Tag Archives: Historical

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | February 3, 2025 · 5:00 am

There’s Something About You, Olivia Bennet Blitz

There's Something About You, Olivia Bennet banner

Historical

Date Published: 11-26-2024

Two women. Two generations. A lifetime of secrets…

Sydney, 1989. When a secret trunk belonging to her enigmatic mother is
delivered, Olivia Bennet’s safe and predictable world is thrown into
disarray.

Inside the trunk, long-buried secrets tell of a different life that is
totally foreign to shy and unadventurous Olivia. Secrets she’s certain
her mother intended to stay hidden.

For the first time, Olivia has hope of finding answers about her father,
and along with it, her identity. But only if she has the courage to face who
she truly is.

Sydney, 1964. Amidst the vibrant backdrop of multicultural inner Sydney,
Rosemary Benito plans to leave behind her painful past and embrace the
freedom her new home offers.

While her exotic beauty attracts unwanted attention, if she works hard
enough in her new country, Rosemary can become whatever—and
whoever—she wants. She just has to make sure her old life
doesn’t catch up with her.

Neither woman can change their pasts. But if they’re brave enough,
they both have the power to determine their futures…

A poignant family saga full of love and loss that spans two generations.
There’s Something About You, Olivia Bennet, reveals the tender bond
between mother and daughter, the undeniable ties that bind generations
together, and the importance of belonging.

About the Author

Valerie G. Miller is an Australian author celebrated for her dual timeline
historical fiction, weaving heartfelt narratives that resonate across
generations. Rooted in her Italian heritage, Valerie brings rich cultural
nuances to her stories, crafting tales that celebrate family, resilience,
and the deep human need for belonging. Her short stories explore the
intricacies of human connection, capturing the tender moments that bind
people together and create a sense of home in each other’s hearts.

In addition to her writing, Valerie is training to become an accredited
book coach, sharing her passion for storytelling and supporting aspiring
writers on their creative journeys.

Originally from Sydney, Valerie now calls Brisbane home, where she lives
with her husband, daughter, and a lively household that includes her dog and
two cats. A lifelong lover of storytelling, she earned her Master of Letters
in Creative Writing in 2021, further honing her craft.

Valerie is never far from her next story, always keeping a novel and a
notebook tucked in her bag, ready to capture inspiration wherever it
strikes.

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The Quarryman’s Girl Virtual Book Tour

Fiction (General, Literary, Women’s, Historical)

Date Published: 07-21-2022

Publisher: Mountain Lake Press

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Life is winding down for French Canadian immigrant Rose Dowd. She
isn’t fighting the flow until Fate forces her to gear up for yet
another chapter. Much like her adopted country, as it stakes out a new
international role in World War II, Rose must reinvent herself. Quickly.
Before she can move forward, however, she needs to absorb lessons from her
past, by channeling her former persona as the spunky Quarryman’s girl,
by reexamining her culture shock and parental abandonment, and by mending a
long-standing rift with her sister Isabelle.

Integral to Rose’s journey are her sharp-tongued sister Izzy; her
perpetually worried son Vince, a resourceful shipyard worker; her long dead
Métis mentor Mère Agathe; her bright and bubbly, but sickly
granddaughter Netty; and Nate, “The Ragman’s Grandson,” a
club-footed, pre-law student dreading his future. Follow these unforgettable
characters from the 1880s to the 1940s, Travel from the hard-scrabble pig
farms of Quebec to the granite quarries of Quincy (Massachusetts); from the
frozen St. Lawrence River to the deep-channel Fore River, launching pad for
some of World War II’s most famous warships.

EXCERPT

In her dream she was back in Quebec. Not at the farm, but in a forest clearing, in mid-winter. Although the snow was hip deep, Rose recognized the clearing. Mère Agathe had taken her there many times, in spring, summer, and fall, to gather herbs to heal and mushrooms and roots to eat. It was a magical place.

Turning full circle at the center of the clearing, Rose could see nothing but hemlock, tamarack, and jack pine. If she lay on her back, the tops of all those giant conifers would converge in one perfect point. Staring at the dark green wall encircling her, she felt so small. Not because she was a child. Because she was a mere human. A mere human, all alone in the northern wilderness. Her sense of awe gradually faded, to be replaced by washes of panic. Her heart began skipping beats. A pulse throbbed inside her upper abdomen. Nausea restricted her throat. Her breathing became shallow…

Her peripheral vision picked up a quiver in the drooping, snow-encrusted hemlock branches to her right. The quiver grew to a tremble, then a convulsion, as a figure emerged from the green wall.

