Friday 29 April 2016

Spotlight! A Falling Friend - Sue Featherstone & Susan Pape

Title: A Falling Friend
Author: Sue Featherstone and Susan Pape
Genre: Women’s Fiction

After spending her twenties sailing the globe, making love on fine white sand, and thinking only of today, Teri Meyer returns to Yorkshire – and to studying. That’s when she discovers John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester, and poet of all things depraved. What she doesn’t realise is even beyond his grave, his influence over her is extraordinary. To hell with the consequences.

Having gone out on a limb to get old friend Teri a job at the university at which she teaches, it doesn’t take long for Lee Harper to recognise a pattern. Wherever Teri goes, whatever she does, every selfish choice she makes, it’s all setting her up for a nasty fall. But Teri’s not the sort to heed a warning, so Lee has no choice but to stand by and watch. And besides, she has her own life to straighten out.

A clever, raw and hilarious character-driven masterpiece that follows the lives of two friends with the same ambitions, but who have vastly different ways of a achieving them.




Sue Featherstone and Susan Pape are both former newspaper journalists who between them have extensive experience of working in national and regional papers and magazines, and public relations.

More recently they have worked in higher education, teaching journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students – Sue at Sheffield Hallam and Susan at Leeds Trinity.

The pair, who have been friends for 25 years, have already written two successful journalism text books together – Newspaper Journalism: A Practical Introduction; and Feature Writing: A Practical Introduction.

Sue, who is married with two grown-up daughters, loves reading, writing and exploring the cycle paths near her Yorkshire home. She blogs about books at http://www.pinkbicyclebooks.com.

Susan is married and spends her spare time walking and cycling in the Yorkshire Dales and on the east coast, and playing the ukulele.



Thursday 28 April 2016

Spotlight! 1906: A Novel - James Dalessandro

1906: A NOVEL
BY JAMES DALESSANDRO

eBook Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Crossroad Press
eBook; 368 Pages
Genre : Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller
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Every disaster has a backstory, none more thrilling than this one. Set during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, this page-turning tale of political corruption, vendettas, romance, rescue—and murder—is based on recently uncovered facts that forever change our understanding of what really happened. Told by a feisty young reporter, Annalisa Passarelli, the novel paints a vivid picture of the Victorian-era city, from the mansions of Nob Hill to the underbelly of the Barbary Coast to the arrival of tenor Enrico Caruso and the Metropolitan Opera. Central to the story is the ongoing battle—fought even as the city burns—that pits incompetent and unscrupulous politicians against a coalition of honest police officers, newspaper editors, citizens, and a lone federal prosecutor.
With the appeal and texture of The Alienist, Carter Beats the Devil, and the novels of E. L. Doctrow, James Dalessandro weaves unforgettable characters and actual events into a compelling epic.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | KOBO


Praise

“…an imaginative and dense interplay between fact and fiction …of corruption, crime lords and the great San Francisco earthquake…” -Publisher’s Weekly
“Imagine ‘Gone with the Wind’ set against the backdrop of the great San Francisco Earthquake…it steals your breath away.” -Bookideas.com
“A Bold, Sweeping Novel…Richly Textured…Extraordinary.” -Vincent Bugliosi (author ‘Helter Skelter’)
“loaded with admirable historical detail and raptor civic corruption as murderous as the San Andreas Fault.” -Oakley Hall (author, the Ambrose Bierce mysteries)
“…will keep you at the edge of your seat.” -The New York Sun
“..action packed…exciting and vivid.” -Kirkus
“A riveting account of corruption, greed and murder…” -Dallas Morning News

About the Author

James Dalessandro was born in Cleveland Ohio, and educated at Ohio University and UCLA film school. In 1973 he founded the Santa Cruz Poetry Festival with Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Ken Kesey, the nation’s largest literary event. He has written for Playboy, the Examiner newspapers, San Francisco magazine. He was writer of the House of Blues Radio Hour and created the nationally syndicated program “Rock On” with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. He has published four books: Canary in a Coal Mine (poetry); Bohemian Heart (noir detective fiction); Citizen Jane (True Crime); and 1906: A Novel (Historical Fiction). He is award winning writer/director/producer of the documentary film THE DAMNEDEST, FINEST RUINS (PBS/KQED), and writer/producer of the Hallmark Movie “Citizen Jane,” based on his book. He is screenwriter of “1906” the upcoming Pixar/Warner Brothers live action film based on his novel of the same name. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Katie and best pal Giacomo Poochini.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS


