romantic Nevelists' Association and the Society of Authors. I'll be co-ordinating the RNA's annual conference in 2014.

I have four children and now live on a farm in Dorset with my long suffering husband and an ever increasing assortment of animals.

I love travelling, art, reading and scrambling up hills and mountains (though I'm not so keen on coming down!).

AUTHOR LINKS

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Jenny Barden's Blog

English Historical Fiction Authors Blog 

ALSO BY JENNY BARDEN

 Publication Date: June 20, 2013

Ebury Press

Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Mistress Cooksley may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but she blushes at my words and meets my eyes look for look. Yet I cannot hope to court her without fortune, and a dalliance with a pretty maid will not hinder me from my path.

Captain Drake's endeavour might bring me gold, but I, Will Doonan, will have my revenge.

The Spaniards captured my brother and have likely tortured and killed him. For God and St George, we'll strike at the dogs and see justice done.

I thought I'd left Mistress Cooksley behind to gamble everything and follow Drake, and here she is playing the boy at the ends of the world. She's a fool with a heart as brave as any man's. Yet her presence here could be the ruin of us all..

VIRTUAL TOUR & BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

Monday, May 26

Book Blast at Reading the Ages

Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse

Book Blast at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, May 27

Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews

Book Blast at Flashlight Commentary

Book Blast at To Read or Not to Read

Wednesday, May 28

Review at Carole's Ramblings and Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Thursday, May 29

Book Blast at The Maiden's Court

Book Blast at Cheryl's Book Nook

Book Blast at Book Reviews & More by Kathy

Friday, May 30

Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer

Book Blast at Curling Up by the Fire

Saturday, May 31

Book Blast at From L.A. to LA

Book Blast at Gobs and Gobs of Books

Sunday, June 1

Book Blast at Lily Pond Reads

Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, June 2

Review & Giveaway at The Tudor Enthusiast

Book Blast at The Bookworm

Book Blast at CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, June 3

Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Book Blast at West Metro Mommy

Book Blast at bookworm2bookworm's Blog

Wednesday, June 4

Review at The Wormhole

Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Book Blast at Kelsey's Book Corner

Thursday, June 5

Book Blast at Books and Benches

Book Blast at Book Lovers Paradise

Friday, June 6

Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog

Book Blast at Kincavel Korner

Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes

Saturday, June 7

Book Blast at Royal Reviews

Book Blast at History Undressed

Sunday, June 8

Book Blast at Book Nerd

Monday, June 9

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Book Blast at The Musings of a Book Junkie

Tuesday, June 10

Review at She Reads Novels

Book Blast at Just One More Chapter

Book Blast at History From a Woman's Perspective

Wednesday, June 11

Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Book Blast at Books in the Burbs

Thursday, June 12

Book Blast at Big Book, Little Book

Book Blast at Historical Fiction Notebook

Friday, June 13

Review at Susan Heim on Writing

Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Saturday, June 14

Book Blast at Hardcover Feedback

Book Blast at One Book at a Time

Sunday, June 15

Book Blast at Passages to the Past

Monday, June 16

Review at Layered Pages

Review at Starting Fresh

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Tuesday, June 17

Review at The Lit Bitch

Book Blast at Griperang's Bookmarks

Wednesday, June 18

Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Book Blast at Princess of Eboli

Thursday, June 19

Review at A Bookish Affair

Review at Little Reader Library

Book Blast at Girl Lost in a Book

Friday, June 20

Review at Broken Teepee

Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR

Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Book Blast + Giveaway: Curses and Smoke by @valvearshecter

 

Publication Date: May 27, 2014 

Arthur A. Levine Books 

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Genre: YA Historical

When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air...

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them -- to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

PURCHASE

Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository  

Books-a-Million Fishpond Powell's Waterstones

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vicky Alvear Shecter is the author of the young adult novel, CLEOPATRA'S MOON (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2011), based on the life of Cleopatra's only daughter. She is also the author of two award-winning biographies for kids on Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. She is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website  

Blog 

Facebook  

Twitter  

Goodreads

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

Monday, May 12 Bibliophilia, Please bookworm2bookworm's Blog Tuesday, May 13 Broken Teepee Passages to the Past In the Hammock Blog Wednesday, May 14 CelticLady's Reviews The Most Happy Reader I'd So Rather Be Reading History From a Woman's Perspective Thursday, May 15 Kinx's Book Nook A Bibliotaph's Reviews Historical Fiction Obsession Friday, May 16 Booktalk & More The Mad Reviewer Book Lovers Paradise Saturday, May 17 SOS Aloha Reading the Ages Kelsey's Book Corner Sunday, May 18 Giant Squid Books WTF Are You Reading? Monday, May 19 Caroline Wilson Writes So Many Books, So Little Time Tuesday, May 20 West Metro Mommy The True Book Addict The Musings of ALMYBNENR Wednesday, May 21 Book Nerd Tower of Babel Hardcover Feedback Thursday, May 22 Paperback Princess Bittersweet Enchantment Friday, May 23 History Undressed Historical Fiction Connection Saturday, May 24 Literary Chanteuse Just One More Chapter Sunday, May 25 A Dream within a Dream The Little Reader Library Monday, May 26 Pages of Comfort Griperang's Bookmarks Raizza's Book Blogging Adventure Tuesday, May 27 Princess of Eboli Ageless Pages Reviews The Musings of a Book Junkie

