Speakeasy by Elyse Douglas: On Tour

This post was most recently updated on June 29th, 2022

Speakeasy by Elyse DouglasSpeakeasy: A Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

Publisher:  Broadback (April 5, 2022)
Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction Romance
Tour Dates May 3-June 30
ISBN: 979-8423229016
Available in Print and ebook, 375 pages
Speakeasy

Description Speakeasy by Elyse Douglas

In 2019, A West Village Nightclub Singer, Roxie Raines, stumbles through a basement doorway into the past and finds herself in Roaring Twenties New York, with all its dangers, secrets, excitement, and romance.

Roxie Raines lurches through a secret basement doorway in 2019, and time-slips back to New York’s raucous Roaring Twenties. While she dazzles the speakeasy crowds with her “modern sound,” she gets trapped in the dangerous web of Frankie Shay, an evil club owner. She struggles to escape his control and return to the basement doorway that sent her to 1925.

When she meets the handsome detective, Jake Kane, it’s love at first sight, but Jake has a secret past, and her own time travel secret makes him suspicious.

Roaring Twenties New York comes alive with flappers, gangsters, romance and speakeasies and Roxie’s stunning rise to stardom could come with the price of losing both the man she loves and her own life.

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Praise Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

“A delightful and enthralling read! Elyse Douglas captured magic and put it on the page.”—Ambling Bookworm Reviews

“This is just an astonishing read that will have you hooked on page one and won’t let go till the last. I read it all in one sitting and could not put it down.”•   —Donadee’s Corner Reviews

Praise Christmas Eve Series by Elyse Douglas

“The Christmas Eve Letter is a beautiful, poignant story. It is well written and will have you turning the pages eagerly.
All of the characters are well thought out, and believably written, together with the well-constructed scenery, that has you feeling as if you yourself have just stepped into the past.
The story is unique and moving. It will hold you long after you turn the last page. A perfect Christmas tale of love and hope.”-Whispering Stories

“This book is the perfect vehicle for a movie, and I can only hope that there will be more in the series. This novel is truly as close to perfection as the reader could imagine! 5 Stars!”–My Devotional Thoughts Blog and Reviews

“I enjoyed the new characters, an update on characters from the first book, and the possibility for more books.  If you enjoy time travel-themed novels you will love these books!”–StoreyBook Reviews

“I am most impressed that this book did so well as a stand-alone novel. Kudos to the author! If you are looking for a good Christmas book with time travel, give this a go!”–Carole’s Bookshelves

“I love this whole story, and I especially love Patrick and Eve’s romance and all of the adventures that they go on together. Eve is exactly my kind of character.  I still can’t stop thinking about the feeling that it gave me and the arc that the characters went on. Everyone really developed a lot in this story and it was so rewarding as a long-time reader to watch that happen. It feels like every new book in this series just keeps getting better and better and I love these characters more and more. Every time a new one comes out I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
The Christmas Eve Secret is my favorite in the series so far, but if you have not read the first two books I would recommend doing that as soon as possible! If you enjoy romance, time travel, mystery and great writing, I promise that you won’t regret dipping a toe into this series.”–Cuzinlogic

About Elyse DouglasSpeakeasy by Elyse Douglas

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington.

She and her husband, Douglas Pennington, have completed many novels, including The Other Side of Summer, The Summer Letters, The Christmas Eve Series, Time Visitor, Time Change, The Summer Diary, and The Christmas Diary Series.

Website: www.elysedouglas.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas

Buy Speakeasy by Elyse Douglas

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Giveaway Speakeasy by Elyse Douglas

This giveaway is for 3 copies with the winners choice of print or ebook. Print is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on July 1, 2022 midnight, pacific time.  Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Speakeasy by Elyse Douglas

They Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark: On Tour

This post was most recently updated on June 15th, 2022

They Called Him Marvin by Roger StarkThey Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark

Publisher: Silver Star (September 21, 2021
Category: Historical Romance, WW2, Family Saga, Based on a True Story
Tour dates: April 25-June 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0578855288
Available in Print and ebook, 320 pages

They Called Him Marvin

Description They Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark

They were just kids, barely not teenagers, madly in love and wanting to be a family, but WW2 and a B29 got in their way.