Please Pass the Books offers a spotlight of this novel. If you wish to follow the official blog tour, you may do so here:

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 11
Blog Tour Kick Off & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Thursday, April 14
Spotlight at The Reading Queen
Friday, April 15
Excerpt at The Never-Ending Book
Tuesday, April 19
Guest Post at The Writing Desk
Review at Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne
Wednesday, April 20
Spotlight at Queen of All She Reads
Friday, April 22
Review & Excerpt at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book
Monday, April 25
Interview at Historical Fiction Addicts
Tuesday, April 26
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Holland Reads
Thursday, April 28
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Excerpt at Historical Fiction Addicts
Tuesday, May 3
Spotlight at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, May 4
Spotlight at Broken Teepee
Friday, May 6
Interview & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court
Monday, May 9
Review at Book Nerd
Thursday, May 12
Excerpt & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation
Friday, May 13
Guest Post at Jorie Loves a Story
Tuesday, May 17
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews
Wednesday, May 18
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Monday, May 23
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Spotlight! The Star-Touched Queen - Roshani Chokshi

Title: THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Pub. Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooksGoodreads

Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds friendship and warmth.

But Akaran has its own secrets - thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran's magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar's plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk - it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.

Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.

Inspired by Indian mythology. 





Roshani Chokshi comes from a small town in Georgia where she collected a Southern accent, but does not use it unless under duress. She grew up in a blue house with a perpetually napping bear-dog. At Emory University, she dabbled with journalism, attended some classes in pajamas, forgot to buy winter boots and majored in 14th century British literature. She spent a year after graduation working and traveling and writing. After that, she started law school at the University of Georgia where she's learning a new kind of storytelling.​


Tuesday 26 April 2016

Spotlight! Painting Sky - Rita Branches


Painting Sky
Rita Branches
Publication date: April 25th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Nobody ever said life was easy…
People pleaser, Jane Skylar wants nothing more than to earn her art degree, start her life, and bask in the bliss of living with her boyfriend.
But things don’t always go as planned…
Struggling with her creative side, Jane finds herself in turmoil, often confiding in her roommate – another, more talented art student, Keith Hale. Keith just so happens to be her boyfriend’s older, brooding brother. After a devastating breakup, Jane turns to Keith for comfort. But when the lines blur between roommate and lover, Jane’s life becomes more complicated than ever before.
When Keith’s past comes back to haunt him, their lives all get turned upside down, forcing the truth to surface. Now Jane must fight for what she wants–even if it hurts everyone she loves.


EXCERPT:
When I pulled the door open, the last person I wanted to see was sitting on a stool, sipping his morning coffee. He didn’t acknowledge me.
I poured some coffee in a random mug, since Keith was using my favorite one, and tried to reach the last package of cookies on the top shelf. I really didn’t want to use the stool in front of Keith.
What was the least humiliating decision? Trying to reach it by jumping on the counter or getting the stupid stool? I almost decided on just eating something at school when a throat being cleared sounded just behind me. I knew that, if I turned around, he would be invading my personal space. I had no intention of letting him ruin my birthday, so I stayed put with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Were you deciding between the cookies, the canned peas, or the rice? Because I can help with either one of them, just not sure which one you get in the morning.” Keith snickered. I could smell him, and the fact that such a pleasant smell could come from such an unpleasant person puzzled me.
I had the strong urge to turn and flip him the finger. I had never done that in my life, but could now understand why people did it. Instead, I turned slowly, thinking about how to have the upper hand this time.
I was right about the personal space: I leaned back and rested my hands behind me on the counter. He was standing so close to me that I had to look up to see his eyes. For a second, I saw the indecision there, as if he knew he should step back.
I had to think of a witty response fast, but then I noticed he had shaved— that was where the amazing smell was coming from. He had a small cut on his throat.
Keith wasn’t smirking now; he was genuinely waiting for me to do something. I wished I could read his thoughts so I could do the exact opposite of what he was hoping for.
I quickly took the wish back. It was my birthday, after all, and we never did know when a wish would be granted. This was one I really didn’t want to come true. Hearing his words hurt enough without having to hear his thoughts, as well.
“Next time you shave, try standing an inch or two closer to the blade,” I whispered, leaning closer to his shoulder.
I was so pleased with my joke that I pondered going upstairs and writing it down. I smiled triumphantly at my quick response and did a little happy dance inside.
“Did you have to think on that one this whole time, or were you just checking me out?”
My smile faltered and then completely disappeared. That had been a good one. Okay, I must have thought about it a little longer than I realized. Maybe I had been kind of checking him out—not in a “you’re so hot” way, but more of a “if you could just be a statue and never speak or move, I would thank the powers that be” way.
I stuck my chin out to try to appear taller. “That was a good one and you know it.” I crossed my arms again and brushed against his chest in the process.





