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Every Good Folktale Reveals Both Heroes and Villains - an Editorial Review of "The Fern Flower"
Book Blurb: Russia 1908-1917 Every good folktale reveals villains and heroes. Mila Belova’s world is overflowing with both. Born into privilege as the daughter of the Tsar’s favored vodka maker, Mila appears to have everything: wealth, status, and a household devoted to her happiness. But behind the gilded doors of her family estate, she is trapped by the cruelty of a stepmother whose greatest wish is to give birth to her own child. Each summer on Ivan Kupala Eve, Russia turn
DK Marley
1 day ago5 min read
One Small Island in the Crossfire - an Editorial Review of "Voices on the Wind"
Book Blurb: Early 1942: the fate of the Suez Canal and access to Middle East oil hangs on the fate of an island just 17 miles long by 9 miles wide: Malta. Determined to destroy the British forces threatening Rommel’s supply lines, the Axis powers drop more bombs on Malta than London endured throughout the Blitz. The population is forced underground, while the RAF struggles with inadequate resources to fend off defeat. Meanwhile, Britain’s Atlantic lifeline is fraying…. Voices
DK Marley
2 days ago4 min read
The Fight for Democracy in Ancient Greece - an Editorial Review of "The Philosopher Kings"
Book Blurb: In the year 404 BCE, democracy is dismantled in Athens by the Lacedaemonians at the end of the Peloponnesian War. Installed in its place is a group of ruthless oligarchs known as the Thirty Tyrants. Athenian exiles, under the command of Thrasybulus and his partners, rebel against their despotic regime as they endeavor to restore democracy. The Philosopher Kings is the extraordinary true story of the fight for democracy and the quest for truth in ancient Greece. Th
DK Marley
3 days ago4 min read
Shipwrecked After Escaping the Irish Potato Famine - a Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for 'What the Ocean Brings'
BOOK EXCERPT “Sir, we are looking for a family that may have been brought here about three weeks ago. It is the Clarey family. They arrived, rather abruptly, from Sligo, Ireland, and crashed upon the shore at Gaspé. They would be a family of five, a father, mother, and three daughters.” The doctor rubbed his chin in thought. “I do recall an unfortunate shipwreck, but from what I’ve heard, there were very few survivors. A small group of Irish was brought in the most unconvent
DK Marley
4 days ago5 min read
When All is Taken, the Spirit Remains - an Editorial Review of "A Heart That's True"
Book Blurb: “A heartfelt and deeply moving story of courage, identity, and hope. This is historical fiction at its most compassionate. A powerful, engrossing and memorable read.” Artisan Book Reviews When all is taken, what remains? In 1912, twelve-year-old Joseph Cross and his cousin Elizabeth White Cloud are torn from the foothills of Montana and sent across the country to the Carlisle Indian School, where children are stripped of their language, their traditions, and even
DK Marley
5 days ago5 min read
Two Brothers, Two Paths, One Master of Lies - an Editorial Review of "The Sewers of Stalingrad"
Book Blurb: "A massively grand novel of ideas." — Satakunnan Kansa (Regional daily newspaper) "Brilliant." — Kulttuuritoimitus (Independent arts & culture journal) The lies were crafted in Berlin. The price was paid in the ruins of Stalingrad. Berlin, 1928. The Weimar Republic is dancing on the edge of a volcano. Two brothers, Werner and Valter Greiser, arrive in the city with nothing but ambition. They seek a future in the glittering metropolis, but they find themselves swep
DK Marley
May 285 min read
Ensuring a Wealthy Bride By Any Means Necessary - an Editorial Review of "A Winter's Disgrace"
Book Blurb: Cyprian, a marquess’s heir, will not let his mother choose his next bride. Leaving a house party in a blizzard to avoid her stratagems, he finds a woman trudging half frozen toward the London road. Rosamund fled disgrace hoping to reach the one person who might shelter her, but even if she reaches a coaching inn, she has too little coin to reach London. When a gentleman offers to take her to the nearest inn, can she trust him or will it lead to worse than lying do
DK Marley
May 274 min read
Release Day for "Mrs R Pacheco" by Rose Ann Woolpert - a Revealing Tale of a First Lady of California
BOOK BUY LINK: https://geni.us/kMXN It is 1859, and the glittering promise of the California Gold Rush has faded into dust, leaving behind a land suspended between ambition and uncertainty. Into this shifting world steps Mary Catherine "Molly" McIntyre, a young woman newly unmoored by loss, carrying both the weight of family duty and the quiet, persistent call of her own dreams. Based on the remarkable life of Mary McIntyre Pacheco, Mrs. R. Pacheco unfolds as an intimate port
DK Marley
May 261 min read
Love and Perseverance Spanning Three Continents - an Editorial Review of "The Soap Maker"
Book Blurb: From the French Resistance to the liberation of Paris, to the high fashion industry of post-WWII New York, and to the bucolic valley of Sonoma California, "The Soap Maker" is a story of tragedy, love, revenge, and finally a life fulfilled. Anton is thirteen years old when WWII starts and turns his idyllic family farm life upside-down. He grows rapidly to manhood, guided by his Papy (grandfather), known as the "Soap Maker" and a member of the French Resistance. One
DK Marley
May 265 min read