GIVEAWAY

To win a copy of Curses & Smoke or a $25 Amazon Gift Card please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on May 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on May 28th and notified via email. Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

 

@hfvbt Virtual Tour + Book Blast: Puritan Witch by @PeniJoRenner

 

Publication Date: September 17, 2013
iUniverse
Formats: Ebook, Hardcover, Paperback

On a cold night in 1692, two young girls are caught up in the divining games of a slave woman-and then begin to act very strangely when the game goes wrong. Suddenly, Salem Village is turned upside down as everyone fears that witches may be involved. Six months later, as news of the girls' strange behavior becomes known, fear and suspicion overwhelm a nearby farming community, pitting neighbors against neighbors and turning friends into enemies. When Rebecca Eames makes one careless utterance during a verbal attack on her family, she is falsely accused of witchcraft. After her fate is decided by three magistrates, Rebecca must endure a prison sentence during which she and her fellow captives have no choice but to valiantly struggle to find humanity and camaraderie among dire conditions. In this novel based on a true story, a woman wrongly imprisoned during the seventeenth-century witchcraft trials comes full circle where she must determine if she can somehow resume her life, despite all she has endured.

PURCHASE

Amazon  /  Barnes and Noble

Peni Renner is the author of "Puritan Witch: The Redemption of Rebecca Eames", an award-winning historical novel based on the true-life account of Peni's 9th great grandmother.  The book is Renner's first published work, and follows Eames' life and struggles in 1692 Massachussetts during the Salem Witchcraft Trials.

Writing historical fiction has always been a lifelong dream of mine. I was discouraged for many years after receiving multiple rejection slips, and turned to other creative outlets like crocheting, quilting and cross-stitch for many years. Then I met a 3rd cousin of mine online who is also into geneology and history. She told me we shared a common ancestor who was involved in the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria of 1692, and her story had never been told. My love of writing was rekindled and I began to research this ancestor, Rebecca Blake Eames. In August of 2012 I had the privilege of visiting her grave in Boxford, Massachusetts.

After months and months of research, writing, rewriting and revising, Puritan Witch came into being, featuring a lovely sketch done by my sister-in-law, Jane Sisk.

I have several other story ideas I am working on at the moment, all pertaining to interesting ancestors my 3rd cousin has introduced me to.

For more information please visit the Puritan Witch Facebook Page. You can also follow Peni Jo Renner on Twitter. 

Praise for Puritan Witch: The Redemption of Rebecca Eames 

"Puritan Witch: The Redemption of Rebecca Eames is a story of the fear, suspicion, and accusations as they permeate the surrounding communities. The narration was exquisite, really painting a picture in my head and bringing to life the language of the Puritans much better than it usually is done. I loved that it was based on a true story and that the story really expands on a piece of the darkest of American history. Such a cool read!" - Katelyn Hensel, Readers' Favorite

“Elegantly written, meticulously researched, and historically accurate, the author’s work rings true. … Renner’s vast talent as a writer is enhanced by the fact that she’s telling the story of her own family, completely captivating from beginning to end.” - Kelly Z. Conrad, award-winning author of Shaman

“In the colonial-era tale Puritan Witch, the plight of Rebecca Eames and her family plays out against the backdrop of one of the most intriguing periods in American history.” - Julie Castillo, writer and editor

Virtual Book Tour Review: The Tenor by @Peterdanish

The Tenor 

By: Peter Danish 

Publisher: Pegasusbooks 

Publication Date: February 1, 2014 

Format: e-book 

Source: book tour  

 

Peter Danish sends his readers on an epic journey from pre-war Italy to war ravaged Athens. Through Pino Vaggi we are introduced to the hopes of a young child yearning for a life in the opera world. When his chance is finally within his reach, WWII breaks out and he is ripped from his home and placed in Athens where he meets the love of his life who is also his enemy. In his heart he knows he can’t let her die and will do anything to protect her.

Without giving away too much I will just say that Danish’s writing is art in itself. His words at time are poetic and you feel yourself being carried away on his gently rolling waves. His accuracy for historical details is flawless.

I am the first one to say I love a good historical book. I will also admit I know absolutely nothing about the opera or that I am very knowledgeable in the fine arts. I did enjoy this sweeping tale of Pino and his determination to save the lovely Maria Callas. Beautifully written and easily enjoyed by fans of historical drama. 

PURCHASE

Amazon (eBook)  /  Amazon (Paperback) 

Amazon (Hardcover)  /  Book Depository

 

Peter Danish is the Classical Music Editor in Chief for BWWClassical.com, the classic music site for BroadwayWorld.com, covering and reviewing the classical music performance in and around New York City and the greater New York Area. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America, he is the playwright of the play: “Gods, Guns and Greed,” as well as the new musical: “The Flying Dutchman.” His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Ad Age, Ad Week and Media Week Magazines.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website  /  Danish Media Group Website
Facebook Page   /  Twitter