Three hundred ten days before Pearl Harbor, buck private Dean Sherman innocently went to church with a new friend in Salt Lake City. From that moment, the unsuspecting soldier travelled a remarkable, heroic path, falling in love, graduating from demanding training to become a B29 pilot, conceiving a son and entering the China, Burma and India theater of the WW2.

He chronicled his story with letters home to his bride Connie that he met on that fateful Sunday, blind to the fact that fifteen hundred seventy five days after their meeting, a Japanese swordsman would end his life.

His crew, a gaggle of Corporals that dubbed themselves the Corporealizes, four officers and a tech Sargent, adventured their way across the globe. Flying the “Aluminum Trail” also called the Hump through the Himalayas, site of the most dangerous flying in the world. Landing in China to refuel and then fly on to places like Manchuria, Rangoon or even the most southern parts of Japan to drop 500 pounders.

Each mission had its challenges, minus fifty degree weather in Mukden, or Japanese fighters firing away at them, a close encounter of the wrong kind, nearly missing a collision with another B29 while flying in clouds, seeing friends downed and lost because of “mechanicals,” the constant threat of running out of fuel and their greatest fear, engine fire.

Transferred to the Mariana Islands, he and his crew were shot down over Nagoya, Japan as part of Mission 174, captured and declared war criminals.

Connie’s letters reveal life for a brand new mother whose husband is declared MIA. The agony for both of them, he in a Japanese prison, declared a war criminal, and she just not knowing why his letters stopped coming.

Praise They Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark

“This was an amazing book. This isn’t a look at war through rose colored glasses, but one that shows the reader what life was like for people from many backgrounds. A soldier, his love left behind on the home front, and those that were considered the enemy at the time.
This was an intimate story that doesn’t focus only on the war, and pulls the reader in quickly and easily. Historical fiction lovers, those with an interest in war history, and anyone just looking to take a few steps back in time will greatly enjoy reading this.”- Liliyana Shadowlyn, The Faerie Review

“The fact that the premise for this book started with the story that Marvin told and then the letters from Dean and Connie shows how much research Roger Stark put into writing this book. I love how he revolves all of the events around the dates of the letters. The letters give the reader a reprieve from the atrocities of war and show the humanity of the soldiers fighting.
There are some parts of the war that are shared that are so vivid and so horrifying – both on the part of the Japanese and on the part of the Americans. It is so heart-wrenching to think that these young (barely) men were out in those situations.

My almost-93 year old grandpa, whose name is Marvin and who served in the Korean War, also read this book, and he really liked the story.
For anyone who likes to read books based on wars or just history in general, I definitely recommend this one. It is also a love story that unfolds and is eye-opening to horrors that were experienced.”-Heather, 2 Many Books, 2 Little Time

“Told in prose with diary-style sections of narration as well as central figure 1st Lt Dean Harold Sherman’s own personal correspondence, this is a beautiful tale of enduring romance and the heroism of those who fought and flew during the latter part of World War Two during the United States’ conflict with Japan. What results is a touching family saga that also foreshadows the great horrors and sacrifices of life in war.
Author Roger Stark has crafted an emotive work with plenty of historical richness, pathos, and heart to offer readers. One of the features which I found particularly impressive about this piece was the heartfelt presentation of the unshakeable bond between Dean and Connie, both through the curation of their own words to one another and the contextual gap-filling which Stark achieves with facts, but also emotionally sensitive additions and details.
Overall, I would highly recommend They Called Him Marvin to fans of accurate wartime accounts and for enthusiasts of World War Two reports.”- K.C. Finn, Readers’ Favorite

About Roger StarkThey Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark

Roger Stark, by his own admission, is a reluctant writer. But there are stories that demand to be told. When we hear them, we must pick up our pen, lest we forget and the stories be lost. Six years ago, in a quiet conversation with his friend, Marvin, he learned the tragic story of his father, a WW2 B-29 Airplane Commander, shot down over Nagoya, Japan, just months before the end of the war.

The telling of the story that evening by this half orphan was so moving and full of emotion, it compelled Roger to ask if he could write the story. The result being “They Called Him Marvin.”

Roger Stark’s life has been profoundly touched in so many ways by being part of documenting this sacred story. He prays that we never forget, as a people, the depth of sacrifice that was made by ordinary people like Marvin and his father and mother on our behalf.

