America’s First Daughter Blog Tour!

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We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Blog Tour for Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie’s AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER, a historical fiction novel is published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, and releasing March 1, 2016! AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER is a compelling, richly researched novel by bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Drawing from thousands of letters and original sources, the authors reveal the fascinating, untold story of Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter. Patsy was one of the most influential women in American history: not only the progeny of a founding father – and the woman who held his secrets close to her heart – but a key player in the shaping of our nation’s legacy. And her story is one seldom told, until now. Make sure you grab your copy today!

Review

five star blog

From the beginning of this novel, I was enraptured. There is nothing more I appreciate than a well-researched, knowledgeable author. In this case, I was lucky enough to get two! I love historical fiction, and have actually been suffering a bit of a downward slump in my reading. This book drew me out! Patsy is a likable character, yet still flawed. Dray and Kamoie show how a young girl learned and blossomed into a young woman, all in the shadow of her famous father. I loved the letters preceding each chapter, giving small snippets of Patsy and Jefferson. Any history lover will fully appreciate this beautiful novel, and I eagerly await the authors’ next collaboration (please let there be one!).

 

Americas First Daughter - cover

 

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Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie’s AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER Blog Tour Schedule:

February 29th

What Is That Book About – Guest Post

Only One More Page – Review

A Fortress of Books – Excerpt

For the Love of Books & Alcohol – Review

March 1st

My Girlfriends Nook Korner – Review

Talking Books Blog – Excerpt

Smexy& Fabulous – Excerpt

Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt

March 2nd

Maari Loves Her Indies – Excerpt

This Wacky Momma Reads – Review

Roxy’s Reviews – Excerpt

Brooke Blogs – Excerpt

March 3rd

A Diary of a Book Addict – Review

E-Reading After Midnight – Guest Post

Small Review – Guest Post

March 4th

Sassy Moms Say Read Romance – 2 Reviews

Leeanna.me – Review

Creative Madness Mama – Excerpt

March 5th

A Dream Within A Dream – Guest Post

Chick with Books – Review

Vagabonda Reads – Review

March 6th

Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps – Review

Movies, Shows & Books – Excerpt

Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne – Review

I Read Indie – Excerpt

March 7th

No BS Book Reviews – Interview

My fictional escape – Review

Words with Sarah – Review

March 8th

The Maiden’s Court – Review

Unabridged Chick – Review

The Book Cellar – Interview

Becky on Books – Review

March 9th

Sofia Loves Books – Review

A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog – Review

One Book At A Time – Review

Curling Up by the Fire – Review

March 10th

A Bookish Affair – Interview

Curled Up and Cozy – Review

Into the Hall of Books – Review

Margie’s Must Reads – Review

March 11th

Book Talk – Review

JB’s Book Obsession – Excerpt

Genre Queen – Review

Leigh Anderson Romance – Interview

 

 

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About AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER:

In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.

From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.

It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.

Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father’s reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

 

 

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Author pic- Stephanie DrayAbout Stephanie Dray:

STEPHANIE DRAY is an award-winning, bestselling and two-time RITA award nominated author of historical women’s fiction. Her critically acclaimed series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into eight different languages and won NJRW’s Golden Leaf. As Stephanie Draven, she is a national bestselling author of genre fiction and American-set historical women’s fiction. She is a frequent panelist and presenter at national writing conventions and lives near the nation’s capital. Before she became a novelist, she was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the stories of women in history to inspire the young women of today.

 

 

Website |Newsletter | Facebook |Twitter | AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER Website

 

 

Author Pic - Laura KamoieAbout Laura Kamoie:

Laura Kamoie has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, Laura Kaye. Her debut historical novel, America’s First Daughter, co-authored with Stephanie Dray, allowed her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

 

Website |Newsletter | Facebook |Twitter | AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER Website

 

 

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Maria V. Snyder Blog Tour!

I am absolutely honored to be part of the blog tour for Maria V. Snyder’s newest book, Night Study (review coming soon!). I have been a fan of Miss Snyder’s work for as long as I can remember, starting with her first novel, Poison Study. I remember receiving a copy from my mom for Christmas and diving right in to the world of Yelena and Valek. I am not often a fan of fantasy, as many people know, but I make a HUGE exception for Miss Snyder!

usI was lucky enough to meet her in Edinburgh last year, and it was definitely a treat! So, this is an incredible thing to get to blog about her again!

Night Study is a continuation of the Study series and The Chronicles of Ixia. We continue to follow the adventures of Yelena, once poison tester for the Commander of Ixia, a land where magic is forbidden. It is preceded by Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study, and Shadow Study, as well as a handful of other books about the characters of Ixia and Sitia, the country to the south where magicians flourish.

I don’t normally gush, but I’m gushing now! This is a series I fell into and I kept falling! Yelena is everything I want in a heroine, and Valek, well, he’s totally swoonworthy! So, it is with pride, I share this blog piece by Maria V. Snyder!