Rita Branches is an independent YA (young adult) author who enjoys spending every free moment (when she´s not reading) writing emotional stories. Visit: http://ritabranches.wordpress.com/






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Monday 25 April 2016

Spotlight! Dueling with the Duke - Robyn DeHart

Title: Dueling with the Duke
Author: Robyn DeHart
Genre: Historical Romance

England, 1838.

Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford never intended to carry that title, but when his reckless brother gets himself killed in a duel over a woman, Gabe has no choice. Now he’s sworn off love, blaming the woman that broke his brother’s heart and led to his untimely death.

Lilith Crisp, Lady Thornton, knew from a young age that pretty girls grow up and get married off to the highest bidder. Being paraded around London as her husband’s trophy has taught her some unique skills and now she can manipulate any man for his darkest secrets.

Gabriel’s position in the Brotherhood of the Sword leads him directly to Lilith’s door. For Gabe, Lilith is the one woman he’s always wanted, and Lilith is now forced to deal with a man who seems immune to her charms. But a secret about Lilith’s niece brings them together to face a danger that threatens not only their lives, but the fate of England’s Crown. Resisting Lilith is getting more and more difficult and Gabe finally recognizes that he can’t keep blaming her for his brother’s fate. Finding love means forgiving the past and that might be the one thing they simply can’t do…


National Bestselling author, Robyn DeHart’s novels have appeared in the top bestselling romance and historical romance lists. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages. Her historical romantic adventure series, The Legend Hunters, were not only bestsellers, but also award-winners, snagging a Reader’s Crown and a Reviewer’s Choice award. She had three releases in 2013 and 2014 will see four more, all set in the popular historical romance Regency and Victorian eras.

Known for her “strong dialogue and characters that leap off the page” (RT Bookclub) and her “sizzling romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been featured in USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. A popular writing instructor, she has given speeches at writing conferences in Los Angeles, DC, New York, Dallas, Nashville and Toronto, among many others.

When not writing, you can find Robyn hanging out with her family, husband (The Professor) a university professor of Political Science and their two ridiculously beautiful and smart daughters, Busybee and Babybee as well as two spoiled-rotten cats. They live in the hill country of Texas where it’s hot eight months of the year, but those big blue skies make it worth it.

Sign up for Robyn’s newsletter www.robyndehart.com/newsletter/ Robyn’s website www.robyndehart.com Robyn on Twitter twitter.com/RobynDeHart Robyn on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Robyn-DeHart-H… Robyn on Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/288853….



Thursday 21 April 2016

Goodbye Forever - Bonnie Hearn Hill

Goodbye Forever
by Bonnie Hearn Hill

Crime blogger and radio host Kit Doyle goes undercover and into danger - in the second of this intriguing crime series.

17-year-old Jessica is missing. There are no clues as to why she disappeared apart from the note she left behind: I love you. Goodbye forever. It turns out that Jessica is not the first teenager to have gone missing, nor the first to have left exactly the same note.

With a personal family connection to the missing girl, crime blogger and radio host Kit Doyle is determined to find out what happened to her. To do so, she must go undercover as a teenage runaway herself. Out on the streets, Kit is about to enter a violent, unpredictable world where life is held cheap and into the clutches of a dangerous psychopath




Please Pass The Books Review:

I was introduced to Kit Doyle last year in Bonnie Hearn Hill's first Doyle Mystery, If Anything Should Happen. I fell in love with the assured and fearless heroine, and was excited when the next installment, Goodbye Forever, made its way to my inbox. It did not disappoint.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, you should, because it's exceptional. That being said, Goodbye Forever reads perfectly well as a standalone. There won't be any confusion if you've missed If Anything Should Happen, and will find yourself easily engrossed in Goodbye Forever by the end of the second page.