“Jésus, Marie, Joseph!” Rose exclaimed. She relaxed a little—but only a little—when she recognized Mère Agathe, swathed in a woolen blanket whiter than the snow.

A bony index finger emerged from the blanket and wagged at Rose. “Hard times coming, little one. And you not ready, eh? High time you get ready, no?”

About the Author

Melanie Forde grew up hearing fanciful tales about her voyageur forefathers
swaggering through 17th century Quebec, while her Métis foremothers
parsed the mysteries of the natural world. It was only a matter of time
before she mined those memories for a novel. It was high time that she set
her characters in the gritty hometown that started her own journey: Quincy,
Massachusetts. She’d like to think she inherited some of the earlier
generations’ resilience, joie de vivre and attunement with Mother
Nature. She credits both her French Canadian and Irish ancestors with the
storytelling gene that inspired four previous, character-driven novels.
Although she now lives in the Virginia mountains, far from both Quebec and
Quincy, she sometimes hears ghostly sled dogs howling softly amid the
moonshadows that dapple the snow.

Also by Melanie Forde:

• Hillwilla

• On the Hillwilla Road

• Reinventing Hillwilla

• Decanted Truths

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Tagged as Fiction (General, Historical, Literary, Melanie Forde, The Quarryman's Girl, womens

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | September 30, 2021 · 5:00 am

White Lotus Virtual Book Tour

Book 1 of The Tripitaka Chronicles

Fantasy, YA, Historical

Date Published: August 15, 2021

Publisher: NewLink Publishing (an imprint of Mystic Publishers)

The year is 1799, and a woodblock engraved with a mysterious message is unearthed near a Korean temple. A novice monk, Kyetsu, is sent north by the abbot on a mission to deliver it to the king. On the journey he meets a great warrior, the leader of a secret society called White Lotus. Kyetsu will need all the help he can get, as there are powerful forces working against him. He must learn the deadly martial arts style practiced by the White Lotus and must look for help in unlikely places. The fate of the kingdom is at stake.

Excerpt

“I am traveling north,” Kyetsu said.

“North? Where?” The man looked out into the bleak night.

Habit made Kyetsu pause but something told him he could trust these people. “To Hanseong.”

“Hanseong!” The man shook his head in disbelief. “That is some way from here. Tell me then, which way is north?”

Kyetsu looked in every direction before his shoulders slumped.

“I’m not sure.” Chui might have been right. He had not the faintest hope of making it to the capital.

“The black tortoise,” the woman said. Her wavy hair and round cheeks offered a warmth that drew Kyetsu in and made him feel at ease.

“What?” Despite having surrendered to the woman’s maternal glow, Kyetsu had no idea what she was talking about.

“The black tortoise.” She rested a hand on his shoulder and pointed toward the horizon. “Can you see it?”

“No.” He looked up at the clear black sky, filled with countless stars, trying to glimpse at what she pointed to.

She waved her hand in a smooth, swirling motion, tracing a pattern in the stars. “It is locked in an eternal struggle with the snake.” She now traced the serpent, wrapped around the tortoise in fierce combat. A gasp escaped from Kyetsu, and the man chuckled.

“I can see it.” Kyetsu felt as though he were taking in the heavens with new eyes.

“Follow the tortoise,” the woman said, “and you will always find your way north.”

“Is that how you travel,” Kyetsu said, “by the stars?”

“You can count the starry nights on one hand this time of year.” The man laughed, shaking his head.

“Sometimes.” The woman tsked at the man before offering Kyetsu a smile. “But a road is often easier to follow.”

“When you can find one.” The man laughed again, nodding in the direction of the wild mountains beyond the camp.

About the Author

Seb Cielens is a South Australian writer who has immersed himself in Asian culture and history since he was a child. His stories recount the turmoil of life in late imperial Korea and China, weaving hundreds of hours of historical research into vivid and inspiring fictional tales. When he started training in Kung Fu at the age of thirteen, Seb had no idea that it would lead to a lifelong passion for this amazing place and time. After training in Chinese, Japanese and Korean martial arts for much of his life, he began putting it together with a lifelong passion for writing. Seb is a high school History teacher by day, and writer by night. He has managed these achievements despite being legally blind. White Lotus is the first novel in what promises to be a bountiful career as an author.