 

Ten reasons why girls can enjoying reading fantasy just as much as boys

The fantasy genre encompasses such a wide range of sub-genres and styles, that it can appeal to every reader at every age.  Below are my top ten reasons to read fantasy:

  1. Escape from reality – every day life can be a drag and fantasy can be a grand escape.
  2. Magic – this adds more conflict and tension to a story and the variety of solutions can be quite clever.
  3. Horses and other magical creatures – who doesn’t love dragons?
  4. Magical worlds – experience a world that is unlike ours.
  5. Your own problems pale in comparison – think about it – dealing with a problematic co-worker is nothing compared to fighting demons/evil wizards/corrupt monarchs for the fate of the world and your very own survival.
  6. Cool weapons – people just don’t have sword fights anymore.
  7. No internet – imagine being able to disappear without a trace. (this doesn’t apply to urban fantasy or any fantasy in a contemporary setting)
  8. Supernatural creatures – vampires, werewolves, and Fae, oh my!

And here are a few reasons for the girls:

  1. Strong female protagonists – fantasy has changed over the last couple of decades and now has many strong and intelligent women in the leading role.

Hot guys – Valek, Ari, Janco, Devlen, Kade, and Kerrick (If you don’t know who they are, then might I strongly suggest you read my Study books, Glass books, and Healer series ;).


 

You can get the Study series on Amazon, and Night Study is now available!
Night Study jacket

(Isn’t this a gorgeous cover!? Gotta love purple 😉 )

Happy Reading, my lovelies!

Taming the Twisted Blog Tour!

02_Taming the TwistedTaming the Twisted
by Jodie Toohey

Publication Date: August 15, 2015
Wordsy Woman Press
eBook & Paperback; 242 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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READ AN EXCERPT.

Taming the Twisted is written in a similar style to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books though updated for modern times. It might read as if she’d left in all of the juicy tidbits about things people didn’t talk about during the time when she was writing. Taming the Twisted is a story of destruction, romance, mystery, and deceit set against a back drop of an actual historical event.

In early June, 1860, Abigail enjoyed a peaceful home life with her parents, younger sister, and twin toddler brothers. Their home in Camanche, Iowa, where they’d emigrated from Pennsylvania, was almost complete and her beau, Joseph Sund, had recently proposed marriage.

That changes the evening of June 3rd when a tornado rips through town, killing her parents. At the mass funeral for the over two dozen people who perished in the storm, she learns Marty Cranson, with whom Abigail witnessed Joseph having a heated argument, died, but at the hands of a person rather than the tornado.

In addition to being faced with raising her young siblings, Joseph has disappeared without a trace and a stranger, Marshall Stevenson, appears, offering to help Abigail repair the families’ home and cultivate the newly planted farm crops.

Abigail, while developing romantic feelings for Marshall, tolerating the scorn of town woman Pamela Mackenrow, and working as a seamstress and storekeeper to support her siblings, becomes obsessed with finding out who killed Marty, hoping that and not that he no longer loved her, was the reason Joseph left without saying goodbye.

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About the Author03_Jodie Toohey

Jodie Toohey is the author of four additional books, two poetry collections – Crush and Other Love Poems for Girls (2008) and Other Side of Crazy (918studio, 2013) – as well as two novels, Missing Emily: Croatian Life Letters (2012) and Melody Madson – May It Please the Court? (2014).

When Jodie is not writing poetry or fiction, she is helping authors, soon-to-be-authors, and want-to-be authors from pre-idea to reader through her company, Wordsy Woman Author Services.

WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS | PINTEREST

Review
three and a half stars

Having always been a fan of the Little House on the Prairie series, I was curious to read a novel by an author that stated her book emulated the style of the great Laura Ingalls Wilder. Upon beginning Miss Toohey’s book, I was drawn in by the easy prose, however, I do think it is a stretch to compare it to Wilder’s novels. It certainly takes place during the same time period though, in an environment fraught with peril and uncertainty. The characters were relatable, and their tragedies palatable. It was a tale told many times of a scorned woman finding a new love in an unlikely and unexpected place.

While starting out very strong, however, the ending felt very rushed, wrapping up all loose ends abruptly. I would have liked to see more development of the storyline in regards to Marty and Joseph, as well as Pamela Mackenrow. There was a great deal of potential for the town to take sides in the situation between Marshall and Abigail, but the townspeople paid little mind to Pamela’s scorns, which seemed highly unrealistic for a pioneer community.

Overall, I have had mixed feelings about this novel, and really contemplated what to put in my review, concluding with Taming the Twisted starts strong, and falls short. These are my personal tastes, however, and another reader might truly appreciate the simplicity of this feel good novel. As a self-published author, I do understand it is difficult to put your work out there for public consumption and criticism, and I hope Miss Toohey finds no offense or malice in my review. I wish her the very best of luck in all her endeavors. Three and a half stars.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 8
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog
Spotlight & Giveaway at Rambling Reviews

Tuesday, February 9
Guest Post at Just One More Chapter

Wednesday, February 10
Review at Book Nerd

Thursday, February 11
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation

Friday, February 12
Review at Back Porchervations
Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Monday, February 15
Review at Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne

Tuesday, February 16
Review at Book Drunkard

Wednesday, February 17
Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Thursday, February 18
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Friday, February 19
Interview at Author Dianne Ascroft’s Blog

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