This time around, Kit Doyle is on a search for her husband's niece, Jessica. Jessica's mother is conflicted over Kit's involvement in finding her runaway daughter, but is ultimately swayed by the insistence of her former brother-in-law. To the absolute dismay of her husband, Kit determines the best way to gather information is to go undercover as a homeless teen herself, and we are quickly drawn into the raw underbelly of this disturbing way of life. As Kit is pulled deeper and deeper off the grid, she finds herself in greater danger than she could have ever suspected. If she doesn't find a way out soon enough, she'll not only lose Jessica, but will be swallowed up whole herself.

Goodbye Forever delivers tension on every page and is nearly impossible to put down. Hill's writing is remarkable. Her weaving of social issues through storylines is done with just enough restraint to make you believe you're a part of it, and just enough force to make you sick to your stomach over it. I can't say I'd given much thought before to how homeless teens in America might survive, but the gang-mentality—the ride or die mindset—becomes uncomfortably exposed in Goodbye Forever.

If you're looking for a gripping mystery/thriller, look no further. Goodbye Forever will rock your world.

FIVE STARS

This novel was provided in exchange for my honest opinion, which this certainly is. Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review it.



Bonnie Hearn Hill is the author of six thrillers from MIRA Books, the Star Crossed young adult series, and the new Kit Doyle series, IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN (2015) and GOODBYE FOREVER (2016). With Christopher Allan Poe, she wrote DIGITAL INK: WRITING KILLER FICTION IN THE E-BOOK AGE, a guide for novelists.

Her thrillers INTERN, KILLER BODY, MISTRESS, OFF THE RECORD, LAST WORDS, TIL MORNING, and CUTLINE are now available as e-books.

A national conference speaker and contest judge, she has is proud of the many published authors she has mentored.





This post contains an affiliate link, which means if you buy the book through this blog, I may receive a commission.



Wednesday 20 April 2016

The Immigrant Wife - Madhu Bazaz Wangu


As a girl on the brink of womanhood in 1960s India, Shanti Bamzai has big dreams. Rather than enter into an arranged marriage like her sister, Shanti embarks on a journey into the unknown, leaving her family home behind for an education and a chance to chart her own destiny.While India experiences an upheaval of cultural and societal changes as old-world traditions collide with the modern global era, Shanti navigates college, a marriage of her own choosing, and motherhood, fighting a constant battle between the pressures of traditional expectations and her own burning desire to be an artist and an independent woman. A move to America presents exciting new opportunities, but Shanti is disappointed to find herself still hemmed in by the restrictions of her Indian upbringing. As her children become adults and her marriage becomes a shell of what it once was, Shanti must find the courage to step out of her husband’s shadow and into the life she’s always dreamed of.


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Please Pass The Books Review

In her book, The Immigrant Wife, Wangu introduces and brings us into the life of Shanti, a forward-thinking woman at odds with her culture and upbringing at a critical time in her life. Instead of doing what's expected, Shanti makes a bold decision to leave everything she's ever known behind to pursue her own dreams. We are taken on this journey from India to America, and all it entails for Shanti—college, marriage, children—in Wangu's thoughtful and engrossing novel.

More of an epic than a coming-of-age, The Immigrant Wife isn't a light or quick read. I didn't find myself racing through the pages, and sometimes the text was a tad verbose. That being said, the subject matter is emotionally complex and the story itself is compelling, which makes it acceptable. Wangu's writing is clean and her grasp of the era and culture we become so submerged in is evident. She paints vivid portraits and offers a dramatic, thoughtful peek into the life of a woman you cannot help but root for, and love. The Immigrant Wife is the perfect novel for lovers of literary women's fiction and historical epics.

FOUR STARS

Thank you to the author and Beck Valley Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which this is.