Website: https://theycalledhimmarvin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TCHMarvin

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This giveaway is for 3 print copies, one for each of 3 winners. This giveaway is open to  the U.S. only and ends on June 24, 2022 midnight, pacific time.  Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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They Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark

Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills- On Tour

This post was most recently updated on June 30th, 2021

Lighting the Stars by Gabriele WillsLighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

Publisher:  Mindshadows, November 2020
Category: Historical Fiction, World War II, Historical Romance
Tour dates: May-June, 2021
ISBN: 978-1775035411
Available in Print and ebook, 477 pages
Lighting the Stars

Description Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

A riveting tale of a generation torn apart by war.

Tucked into the rugged Canadian wilderness of Muskoka’s majestic lake country, Merilee Sutcliffe’s peaceful town seems worlds away from the escalating conflict in Europe. But life is about to change dramatically in the Summer of 1940. As her patriotic friends and relatives leave for battle, her small town is thrust into the war machine. Merilee’s formerly tranquil skies soon roar with aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, stationed nearby to train young men determined to liberate their country from Nazi occupation.  When German Prisoners of War march into her shocked community, they become Merilee’s closest neighbours – and biggest threat.

What unfolds in her remote town and on foreign shores sets Merilee and her growing circle on a collision course with an unimagined destiny. Caught up in the chaos is Luftwaffe pilot Erich Leitner. Shot down during the Battle of Britain and transplanted to a lakeside prison in Muskoka, he discovers he has more to fear from his comrades than his captors.

While her cousin-in-spirit, Elyse Thornton, navigates the treacherous skies of Britain as a Spitfire Girl, audaciously ferrying warplanes from factories to airfields, Merilee becomes quietly entangled in her own dangerous liaisons on the home front. Caught between worlds, with conflicted loyalties and a sense of duty, she joins the Royal Canadian Air Force, Women’s Division, and soon finds herself in ground-zero London, focussing her photographer’s lens on a city under bombardment.

Far from carefree summers on the lake, struggling to survive the relentless demands and sacrifices of war, Merilee, Elyse, and their friends wonder if they dare to risk their hearts as well.

As unlikely lives intersect, ideologies and social hierarchies are challenged, loves and friendships are forged or broken, and countless heroes are made and lost.  But even those who return to the serenity of Muskoka are changed forever.

Praise Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

“I MISS THEM ALREADY! I love your characters SO much and of course, love the setting. I’m just in awe of how you weave the story, characters and actual history. I find that I become a character who is quite invested in the story lines of one and all like they are my family and friends. I just can’t even put words (though I try) to how much I love your writing.
I’m a super slow reader ON PURPOSE so I can savor, but I just couldn’t…and I tried. I tried to give it a day or two in between, which wasn’t hard with the busy life pre-Christmas, but I just couldn’t put it down when I had time. THANK YOU! It was just wonderful.” – Laura Langevin, Echoes in the Attic

“If you enjoy learning history through fiction, then you will enjoy this novel. It is impeccably researched and accurate historical. Lots of action, personal entanglements, romantic relationships, realistic air battles set against the World War II conflict and its most significant theaters. The author is obviously a gifted writer and a thorough researcher. You will enjoy reading about the many characters as they grapple with their conflicts. I highly recommend this novel.”-Amazon Review

“Bravo, you have written a masterpiece. You write so passionately about your characters and infuse them with incredible empathy. A Bronte reborn, you recount stories with a distinct Victorian flavour. The relationships between the characters are artfully established and realistic. The air battles are real and the air manoeuvres are exciting. Your knowledge of history and the inclusion of many historical characters, Bishop, Massey, etc., make this both realistic and informative.
I love the character of your women. They are courageous, intelligent, super capable, and strong. And I did not know that they were flying planes and helping the way they did.
The air raid sirens, the sudden bombings are so dramatic and real. You describe them so well and with such urgency.” – Ken Hills, author

​“Best book yet! Lighting The Stars shares Canadian WWII stories with world events and the glorious lifestyle of that era in Muskoka. Gabriele Wills has seamlessly woven very accurate historical information into an enticing love story. Her many interesting plots make for an exciting book with a superb ending. As a reader of historical fiction, a person who studies Muskoka history, and one who just loves a good story, I was entertained, and highly recommend this fantastic novel.” – Mary Storey, volunteer archivist, Muskoka Discovery Centre, Gravenhurst, ON

About Gabriele Wills

Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

Gabriele at the location where ‘Lighting the Stars’ begins

Gabriele Wills is the author of 6 highly acclaimed historical novels, including 4 in The Muskoka Novels saga set in North America, Britain, and Europe through the two cataclysmic World Wars and the seductive Jazz Age.