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Facebook (Seb Cielens#SebCielensBooks)

Twitter (Seb Cielens@SebCielens)

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Tagged as Fantasy, Historical, Seb Cielens, White Lotus, YA

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | August 26, 2021 · 5:00 am

White Lotus Blitz

Book 1 of The Tripitaka Chronicles

Fantasy, YA, Historical

Date Published: August 15, 2021

Publisher: NewLink Publishing (an imprint of Mystic Publishers)

About the Author

Contact Links

Website

Facebook (Seb Cielens#SebCielensBooks)

Twitter (Seb Cielens@SebCielens)

Purchase Links

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Filed under BOOKS

Tagged as Fantasy, Historical, Seb Cielens, White Lotus, YA

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | May 25, 2020 · 5:00 am

Speakeasy Blitz

Speakeasy banner

Suspense Thriller / Historical

Date Published: 12/21/2011

Publisher: Dark Hour Press, LLC

The novella is centered on Eddie Durante, owner of a speakeasy who’s supported by his mobster uncle—the boss of the Durante family. Eddie is a young widower after his family’s rival, the Caprice family, murdered his wife over a territory dispute. After devising a plan that retaliated against four of the rivaling capos, Eddie is left with the daunting task to try and move on. That is, until he’s notified that the Caprices have put a hit man in the speakeasy—and Eddie’s name is on the list. But things take an unexpected turn when Eddie instead starts to find the dead bodies of his relatives, the ones who had helped in the retaliation.

Behind the backdrop of jazz music and glistening flappers, murder after murder begins to unravel as revenge takes center stage, and Eddie soon learns that some secrets can’t be taken to the grave.

Excerpt

Once the doors were closed, Sal didn’t take long to get right to the point. “They know it was you, Eddie.”

The words slapped him across the face, but Eddie didn’t respond.

“That you were the one who came up with the idea,” Sal continued. “They’re out for retaliation, and it’s rumored that they’ve sent a torpedo into this juice joint of yours. That’s part of the reason why I’m not being too open with the information. Afraid of who might be listening.”

A hit man in his speakeasy. Eddie stared out the windshield, watching Sal begin to light a cigarette out of the corner of his eye. “I had a lot of ideas,” he remarked hoarsely, fear and dread subtly mixing into his thoughts.

“Only took one,” Sal responded as he lit the cigarette. He silently offered one to Eddie, who refused with a shake of his head. “Sorry, kid,” Sal explained as he took a puff. “After what they did to your wife, I wouldn’t have blamed ya.”

Eddie remained silent, his eyes drifting to the bootleggers who were moving the last of the crates. No wonder they weren’t laying their eyes on him. He was a dead target.

Sal took another drag on his cigarette, taking a moment for himself. “Don’t worry, though,” he finally remarked. “Your family’s got your back. My brother-in-law, your dear uncle, has requested that Joe stay by your side until we can square away if there’s a torpedo and who it is.”

“What?” Eddie balked, shattering his calm exterior.

“It’s temporary,” Sal cooed, trying to calm the young man down. “He’s just some extra protection.”

Eddie gawked, unable to believe that they’d send Joe, of all people, to protect him. “He’s crazy,” was all Eddie could summarize when it came to his cousin.

“He’s happy,” Sal tried to smooth over.

“Trigger happy,” Eddie corrected.

Sal shrugged his shoulders. “He gets the job done. And when the boss’ favorite nephew needs protection, the boss will only send the very best.”

“I don’t need protection,” Eddie fought back, trying not to raise his voice to the lunacy. “And even if I did, I have Anthony and Marcus in there—”

“Little orphan Anthony and Baby Marcus?” Sal choked, half laughing, half sputtering on the cigarette smoke. “Marcus is too naive, and Anthony,” but Sal had to chuckle first before he could continue. “Well, ya better just pray your killer isn’t a female.”

“Thanks for warning me,” Eddie begrudgingly admitted as he pulled the door handle…

About the Author

A. M. Dunnewin grew up with a taste for mysteries and thrillers, inherited ever so lovingly from her family. An affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association, A. M.’s own stories cover a wide range of genres that tend to take a dark turn when least expected. With a B.A. in Psychology, she’s a gambler of words, obsessed with chai tea, and addicted to books – everything from classical literature to graphic novels. Other hobbies include art, history, music, equestrianism, and a good classic film. She currently dwells in Northern California.

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