Read an excerpt HERE



"Beautiful and lush, The Immigrant Wife takes the reader on one woman's touching, turmeric-drenched journey from naive but determined art student in India to longing-filled American wife and mother. The author Madhu B. Wangu has written a maharaja’s banquet for the senses." - (RITA Award Winning Author) Gwyn Cready

"A winner. The Immigrant Wife: A Spiritual Journey is beautifully written. The story weaves many small strands into an intriguing tapestry, much like the paintings of our heroine, Shanti. It paints two pictures one of the beautiful valley of Kashmir and the beautiful hills of Western Pennsylvania. Shanti’s quiet determination to stay true to herself, her art, and her family is inspirational. I loved it! - Professor Laurence Glasco (University of Pittsburgh)

"In her debut novel, Madhu Bazaz Wangu, conjures a mysterious time and place. The protagonist, Shanti, begins her life as an idealistic but naive girl from the valley of Kashmir. As the story unfolds in America, she learns to heed her desires and shape her life, no longer rolling along like a stone turned in the tide. Wangu creates rich, dynamic images of India, comparable to her watercolors, evoking every sense. The indigenous sights, sounds, and smells are so vivid that I swear I could find my way to Shanti’s home. Wangu's style is gentle and quiet like the protagonist, and deeply powerful. This tale of love and nurturing, loss and growth, and transformation will stay with readers long after they finish the novel."  - Kathleen Shoop (IPPY Award Winner of The Last Letter)


An author, artist and the founder of the Mindful Writers Group, Madhu Bazaz Wangu was a professor of arts and religions of India before becoming a full time writer. She has a doctorate in the Phenomenology of Religions from the University of Pittsburgh and a post-doctoral fellowship from the Harvard University. For twenty-five years, she taught at the University of Pittsburgh and Chatham College in Pennsylvania, Wellesley and Wheaton Colleges in Massachusetts, and Rhode Island College.

In 1997, Dr. Wangu voyaged around the world with students & faculty from various American Universities for the Semester At Sea. In 2010, she founded the Mindful Writers Group. She encourages writers of all levels and genres to delve deeper in their work by body-mind-heart meditations. Her CD, Meditations for Mindful Writers was released in 2011. She guides writers in meditation and writing marathons. Each year in September, the Mindful Writers Group organizes a weekend of Meditation and Writing.

Madhu B. Wangu has published numerous essays and four books on Hindu & Buddhist art and religions. She has also held five one-person art exhibitions in India and US.  Her debut fiction, Chance Meetings: Stories About Cross-Cultural Karmic Collisions and Compassion was published in April, 2015. And her debut novel, An Immigrant Wife has just been released. Currently she is writing her second novel, The Last Suttee.

She lives in Wexford, Pennsylvania, USA with her husband Manoj. They have two daughters — an avionics engineer and a pediatrician — and are blessed with two grandchildren.





Tuesday 19 April 2016

Spotlight! THE DARK LADY’S MASK - MARY SHARRATT

THE DARK LADY’S MASK
BY MARY SHARRATT
Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Hardcover, eBook, Audio Book
Genre: Historical Fiction
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Shakespeare in Love meets Shakespeare’s Sister in this novel of England’s first professional woman poet and her collaboration and love affair with William Shakespeare.
London, 1593. Aemilia Bassano Lanier is beautiful and accomplished, but her societal conformity ends there. She frequently cross-dresses to escape her loveless marriage and to gain freedoms only men enjoy, but a chance encounter with a ragged, little-known poet named Shakespeare changes everything.
Aemilia grabs at the chance to pursue her long-held dream of writing and the two outsiders strike up a literary bargain. They leave plague-ridden London for Italy, where they begin secretly writing comedies together and where Will falls in love with the beautiful country — and with Aemilia, his Dark Lady. Their Italian idyll, though, cannot last and their collaborative affair comes to a devastating end. Will gains fame and fortune for their plays back in London and years later publishes the sonnets mocking his former muse. Not one to stand by in humiliation, Aemilia takes up her own pen in her defense and in defense of all women.
The Dark Lady’s Mask gives voice to a real Renaissance woman in every sense of the word.
The Dark Lady’s Mask will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in April 2016 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

AMAZON (KINDLE) | AMAZON (HARDCOVER) | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE


Advance Praise

“An exquisite portrait of a Renaissance woman pursuing her artistic destiny in England and Italy, who may — or may not — be Shakespeare’s Dark Lady.”
— MARGARET GEORGE, internationally bestselling author of Elizabeth I
“Perfectly chosen details and masterful characterization bring to life this swiftly moving, elegant story. As atmospheric and compelling as it is wise, The Dark Lady’s Mask is a gem not to be missed.”
— LYNN CULLEN, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End
“Mary Sharratt’s enchanting new novel, The Dark Lady’s Mask, is a richly imagined, intensely romantic and meticulously researched homage to lauded poet, Aemilia Bassano Lanyer, an accomplished woman of letters who many believe to be Shakespeare’s Eternal Muse. Sharratt unfolds a captivating tale, a compelling ‘what if ’ scenario, of a secret union that fed the creative fires of England’s greatest poet and playwright.”
— KATHLEEN KENT, bestselling author of The Heretic’s Daughter
“Mary Sharratt is a magician. This novel transports the reader to Elizabethan England with a tale of the bard and his love that is nothing short of amazing. Absorbing, emotional, historically fascinating. A work of marvelous ingenuity!”
— M.J. ROSE, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch of Painted Sorrows
“I enjoyed this exciting fantasy of Shakespeare’s ‘dark lady.’ There was adventure, betrayal, resilience, and above all, the fun notion that Shakespeare might have had far more than a muse to help him create his wonderful plays.”
—KARLEEN KOEN, bestselling author of Dark Angels and Before Versailles
“Through the story of Aemilia Bassano, a talented musician and poet, Mary Sharratt deftly tackles issues of religious and gender inequality in a time of brutal conformity. The Dark Lady’s Mask beautifully depicts the exhilaration and pitfalls of subterfuge, a gifted woman’s precarious reliance on the desires of powerful men, and the toll paid by unrecognized artistic collaborators. Resonant and moving.”
—MITCHELL JAMES KAPLAN, author of By Fire, By Water
“In The Dark Lady’s Mask, Mary Sharratt seduces us with a most tantalizing scenario —that the bold, cross-dressing poet and feminist writer Aemilia Bassano is Shakespeare’s mysterious muse, the Dark Lady. Romantic, heart-breaking, and rich in vivid historical detail and teeming Elizabethan life, the novel forms an elegant tapestry of the complexities, joys, and sorrows of being both a female and an artist.”
—KAREN ESSEX, author of Leonardo’s Swans and Dracula in Love
“Mary Sharratt has created an enchanting Elizabethan heroine, a musician, the orphaned daughter of a Jewish Italian refugee who must hide her heritage for her safety. Taken up by powerful men for her beauty, Amelia has wit and daring and poetry inside her that will make her a match for young Will Shakespeare himself and yet she must hide behind many masks to survive in a world where women have as much talent as men but little power.”
— STEPHANIE COWELL, author of Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
“Prepare to be swept away by Mary Sharratt’s latest foray into historical fiction. Inspired by the true story of poet, Aemilia Bassano, THE DARK LADY’S MASK explores her relationship with William Shakespeare. Richly detailed and well researched, this lush tale brings Aemilia out of the shadows of history and let’s her emerge as one of the founding mothers of literature. Drama, intrigue, and romance will have readers racing through this brilliant celebration of the muse.”
— PAMELA KLINGER-HORN, Sales & Outreach Coordinator, Excelsior Bay Books

About the Author03_Mary Sharratt

MARY SHARRATT is an American writer who has lived in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, for the past seven years. The author of the critically acclaimed novels Summit Avenue, The Real Minerva, and The Vanishing Point, Sharratt is also the co-editor of the subversive fiction anthology Bitch Lit, a celebration of female antiheroes, strong women who break all the rules.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS




Please Pass The Books offers a spotlight of this book. If you wish to follow the official book blog tour, please do so here:

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 19
Review & Giveaway at Unshelfish
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Wednesday, April 20
Review at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Excerpt & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, April 21
Review at A Book Drunkard
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Books and Benches
Friday, April 22
Review & Giveaway at History Undressed
Monday, April 25
Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review
Tuesday, April 26
Review at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, April 27
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, April 28
Review at Just One More Chapter
Friday, April 29
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Saturday, April 30
Review at Queen of All She Reads
Monday, May 2
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review at Cynthia Robertson, writer
Tuesday, May 3
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, May 4
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Thursday, May 5
Excerpt & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews
Friday, May 6
Review at Book Nerd
Monday, May 9
Review at A Dream within a Dream
Tuesday, May 10
Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews
Wednesday, May 11
Review at Puddletown Reviews
Thursday, May 12
Review & Giveaway at View from the Birdhouse
Friday, May 13
Review at First Impressions Reviews
Excerpt at Layered Pages
Monday, May 16
Review at A Book Geek
Wednesday, May 18
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective
Thursday, May 19
Review & Giveaway at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
Friday, May 20
Review at Broken Teepee