Her passion is to weave compelling stories around meticulously researched and often quirky or arcane facts in order to bring the past to life, especially with regard to women’s often forgotten contributions.

The first novel in her ‘Muskoka Novels’, ‘The Summer Before the Storm’ was the “Muskoka Chautauqua Reading List Winner”

Website: https://www.themuskokanovels.co
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GabrieleWills
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrieleWills

Buy Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

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Giveaway Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

Print copies are open to the U.S. and Canada only. Gifted Kindle is open to the U.S only and Kobo is open to anyone who has a usable account on Kobo. It ends on June 30, 2021,midnight pacific time.

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Tsars Locket by Ken Czech- On Tour

This post was most recently updated on November 13th, 2020

Tsars Locket by Ken CzechThe Tsars Locket by Ken Czech

Publisher:  Fireship Press (April 30, 2020)
Category: Action/Adventure, Historical Romance, and Historical Thriller
Tour dates: Sept 30-Nov 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1611792775
Available in Print and ebook, 303 pages
Tsars Locket

Description Tsars Locket by Ken Czech

When Duty, Honor, and Love Collide

Julian Blunt, a former sea captain and a despised Catholic, is stunned when Queen Elizabeth proposes that he help carry a betrothal locket to Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Moscow. It means an alliance between England and Russia is brewing, and the queen warns that should the locket fall into the hands of the Pope or his minions, it could mean war.

Julian joins the queen’s messenger, the lofty and spirited Jessandra Calcross, in a perilous voyage across the Baltic Sea and into the very heart of Russia. When a papal assassin determined to prevent the royal marriage strikes, Jess turns to Julian as the only man she can trust. Although at odds over religion and station, a slender emotional bond grows. Stalked by the relentless murderer, Julian is soon torn between abandoning his mission so he can better safeguard Jess, and fulfilling his vow to the queen. If he fails the queen he’ll never captain a ship again. But if he and Jess continue on to Moscow, they face a darker peril in the mercurial and sinister Tsar Ivan–a peril that will drive courage and dawning love to the breaking point.

Praise Tsars Locket by Ken Czech

“The vivid descriptions of the European cities, including Moscow and the Tsar’s palace, transport us to that era. An exciting and informative novel. Highly recommended.”–Waheed Rabbani, Historical Novel Society

“There were twists and turns throughout, but the climactic twist at the end really caught me off guard. If you love a really good story with action, suspense and romance, then I recommend this novel.” —Lesley Jones for Reades’ Favorite

“The historical backdrop to the tale is … fleshed out with gorgeous details and cinematic style descriptive work, enabling author Ken Czech to show off some real knowledge and a true sense of atmosphere about the period. Add to this the real excitement of a perilous journey across the sea, well-developed villains, a political versus religious thematic arc and some authentic yet accessible dialogue, and you have a truly excellent novel that readers will simply devour.” —K. C. Finn, author of the Caecilius Rex series

“I enjoyed the setting, the play-by-play of action, and the chemistry between Jess and Julian was off the charts. This is an astonishing story that had me hooked from the beginning …” —Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite

About Ken CzechTsars Locket by Ken Czech

History has been his passion since award winning author, Ken Czech was a wee lad. After retiring from a career of teaching history at both secondary and higher education levels, He turned that passion to writing historical novels. His stories combine fiction with actual events and actors taken from the past.  He lives with his wife Mary on an abandoned granite quarry in Minnesota where they enjoy the wildlife and the changing seasons. That’s where his writing happens.

His latest book THE TSAR’S LOCKET has received Five Stars from Reader’s Favorite. His previous novels BEYOND THE RIVER OF SHAME and LAST DANCE IN KABUL have also received very favorable reviews.

Website: https://www.kennethczech.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100019397558582

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This giveaway is for 1 print copy for 2 winners, open to the U.S. only. This giveaway ends November 14, 2020,midnight pacific time.

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Tsars Locket by Ken Czech