An Act of God or Something Earthly and Sinister? - an Editorial Review of "Death in the Church"
Book Blurb: A controversial priest dies suddenly on the steps of the great cathedral, moments before his long-awaited restoration after years of excommunication. Church leaders hail his death as a divine sign. But Captain Aurelius - the trusted imperial aide assigned by Constantine himself to investigate - is not convinced. Was this truly an act of God, or the work of someone far more earthly? As he retraces the priest's final moments and unravels the decades of disputes that
DK Marley
May 254 min read
A Dastardly Suitor, or an Honorable Rescuer? - a Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for "Rescued by the Rakish Lord"
BOOK EXCERPT Snowbound at the inn Selina’s neighbour, Clifford Fremington, has abducted her with a view to making her marry him. A snowstorm prevents them reaching his secluded hunting lodge and they have taken shelter at an inn, where Deveril has caught up with them. The landlady is heavily pregnant and Selina steps in to help her… It was not long before Selina reappeared and Deveril enquired after the landlady. ‘Aye, is the child born yet?’ asked Fremington, jumping up and
DK Marley
May 244 min read
Three Women, Three Centuries, Three Reckonings - a Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for "Heroica"
BOOK EXCERPT Excerpt from Honoria’s Battle, the second story in the HEROICA collection Early July 1683, Praetorian compound, Roma Nova city. Honoria Mitela has been questioning a Tatar spy and is reporting to her commanding officer. On a wider note, Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, is again under siege by Ottoman Empire forces. ‘His name is Aydar, Legate Aemelia, and he is a bastard son of Murad Giray, the Crimean Tatar khan.’ Honoria stood stiffly in front of th
DK Marley
May 194 min read
A Match Made in Art and Poetry - a Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for 'Some Starry Night'
BOOK EXCERPT [when Emily first sees Vincent at the Louvre] When she next looked up from her work, a group of three men caught her eye. She could only hear bits of their conversation, but their gestures indicated an intense discussion. One man in particular aroused her curiosity. He wasn’t tall, but he was stocky and solid. Red-haired with a smattering of freckles. He radiated passion and intensity, like a bullfighter ready to dance. His French wasn’t exactly French—he had an
DK Marley
May 181 min read
A Family United, a Family Divided - a Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for "Beneath the Dark Oceans"
BOOK EXCERPT: A WINTER STORM CANADA Winter 1906 If they’d thought the weather had been bad so far, this was nothing compared to the dark days of January. Now the snow took on a wilder, meaner character and no-one wanted to play in it any more. The house was very cold, and heating supplies were running low. In desperation one day, Ellen sent the two oldest boys out to find firewood wherever they could. Coal had run out in the neighbourhood and wood was scarce. Another storm ha
DK Marley
May 143 min read
A Story of Hardship and Redemption - an Editorial Review of "Through Our Own Wrong Eyes"
Book Blurb: If only we could see... *** Dustbowl Colorado 1930s. At 26, Paul had ridden the rails in search of work for years and now has returned to his hometown in Lamar. There he meets Ruby,14, whose innocence bolsters his confidence. Because she sees him as more than the alcohol abuser man of many get rich dreams, she marries him and begins writing a journal that spans over 40 years. This is the fictionalized story of that remarkable journal. From Depression Era Colorado
DK Marley
May 134 min read
Breaking Conventions and Making Sacrifices - A Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for "Sarah's Destiny"
BOOK EXCERPT 1862 Even though she was expecting it, and – she thought – prepared herself for the inevitable, she hadn’t expected the intensity of the sorrow that surged through her. Neither could she hold back the wail that escaped as she tried to push air into her lungs to release the pain. “Daaaa! Oh, Da. Nooooo!” Mary held her sister close while Sarah’s shoulders shook, and her hands covered her face hoping to block out the image of her ashen-faced father lying on his bed,
DK Marley
May 124 min read
Sisters, Survival, and the Making of a Dynasty - A Blog Tour and Book Excerpt for "Infidel: The Daughters of Aragon"
Infidel: The Daughters of Aragon By Nicola Harris A sweeping, intimate portrait of sisterhood, survival, and the making of a dynasty, Infidel reveals the hidden lives of a woman whose courage shaped the Tudor world. We warmly invite book bloggers and #Bookstagrammers to join us on tour from April 27th to May 8th for the ten-day blog tour of Infidel: The Daughters of Aragon by Nicola Harris — a sweeping historical novel of ambition, devotion, and the formidable women behind on
DK Marley
May 83 min read
A Ladies of the Revolution Novel - an Editorial Review of "Patriot of the Lowcountry"
Book Blurb: “Amid the desolation, the woman of Carolina exhibited an example of more than masculine fortitude…Far from being offended at the name of rebel ladies, they esteemed it as a title for distinction and glory.” —Eliza Yonge Wilkinson Eliza is no stranger to both privilege and heartbreak. Widowed at eighteen, she gained self-sufficiency while managing one of her father’s plantations. Now, at age twenty-two, marauding Redcoats destroy her home and hard-won independence.
DK Marley
May 55 min read